Public wifi in a co-working space or airport lounge is the easiest way to lose control of your data, and it is also the point where most streaming apps decide you are in the wrong country. A good VPN solves both problems at once: it encrypts your connection on networks you do not control, and it lets you keep watching your home country’s shows from wherever you land. This list ranks six VPNs on real numbers, real trade-offs, and how well they hold up specifically for people who move between countries and networks often.
What this list filters for
This list filters for four things that matter more to someone working from a different country every few months than to someone using a VPN at home: an audited no-logs policy paired with a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, enough simultaneous device connections to cover a laptop, phone, and tablet on one plan, consistent access to home-region streaming libraries, and the ability to actually connect on restrictive networks in countries like China, the UAE, or Iran. Price matters too, but only after those four hold up.
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is the safest default pick for someone who wants one VPN that works nearly everywhere without needing to research server settings first. It ranks first here on the combination of server coverage, speed, and the ability to get past firewalls in countries where a VPN connection itself can draw extra scrutiny.
- Price: $3.49/month on the 2-year Basic plan, renewing around $12.99 to $14.99/month, so treat the renewal date as a real decision point
- Servers: 9,300+ servers across 137 countries
- Jurisdiction: Panama, with no mandatory data retention laws
- Security: Independently audited no-logs policy, six audits total with the most recent by Deloitte in December 2025, RAM-only servers, and the NordLynx protocol
- Devices: 10 simultaneous connections
The obfuscated servers are the detail that actually matters for an itinerary that includes places like China, Iran, or the UAE, where a normal VPN connection can get flagged or blocked outright. NordVPN builds obfuscation into the app itself, so there is no manual configuration to get right before you land.
Best for: a single VPN that handles both strict-firewall countries and everyday streaming without extra setup.
2. Proton VPN
Proton VPN is the pick for anyone who weighs privacy above convenience. It comes from the team behind Proton Mail, and the entire client is open-source, so the no-logs claim is something anyone can inspect in the code rather than take on faith.
- Price: VPN Plus from $2.99/month on the 2-year plan, jumping to $9.99/month without a long-term commitment
- Servers: 17,000+ servers in more than 120 countries
- Jurisdiction: Switzerland, outside the EU and most formal surveillance-sharing pacts, though how far Swiss authorities cooperate with foreign requests is a point sources do not fully agree on
- Security: Open-source, independently audited apps, Secure Core double-hop routing, and a Stealth protocol built for restrictive networks
- Free tier: One device, servers in three countries, no data cap, useful for testing before paying
Secure Core routes traffic through two servers instead of one, which adds real protection on hostile networks but costs noticeable speed. Most nomads will want to switch it off for everyday streaming and back on for anything sensitive, like online banking.
Best for: nomads whose top priority is verifiable privacy over squeezing out the fastest possible connection.
3. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN costs more than most of this list once the introductory pricing ends, and it earns that price with one of the most consistent records for working in places that actively try to block VPN traffic.
- Price: From $3.49/month on the 2-year Basic plan, renewing near $8 to $13/month depending on term length
- Servers: 3,000+ servers across 105 countries
- Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands, outside the Five Eyes intelligence alliance
- Security: RAM-only TrustedServer infrastructure, the in-house Lightway protocol with post-quantum protection, and more than two dozen independent audits
- Speed: Around 5 to 7% speed loss on nearby servers in independent testing, among the smallest drops of any VPN reviewed
The Lightway protocol is the reason ExpressVPN keeps showing up in reports on which VPNs still work in China when others stop. That reliability, not the streaming unblocking, is the real reason to pay the premium, since several cheaper options on this list match it for Netflix and Disney+.
Best for: nomads spending real time in countries with aggressive internet censorship.
4. Surfshark
Surfshark solves a specific nomad problem: most VPNs cap simultaneous connections somewhere between 5 and 10 devices, and a phone, laptop, tablet, and travel router already use four of those slots. Surfshark does not count.
- Price: Starter plan from $2.49/month on the 27-month plan, rising to around $16.45/month at the standard monthly rate
- Servers: 4,500+ servers in 100 countries
- Devices: Unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan tier
- Security: RAM-only servers, a no-logs policy audited by Deloitte, and Camouflage Mode plus NoBorders Mode for restrictive networks
- Streaming: Reliable unblocking on major platforms, though upload speeds drop more on distant servers than with NordVPN or ExpressVPN
The unlimited-device policy is the actual reason to choose Surfshark over cheaper single-device competitors. A shared travel router and every personal device can run through one account without juggling separate logins.
Best for: nomads running several devices, including a travel router, on a single subscription.
5. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is one of the cheapest VPNs on this list, and it is a strong pick for anyone who wants to keep a US IP address for banking or subscriptions while abroad, though its US jurisdiction is a real trade-off for privacy purists.
- Price: From about $2.19/month on the 2-year plan, including promotional months
- Devices: Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Servers: Streaming-optimized servers in 11 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Canada, plus servers in all 50 US states
- Security: Open-source apps, a kill switch, and port forwarding for reaching devices back home
- Jurisdiction: United States, a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance
PIA’s streaming access only works reliably on its dedicated streaming servers, not the regular network, which means picking the right server on purpose rather than connecting to the nearest one automatically. The bigger trade-off is jurisdiction: it does not carry the same legal insulation as Panama or Switzerland-based competitors.
Best for: budget-focused nomads who want a US IP for banking and are less concerned about jurisdiction.
6. Mullvad
Mullvad is the outlier on this list. It does not ask for an email address, generates a random 16-digit account number instead of a login, and accepts cash mailed to Sweden as payment. Nothing else here is built around anonymity this deliberately.
- Price: A flat €5/month, around $5.50, unchanged since 2009, with no multi-year discount
- Account: No email, name, or personal information required to sign up
- Jurisdiction: Sweden, audited by Cure53 four times
- Servers: Around 700 servers, a smaller network than every other VPN on this list
- Streaming: Reviewers disagree sharply here. Some report reliable Netflix access, others report frequent failures on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, and the small server count makes each IP easier for streaming services to blacklist
Treat Mullvad as a specialist tool rather than an all-purpose VPN. If streaming access is the main reason for buying one, it is the weakest option on this list. If leaving no data trail at all is the priority, nothing else here matches it.
Best for: nomads whose priority is minimizing their data trail, not streaming reliability.
Search flights on FlyBibe
None of these VPNs fix a bad wifi connection at the co-working space, but they solve the two problems that actually follow you across borders: someone snooping on public networks, and streaming apps that assume you are home. Pick based on which trade-off applies to your next stretch of travel, not just the price on the landing page. Once your connection is sorted, search flights on FlyBibe and get moving.