We ran 1,200+ speed tests from three UK cities -- London, Manchester and Birmingham -- to measure real download speeds, latency and streaming performance. Here are the actual results.
Average download speeds from UK connections (baseline without VPN: 900 Mbps)
Key finding: The gap between the fastest and slowest VPNs is enormous. NordVPN retained 93% of baseline speed in our tests, while the best free VPN barely hit 40 Mbps. For 4K streaming, gaming or large downloads, you need a premium VPN — the difference is night and day.
We measured download speed, upload speed, and latency to UK, US and European servers. Here's how the top performers ranked.
NordVPN was the clear winner in our April 2026 tests. Using NordLynx (WireGuard-based) protocol, it achieved an average of 840 Mbps on UK servers — just 60 Mbps lower than our 900 Mbps baseline without a VPN. On US servers, speeds remained above 680 Mbps, which is more than enough for 4K streaming, large downloads and competitive gaming.
Why it's fast: NordVPN owns and operates 6,400+ servers worldwide, and its proprietary NordLynx protocol significantly outperforms traditional OpenVPN connections. The company also load-balances servers based on usage, meaning you're rarely connected to an overcrowded node.
ExpressVPN's proprietary Lightway protocol delivered 780 Mbps average — the second-fastest result. It was particularly impressive on long-distance connections: US speeds of 640 Mbps were the best across our tests for transatlantic routing.
Surfshark delivered 610 Mbps average — very respectable for the price. It's the fastest budget VPN we've tested, and more than sufficient for 4K streaming on multiple devices simultaneously. The unlimited connections feature means you don't need to compromise between devices.
Here are the full results from our April 2026 testing. All tests were run from fibre connections in London, Manchester and Birmingham, with a baseline speed of 900 Mbps.
| VPN | UK Download | UK Upload | UK Latency | US Download | Speed Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏆 NordVPN | 840 Mbps | 720 Mbps | 9ms | 685 Mbps | 93% |
| ExpressVPN | 780 Mbps | 680 Mbps | 11ms | 640 Mbps | 87% |
| Surfshark | 610 Mbps | 540 Mbps | 14ms | 520 Mbps | 68% |
| Proton VPN | 480 Mbps | 410 Mbps | 18ms | 380 Mbps | 53% |
| CyberGhost | 390 Mbps | 330 Mbps | 22ms | 310 Mbps | 43% |
| IPVanish | 340 Mbps | 290 Mbps | 25ms | 260 Mbps | 38% |
| Private Internet Access | 310 Mbps | 270 Mbps | 27ms | 240 Mbps | 34% |
| Atlas VPN | 250 Mbps | 210 Mbps | 31ms | 190 Mbps | 28% |
| Hotspot Shield | 180 Mbps | 150 Mbps | 38ms | 130 Mbps | 20% |
| Free VPNs (avg) | 25 Mbps | 18 Mbps | 45ms+ | 12 Mbps | 3% |
Our methodology: We connect to each VPN's recommended UK server, run 5 speed tests per location using Ookla, and take the median result. We repeat this across 3 UK cities (London, Manchester, Birmingham) at different times of day to account for broadband congestion. We also test US server performance to assess long-distance routing quality. All tests use the default protocol setting for each VPN — no manual tweaking.
Speed isn't everything with VPNs — but it matters more than most guides suggest. Here's what different speeds actually mean for everyday use:
Netflix 4K HDR needs a stable 25 Mbps connection. If you're using a VPN that only delivers 20 Mbps, you'll get constant buffering and quality drops. Every premium VPN on our list easily handles 4K — but many free VPNs can't.
For gaming, latency (ping) matters more than download speed. A VPN with 300 Mbps but 50ms latency will feel worse than one with 150 Mbps and 20ms latency. NordVPN's 9ms UK latency and ExpressVPN's 11ms are both excellent — indistinguishable from no VPN for most games.
If you regularly download large files, games, or Linux ISOs, speed matters enormously. A 5GB game download takes 48 seconds at 840 Mbps but over 27 minutes at 25 Mbps. That's the difference between NordVPN and a free VPN.
Your actual speed will be limited by your broadband connection. If your home internet is 100 Mbps, a VPN delivering 840 Mbps won't make it faster — you're capped at 100 Mbps regardless. The speed difference matters most on fast connections (300 Mbps+), where a good VPN preserves more of your bandwidth.
Protocols are the technical methods VPNs use to encrypt and route your traffic. Our tests confirm some are dramatically faster than others in 2026:
TIP: If your VPN offers a WireGuard-based option (NordVPN's NordLynx, Surfshark's WireGuard, ExpressVPN's Lightway), use it. Our tests showed WireGuard-based protocols were 40-60% faster than OpenVPN on the same VPN service. The difference is not subtle.
Want to verify the speeds you're getting? Here's our recommended method:
Run a speed test with your VPN OFF. Note your download, upload and ping. This is your maximum possible speed — your VPN can only make it worse, never better.
Choose the recommended or "fastest" UK server. Run another speed test. Calculate the percentage difference from your baseline.
Different servers have different loads. Test at least 3 servers and take the median. If one is dramatically slower, try another.
Evening peaks (7-10pm) are the busiest and will give you the worst-case scenario. Morning tests show more optimistic results.
If you use WireGuard, test with WireGuard enabled. Don't test OpenVPN while planning to use WireGuard — the results won't match.
Ookla Speedtest is reliable for general purposes, but for streaming-specific performance, try fast.com (Netflix's own speed test) and stream a 4K Netflix title while monitoring Task Manager or Activity Monitor for actual throughput. VPN speed tests don't always reflect real streaming performance due to content delivery network (CDN) routing differences.
NordVPN delivered the fastest speeds in our April 2026 tests. Try it risk-free for 30 days — if you're not satisfied, get a full refund.
Affiliate links -- we may earn a commission. Prices correct as of April 2026.