While VPNs have become faster and more available every day, not every single VPN provider knows how to deliver high speeds to its user base. It’s a tricky thing managing thousands of users, thousands of servers, and making everything stable 24/7.

Some VPN providers just don’t have a large enough server network while some just don’t care that their speeds aren’t that high. It’s quite common for every VPN provider to claim the same thing–that they are the fastest VPN provider. But at the end of the day, how do you even know? Real tests, done by real people–that’s how.

We’ve tested each one of these 5 fastest VPNS with speed testers as well as real-world torrent downloads. Each one of these VPNs gave us some incredible download rates and upload speeds. Here they are:

When we tested TorGuard VPN we got an outstanding tested ping, a decent download rate, and a great upload speed. However, when we checked the torrent speed in our VPN review, we got over 20 Mbps for a download rate, which is nearly identical to a download rate without a VPN active. TorGuard VPN has worked well with streaming, gaming, and BitTorrent. If you’re looking for a speedy VPN to use for Netflix, check out TorGuard VPN.

Pros

Incredibly high speeds while torrenting

Works stable with games and media streaming

Stealth Proxy can help rates in censored countries

Multiple extras like Stealth VPN and IP leak protection features

Live chat

Cons

Our tested speeds weren’t as high as we wanted, but that could be due to multiple variables

Visit TorGuard

When we first tested Private Internet Access in our review, we were blown away by the speeds we got. Testing with our without a VPN, we got 14 MS and a 170 Mbps download rate. The BitTorrent test was equally as impressive with nearly identical performance as without a VPN (20 Mbps download rate).

Pros

High speeds for a VPN

Easy to use, minimalist client style

Extremely cheap ($6.95)

Cons

No extra VPN services that attract us

Web site is cluttered

Visit PIA

Since IPVanish VPN has a background in content delivery, it should be no surprise that their servers and thus their speeds are top notch quality. We loved our low ping, high download rate, and fast BitTorrent download. IPVanish VPN also has several customizable features within their client that let you quickly use your VPN how you want to (streaming, gaming, etc.).

Pros

Well known for speeds and server performance

Clients are in-depth and full of features

Mobile application is beautiful

Cons

While clients have many features, they do lack some security essentials (kill switch, IP leak protection)

Visit IPvanish

Fast, and incredibly easy to use, ExpressVPN is an excellent choice if you’re looking for one of the fastest VPNs on the market. We loved how many servers were near our location, the user-friendly client navigation, and the speeds to accompany the experience. ExpressVPN has one of the best first-time setups, putting our next VPN mention to shame.

Pros

Setup is a breeze

Clients are pleasant on the eyes

Fantastic speeds

Cons

Expensive

Visit ExpressVPN

If you’re impatient, and you don’t like verifying your extensive account information by phone, I would stay away from Astrill VPN. Instead, check out TorGuard VPN since it has many of the same features without the extra add-on prices and crappy first time setup. However, if you do have the patience, and aren’t paranoid about your security, you could find some VERY impressive speeds and usability here in Astrill VPN. We got the following speeds from our test:

We were less impressed with our BitTorrent test, which only gave us 5 Mbps. But, that’s why Astrill is on the bottom of this list!

Pros

Clients work well

Speeds are high with speed test

Cons

Real world BitTorrent test wasn’t super encouraging

Visit Astrill VPN

Thanks for reading our guide on the 5 fastest VPNs. Which is your favorite VPN? If you need help choosing a VPN, or just have questions about VPNs, come on over to our forums.