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By country · US · May 2026
Best VPN for the United States
Streaming, privacy, and torrenting recommendations specific to the United States — based on local laws, surveillance regime, and available streaming services.
The case
Do you need a VPN in the United States?
The US is the world's most aggressive copyright-enforcement jurisdiction and the founding member of Five Eyes. Three real reasons for an American to use a VPN: (1) avoid DMCA settlement letters when torrenting — ISPs forward copyright notices and rights-holders sue retail subscribers, (2) avoid ISP traffic-shaping and the commercial sale of your browsing history (legal since 2017), (3) move your encrypted traffic outside US jurisdiction so a single subpoena to your ISP doesn't reveal where you go online. Streaming abroad (BBC iPlayer, Canadian Netflix) is a popular bonus reason. The dream pick — but rarely the right one — is a US-based VPN; the right pick is one based outside the country (Switzerland, Sweden, Panama, BVI).
Country dossier
Country context
Recommended
Best VPN picks for the United States
Mullvad
Sweden
Privacy gold standard. Flat €5/month, no accounts, no fluff. We have no affiliate relationship with them.
- 700+ servers · 49 countries
- Court-tested no-logs
- 5 simultaneous devices
- Court-tested · 2023
- Open source
- RAM-only servers
- Verified · 2026-05-04
We earn no commission from this link
Proton VPN
Switzerland
Best privacy-first commercial VPN — Swiss jurisdiction, open source, free tier.
- 8,500+ servers · 110 countries
- Open-source clients
- Streaming: Netflix + BBC iPlayer
- Audited no-logs
- Open source
- RAM-only servers
- Outside surveillance alliances
- Unblocks Netflix · BBC iPlayer
- Verified · 2026-05-04
We may earn a commission from this link
NordVPN
Panama
Best all-round VPN — premium price, premium features.
- 6,400+ servers · 111 countries
- Audited no-logs
- Streaming: Netflix + BBC iPlayer
- Audited no-logs
- RAM-only servers
- Outside surveillance alliances
- Unblocks Netflix · BBC iPlayer
- Verified · 2026-05-04
We may earn a commission from this link
Local services
Local streaming services
- Netflix US
- Hulu
- Max
- Peacock
- Paramount+
- Disney+
- ESPN+
- Apple TV+
- Amazon Prime Video
These services typically geo-block users outside the United States. Most major VPNs (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark) maintain IPs that keep them accessible when you travel. Mullvad and free VPNs are not optimized for streaming and won’t reliably work.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions
Will I get a DMCA letter if I torrent through a VPN?
If your VPN's no-logs holds, your ISP can only see encrypted traffic going to the VPN, not the torrents — so no DMCA notice can be matched to your account. Use a VPN with a kill switch (so traffic never leaks if the VPN drops) and avoid free VPNs that may log.
Can the NSA see my VPN traffic?
The NSA can observe encrypted traffic flowing into a VPN provider's servers but cannot read its contents. The risk is upstream: VPN providers based in the US (or any Five Eyes country) can be compelled by NSL or FISA to log going forward. Pick a provider based in Switzerland, Panama, BVI, or Sweden — outside US compelled-access reach.
Is it legal to use a VPN in the United States?
Yes, fully legal. VPNs are commonly used by businesses for remote work and by individuals for privacy. The activities done over the VPN are still subject to US law.
Can I watch BBC iPlayer in the US with a VPN?
Yes. NordVPN and ExpressVPN maintain UK IPs that reliably work with BBC iPlayer. Mullvad and free VPNs are not optimised for streaming and won't work consistently.
Answers
VPN questions, answered.
Can police track VPN users?
In most cases, no — provided the VPN doesn't keep logs and is incorporated outside the requesting country's reach. Police can subpoena the VPN provider, but if there are no logs, there's nothing to hand over. Mullvad's office was raided by Swedish police in 2023; they had nothing.
Is a VPN worth it?
For most people: yes, modestly. A VPN is worth €3–5/month if you torrent, travel often, use public WiFi, watch streaming services from abroad, or live in a country with weak data-protection law. If you only browse from a private connection at home and don't pirate, the case is weaker.
Which VPN is most trusted?
Mullvad and ProtonVPN consistently rank highest on trust by independent reviewers, including ours. Mullvad accepts cash and assigns numeric account IDs (no email required), ships open-source clients, and was raided by Swedish police in 2023 with nothing to hand over. ProtonVPN is independently audited and based in Switzerland.
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