VPN Speed Test Results February 2026: We Tested All 10
We connected to UK servers on every VPN provider we review and ran comprehensive speed tests. Here are the real numbers for download speed, upload speed, and latency — no cherry-picked results, just honest data.
Our Testing Methodology
Every speed test was conducted from our testing environment in London on a dedicated 900 Mbps fibre-to-the-premises connection provided by Hyperoptic. We tested each VPN provider on their nearest UK server using the WireGuard protocol (or equivalent proprietary protocol where applicable) as well as OpenVPN UDP for comparison. Tests were run using Ookla Speedtest CLI and independently verified with Cloudflare's speed test tool.
To ensure reliability, we ran each test five times across three different time periods: morning (9:00 AM), afternoon (2:00 PM), and evening (8:00 PM) on weekdays. The figures reported are averages across all fifteen runs for each provider. Our baseline speed without a VPN averaged 887 Mbps download, 892 Mbps upload, and 3 ms latency to the London Speedtest server.
Results Overview
Below are the averaged results for all ten providers tested on their fastest available protocol, connecting to UK servers. Speeds shown are download / upload in Mbps, with latency in milliseconds.
NordVPN (NordLynx): 782 / 744 Mbps, 5 ms latency — 88% speed retention
Surfshark (WireGuard): 761 / 728 Mbps, 6 ms latency — 86% speed retention
ExpressVPN (Lightway): 743 / 709 Mbps, 7 ms latency — 84% speed retention
Proton VPN (WireGuard): 718 / 691 Mbps, 7 ms latency — 81% speed retention
Private Internet Access (WireGuard): 694 / 668 Mbps, 8 ms latency — 78% speed retention
CyberGhost (WireGuard): 672 / 641 Mbps, 9 ms latency — 76% speed retention
Mullvad (WireGuard): 658 / 632 Mbps, 6 ms latency — 74% speed retention
IPVanish (WireGuard): 621 / 598 Mbps, 10 ms latency — 70% speed retention
Windscribe (WireGuard): 604 / 571 Mbps, 11 ms latency — 68% speed retention
Atlas VPN (WireGuard): 587 / 554 Mbps, 12 ms latency — 66% speed retention
Fastest VPNs Overall: NordVPN and Surfshark Lead
NordVPN claimed the top spot for the third consecutive month, retaining 88% of our baseline speed. Its NordLynx protocol, built around WireGuard with a proprietary double NAT layer, consistently delivers the lowest overhead of any provider we test. The difference between NordVPN and our unprotected connection was barely perceptible during everyday use — streaming, video calls, and large file downloads all performed near baseline levels.
Surfshark was a close second at 86% speed retention, which is particularly impressive given its lower price point. Surfshark has been steadily improving its UK server infrastructure throughout 2025 and into 2026, and the investment is clearly paying off. ExpressVPN rounded out the top three with its Lightway protocol delivering 84% retention — fast, consistent, and with notably stable performance across all test periods.
Speed by Protocol: WireGuard vs OpenVPN
The protocol choice makes a dramatic difference. Across all ten providers, WireGuard (and WireGuard-based protocols) averaged 684 Mbps download, whilst OpenVPN UDP averaged 471 Mbps — a 31% difference. OpenVPN TCP was slower still at 389 Mbps on average, though it remains the most reliable option on restrictive networks. For a deeper comparison of these protocols, read our WireGuard vs OpenVPN guide.
The gap was most pronounced with NordVPN: NordLynx achieved 782 Mbps versus 498 Mbps on OpenVPN UDP — a 36% difference. The smallest gap was with Mullvad, where WireGuard scored 658 Mbps and OpenVPN managed 521 Mbps, suggesting Mullvad's OpenVPN implementation is particularly well-optimised.
Impact on Streaming Quality
For streaming in 4K Ultra HD, you need a consistent 25 Mbps or higher. Standard HD (1080p) requires around 5–10 Mbps. Every single VPN we tested comfortably exceeded these thresholds on UK servers, meaning streaming quality should not be a concern with any provider in our lineup.
Where differences emerge is in consistency. NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN maintained rock-steady speeds throughout our evening peak-time tests, whilst some lower-ranked providers showed dips of 15–20% during the 8:00 PM period when server load is highest. If you primarily use your VPN for streaming BBC iPlayer, Netflix, or Disney+ during evening hours, the top three providers offer a noticeably smoother experience.
Latency Results for Gaming
For online gaming, latency (ping) matters more than raw throughput. Our baseline latency was 3 ms to London servers. The best-performing VPNs added minimal overhead: NordVPN added just 2 ms (5 ms total), Surfshark added 3 ms, and Mullvad added 3 ms. These figures are well within the acceptable range for competitive gaming, where anything under 20 ms to a UK server is considered excellent.
Providers at the lower end of our table added 7–9 ms, bringing total latency to 10–12 ms. Whilst still perfectly usable for most games, competitive players in fast-paced titles may prefer the tighter latency offered by NordVPN or Surfshark. Bear in mind that latency increases significantly when connecting to servers outside the UK — expect 20–40 ms for European servers and 80–120 ms for US servers regardless of provider.
Upload Speed Results for Video Calls
Remote workers rely on upload speeds for video conferencing. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet recommend 3.8 Mbps upload for HD group calls. Once again, every provider we tested exceeds this requirement comfortably. However, upload speed retention varied more than download speed across providers. NordVPN retained 83% of our baseline upload speed, whilst Atlas VPN retained 62% — a wider gap than we see in download figures.
For users on slower broadband connections — particularly those on ADSL or entry-level fibre with upload speeds of 10–20 Mbps — these percentage differences become more meaningful. If you work from home and depend on video calls, prioritising a VPN with strong upload performance is worth considering.
Conclusions and Recommendations
NordVPN continues to set the benchmark for VPN speed in the UK market, with Surfshark offering the best speed-to-value ratio. ExpressVPN delivers the most consistent performance across different times of day. All three comfortably handle 4K streaming, gaming, and video conferencing without breaking a sweat.
For a complete picture beyond speed — including privacy policies, streaming compatibility, and value for money — use our VPN comparison tool to see all ten providers side by side. If speed is your top priority, we recommend starting with NordVPN or Surfshark. Not sure what matters most to you? Take our VPN quiz and we will match you with the right provider.