Best VPN for Business: Tested & Ranked By Our Experts
Find the best VPN for business for your team size & budget. We reviewed top providers on security, scalability & price. Compare plans & start today!
Top VPNs for Business
Bottom Line: A business VPN is a baseline security requirement for any team handling remote access or sensitive data. NordLayer is the best overall pick, while PIA suits small businesses on tight budgets.
How a Business VPN Protects Your Organization
A business VPN encrypts your company’s internet traffic and shields sensitive data from cyberattacks. If your team works remotely, accesses cloud services, or handles confidential information, a VPN is a security requirement.
This page is the hub for all VPN.com business coverage. It covers small and mid-sized teams (5–500 users) that need multi-seat licensing, centralized admin controls, and compliance support. For organizations with 500+ seats, dedicated compliance teams, or custom SLAs, see our enterprise VPN guide. For teams focused purely on connecting remote workers to a private network, our remote access VPN guide narrows the field further.
Unlike consumer VPN roundups, every recommendation on this page is evaluated against business-specific criteria: admin consoles, multi-seat licensing, SSO and MFA support, device compliance checks, and regulatory framework alignment. A provider that scores well for personal browsing may fail entirely for organizational use.
How Business VPNs Differ From Consumer VPNs
Consumer VPNs hide your IP and help you browse privately. Business VPNs protect an entire organization.
A business VPN supports multiple users under one account. It provides a centralized admin dashboard for managing devices, permissions, and security policies. It typically includes SSO, MFA, and device compliance checks.
Business VPNs also offer dedicated servers and IP addresses. These keep your company traffic separate from public traffic. They prevent your IPs from getting blacklisted by banks or cloud platforms.
| Feature | Consumer VPN | Business VPN |
|---|---|---|
| User accounts | Single user | Multi-seat licensing (5–500+) |
| Admin controls | None | Centralized dashboard |
| Authentication | Username/password | SSO, MFA, device compliance |
| IP addresses | Shared pool | Dedicated or static IPs |
| Compliance support | None | HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2 |
| Billing | Per-individual | Per-seat invoicing, volume discounts |
| Support | Email/chat | Priority SLA, dedicated account manager |
Types of Business VPNs
- Remote Access VPN: The most common type. It lets individual employees connect securely to your company network from anywhere. Think of it as a private tunnel between their device and your office. Our remote access VPN guide covers the top picks and setup steps.
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Site-to-Site VPN: This connects entire office networks to each other. If your company has branches in different cities or countries, a site-to-site VPN links them so they function like one unified network. It runs continuously and requires no action from employees.
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Cloud VPN: Instead of routing traffic through physical hardware, a cloud VPN runs through a provider’s cloud infrastructure. It scales faster, requires less in-house setup, and works well for companies already relying on SaaS platforms.
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Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): ZTNA verifies every user and device before granting access to specific resources. It does not grant blanket network access. Gartner projects that by 2025, 70% of new remote-access deployments will use ZTNA over traditional VPNs. NordLayer already ships ZTNA-aligned features (device posture checks, micro-segmentation, identity-based access) inside its VPN platform. If your team needs granular per-app permissions rather than full network tunnels, NordLayer’s ZTNA mode offers a practical bridge. Pure-play ZTNA vendors like Zscaler Private Access and Cloudflare Access target larger deployments, but they fall outside VPN scope.
What to Evaluate When Choosing a VPN for Your Team
Choosing the right VPN matters. Every provider promises speed and 99.9% uptime. Reality varies. Here is what to prioritize:
Encryption and Protocols
AES-256 encryption is the standard. Stick with modern protocols like WireGuard or OpenVPN. Avoid providers still using PPTP or L2TP. Both have known vulnerabilities that put business data at risk.
Scalability for Growing Teams
A solution that works for 10 employees should also handle 100. Cloud-based VPNs scale more smoothly than on-premise setups. For teams scaling beyond 100 users, enterprise VPN solutions cover dedicated infrastructure and advanced management options.
Speed and Performance Impact
Every VPN introduces some slowdown due to encryption overhead and routing. The best providers keep speed loss to 10–15%. Anything worse hurts productivity. We test download, upload, and latency on WireGuard and OpenVPN from three global locations to produce comparable results.
Centralized Management and Admin Controls
Your IT admin needs one dashboard to onboard employees, set permissions, monitor activity, and enforce policies. Without this, managing a VPN becomes a burden. A VPN only works if every employee uses it. Clear usage policies are essential.
Compliance and Jurisdiction
If you handle sensitive data, your VPN should support relevant frameworks: HIPAA for healthcare, GDPR for European operations, SOC 2 for finance. Avoid providers headquartered in Five Eyes countries where data handover can be compelled. Understanding where VPNs are legal also matters if your team operates across multiple jurisdictions.
Split Tunneling
Split tunneling lets employees route only business traffic through the VPN. Personal traffic goes directly to the internet. This preserves bandwidth and reduces latency for non-sensitive tasks.
Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership
Compare providers on total value, not sticker price alone. A slightly more expensive provider with better speed, security, and management tools saves money by preventing costly breaches. Never use a free VPN for business. Free providers often monetize your data, offer weak encryption, and lack management features.
Our Testing Methodology
We evaluated 14 business VPN providers across five weighted categories. Each provider received a score out of 100.
| Category | Weight | What We Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Security & Encryption | 30% | Protocol support, encryption standard, kill switch reliability, DNS/IP leak results, independent audit history |
| Admin & Management | 25% | Dashboard usability, SSO/MFA options, device compliance enforcement, per-user permission granularity |
| Speed & Reliability | 20% | Download/upload speed loss on WireGuard and OpenVPN from US, EU, and APAC test servers; uptime over 30 days |
| Compliance & Privacy | 15% | Supported frameworks (HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001), headquarters jurisdiction, no-logs audit status |
| Value & Scalability | 10% | Per-seat cost at 10, 50, and 100 users; contract flexibility; free trial availability; team-size fit |
Speed tests ran on a 500 Mbps baseline connection using a dedicated testing machine. We measured each provider three times per server location and averaged the results. DNS leak checks used both browser-based and CLI tools. Kill switch tests involved forcibly dropping the VPN tunnel mid-transfer.
Top Business VPN Picks: Scored and Ranked
After testing 14 providers against the methodology above, these four earned recommendation status.
| Provider | Best For | Monthly Price (per user) | Servers | Speed Loss (Download) | Admin Dashboard | Compliance | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordLayer | Overall (10–500 users) | $8–$14 | 8,000+ | ~5% (NordLynx) | Full (SSO, MFA, device posture) | SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA | 92/100 |
| Surfshark | Security bundles (10–100 users) | $5.90–$6.90 | 4,500+ | ~8% download | Basic team management | GDPR | 84/100 |
| Proton VPN | Dedicated infra (25–200 users) | $6.99–$19.99 | 18,000+ | Under 8% | Moderate (dedicated IP management) | ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA | 88/100 |
| PIA | Small business (2–25 users) | $3.33 | 35,000+ | ~15% | Minimal | GDPR | 76/100 |
NordLayer: Best Overall for Business Teams (92/100)
NordLayer is built by the NordVPN team specifically for organizational use. It includes always-on VPN, Firewall as a Service, SSO integration, and AES-256 encryption with the NordLynx protocol.
Admin controls stand out. The dashboard lets IT managers segment teams, enforce device posture checks, and apply per-user access rules. Onboarding a new employee takes under 3 minutes. Activity logs export to SIEM tools for compliance reporting.
Speed performance is the strongest in our tests. NordLynx (WireGuard-based) averaged just 5% download speed loss across US and EU servers. Latency stayed under 12 ms on regional connections.
Pricing runs $8/user/month on the Basic plan (up to 50 users) and $14/user/month on the Advanced plan, which adds ZTNA features, device posture checks, and a dedicated account manager. Enterprise plans for 50+ users are available with custom pricing. A 14-day free trial requires no credit card.
Team-size fit: 10–500 users. Below 10, the per-seat cost may not justify the dashboard overhead. Above 500, talk to their enterprise sales team for custom SLAs.
Limitations: No Linux GUI client. Mobile app lacks split tunneling on iOS.
Surfshark: Best for Security Bundles (84/100)
Surfshark pairs its VPN with built-in antivirus and a data breach monitoring service. The breach monitor tracks exposed emails, payment cards, and employee IDs across dark web databases.
Security architecture runs on RAM-only servers that wipe all data on reboot. This eliminates persistent storage risks. Independent audits by Cure53 confirmed the no-logs policy.
Speed results showed 8% download speed loss on WireGuard, which is competitive. However, upload speeds dropped up to 50% in our tests. This is a real concern if your team uploads large files, video assets, or database backups.
Pricing is aggressive: $5.90/user/month for VPN only, $6.90/user/month for the Surfshark One bundle (VPN + antivirus + breach alerts + private search). No minimum seat requirement.
Team-size fit: 10–100 users. The admin dashboard handles basic team management but lacks the granular per-user controls and SSO depth of NordLayer. Teams above 100 may outgrow it.
Limitations: Upload speed penalty is significant. No dedicated IP option at the business tier. Admin controls are thinner than NordLayer or Proton VPN.
Proton VPN: Best for Dedicated Infrastructure (88/100)
Proton VPN offers dedicated servers and IP addresses in 15 countries. Dedicated IPs prevent blacklisting, reduce spam-flagging of business emails, and give cloud services a consistent identity to trust.
Compliance credentials are the deepest in our lineup. Proton is Swiss-based with no data retention requirements. It holds ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA certifications. For healthcare companies, financial firms, or legal practices, this matters.
Speed performance measured under 8% download loss on WireGuard across all test locations. Upload performance remained stable, unlike Surfshark.
Pricing ranges from $6.99/user/month (VPN Plus) to $19.99/user/month (Proton Business Suite, which bundles encrypted email, calendar, and cloud storage). Special pricing is available for journalists and nonprofits. Minimum 5 seats on business plans.
Team-size fit: 25–200 users. Below 25, PIA offers similar functionality at lower cost. Above 200, NordLayer’s dashboard scales better.
Limitations: Dedicated IPs available in only 15 countries. Dashboard is functional but less polished than NordLayer’s. No ZTNA features.
Private Internet Access (PIA): Best for Small Business (76/100)
PIA has the largest server network of any provider in our roundup at 35,000+ servers across 91 countries. All software is open source, so your team can audit the code independently.
Value proposition is clear: $3.33/user/month makes PIA the cheapest option by a wide margin. Each account covers 10 simultaneous device connections, which stretches further for micro-teams.
Security uses AES-256 with WireGuard and OpenVPN support. A verified no-logs policy has been tested in court (twice). The kill switch performed reliably in our drop tests.
Speed results showed approximately 15% download speed loss, the highest in our group. For email, document collaboration, and web browsing, this is acceptable. For video conferencing or large file transfers, it may create friction.
Team-size fit: 2–25 users. PIA lacks a centralized admin dashboard, SSO integration, and per-user permission controls. For teams above 25, managing individual accounts becomes impractical.
Limitations: No admin dashboard. Mac performance varies more than Windows in our tests. No SSO or MFA enforcement at the platform level. 30-day money-back guarantee included.
Team-Size Recommendation Matrix
| Team Size | Primary Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2–10 users | PIA | Lowest cost, 10 devices per account, open-source audit trail |
| 10–50 users | NordLayer Basic | Full admin dashboard, SSO, MFA at $8/seat |
| 50–200 users | NordLayer Advanced or Proton VPN Business | ZTNA features (NordLayer) or deep compliance stack (Proton) |
| 200–500 users | NordLayer Enterprise | Custom SLAs, dedicated account manager, SIEM integration |
| 500+ users | See enterprise VPN guide | Dedicated infrastructure, custom deployment, compliance-first |
How to Set Up a Business VPN
- Choose your provider based on team size, budget, and compliance needs. Use the matrix above.
- Purchase licenses and create your business account. Most providers offer volume discounts at 25+ seats.
- Configure the admin dashboard by adding employees, setting permissions, and enforcing MFA. NordLayer and Proton VPN support SSO with Okta, Azure AD, and Google Workspace.
- Deploy the software on all employee devices (Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile). NordLayer supports MDM deployment via Jamf and Intune.
- Verify connections by running speed tests and DNS leak checks from at least two employee locations.
- Establish usage policies covering BYOD rules, split tunneling preferences, and incident reporting procedures. Document which traffic must route through the VPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
What separates a business VPN from the consumer VPN reviews on this site?
Every recommendation on this page is scored against business-specific criteria: admin console quality, multi-seat licensing, SSO/MFA support, and compliance certifications. Consumer VPN roundups evaluate streaming accessing, torrenting, and single-user privacy. The product overlap may exist, but the evaluation framework is entirely different.
Can a free VPN protect a business?
No. Free VPN providers often monetize user data, which directly contradicts business security goals. They lack centralized management, offer weaker encryption, and provide zero compliance support for frameworks like HIPAA or SOC 2. Every pick on this list is a paid service.
How do I choose a VPN based on my team size?
For teams of 2–25, PIA provides the lowest cost at $3.33/user/month with solid encryption and 10 device connections per account. For 10–200 users needing centralized management, NordLayer starts at $8/user/month with SSO and MFA. For teams requiring dedicated IPs and regulatory compliance (ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA), Proton VPN’s business plans start at $6.99/user/month.
Does a business VPN slow down employee internet speeds?
Every VPN adds some overhead from encryption and routing. In our tests, NordLayer averaged 5% download speed loss, Proton VPN under 8%, Surfshark around 8%, and PIA approximately 15%. For most business tasks, anything under 10% is unnoticeable. Video conferencing and large uploads are where speed loss becomes visible.
What is ZTNA, and should my business use it instead of a VPN?
Zero Trust Network Access verifies every user and device before granting access to specific apps, not the full network. NordLayer includes ZTNA features alongside traditional VPN tunnels, making it a practical transition option. Pure ZTNA is better suited for large enterprises with dedicated security teams. Most businesses under 500 users benefit from a hybrid approach.
Final Verdict
For most businesses with 10–500 users, NordLayer scores highest overall at 92/100. It combines the strongest admin controls, fastest speeds, and ZTNA-ready features at $8–$14/user/month.
Small businesses under 25 users on tight budgets should start with PIA at $3.33/user/month. Companies needing dedicated infrastructure and deep compliance certifications should evaluate Proton VPN. Teams that want antivirus and breach monitoring bundled in should consider Surfshark.
The important thing is to pick one. Every day without a business VPN is a day your organization’s data travels unencrypted.