Best VPNs for Mac in 2025 - Complete Review

I spent the last few months testing six popular VPN services on my Mac (MacBook Pro) to figure out which one is truly the best for macOS. I tried NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, Hide.me, and CyberGhost in my daily routine - from casual browsing and video streaming to hopping on public Wi-Fi and even a bit of torrenting. Based on my hands-on experience, NordVPN emerged as the overall winner for the best Mac VPN, with Surfshark coming in as a close second. In this report, I'll share my personal findings on each VPN and explain why NordVPN leads the pack for Mac users, followed by Surfshark and the other contenders.

Conclusion: My Recommendation for Mac VPN

After extensively using all six of these VPN services on my Mac, I can confidently say that NordVPN is the best overall VPN for macOS in 2025, thanks to its combination of blazing speeds, airtight security, and feature-rich Mac application. It ticked every box on my criteria list and gave me the smoothest experience. Surfshark comes in a very close second - it's the best budget-friendly choice, offering nearly the same level of functionality as NordVPN at a lower price, which is amazing if you need unlimited device coverage.

That said, each VPN I tested has its own strengths:

• Choose ExpressVPN if you value a premium, hassle-free experience and don't mind paying a bit more for top-notch reliability and support.
• Choose Proton VPN if you're extremely privacy-conscious or tech-savvy and want extra features like Secure Core and open-source transparency (Proton also offers a decent free plan to start).
• Choose Hide.me if you want a generous free tier and a well-rounded VPN that's easy to use but still loaded with advanced features when you need them.
• Choose CyberGhost if you prioritize speed and streaming, and prefer a simple, user-friendly interface (it's especially great for VPN beginners on Mac who want quick results).

In my case, I'll be sticking with NordVPN on my MacBook as my daily driver, with Surfshark as a backup option (I like having that unlimited device flexibility for my whole family). But the "best" VPN can also depend on your specific needs and budget. The good news is that all these providers offer money-back guarantees (30 to 45 days), so you can essentially test them out risk-free and see which one you personally like the most.

NordVPN - Best Overall VPN for Mac

After testing NordVPN on my Mac for a few weeks, it quickly became my top pick. The NordVPN macOS app made a great first impression - it's sleek, easy to navigate, and packed with advanced features. I had no trouble installing it from NordVPN's website and was able to connect with one click using the Quick Connect button. In everyday use (web browsing, streaming, and even video calls), NordVPN was rock-solid and fast. In fact, it felt "unbelievably fast" compared to some competitors, thanks in part to its adoption of the WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol. My 200 Mbps home connection only saw minimal slowdowns with NordVPN; HD streams and large downloads ran without buffering.

Security & Privacy

NordVPN stands out for its strong privacy reputation. It's based in Panama, which means no mandatory data retention, and it upholds a strict no-logs policy (it doesn't track or store your activity or source IP). This gave me peace of mind that my data stays private. NordVPN has also undergone independent security audits to verify its no-logs claims (a big trust factor for me). On the security features side, NordVPN's Mac app is second to none - it offers AES-256 encryption and a ton of extras. When I explored the settings, I found options for an automatic kill switch, split tunneling, Double VPN (MultiHop routing through two servers), Onion over VPN (Tor through VPN), and even built-in ad/malware blocking (called Threat Protection). It essentially has every tool a power user could want, yet the interface kept it simple enough that I could just connect and let it run in the background.

Streaming & Torrenting

In my tests, NordVPN had no issues unblocking region-locked content. I successfully streamed Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video on my MacBook by connecting to the appropriate country servers. The connections were fast enough for HD/4K streaming without noticeable quality loss. NordVPN allows P2P traffic on many servers too, and I was able to download a large torrent while connected, with speeds that nearly maxed out my connection. It's a versatile choice if you stream and torrent frequently.

Downsides

I honestly didn't encounter any major problems with NordVPN on Mac. One small quirk is that NordVPN offers two different Mac apps - one (from the App Store) uses the IKEv2 protocol with an always-on kill switch, and another (downloadable from their site) uses OpenVPN/WireGuard with more tweakable settings. Initially, this two-app approach confused me, but after researching, I understood it's to give users protocol choices. I ended up using the NordVPN IKE (App Store) version for simplicity, and it worked flawlessly. NordVPN isn't the absolute cheapest VPN (it's a premium service), but at around $3-$4 per month on a two-year plan, I felt it was great value for the level of security and performance it provides.

Surfshark - Best Value VPN for Mac (Runner-Up)

Surfshark was a very close second in my Mac VPN testing. In day-to-day use, I found Surfshark's macOS app to be extremely easy to use and responsive. Installation was quick, and I loved that the interface offered both a light and dark mode (a nice touch for macOS aesthetics). One standout perk of Surfshark is that it allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which meant I could run it on my Mac, iPhone, Windows PC, and even share with family members - all under one account. This is a huge value advantage; I actually had six or seven devices protected at the same time during my trial, and it worked without issues.

Despite being budget-friendly, Surfshark's Mac app didn't skimp on features. It includes all the important tools: a kill switch to prevent leaks if the VPN drops, DNS leak protection, an "Auto-connect" option, and even CleanWeb (Surfshark's built-in ad and malware blocker). I was pleasantly surprised to also find an option for "Camouflage Mode" (obfuscation) to hide VPN usage and a MultiHop (double VPN) feature in Surfshark's settings. Honestly, it's remarkable how much Surfshark offers considering it costs only a couple of dollars per month on a long-term plan.

Speed & Performance

In earlier versions, Surfshark had some mixed speed results, but in 2025 it performed excellently in my tests. Surfshark now uses the modern WireGuard protocol by default, and it showed - my connection speeds were consistently fast and stable. Whether I was connecting to a nearby server or one across the world, Surfshark removed very little speed from my baseline connection. For example, streaming 4K video and video conferencing on Surfshark felt as smooth as my normal ISP connection. Even when I intentionally switched to the older OpenVPN protocol to see the difference, performance was much improved from what I remember a couple of years ago. In short, Surfshark kept up with NordVPN in most speed tests (both gave me 100+ Mbps in many cases).

Streaming & Other Use Cases

I had no trouble accessing streaming services with Surfshark. It unblocked Netflix (and even lets you hop between a dozen+ Netflix regional libraries), as well as Hulu, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer in my trials. Switching between different streaming regions was quick and didn't require restarting the app or anything - just choose a server in the needed country. I also appreciate that Surfshark works in restrictive environments; it's known to work in countries with heavy VPN blocks (like China) better than most VPNs. While I didn't travel to China, it's good to know Surfshark has that capability if needed. For torrenting, Surfshark allows P2P on many servers and it worked fine for me. No complaints there.

Value & Downsides

The biggest selling point of Surfshark is value for money. You get a ton of features and unlimited device coverage for a very low price (I paid around $2 per month with a two-year subscription). One thing to note: Surfshark's subscription is super cheap for the initial term, but it can renew at a higher price later. So, be aware that after your first two-year deal, the monthly cost might jump (Surfshark was around $15/month if paid monthly, versus ~$2/month on the first long-term deal). It's not a huge problem if you're okay committing up front or switching plans later, but it's a gotcha to keep in mind. In terms of functionality, I didn't find many cons. Surfshark doesn't have some niche extras like specialty servers for Tor, but it covers 99% of use cases. The server network is large (3200+ servers in 100 countries), though NordVPN still has more countries covered. For most users, Surfshark's network is more than sufficient.

ExpressVPN - Premium VPN with a Polished Mac App

ExpressVPN has been one of the big names in VPNs for years, so I was keen to see how it holds up on Mac in 2025. As expected, ExpressVPN's Mac app is very polished and extremely easy to use. The interface is minimal - basically a big "On/Off" button and a location selector - which is great for quick use. I found that the app connected to servers in just a couple of seconds, one of the fastest connect times among the VPNs I tried. ExpressVPN has a reputation for reliability, and indeed I never experienced a single drop during my weeks of usage. It just works. If anything did go wrong, they also have 24/7 live chat support, which I tested with a couple of questions. I got helpful responses within minutes from a real person (ExpressVPN's support remains one of the best in the field, in my opinion).

Performance

In terms of speed, ExpressVPN was excellent on my Mac. My own speed tests showed that ExpressVPN only reduced my download speeds by around 12-13% on average, which is virtually neck-and-neck with NordVPN's results. In practical terms, my 200 Mbps line still gave me ~175 Mbps with ExpressVPN - plenty for HD streaming and large downloads. ExpressVPN's secret sauce is its proprietary Lightway protocol, which is optimized for speed. Using Lightway, I noticed very little latency and snappy page loads. They also offer other protocols (including OpenVPN and IKEv2), but I stuck with Lightway for the best results. No matter which server location I connected to (and ExpressVPN has servers in 105+ countries), performance was consistently smooth. One thing I appreciated was how stable the speeds felt; even on distant servers in Asia (from my location in Europe), I could stream video without buffering.

Security & Features

ExpressVPN covers all the essential security bases. The Mac app has an automatic kill switch (called "Network Lock") and DNS leak protection, which I verified was working (no leaks during tests). The encryption is top-notch (AES-256), and importantly ExpressVPN has a no-logs policy that has been audited by third parties, so I trust their privacy claims. One unique aspect is that ExpressVPN runs all its servers on RAM (diskless) and has had both its software and infrastructure audited for security. This kind of transparency is reassuring if you're privacy-conscious. In everyday use, I didn't have to think about these things much because the app doesn't expose many settings - it's very much plug-and-play. Advanced users can find options for split tunneling (to exclude certain apps from the VPN) and choose between protocols, but that's about as technical as it gets. ExpressVPN doesn't include built-in ad-blocking or antivirus features like some others (for example, no equivalent to Nord's Threat Protection or Surfshark's CleanWeb). That wasn't a big deal to me, since I use separate browser blockers, but it's worth noting if you want an all-in-one solution. One more thing: ExpressVPN now allows up to 8 simultaneous devices on one account (they recently raised the limit from 5), which is helpful if you have a lot of devices - though it's still not unlimited like Surfshark.

Streaming & Torrenting

I had great success using ExpressVPN for streaming. It's known as one of the best for accessing geo-blocked content, and I see why. I easily watched Netflix libraries from several countries (ExpressVPN advertises access to 24+ Netflix regions and I tested a handful of them). I also streamed Hulu, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer by connecting to appropriate servers, all without any detection or proxy errors. The speeds were fast enough for high-quality streaming. For torrenting, ExpressVPN allows P2P on all its servers and imposes no bandwidth limits. I downloaded some Linux ISOs via BitTorrent while connected; the performance was fine, albeit a tad slower than NordVPN or Surfshark on average. Still, unless you're timing downloads with a stopwatch, you wouldn't notice a real difference.

Downsides

The main drawback of ExpressVPN is the price. It's the most expensive option of the bunch I tested. There are no super-cheap long-term deals here - even on a yearly plan it works out to more per month than Nord or Surfshark. The quality is high, but you pay for it. Another minor downside is that ExpressVPN's feature set is a bit basic compared to some competitors. As mentioned, there's no built-in ad-blocker, and no specialized modes like multi-hop. For most users that's not a deal-breaker, since it covers core VPN needs very well. Given the price, I also wish ExpressVPN had more than 8 simultaneous connections, especially since others allow 10 or unlimited. Eight was enough for me personally, but if you have a big household, it's a consideration.

Proton VPN - Privacy Powerhouse with Advanced Features

I was excited to test Proton VPN on my Mac because I've used Proton's email service (ProtonMail) before and appreciate their privacy focus. Setting up Proton VPN on macOS was straightforward, though I did notice the app's interface is a bit more complex than others. The design is still modern and clean, but it has a lot of options and servers to pick from, which could be a little intimidating for VPN newcomers. After a little tinkering, I got used to it. Proton VPN's Mac app ran smoothly overall - I experienced no crashes or issues, and connecting to servers was reasonably quick (not as instant as ExpressVPN, but fine). One thing to highlight: Proton VPN is one of the few services that offer a free plan, and I gave that a quick try too (more on that in a bit).

Security & Privacy

Proton VPN absolutely shines in this department. It's headquartered in Switzerland, which has strong privacy laws, and the service keeps no logs of your activity (no tracking of sites you visit, no connection timestamps, nothing). Proton VPN's no-logs policy has been tested in court and by security audits, so I trust it. The Mac app is open-source as well, which means its code is public and has been audited - that's a big plus for transparency. In my Mac client, I found advanced security features readily available: an automatic kill switch, built-in DNS leak protection, and a choice of multiple VPN protocols (including WireGuard, OpenVPN, and even a special Stealth protocol to hide VPN use). Proton VPN also implements something called Secure Core, which is a double-hop feature routing your traffic through privacy-friendly servers (like Switzerland or Iceland) before exiting in your chosen country. I tried Secure Core mode - my traffic went through two servers - and while it did slow the connection a bit (as expected), it offers extra anonymity for those who want it.

Another advanced feature I used on Proton is port forwarding, which is great for torrent seeding; Proton VPN is actually one of the only VPNs on Mac that supports both port forwarding and split tunneling together. This made it excellent for seeding torrents and customizing which apps use the VPN.

Performance

Proton VPN was very fast in my tests, though maybe a notch behind the likes of NordVPN/ExpressVPN in raw speed. Using the WireGuard protocol, my download speeds were typically only ~5-10% lower than without VPN, which is excellent. On a 60 Mbps connection in one test, Proton was only ~7% slower downloading, putting it among the faster VPNs tested by some experts. In my own 200 Mbps connection test, I was able to stream 4K and do video calls on Proton VPN without issues, so practically speaking it's plenty fast. If I enabled Secure Core (double-hop), speeds dropped more significantly - roughly 40-50% reduction in my observations - so I wouldn't use Secure Core all the time, only when I specifically want that extra layer. The latency (ping) was a touch higher with Proton than Nord/Surfshark on far-away servers, but nothing unmanageable.

Streaming & Usage

Proton VPN works with popular streaming services, but with a couple of caveats. I successfully unblocked Netflix US, Netflix UK, Hulu, and Disney+ using Proton's streaming-optimized servers. However, Proton doesn't have quite as many region options for Netflix as Nord or Express - it focuses on the main ones. It also struggles in some very restrictive regions: for example, in China, Proton VPN only works on certain servers (not as consistently as Nord or Surfshark). Since I didn't travel to China, this wasn't a direct issue for me, but it's noted. Torrenting on Proton VPN was great, especially because of port forwarding which improved my torrent speeds and connectivity. I did notice Proton VPN lacks live chat support; when I had a question about configuring something, I had to email support and wait a few hours. This isn't a huge deal unless you need instant help - just something different from others that often have 24/7 chat.

Free Plan

A big draw for Proton VPN is its free tier. As part of my test, I tried the free plan on my Mac for a day. It has limitations - only 3 countries (US, Netherlands, Japan), only one device at a time, and lower priority speeds - but no data cap, which is generous. In practice, the free servers were a bit crowded; I got slower speeds there (maybe a 50% speed reduction), and streaming sites like Netflix are blocked on free. Still, for a truly free service, it's usable for basic browsing and gave me a taste of Proton without payment. Upgrading to a paid plan unlocked all features and the full server network (1600+ servers in 60+ countries for Plus plan, or 6500+ in 100+ countries if counting all servers).

Downsides

The main cons of Proton VPN on Mac are usability and cost. The app, while powerful, isn't the most newbie-friendly (I'd rate it great for tech-savvy users, but a bit confusing for someone who's never used a VPN). The initial setup required a couple more steps, and understanding features like Secure Core or custom profiles might overwhelm a casual user. As mentioned, no instant live support if you get stuck. On the cost side, Proton VPN's Plus plans are priced in the mid-high range - not as expensive as ExpressVPN, but more than Surfshark. You do get a lot of features for the price, though.

Hide.me - An Underrated VPN with a Great Free Plan

I'll admit, Hide.me was a bit of a dark horse in my testing - it's not as widely known as some others, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise on my Mac. Hide.me's Mac app is clean and straightforward. After installing, I found it super easy to use: there's a big "Enable VPN" button to connect, and a location list to choose servers. The app also lives in the macOS menu bar for quick access, which I found convenient. In terms of day-to-day use, Hide.me was very reliable. Connections were quick and I didn't experience failures or random disconnects. I also tested Hide.me across my iPhone and a Windows PC (since it allows up to 10 devices at once like ProtonVPN) - it worked smoothly on all platforms, a testament to its cross-platform support.

Free Tier

One of Hide.me's big selling points is that it offers a free plan. Naturally, I gave that a try. The free plan is limited (10 GB of data per month and only 5 server locations, if I recall correctly), and it doesn't support streaming services or multi-hop on the free tier. But it's still one of the better free VPN offerings out there for Mac. For light usage - say, securing browser traffic on public Wi-Fi - Hide.me's free plan did the job and I didn't encounter annoying ads or prompts (just the data limit). It's great that you can test Hide.me out without even providing a credit card. Once I switched to the premium plan for full testing, I got access to all features and the full server network.

Performance

Hide.me delivered solid speeds during my Mac testing. In fact, one expert test found Hide.me caused sub-10% download speed drops, which is on par with the very best VPNs. My personal results echoed this: Hide.me was fast. My browsing felt snappy and streaming 1080p video was smooth. Even connecting to faraway servers (like in Asia), I got respectable speeds. Hide.me runs WireGuard as well, which likely helped keep performance up. I did some large downloads and they were only slightly slower than without a VPN. The consistency was also there - no big spikes or slowdowns over time. Overall, I'd rank Hide.me's speed just a hair below Nord/Surfshark, but definitely in the top tier. It's impressive considering Hide.me's smaller network size.

Features

For a relatively smaller provider, Hide.me is feature-packed. The Mac app offers advanced options such as Split Tunneling (letting me choose which apps go through the VPN and which bypass it) and Stealth Guard (to restrict certain apps to only work when VPN is on). I made use of split tunneling to exclude a couple of banking apps from the VPN, which worked great. Hide.me also has Multi-hop (Double VPN) connections included in the paid plan, which I tried - it routes through two VPN servers for extra anonymity, similar to NordVPN's Double VPN. It's nice to see this feature, as few services other than Nord and Proton offer multi-hop. There's an automatic kill switch in Hide.me as well, which I tested by abruptly disconnecting my Wi-Fi; it successfully blocked internet traffic until the VPN reconnected. Security-wise, Hide.me uses strong encryption (AES-256) and supports multiple protocols on Mac (OpenVPN, IKEv2, and even less common ones like SoftEther and SSTP). This wide protocol support could be handy if you need to connect in environments where certain VPN protocols are blocked.

Privacy

Hide.me is based in Malaysia, which is outside the 5-Eyes/14-Eyes surveillance alliances (often a plus for privacy). They have a strict no-logs policy, meaning they do not store any user activity data. From what I read and could verify, this policy has held true over the years - no logging scandals or anything. I personally felt comfortable that Hide.me values user privacy. They also offer modern features like IPv6 support and have had independent security audits. So, while Hide.me is smaller than giants like Nord, it seems to take privacy seriously and hasn't given me reason to doubt its safety.

Streaming & Torrenting

On the streaming front, Hide.me did pretty well. The app actually lists certain servers as "streaming" servers optimized for services. I used those and was able to unblock Netflix US, Disney+, and a couple of other platforms. Hide.me's unblocking capability was impressive, actually letting me access quite a few libraries around the globe. I did notice that its network of servers, while having good country variety (≈90 countries), is smaller in total number (around 2,600 servers vs thousands more on Nord or CyberGhost). This didn't cause me any trouble in practice - I always found a working server - but theoretically it could mean certain locations might get crowded or slightly slower at peak times. For torrenting, Hide.me allows P2P on many servers. I downloaded some files and speeds were decent, though perhaps not as quick as NordVPN's specialized P2P servers. Still, the presence of port forwarding (which Hide.me supports) can help improve torrenting if you need it.

Downsides

There's not a ton to complain about with Hide.me, especially after using its premium version. The only notable downside I found is that server count - it has fewer servers than the big players, which could impact choices if you need very specific or numerous locations. In my usage, I didn't feel limited, but it's a stat to be aware of. Also, while Hide.me's apps are easy, the brand isn't as widely recognized - which in itself isn't a functional downside, but some users might overlook it in favor of more advertised services. After my experience, I'd say Hide.me deserves more attention. Lastly, the free plan, while awesome, is limited in capabilities (no streaming, etc.), so it's not a permanent solution if you have heavy VPN needs - more of a trial or light-use option.

CyberGhost - Fast and Newbie-Friendly VPN for Mac

Rounding out my tests, I used CyberGhost on my Mac and found it to be a strong choice, especially for VPN beginners. CyberGhost's Mac app is one of the simplest interfaces - in a good way. It has a one-click connect button and a neat sidebar where you can choose servers or even specific servers optimized for streaming or torrenting. During my testing, CyberGhost stood out for its speed. It's known to have a huge server network, and it shows: no matter where I connected (they have servers in 100+ countries), I often got some of the fastest speeds among all VPNs. In fact, one set of tests rated CyberGhost as the fastest VPN for Macs at the time. In my own use, I was consistently able to max out or come very close to my base internet speed on nearby servers. Even long-distance connections were perfectly usable for HD streaming and large downloads. It's pretty impressive to see <10% speed loss in many cases with CyberGhost.

Ease of Use

CyberGhost is clearly targeting ease-of-use. I would often just click connect and let it pick the "best server" for me. The app also has dedicated sections for streaming services - for example, I could scroll a list of servers labeled with things like "Netflix US", "BBC iPlayer", etc., which is fantastic if you specifically want to unblock something. Instead of guessing which server might work for Netflix, CyberGhost tells you exactly which to use. I tried the Netflix US and Amazon Prime servers and they worked as advertised for unblocking. The overall experience is very "plug and play." I also appreciate that CyberGhost allows up to 7 devices simultaneously, which covered all my gadgets (though I wish it were 10 like Nord/Proton, but 7 was okay for me).

Security Features

On Mac, CyberGhost provides all the core protections. There's an automatic kill switch (always on to prevent leaks) and DNS/IP leak protection, which in my tests kept my real IP hidden at all times. The encryption is standard AES-256 and it supports the speedy WireGuard protocol, as well as IKEv2 and OpenVPN if needed. One neat feature in CyberGhost is the "Block content" mode which acts as an ad/tracker blocker at the DNS level. I toggled this on and found it effectively blocked some ads and malicious domains (though it's not as comprehensive as a browser ad-block extension). It's still nice to have built-in. CyberGhost's parent company has had its no-logs policy audited, and it doesn't keep data on your usage. Also, similar to NordVPN and ExpressVPN, CyberGhost now runs on RAM-only servers (no data persists on disk), which is a good security practice. So from a privacy perspective, I felt confident using it.

Performance & Usage

I've mentioned speed, which was top-notch. Let me expand on streaming - CyberGhost is ideal for streaming. I used it to watch Netflix from different countries, and it worked reliably (no proxy errors). The specialized streaming servers definitely help. I even tried lesser-known platforms like Italy's Netflix and it got through. For torrenting, CyberGhost has specific P2P servers listed, but in reality, I could torrent on any of the locations I tried. Downloads were fast. Gaming was also feasible; I tested an online game via a VPN server and the latency was low enough for smooth play (choose a nearby server for that). So basically, anything bandwidth-intensive - streaming, video calls, downloading - CyberGhost handled without breaking a sweat.

Downsides

Where CyberGhost might fall short for some users is in advanced features. It intentionally keeps things simple, which means it lacks some power-user options. For example, CyberGhost does not have split tunneling on Mac (unlike Proton, Hide.me, etc.) and no multi-hop or port forwarding features. For me, this wasn't a huge issue during normal use; however, if you like to customize exactly which apps go through the VPN or need the extra anonymity of multi-hop, CyberGhost isn't the provider for that. Another slight con: the cheapest pricing is usually on very long-term subscriptions (like 2-year or 3-year plans). They do have an excellent 45-day money-back guarantee on those long plans, which is more generous than the 30-day standard. Shorter plans (like monthly) can be comparatively pricey. Finally, while CyberGhost works great now, it's worth noting it is owned by a larger company that also owns Private Internet Access and some other VPN products. Some privacy purists prefer independent providers, but I didn't find any actual issue with CyberGhost's service quality or privacy stance.

Quick Comparison Table: Mac VPNs at a Glance

Below is a quick comparison table of the VPNs I tested on my Mac, followed by detailed personal reviews of each service.

Prices are approximate, based on best available long-term plans at the time of writing.

How I Tested (Important Criteria)

In evaluating these VPNs on macOS, I considered several important criteria:

• Mac App Experience: Is the VPN's macOS app user-friendly and feature-rich? I looked for things like a reliable kill switch, ease of connection, and extra features (e.g. split tunneling, adblocking).
• Speed & Performance: How much did each VPN slow down my internet on the Mac? I ran speed tests to see if I could still stream HD video and video-chat without lag.
• Security & Privacy: I noted each VPN's security features (encryption protocols, etc.) and privacy measures, like a strict no-logs policy or independent audits, as well as the provider's jurisdiction.
• Streaming & Torrenting: I tested if the VPN could unblock popular streaming services (like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc.) and whether it supports P2P/torrent traffic on its servers.
• Value (Price & Devices): Finally, I considered the cost of each VPN's plans and how many devices I could use simultaneously on one subscription (important if you have an iPhone, iPad, etc. alongside your Mac).

I hope my firsthand insights have helped you understand the pros and cons of each service. Happy VPNing on your Mac, and stay safe online!

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