The Best VPNs for Chromebook in 2026

Add Google’s automatic updates to the sandboxed environment, and it’s pretty clear that security is a valid selling point for ChromeOS. But you couldn’t be more wrong if you think that means the platform is entirely immune to compromise. The thing is, cyber threats are constantly evolving, and public Wi-Fi networks can be hotbeds for nasty surprises — even for Chromebook users. And let’s not forget those frustrating geo-restrictions when you just want to stream your favorite shows. Thankfully, with the best VPN services for Chromebooks in the picture, you can rid yourself of all these issues in one fell swoop.

It goes without saying that VPNs aren’t all created equally. In fact, some aren’t even compatible. In this article, we’ll discuss the top VPNs for Chromebook after meticulously evaluating over 40 providers in 2026.

Best VPNs for Chromebook: Our Complete List

For starters, we’re focusing on the absolute best paid VPN providers for the Chromebook.

To put it plainly, no free VPN is on the level of these VPNs in any areas that matter apart from pricing. We curated this list after comparing each VPN’s strengths (and weaknesses) during our latest round of testing.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is widely regarded as the best VPN provider on the block. And after thorough tests, we can confidently say it’s also the best VPN compatible with Chromebook in 2026. Simply put, it’s got everything, not least of which is a pretty extensive network comprising over 6,900 servers across 111 countries.

Thanks to that vast collection (and NordVPN’s exceptional unblocking capabilities), access to usually restricted content in other regions is just a few clicks away.

During our tests, this Chromebook VPN unblocked every streaming service we threw at it, including Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. If you’re wondering how to watch CBS in the UK, know that NordVPN is the answer to your question. Simply connect to one of its servers in the USA, and you’re all set.

The self-dubbed “fastest VPN for Chromebook” does exactly what it says on the tin. Time and time again, its super-fast servers and custom protocol have shown they can handle anything from 4K streaming to cloud gaming.

NordVPN tightens security on the Chromebook with military-grade encryption and an impressive arsenal of features, including a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and Double VPN. It operates a no-logs policy, which means everything you do online is for your eyes only. Don’t worry; that policy has been audited multiple times, so it’s no gimmick.

You get the VPN’s usual map-based UI on the Chromebook. We like the unique look, but we must admit that it may take some getting used to for beginners. Setting up is easy, as the VPN offers all the approaches in the previous section. If you run into any issues, a responsive customer support team is available around the clock to assist you.

See price at NordVPN

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2. ExpressVPN

If we had to liken a VPN to the Chromebook, it would be ExpressVPN. It keeps things so simple that using it is a breeze, even for beginners. Plus, ExpressVPN is fast, sleek, intuitive, and designed to work seamlessly.

You don’t get as many servers as NordVPN, but 3,000+ options spanning 105 countries is nothing to scoff at. They’re optimized to break past all sorts of network blocks and geo-restrictions, which is why ExpressVPN ranks so high among the best VPN providers for streaming. As always, during our latest round of testing, it checked off all the streaming giants when we tried accessing region-locked libraries.

It’s also terribly quick, thanks to a well-oiled network of speedy servers and its own performance-friendly proprietary protocol. So much so that you should have no hitches streaming high-quality videos or playing online games. On that note, ExpressVPN will have no trouble helping you change regions on a game like Valorant.

Few providers can match this Chromebook VPN on the privacy front. To begin with, it has undergone more independent audits of its systems and no-logs policy than the competition. On top of that, it’s loaded with many top-notch security tools to safeguard your traffic and data from internet nasties and snoops.

ExpressVPN has various fast, easy Chromebook setups, including a browser extension that remote controls its app. You can always contact its helpful support 24/7 for assistance with setups or troubleshooting.

See price at ExpressVPN

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3. Surfshark

Surfshark VPN has plenty going for it when it comes to the Chromebook. It’s the best premium option in the budget category, for one, but we especially like how that doesn’t translate to skimping on security or functionality.

With around 3,200 servers dotted across 100 countries, there’s no shortage of options to choose from. Now, the provider may not often steal the spotlight when it comes to unblocking, but that’s just because that’s a feature it doesn’t make a fuss about. We found that, compared to other top VPN services, it holds its own when it comes to changing country on Netflix and other streaming platforms.

Surfshark is chock-full of interesting tools, like its GPS override feature, which can come in handy when you need to fake your GPS location for things like gambling online abroad.

The VPN takes your privacy and security seriously. It implements bank-level AES 256-bit encryption to protect your traffic from malicious actors, alongside a kill switch and DNS leak protection. Also, third-party experts have extensively audited its servers and no-logs policy.

If you enjoy the Chromebook’s clean interface, you’ll feel right at home with Surfshark’s approach. It’s not overly minimalist, but you’ll be pleased with how the VPN keeps everything intuitive and easy to navigate. You shouldn’t run into any difficulties with configuring the VPN on your Chromebook, but if you do, you’re covered by a support team that works 24/7.

See price at Surfshark

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The Best Free VPNs for Chromebook

You can test the best VPNs compatible with Chromebooks discussed above, risk-free, thanks to their money-back guarantees and free trials. That said, maybe you don’t want to spend any money (even initially) on a VPN for your Chromebook.

We don’t recommend it, but we get it — sometimes there’s simply no room on the budget, or you just want to test the waters before committing to a paid plan.

Whatever your reason, we don’t want you to hop on any of the hundreds of duds disguised as free VPNs on the Google Play Store. Instead, these providers can offer a decent starting point. Just keep in mind that even though they are the best free VPN apps, they’re still pretty limited.

1. Proton VPN

Proton VPN just missed out on our shortlist of the best Chromebook VPNs of 2026. But while the premium plan is pretty impressive, its free plan is arguably the highest-rated option you can get. Although it’s not the topic here, it’s hardly a surprise since it’s also the best free VPN for Windows PC.

It impresses right off the bat with a truly unlimited offering. That means you can use Proton VPN as much as you want without worrying about the pesky data caps or bandwidth limits most free VPN users have to deal with. We like how this doesn’t come with any strings attached, like being bombarded with ads.

Proton VPN doesn’t compromise its position as one of the most secure VPNs out there on the free plan. Its core privacy features are available, including a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and AES-256 encryption.

Every app (including the Android version available for Chromebook) is open-source, so you can peek under the hood if you know how to. On top of that, the provider doesn’t track your activities or store your browsing logs on its diskless servers.

Free users can also benefit from Proton VPN’s live chat support channel, although we’re still hoping the provider upgrades to around-the-clock support soon. Also, you only have access to five server locations, which you can’t even choose yourself — just settle for what the provider decides is the fastest.

Try Proton VPN for free

2. Hide.me

Hide.me wouldn’t have been on our radar a few years ago. However, it has been making impressive strides recently, particularly with its free plan.

Hide.me is another free VPN with unlimited bandwidth, so you can do all the streaming and downloading you want without getting hit with throttling. Still, while it doesn’t hit the performance levels of the top VPNs for Chromebook, the browsing experience is smooth enough.

Hide.me doesn’t log your data, according to its no-logs policy and third-party audit report. We like that it offers ultra-secure AES 256-bit encryption. And when we tested its kill switch, it worked like a charm. That said, many features available to paying customers are missing here, like Multi-Hop and WireGuard.

Its eight server locations are more than what you get with Proton VPN, but there’s not much to say about Hide.me’s unblocking capabilities, except that you can unlock a few foreign TV channels. Still, access to 24/7 support for free users is pretty impressive.

Know that we believe Hide.me is also one of the best free VPNs for Mac.

3. PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN delivers some pretty impressive speeds, thanks to 10 Gbps servers and the presence of WireGuard. But that’s not all. It’s also the best of the lot when it comes to beating geo-restrictions on the streaming giants, managing to unblock a handful of Netflix libraries during our latest round of testing.

The provider doesn’t disappoint when it comes to protecting your digital privacy. It uses the same AES 256-bit encryption available to paying users and plugs leaks with a capable kill switch. Unfortunately, because it hasn’t undergone any independent audits, we have to take the VPN’s word that it won’t log your browsing sessions. Still, being based in Switzerland is reassuring because of the country’s strong privacy laws.

However, it’s not all pros, or this would be the best free VPN for Chromebook. For instance, the provider’s 10 GB data allowance feels like a letdown compared to the previous options. As you can imagine, that will run out quickly if you do anything more bandwidth-intensive than casual browsing.

What Goes Into Choosing the Best VPN for Chromebook

We put together the lists above because not just any VPN will do for the private (and unrestricted) experience you’re looking for on your Chromebook.

While our selection process for the free VPN category wasn’t as strict, here are some of the factors we had in mind while curating the best VPNs for your Chrome OS device:

Privacy & Security

As highlighted earlier, the Chromebook’s built-in defenses don’t make you immune to cyber threats. So, we only prioritized providers that are up to the task of safeguarding your data and online presence from hackers and other online actors. They offer industry-standard and advanced tools — as well as audited no-logs policies.

Features

Aside from those directly handling your privacy, we also checked for features that will amplify your VPN experience. That includes their server networks (each option offers thousands of servers in dozens of countries), fast connection speeds, and things like split tunneling.

Unblocking

Your provider should be up to the task, whether you need a VPN for school (like many Chromebook users) or streaming. So, we made sure that we only picked VPNs that can effectively circumvent geo-restrictions and other network blocks, like firewalls and DNS filtering.

Ease of Use

Chromebooks are simple and efficient, so we only wanted VPNs that fit that theme. That’s why they all have [relatively] user-friendly and intuitive apps and browser extensions that integrate with Chrome OS. What’s more, each listed VPN allows you to manually configure the VPN as seamlessly as possible.

How Good is the Free Plan?

Unfortunately, there are countless laughably bad free VPNs out there. So, for this category, we kept an eye on how well they perform without requiring you to commit to a paid plan. We checked for strong security, decent speeds, and reliable (or as close to that as possible) access to content.

Price & Value

Not everyone wants to pay top dollar for a VPN. That’s why, while selecting the best VPN providers for Chromebook, we took the pricing into account and looked for options that will give you a solid balance between affordability and performance.

Free plans are great for starters (which is why we included them). However, we focused more on VPNs that offer long-term value through competitive pricing and reliable service.

How to Set Up a VPN on a Chromebook

Before diving in, you should know how to get a VPN up and running on a Chromebook device. Here’s a quick overview:

The first option is the easiest and simply requires installing a dedicated VPN app. As long as you’re using a Chromebook released after 2017, follow this simple guide:

• Subscribe to a good VPN for Chromebook on the provider’s website. Our recommendation for 2026 is NordVPN and its great 2-year deal.
• Download the VPN app from the Google Play Store.
• Launch the app and log in with your account credentials.
• Connect to a server in a different location.

But what if your Chromebook is older and doesn’t support Android apps? Don’t worry — you can use a browser extension instead. Most VPNs have extensions for the default Chrome browser (and other compatible browsers like Firefox, Edge, or Opera).

Just keep in mind that VPN browser extensions only protect your browsing traffic, not the entire system. Also, technically speaking, they are proxies, not full-fledged VPNs.

If neither of these options suits you, there’s always the manual setup approach, where you can set up the VPN on a Chromebook using protocols like OpenVPN or L2TP/IPsec or on your router. You get more comprehensive protection here than with a browser extension, but it’s rather technical. That said, all the best VPNs for the Chromebook have easy-to-follow guides for getting started.

Final Thoughts

Chromebooks are becoming increasingly popular for good reason. But while they have quite a few things going for them, you can take your online experience to a whole new level by pairing your laptop with one of the best VPNs for Chromebook. It’s a no-brainer, really.

In this article, we shared our top picks across premium and free options to help you find the perfect fit. NordVPN is our favorite Chromebook VPN of 2026 because it offers the best blend of quality and reliability on the platform.

If you’re considering giving it a try, now would be a great time, as NordVPN is currently offering a big discount on its annual and biennial plans. Grab the generous deal while it lasts, and you get to try it risk-free for up to 30 days.

Try NordVPN for yourself

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FAQs

Here are some common questions about picking the best VPN for Chromebook.

What is the best VPN to use on Chromebook?

NordVPN stands out as the overall best VPN service for the Chromebook, but some other providers (like ExpressVPN and Surfshark) are excellent alternatives.

Do Chromebooks have a built-in VPN?

Chromebooks don’t come with a traditional built-in VPN. However, ChromeOS does support VPN connections natively using protocols like L2TP over IPsec and OpenVPN. Of course, you can skip this complicated approach by installing a dedicated Android VPN app from the Google Play Store.

Can I get a free VPN for Chromebook?

Yes, some free VPNs support the Chromebook. However, you should only use a free VPN on the Chromebook as a last resort or for casual browsing, and even then, stick to the options we recommend (Proton VPN, Hide.me, and PrivadoVPN). That’s because free VPNs have many limitations, some of which can put your privacy at risk.

Can I use a VPN on my school Chromebook?

That depends on your school’s network policies and any restrictions they may have placed on the device. That said, even if you’re limited from directly installing a VPN app on your school-issued Chromebook, you may be able to use a VPN browser extension.