How to Test · What Affects Speed · Provider Rankings
Enter your base internet speed and see estimated VPN impact
| Provider | Avg Speed | Speed Loss | Best Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Fast | 8-15% | NordLynx (WireGuard) |
| Surfshark | Fast | 10-18% | WireGuard |
| ExpressVPN | Fast | 10-20% | Lightway |
| Mullvad | Fast | 8-15% | WireGuard |
| PIA | Good | 15-25% | WireGuard |
| CyberGhost | Good | 15-30% | WireGuard |
| Proton VPN | Good | 15-25% | WireGuard |
| Free VPNs | Slow | 40-70% | Varies |
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Disconnect VPN, run speed test (baseline) |
| 2 | Connect to nearest VPN server |
| 3 | Wait 30 seconds for connection to stabilize |
| 4 | Run speed test 3 times, average the results |
| 5 | Test at different times of day (peak vs off-peak) |
| 6 | Try different protocols (WireGuard usually fastest) |
| 7 | Test different server locations |
Recommended test sites: fast.com (Netflix), speedtest.net (Ookla), speed.cloudflare.com
| Factor | Impact | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Server distance | High | Use nearest server location |
| Protocol choice | Medium | WireGuard > OpenVPN for speed |
| Server load | Medium | Try less popular servers |
| Encryption level | Low-Med | AES-256 vs ChaCha20 minimal diff |
| ISP throttling | High | VPN actually helps here |
| Your base speed | Context | % loss matters more than Mbps |
| Activity | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Web browsing | 3 Mbps | 10+ Mbps |
| HD streaming (1080p) | 5 Mbps | 15+ Mbps |
| 4K streaming | 25 Mbps | 40+ Mbps |
| Video calls (Zoom) | 3 Mbps up/down | 10+ Mbps |
| Online gaming | 10 Mbps (latency matters more) | 25+ Mbps, <50ms ping |
| Torrenting | 10 Mbps | 50+ Mbps |