Best VPNs for Router

It’s generally a rule of thumb that if there’s ever a VPN list on the internet, ExpressVPN will probably be on the top of it. ExpressVPN holds itself proudly with some of the best speeds, tightest security, and highest quality service of any VPN software out there.

If that weren’t enough, it’s also the perfect VPN for router connection. It can be set up seamlessly to your router and even comes with custom firmware that allows you to pick and choose which devices connect to the VPN when they use the router and which ones connect directly to the internet as usual.

You can download ExpressVPN here.

Our second spot is claimed by none other than NordVPN, unarguably the single most popular VPN in the world. And for a good reason, too. NordVPN leads the game in speeds with its custom WireGuard-based ‘NordLynx’ protocol, has security nearly on par with Express, and some highly optimized, well-performing software.

If you’re looking to bypass the whole software situation entirely, fret not. NordVPN has you covered. Nord has countless tutorials and in-depth guides on router setup, making the experience nothing short of painless. If that weren’t enough, Nord also comes loaded with an adblocker, malware detector, and extra encryption methods for your devices. You get a hefty package with NordVPN, making it well worth its hype.

You can download NordVPN here.

Despite being a relatively minor name, VyprVPN packs a serious punch. It’s got a pretty significant server library to choose from, excellent speeds even under high user density, and a great custom encryption protocol. The reason why Vypr takes our number three spot on this list is due to its custom router app.

With an easy direct setup process to your router, you’ll get to enjoy custom features and the ability to change settings all with the click of a button. Unfortunately, the app only supports routers with a Tomato MIPS/ARM framework, though you can still set Vypr up with any router without the app. With an offering like this, you’d expect Vypr to have a pretty serious price tag.

So, you may be pleasantly surprised to see that you can get three years of the service for $60.00 (which comes out to about $1.66 a month, in case you were wondering). That’s an unheard-of value for most VPN services, especially those at a level of quality on par with Vypr.

You can download VyprVPN here.

CyberGhost can be set up for routers all the same. And despite not offering router-specific features, CyberGhost’s level of quality is so top-tier that you wouldn’t really need anything else.

Following a complete redesign that took it from mediocre to one of the top premium providers, CyberGhost is now well-known for its insane speeds, excellent security measures, and flawless reliability. All of which extends to its direct-to-router setup, which runs as smooth as its own software.

You can download CyberGhost VPN here.

One of the biggest selling points for users of IPVanish is how customizable it is. The black and green menus filled with sliding data are practically designed to make you feel like a computer wizard. Aside from looking neat, that customizability is particularly useful for manual router setup.

With countless setup guides to suit just about every router ever made, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better VPN for an easy and comprehensive router setup. Or, if you really wanted to, you could just buy a router from IPVanish themselves, where their VPN is already pre-installed onto the hardware for you to use immediately. Regardless, IPVanish was practically built for this sort of thing.

You can download IPVanish here.

As an excellent budget option, Private Internet Access surprisingly seems to be perfect for a direct router connection. It supports pretty much all router firmware, is immensely easy to set up, and, perhaps most important of all, is a very high-quality service.

Private Internet Access isn’t the quickest or the most user-friendly service on this list. However, it does seem to heavily prioritize security and privacy, meaning you’ll be able to rest assured knowing your private information is locked tight with PIA’s encryption. Plus, as we mentioned, it’s a solid budget option. You won’t have to break the bank for excellent internet privacy.

You can download Private Internet Access here.

Surfshark offers no fancy router apps or any groundbreaking router-specific features to boost it higher on this list, which is a shame. We’d have liked to give it a higher spot due to its incredibly high quality, especially at its price. Excellent, consistent speeds, unlimited connections, and high reliability are all provided to its user base.

Despite not offering anything special for direct router usage, there’s nothing stopping you from setting it up manually. It works with just about any router, and its setup is pretty straightforward. So if you’re willing to look past its lack of a dedicated app, Surfshark has some serious value on offer for you at a fraction of most VPNs’ prices.

You can download Surfshark here.

Hotspot Shield is another VPN on our list that doesn’t particularly offer anything specific to router connections but is simply high enough quality in its own right that it might be worth looking into. Despite a hefty price tag, Hotspot Shield makes a good reputation for itself with some outstanding speeds, great connection to all servers, and top-tier security measures.

There are plenty of official setup guides for just about every router that exists, so you should have no problem getting it running with a direct-to-router installation. Overall, Hotspot Shield is an excellent service, so long as you don’t mind the price.

You can download Hotspot Shield here.

While PrivateVPN isn’t quite the major name that some of the other options on this list are, it’s trying to make one for itself with some seriously high-quality service. It’s got good speeds, outstanding reliability, and excellent security, just not the most extensive server network that we've seen.

It works smoothly with almost all routers, and pre-configured routers can be purchased as well if you don’t feel like following a setup guide. However, its lack of 24/7 live chat to help with installation can be a bit of a hassle for some users.

Finally, on our list, we have Windscribe. Make no mistake, Windscribe is not a powerhouse of a VPN. In fact, it’s more known for its free version than its premium service. That said, it’s well-known for delivering excellent quality, especially for a free service, and its premium service is no exception.

We found it surprisingly easy to set up with a router, and it ran smoothly. Solid speeds, no disconnections of any sort, and easy to use. Overall, while Windscribe may be humble, it is by no means a disappointing service. It was reliable, and we had a great experience with it.

You can download Windscribe here.