Best for Security Fanatics

4.9

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

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Best for Seamless Streaming

4.6

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On ExpressVPN's website

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ExpressVPN

• Premium VPN offering strong security and ultra-fast speeds
• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

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Best for Linux Users on a Budget

4.9

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On Surfshark's website

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Surfshark

• VPN technology offering stability and speed
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Works with Netflix and other streaming services
• Headquarters in Nine Eyes Alliance

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Linux users are often ignored and find it challenging to find the best virtual private networks (VPNs) that are compatible with Linux operating systems while meeting their needs for privacy, security, and fast speeds.

We recognized this demand, so we decided to show Linux users some love by testing several VPN services to find the best VPN that offers strong encryption for Linux and came up with the top three contenders. Here’s a bonus: they all offer a GUI.

We’ll go into detail about why NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark made it as the best VPNs for Linux, why the others we tested didn’t make the cut, as well as our answers to commonly asked questions about VPNs for Linux.

The best VPNs for Linux 2024

• NordVPN: Best for privacy and security fanatics
• ExpressVPN: Best for seamless streaming
• Surfshark: Best for Linux enthusiasts on a budget

Top 3 VPN services for Linux compared

VPN	Best Overall NordVPN	ExpressVPN	Surfshark
Starting price	Starts at $2.99/mo	Starts at $12.95/mo	Starts at $3.99/mo
Server count	5,500+ servers in 60 countries	160 server locations in 94 countries	3,200+ servers in 100 countries
Linux compatibility	All Linux distros except TailOS, TempleOS, and Arch	Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, Raspberry Pi (armhf), Mint	Debian 11, Ubuntu 20.4, Mint 20 or higher
VPN protocol	NordLynx (built on WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, L2TP/IPsec	WireGuard, OpenVPN TCP/UDP, IKEv2/IPSec
No-logs policy	No logs	No logs	No logs
Headquarters	Panama	British Virgin Islands	The Netherlands
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read Our NordVPN Review	Get ExpressVPN Read Our ExpressVPN Review	Get Surfshark Read Our Surfshark Review

NordVPN: Best for privacy and security fanatics

4.9

NordVPN's Linux Support Includes Thoughtful Privacy Features

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

Who it’s best for

We selected NordVPN as our top pick as the best VPN for Linux users seeking a fast and dependable VPN that puts privacy and security at the forefront. This also includes masking your IP address behind an encrypted connection or hiding your online activity from your internet service provider (ISP) to prevent bandwidth throttling.

NordVPN has the most extensive support for nearly all Linux distros except three, which makes it the best choice for Linux enthusiasts. It’s also a great choice for users around the world who want to bypass any geo-restrictions due to its high number of servers spread throughout 60 countries.

What we liked

We liked that NordVPN prioritizes privacy and security by offering next-generation encryption while using secure protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec2, and its proprietary NordLynx built on top of WireGuard, one of the most modern secure protocols on the VPN market today. Its powerful features include a kill switch, double VPN encryption, smart and private DNS, Onion Over VPN for torrenting, ad and malware blocking, and more. It is also headquartered in Panama and holds a true no-logs policy.

NordVPN Linux users will be impressed that nearly all Linux distros are supported. NordVPN provides .deb and .rpm packages for all Linux distros, except for TailOS, TempleOS, and Arch.

It has Ubuntu NordVPN support and is compatible with many other Linux distros, such as Debian, Fedora, Elementary OS, Mint, RHEL, CentOS, openSUSE, and especially Qubes OS. Qubes OS is primarily aimed at security, which is why we think NordVPN is the perfect choice for the security-conscious Linux user.

Lastly, but still importantly, NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested and also offers a user-friendly interface that makes it quick and easy to connect to the fastest available server.

What we didn’t like

We experienced connectivity issues with NordVPN when we tried to run it from the command-line interface in our Ubuntu distro. Sometimes, it would connect to the VPN server successfully. Other times, it would give us an error.

We found it a bit glitchy and were unable to test it on all Linux distros to make a detailed comparison of their connectivity performance across the board. Needless to say, it’s still a solid VPN, and with its 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s worth a shot.

NordVPN specs

ExpressVPN: Best for seamless streaming

4.6

ExpressVPN Easily Unblocks Streaming Services on Linux

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On ExpressVPN's website

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ExpressVPN

• Premium VPN offering strong security and ultra-fast speeds
• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Who it’s best for

Couch potatoes and movie buffs who enjoy watching Netflix or streaming their favorite films and TV shows from other streaming services such as Hulu, Amazon Video Prime, Disney+, and more will love ExpressVPN.

What made ExpressVPN stand out were its seamless streaming capabilities and great compatibility with Linux operating systems. Although ExpressVPN may be more expensive than other VPNs, its speed and reliability make it an excellent choice for Linux users. (And as the saying goes, "You get what you pay for.")

What we liked

We liked that ExpressVPN is a fast, reliable, and secure VPN client. With its lightning-fast speeds, it's excellent for streaming content from various streaming platforms.

It also offers a wide range of support for popular Linux distros like the following: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, Raspberry Pi (armhf), and Mint.[1] Plus, it’s easy to install from a command-line interface, and we appreciated that ExpressVPN has a graphical user interface (GUI) for most 64-bit and 32-bit versions of most Linux distros.

ExpressVPN also has a wide range of security features such as a kill switch, split tunneling, military-grade AES-256 encryption, and secure VPN protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and L2TP/IPsec, including its own proprietary tunneling protocol called Lightway.

Lightway is one of the fastest and most secure tunneling protocols in the modern world and was built on top of a lightweight SSL/TLS library called wolfSSL to improve connection times and speed. Just like WireGuard, it aims to improve upon the de facto standard VPN protocol, OpenVPN.

What we didn’t like

Although ExpressVPN’s Linux app has a lot of great features to offer, we didn’t like that it only supports up to a maximum of five devices simultaneously — and is still on the pricey end compared with other VPNs that support an unlimited number of devices. Additionally, we wish it offered support for more Linux distros the way that NordVPN does.

ExpressVPN specs

Surfshark: Best for Linux enthusiasts on a budget

4.9

Surfshark Is Budget- and Security-Friendly

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On Surfshark's website

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Surfshark

• VPN technology offering stability and speed
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Works with Netflix and other streaming services
• Headquarters in Nine Eyes Alliance

Who it’s best for

Surfshark is the VPN of choice for Linux enthusiasts on a budget who want an affordable, secure VPN that can let them browse the internet anonymously with all the bells and whistles.

With its large list of 3,200+ servers in 100 countries to choose from worldwide, it’s also great for those who want to securely and anonymously bypass geo-restricted content on the web.

What we liked

We liked that Surfshark packs a punch with its security protocols and encryption, along with the additional features it offers, which makes it a perfect choice if you’re on a budget. Surfshark uses military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption with secure protocols such as WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec.

Surfshark also supports the more modern, fast, and secure WireGuard protocol on Linux. It even has additional features most of us would ask for in a VPN, such as a kill switch, split tunneling, a static and rotating IP, private DNS, ad blocking, and more. Moreover, Surfshark's unlimited simultaneous connections are a great bonus for its low price, which is a feature rarely offered, even among more expensive VPNs.

What we didn’t like

Although Surfshark has a lot of benefits for Linux users, there are a few downsides worth noting. First, it currently doesn’t support the IPv6 protocol. Due to this reason, it’s recommended to disable IPv6 to prevent connectivity issues.

Second, Surfshark’s GUI app for Linux only supports the following Linux distros: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and newer, Debian 11 and newer, and Mint 20 and newer versions. Lastly, we found that Surfshark doesn’t let you do port forwarding or port mapping properly on Linux.

Surfshark specs

VPNs that didn’t make the cut

For reasons provided earlier, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark were our top picks as the best VPNs for Linux. However, we did test a few other VPN providers with Linux, and unfortunately, they didn’t make it to the top of our list.

The VPNs that didn’t make the top three are Private Internet Access (PIA), Proton VPN, and CyberGhost, each for various reasons. Some of these reasons include extremely slow speeds, unreliable connections, or a lack of advanced VPN features that enhance privacy and security.

Proton VPN

Proton VPN was extremely slow compared to all of the other VPNs for Linux we had tested. We liked that Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, offers support for Linux, and has features such as split tunneling (on Windows and Android), Tor over VPN, and ad-blocker and malware protection, to name a few, However, its slow VPN connection speeds made it hard for us to put it at the top.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost had inconsistent and unreliable connectivity compared with the rest of the VPNs we tested. At times, it wouldn’t connect to certain servers around the world. On the upside, CyberGhost is one of the cheapest VPNs available, with more than 7,000 servers in over 90 countries and headquarters in Romania.

Private Internet Access (PIA)

PIA, on the other hand, was a close runner-up, using strong encryption, secure VPN protocols, and relatively fast speeds. However, it didn’t make our top list of the best VPNs for Linux because it’s headquartered in the U.S., which is a part of the Five Eyes Alliance.

Best VPN services for Linux FAQs

Bottom line: The best Linux VPNs

We tested several VPNs for Linux and narrowed our list to the top three contenders that stood out in terms of Linux compatibility, strong privacy and security features, great performance, and fast speeds.

NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark all have great Linux support, strong encryption, and advanced features that are great for Linux users who want to enhance their privacy and security.

With that said, NordVPN is our best choice for Linux enthusiasts who prioritize privacy and security; ExpressVPN is perfect for seamless streaming; and Surfshark is the most affordable option for Linux enthusiasts on a budget who want to take advantage of the powerful features a VPN has to offer.

After all, Linux is safer to use than Windows, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enhance your online security with additional protection like a VPN.

3 best VPNs for Linux

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
NordVPN	Starts at $2.99/mo	Best for privacy and security fanatics	See NordVPN Pricing Read NordVPN Review
ExpressVPN	Starts at $12.95/mo	Best for seamless streaming	See ExpressVPN Pricing Read ExpressVPN Review
Surfshark	Starts at $3.99/mo	Best for Linux enthusiasts on a budget	See Surfshark Pricing Read Surfshark Review

How to choose the best VPN for Linux

Because VPN services may have limited support for Linux, we suggest you research VPNs that support Linux distros of your choosing, which is a crucial first step.

Second, we believe your VPN service should provide robust privacy and security features, such as military-grade encryption like AES-256 and secure protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec, to name a few.

Third, server speeds and reliable connectivity should be highly considered because it can be frustrating when you try to stream content that gets interrupted by buffering. Lastly, check for advanced VPN features, great troubleshooting support and guides for Linux users, and a price that makes sense to you.

4.9

Limited-time offer: 69% off + 3 extra months

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

Author Details

Mars Groves

About the Author

Mars is a cybersecurity professional and writer based in California. He serves as an Advisory Board Member for WEBGAP, specializing in browser isolation.