The 4 VPNs I swear by for Linux – and why I trust them

I know you’ve heard this before, but Linux is a powerful, flexible, and secure operating system. From my experience, it is hands down the most secure OS on the market. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t use a bit of help. 

Out of the box, most Linux distributions do not anonymize or encrypt your online traffic.

Also: The best VPN services: Expert tested

Sure, you can install the Tor Browser, but that will only affect your web traffic. If you want even more protection against those who would steal your information and use it against you, consider using a VPN, which will anonymize and encrypt all of your outgoing traffic. By anonymizing your traffic, your IP address and location are masked, making it difficult to track you. The encryption provided by VPNs ensures that the data packets leaving your system cannot be easily viewed by a third party.

Also: How to use a VPN on Linux – and why you should

But are there VPNs that support Linux? Of course. In fact, I have a shortlist of four VPNs, each of which does an excellent job of protecting the network traffic that leaves your system.

1. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN offers strong AES-256 encryption and has a zero-knowledge logging policy (which means they do not collect or store any user data). ProtonVPN also features DNS leak protection, support for multiple encryption protocols (such as OpenVPN and WireGuard), automatic IP address rotation, port forwarding, multi-hop servers, over 50 locations to choose from when connecting, and much more. ProtonVPN has a solid Linux desktop client that makes it very easy to use. ProtonVPN also has a command-line option, allowing you to manage the VPN while connected over SSH. The command-line version is often faster than the GUI and gives you the same results.

Also: Proton VPN review: A very solid free VPN with robust leak protection

ProtonVPN can be installed and used on Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora-based distributions, but it does have an associated cost of $4.99 per month.

2. Windscribe

Windscribe might be the VPN you’ve never heard of, but it offers one of the largest VPN networks available (with over 69 countries and 134 cities). Windscribe also blocks IP addresses and domains (such as ads) of your choice, doesn’t save any user information, uses the AES-256-GCM cipher with SHA512 authentication and a 4096-bit RSA key, includes a config generator for OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, uses the same static IP address every time you connect, supports port forwarding and split tunneling, and much more. 

Also: Windscribe VPN review: A flexible and free VPN

Windscribe is a self-funded service, so it is only beholden to its subscribers. Windscribe also does not advertise on any platform, meaning it has no need for third-party trackers to gauge its ad spend. In other words, Windscribe does VPNs right. It is available to install on most Linux distributions and even offers a CLI-only option. 

Windscribe’s basic plan is $9 per month (paid monthly) or $69 per year.

3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the more popular VPNs on the list. With a feature list that resembles most other VPNs, ExpressVPN doesn’t miss anything. The one thing that sets ExpressVPN apart from other VPNs is its fast speeds. You see, when you use a VPN, your network traffic speeds will slow down, and there’s very little that can be done about that. However, with the help of advanced infrastructure and strong connection methods, ExpressVPN is capable of reaching speeds that other VPNs can’t. 

Also: ExpressVPN review: One of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested

Another nice feature of ExpressVPN is the Kill Switch, which prevents your network traffic from leaking when you disconnect from a VPN server. When activated, the Kill Switch replaces your IP address with a secure alternative. You’ll also get ad/tracker blocking, a password manager, ID alerts, $1M ID theft insurance, a credit scanner, and more.

ExpressVPN can be installed on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, Raspberry Pi, and Linux Mint, and it offers both a GUI and a CLI client. ExpressVPN currently has a special deal, starting at $4.99 per month (billed $139.72 for 28 months).

4. NordVPN

NordVPN is another very popular option, thanks to speeds that are on par with ExpressVPN. NordVPN offers a feature that others do not — the ability to use Tor over the company’s encrypted servers. That’s a powerful one-two punch for anonymity. Then there’s the double VPN, which routes your traffic through two VPN servers (instead of just one). You’ll also enjoy a kill switch, private DNS, split tunneling, secure encryption, no user tracking, malware protection, the ability to create your own private encrypted network on your LAN, a dark web monitor, and more.

Also: NordVPN review: Consistent speed and performance from one of our favorite VPNs

NordVPN can be installed on any Linux machine by running an installation script. You can then control NordVPN via the command line. The only caveat is that NordVPN doesn’t currently offer a GUI for its service, so you’ll need to manage it from the command line.

NordVPN offers a basic plan for just $3.99 per month, but if you want 1 TB of cloud storage, you must upgrade to the Complete plan for $4.99 per month. If you want NordProtect, the price increases to $6.99 per month.

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