The Best Linux VPN in 2024 | Paid and Free Linux VPNs

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The best Linux VPNs offer native apps that require little-to-no configuration, encrypt your data, prevent your internet service provider (ISP) from logging your online activity and throttling your connection speed, and hide your IP and physical location. The trouble is Linux users aren’t exactly the top priority of most software developers.

Researching and comparing dozens of VPN service providers to ascertain which one is the best option for Linux would take you weeks. That’s why we compiled a comprehensive list of the best Linux VPNs in 2024, according to their features, pricing, pros & cons, and Linux support.

Our number one choice for the best Linux VPN is ExpressVPN since it blocks annoying ads, trackers, and malware, and offers over 3,000 high-speed VPN servers to choose from. NordVPN, IvacyVPN, and PureVPN are also excellent options for Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Kali, and Mint users.

The Best Linux VPN in 2024 | Shortlist

Before we dive in and review each VPN provider, here’s a quick shortlist of our top 12 Linux VPNs in 2024:

1. ExpressVPN — Overall, the Best Linux VPN With a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
2. NordVPN — The Most Feature-Rich VPN on the Market. Take Advantage of its 30-day Guarantee Now
3. Ivacy VPN — Exceptional Linux VPN for Buffer-Free Streaming. Try it Today With its 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
4. PureVPN — Popular VPN for Linux With Futureproof 20Gbps Servers. Comes With a 31-Day Money-Back Guarantee
5. Surfshark — Fast Linux VPN with a Slick, Modern Ubuntu GUI. Leverage its 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee to try it Risk-Free!
6. CyberGhost VPN — Fast Linux VPN With a Dedicated IP Address and NoSpy Servers. Offers an Incredible 45-Day Guarantee
7. PrivadoVPN  — Another Free Linux VPN With Excellent Security Features
8. AtlasVPN — Fast and Affordable Linux VPN, but Only Available on Ubuntu. Offers a 30-day Money-Back Guarantee
9. IPVanish — A Decent Linux VPN with Built-in Malware Protection. Lots of Customization Options and a 30-Day Guarantee
10. ProtonVPN — The Best Free Linux VPN With Military-Grade Encryption and SecureCore Servers for Guaranteed Privacy
11. Private Internet Access — Great Linux VPN for Privacy. Test it With the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee and Bypass ISP Speed Throttling
12. PrivateVPN — Affordable Linux VPN With Military-Grade Encryption and a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Best VPNs for Linux in 2024 | In-Depth Reviews

Before paying for a VPN, you need to make sure that it has a quality Linux app, offers strong encryption and powerful security features, and has a large number of servers with decent server distribution.

To save you valuable time, we reviewed the top twelve Linux VPNs, so you can make an informed decision and choose the one that’s best for you. Here are in-depth reviews of the best Linux VPNs in 2024:

1. ExpressVPN — Overall, the Best Linux VPN

ExpressVPN is the best option for Linux, especially if you’re gaming on your Linux device and want to bypass the artificial ISP speed throttling. Plus, it keeps your online data secure and protects you from DDoS attacks, all while hiding your online activity from your ISP and enabling you to reach faster connection speeds on local servers.

ExpressVPN is available on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit only), Linux Mint, and Arch, but you must install it via the command line. This shouldn’t be too difficult for anyone familiar with Linux, but if you need help, ExpressVPN provides a straightforward step-by-step guide for Linux device installations on its website.

That said, the main reason to opt for ExpressVPN is its industry-leading security, including AES-256 encryption, powerful VPN protocols, DNS/IPv6 leak protection, and an internet kill switch.

What’s more, all of its servers are DNS-encrypted, and the company adheres to a strict no-logs policy, so you can be safe knowing that nobody can access your data or online activity logs.

And with 500+ high-speed servers in over 90 countries, ExpressVPN lives up to its name. All of its servers have been upgraded to 10 Gbps, ensuring faster speed and more reliable connections around the globe, making it one of the fastest VPNs for Linux.

If the connection speed is the most important variable for you when choosing a VPN, ExpressVPN is the ideal choice.

2. NordVPN — The Most Feature-Rich VPN on the Market

NordVPN is the most feature-rich VPN currently available, and it offers excellent support for Linux users. You can download the .rpm package from Nord’s official website and install this slick, fast VPN on all major Linux distros.

This includes:

• Ubuntu
• Debian
• Elementary OS
• Linux Mint
• Fedora
• RHEL
• CentOS
• Qubes OS
• OpenSUSE

While NordVPN doesn’t provide a GUI for its Linux app, you can find an unofficial Linux VPN GUI client for NordVPN on GitHub. NordVPN relies on industry-standard AES-256 encryption and offers multiple secure VPN protocols to choose from.

Among them is the proprietary NordLynx protocol that’s built for speed, so you can push your connection speed to the limit and enjoy unparalleled VPN protection without a noticeable speed drop-off.

Linux users will greatly enjoy NordVPN’s Meshnet, which allows you to set up an encrypted peer-to-peer (P2P) connection with another NordVPN user. Meshnet is incredibly useful for sharing files between two devices, making it an excellent choice for businesses that rely on Linux.

Another major benefit of NordVPN is its ongoing Threat Protection, which acts as an impenetrable shield against malware, infected websites, trackers, and other online hazards.

It’ll even proactively monitor the dark web and notify you if it detects that any of your data has been compromised, allowing you to react and update your passwords before cybercriminals can abuse your data or credentials.

3. Ivacy VPN — Exceptional Linux VPN for Buffer-Free Streaming

IvacyVPN provides an outstanding service for users who wish to bypass geo-restrictions to reach their favorite TV shows and movies on popular streaming websites and apps. This VPN provider can unlock platforms like Netflix, Disney, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.

Connecting to any of its 5,700+ servers in more than 100 countries allows you to enjoy torrenting, streaming, and gaming without issues such as lagging or buffering.

IvacyVPN provides extra layers of security between the internet and your Linux machine, resulting in a safe browsing, streaming, and downloading experience. While it has the industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption, it also provides DNS and IPv6 leak protection, bolstering your privacy.

Besides this, it has a reliable split tunneling feature allowing you to encrypt your internet traffic on a specific browser or app instead of the entire system. That means you can use your regular internet connection speeds to browse the internet while downloading a torrent via its encrypted servers, for example.

Privacy-conscious users will also appreciate that IvacyVPN lets you pay with cryptocurrency, meaning you can start concealing your identity from the beginning. In addition, it has a strict no-logs policy, ensuring your privacy is intact.

All things considered, what we like most about IvacyVPN is the diversity of its servers, with some servers located even in Africa and South America, which its competition usually ignores. It also has high-speed servers in heavily censored countries such as Russia, Turkey, and Vietnam.

4. PureVPN — Popular VPN for Linux With Futureproof 20Gbps Servers

PureVPN is one of the fastest VPNs you can purchase for Linux, and it has over 6,500 servers in over 78 countries that you can connect to. Plus, this Linux VPN offers 20Gbps servers in Europe and the US, making it great for torrenting and streaming.

It also helps you connect to the fastest and closest servers automatically with its server recommendation feature, making it easy to use via its GUI and CLI apps.

Beyond this, PureVPN’s 5G-ready 20Gbps servers make this service ideal for torrenting, and it has P2P-optimized servers in other locations that’ll keep your identity hidden from your ISP to prevent bandwidth throttling.

It has an “always on” zero-logging policy that allows independent third-party experts to audit the company without prior notice. That means PureVPN respects the privacy of its customers and doesn’t store or sell any of your information.

It also has a reliable kill switch that’ll automatically disconnect you from the internet if your VPN stops working, ensuring your ISP or the websites you visit can’t obtain your IP address.

And to top it off, this feature-rich Linux VPN comes at an affordable price of just $2.08/month for its two-year-long plan, and, as a new customer, you get three months on top of what you paid for.

5. Surfshark — Fast Linux VPN with a Slick, Modern Ubuntu GUI

Surfshark is the best VPN for Ubuntu, thanks to its gorgeous Ubuntu VPN GUI, lightning-fast VPN servers with unlimited bandwidth, and advanced online security features.

The slick, modern UI gives you more control over the VPN, allowing you to easily configure the settings, switch between OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols, and star favorite servers for quick and easy connection in the future.

One of Surfshark’s strong suits is a Linux network kill switch. While the VPN is connected to a server, you’ll enjoy industry-standard AES-256 encryption, but on the off-chance the connection drops, Surfshark will disable your internet connection.

This ensures that you don’t access the internet unprotected in the time it takes for Surfshark to reconnect to one of its secure VPN servers. With Surfshark, you’ll also have access to over 3,200 servers, all of which have 10 Gbps ports, private DNS, and IP leak protection.

MultiHop connectivity routes your online traffic through two secure VPN servers, making it impossible to track your online activity or access your data. Overall, Surfshark takes both connection speed and security to another level, enabling you to safely browse the web, stream geo-restricted online content, and torrent movies and TV shows.

6. CyberGhost VPN — Fast Linux VPN With a Dedicated IP Address and NoSpy Servers

CyberGhost VPN is a good option for Linux users using Ubuntu, Mint, Kapi, Pop! OS, Fedora, or CentOS. The VPN’s name alludes to its NoSpy servers, which offer absolute privacy through ironclad encryption and IP masking.

All of its servers are self-owned, in-house servers located in a secure facility to ensure your data is protected both online and in the physical world.

In addition to complete privacy and online anonymity, another major reason to opt for CyberGhost is its large server fleet. With over 9,000 high-speed servers spread across more than 90 countries — and it even has dedicated servers specifically optimized for streaming online content, torrenting, and gaming.

CyberGhost even allows you to bypass VPN blocking by allowing you to purchase a dedicated IP address for your account. This means your IP will stay the same regardless of which VPN server you connect to, so you’ll be able to bypass the VPN-blocking capabilities some websites have and enjoy a censorship-free online experience.

7. PrivadoVPN  — Another Free Linux VPN With Excellent Security Features

PrivadoVPN is an excellent VPN that offers a free plan, but its Linux support is lackluster. While you can install it on your device using a Linux OpenVPN setup, it takes some technical know-how to enable the PrivadoVPN GUI.

Additionally, the free plan is limited to 10GB of data per month, so you’d have to upgrade to a paid plan if you want to use PrivadoVPN for gaming, torrenting, or streaming. That said, Privado’s free plan is an excellent way to get a feel for the VPN, test it out in practice, and stay protected while browsing the web.

It comes with industry-standard AES-256 encryption, hides your IP and location, adheres to a strict no-logs policy, and protects your privacy under Swiss laws. Plus, it provides a lightning-fast SOCKS5 Proxy, built-in IP leak protection, and an internet kill switch to disable your access to potentially harmful websites in case your connection to the VPN server drops.

8. AtlasVPN — Fast and Affordable Linux VPN, but Only Available on Ubuntu

AtlasVPN is another affordable VPN, but sadly it only offers support for Ubuntu. The company behind the VPN promises support for other Linux distros that’ll come in the near future, but it’s impossible to tell what “coming soon” will actually translate to. However, if you’re running Ubuntu, AtlasVPN is a decent option. 

In addition to industry-standard encryption, it features SafeSwap and MultiHop+ connectivity, which allow you to easily swap IP addresses and route your traffic through multiple secure VPN servers, making it impossible to track your online activity.

It also has built-in anti-malware capabilities and blocks all tracking attempts, and if you opt for AtlasVPN, you’ll have access to over 750 high-speed servers and will be able to unblock websites, apps, and geo-restricted content on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. 

9. IPVanish — A Decent Linux VPN with Built-in Malware Protection

IPVanish is a decent Linux VPN, compatible with all major Linux distros/architectures, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Kali Linux, Linux Mint, Lubuntu, and Pop! OS. While it doesn’t provide a Linux GUI, it has a rich library of Linux support documentation with step-by-step guides on how to install and use the VPN on different Linux distros. 

Beyond this, IPVanish provides ironclad encryption (AES-256) and allows you to choose from over 40,000 IP addresses shared among the VPN’s users.

In addition to encrypting your traffic and protecting you against snoopers, advertisers, and cyber attacks, IPVanish makes it impossible to track someone’s online activity to a single user, thanks to the shared IPs.

You can leverage IPVanish’s split tunneling to configure which websites can bypass the VPN and which can only be accessed when VPN protection is on.

This is incredibly useful in conjunction with the automatic startup functionality since you can whitelist certain websites you trust while the VPN stays on and protects your device from online hazards that lurk on less-renowned sites. 

10. ProtonVPN — The Best Free Linux VPN With Military-Grade Encryption and SecureCore Servers for Guaranteed Privacy

ProtonVPN is the best free VPN option for Linux users. The Swiss company behind Proton believes that online security and privacy are basic human rights, so it offers all its users a way to use the powerful VPN software for free forever.

That said, the free plan is a bit limited, given that you can only connect to around 100 medium-speed servers in three countries (US, NL, JPN). Still, if you want to try out a VPN on Linux without having to commit to a monthly subscription, ProtonVPN is a great option.

It provides military-grade encryption, adheres to a strict no-logs policy, and offers excellent peer-to-peer (P2P) support.

You can use ProtonVPN to unblock geo-restricted content, bypass online censorship, and securely browse the web thanks to its NetShield, which protects you from malware and cyber-attacks and blocks annoying ads. 

The best part about ProtonVPN is that all encrypted traffic is first routed through SecureCore servers based in privacy-friendly countries like Switzerland and Iceland before being routed through the chosen VPN server.

This ensures complete privacy and anonymity, given that even a compromised VPN endpoint will not reveal your true IP address.

11. Private Internet Access — Great Linux VPN for Privacy

Private Internet Access offers a native Linux GUI app that you can download and install with a single click. It’s compatible with Ubuntu 18.04+ (LTS), Mint, Debian, Fedora, or Arch and doesn’t require any additional configuration via the command line, so it’s perfect for both Linux veterans and people with limited Linux experience.

A great thing about PIA VPN is that it’s 100% open-source, meaning the full Linux app code is publicly available, so you can inspect, audit, and verify it. Private Internet Access also relies on two powerful open-source VPN protocols — OpenVPN and WireGuard.

OpenVPN leverages AES 256-bit protection and is the gold standard of VPN security, while WireGuard offers a lot of customization options and is excellent for streaming, torrenting, and gaming.

Another reason to opt for PIA is its NextGen servers, with ports of up to 10 Gbps. With over 3,000 servers to choose from, you’ll enjoy lightning-fast VPN connection speeds. You’ll be able to stream your favorite shows without buffering, games without lag, and access geo-restricted online content regardless of where you’re located.

Private Internet Access also features a built-in ad tracker and malware blocker — PIA MACE, which operates on a DNS level and prevents you from accessing malicious websites and identifies and prevents harmful scripts before they reach your system.

12. PrivateVPN — Affordable Linux VPN With Military-Grade Encryption and a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

PrivateVPN offers Linux support, but it’s a hassle to install it on any Linux distro, given that you’ll have to download two separate files and have OpenVPN and curl installed for it to function properly.

Even after installation, you’ll have to manually configure PrivateVPN, which might not be too difficult for Linux veterans but will certainly pose a challenge to anyone new to Linux.

That said, PrivateVPN is one of the more affordable VPN service providers for Linux, so it might be worth the trouble, especially considering that it’s on par with leading VPNs in terms of speed, privacy, and data safety and security.

PrivateVPN uses military-grade 2,048-bit encryption and offers eight different VPN protocols to choose from, protecting you from trackers, snoopers, and all manner of cyber threats. 

The biggest downside of PrivateVPN is that it offers little over 200 servers, but the company is rapidly growing, so it’s safe to assume they’ll be adding more servers to their network in the future.

Linux VPN Testing Methodology | What Makes a Good Linux VPN?

Choosing a Linux VPN is no easy feat. You have to make sure a VPN supports the Linux distro you’re using, has sufficient Linux documentation, and either offers a Linux GUI or provides support for manual configuration. 

To help you make an informed decision, we tested dozens of Linux VPNs and ranked them according to the following variables:

1. Dedicated Linux GUI app (or lack thereof)
2. Linux distros supported
3. Supporting Linux documentation (step-by-step installation guides)
4. Support for manual configuration
5. Encryption standards and supported VPN protocols
6. Server number and distribution
7. VPN speed and connection stability
8. Advanced security features (e.g., anti-malware, ad-blocking, MultiHop connectivity)
9. The ability to unblock geo-restricted content on popular streaming platforms

All Linux VPN service providers we recommend in this guide were meticulously tested for security, privacy, speed, stability, and reliability to verify that they function as advertised. Every VPN on our list offers best-in-class encryption, ensures online anonymity and privacy, and offers superb protection against cyber threats. 

Free VPN Services for Linux

If you’re looking for a free VPN for Ubuntu or any other major Linux distro, for that matter, ProtonVPN and PrivadoVPN are the best options. Both VPN service providers are based in Switzerland, a country that takes online privacy and security rather seriously.

As a result, both providers offer free plans, albeit with a few limitations. ProtonVPN limits you to a little over 100 medium-speed servers in the US, the Netherlands, and Japan, but it doesn’t enforce any data transfer limits.

This makes it the best free Linux VPN since you can use the VPN free of charge for life. PrivadoVPN, on the other hand, doesn’t cap your connection speed. Instead, it enforces a data transfer limit of 10GB per month.

While still a great option for light web surfing, Privado’s free plan isn’t ideal for streaming and torrenting. With all that being said, we recommend opting for a paid service like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.

Not only do they offer industry-leading speeds, but you’ll get a boatload of other features that free providers don’t have — for just a couple of dollars a month.

What is a VPN? | Why Do I Need a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that enables you to establish a secure, encrypted network connection, hides your IP address and physical location, and protects you from malware and cyber-attacks. 

VPNs work by routing your Internet traffic through secure VPN servers and using the best ciphers to encrypt all your data. This ensures that nobody can track your online activity or gain access to your data, whether hackers, snoopers, advertisers, or even your ISP and the government.

The main reason to use a VPN is online privacy and security, but an added benefit of a VPN-protected connection is the ability to access geo-restricted content and bypass internet censorship.

In other words, your ISP or government can’t prevent you from accessing certain websites, and you can watch online content on popular streaming platforms like Netflix that are not otherwise available in your country/region. 

If you’re regularly browsing the web and accessing websites you’re not sure are trustworthy or torrenting movies, shows, or games, a VPN is a must.

Without a VPN, you leave yourself vulnerable to cyber attacks which could harm your device or allow hackers to access your sensitive information, such as private documents or login credentials.

Will a VPN Slow My Connection Down?

As we’ve explained, VPNs route your network connection through a remote, secure VPN server, meaning that data transmission between you and the target website or app you’re using takes a little longer. 

That said, the fastest VPNs will slow down your connection speed so insignificantly that you won’t even notice. The industry average is a 10% – 20% decrease in connection speed, but some VPNs might slow down your connection by a whopping 80%.

That’s why it’s crucial to choose a fast VPN provider. Multiple factors impact a VPN’s speed, most notably the speed of the VPN servers themselves and the physical distance between you and the servers.

Some of the fastest VPNs, like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, IvacyVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost, all have lightning-fast servers with ports up to 10 Gbps, so you won’t notice a decrease in speed when browsing, streaming online content, torrenting, or gaming.

The Fastest Linux VPN

If you’re looking for the fastest VPN speed without sacrificing security, your best options are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IvacyVPN.

With cutting-edge WireGuard implementations like Lightway and NordLynx, you can achieve even faster speed while still enjoying superb online protection and complete online privacy and anonymity.

WireGuard Encryption and Linux

The VPN industry is constantly advancing, yielding better, faster, more secure ways to access the internet. The latest advancement is the WireGuard protocol, which achieves greater speeds and employs stronger cryptography than its predecessors like OpenVPN and IKEv2.

As a result, leading VPN service providers have started adopting this powerful VPN protocol. WireGuard is available on a majority of Linux distros, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, OpenSUSE, Red Hat, and CentOS.

At the time of writing this guide, IvacyVPN, PureVPN, Private Internet Access, NordVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, ProtonVPN, CyberGhost VPN, AtlasVPN, and PrivadoVPN all offer the WireGuard VPN protocol. 

How to Install and Connect to OpenVPN on Linux Terminal

Some VPN service providers don’t have a dedicated client for your Linux distro. In that case, you’d have to install OpenVPN on a Linux terminal and use the chosen VPN’s configuration files to set up a VPN connection on your device.

Here’s a quick guide for installing OpenVPN on Ubuntu. The process is similar on other Linux distros, with slight command variations.

1. Open the Linux terminal, and type sudo apt-get install -y openvpn, then press Enter
2. Type in your admin password and press Enter
3. Type y and press Enter to complete the installation
4. Type sudo apt-get install network-manager network-manager-openvpn network-manager-openvpn-gnome and press Enter
5. Type sudo apt-get install openvpn easy-rsa

If you’re running a newer version of Ubuntu, you might need to replace “apt-get” with “yum” in the commands. After successfully installing OpenVPN on Ubuntu, navigate to the VPN provider’s website and download their OpenVPN configuration files.

Then, all that’s left is to connect to the VPN through the command line:

1. Type sudo openvpn –config in the terminal and press Enter
2. Drag & drop the .ovpn config file of the chosen server into the terminal and press Enter
3. Wait for the “Initialization Sequence Completed” message to appear on your screen

After establishing a connection to the VPN server, you can minimize the terminal window, but keep in mind that exiting the terminal will disconnect you from the VPN server.

Which Linux VPN is Best for Privacy?

All VPN service providers we recommend in this guide provide the gold standard of encryption (AES-256) and multiple secure VPN protocols to choose from. 

In that sense, they’re both secure and provide absolute privacy against trackers, snoopers, hackers, advertisers, or any other third party wanting a sneak peek into what you do online.

However, as they route your online traffic through their VPN servers, it’s important to know that the provider doesn’t have access to your data or keeps any of your online activity logs. 

ExpressVPN is one of the few VPN providers that had its systems examined by third-party audit professionals recently. A security audit by Cure53 found no vulnerabilities in ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer technology, while KPMG confirmed that this VPN provider adheres to its no-logs policy.

VPN for Linux FAQs