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VPNABC

Best VPN for privacy

VPNs that let you sign up without an email, pay in cash or Monero, publish their app code and have independent audits.

What we looked at:Account without an email addressCash or Monero acceptedAll apps open sourceIndependent audits with published reports
  1. 1Mullvad logo

    Mullvad

    You get a random account number instead of an email, can pay with cash by post or Monero, and every app is open source. Servers run from RAM only. One flat price, no renewal jump.

    All Mullvad facts
    Cheapest plan
    €5.00/mo
    Renews at
    €5.00
    Owner
    Amagicom AB
    Devices
    5
    Latest audit
    Assured Security Consultants, 2026
  2. 2IVPN logo

    IVPN

    Same account model as Mullvad (no email, cash or Monero), open-source apps, RAM-only servers and yearly Cure53 audits. Adds port forwarding and a 30-day refund window.

    All IVPN facts
    Cheapest plan
    $5.00/mo
    Renews at
    $60.00
    Owner
    IVPN Limited
    Devices
    5
    Latest audit
    Cure53, 2025
  3. 3Proton VPN logo

    Proton VPN

    All apps are open source and Securitum audits its no-logs policy every year, with public reports. Sign-up creates a Proton account that may need email or phone verification, and servers use full-disk encryption rather than RAM-only.

    All Proton VPN facts
    Cheapest plan
    $3.49/mo
    Renews at
    $83.88
    Owner
    Proton Foundation
    Devices
    10
    Latest audit
    Securitum, 2026

How to choose

Start with what the company could hand over. An account that is only a random number, paid in cash, leaves nothing that points back to you. An email address and a card payment leave both, whatever the logging policy says.

Open-source apps let anyone check what the app sends and where. An audit is a snapshot: look at the year, and at what was in scope, because an audit of the apps says nothing about the servers.

RAM-only servers keep nothing on disk, so a seized or rebooted server has nothing stored to read.

Every VPN checked

23 providers against the facts that matter here. Picks come first, outlined.

VPNSign up without emailPay with cashPay with MoneroOpen-source appsRAM-only serversLatest audit
Mullvad logoMullvadYesYesYesYesYesYesAll appsAll appsYesYesAssured Security Consultants, 2026 (apps)
IVPN logoIVPNYesYesYesYesYesYesAll appsAll appsYesYesCure53, 2025 (security)
Proton VPN logoProton VPNNot statedNot statedYesYesNot statedNot statedAll appsAll appsNoNoSecuritum, 2026 (no-logs)
Windscribe logoWindscribeYesYesYesYesYesYesAll appsAll appsYesYesPacketlabs, 2024 (infrastructure)
hide.me logohide.meYesYesNoNoYesYesSome appsSome appsYesYesSecuritum, 2024 (no-logs)
AirVPN logoAirVPNYesYesNoNoYesYesSome appsSome appsNoNoNone published
Mozilla VPN logoMozilla VPNNoNoNoNoNoNoAll appsAll appsYesYesCure53, 2023 (apps)
Private Internet Access logoPrivate Internet AccessNoNoNoNoNot statedNot statedAll appsAll appsYesYesDeloitte Audit Romania, 2025 (no-logs)
Astrill VPN logoAstrill VPNNoNoNoNoYesYesNoNoNoNoNone published
CyberGhost logoCyberGhostNoNoNoNoNot foundNot foundNot foundNot foundYesYesDeloitte Audit Romania, 2025 (no-logs)
ExpressVPN logoExpressVPNNoNoNoNoNot statedNot statedSome appsSome appsYesYesKPMG, 2025 (no-logs)
NordVPN logoNordVPNNoNoNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedSome appsSome appsYesYesDeloitte Lithuania, 2025 (no-logs)
PrivadoVPN logoPrivadoVPNNoNoNoNoYesYesNoNoNoNoNone published
Surfshark logoSurfsharkNoNoNoNoNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedYesYesSecuRing, 2026 (infrastructure)
AdGuard VPN logoAdGuard VPNNoNoNoNoNot foundNot foundSome appsSome appsNoNoNone published
Bitdefender VPN logoBitdefender VPNNoNoNoNoNot statedNot statedNoNoNoNoAuditor not named, 2025 (no-logs)
Hotspot Shield logoHotspot ShieldNoNoNoNoNot statedNot statedNoNoNoNoAon, 2023 (no-logs)
IPVanish logoIPVanishNoNoNoNoNot foundNot foundNot statedNot statedpartialpartialSchellman Compliance, 2025 (no-logs)
Norton VPN logoNorton VPNNoNoNoNoNot foundNot foundNoNoNoNoVerSprite, 2025 (no-logs)
PureVPN logoPureVPNNoNoNoNoNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedKPMG, 2023 (no-logs)
TorGuard logoTorGuardNoNoNoNoNot statedNot statedNoNoNoNoNone published
TunnelBear logoTunnelBearNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoCure53, 2025 (security)
VyprVPN logoVyprVPNNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoLeviathan Security Group, 2018 (no-logs)

Worth knowing. No VPN makes you anonymous. A VPN moves trust from your internet provider to the VPN company, which is why we start with what the company can know about you.

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