If your job allows you the benefit of working from home or you’ve been forced to work from home, then it can make a nice change from working in the office.

However, one consideration for your home office is internet security and private internet access, so if you’re thinking of using a Virtual Private Network or VPN service to help protect this, you’re probably as confused as most about which are the best VPNs to choose.

In this guide, I’ll be assessing some of the leading VPN service provider options and highlighting the features and drawbacks that come with all the best VPNs.

Working from home often means preserving the company’s secrets, protecting its resources, and not allowing hackers or competitors, or even your internet service provider to spy on your internet traffic.

This includes not letting them see what you are doing by intercepting the data travelling between your computer and your firm’s servers. As such, you need to ensure private internet access at any cost and a VPN protects your internet traffic in exactly this way.

However, VPN services are many in number, and it is not always easy to determine which one is the best VPN option for you.

We’ve been testing the vast sea of recommended providers and whittled it down to the Top 5.

If you’re after securing your home working environment, here is our rundown of the best VPN for working from home:

Best VPN for working from home

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is easily one of the best VPN services that you can get, and it is perfect for protecting your internet data and real IP Address from surveillance, whether by hackers, competitors, or even the government.

It protects your information by using some of the best security and privacy features around. You get a secure connection thanks to some of the best VPN protocol options around, including OpenVPN and their own Lightway protocol.

There is also 256-bit AES encryption that creates a secure encrypted tunnel for all your internet data.

Throw in some excellent security features like a kill switch, protection from DNS leaks, and split tunneling and ExpressVPN is one of the most security conscious VPN services around.

It also provides 5 simultaneous connections, meaning you can use it with multiple devices and, as the name implies, it has some of the fastest speeds of any premium VPN.

It is also a go-to choice for unblocking most streaming service providers like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and Amazon Prime video too.

ExpressVPN also has a massive VPN server network that includes multiple servers in all the most popular locations and a brilliant range of VPN software and apps that make VPN usage simple for anyone, on any device from an iPhone to your Android TV.

They even have great browser extensions available too.

Throw in a 30-day money-back guarantee, live 24/7 customer support, and some great deals, and ExpressVPN is definitely our top VPN service for home working.

Our #1 Recommendation

30-day money back guarantee

2. CyberGhost

Next up, we have the CyberGhost VPN. This is another highly secure and very popular VPN service that, unlike some VPN providers, is also highly user friendly.

It is easily one of the best VPN services for remote workers, with all kinds of VPN apps to stop third parties from spying on you. These VPN client apps are beautifully designed and make it easy to use a VPN thanks to their multiple single-click options that not all VPN services offer.

With CyberGhost, you get access to a huge number of servers, with more than 7,000 available across 91 different countries and speeds that are both fast and consistent.

Each subscription allows up to six simultaneous connections, robust 256-bit AES encryption to keep your VPN connection secure, and key features like a kill switch.

CyberGhost VPN is also known for the ability to unlock streaming services around the world and is perfect for the job, with fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth, and a great range of VPN apps and browser extensions.

CyberGhost has competitive prices and a longer-lasting money-back guarantee at 45 days. It also has a hugely helpful 24/7 live chat customer support service too.

45-day money back guarantee

3. NordVPN

Then, there is our third selection for remote workers – NordVPN. A VPN service that sits right at the top with the previous two and is pretty much considered their equal when it comes to privacy and security.

It has a strict no user logs policy which keeps your internet data and your IP details private and secure. There is robust 256-bit AES encryption and a massive range of additional security features including a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and all the main VPN protocols.

Like all the best VPNs, NordVPN has an independently verified no user logs guarantee, a sizable server network consisting of more than 5,500 VPN servers in 59 countries around the world meaning there are lots of IP Addresses to choose from.

NordVPN is a pretty fast and reliable VPN provider these days and offers excellent VPN support including a 24/7 live chat customer support provision. It can unblock most streaming services making it great on devices like Android TV too.

Their service is cheaper than many but to get the best deal, you’ll need to commit to a longer subscription of up to 2-years which may be a little too extended depending on your home working situation.

But for that you get access to a huge range of apps and browser extensions that are available for all major devices and can benefit from a money-back guarantee that lasts for an impressive 30 days too.

If you want a secure VPN service that is also affordable and fast, then NordVPN is one of the best VPN service options for you.

30-day money back guarantee

4. VyprVPN

VyprVPN is another highly secure and reliable VPN service that keeps no logs and has excellent security and privacy protections.

It comes with a huge server network that consists of 700+ server locations in more than 70 countries making it one of the best remote access VPNs.

It is good at protecting user data thanks to its independently verified no user logs guarantee and it has great mobile and desktop apps that will provide you with secure VPN connections no matter where you are.

Connection speeds are good without being exceptional, and VyprVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, a kill switch, and a few more bonus features thrown in too.

VyprVPN is a solid VPN provider with a dependable range of VPN apps and browser extensions and while we might not class it as at the top of a list of best VPN services for remote working, it is definitely worthy of a place on the list.

As one of the longest-standing VPNs on the market today, you can be sure that VyprVPN will be there to protect your small business and home office for many years to come.

30-day money back guarantee

5. Surfshark

Lastly, there is Surfshark. This is another powerful VPN service that allows remote workers to get online and not reveal any sensitive information or leave any digital footprint.

Surfshark is still quite new, but don’t let that discourage you – the service is just as powerful as the rest on this list, with the same quality of security and privacy.

It has gained quite a following due to all of the features it provides, such as unlimited simultaneous connections, a kill switch, protection from DNS leaks, and the ability to unblock streaming sites with ease.

The VPN server network consists of 3,200 servers which puts it up there with the best VPNs on this list already. And it is growing all the time, which partly explains why Surfshark is so popular for unblocking Netflix and other streaming services.

Also growing is the range of desktop and mobile apps, alongside apps for a multitude of other devices too, all of which are well designed and easy to use.

Surfshark’s price is slightly below the industry standard, so that might also help if you are looking for a budget-friendly remote access VPN. Again, you will have to take up their longer subscription periods to take advantage as we found their monthly price to be somewhat expensive.

However, you will still have a 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you plenty of time to test it. Some users look down on Surfshark because of its youth.

It’s by no means perfect, of course, but it has come a long way in a short time and has the potential to remain at the top end of the VPN market for many years to come.

30-day money-back guarantee

What is the difference between Public and Corporate VPNs?

One thing that you need to keep in mind is that there are private VPNs, and then there are corporate VPNs.

The two are similar in a lot of ways, but they also have some notable differences.

Many VPNs meant for private use will do precisely what they are supposed to do when it comes to keeping you safe, but many of them, coming from third-party providers, can also be considered basic.

That would not work well for businesses that have more complex needs.

For example, businesses are responsible for protecting not only their sensitive data but also their employees, as well as their customers.

They also have their own set of data protection laws to deal with, so they need a specific VPN that will protect them. These VPNs are known as enterprise-grade systems that are managed by IT support staff from a single, central point of control.

Some features of corporate VPNs include:

• Secure remote access to company files and intranets
• Dedicated networks unavailable for consumer access
• Corporate-only user access controls
• Ability to create user groups and manage individual user access
• Disable access to company resources for individual users

Such VPNs are also not meant for individuals but entire teams so that companies can protect all of their remote-working employees at once.

It’s essential to check with your company if they offer a corporate-based solution as the above private providers would not then be suitable for your situation.

Obviously, small businesses may not have the need or resources to use such VPNs. As an employee, you may also not be permitted or able to use your corporate VPN to protect your activity when not connected to your work intranet system.

This can have professional drawbacks but also means you cannot benefit from all the features of a VPN when using the internet in a personal capacity.

The services we have mentioned above are more than suitable if you need your own solution to contribute to your firm’s security or if you’re running a small business with just a handful of employees.

The question is, how to choose the right Virtual Private Network or VPN services for the specific needs of you or your small business?

We have made our best VPNs recommendations clear, but if you want to do some more research yourself, there are a number of key features you should look out for.

VPN Features to look out for

When looking at the best VPN providers for your personal use (or for a small business) there are a number of key features that you should be looking out for:

Of course, most of the ones we have recommended above all offer these features as standard but it is important to check this and be sure your chosen VPN providers offer the features you need:

Can I use a Free VPN service for home working?

There is nothing to stop you, but if you want our advice and are serious about keeping your online data secure and private, you will avoid free VPNs like the plague.

There are any number of reasons for this. Free VPNs are often bundled together with malware and spyware, they routinely log user data and sell it to the highest bidder, and many have links to Communist China and other nefarious regimes.

Some don’t even bother to encrypt your internet connection at all, and if you are choosing one like that, there is not much point using a VPN at all.

Free VPNs are also far from adequate for remote workers too because of bandwidth restrictions, speed caps, throttling of data intensive online activity, and a chronic lack of customer support.

For remote workers using a VPN, our advice is to avoid any free basic VPN services you see advertised and invest the small monthly cost of getting a high-end, premium VPN service that will protect your network access and your sensitive corporate data properly.

For this, a free version simply doesn’t cut it.

Summary

As technology progresses, many of us can now afford to work from home and don’t have to bother with travelling to work and other similar inconveniences. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working practices made work-from-home the norm now for many of us.

However, to do this right, we must ensure that we do not leave our companies’ sensitive data exposed and the best way to do that is to use a VPN.

You should first check if your organisation has a corporate VPN. You’ll find these mostly at large organisations.

Next, you should check out their default settings and see if something needs changing to provide a more personalised web experience.

But if you work for a smaller business or want to protect your personal internet use as well as your corporate connections, you will need a public VPN to do it.

We have conducted extensive testing and found that ExpressVPN offers the best range of features to enable you to work at home safely.

With ExpressVPN, you benefit from strong security and privacy protections, a huge range of server locations, great features like a kill switch and desktop and mobile apps for a massive selection of devices.

The also offer 5 simultaneous connections, amazing customer support, a VPN that can unblock Netflix and other streaming services, and a 30-day long money-back guarantee.

We have also outlined four other providers that are ideal for remote workers using a VPN to work from home.

VPNs are recommended by security experts for all internet users. If you work from home, it is all the more important that your security and privacy is guaranteed online. All of our recommended VPNs can offer you precisely that.

I would love to hear which VPN you signed up for, for home working. Or if you’ve got a suggestion that isn’t listed here, let me know in the comments section.