5 Best iPhone VPN Services: Secure Your iOS Devices

iPhones are some of the most widely-used devices in the world. This also makes them some of the most targeted pieces of technology out there, with numerous vulnerabilities being exploited by malicious attackers as often as possible. For the sake of security, privacy, and avoiding content locks, it’s likely that many people will want to look into using a VPN on their device. But while many of these services are available for a wide range of operating systems, iPhones are unique in more ways than one. The question remains: what are the best VPN services for iPhone, and how do they differ from their desktop counterparts?

Disclaimer: This article includes links to NordVPN and ExpressVPN. You won’t be charged anything extra for clicking on links to these services, but purchases made through these links will support the writer.

ExpressVPN, as one of the largest services out there, has plenty to offer fans of Apple’s devices. According to its website’s iOS section, the service supports iOS devices from 12 to 16 and phones as old as the iPhone 11. The website provides a great deal of documentation on how to get your iOS device set up with the VPN as well as how to troubleshoot issues with its app. If nothing else, ExpressVPN will certainly be one of the easier apps to get set up on your device.

Those looking to get their hands on ExpressVPN can expect to pay around $8.32 USD per month if they go for the yearly plan. This makes it one of the more expensive choices overall, but you’ll certainly be getting your money’s worth. Outside of being simple to use for those on iOS devices, ExpressVPN is also one of the fastest services out there. Simply put, iOS users — and users on other operating systems — won’t be choosing poorly if they go for this service.

NordVPN is another fantastic option for those looking to get a great service on their iPhone. It also has decent documentation on iOS, but it takes things a step further by describing different ways to set things up. Being able to choose between manual and automatic installations will certainly be attractive for those invested in tech, especially when it leads to greater overall convenience.

A basic 2-year plan of NordVPN will cost around $3.49 per month, while a less-committal monthly plan will cost around $11.99 or more. The more expensive packages are helpful if you use more devices than your iPhone regularly, as they’ll include a cross-platform password manager and one terabyte of cloud storage. With everything it offers, it’s clear that NordVPN is the service for those who want as many options as possible.

Though it might be less well-known than its rivals, IVPN is a highly competitive service. Like NordVPN, it provides documentation on different methods of setup for those that want to take control of the process for themselves. One of the more unique aspects of IVPN is its transparency, refusing to make any potentially false claims about what it can or can’t do. This might make it seem less feature-rich, but it really just serves to highlight the service’s trustworthiness.

IVPN’s pricing is highly variable depending on how long you use it for. You can go as low as $2 for one week of the basic package or as high as $220 for three years of the “pro” package. All of these options are fully refundable within 30 days, so you barely have to make any commitments at all to get the best deal. If you’re a major tech-head and the iPhone is your primary device, there are very few reasons to not give IVPN a shot.

Those looking for maximum compatibility will likely want to look no further than Mullvad. While other services offer roundabout ways for most devices to take advantage of what they provide, Mullvad provides documentation on ways it can be used on iOS versions as old as 9. This makes it one of the most accessible services for those who can’t afford a state-of-the-art device, which only causes Mullvad to become more attractive when considering its own price.

Mullvad is €5 euros per month no matter how long you stay subscribed to it. While there are few deals — if any — there is also no need to get locked into a pricey commitment just to try the service out for longer than a month. If you find yourself taking more than a few business trips while stuck with your decade-old iPhone, Mullvad might just be the best VPN you can get.

SurfShark is yet another popular service with decent support for iOS. It has a comprehensive list of supported devices and is very simple to set up. Unfortunately, those with older devices might not have as much luck with it, as SurfShark only supports iOS 13 and up. As such, you should only consider the service if you’re absolutely certain your iPhone can support it. If you are able and willing to get your hands on SurfShark, you can at least be confident in its reliability, as it currently stands as one of the best-rated VPNs on Apple’s App Store.

A single month of SurfShark will cost around $15.95 per month, but a 24-month subscription will only cost around $2.99 per month. For those who are okay with making the commitment, SurfShark is perhaps the cheapest option on this list. This comes at the cost of less iOS-specific documentation or features, but it doesn’t change the fact that the VPN itself will still work just fine…as long as you’re on iOS 13 or higher.

For those with an iPhone — or any non-Windows device — choosing the right VPN can be especially tricky. Services that put time and effort to dive into iOS in documentation are likely to have put a great amount of love into their Apple-exclusive apps. You might care more about this if you have an older iPhone, but those with flagship devices should focus on how well each service performs on its own merits. After all, if you have a more expensive “pro” device, why should you settle for anything less than the best?

The lead image for this article was generated by HackerNoon's AI Image Generator via the prompt "A shiny Iphone sitting in the middle of a wooden desk".