The best VPN routers of 2024

Choosing the best VPN router involves many factors. If you want to purchase a VPN-ready router, you will find the best use cases for each of our recommendations below.

When you are researching a new VPN router, consider these points before making a purchase:

• DIY: If you want a VPN for your home network, consider whether you want to install a VPN directly on your router.
• Preinstalled options: If you don’t want to tamper with router settings yourself to install a VPN, consider a router model that comes with a VPN preinstalled. 
• Affordability: VPN routers are available for a variety of budgets. If you can, consider a future-proof VPN router that can support next-generation Wi-Fi and provide good coverage and speeds.
• VPN: You also need to take into account the VPN service you want to use. If you have a preferred VPN, ensure that the router you want supports it.
• Subscriptions: You will likely need to purchase a subscription. While there are a handful of free VPN plans offered by trustworthy vendors, most of them come with limitations. These may not be suitable for use on a router, as you may quickly run out of bandwidth. As a result, you should factor in the cost of a VPN subscription, even if it is just a basic, paid plan.
• Other purposes: The VPN might be the most important aspect, but you should also consider whether other features are important to you — such as tri-band functionality, gaming optimization, or additional security features.

While compiling our recommendations for the best VPN routers of 2024, we considered several crucial factors, including:

• Speed: There’s no point investing in a new router capable of handling VPN environments unless it serves its core purpose: providing solid and stable connections to the internet. We considered traditional router models and options that provide mesh networking for larger homes.
• VPN support: We included a range of models with built-in VPNs, VPN support for standalone VPN services, and mobile products for VPN protection on the go. We know that what might suit one user won’t always suit another, so there must be flexibility in the VPN options.
• Budgets: We covered different budgets. Although our priorities are security, speed, and reliability, we wanted to ensure that we included affordable products alongside future-proofed routers.
• Customer reviews: We also examined customer reviews in depth, including positive and negative experiences, and we factored this feedback in when deciding on our recommendations.
• Vendor reputation: We considered the reputation of router manufacturers, including their popularity, variety, and product accessibility.

• Support: As with any subscription software, you may encounter problems installing apps, using the service, renewing, or canceling. We listed VPNs with an available support team.

For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page.

If you want to install a VPN directly onto a router, the process can be more of a hassle than just signing up for an app. It can, however, save you time in the long run as any device that connects to your router — like a PC or a smartphone — will use the VPN and will be automatically protected. This can be particularly useful if you have internet-connected devices, including TVs and IoT products, that cannot support a VPN on their own hardware. 

You might want to consider setting up a VPN on your router if you have numerous devices needing protection, and you work from home. If you are a remote worker, some organizations may require you to use their own VPN to access corporate resources.

A caveat: some online platforms, such as streaming services, will detect when you are using a VPN and may block you. If this is the case, you may have to temporarily disable your VPN service to resume watching.

Many routers are now smart, intelligent devices capable of far more than providing an internet connection. Today, you can install VPN software on many different routers, and VPN support is often promoted as a major feature. 

A word of caution: installing third-party software on your router might void its warranty, just as jailbreaking mobile devices or changing the firmware of a gaming console can invalidate a warranty. 

A VPN can be a great tool for protecting your privacy. At the very least, VPNs should be used when you are taking advantage of public Wi-Fi hotspots, but using them while you’re online as a default is the better option to protect yourself and your information. VPNs are also beneficial in circumventing geolocation blocks and censorship.

Some countries either ban VPN usage entirely or heavily discourage it. If using a VPN is illegal, you may be fined or prosecuted. According to NordVPN’s country guide, countries that ban VPNs include Belarus and Iraq, whereas governments in China and Russia are among those that only permit specific VPNs.

It’s possible, but it depends on several factors. VPNs handle traffic in different ways, but overall, it is highly unlikely that company IT administrators will be able to access your home network via your VPN connection. If you are on a work-issued laptop with software that allows such connections, however, IT administrators will most likely be able to monitor your activities and tap into resources on the device.

Additionally, while VPN tunnels encrypt your traffic and mask your online activities, you can be monitored if you use a VPN designed, licensed, or owned by your employer. VPNs can protect corporate resources, and you should keep work and private online activities separate.

Typically, yes, although a high-quality VPN will hopefully not make a noticeable difference. There are caveats; for example, you should expect a slowdown when connecting to servers across a long distance, such as from the UK to Australia. If, however, you experience severe speed loss when you are connecting to servers closer to you, such as from New York to Washington, this may indicate a problem with either the VPN or your ISP connection.