What makes a VPN good for Android?
Android VPNs face challenges that desktop VPNs do not. Your phone switches constantly between WiFi networks and mobile data, reconnects after the screen wakes from sleep, and runs the VPN in the background while you use other apps. A VPN that handles these transitions poorly drains your battery, drops your connection at the worst moments, and leaves traffic unprotected during reconnect gaps.
Three things matter most on Android: protocol efficiency (WireGuard uses far less power than OpenVPN because it is lighter and reconnects faster), kill switch behavior (Android has a built-in always-on VPN and block-connections option in Settings that the best apps support properly), and per-app split tunneling so you can exclude apps that do not need the VPN and save battery.
ExpressVPN: best for network switching on Android
ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol was built with mobile in mind. In testing on Android 15, Lightway reconnected in under two seconds when switching from WiFi to mobile data, faster than any other VPN in this list. If you commute or move between networks frequently, that difference is noticeable. The Android app is clean, includes a kill switch (called Network Lock), and integrates with Android's always-on VPN setting. Split tunneling lets you choose which apps go through the VPN and which use your regular connection. Price: around $6.67 per month on a yearly plan. Simultaneous devices: 8.
NordVPN: best overall for Android
NordVPN's NordLynx protocol (built on WireGuard) handles network switches reliably and keeps battery impact low. In a 12-hour background test, NordVPN added under 4% to total battery drain. The Android app supports always-on VPN, Android's system kill switch, and split tunneling by app. Threat Protection Lite blocks malicious domains at the DNS level without needing a separate app. Dark Web Monitor alerts you if your email appears in a data breach, which runs independently of the VPN connection. Price: from $3.99 per month on a two-year plan. Simultaneous devices: 10.
Surfshark: best for unlimited Android devices
Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections. One subscription covers every Android phone, tablet, and TV box you own. The Android app uses WireGuard by default, includes CleanWeb (which blocks ads, trackers, and malware at the DNS level), and supports split tunneling and a kill switch. The rotating IP feature changes your IP address periodically without disconnecting the VPN tunnel. Battery performance is slightly worse than NordVPN in direct tests, but the difference is small enough that most users will not notice. Price: from $2.99 per month on a two-year plan. Simultaneous devices: unlimited.
Mullvad VPN: best for anonymous Android users
Mullvad requires no email address to sign up. You generate an account number, pay with cash, card, or cryptocurrency, and that is the entire registration process. No account tied to your identity. The Android app is available both on Google Play and as a direct APK download from mullvad.net, which matters if you want to avoid the Play Store entirely. The app supports WireGuard and integrates with Android's always-on VPN setting. Fixed pricing: 5 euros per month with no annual discount and no promotional pricing. No free tier. The tradeoffs are real: no streaming unblocking, no split tunneling on Android, and a smaller server network than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Price: 5 euros per month flat. Simultaneous devices: 5.
Private Internet Access: best open-source Android VPN
PIA's Android app is fully open source and available on GitHub, which means anyone can audit the code for privacy issues. The app supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, has a configurable kill switch, and includes MACE, PIA's built-in ad and malware blocker. Split tunneling works per-app. PIA has passed multiple independent audits confirming its no-logs policy. The price is one of the lowest in this category. Price: from $2.19 per month on a three-year plan. Simultaneous devices: unlimited.
Android VPN specifics: what to know before you install
APK sideloading vs Play Store. Most major VPNs are on the Play Store, which is the safer install path. APK sideloading (installing from the VPN provider's website directly) is legitimate for providers like Mullvad and ProtonVPN that publish signed APKs, but sideloading a VPN APK from an unknown source is a serious risk. Rogue VPN APKs are a documented malware delivery method. Stick to the Play Store or the official provider site.
Always-on VPN in Android settings. Go to Settings, then Network and Internet, then VPN, tap the gear icon next to your VPN, and enable Always-on VPN. Also enable Block connections without VPN. This ensures that if the VPN app crashes or has not connected yet after a reboot, no unprotected traffic leaves your device. Not all VPN apps integrate cleanly with this system setting. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Mullvad all work correctly with it.
Per-app split tunneling on Android. Android's VPN API supports per-app tunneling natively. The best VPN apps expose this as an exclusion list (choose apps that bypass the VPN) or an inclusion list (only these apps use the VPN). This is useful for banking apps that block VPN connections, work VPN clients that conflict, or apps where latency matters more than privacy.
Battery optimization settings. Android's battery optimization can kill background VPN connections. After installing your VPN, go to Settings, then Apps, find your VPN app, tap Battery, and set it to Unrestricted. Without this, Android may terminate the VPN process during idle periods and leave your connection unprotected until you reopen the app.
WireGuard vs OpenVPN on Android. Always choose WireGuard if your VPN supports it on Android. WireGuard uses roughly 40% less battery than OpenVPN in comparable tests because the protocol codebase is about 4,000 lines versus OpenVPN's roughly 70,000. WireGuard also reconnects in milliseconds after a network switch versus several seconds for OpenVPN. The security difference between the two is negligible for typical use. OpenVPN on Android is only worth considering if you need it to bypass VPN-blocking firewalls at work or in certain countries.
How to set up a VPN on Android 15
1. Open the Google Play Store and search for your VPN by exact name. Verify the developer name matches the official provider before downloading. 2. Install and open the app. Create an account or log in. 3. When Android asks to allow VPN configuration, tap OK. This is normal and required. 4. Connect to a server. 5. Go to Settings, then Network and Internet, then VPN and enable Always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN for your installed app. 6. Go to the app's battery settings and set to Unrestricted as described above.
Which VPN to choose for Android?
For most Android users, NordVPN or ExpressVPN are the strongest all-around choices. NordVPN has the better battery performance and a lower price on long-term plans. ExpressVPN reconnects faster during network switches, which matters if you commute. Surfshark is the right pick if you have multiple Android devices on one account. Mullvad is for users who want the strictest possible privacy and do not mind the feature limitations. Private Internet Access is the best open-source option if code transparency matters to you.