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Best VPNs for routers

VPNs with manual config support for OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 on AsusWRT, DD-WRT, OpenWrt, and pfSense routers.

12 VPNs rankedTop pick: ProtonVPNHow we rank
#1
ProtonVPN logo

ProtonVPNTop pick

Trustpilot 4.1120 countries

Switzerland-based open-source provider with six independent audits, the best free tier on the market, and Secure Core double-VPN.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv6 audits
$3.59/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
#2
NordVPN logo

NordVPN

Trustpilot 4.2149 countries

Panama-based market leader with five audits, owned-and-RAM infrastructure across 118 countries, and the fastest WireGuard implementation we measured in 2025.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv5 auditsFree trial
$3.49/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
#3
ExpressVPN logo

ExpressVPN

Trustpilot 4.5105 countries

British Virgin Islands veteran with twelve independent audits, TrustedServer RAM-only fleet, and consistently the most reliable unblocks of regional streaming catalogs.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv12 auditsFree trial
$2.99/mo
mo on the 28-month plan
30-day refund
#4
Mullvad logo

Mullvad

Trustpilot 4.444 countries

Sweden-based privacy first provider with flat €5/month pricing, no email required to sign up, four audits, and full open-source clients.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidchrome4 audits
$5.72/mo
mo on the 1-month plan
30-day refund
#5
Surfshark logo

Surfshark

Trustpilot 4.4100 countries

Netherlands provider that ships unlimited simultaneous devices, four audits, and the lowest introductory price of any audited VPN we tested in 2025.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv4 auditsFree trial
$2.49/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
#6
IVPN logo

IVPN

Trustpilot 4.650 countries

Gibraltar-based privacy-hardened provider with three audits, owned-and-RAM infrastructure, multi-hop, and port forwarding.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouter3 auditsFree trial
$4.00/mo
mo on the 12-month plan
30-day refund
#7
Private Internet Access logo

Private Internet Access

Trustpilot 4.391 countries

United States-based provider with four no-logs audits, the largest rented server count, verified no-logs in real court cases, and strong torrent-friendly defaults.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv4 audits
$2.03/mo
mo on the 39-month plan
30-day refund
#8
AirVPN logo

AirVPN

Trustpilot 4.423 countries

Italy-based provider with owned bare-metal servers, the most payment options in the industry, and the open-source Eddie client.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouter
$2.75/mo
mo on the 12-month plan
3-day refund
#9
Windscribe logo

Windscribe

Trustpilot 4.469 countries

Canada-based build-a-plan provider with a generous free tier, port forwarding in free plan, and configurable cost-per-location pricing.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv2 auditsFree trial
$4.08/mo
mo on the 12-month plan
7-day refund
#10
CyberGhost logo

CyberGhost

Trustpilot 4.1100 countries

Romania-based provider with the largest rented server fleet, dedicated streaming and torrenting server categories, and a 45-day refund window.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv3 auditsFree trial
$2.19/mo
mo on the 26-month plan
45-day refund
#11
Mozilla VPN logo

Mozilla VPN

Trustpilot 4.357 countries

United States-based Mozilla-branded provider, white-labeled on Mullvad's WireGuard stack with three audits.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouter3 audits
$4.99/mo
mo on the 12-month plan
30-day refund
#12
VyprVPN logo

VyprVPN

Trustpilot 4.270 countries

Switzerland-based provider with owned servers, two no-logs audits, and proprietary Chameleon protocol that bypasses restrictive networks in China.

windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouter2 audits
$3.33/mo
mo on the 12-month plan
30-day refund

Expert guide

Installing a VPN on your router protects every device on your home network at once, including game consoles, smart TVs, and IoT devices that cannot run VPN apps natively. The trade-off is a setup process that is more involved than a desktop install. Our router guide ranks providers on manual configuration support and the strength of their router setup documentation.

What we look for in a router VPN

  • Manual config files for OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 on common router firmware (AsusWRT, DD-WRT, OpenWrt, pfSense).
  • Detailed setup guides for at least the three most popular router firmwares.
  • Fast enough throughput to handle multiple devices streaming simultaneously.
  • Support for split tunneling so you can route only certain devices through the VPN.
  • A kill switch on the router level, not just on individual device apps.

Which router firmware should you use?

AsusWRT-Merlin is the easiest entry point for most people, since Asus routers ship with it out of the box and the custom Merlin firmware adds VPN support. DD-WRT and OpenWrt give you more control but require more setup. pfSense and OPNsense are full router operating systems for people who want total control over their network.

for routers - frequently asked questions

Which VPN is the best for routers?

Our top pick for routers in 2026 is ProtonVPN, based on the 18-dimension rubric we maintain and the live pricing snapshot from our most recent scrape. The full ranking below explains why.

How do you score VPNs?

Each VPN gets a 0-5 score on 18 dimensions (jurisdiction, audits, speed, protocols, encryption, leak protection, availability, owned servers, RAM servers, transparency, bug bounty, payments, pricing, bypass, support, ethics, ad-blocker, features). A weighted 5-factor composite (Privacy 30%, Price 25%, Speed 18%, Streaming 14%, Features 13%) produces the overall rating published on each review.

Do you accept payment to influence rankings?

No. Sponsored placements are clearly labelled and never affect a score. Affiliate links earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, but they never change where a provider ranks.

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