VPN & Privacy

The best VPN for iPhone and iPad in 2026: what each app does on iOS

Every VPN app on an iPhone does the same basic job: it sends your traffic through an encrypted tunnel to the VPN's servers. What sets them apart is what the iOS app adds, such as a kill switch, a choice of protocols and apps for your iPad and Apple TV, and how much outside evidence backs the company's no-logs promise.

PrivacyTechReview Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Kirill Prosandeev Updated 30 Oct 2026 15 min read

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We rank the six VPNs we had reviewed by October 30, 2026, ordered for iPhone: first by the evidence behind each no-logs promise (named, dated audits, and whether you can read the reports), then by what the vendor says its iOS app does, then by how many devices one account covers. Facts come from the vendors' own pages and App Store listings as they read on October 29–30, 2026. We haven't tested these apps and don't publish prices, scores or speeds. For free tiers from other providers, see our best free VPN guide; for every platform, our best VPN ranking.

Before you pay, check what your iPhone already has: with iCloud+, Apple's iCloud Private Relay already covers browsing in Safari. The section below explains where it stops.

What matters in a VPN for iPhone

On iPhone, the vendors' own pages show these differences:

Kill switch, under different names. NordVPN's iOS version is "VPN bypass prevention," which it says forces all traffic covered by the VPN configuration through the tunnel and stays on through app restarts, sleep and wake. Surfshark, Proton VPN and VeePN have a kill switch setting; VirtualShield's turns on automatically. PureVPN's iOS settings list Reconnect on disconnect and VPN on Demand, but no kill switch.
Split tunneling, mostly missing. NordVPN says it doesn't offer split tunneling on iOS, and Proton VPN doesn't offer it on iPhone or iPad. Surfshark's and VeePN's Bypasser exclude websites on iOS, not apps, and VeePN's can't run at the same time as its kill switch. VirtualShield's Local Network Access, which it also calls split tunneling, only lets you reach printers and other devices at home.
Protocols. NordVPN's iOS app runs NordLynx, built on WireGuard, and NordWhisper, made for filtered networks such as hotel or airport Wi-Fi. Proton offers WireGuard and its Stealth protocol and says OpenVPN isn't supported on iOS. Surfshark lists WireGuard and OpenVPN, and VeePN WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. PureVPN's iOS help lists WireGuard and IKEv2, plus UDP and TCP options, and VirtualShield names none.
iPad and Apple TV. All six run on iPad. NordVPN, Surfshark and PureVPN have Apple TV apps, and Proton's needs a paid plan. VeePN has no Apple TV app, and VirtualShield's app runs only on computers and mobile devices.
Apple's own limits. Proton warns that on iOS some DNS requests from Apple services can bypass the VPN even with its kill switch on, and that with the kill switch on you can't reach devices on your local network.

Where you pay matters too. NordVPN's terms leave refunds for app-store purchases to that store's terms, PureVPN's refund policy excludes App Store payments, and Proton's 30-day refund covers subscriptions bought directly from Proton.

How to choose a VPN for your iPhone

1
Decide what the VPN is for

For Safari on public Wi-Fi, iCloud Private Relay may be enough if you already pay for iCloud+. For every app's traffic, a kill switch or a server in another country, you need a VPN app.
2
Check the iOS app, not the website

Look for the iPhone kill switch, which NordVPN calls VPN bypass prevention, and don't count on split tunneling: only Surfshark and VeePN offer it on iOS, and only for websites.
3
Confirm the seller and your iOS version

In the App Store, check that the developer or seller is the VPN company itself, such as Proton AG or SURFSHARK LTD, and that your iPhone meets the minimum: iOS 17 for most of these apps.
4
Count your Apple devices

NordVPN, PureVPN and paid Proton plans allow 10 devices at once and Surfshark sets no cap; VeePN and VirtualShield have no Apple TV app.
5
Weigh the no-logs evidence

Look for a named, dated audit of the no-logs policy. Proton VPN publishes its reports, NordVPN and Surfshark show theirs to customers, PureVPN offers its report by email sign-up, and VeePN and VirtualShield cite none.

The six VPNs we review, ranked for iPhone

6 compared

Editors' choice

Proton VPN

Best overall for iPhone and iPad, free or paid

Our take: Securitum has audited Proton VPN's no-logs policy every year since 2022, most recently in May 2026, and Proton publishes the reports for anyone to read; its iOS app is open source. One App Store app covers iPhone, iPad and, on paid plans, Apple TV. The free plan has no data cap, ads or time limit and includes the kill switch and Stealth, but covers one device and picks your server country from 10. Paid plans add 10 devices, NetShield and Secure Core. There's no split tunneling on iPhone or iPad.

Strengths

Free plan with no data cap, ads or time limit
Kill switch on every plan; advanced kill switch in beta
Yearly Securitum no-logs audits, 2022–2026

Worth knowing

No split tunneling on iPhone or iPad
Free plan: one device, no country choice
Apple TV app only on paid plans

Platforms: iOSiPadOStvOS (paid plans)macOSWindowsAndroidLinux

Bottom line: Pick Proton VPN for no-logs reports you can read yourself, and to start free on one iPhone.

Read full Proton VPN review

Check Proton VPN price

Opens Proton VPN's official site

NordVPN

Best for a no-logs policy reviewed since 2018

Our take: Outside firms have reviewed NordVPN's no-logs policy since 2018: PwC in 2018 and 2020, then Deloitte, most recently in late 2025, but only signed-in customers can read the latest report. One App Store app covers iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, with 10 devices on every plan. VPN bypass prevention keeps traffic in the tunnel through restarts and sleep, and NordWhisper handles networks that filter VPNs. DNS-based scam blocking comes with every plan, though NordVPN's pages disagree on whether it works with the VPN off. There's no split tunneling on iOS.

Strengths

VPN bypass prevention, NordLynx and NordWhisper on iOS
Apple TV app and 10 devices on every plan
No-logs reviews by PwC and Deloitte since 2018

Worth knowing

No split tunneling on iOS
Latest Deloitte report only for signed-in customers
No free plan

Platforms: iOSiPadOStvOSmacOSWindowsAndroidLinux

Bottom line: Pick NordVPN for one app across your iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, from a provider whose no-logs policy has been reviewed since 2018.

Read full NordVPN review

Check NordVPN price

Opens NordVPN's official site

Surfshark

Best for a household full of Apple devices

Our take: Surfshark sets no cap on devices connected at once, under a fair-usage policy, so every iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV at home can share one account. Its iOS app has a kill switch, WireGuard and OpenVPN, CleanWeb ad and tracker blocking, and Bypasser, which on iPhone excludes websites from the VPN; you can add sites to it from Safari. Deloitte checked the no-logs policy in 2023 and 2025, though the reports are only for subscribers, and SecuRing assessed its iOS app in 2025.

Strengths

Unlimited devices at once (fair-usage policy)
Website split tunneling on iOS
Apple TV app for tvOS 17 or later

Worth knowing

Bypasser on iOS handles websites, not apps
Deloitte reports only for subscribers
No free plan; the trial needs a payment method

Platforms: iOSiPadOStvOSmacOSWindowsAndroidLinux

Bottom line: Pick Surfshark if you'd rather not count devices and want at least website split tunneling on iPhone.

Read full Surfshark review

Check Surfshark price

Opens Surfshark's official site

PureVPN

For older iPhones and Apple TV

Our take: PureVPN's App Store listing, sold by GZ Systems Limited, asks for iOS 15 or later, the lowest of the six (PureVPN's iOS page says 12.3), and there's an Apple TV app. Its iOS help lists WireGuard and IKEv2, plus Reconnect on disconnect and VPN on Demand; one account connects 10 devices. It cites dated no-log assessments, the latest in 2023, but links no report, and states no kill switch or split tunneling for iPhone. A 2017 FBI affidavit describes PureVPN records that tied a customer to his home and work IP addresses; PureVPN says it revised its privacy policy in 2018.

Strengths

iOS 15 or later, per the App Store
Apple TV app
Reconnect on disconnect and VPN on Demand

Worth knowing

No kill switch or split tunneling stated for iPhone
No audit report linked; a 2017 FBI affidavit

Platforms: iOSiPadOStvOSmacOSWindowsAndroidLinux

Bottom line: Pick PureVPN only if you need an app for an older iPhone or an Apple TV and accept thinner evidence.

Read full PureVPN review

Check PureVPN price

Opens PureVPN's official site

VeePN

Most iPhone settings, least outside proof

Our take: On paper, VeePN's iOS app has the most settings: WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, a kill switch, website split tunneling (not both at once), an ad blocker on every plan and, in Pro and Max, an AI assistant. There's no Apple TV app. It ranks below PureVPN on evidence: VeePN cites no audit of its no-logs policy, only Cure53's 2021 test of its browser extensions. Its pages also disagree on the device limit and on whether the iPhone app has a free version.

Strengths

Three protocols and a kill switch on iOS
Website split tunneling on iOS
Ad blocker on every plan

Worth knowing

No independent no-logs audit
Kill switch and Bypasser can't run together on iOS
No Apple TV app

Platforms: iOSiPadOSmacOSWindowsAndroid

Bottom line: Pick VeePN for the most toggles in an iPhone app, if you accept a no-logs promise that rests on its word.

Read full VeePN review

Check VeePN price

Opens VeePN's official site

VirtualShield VPN

A simple app with an automatic kill switch

Our take: VirtualShield keeps its iPhone app simple: the kill switch turns on by itself whenever the VPN drops unexpectedly, Local Network Access lets you reach home devices, and you can pick a state or province as well as a country. It runs on iOS and iPadOS 16 or later. VirtualShield promises unlimited devices, but one help article limits users without two-factor sign-in, which it still calls coming soon, to five. It doesn't name its protocol, cites no independent audit and has no Apple TV app.

Strengths

Automatic kill switch on iPhone and iPad
Choice of state or province, not just country
60-day refund on new orders, per its terms

Worth knowing

No independent audit cited; protocol not named
No Apple TV app; device limit unclear

Platforms: iOSiPadOSmacOSWindowsAndroid

Bottom line: Pick VirtualShield if you already use its antivirus or identity plans and want the VPN in the same account.

Read full VirtualShield VPN review

Check VirtualShield VPN price

Opens VirtualShield VPN's official site

Built in

iCloud Private Relay (with iCloud+)

Already on your iPhone if you pay for iCloud+

Apple's relay hides your IP address and browsing activity in Safari and protects DNS queries and unencrypted app traffic, passing them through two relays run by different operators. It isn't a full VPN: by Apple's description it doesn't cover all your apps' traffic or let you choose a country, it needs iOS 15 or later, and Apple lists it in Australia but not in every country or region.

If you mostly browse in Safari and already have iCloud+, turn it on before paying for a VPN.

+Nothing to install; iPhone, iPad and Mac with iCloud+

−Safari, DNS and unencrypted app traffic only

iOS 15+ · iPadOS 15+ · macOS 12+