Apple places a strong emphasis on security, knowing that this equates to a good user experience. The company has a reputation for strong security on its products, so most people who buy an iPhone expect a certain level of protection. However, this basic protection can always be improved if it just isn’t enough for you or you want to improve your privacy.
This is where using a solid, well-tested VPN or Virtual Private Network comes in. Without a VPN, your ISP can still track your browsing habits on both MacOS and iOS, and websites can collect your IP address. The iPhone alone can’t stop any of these things, but the best VPN for iPhone can.
While not every VPN service will pair flawlessly with iOS, Apple-focused VPN apps are becoming increasingly popular among leading VPN providers. This means your VPN options for iPhone are better than ever.
The mobile VPN market has been booming over the past few years, according to the latest trend reports available. The VPN market was valued at $49 billion in 2022 by Precedence Research, which expects this market to grow to $359 billion by 2032 – a sevenfold increase over the next 10 years. We strongly recommend that you avoid using free VPNs, as they almost always carry unforeseen risks and are limited in their usefulness. Instead, it’s in your best interest to stick with a proven paid VPN whenever possible. That’s what you’ll find here in our guide to the best VPN apps for iPhone.
One caveat is that there are currently some limitations to the privacy that VPN clients provide to iOS users. Recent independent research has shown that iOS (and some MacOS) users’ browsing and Internet data can be sent to Apple despite the protections offered by an encrypted VPN tunnel. We will continue to update our VPN recommendations as more information becomes available about this issue.
This list is essentially part of our main list of best VPNs, but focuses specifically on VPN clients for anyone looking for mobile browsing protection for their iPhone or other iOS device. If and when a service is ranked higher here than on our main VPN list, it’s because the mobile app experience is superior. (You can also check out our recommendations for the best VPNs for Android.) Note that this is an evolving list: we’re actively working on more research and hands-on testing, so check back regularly, as we expect you to change this list periodically. Here are the best VPN apps for iPhone that we tested.