Best VPN for PC: ranked by protocol and trials

A PC runs every protocol these providers publish. It’s also where an OpenVPN config file actually lives — a phone rarely needs one — and it gets almost none of the app-store trials that make an intro price feel low-risk elsewhere. Proton VPN wins here, not NordVPN, this site’s overall top pick in the full VPN rankings. The call comes down to what actually changes on a desktop: protocol choice, whether you can inspect the client running on it, and the refund window that stands in for a trial. NordVPN makes no open-source claim for its Windows app, offers no desktop trial at all (its only trial is a 3-day Android offer), and renews at $139.08 a year, the highest renewal of the five ranked below. If a bigger server network matters more to you than any of that, NordVPN is still the right call: 149 countries beats everything else here.

The five best VPNs for a PC, compared

Ranked for a PC — protocols, client transparency, trials, and renewal. Prices and terms as of 23 Jul 2026.

VPN	PC protocols	Client source	PC trial	Sign-up price	Renews at	Refund window
1. Proton VPN	WireGuard, OpenVPN, Stealth	All apps open source	Free plan (1 device)	$2.99/mo (24 mo)	$83.88/yr	30 days
2. NordVPN	NordLynx + OpenVPN	No claim made	None (Android-only)	$3.49/mo (27 mo)	$139.08/yr	30 days
3. Mullvad	WireGuard only	Client published on GitHub	None	€5/mo flat	No increase	14 days
4. Windscribe	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN, Stealth, WSTunnel	No claim made	Free plan (10 GB/mo)	$5.75/mo (12 mo)	No increase	7 business days
5. ExpressVPN	Lightway + WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	Lightway open source	None (mobile-app only)	$3.19/mo (28 mo)	$99.95/yr	Suspended through 11 Aug 2026

1. Proton VPN — three protocols, and code you can check

Proton VPN’s desktop app offers three protocols: WireGuard (confirmed for Windows, macOS, and Linux), OpenVPN, and Proton’s own Stealth mode for networks that block VPN traffic outright. Proton states that all of its apps, the Windows client included, are open source — the broadest transparency claim on this list. The free plan doubles as a real, zero-cost way to try the desktop client itself: one device, no data cap, no ads, though Proton picks the country for you from a list of 10. Paid access to the full 148-country network costs $2.99 a month for the first 24 months, $71.76 billed, with a 30-day refund alongside it.

The renewal isn’t gentle: $83.88 a year afterward, $6.99 a month, more than double the intro rate. Full breakdown: our Proton VPN review.

2. NordVPN — the biggest network, the highest renewal

NordVPN’s Windows app defaults to NordLynx, its WireGuard-based protocol that added post-quantum encryption in 2025. OpenVPN is listed as a second option. That’s two working protocols — but NordVPN doesn’t publish either one’s source or call the app open source. The network is the largest of the five: 9,259 servers in 149 countries, all RAM-only, backed by a sixth independent no-logs verification from Deloitte in December 2025 (the full report sits behind a Nord Account login).

None of that comes with a way to try the PC app for free — Nord’s only trial is a 3-day Android offer, so on a desktop the 30-day money-back guarantee is the whole safety net. And the 2-year plan’s $94.23 up-front bill turns into $139.08 a year at renewal, about $11.59 a month, the steepest jump of the five. Full review: our NordVPN review.

3. Mullvad — publishes its client, but down to one protocol

Mullvad publishes its VPN client’s source on GitHub, the same repository that backs its audited Android app, and charges one flat rate — €5 a month, about $5.68 — whatever term you buy and however long you stay. No renewal shock, ever.

The PC-specific catch is real. Mullvad removed OpenVPN entirely, client- and server-side, on 15 Jan 2026, so every app now runs WireGuard only. Anyone who kept an OpenVPN config file on a desktop or a router built around Mullvad lost that setup overnight. There’s also no free trial of any kind, and the 14-day refund excludes cash and cryptocurrency — two of the ways Mullvad lets you pay anonymously in the first place. Details: our Mullvad review.

4. Windscribe — the widest protocol menu, the strictest refund

Windscribe lists more protocols than anyone here: WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN as standard modes, plus its own Stealth and WSTunnel options for blocked networks. The free plan works as a genuine PC trial — 10 GB a month (2 GB without a confirmed email), unlimited devices, no card required — and paid plans don’t get pricier with time: the $69-a-year plan renews at $69 a year, by Windscribe’s own stated policy.

Windscribe makes no open-source claim for its Windows app, and its refund terms are the tightest here: 7 business days, under 10 GB used, on the first payment only, and only if support can’t resolve a stated technical problem. Its most recent audit, Packetlabs in June 2024, tested server security rather than issuing a formal no-logs attestation. Full detail: our Windscribe review.

5. ExpressVPN — open-source Lightway, no safety net right now

ExpressVPN’s Lightway is the one protocol here with its own public source — published on GitHub under an open-source licence, with post-quantum protection on by default — and a customized WireGuard build runs alongside it on Windows, macOS, and Linux. TrustedServer keeps every server RAM-only, and KPMG completed its third no-logs assurance engagement in 2025 with no issues found.

The timing is the problem. ExpressVPN has no PC trial at all — its 3-day trial is mobile-app only — and the 30-day money-back guarantee is suspended for any purchase made between 11 Jul and 11 Aug 2026. Buy a PC subscription from ExpressVPN inside that window and there is no trial and no refund route; the guarantee returns once it closes. Renewal afterward is $99.95 a year. Full picture: our ExpressVPN review.

Does the protocol matter more on a PC?

A phone’s VPN settings usually show one connection method and get out of the way. A PC’s client is where these providers actually expose the choice: NordLynx or OpenVPN on NordVPN, three options on Proton, five on Windscribe. The choice matters for concrete reasons. OpenVPN still gets through firewalls and older routers that block newer protocols. Obfuscation modes like Stealth or WSTunnel matter on networks that actively hunt for VPN traffic. Mullvad’s desktop and router users felt this directly: when Mullvad pulled OpenVPN in January 2026, a saved config file was often the only place that protocol lived for them. WireGuard vs OpenVPN covers the trade-off in full. How the same open-versus-closed question plays out on a phone is covered in our Android VPN rankings.

Can you check what’s running on your PC?

Proton states plainly that all its apps, the Windows client included, are open source. Mullvad publishes its client software on GitHub. ExpressVPN opens the source on Lightway specifically, not its full app. NordVPN and Windscribe make no equivalent claim for their Windows apps — that isn’t evidence either one hides something, only that neither says so on its own site. Unlike a phone locked to an app-store build, a PC lets you actually pull down a published source and read it, or wait for someone else to.

Why there’s barely a trial on a PC

Most of these providers sell app-store trials that don’t exist once you’re sitting at a desktop. CyberGhost’s own site lists a 24-hour trial on Windows and macOS against 3 days on Android and 7 on iOS — the shortest window belongs to the platform this page is about. NordVPN’s only trial, per its own risk-free page, is a 3-day offer on Android, with nothing equivalent for Windows. ExpressVPN’s 3-day trial exists only inside its iOS and Android apps.

Trial length by platform, from each provider's own pages, 23 Jul 2026

VPN	Windows/macOS trial	Android trial	iOS trial	The real fallback
CyberGhost	24 hours	3 days	7 days	45-day refund on 6-month+ plans
NordVPN	None	3 days	None	30-day refund
ExpressVPN	None	3 days (app only)	3 days (app only)	30-day refund, suspended 11 Jul–11 Aug 2026

That leaves the money-back guarantee as the real trial on a PC, and its terms vary more than the marketing pages suggest. Proton, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN (outside its current promo suspension) all give 30 days. Mullvad gives 14 — never for cash or crypto. Windscribe gives 7 business days, and only under 10 GB of use. Proton VPN and Windscribe sidestep the whole question with permanent free plans that work on a PC without a countdown attached; our best free VPN picks cover the rest of that field.

How we picked

Four criteria, in the order they were weighted:

1. Protocol menu. What a provider’s own documentation lists as available on the desktop client, not what a marketing page implies.
2. Client-source transparency. Counted only where a provider states it plainly; silence isn’t treated as a “no.”
3. A real PC trial, distinct from an app-store-only offer that never reaches a desktop.
4. Renewal price against the intro rate, since a PC is usually a multi-year purchase, not a subscription re-shopped from a phone every month.

Every number traces to each provider’s own pricing, protocol, or terms page, current as of 23 Jul 2026 except where a note says otherwise.

Who should skip these picks

• You want one account across every device in the house, not just the PC. Surfshark caps nothing — unlimited simultaneous connections for $2.49 a month on its 27-month intro plan — though its $16.45 rolling monthly rate and price-tested renewal are worth checking before you commit.
• You want the longest window to change your mind. CyberGhost’s 45-day refund on plans of six months or longer beats every pick above; its 2-years-plus-2-months deal runs $2.19 a month, $56.94 billed up front.
• You want the lowest monthly rate over years of ownership and don’t mind a US jurisdiction. Private Internet Access runs $2.03 a month across a 39-month term and renews close to the same rate afterward, $79 every 3 years, with unlimited devices.

None of the three publishes an open-source claim or as detailed a PC protocol list as the five ranked above, which is why they sit here instead of in the main ranking.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best VPN for a PC?

Proton VPN, ranked on protocol choice, a published client, and the refund window that works as a real PC trial. NordVPN — the overall pick across this site — has no open-source claim for its Windows app, no PC trial, and the highest renewal here, $139.08 a year; it stays the better choice if server count matters more to you than any of that.

What's the best free VPN for a PC?

Proton VPN's free plan: one device, no data cap, and a server from one of 10 countries Proton assigns. Windscribe's free plan allows unlimited devices but caps usage at 10 GB a month (2 GB without a confirmed email). Neither NordVPN nor ExpressVPN offers a PC free plan.

Is there a free trial for VPNs on a PC?

Barely. CyberGhost gives 24 hours on Windows and macOS, against 3 days on Android and 7 on iOS. NordVPN's only trial is a 3-day Android offer, and ExpressVPN's 3-day trial exists only inside its mobile apps. On a desktop, the money-back guarantee stands in for a trial.

Which VPN protocol should I use on a PC?

It depends on the network. WireGuard-based protocols (NordLynx, standard WireGuard) are the fastest default on an open connection. OpenVPN still gets through some firewalls and older routers that block newer protocols. Obfuscation modes such as Proton's Stealth or Windscribe's Stealth and WSTunnel matter on networks that actively block VPN traffic.

Does Mullvad still support OpenVPN on a PC?

No. Mullvad removed OpenVPN entirely, on both the client and server side, on 15 Jan 2026. Its apps, including the Windows client, now run WireGuard only, which broke router and third-party configurations built around its old OpenVPN setup.

Which VPN's Windows app is open source?

Proton VPN states that all its apps, including the Windows client, are open source. Mullvad publishes its client software on GitHub. ExpressVPN opens the source on its Lightway protocol specifically. NordVPN and Windscribe make no equivalent claim for their Windows apps.

Which VPN is cheapest to keep on a PC for years?

Mullvad and Windscribe don't raise the price at renewal: Mullvad stays a flat €5 a month (about $5.68), and Windscribe's yearly plan renews at the same $69 you signed up for. NordVPN's renewal is the steepest of the five ranked here, $139.08 a year against a $94.23 intro bill.

How do I choose a VPN for a Windows PC?

Start with what a desktop actually uses: which protocols the app offers, whether the client's source is published, whether a real trial exists beyond an app-store offer, and what the plan costs after the intro term ends, not just the sticker price.