No matter whether you use Linux or Windows, ISPs spy all the time. Also, it is often your Internet Service Provider who enforces annoying restrictions, and throttles speed while tracking your online activity.
I’m not sure what might be the cause of a privacy breach for you – but when it comes to utilizing a VPN to secure your network, it always helps.
You can unblock geological restrictions, prevent ISPs from logging your activity, and hide your IP address / location by using a VPN. So, in this article, we will be mentioning the best VPN services for Linux which privacy minded people might find handy.
Recommended VPN Services for Linux
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ProtonVPN (Includes free plan)
ProtonVPN will count as one of the best VPNs available out there in terms of security and privacy.
It is offered by ProtonMail, the privacy oriented service provider from Switzerland. ProtonVPN benefits from strong legal protections because they are a Switzerland-based company. A perfect combination for privacy and security.
You can start using it for free but with very limited features. If you are going with the free plan, the experience will not be the best, but that’s your ultimate decision. In case you decide to purchase a subscription, you get – P2P support, Tor integration, more server locations, high speed, and secure streaming.
It also offers a NetShield feature (paid plans) to block ads and malware.
I’m currently subscribed to the ProtonVPN Basic plan, and I’d say it is worth the investment.
You can use the command-line tool for ProtonVPN or set it up using OpenVPN. Refer to their FAQ section for more info on that.
Private Internet Access (PIA)
PIA is also an incredibly popular choice among the privacy-minded people. Along with all the basic features (like P2P support, no logging, etc) – it also lets you block ads and trackers. Fret not, you get a nice Linux app for it as well.
It is also interesting to note – unlike other VPN services, you get to utilize 10 simultaneous connections. You may find this to be a cheaper alternative when you opt for annual subscriptions.
Librem Tunnel
Purism has been introducing new services that you can trust for its privacy protection and security. And, Librem Tunnel is a part of the Librem One bundle.
If you want to utilize the VPN, you will have to pay approx $8 per month (or $71 per year). However, there’s more to it.
Along with Librem Tunnel, you also get the access to Librem Mail, Librem Social, and Librem Chat. It’s all your own secure space to get things done. If this is what you prefer, Librem Tunnel is a good option.
AirVPN
AirVPN is a great choice for privacy-minded people. It utilizes OpenVPN protocol to ensure the best security and privacy. In addition, the Eddie client (OpenVPN UI) developed by AirVPN comes in handy to easily secure your network.
In case you’re wondering, it supports port forwarding as well. You can also check their technical specifications to take a decision. This may not be the most popular service but it surely matters to a privacy buff. The best way to get a discount on its subscription is to go for the annual plans.
Best Commercial VPN Services For Linux
There are a lot of other commercial VPN service providers with Linux support. And, they all offer similar services and security. So, we thought of keeping our best recommendations separate (as you read above).
Now, let’s take a look at more alternatives to our best recommendations:
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the most recommended VPNs across multiple platforms – even for Linux. I’ve used it personally for a while, and it was good enough.
They offer a lot of server locations to choose from along with the claim of zero-logging policy. It offers strong encryption and also supports unblocking Netflix – if that’s what you are looking for. Of course, the best VPNs like these offer similar level of protection. So, it’s a matter of trust – and nitty-gritty details as to why you should consider a VPN as your choice.
I would like to point out that they have a quick customer support – almost instant replies and detailed support via email. For Linux users, you can either download the app or use it via OpenVPN (terminal / network manager). Refer to the help page for more info on that.
NordVPN
Nord VPN is yet another impressive VPN service. Similar to what others offer – you get a zero logging policy and other basic security features. You also get a Linux app to easily enable the VPN.
It also supports 6 simultaneous connections. NordVPN is a super cheap solution while offering all the essentials you need in a good VPN service. Of course, you will have to opt for the 3-Year plan (with a 30-day money back guarantee) for the best discount.
Mullvad
Mullvad VPN is an interesting VPN service provider which simply generates a random account number for you to sign up. You don’t need to provide any other details (like email) to create an account.
Unlike other VPNs, you do not get pricing tiers. You simply pay 5 Euros per month for the service. You can download the .deb or .rpm file to get it installed on your Linux distro. In either case, you can configure it using OpenVPN.
Ivacy
Ivacy is an impressive VPN solution, best known for its speed (you should have negligible impact on your Internet speed with this VPN). If you are in for at least a year of subscription, you can get it for as low as 3 USD per month (and that is affordable).
You can follow their resource page to set up PPTP connection via the terminal.
TorGuard
TorGuard is yet another secure VPN provider available for Linux. However, you should note that this VPN service is no way related to the “Tor” project.
An impressive service if you are using Torrents often. You get multiple protocols to choose from to easily unblock restrictions on your network – if any. It may not be the most cheapest VPN, but it features a lot of server locations and more types of protocols.
You can download the app for Debian Linux or choose to configure it using OpenVPN.
Free VPN Services for Linux
I can understand that you might not want to pay for these services for a number of reasons. Some of them maybe out of your budget or perhaps you don’t want to or cannot use your card outside your country and pay in a foreign currency.
For this reason, I have listed a few free VPN services. Unlike the premium ones listed above, these free services have limited feature.
ProtonVPN
Just like we mentioned above, you can opt in for the free plan to use ProtonVPN with limited features. Even if you don’t get all the premium features, it is still a very good VPN service for security and privacy on Linux.
Opera VPN
If you are willing to use Opera as your browser, you can utilize its free VPN service built-in to get things done.
Unfortunately, you cannot separately use it. So, you may not be able to secure your apps across the system – however – you can keep your browsing activity secure.
Cloudflare’s Warp
Cloudflare is the reputed name providing security to a considerable part of the internet. They have also started their own ‘private and secure’ DNS 1.1.1.1.
As part of their program to improve user privacy, they have launched their own free VPN service called Warp. At present, Warp is only available on MacOS, Windows, Android and iOS devices.
Warp has a premium version called Warp+ for better routing. You may opt for it if you’re looking for a free VPN service on other platforms excluding Linux.
Wrapping Up
I would also like to mention Unlocator here. It’s a commercial product that has combination of VPN and Smart DNS. This way you can also unblock geo-restricted content. For example, if you want to access Netflix US version in the UK, the smart DNS will help you with that.
Now that you’ve known about a couple of good VPN services for Linux, which one do you think you’ll go with?
Also, there are chances we might have missed listing your favorite ones, feel free to tell about it in the comments section below.
I have had Private Internet Access for years since it was the recommended VPN in PC Mag and have a multiyear deal that is quite inexpensive. It is easy to install and can reside in the toolbar which makes it easy to change locations. I have it on 2 Ubuntu computers. It uses Wireguard now, since it is the latest and replaced OpenVPN.
Good story with worthwhile advises.
Still, what I do miss is an indication whether the suggested software is still 32 bit compatible.
Having been a long time paid up user of PIA, I had to quite after their server updates. NOT 32 bit compatible ;(
No financial compensation, since they offer a manual setup that until did not succeed ;(
Most of them are 64-bit only and this is the way it is going to be because for past 14 years, CPUs are 64-bit only.
Mind possible limitations or even complete failure while (still) on a 32 bit machine … :(
Despite a $40 subscription ;(
Hi Ankush,
I’m using NordVPN and I must say it working just fine for me. It is quick, stable and has enough features for me. I have it on Android, had it on Windows 10, and currently have it on Linux Mint (19.3 and LMDE4) and Debian.
The only downside is I cannot get version 3 of NordVPN to work on Debian (9 and 10); which I think is strange, because it is running just fine on Linux Mint LMDE4, which is also based in Debian 10.
I’m not sure if this is due to NordVPN itself, or that it has to do with the settings in Debian. NordVPN installs just fine and it lets me make a connection to the NordVPN server I select as well as set any options I like. But – irrespective of the browser I use – it blocks access to internet entirely until I disconnect from NordVPN again.
So, I’m still running NordVPN version 2 on Debian, which is not as quick as version 2, but works just fine.
Thanks for the heads up. I’ll keep that in mind.
For issues with the latest version, I’d suggest creating a support ticket with NordVPN to see if they can help.
I´ve been in contact with the guys from NordVPN about this a year ago, half a year ago, and now again. But up untill now they haven’t been able to come up with a good answer.