5 best VPNs for wifi to secure your wireless network connection

A “Virtual Private Network” or VPN is a digital online service. You pick a server within the VPN’s network when you use one. Then, the server becomes the only link between you and the rest of the internet. Everything you do goes through it. In addition, all the communications between the server and your device are encrypted, thus making it safe from the security threats typical of public wifi networks. So a VPN enhances your ability to stay secure, private, and anonymous on the internet, primarily if you use public wifi hotspots frequently. A bonus is that high-quality VPNs allow you to unblock geo-blocked online services.

But remember that the VPN market is like any other in this sense: the quality you can find in the market follows a distribution in which only a few top options are genuinely excellent, while the rest are mediocre or outright deficient. So if you want to know that the VPN vendor of your choice will deliver all that you want and expect from a VPN, you have to choose it wisely. So let us tell you the best VPN services for staying safe in wifi hotspots.

Best wifi VPNs – Quick list

If you don’t have the time to read our full article and see what we have to say about each VPN in detail, here is a quick list for those in a rush.

Best 5 VPNs to protect wifi privacy

A suitable VPN in public wifi hotspots must provide the best security under the most hostile conditions, high speeds, and friendly apps. Therefore, we also looked at the following things to narrow down our selections:

• The best possible encryption level for security.
• Additional security measures like a kill switch.
• A privacy policy that involves keeping no logs.
• Reliable servers for every task.
• A server network that includes plenty of countries.
• Customer support that has a live chat feature.
• User-friendly apps.

1. ExpressVPN

The best and our top recommended VPN serrvice for Wifi. With its top-notch secuity and privacy features you are totally save while using public wifi hotspots.

Visit ExpressVPN

More than 3,000 VPN servers spread in over 90 countries

TrustedServer technology

Has AES-256-bit encryption

Strict no-logs policy

Offers effective split tunneling

Network Lock (kill switch)

Tor compatible

Supports P2P (torrenting)

Allows 5 simultaneous connections per account

30-day money-back guarantee

Pros

• Super-secure security and privacy
• 24/7 live chat support
• Blazing-fast speeds

Cons

• Bit pricier compared to industry knowledge

ExpressVPN combines a powerful combination of the best speeds and security in the VPN-verse. So it’s our top pick of an excellent VPN for public wifi hotspots.

A network spanning 94 countries and including more than three thousand servers overall ensures that you will always find a fast and reliable server to connect to, regardless of your physical location. 

ExpressVPN excels at every digital task. So whether you’re looking to browse the web, see your email, listen to music, edit documents on the go, or watch video from even the most restricted video streaming platforms, such as Netflix, this is a vendor that will perform in style.

Since security is the main pitfall in public wifi hotspots, the security features in the VPN of your choice are critical. And ExpressVPN delivers the goods in this regard as well. The traffic encryption is AES 256, and the network is thoroughly effective against DNS and IP leaks, a kill switch, split tunneling, and much more. All these things come as close as possible to a 100% guarantee of your internet traffic, even in those wifi hotspots where your city’s best hackers butter their bread.

Last but not least, ExpressVPN has user privacy at heart, too, because it keeps no logs of user activity. Unfortunately, it’s not just a policy but a physical impossibility since their server is all RAM-only, without any conventional hard drives that can store any information after a reboot.

ExpressVPN software is available as mobile apps for iOS and Android devices; VPN clients are also available for macOS, Linux, and Windows. There are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser plugins available too. The ExpressVPN browser plugins are unique in that they are control interfaces for the complete service in a device. Other such plugins are not. Instead, they provide VPN protection for the web browser traffic only.

2. NordVPN

Second best and excellent VPN for service regarding public wifi hotspots. It hasimpressive securty and privacy features including Double VPN feature and many more.

Visit NordVPN

5,300 VPN servers in more than 55 countries

Threat Protection (malware, tracking, and ad blocker)

AES-256-bit military-grade encryption

Effective kill switch

Split tunneling

Double VPN (multi hop) feature

Supports P2P sharing

Boasts Onion over VPN feature

Offers obfuscate servers

Observes strict no-logs policy

Allows 6 simultaneous connections per subscription

30-day money-back guarantee

Pros

• Excellent prvacy features
• Simple interfacce
• Responsive customer support

Cons

• Large number of features complicates the user

NordVPN is also one of the best VPN services in the market. It’s thoroughly advanced, versatile, and powerful. Moreover, the speeds are impressive in any of the 5,300 servers comprising the network. So you will always have plenty of secure servers to reach wherever you are.

It is also a great vendor to unblock geo-restricted websites and services, Netflix and Skype come to mind first, but this provider can handle any you could need.

The software is very well designed, clear, intuitive, and straightforward. In addition, there are browser extensions and a competent team of customer support agents ready to serve you on a 24/7 basis. Your account is suitable for six concurrent connections to the network.

Hackers, ISPs, and governments can’t break NordVPN’s AES-256 encryption. The apps come with a kill switch, and the servers are good against DNS and IP leaks.

Since this is the article about VPNs for public WifI hotspots, we need to mention that NordVPN has an automatic “VPN for wifi” feature, which joins the VPN network as soon as it detects you’re on a wifi network.

There are available apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Android TV. Besides that, any device at your home can enjoy NordVPN’s thorough protection if you install it on your home router, and then you don’t need the app on every device.

3. Private Internet Access (PIA)

Extensive servers netwok service this means you can make yourself totally save in public wifi hotspots anywhere in the world.

Visit PIA

30,000 VPN servers in more than 80 countries

Supports P2P traffic on most of the servers

AES 128-bit/256-bit encryption

MACE ad blocker and malware protection

No-logs policy

Effective split tunneling

Impressive kill switch functionality

Web/DNS leak protection

Allows 10 simultaneous connections per account

30-day money-back guarantee

Pros

• Extensive server network
• Good connection speed
• Supportive customer support

Cons

• Based in 5-Eyes jurisdiction (the US)

Private Internet Access (PIA) is known in the industry for its commitment to user privacy, which has withstood the test of the courts of law.

The vendor’s humungous server network is also quite famous, with more than 30,000 nodes. So more computers serve the PIA users than all of our other four options.

PIA’s simplicity is also a plus for newbie VPN users who still haven’t learned the VPN ropes.

This VPN has options for AES encryption. The default algorithm is AES-128, but you can change your app’s setup to upgrade to AES 256, which is the standard almost everywhere. And while AES-128 is a robust enough encryption with no successful attacks, it would always be better to have the 256-bit version as a precaution.

The connections to PIA servers are very stable and reliable, but the speeds are not the best, we must say. Don’t be deceived, though. PIA is still a faster VPN than the market average, but its speeds pale compared with Surfshark, NordVPN, or ExpressVPN.

The main deal breaker for most potential users will probably be that PIA is not the best option where geo-blocks are concerned. While this VPN can manage some video streaming services, they are few and far from the most interesting.

4. PureVPN

VPN service that does not compromise on users’ privacy. It does not retain any log on users so you are extremely save while using public wifi hotspots.

Visit PureVPN

6,500 VPN servers spread across 78 countries

AES-256-bit encryption

P2P-friendly servers

Split tunneling

Automatic kill switch

No-logs policy

Web/DNS leak protection

24/7 live chat support

Allows 10 simultaneous connections per account

31-day money-back guarantee

Pros

• Best secret keeper
• Has decent speeds
• Supportive customer support

Cons

• Little complication in UI app

So far, we’ve covered excellent VPN vendors with considerable international reputations. Of course, PureVPN is also a fantastic VPN, but it seems one of the industry’s best-kept secrets because it doesn’t share in any of our other VPNs’ fame despite being outstanding.

The server network has 6,500 servers in 78 countries. As a result, users enjoy unlimited bandwidth, support for P2P traffic, and some of the best security features around the market.

Encryption is AES-256; as you’d expect from any decent VPN by now, it has a kill switch and a privacy policy that prevents any log keeping on user activity.

This vendor was incorporated in Hong Kong, originally. Then, it moved to the British Virgin Islands as it became clear that the Chinese government wouldn’t be the friendliest towards VPNs after 1997. It was a good decision as their new adoptive country’s legislation is very friendly to digital privacy.

Other security features include split tunneling and a kill switch. 

It’s very reasonably priced, even more so than our next entry, as it does everything the best VPNs are supposed to do — unblocking Netflix, working in China, avoiding any log keeping.

PureVPN’s approach to external audits is breaking new ground in the industry as it’s arranged a permanent contract with KPMG in which the service is constantly undergoing continual auditing.

5. Surfshark

Budget-friendly VPN with strong privacy and security features. You can have premium services at low cost.

Visit Surfshark

More than 3,000 VPN servers in over 64 countries

AES-256-bit strong encryption

P2P sharing

Kill switch mode

Quality camouflage mode

Observes zero-logging

Ad-blocker feature

Boasts double VPN feature

Unlimited simultaneous connections per account

30-day money-back guarantee

Pros

• Unusually affordable subscription plans
• Fast speed
• User-friendly apps

Cons

• Speed lags with distant servers

Surfshark is a relatively new VPN that has earned an excellent reputation quickly. However, it’s disrupting a usually stable market by offering a top-notch service that can compete with any of the best ones on the internet at a fraction of the average market price.

The VPN’s apps are straightforward, which is a plus when you’re online on the road (like when you need to use a public wifi hotspot).

It can unblock several vital video streaming services, including Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix, to name only the most popular ones.

The security features with Surshark rank there with the best. These include AES-256 encryption, perfect forward secrecy, IP address leak protection (DNS and IPv6), a kill switch, and an automatic option to go online into the VPN when a wifi connection gets detected. Also, Surfsharks keeps no logs.

You can find Surfshark apps for macOS, Linux, Windows, Android, and iOS. In addition, it has a few browser extensions and plugins, and you can use it in several routers.

How to find the best wifi VPN

Finding excellent general-purpose VPNs is already tricky enough, let alone one that is good enough to handle public wifi hotspots, which are the most hostile digital environments regarding privacy and security.

We used a set of criteria to tell the best from the rest and come up with the selection we offer you in this article. These are the criteria:

• Good apps for all the relevant systems. A VPN you can’t use in Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS looks fishy. If it doesn’t work with those environments, then where does it work?
• Additional features. No VPN gets extra points for encryption and IP masking. That’s the very least that any self-respecting service should do. Advanced features are essential because they increase a VPN’s reliability and security. Also, they make them more versatile and helpful.
• Privacy policy. A no-logs approach is critical to protect your privacy even within the VPN network. 
• Server speeds. Using a VPN is always going to cost some speed. However, a good one is efficient enough so that the decay of your baseline speeds should be impossible to notice unless you measure it carefully. Also, high-speed VPNs are suitable for online gaming, video streaming, torrenting, and other resource-demanding tasks.
• Ability to bypass geo-blocks. In the post-covid world, unblocking video streaming platforms is a VPN’s most sought-after use case. Consequently, the best VPNs should be able to pull this trick off without problems.
• Excellent customer service. A VPN works on your device’s most fundamental level and user experience. Therefore, when something goes wrong, you need to have it fixed as soon as possible, and we picked VPNs that know this and act accordingly.

Getting a VPN for public wifi hotspots

Public wifi hotspots are the riskiest places regarding digital security. All that information bouncing around in unprotected public connections is a hacker’s idea of a picnic. So these are the scenarios where a VPN is most helpful. Nevertheless, we believe every internet user should always use a VPN. But regardless of the place or purpose of your internet connection, the steps to follow remain the same always:

1. Pick a top-notch VPN vendor, and subscribe.
2. Find your new provider’s software for the device you want to secure.
3. Download and install the VPN app.
4. Launch your app. Log in to the VPN and pick a server to connect to.
5. You’re home!

Are VPNs legal in my country?

VPNs are legal digital services throughout most of the world, except for these ten countries:

• Belarus
• China
• Iran
• Iraq
• North Korea
• Oman
• Russia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• The United Arab Emirates

So unless you live in one of those jurisdictions, you can feel perfectly safe about your VPN.

Public Wifi and VPN combination – Why do you need one?

Public wifi hotspots are very lovely indeed. They’re convenient. You can work at your favorite coffee shop or keep in touch with your important contacts at the airport or hotel.

But hackers like public wifi even more. It’s their paradise, and wherever you can find one popular hotspot, you’ll also find a bunch of happy hackers sniffing around the traffic, searching (and finding) new data to steal. So whenever you’re in, say, a hotel, and you use the hotel wifi hotspot without a VPN, you broadcast all your data to the world — unprotected, unencrypted, and ready to be stolen.

An example is the MITM (man in the middle attack). Here a hacker assumes a position mediating between you and the web server you use. From that point on, everything you do, write, and read, is in the hacker’s hands. A good hacker could learn enough to steal your identity. You could get in serious trouble if you are careless and perform more sensitive activities like financial operations online.

Your VPN service creates an encrypted tunnel connecting your device and the VPN server. All the traffic is scrambled so that no third party or external observer can figure out its content. Those third parties could include your government, hackers, ISP, or the hotspot provider. 

Also, the best VPNs include additional features that enhance the security they offer, like DNS and IPV6 leaks and a kill switch.

How to avoid Wifi hackers on public hotspots

• Double-check the name of the network you intend to use. A network connection with a similar name to the legitimate one is one of the hacker’s tricks.
• Don’t do sensitive things at public wifi hotspots. For example, online banking, completing purchases that need your entire credit card data, or entering websites with sensitive information about you are all things you should do over private networks.
• Stick to websites that use HTTPS and SSL.
• Limit yourself to networks that require credentials of some type, a password at least. These are slightly safer than completely unprotected wifi networks.
• Disable the automatic wifi connection in your mobile device.

Can I use a free VPN in public wifi hotspots?

You can, but you should not. We always advise our readers against using free VPNs for any reason whatsoever. In the case of wifi hotspots, consider this:

• Free VPNs are not safe. Many do not encrypt their traffic or are vulnerable to IP address leaks. So using one of those doesn’t give you any advantage over regular users.
• Free VPNs use your privacy to pay for their bills. They keep detailed and extensive user logs they can sell to their commercial partners later.
• FreeVPNs lack the functionality or resources for a smooth user experience. The servers are overworked, their bandwidth congested, etc.

How safe am I in a public wifi hotspot with a VPN?

Most public wifi hotspots allow any user to connect automatically to the network. But you must start with a website (known as a “captive portal“). In it, you’ll have to agree to the network’s terms of service before you can do anything else — including connecting to your VPN.

So even if you’re in a VPN, when you join the public wifi, you will have to put up with a gap from the moment you connect to when you agree to the terms of service. You are utterly vulnerable during these few seconds.

It’s a minimal period, but it’s there.

Nevertheless, if you have a VPN, you’ll be perfectly safe (or as nearly as it gets) the rest of the time, while you would remain vulnerable otherwise.

So, to answer the question in this section: you are always safer with a VPN, even in public wifi hotspots. The gap is hardwired into the login process, and you can’t avoid it, but you can ensure your privacy and security the rest of the time.

Major threats to wifi connections today

1. Wifi pineapple

Wifi Pineapple is a device capable of executing advanced network attacks. It locates all the SSIDs (Service Set Identifiers) available at a spot, scans them, then rebroadcasts the SSID names to entice other devices to connect to it, thinking they’re trying to connect to the legitimate owner of the original SSID name.

2. Man in the middle attack

A hacker positions himself between you and the rest of the internet. For instance, they use the pineapple in the last section to have you connect to their device. Once they are in, everything you do is visible to them, they can trace it, record it, and if you use usernames and passwords during that session, they’ll have that information too.

In this modality, the hacker can intercept everything you do online unless it’s encrypted.

3. Evil Twin Attack

In an evil twin attack, a rogue actor sets up a wifi network near the restaurant, hotel, or coffee shop you frequent. Their host looks legit because it’s meant to mimic the services available in nearby businesses. But, unfortunately, once you connect, you’re the victim of a MITM.

4. Cookie Side Jacking

A good hacker steals the cookies from your device, facilitated by the public wifi hotspot. Then, once he has all the proper cookies, he can have websites treat him as if it was you, and you had already logged in –so he doesn’t need to steal your username or password to usurp your account.

5. Computer worms

A hacker could plant a worm in a public wifi access point. Then the worm is there, waiting for anybody to come by and infect him.

Conclusion

We hope that by now, we have persuaded you that every internet user needs a good VPN. If we didn’t, then at least it should be evident that using public wifi hotspots is an invitation to disaster, and you need a VPN to avoid them.

So whenever you’re using a free public wifi service, a VPN will keep your traffic encrypted, hence private and safe. 

The best option is ExpressVPN. Unfortunately, it’s also the priciest, but PureVPN and Surfshark will keep you protected with excellent service at a meager cost of 3 USD or less.

Remember that the internet is not the safest place. And internet through a public wifi service is much less so. However, VPN public hotspots are great, convenient, and very practical. We don’t blame you if you like them because we love them! And the best news is that you don’t have to give them up. You can still enjoy all the convenience public wifi offers and remain safe, private, and anonymous online — if you use a top-notch VPN to ensure those things.

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