Virtual Private Networks (VPN) can be super beneficial, whether you're trying to hide your browsing from prying eyes or just want to access a different country's video streaming catalogs. They encrypt your outgoing and incoming internet traffic and pass it through their servers, so your data remains private, and your location gets obfuscated behind the VPN service's IPs. VPNs won't save you from everything online (be sure to check out our piece on common VPN misunderstandings), but it's an additional layer of security that can be good to have.

If you're stuck for choice for the best VPN service on Android, it's important to know that most top VPN services offer apps that allow them to work on Android devices. So, if you're looking for a good VPN app on your Android phone, here are our top picks.

1 Best VPN app overall: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the best VPN service for most people. It has all the modern features you'll need, including a built-in kill switch, split tunneling, a no-logging policy that's actually been tested in court, and 256-bit encryption. In addition, the service has over 3,000 servers in 160 locations across 94 markets. Given such expansive server availability, you'll likely find a server in pretty much all major countries and regions.

On Android, you can use the ExpressVPN app on phones, tablets, and TVs. You can even use the service on a VPN router such as the branded Express VPN Aircove with support for Express VPN's fast Lightway protocol. Apart from the Google Play Store, the service also offers its Android app APK via its website, just in case you don't have access to the Play Store. Using the ExpressVPN app is also pretty easy. Just enable the VPN in the app, select the server location, and you are good to go.

ExpressVPN plans start at $12.95 per month, but the service offers discounts on long-term plans of six or 12 months. If you subscribe to the service via its Android app, you'll get a seven-day trial. On top of that, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Also Great: Private Internet Access

If you need more server locations, Private Internet Access (PIA) is another good option that includes almost 30,000 servers in 106 locations across 78 countries. That said, 65% of its servers are in North America. In addition, you can use PIA services on up to 10 devices simultaneously, which is more than the typical five devices.

Other features of PIA include support for split tunneling, no logs, unlimited bandwidth, and a kill switch. The service's entire source code is also open-source. PIA plans start at $11.95 per month, but you can get significant discounts on long-term plans. In addition, the service offers a seven-day trial on its Android app and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don't have access to the Google Play Store, PIA, like ExpressVPN, offers an APK download via its website.

2 Best VPN app for privacy: Mullvad

While both ExpressVPN and PIA are known for privacy features, if you're looking for the absolute best, Mullvad is the answer. The service doesn't keep activity logs and goes through third-party audits for transparency and to identify security lapses. In addition, Mullvad has several payment options, including cash, so you don't even have to share an email address with it.

In terms of features, Mullvad is pretty much on par with other major VPN services. You get a kill switch, split tunneling, open-source code, and more. The service has 780 servers in 63 locations across 38 countries. While the server count isn't huge, it will be enough for most people.

You can get Mullvad for a flat rate of 5 euros, but you might be able to get a deal by buying it from a supported reseller. It doesn't have a trial period like some other recommendations, but a 30-day money-back guarantee applies to all payment modes, except cash. You can download the Mullvad Android app from Google Play and F-Droid or grab the APK from the company website.

Also Great: IVPN

IVPN is another excellent VPN service for privacy-conscious users. It doesn't store activity logs and collects minimal information needed to provide the service. In addition, the service is subject to annual third-party audits. Finally, you get a kill switch, split tunneling, mock location, open-source apps, and more.

The service has 76 VPN servers in 45 locations across 32 countries. The relatively low number of servers is one of the drawbacks of IVPN, but if this works for you, IVPN is great. It offers two plans: the Standard plan starts at $6 per month and the Pro plan costs $10 per month. In addition, the Pro version offers extras like simultaneous use on up to seven devices (only two on Standard) and support for port forwarding and multi-hop. You can download the IVPN Android app from Google Play and F-Droid or grab the APK from the company website.

3 Best free VPN app: WindScribe

A lot of VPN services offer free tiers, but none of them are as good as WindScribe. The service's free tier comes with up to 10GB bandwidth per month, unlimited connections, and access to servers in 110 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., and Canada. As a result, WindScribe just works, and you won't have to worry about constant disconnections or other issues.

In terms of the VPN features, you get split tunneling, a kill switch, no identifying logs, decent speeds, and more. WindScribe's Android app is easy to use, and you can download it from Google Play. It also provides the APK on its website.

Also Great: ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN also offers a decent free plan you can try. It comes with unlimited bandwidth, but you lose out on VPN speeds. The service prioritizes the premium users over the free users, so you're likely to get less speed than what's available on the premium plan. You can also only connect one device with a free plan. In addition, the server locations are limited to just three countries: Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.S. You do get 23 servers, though.

VPN features include support for split tunneling, no ads, no logging, open-source apps, and a kill switch. The ProtonVPN Android app is available via Google Play, F-Droid, and the company website.

4 Best budget VPN app: SurfShark

Picking a budget VPN is tricky because of the discounted long-term pricing offered by different services. Some services, like SurfShark, provide affordable rates for their two-year promotional plan, but they charge double the rate for subsequent annual subscriptions. Other services, like WindScribe Pro, will offer a yearly subscription price. So if you're planning to use a VPN service for years, make sure you do the math. Almost all VPN services offered in this list have pretty decent rates.

Based on its two-year promotional pricing, SurfShark is the best budget VPN around. You end up paying just $59.76 (effectively $2.49 per month) for the first two years and the same amount for every subsequent year. Despite its affordable price tag, the service offers almost everything you'd want from a VPN. The service gives you access to over 3,200 servers in 65 countries, along with simultaneous use on unlimited devices, an ad blocker, no logs, split tunneling, a kill switch, and more.

You can download the SurfShark app via Google Play or the company website.

These are the best VPN apps for Android that you can download right now. They all have native apps that work quite well, and to be honest, they mostly mirror all the same great VPNs you can get on a desktop device too. It's also worth keeping in mind that you can manually configure a VPN in your Android's settings if you don't want to download an app. Manual configuration means you'll miss out on a few features like easy server switching and account information.