A business VPN is a vital part of your business's digital toolbox. Lots of us are working from home nowadays (love it or hate it), so businesses need a way to give employees access to company files and data, keeping now-disparate teams cohesive
Deciding which VPN to go with can be tricky – after all, a business VPN is a long-term investment. Luckily, the Tom's Guide team has put dozens of the best VPNs to the test, and I've prioritized a few key criteria to compile my rankings. Privacy is the priority, as always, along with speed, add-ons, and price.
Keep reading, and I'll dig into each of my top picks, their most recent test results, and what it's like to use them throughout the work week. If you're in a hurry (or just want to skip to the good stuff), you'll want to check out Perimeter 81, NordLayer, and Twingate.
The 3 best business VPNs at a glance
The best business VPNs in 2024
The best business VPN overall
✔️ You want the best business VPN and ZTNA: Perimeter 81 isn't just a VPN service, it's a whole enterprise security suite.
✔️ You want a reputable service: with clients like Trustpilot, 23andMe, and Headspace, Perimeter 81 is a reliable provider that's trusted by some big-name brands.
✔️ You want immediate rollout: you can protect your network in as little as an hour and with just a few clicks.
❌ You have less than 10 employees: Perimeter81 has a minimum user limit, making it ineffective for sole traders and smaller startups.
❌ You have a small budget: it's going to cost you a minimum of $80 per month if you're on its cheapest plan. If that's too much, you'd be better off with any of the other picks below.
Ultimately, Perimeter 81 is an enterprise solution designed for serious businesses. While its minimum user count can put off smaller businesses, it's the perfect solution for scalable security that won't let you down.
Perimeter 81 is the best business VPN out there right now for small to medium-sized businesses, especially if you're looking for an alternative to traditional hardware-based VPNs.
Perimeter 81 has a minimum of five team members, so if you're a sole trader, it might not be the best option for you. However, for larger teams, the network security service offers a cloud-based system, meaning you can scale to suit your needs without the need for exponentially increasing hardware costs.
All this is done using an excellent client that allows you to manage your network and team settings from one place, with compatibility for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Linux 64, and Chromebook.
Security is tight, with protocols including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, and you'll also get automatic Wi-Fi security and a zero-trust network. This increases your privacy and efficiency while mitigating data loss as well as reducing the total cost of ownership for IT security by offering a single connected platform.
Perimeter 81 offers a software-defined perimeter (SDP) to limit network access by offering manageable system control. By using its own SDP solution, you get easy cloud migration as well as secure environments like IaaS, PaaS, and beyond.
We particularly appreciate the two-factor authentication which works well no matter where the person is working, including on a mobile device using a public Wi-Fi connection.
After signing up to Perimeter 81, you can expect great customer care and support throughout your plan – plus you're covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can make sure you'll be able to integrate the product seamlessly without risking your money.
▶ Want to know more? Check out my Perimeter 81 review to see what else the best business VPN can do.
The most feature-rich VPN
✔️ You need granular control over access: NordLayer lets you manage who can access what, preventing teams from accessing sensitive documents when they shouldn't.
✔️ You want single sign-on capability: streamline your employees' protection by letting them use their primary work profile.
✔️ You want super-fast security: Nord's proprietary NordLynx protocol provides some of the fastest VPN speeds I've tested—maxing out my lines with over 950 Mbps download speeds.
❌ You need lots of server locations: NordLayer only offers around 32 countries to pick from. If you're a global business, you may be better off with Perimeter 81 or ExpressVPN.
❌ Your team is on a budget: at $14 per user per month, NordLayer's full suite makes it significantly more expensive than ExpressVPN or IPVanish.
NordLayer is an expensive option, but it's well worth it. With an immense level of control and customization, it's a worthy alternative to Perimeter 81.
NordLayer is NordVPN's business offering, and it comes with some seriously useful features that aren't a part of the normal service. Already well known as one of the most secure VPN providers on the market, NordLayer proves the brand isn't just resting on its laurels.
You'll get all the essentials for a business VPN: a management control panel, centralized billing, a kill switch, and excellent encryption to keep your staff safe. However, there's much more to it than that.
Each member of your team or company will have their own login, and this can be used to restrict what they access when it comes to business data. So, if you'd rather your advertising team didn't have access to your accounting documents, you can restrict that. You can even implement single sign-on (SSO) to let workers log in with their Google, Azure AD, and Okta profiles.
If someone leaves your team, it won't cost you more money—licenses are transferrable, meaning you won't be out of pocket when setting up a replacement hire with NordLayer.
The customizable pricing plans are great for smaller businesses. You'll have the choice between basic, advanced, and more comprehensive cover, ranging from $8 per user per month (pupm), up to $14 pupm. There's also the option to purchase dedicated IP addresses to make it easier to access specific services and networks. Larger companies will want to go with the custom enterprise plan, which prices on a quote basis, as this will give you the best bang for your buck.
You can request a demo on the site, and all plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee so you can put it to the test and see how it compares with Perimeter 81 without risking your cash.
▶ Find out more in TechRadar's latest NordLayer review.
Best for complex remote access networks
✔️ You need a zero-trust network: Twingate isn't like a traditional VPN, making it perfect for implementing remote access without putting your faith in someone else.
✔️ You want to try before you buy: with a cardless 14-day free trial, you can put it to the test and see if it suits your business before you even spend a penny.
❌ You're a small business or sole trader: Twingate is best suited for bigger organizations with complex networks.
❌ You don't have a dedicated IT team: setup is more complex than just installing the client and being on your way. You'll need someone technically capable of deploying it.
Twingate is an excellent VPN alternative that's great for larger businesses looking to control network access while maintaining the security and privacy of their staff and secrets.
While Twingate isn't technically a VPN, the zero-trust network access (ZTNA) service does something similar—allowing your employees to remotely access office networks, cloud services, and other resources from almost any device.
Using Twingate's ZTNA is arguably simpler than a VPN, as single-sign-on (SSO) lets you log in with existing credentials—such as your Google profile. Plus, you have full control over the security implementation of the software, letting you enforce multi-factor authentication and other requirements as needed.
Once you're in, the app allows employees to access business resources as required, with no need to choose a location or tweak settings. Built-in split tunneling also means your employees can simultaneously access remote networks abroad while still accessing local services on the go.
The setup requires more technical knowledge than your standard VPN client, as you'll need to define a remote network in the app, and then create and provision a new connector to access that network. This means deploying Twingate on a local Linux server, Docker container, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Azure before you can use it. Fortunately, Twingate offers simple step-by-step guides for setup on its website.
After that, configuration and use are relatively straightforward: identify the network or resource you want to protect, and who can access that network, then install the apps on their devices to connect them.
Twingate is best suited for larger businesses with complex networks thanks to its simple and configurable network access control features. It doesn't operate like a traditional VPN, but the protection will be comparable.
You can request a demo or try Twingate for free thanks to its 14-day trial. There's no credit card required on sign-up, so you don't have to worry about being charged or paying first and refunding later as you do with so many VPN providers these days.
▶ Check out TechRadar's Twingate review for more information on what makes Twingate such a powerful tool for businesses.
Best of the rest
✔️ You want the best VPN on the market: others have marginally wider suites, but if you're just interested in having a world-leading VPN, ExpressVPN is second to none.
✔️ You want to stay protected everywhere: with servers in 105 countries, you'll be hard-placed to find somewhere you can't protect your business.
✔️ You value privacy and security: whether you're in the US, Europe, or even China, ExpressVPN's countless audits and unblemished history of protecting its users inspire confidence.
❌ You're on a strict budget: ExpressVPN certainly isn't the cheapest on the market. If you're after a cheaper option, try IPVanish.
❌ You want a fuller suite of software: features like remote network access aren't on the cards, so something like Twingate or Perimeter 81 may be a better pick if you need them.
All things considered, ExpressVPN is the very best VPN I've tested. Its privacy features are second to none, it delivers great speeds, and its apps offer accessible designs for seamless use. If you're looking for the best of the best, this is it, and you can try it out with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN could be the best business VPN for individuals and sole traders who want protection on a limited number of devices. It doesn't offer a specific business plan, but with great server coverage, excellent speeds, and super security, it has to make the list.
Thanks to its stable and intuitive apps, Express will work across plenty of devices. It offers iOS VPN and Android VPN apps, Mac, Windows, Linux, Kindle Fire, Chromebooks, Firefox, Chrome, and even more – all with simple-to-use controls.
ExpressVPN's encryption is cutting edge, with its proprietary Lightway protocol going above and beyond the capabilities of most other services that rely on WireGuard or OpenVPN alone. It's designed to take the hassle out of a VPN, automatically generating the fastest, most secure VPN connection without the need for manual configuration.
Dedicated DNS servers and split tunneling make simultaneously accessing local services and those abroad a breeze. You'll also get dedicated 24/7 live chat support in case anything doesn't work as it should, and it all operates with a clear no-logs policy to protect your privacy.
ExpressVPN is a little more expensive than some other consumer VPNs, but it works out cheaper than plenty of business VPNs – and for that price, you get our top-rated VPN on the market. If you can do without a static IP and centralized billing, ExpressVPN could be an affordable way to protect you and your small business.
Want to know more? Check out my ExpressVPN review to see why it's my go-to VPN for personal use and how its proprietary Lightway protocol takes the stress out of creating a secure and fast VPN connection. Alternatively, try it for yourself, without risking a penny, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
▶ Find out why this is the best VPN in 2024 in my ExpressVPN review.
✔️ You want unlimited coverage: a single IPVanish plan can be used on unlimited devices, letting you protect the whole business.
✔️ Your team loves Linux: unlike many VPNs, IPVanish offers a full GUI for many popular distros, making it easier to run than command-line interfaces.
❌ You want to pay the same price forever: be aware that if you don't cancel and resubscribe at the end of your plan, prices will go through the roof.
❌ You're new to VPNs: IPVanish is a decent VPN and it's unlikely to go wrong, but if you need support, its articles can be lackluster when compared to the help you get with ExpressVPN or NordLayer.
IPVanish is a veteran of the industry and is rooted in business use cases. With unlimited simultaneous connections, it's an effective way to protect your whole company on a single plan.
IPVanish is another great option for individuals or smaller businesses since it's primarily aimed at the consumer level. The apps are powerful, and configurable and work across iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and more, and the wide selection of servers means that no matter where you are in the world, you'll be able to get a nice quick connection.
While the on-site support articles aren't as helpful as other provider sites, IPVanish offers a chatbot and 24/7 email support for any issues you have with the service. Larger companies, with the need for more business-specific features, will miss things like a static IP address and centralized billing for multiple accounts, but that doesn't matter when you only have one subscription to worry about.
Its unlimited connections mean you could feasibly cover every device in your company with a single plan. However, you should note that the Terms of Service state that "IPVanish grants you a personal, limited, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use IPVanish Site content and the Services, solely for your personal, private and non-commercial use in connection with the IPVanish Services accessed by you. This license is personal to you, and you may not resell our Services, [or] permit other users access to our Services through your account." This means
If you're after a private VPN that's stable and secure, IPVanish is a good option – but if you need the features more dedicated business VPNs offer, then it's worth spending a little more to get exactly what you need.
▶ Find out more about what makes this a leading VPN in my IPVanish review.
How to choose a VPN for business
No two businesses are alike, and every company will have different requirements from its business VPN. However, there are a few features that will be useful to pretty much every business, and these are often very different to consumer VPNs.
Firstly and most importantly, you'll need to make sure that your business VPN has rock-solid encryption – if it doesn't, keep searching, because there are tons of great options that fulfil this basic function.
Unless you're a sole trader, you'll also likely want a dedicated static IP address on a personal server, rather using the shared IPs commonly found in consumer VPNs. As mentioned before, these are useful as you can monitor activity via a central software system and allow access to a private intranet or restricted company data.
My top pick is Perimeter 81. More than just a VPN, Perimeter 81 is an all-encompassing business security solution, with a huge amount of features that will be useful for employees, developers, marketers and executives – and we think anyone needing a business VPN should definitely consider it. So, to find out more about Perimeter 81 and its rivals, just scroll down below.
Business VPN FAQs
What features should a business VPN have?
What you need from your business VPN will, of course, depend on your business.
If you're a sole trader with little infrastructure set up, all you need is a quality personal VPN. I'd recommend ExpressVPN as it works all over the world, and is incredibly reliable and secure.
However, if your business is a little larger and has centralized data, a more dedicated business VPN will suit you. You'll want a static IP so all your staff can access your restricted data, plus you might want to be able to monitor and restrict your staff's activity online.
Here, I'd strongly recommend Perimeter 81, as it delivers more than just a VPN, and provides exceptional protection for just about every aspect of your business.
Do I need a business VPN?
If you have any kind of data that you want kept secure, then yes, you need a VPN for your business. It will keep your information private and safe, and in some cases it'll allow you to control what your staff have access to. Also, if your VPN offers a dedicated or static IP, that will allow you to access your location-restricted data if you're out of the country
A VPN is an affordable way to enhance your business' security without the need to invest in lots of hardware and tech support. It's a future-focused way of staying secure now and in the years to come without costing you a fortune. Also, you'll usually be well supported by customer care, meaning you can enjoy that extra security, worry-free.
