Speed is one of the most important factors when choosing a VPN. We ran over 500 individual speed tests across the top VPN providers using a UK-based gigabit fibre connection to give you the most accurate picture of real-world performance.
Our Testing Methodology
All tests were conducted from a London-based connection with a baseline speed of 940 Mbps download, 940 Mbps upload, and 2ms latency to our reference server. We tested at multiple times of day (9am, 1pm, 6pm, 11pm) over four weeks. Each connection was tested using the Ookla Speedtest CLI with a consistent server.
We tested connections to:
- UK servers (London, Manchester)
- European servers (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris)
- US servers (New York, Los Angeles)
Speed Test Results Summary
| VPN | UK Download | EU Download | US Download | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN (NordLynx) | 891 Mbps | 756 Mbps | 445 Mbps | 4ms |
| Surfshark (WireGuard) | 912 Mbps | 801 Mbps | 423 Mbps | 5ms |
| ExpressVPN (Lightway) | 845 Mbps | 712 Mbps | 398 Mbps | 6ms |
| CyberGhost (WireGuard) | 803 Mbps | 689 Mbps | 367 Mbps | 7ms |
| Private Internet Access | 756 Mbps | 634 Mbps | 312 Mbps | 8ms |
Key Findings
Surfshark recorded the fastest raw download speed in our UK server tests at 912 Mbps — barely perceptible from our baseline speed.
NordVPN offered the best consistency across all server locations, with the lowest variation between tests.
ExpressVPN showed excellent performance considering it uses its proprietary Lightway protocol rather than WireGuard directly.
Protocol Impact on Speed
The protocol used has a massive impact on speed:
- WireGuard and WireGuard-based protocols: 750–912 Mbps
- OpenVPN (UDP): 200–380 Mbps
- OpenVPN (TCP): 100–220 Mbps
Always use WireGuard or a WireGuard-based protocol for maximum speed.
Our Verdict on VPN Speed
For UK users on fast fibre connections, any of the top-tier VPNs will feel essentially as fast as your bare connection when using WireGuard. Speed is no longer a significant drawback for premium VPNs.
Compare all VPNs including pricing and features to make your final decision.