A digital nomad vpn is esssential.
Why?
The nomadic lifestyle means connecting to tons of different wifi networks in:
- Cafes
- Coworking Spaces
- Public wifi networks
- Airbnbs
There’s no way to tell how secure those networks really are and who has access to them. If you want to be protected online, you need to take matters into your own hands.
Thankfully it’s easy to do with the right digital nomad VPN.
After tons of research and trials, there is one digital nomad VPN that consistently stands above them all.
In this blog I have outlined the #1 best VPN for digital, plus I’ve also included 3 other VPNs that I can confidently recommend.
What is a Digital Nomad VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN masks your IP address online so that your online activities are basically untraceable.
But quality VPNs do a lot more than just that…
VPNs work by establishing a secure connection between your device and the internet. All of your data is then funneled into an encrypted tunnel that only you have access to you.
Think of it like an invisibility shield around your online activity.
The VPN makes your location invisible and protects you from any external attacks. VPNs level up your online security with a click of a button.
What Makes A Good Digital Nomad VPN?
There are tons of VPN providers out there.
But not all VPNs are made the same.
VPNs can dramatically affect the speed of your internet. And cheap
VPNs may not provide much security at all.
Here are some criteria that we use to evaluate the a good digital nomad VPN:
High Level Of Online Security And Protection
Online security and protection should be your biggest focus.
That’s the main reason for getting a VPN in the first place.
Because your online privacy is so important, you should only get a VPN from a trusted company. A good VPN encrypts your entire connection so even if the wifi you are connected to has weak security, your data is safe.
But it doesn’t end there…
Your VPN should also:
- Block malicious websites
- Prevent malware
- Disable trackers
- Provide private internet access
Even if you take a wrong turn online, your VPN will protect you.
Fast Connection Speeds
Slow internet is the bane of all digital nomad existence.
Regardless of what VPN you use, your internet will slow down a bit. But good VPN services don’t slow your internet speeds by much.
The main VPN factors that affect browsing speeds are:
- The internet speed
- The quality of the encryption
- Your distance to the VPN server
- VPN server load
One of the biggest things you should look at is the number of VPN servers the company has worldwide. The more servers, the faster your internet connection should be regardless of where you are.
Even in more remote foreign countries, your VPN provider should have a close server location.
Ease Of Use
A click of a button is all it should take.
Good VPN providers make their service easy to use, whether on your phone or laptop.
If you are constantly turning your VPN on and off, you don’t want to have to go through a whole process every single time.
The best VPN for digital nomads is accessible with just one button.
Available On All Devices
Use a banking app on your phone?
You need your VPN to be able to protect yourself. Not all VPNs provide protection for all devices.
Think about the devices you have:
- Laptop
- Tablets
- Phones
- Kindle
- Streaming devices
You need to ensure that the VPN you choose works on each device.
Good Price
VPNs don’t need to be expensive.
Just because a VPN is expensive doesn’t mean they are good either. You must be careful to choose a VPN that offers the services you need while still providing good value for money.
What about free VPNs?
Yes, there are free VPNs around. Usually, these are very basic and have caps on how much you can use them. Not to mention, free VPNs are often very slow.
There are plenty of good VPN s from trusted companies that won’t break the bank.
In most cases the longer you buy a VPN, the better the price. You can easily get a good VPN for less than $5 per month on the right plan!
#1 Best Digital Nomad VPN
What’s the best digital nomad VPN?
After trialling a bunch of VPNs and doing tons of research, there is one VPN that sits above them all.
The best digital nomad VPN is NordVPN.
NordVPN
NordVPN is by far the best VPN for digital nomads.
Here’s why:
NordVPN offers more than 5300+ VPN servers located in 60+ countries. It has a massive network of servers which means you are always close to a server and get faster connections.
Value your privacy?
NordVPN has a strict verified No Log policy. They don’t store any of your online data guaranteeing the highest level of privacy you can get from a VPN service.
While other VPNs make the same claims, NordVPN has had its policies independently tested and verified.
Nord VPNs’ military-grade encryption and dedicated IP addresses offer completely secure access regardless of your wifi connection. Its one of the only VPN services to offer dedicated IP addresses to each connection
The unparalleled security combined with real animous browsing means an uninterrupted service you can depend on.
But what about the NordVPN speeds…
NordVPN offers some of the faster download and streaming speeds you can get.
Independent testing from Technadu showed that NordVPN is the fastest VPN available.
Their download speeds absolutely crushed the competition. We have personally found that NordVPN has sped up our internet connections in some cases. This could be because NordVPN overcomes internet service provider throttling – also unique to their service.
That means even if your Airbnb host buys a cheap wifi package, NordVPN may give you access to faster speeds.
Cool right?
Here’s a complete list of top VPN features that NordVPN offers:
- Extremely fast VPN speeds
- Complete privacy with a strict no-log policy
- Blocks malware and virusea
- Up to 6 simultaneous connections from any devices
- Works on Mac, Windows, IOS, Android, Amazon Firestick and more
- Dedicated IP address for safe online banking and internet activity
- Works for all online content streaming platforms
- 24/7 customer support through live chat or email
- Over 5300+ VPN servers located across 60+ countries
While support is often an afterthought for premium VPN providers, NordVPN offers 24/7 customer service. You can contact them by live chat or email whenever you have a question and they’ll be available to help you.
All NordVPN Plans include up to 6 simultaneous connections. That means you can have 6 different devices connected at the same time!
One plan with NordVPN will suit you and your friends.
NordVPN Pricing
How much does NordVPN cost?
NordVPN has a range of pricing plans you can choose from:
- 1-Month Plan – $11.99/month
- 1-Year Plan – $4.99/month
- 2-Year Plan – $3.99/month
We chose the 2-year plan because you save a ton of money. Comparatively, NordVPN’s pricing is highly competitive.
Lots of VPN services don’t even offer a 2-year plan to charge higher prices. This makes NordVPN one of the most cost-effective premium VPNs you can get.
NordVPN doesn’t offer a free trial but does come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN Works For These Streaming Services:
Get access to over 400+ streaming services including Netflix, HULU, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, BBC iPlayer, YouTube and more.
Use NordVPN On These Devices:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome and Firefox (extensions for browsers), Fire Stick, Kindle Fire, Chromecast, Android TV, Nintendo Switch and more. You can configure NordVPN to work on some routers.
Digital nomad travels come with a lot of uncertainty.
NordVPN makes it easy to protect yourself online while giving you many other benefits you can take advantage of.
3x Other Digital Nomad VPNs You Could Consider
Are there any other VPNs that you could use as a digital nomad?
Short answer – Yes.
There are a few other digital nomad VPNs that work well while traveling.
While NordVPN offers the best overall performance, the following 3 VPN services are also good options.
1. Express VPN
ExpressVPN is another trusted choice for digital nomad VPNs.
They are among the fastest providers available and offer great VPN features for digital nomads.
ExpressVPN also has a strong network of servers. They have 160 central server locations across 94 countries. This provides all the infrastructure you need to get high-speed VPN connections anywhere in the world.
The features for ExpressVPN include:
- 24/7 customer support by live chat
- 160 fast servers across 94 countries
- Works with most streaming services
- Best-in-class security and encryption
- No activity logs and no connection logs
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Easy to use applications on all devices
One of the biggest benefits of ExpressVPN is privacy.
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which means that they operate outside of the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14-Eyes Alliance. Even if a government agency tries to intervene, your data is protected with ExpressVPN.
It’s about as good as anonymous browsing gets in today’s modern world.
ExpressVPN Pricing
ExpressVPN has shorter pricing plans you can choose from:
- 1-Month Plan – $12.95/month
- 6-Month Plan – $9.99/month
- 1-Year Plan – $8.32/month
ExpressVPN offers a 7 day free trial on mobile devices and a 30-day money-back guarantee for every purchase.
ExpressVPN Works For These Streaming Services:
Get access to over 400+ streaming services including Netflix, HULU, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, BBC iPlayer, YouTube and more.
Use ExpressVPN On These Devices:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome and Firefox (extensions), Fire Stick, Kindle Fire, Chromecast, Android TV, Nintendo Switch and more. You can configure ExpressVPN to work on some routers.
If you are looking for a premium VPN service that rivals NordVPN, Express VPN is about as close as you get.
They give you an extremely high layer of protection while providing fast speeds for most locations.
2. CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost is a popular digital nomad VPN.
They are one of the most cost-effective premium VPN services you can get.
CyberGhost has the most VPN servers of any VPN available, with over 7700+ worldwide. It also offers protection for up to 7 devices simultaneously with one subscription.
Although not the fastest, CyberGhost has reliable connection speeds that will suit most digital nomads. They have also built a friendly user interface across each supported device.
The key features include for CyberGhost:
- Large and well-distributed 7700+ server network
- Allows up to 7 simultaneous connections
- Good VPN speed test scores
- Excellent value for money
- Premium security and encryption
- 24/7 live chat
When it comes to security, CyberGhost encrypts user traffic using military-grade AES-256 encryption. Like the other VPNs, they don’t keep user logs and use no-memory servers, so you are browsing completely anonymously.
CyberGhost VPN Pricing
CyberGhost offers a very competitive range of pricing plans:
- 1-Month Plan – $12.99/month
- 1-Year Plan – $4.29/month
- 2-Year Plan – $3.25/month
- 3-Year Plan – $2.29/month
CyberGhost is the only premium digital nomad VPN that offers a 24-hour free trial on all devices and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
CyberGhost VPN Works For These Streaming Services:
Get access to all the major services including Netflix, HULU, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and more.
Use CyberGhost VPN On These Devices:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome and Firefox (browser extensions), Fire Stick, Kindle Fire, Chromecast, Android TV and more.
CyberGhost is undoubtedly a good value VPN for digital nomads – especially if you pick up their 3-year plan.
3. SurfShark VPN
SurfShark isn’t just a cool name.
They are a reliable VPN service and each of their plans comes with a bunch of added features.
What SurfShark is really focused on is its advanced security features.
Their entire network offers excellent protection and includes ad-blocking, malware blocking, P2P support and a fake GPS feature. It’s true that NordVPN offers the same features, but Surfshare is cheaper.
Because of the advanced security features, you’ll be almost untraceable online. Surfshark is noticeably one of the best VPNs for streaming because the service doesn’t recognize that you’re using a VPN.
A big bonus for many people.
The best Surfshark features are:
- 3200+ VPN servers located across 65 countries
- Huge range of security features
- Strong encryption and protection
- 24/7 customer service
- Unlimited amount of connected devices
Unlike every other VPN service, Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections.
Their service also comes with Bypasser technology which allows you to have certain apps bypass the VPN when you need to.
The user experience that Surfshark offers is also really good.
So with all of these features, why doesn’t rank number 1?
One word: Performance.
While the standard features are similar to NordVPN, they aren’t at the same level. NordVPN offers faster speeds and better quality (and more) servers. You could argue that NordVPN has better security features as well.
But there is no doubt that Surfsharks pricing is the best on the list.
Surfshark VPN Pricing
Surfshark VPN pricing is:
- 1-Month Plan – $12.95/month
- 1-Year Plan – $3.99/month
- 2-Year Plan – $2.49/month
Surfshark comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark VPN Works For These Streaming Services:
Get access to tons of streaming services including Netflix, HULU, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Kodi and more.
Use Surfshark VPN On These Devices:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome and Firefox (browser extensions), Fire Stick, Kindle Fire, Chromecast, Android TV and more.
Surfshark is a great digital nomad VPN because of how many features you get and how little it costs. The performance it provides is really solid and is comparable to any premium VPN.
But it just doesn’t reach the heights of NordVPN.
4x Benefits Of A Digital Nomad VPN For Travel
What are the main reasons we use a VPN?
There are the four biggest benefits of a VPN:
1. Online Banking While Overseas
Some banks don’t allow access outside of your home country.
VPNs solve this problem quickly.
You can choose your home city within your country using the VPN service. This should solve any online banking issues you can encounter.
It also protects your bank details while accessing online banking.
Looking for a good banking option as a digital nomad? Check out the 9 best banks for digital nomads.
2. Find Cheaper Flights
Does location affect the price you pay for flights?
Short answer – Yes, it can.
Some airlines build different websites for different regions to charge higher prices.
For example, Avianca is a budget airline based in Colombia. They provide lots of flights from Medellin and Bogata to different destinations in Europe.
Avianca’s main website is – https://www.avianca.com.
But if you access their website while in Europe, you will be redirected to https://www.avianca.com/eu.
The same ticket on the Europe website could cost you as much as 30% more! In this case, the savings you can get are cheaper than most VPNs’ cost for 2 years!
How do you get cheaper flights with a VPN? Try changing your VPN location to:
- A developing country
- The country you are traveling to
- Airline’s home country
It takes a bit of research, but these 3 factors can affect the end ticket price you pay.
3. Unlock Favorite Streaming Services From All Locations
Steaming services are location-blocking gurus.
The truth is, for legal reasons they have to be careful who has access to their content.
Depending on where you are located will change the content you have access to. And many streaming services like Hulu and Disney+ aren’t available in lots countries.
VPNs allow you to choose any country you want, so you can quickly get access to your favorite streaming service.
Note: Streaming services are good at detecting VPNs.
You need to use a high-quality VPN like NordVPN or ExpressVPN that guarantees you get access to all streaming services.
Cheap VPNs are usually easily detected by steaming services.
4. Keep Your Details and Sensitive Information Secure
For us, this is the most important.
Internet security is not taken seriously enough by most digital nomads.
You never know who is sitting beside you and what they are doing the same public network you are using to connect to the internet.
In Bali, we were once inside a coworking space where the owner had just kicked someone out because they were trying to hack the network.
And that’s a coworking space in one of the top digital nomad cities in the world!
Imagine what goes on in your average coffee shop or public area.
Wrapping It Up
As a digital nomad, you should use a VPN.
It will protect you online and ensure that you always have a high level of security.
The best digital nomad VPN is NordVPN. They offer excellent encryption to protect your online activity while still providing fast speeds. They also have 5300+ VPN servers worldwide so it doesn’t matter what country you are in…
You’ll always have access to a close VPN server.
If you’re ready to get started, I recommend getting the NordVPN 2 year plan because it offers the best value for money. If you want to test it out, try their 1-month plan and see how you go.
Remember, you always have that 30-day money-back guarantee!
As digital nomads, we connect to lots of different wifi networks. Getting a VPN is a no-brainer for what works out to be a few bucks a month.
Protect your online activity and stay safe as you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a VPN as a digital nomad?
Yes, you need a VPN as a digital nomad. You will connect to tons of public wifi networks in coffee shops, airports, Airbnbs and more. There is no way to guarantee that your connection is secure so you need a VPN to protect yourself with the best VPN security possible.
What is the best VPN for travel?
The best VPN for travel is NordVPN. They offer over 5300+ VPN servers in 60 countries and have military-grade encryption. With NordVPN it doesn’t matter where you travel in the world because you’ll always have access to fast VPN servers and excellent security for protection.
How do I get an international VPN?
The best international VPN is NordVPN. Signup for an account and choose one of their VPN plans. Install the NordVPN application on each of your devices and connect to your preferred server every time you use the internet overseas.
