Best Overall

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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Best for Ample Server Options

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 Free Browser Extension

4.9

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On Proton VPN's website

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Proton VPN

• Easy to use
• A strict no-logs policy that’s been tested in court
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

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Are you looking for the best virtual private network (VPN) to use with Google Chrome? Google Chrome has a huge lead over all other internet browsers — over 65% of people worldwide use Chrome, compared with over 18% who use second-place finisher Apple’s Safari.[1] Due to this wide usage, there are many VPNs that have built-in Chrome extensions, which makes using the VPN simple.

If you’re looking for the best VPN for Chrome, you’ll likely see that almost every VPN on the market touts that they’re the best, fastest, or the top option. But if we take away the marketing slogans, which VPN is actually the best for Google Chrome? Depending on your VPN usage, you may have different standards on what qualifies as the best, so we’re going to look at several factors, including ease of use, price, number of servers, and more.

The best VPNs for Google Chrome 2024

• Surfshark: Best for overall
• NordVPN: Best for ample server options
• ProtonVPN: Best free browser extension

Top 3 VPN services for Chrome compared

VPN	Surfshark Best for Chrome	NordVPN	Proton VPN
Starting price	Starts at $1.99/mo	$2.99/mo	Starts at Free
Free version
Chrome extension
Streaming support	Yes — Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer	Yes — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max	Yes — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+
Learn more	See Surfshark Pricing	See NordVPN Pricing	See Proton VPN Pricing

Surfshark: Best overall

4.9

Surfshark Offers a Lot of Functionality Inside Chrome

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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 a great VPN provider if you’re going to be using it mostly inside Chrome. It offers a lot of functionality inside its Chrome extension, so you don’t have to worry about opening the actual desktop app. From the Chrome extension, Surfshark includes an ad blocker, pop-up blocker, data breach alerts, and malware alerts.

What we liked

We really liked the overall user experience of Surfshark’s Chrome extension, as it offered the most robust dashboard of the Chrome extensions discussed. The extension also gave us ample options and settings to make it work for our needs, including an ad blocker and a pop-up blocker, both of which you can easily toggle on and off from the Chrome dashboard.

We also really appreciated the safety warning that Surfshark puts on sites that had a data breach or another incident. Not only does Surfshark alert you about the data breach, but it also gives you key information, including the incident date, the number of exposed accounts, and the data that was exposed.

Surfshark also released a new product in 2022, called Incogni, which removes your data from online databases. This service comes at an additional cost but is a helpful solution if you want to have your information removed based on the GDPR or other privacy policies.

What we didn’t like

We didn’t like that Surfshark’s company headquarters is in the Netherlands. The Netherlands’ membership in the Nine Eyes Alliance and 14 Eyes Alliance could affect your overall privacy if the government requests information about your VPN usage. While VPNs are legal, countries in these alliances could request user data from VPN providers to help with investigations.

Surfshark specs

NordVPN: Best for ample server locations

4.9

Nord Has More Than 5,000 Server Locations in 60 Countries

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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

NordVPN is a top pick for us for a variety of reasons. Like Surfshark, NordVPN doesn’t have a free plan but the price for NordVPN won’t break the bank. It also offers a variety of features to make it even more valuable for your internet privacy and safety. NordVPN comes with threat protection, MeshNet, double VPN, private DNS, and more. Many of these features have to be turned on or set up through the desktop app instead of the Chrome app.

What we liked

One reason we like NordVPN is that there was minimal change in overall performance when we tested our internet speeds with the app turned on. We also like that NordVPN offers extra security features to help users stay safe online. From inside the Chrome extension, you can turn on threat protection to block ads and malicious websites. From inside the desktop app, you also get dark web monitoring, a kill switch, and a smart DNS. NordVPN also has a mobile app to protect your mobile internet privacy.

The NordVPN Chrome extension was easy to use inside Chrome. The desktop application is also very intuitive and makes it easy to connect to VPN servers around the world. NordVPN’s server network has more than 5,000 server locations in 60 countries, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding a VPN connection that works for your needs.

NordVPN’s interface also makes it simple to change locations. While we were testing the product, we noticed that NordVPN connects quickly and seamlessly so you can change servers without too much of a delay to your internet connection.

What we didn’t like

While the Chrome extension is beneficial, to really customize the VPN, you need to download the NordVPN app on your computer. This gives you more settings and privacy options to help protect you. Your internet activity outside of Chrome is also not protected unless you turn on the VPN through the app.

NordVPN specs

Proton VPN: Best free browser extension

4.9

Proton VPN Offers a Free Plan With Limited Capabilities

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On Proton VPN's website

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Proton VPN

• Easy to use
• A strict no-logs policy that’s been tested in court
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Who it’s best for

Proton VPN is the only one of the three VPNs reviewed here that has a free option. The free Proton VPN plan has limited capabilities, but it would work for someone looking to add privacy without too many restrictions on server location or streaming requirements. Proton VPN does warn users that the free version may not be capable of streaming Netflix with the VPN.

Proton VPN is also a good solution for someone who is looking for a free VPN plan but doesn’t need extensive server options. If you need more server options, Proton VPN has a few different subscriptions, so you can purchase the one that works best for you.

What we liked

Overall, Proton VPN is easy to use from inside Chrome. The extension is simple, giving you the ability to quickly connect to servers all over the world. You can set Proton VPN to automatically connect when you’re using Chrome.

If you’re looking for a bit more support from your VPN, Proton VPN has a few great add-ons, including Proton Mail for encrypted email, Proton Calendar for an encrypted calendar, and Proton Drive for cloud storage. These extras are all included with the Proton VPN Unlimited plan.

What we didn’t like

Proton VPN is the most expensive VPN option that we tested with Chrome. There is a free version, but it is limited, so you may need to buy one of its paid plans, which can be more expensive than other options. Proton VPN also has limited flexibility inside the Chrome extension, so you’ll need to download the desktop version to get all the features.

Proton VPN also had the greatest effect on overall internet speeds while connected. We still had fast internet but it took quite a hit, going down to 85 Mbps download speed, compared to the 130 Mbps we had without being connected to a VPN.

Proton VPN specs

VPNs that didn’t make the cut

ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN didn’t make the cut for top VPNs for Chrome. We tested their Chrome extensions just as we did with the top three, but we ran into difficulties that made us pause before recommending these services.

ExpressVPN

If we’re being honest, ExpressVPN was originally in our top three, and it is on our list of best VPN services. However, once we started using the VPN and the Chrome extension, it quickly fell out of the top spot. We had issues connecting to ExpressVPN from inside Chrome; it would indicate that it was connected, but we had zero internet connection. We’ve tested ExpressVPN before and had a better experience using the desktop app, but we couldn’t get it to connect inside Chrome this time around.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost didn’t make the cut because it had almost zero customization from inside the Chrome extension. The only thing users are able to do from inside the Chrome extension is turn on the VPN and change location. There are no other options available.

While CyberGhost has a substantial number of servers — with more than 7,000 throughout the world — it doesn’t offer a lot of additional features for users outside of the standard AES-256 encryption.

Best VPNs for Chrome FAQs

Bottom line: The best VPNs for Google Chrome

Using a VPN with a Chrome extension can add convenience to your internet usage and boost your overall privacy. Overall, we were impressed with NordVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN. While Proton VPN offers a free, limited solution, its paid versions are all worth the cost. The Chrome VPN apps we selected have a variety of additional features to help increase your privacy and cybersecurity while browsing.

We were most impressed with Surfshark for its overall interface, ease of use inside of Chrome, and added features, like the safety warnings that pop up while browsing different sites.

3 best VPNs for Chrome 2024

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
Surfshark	Starts at $2.30/mo	Best overall	See Surfshark Pricing Read Surfshark Review
NordVPN	Starts at $3.99/mo	Best for ample server options	See NordVPN Pricing Read NordVPN Review
Proton VPN	Starts at $6.67/mo	Best free browser extension	See ExpressVPN Pricing Read Proton VPN Review

How we tested the best Chrome VPNs

To find the best VPN extensions for Google Chrome, we researched VPNs that touted Google Chrome extensions, and then we evaluated those VPNs based on overall features, price, and server count. Once we narrowed down our top five, we downloaded the desktop app and Chrome extension for each one and tested them for speed, ease of use, and overall features inside the desktop app and while inside Chrome.

4.9

Limited-time offer: 82% off + 4 months free

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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

Author Details

Andrew Adams

About the Author

Andrew Strom Adams is a freelance writer focused on online privacy and digital security. He writes on various topics to help individuals protect themselves on the internet. Andrew has worked in legal marketing, technology, and startups. He has more than 12 years of experience in marketing and communications. He holds an M.B.A. from Westminster College and a B.A. in journalism from Oklahoma Baptist University. When he’s not writing, he’s playing with his two kids or watching reality TV.