VPN speed test
This VPN speed test measures your ping, download speed and upload speed in about 20 seconds. Run it once with your VPN off and once with it on. We remember your last result in this browser and show how much speed your VPN costs you.
How to test your VPN speed
- Turn your VPN off and press Start speed test.
- Turn your VPN on, connect to a server, and run the test again.
- Read the comparison below the results. It shows the percentage of your normal speed you keep with the VPN.
- Try a few servers. The closest server is usually fastest, but not always.
What the numbers mean
Ping is how long a small message takes to reach our server and come back, in milliseconds. Lower is better. Under 50 ms feels instant, and gaming and video calls get harder above 100 ms. Jitter is how much the ping varies.
Download is how fast data reaches you, in megabits per second (Mbps). It decides how quickly pages load and videos start. Upload is how fast you can send data, which matters for video calls, cloud backups and sharing files.
How much speed should a VPN cost?
A good VPN on a nearby server usually keeps 70% to 90% of your normal download speed and adds 5 to 30 ms of ping. Far-away servers add more ping, and busy servers lower your speed. If you keep less than half your speed on a nearby server, something can be improved.
How to make your VPN faster
- Pick a closer server. Distance adds ping and lowers speed.
- Switch protocol. WireGuard (also sold as NordLynx or Lightway) is usually much faster than OpenVPN.
- Use a wired connection to rule out Wi-Fi as the bottleneck.
- Try another server in the same city. A crowded server can be much slower than its neighbor.
- Check for leaks too. A fast VPN is no use if it leaks. Run the VPN leak test after you change settings.
Why VPNs slow down your connection
- Distance: your traffic goes to the VPN server first, then to the website. A server far away adds travel time.
- Encryption: your device and the server encrypt and decrypt everything. Modern protocols make this fast, but older devices may struggle.
- Server load: a busy server shares its bandwidth between many users.
- Protocol: WireGuard-based protocols are usually faster than OpenVPN, especially on phones.
- Your own connection: a VPN can never be faster than the internet connection underneath it.
Getting a fair VPN speed comparison
Close downloads, streaming and other heavy apps before you test. Run each test two or three times, because single results can vary. Test at the same time of day for both VPN off and VPN on, and use the same device and network. Then compare the numbers in the table below the result.
FAQ
Why is my result different from other speed tests?
Every speed test measures the route to its own server. Ours measures the route to our server, which is the same for your VPN-on and VPN-off runs, so the comparison is fair.
Does the test use much data?
A run uses at most about 330 MB on a very fast connection, and much less on a slow one. Avoid running it many times on a metered mobile plan.
Can a VPN make my internet faster?
Sometimes. If your ISP slows down certain traffic, such as streaming, a VPN can hide it and get around the slowdown. In most cases, though, a VPN makes your connection a little slower.
Is my result saved?
Only in your own browser, so we can compare VPN on and off. We do not store it on our server.
Which VPN protocol is fastest?
WireGuard and protocols based on it, such as NordLynx and Lightway, are usually the fastest. OpenVPN is slower but works on more networks.