Urban VPN Alternatives: Free and Paid VPNs Tested in 2026

Urban VPN lost an average of 63% of our download speed on its UK, US, and Japanese servers. Its Chrome extension processes visited URLs and clickstream data by default, and in 2025 researchers found it capturing AI chats. NordVPN lost 7.8% in the same test, and Proton VPN adds Swiss jurisdiction and yearly no-logs audits, plus an optional free version.

Speed, Ad Blocking, and Extension Permissions Compared

Speed loss is the average download drop on UK, US, and Japanese servers in our October tests. We used a Windows 11 PC in Europe on a 190.36 Mbps connection. Windscribe’s free version has no Japanese server, so its figure uses two servers. Ad blocking is each browser extension’s d3ward score. Every extension requested access to site data and privacy settings, and the permissions column lists the extras.

Best VPNs Like Urban VPN

1. NordVPN: Best All-Round Replacement

NordVPN lost 7.8% of the download speed on average, and its US server measured 181.50 Mbps. It unblocked the 14 streaming services we tested, including Netflix US, Canada, and Japan, so switching regions on Netflix is a server change. Disney+ required location spoofing in the browser extension, and Pluto TV and Prime Video detected it occasionally. Deloitte audited its no-logs policy in a report issued in December 2025.

The extension works without the desktop app, and its blocker stopped 52% of d3ward’s test elements. NordVPN’s Smart DNS covers a smart TV or Roku player that doesn’t support VPN apps. On Windows, it sometimes failed to connect while another VPN was installed, even when idle. The fix required its diagnostics tool and a new sign-in. The Basic plan costs less than $3.50 a month on the two-year term, with roughly $94 due up front.

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2. Proton VPN: Best for Swiss-Based Privacy

Proton VPN‘s VPN Plus plan averaged a 10.2% drop in download speed, with its UK server at 178.89 Mbps. It unblocked 10 of the 14 streaming services in our test set and failed to unblock Hulu, Disney+, Pluto TV, and ITVX. Proton VPN is based in Switzerland. Securitum has audited its no-logs policy every year since 2022. Proton VPN charges under $3 a month for its VPN Plus plan on the two-year term.

Secure Core sends traffic through a server in Switzerland first. With it enabled, the US server measured 152.71 Mbps, 12.1% below the direct connection. The kill switch blocked all traffic when we pulled the network cable or ended the app’s process. Proton VPN lacks post-quantum encryption, which NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark offer, and that omission disappointed us.

An optional free version offers unlimited data with no ads, limited to one device and a server assigned at random in one of ten countries.

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3. ExpressVPN: Best Extension for Blocking Ads

ExpressVPN‘s browser extension blocked 118 of 135 d3ward elements, 87%, the highest extension score we recorded. It’s among the fastest VPNs we tested, with a 7.8% average speed loss, and its Japanese server measured 163.94 Mbps. It unblocked the full set of 14 streaming services, including Hulu outside the US, though it was detected a few times on ITVX and Prime Video.

By default, the extension controls the desktop app, so both have to be installed. Its Proxy Mode works alone but covers only the browser and requires a separate sign-in. Its obfuscation is enabled by default on every server. The app has only a few advanced settings for users who like to adjust protocols and ports. On its 28-month term, ExpressVPN’s Basic plan averages under $3 a month.

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4. Surfshark: Best Low-Cost VPN for Unlimited Devices

Surfshark allows unlimited devices on one subscription, from laptops and phones to an Apple TV. Surfshark’s Starter plan costs less than $2.50 a month on its 27-month term, and Urban VPN Premium is about $5 a month on its yearly plan. Our cheap VPN comparison sets Surfshark against other low-cost VPNs.

Its average speed loss was 9.6%, and its UK server measured 186.96 Mbps, the fastest UK result we recorded. It unblocked 13 of our 14 streaming services and was the only desktop app in our tests to unblock Disney+, while ITVX blocked it. The browser extension requests no permissions beyond the standard two, scored 79% on d3ward, and is a 96.9 MB download. Overall, Surfshark surprised us in a good way, though connections occasionally took longer than usual.

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5. Windscribe: Best Free VPN for Several Devices

Windscribe‘s free version allows unlimited devices at once, and five stayed connected in our test. Signup requires an email address and a password, with no payment details. Speed on its free UK and US servers fell 10.0% on average. They unblocked 8 of the 14 services we tested, including BBC iPlayer and the US, Canadian, and Japanese Netflix libraries. The browser extension works with the desktop app closed.

The extension stays off after disconnecting and scored 68% on d3ward. Like Urban VPN Proxy, it requests permission to manage other extensions, which NordVPN, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark don’t. Free accounts receive 10 GB a month after confirming an email address, and 2 GB before that. The connection cuts off at the limit. Windscribe is based in Canada. Its desktop app has so many settings that we sometimes struggled to find one.

What Urban VPN Collects and Lacks

Urban VPN’s installation terms list one feature as paid-only: collecting no user data beyond what the service requires. Free users don’t receive it. Collecting their browsing data works against the main reason to use a VPN. Our Urban VPN review covers the rest of the service.

• Extension data settings: Urban VPN Proxy calls its Advanced VPN Protection optional, yet its anti-phishing, anti-malware, and ad filters were enabled from the start. While they’re enabled, Urban processes visited URLs, ad clicks, clickstream data, and the IP address. Opting out of that processing disables the protections too.
• WebRTC protection: disabled by default, so the browser can reveal the real IP address around the proxy until the user enables it.
• AI chats: Koi Security reported in December 2025 that the extension had captured prompts and replies on eight AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The capture began with a July 2025 update and continued whether or not the VPN was connected. It was pulled from the Chrome Web Store after the report and is listed again with 7 million users.
• Data sales: Urban’s privacy policy, updated in September 2026, names its parent company as a data broker. It allows the sale of identifiers, browsing activity, and inferences to business customers. It also lists AI prompts and responses among the data shared with those customers in aggregated form.
• Windows app: it has no kill switch, and its background services stay active after the app closes. Its UK server measured 1.12 Mbps. It unblocked BBC iPlayer, which buffered heavily, plus Netflix US and ITVX, while Prime Video blocked it.

How to Switch From Urban VPN

Uninstall the Urban VPN desktop app through Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows. Closing the app isn’t enough. Its background services stay active by default. In the browser, open the Extensions page and remove Urban VPN Proxy, plus 1ClickVPN Proxy, Urban Browser Guard, and Urban Ad Blocker if they’re installed. Koi Security reported the same AI chat collection in those three.

Restart the computer, then install the replacement VPN. Free replacements for the browser extension are ranked in our free Chrome VPN guide.

Summary

NordVPN is our first recommendation for users leaving Urban VPN. It unblocked every service in our streaming tests, and its Chrome extension is standalone. Proton VPN is the choice for privacy, with Swiss jurisdiction and Securitum audits every year, and its free version is there for users not ready to pay. Our guide to free and paid VPNs covers what the VPN Plus plan adds.

For ad filtering in Chrome, ExpressVPN‘s extension scored highest but requires the desktop app, while Surfshark‘s works alone with fewer permissions. Windscribe covers several devices for free within 10 GB a month. More VPNs are compared in our VPN rankings, the free VPN list, and our privacy VPN guide.

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