NordVPN
All-round choice: simple apps and up to 10 devices
- Up to 10 devices on one account
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No-logs policy checked by independent auditors
VPN guide
★ Our pick
Best VPN for Routers
Protect every device on your network with a router-level VPN. NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN compared for router setups.
Installing a VPN on your router encrypts every device on the network — including smart TVs, game consoles and IoT devices that can't run VPN apps. One setup protects the entire household, and it counts as a single device on your subscription.
Surfshark
Big households: unlimited devices on one account
- Unlimited devices on one account
- 30-day money-back guarantee on the first purchase
- No-logs policy independently assessed (2025 report)
Proton VPN
Try before you pay: a free plan for one device
- Free plan to start (1 device)
- Up to 10 devices on the Plus plan
- Swiss company, also behind Proton Mail
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Side by side
Best VPN for Routers
Facts from each brand's official site, checked 27 Oct 2026. Prices change often: today's price is on the official site.
| NordVPN | Surfshark | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days (first purchase) | 30 days (paid plans) |
| Devices | Up to 10 | Unlimited | 10 on Plus · 1 on the free plan |
| Free option | No free plan | 7-day free trial (conditions on the official site) | Free plan (1 device) |
| Company base | Panama (parent company in the Netherlands) | Netherlands (Surfshark B.V.) | Switzerland (Proton) |
| Best for | All-round choice: simple apps and up to 10 devices | Big households: unlimited devices on one account | Try before you pay: a free plan for one device |
| NordVPN | Surfshark | Proton VPN |
Tips
Tips
Check router compatibility first
Not all routers support VPN clients. Look for routers running OpenWrt, DD-WRT, or those with built-in VPN support.
Use WireGuard on the router
WireGuard is lighter and faster than OpenVPN on router hardware, which has limited processing power.
NordVPN has pre-configured routers
Some router brands sell models with NordVPN pre-installed, skipping the manual setup entirely.
Questions
Which routers support VPNs?
Routers with OpenWrt, DD-WRT, Asus-Merlin or Tomato firmware support VPN clients. Many Asus, Netgear and Linksys models work out of the box.
Does a router VPN slow down the network?
Some speed reduction is normal because the router handles encryption. A modern router with a decent processor minimizes the impact.
Does one router VPN protect all devices?
Yes. Every device that connects through the router is automatically encrypted, regardless of whether it can run a VPN app.
Complete your setup