If you’re looking for a virtual private network (VPN) you can use in school, you need one that works on your institution’s Wi-Fi network. Your phone has cellular data but might be slow or have a weak connection on campus. Even if it works well, most laptops and tablets lack that option.
The best VPNs are fast enough for video streaming, keep your privacy secure, and let you browse globally as if you’re a local. When you connect from school, you also need a VPN that can break through network restrictions so you can access your favorite content as you would from home.
These are our recommendations for robust and affordable VPNs that are best for school.
CERN scientists founded Proton to help ensure privacy for everyone. Proton VPN is an open source solution that offers Stealth technology to obfuscate VPN traffic to bypass administrative blocks. Since Proton VPN manages this without sacrificing speed or charging too much, it's our top pick for the best VPN for school.
Proton's Stealth protocol is based on WireGuard, but it uses some advanced techniques to make VPN traffic look normal, so it gets past network detection and bypasses firewalls.
Proton VPN is one of very few services to offer a completely free version. While some free VPNs are capped, Proton Free doesn't limit data usage. There are no ads and your activity isn't logged.
A $60 annual Proton Plus subscription is worth paying for since it supports up to 10 devices and unlocks more and faster servers that support high-quality video streaming and torrenting. Proton VPN has a monthly plan, but you'll get the best deal by paying for one or two years of service in advance.
Surfshark is a good choice if you own many devices or if you want to share a VPN with your family. There's no limit on the number of simultaneous connections. That's one of the reasons it's a good alternative to NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
Your school might try to block VPNs, but Surfshark's Camouflage mode disguises VPN traffic when you use the OpenVPN protocol. It's not as fast as WireGuard, so you should only pick OpenVPN if you have trouble connecting to your favorite websites.
You might expect unlimited device support to be expensive, but Surfshark has among the lowest prices on this list. For $48 per year, you get a high-quality VPN with over 3,200 servers in 100 countries.
Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, which is part of the Nine Eyes intelligence alliance. That means Surfshark data might be subject to government surveillance sharing. However, independent audits confirm Surfshark's no-logs policy, which means there's no internet activity data to share.
NordVPN is one of the few virtual private networks with a custom protocol. NordLynx is based on the WireGuard protocol but boasts privacy, security, and speed upgrades. That makes it particularly useful on school networks that might recognize and block the more common OpenVPN and standard WireGuard protocols.
Like most top-rated VPNs, NordVPN supports split-tunneling. That means you can connect to a remote server in your browser to bypass limitations while accessing local content normally in another app.
If your school has overly tight restrictions, this could be the solution you need. NordVPN is also affordable with a $60 annual subscription. To save even more, choose the two-year plan.
NordVPN is based in Panama, so it's outside the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, ensuring greater privacy. With 6,400 servers in 111 countries, you can browse globally to find information from every perspective.
ExpressVPN is recognized as one of the fastest VPNs available. It uses a custom-made Lightway protocol that's built for speed without sacrificing security. An advanced obfuscation feature disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS data, helping to bypass network restrictions.
It's more expensive than most VPNs, but a quick connection could be worth the extra money. If the $100 cost for the first 15 months seems too steep, you can always get the $13 monthly subscription on the occasions you need more speed.
ExpressVPN supports up to eight devices, so you can protect your privacy on multiple phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. With 3,000 servers in 105 countries, this VPN can bypass geo-blocking worldwide.
Like most VPNs on this list, ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find it doesn't work at your school.
Mullvad VPN is quite unique as it's a completely anonymous service.. When you sign up, you're assigned a random account number that's used to connect to your account. Mullvad doesn't require a name, email address, username, or password. You can even pay with cash or crypto to keep your financial data private. This makes it useful for staying anonymous online.
As you might expect, Mullvad VPN obfuscates VPN traffic to hide it from network monitoring and blocking. Nothing is logged, so your privacy is secure even though Mullvad is based in Sweden, a Fourteen Eyes Alliance member.
With Mullvad, you can connect to 706 servers in 47 countries. As a privacy-focused VPN, Mullvad includes an optional kill switch that blocks internet data if VPN protection is lost due to connectivity issues.
Mullvad VPN costs about 5 euros per month, which is about $5.16. That's the lowest monthly cost available. It's not the fastest, and it only supports five devices, but it might be the best pick for completely hiding your identity.
CyberGhost is one of the easiest VPNs to get started with and a great place to start if using a virtual private network sounds like a lot of work. There are presets optimized for gaming, torrenting, and streaming so you don't have to tweak the settings to get good performance.
To help mask VPN traffic, CyberGhost's random port feature automatically switches on each new connection. You can choose between WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols if you still have trouble.
CyberGhost is the only VPN on our list that offers a free trial. It's just for 24 hours, but that's long enough to verify if it works well on your school's network. A six-month subscription costs $42, which is quite expensive, but if you pay for 26 months in advance, it's just $57. Beware of an increase in year three.
Private Internet Access (PIA) supports an unlimited number of devices, obfuscates VPN traffic, doesn't log your activity, and offers many ways to customize your connection. PIA includes plenty of options like split-tunneling, multi-server hops, and port forwarding.
There's a lot to like about PIA, including the price. An annual subscription costs $40, which is quite low. For an even better VPN deal, you can subscribe for three years for $79. New subscribers get three bonus months with the long-term subscription, dropping the equivalent monthly cost to $2.09.
The reason PIA is last on the list is the lack of independent verification of its no-logs policy and security standards. PIA is located in the U.S., so Fives Eyes surveillance is possible.
The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing network between the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The purpose is to prevent terrorism and aid national security.
Nine Eyes and Fourteen Eyes alliances represent agreements among larger groups. Nine Eyes includes France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway. Fourteen Eyes adds Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Sweden.
If your VPN has good encryption and a no-logging policy, there won't be much data to share in the event of a legal demand. However, using a VPN in a country with stronger privacy protections is a good idea if you have any concerns about surveillance.
You school might have legitimate reasons for limiting access to the internet, so remember to use caution when visiting fringe websites. Fake news is rampant, and downloading apps can be dangerous. A VPN protects your privacy but might not block malware.
Hackers are quite sophisticated, so stepping beyond the safeguards your school set up could put your personal data at risk. To complete your cybersecurity measures, check out our guide to the best antivirus software solutions.
When we review VPNs, we test speed on a fast Windows desktop PC with a 900Mbps internet connection over Ethernet. That eliminates Wi-Fi variances and ensures a consistent testing environment so we can make relative speed comparisons for downloads, uploads, and latency. That said, location, date, and time of day can affect results.
The best streaming VPNs maintain high-speed servers worldwide to improve reliability.
Most VPNs support Windows, macOS, iOS , and Android, and some also allow use with smart TVs, gaming consoles, routers, and more. It's important to verify that your devices are compatible since support varies. Check the developer website to make sure before subscribing.
Digital Trends has reviewed all major VPNs and keeps up to date with the latest information and best VPN deals to help you decide which one offers the features and performance you need. We analyze subscription prices, comparing the long-term value of monthly, annual, and other plans.
We also alert you to VPN renewal costs, so you won't be caught off guard and shocked by a high bill a year or two later. Finding the right VPN isn't easy, so you need expert advice from reviewers that have tried them all. Our hands-on experience helps you make informed decisions, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each service so you can get the best VPN with the speed, privacy, and compatibility you need at a price you can afford.
Alan Truly is a Writer at Digital Trends, covering computers, laptops, hardware, software, and accessories that stand out as the most unique and effective solutions. Alan also researches and reviews VR headsets, AR glasses, AI, and robotics, the advances that can redefine how we live and work.
As a kid, Alan marveled at Star Trek, Popular Science, and other science news and sci-fi concepts on the horizon. Now, that future is fast approaching as we work from home, converse with computers thanks to AI, and visit the equivalent of a holodeck with VR and AR. The robot revolution began in factories but could soon reach our homes. What a time to be alive!
Alan's degree in Computer Science from Cal State Fullerton set him up for a diverse career centered around advanced technology. His first job in journalism was as a roving reporter and video editor at a cable TV station in Laughlin, NV before returning to California and starting a video production company specializing in computer animation. After the internet boom, Alan shifted to website design and marketing. He also spent several years as COO of a tablet accessory manufacturer, before returning to communications.
With bylines at Android Police, Peta Pixel, Mixed, and Screen Rant, Alan has written about every type of technology from mobile devices, watches, and tablets to drones, electric vehicles, and space habitats. It's all fascinating and all powered by computing.
Alan lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. A tech-enthusiast since his youth, he stays current on what is new and what is next. With over 30 years of experience in computer, video, and photo equipment, you can expect useful tips and insights in his writing. To stay flexible in mind and body, he practices daily yoga, light cardio, and eats a whole food diet, based on minimally processed plants.
When the weather is nice, and sometimes when it's not, Alan enjoys bringing tech on adventures with beach visits and woods walks. There's no better way to review an FPV drone, AR glasses, and 3D cameras.
Whenever the opportunity arises, Alan advocates for animal rights, green energy, and universal basic income to ease the burden of those without a voice and those who are less fortunate. In his free time, he catches up on the fascinating and unfolding UAP revelations that suggest humans aren't the only intelligent species in the cosmos.
Google just dropped its latest AI model, Gemini 4 Carbon, designed to tackle complex coding jobs and cybersecurity threats. The company claims it can work through difficult engineering problems for days, finding hidden bugs and developing fixes across large codebases.
Gemini 4 Carbon also takes the top spot on Artificial Analysis' updated Intelligence Index, scoring 59 points, pushing out Claude Opus 5.5, OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, and even its own predecessor Gemini 4 Argon.
Apple has just introduced a redesigned MacBook Pro with a few bells and whistles. The focus this time around is on a thinner and lighter build, and an upgrade to a touch-sensitive OLED screen without any ugly notch. And, in case you were wondering, there is definitely a price premium to pay for these niceties, which also include a glowing Apple logo at the back. What if you wanted to get the best that Apple has to offer? Well, the numbers are finally here.
For a mere $14,549, you can get yourself the fully kitted 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR with the beefiest laptop chip that Apple has to offer, and the best memory configuration in tow. For nearly $15,000, you treat yourself to the 16-inch version of the laptop with a nano-texture glass layer on the screen to reduce reflections and glare.
Apple has unveiled its first-ever touchscreen MacBook Pro. The company seems a bit confused about the naming, calling it the "MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display," which is tough to remember. If you look past that and review the full spec sheets, you might ask a genuine question: what are the differences between the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions?
Given that Apple continues to sell both variants together, that's a genuine question. Luckily, you don't have to spend more time lining up the spec sheets side by side and hunting for differences hidden in the fine print. I took that bullet for you. Here's everything that's different between the PROLED XDR Display and the regular MacBook Pro.