If you’re looking for a virtual private network (VPN) for school, one of the most important considerations is that it will work on your institution’s Wi-Fi network. If that’s not possible, you’d have to rely on cellular data.
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.
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NordVPN
Overall best VPN for school
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
Best VPN for speed
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. Its 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 $80 cost for the first 15 months seems too steep, you can always get the $13 monthly subscription on the occasions you need more speed.
Like every other VPN on this list, ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find it doesn't work at your school.
Proton VPN
Best free 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 $66 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
Best unlimited devices VPN
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 the lowest prices on this list. For $45 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.
CyberGhost
Best for user-friendly design
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 work 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.
Mullvad VPN
Best for anonymity
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.
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.
Mullvad VPN costs $5.50 per month, 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.
Private Internet Access
Best for customization
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.
There's a lot to like about PIA but it's expensive. A six-month subscription costs $45. If you like this VPN, the two-year plan is the way to go. For $57, you get unlimited device support with plenty of options like split-tunneling, multi-server hops, and port forwarding for two years.
Note that PIA is located in the U.S., so Fives Eyes surveillance is possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
