VPN Speed Test Results: We Tested the Top 10 VPNs in February 2026

VPN Speed Test Results: February 2026

Speed is one of the most important factors when choosing a VPN. A VPN that slows your connection to a crawl is one you will quickly stop using, regardless of how secure it is. To help UK users make an informed decision, we conducted extensive speed tests on ten of the most popular VPN providers during the first week of February 2026. We ran over 500 individual tests across multiple server locations and protocols to give you the most accurate picture possible.

Our Testing Methodology

All tests were conducted from a residential broadband connection in London with a baseline speed of 500 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload on a Virgin Media fibre connection. We used the Ookla Speedtest CLI tool to ensure consistent and reliable measurements. Each VPN was tested under the following conditions:

• Protocol: WireGuard where available, as it is the fastest modern protocol. OpenVPN UDP was used as a fallback.
• Server locations tested: UK (London), US (New York), Europe (Amsterdam), and long-distance (Tokyo).
• Number of tests: Ten tests per server location per VPN, with results averaged.
• Metrics recorded: Download speed, upload speed, and latency (ping).
• Time of testing: Tests were spread across different times of day to account for peak and off-peak variations.

We also ensured that no other devices were using the network during testing and that background processes on the test machine were minimised to avoid interference.

The Results: UK Server Performance

Connecting to a local UK server is the most common use case for British VPN users, so this is where we focused the majority of our testing. Here are the average download speeds recorded on UK servers:

• NordVPN: 462 Mbps download, 46 Mbps upload, 8ms latency
• ExpressVPN: 445 Mbps download, 44 Mbps upload, 9ms latency
• Surfshark: 438 Mbps download, 43 Mbps upload, 10ms latency
• Mullvad VPN: 421 Mbps download, 42 Mbps upload, 7ms latency
• CyberGhost: 405 Mbps download, 40 Mbps upload, 12ms latency
• Proton VPN: 398 Mbps download, 39 Mbps upload, 11ms latency
• Private Internet Access: 385 Mbps download, 38 Mbps upload, 13ms latency
• IPVanish: 372 Mbps download, 37 Mbps upload, 14ms latency
• Windscribe: 356 Mbps download, 35 Mbps upload, 12ms latency
• TunnelBear: 298 Mbps download, 30 Mbps upload, 16ms latency

US Server Performance

Connecting to US servers is popular among UK users who want to access American streaming services. The increased distance naturally results in higher latency and somewhat lower speeds. Here are the results for US East Coast servers:

• NordVPN: 389 Mbps download, 38 Mbps upload, 76ms latency
• ExpressVPN: 376 Mbps download, 37 Mbps upload, 79ms latency
• Surfshark: 361 Mbps download, 35 Mbps upload, 82ms latency
• Mullvad VPN: 348 Mbps download, 34 Mbps upload, 74ms latency
• CyberGhost: 332 Mbps download, 33 Mbps upload, 88ms latency

The remaining five providers all delivered between 250 and 330 Mbps on US servers, which is still more than adequate for 4K streaming and most online activities.

Long-Distance Performance

For our long-distance test, we connected to servers in Tokyo, Japan. This is the most challenging scenario for any VPN and reveals how well each provider handles high-latency connections. NordVPN again took the top spot with 285 Mbps download and 142ms latency, followed closely by ExpressVPN at 271 Mbps and Surfshark at 258 Mbps. All three maintained usable speeds even across this extreme distance.

Speed Consistency

Raw speed numbers only tell part of the story. Consistency is equally important. A VPN that delivers 400 Mbps one moment and 50 Mbps the next provides a poor user experience. We measured the standard deviation of speeds across our test runs to assess consistency.

NordVPN and Mullvad VPN showed the most consistent performance, with speed variations of less than five percent across all tests. ExpressVPN and Surfshark were close behind at around seven percent variation. CyberGhost and Proton VPN showed slightly more variation at around ten percent, though this is still within acceptable ranges. TunnelBear showed the most inconsistency, with speeds varying by up to twenty percent between tests.

What These Results Mean for You

For the vast majority of UK users, any VPN in our top five will deliver speeds that are more than sufficient for everything from casual browsing to 4K streaming and online gaming. Even the slowest VPN in our test, TunnelBear, delivered nearly 300 Mbps on UK servers, which far exceeds what most people need.

If speed is your absolute priority, NordVPN is the clear winner. Its implementation of the NordLynx protocol, built on WireGuard, consistently delivered the fastest speeds across all server locations. ExpressVPN and Surfshark are excellent alternatives that offer similar performance at competitive price points.

For gamers, latency is more important than raw download speed. Mullvad VPN's 7ms latency on UK servers makes it the best choice for gaming, closely followed by NordVPN at 8ms.

Want to see how these VPNs compare on other factors beyond speed? Use our VPN Comparison Tool to evaluate providers across security, streaming support, pricing, and more. Speed matters, but it is just one piece of the puzzle when choosing the right VPN for your needs.