It's been two solid months of speed testing, security and privacy policy checking, Netflix streaming, feature experimenting, app installing, customer support contacting, price comparing and, ultimately, service reviewing - but we can finally reveal our official pick of 2022's best VPNs.
And if you were hoping for a shock new-entry or a real shake-up in the rankings, we're afraid you're going to be disappointed. ExpressVPN has retained its crown as the number one overall service on the market, with the familiar names of NordVPN and Surfshark remaining alongside it on the podium.
Beyond that, Private Internet Access and ProtonVPN make up the top five, entirely unmoved from their positions the last time we reviewed them.
You can see our full rankings below, together with quotes from our new reviews to help explain why these really are the best VPN services to download in 2022.
The top 5 best VPNs in 2022
ExpressVPN is top of the VPN pops
ExpressVPN may have had a bit of a weird 2021 - in the same week in August, it was first bought out by cybersecurity giant Kape Technologies before having an executive team member implicated in historical hacking allegations - it's still managed to keep on doing what it does best.
Mike Williams, TechRadar's cybersecurity expert and chief VPN tester, said: "There was plenty of competition among the top of the tree, with Surfshark's WireGuard speeds up 50%, and NordVPN adding Threat Protection malware scanning and an Edge browser extension while also cutting its prices.
"But ExpressVPN's higher speeds, shorter connection times and new ad and malware blocking just kept it ahead of the pack."
The provider's proprietary Lightway protocol ensures that speeds are among the fastest on the market, while it continues to perform admirably in our streaming VPN stress tests. That means it's a consistently useful tool for getting around geo-blocks put in front of it by services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Peacock TV, ESPN Plus and many more.
ExpressVPN's security smarts and privacy policy are among the strongest out there. Peace of mind, we're sure, for when you're living in or traveling to countries that are renowned for government snooping, or if you're particularly looking for a VPN for torrenting.
ExpressVPN's higher speeds, shorter connection times and new ad and malware blocking just kept it ahead of the pack
Mike Williams, Cybersecurity Expert
Another thing we love about Express is that it's just so easy to use - and on a range of devices, too. It tops this list of Android VPN and iPhone VPN providers, while its desktop clients on Windows and Mac are also second to none. And if you do run into a spot of bother, there's fantastic 24/7 live chat support ready and waiting to help solve your issue.
ExpressVPN remains a little pricier than some of the competition (there's no danger of it topping our cheap VPN chart). But the free year of unlimited secure cloud backup from Backblaze - which it chucks in when you sign up for an annual plan - helps to increase the value on offer. And you can of course try ExpressVPN for 30-days without risk, thanks to its quibble-free money back guarantee.
Best VPNs for 2022: more of the same
The VPN industry isn't unique for being one where marketing speak and big promises are the norm for providers. You'd think that would mean that our list of top providers is constantly being peppered with up-and-coming new entries bringing their A-game to shake up the established players.
But only provider Hide.me VPN really made much of an impact this time around, bursting into the top 10 for the first time.
So why is there so little movement within highest echelons? Williams says: "There's a lot going on with the top providers, both in terms of powerful new VPN features and interesting extras - ad-blocking and antivirus is taking off everywhere, for example.
"But right now all the big names are developing their services at a similar pace, and so no-one's quite gained enough speed to overtake anybody else."
