How many providers qualify for this list?

10 of 11. The other 1 are excluded because they do not meet the requirement, and they are named at the bottom of the page rather than quietly dropped.

What does this ranking ignore?

Speed, streaming access and price.

10 of 11 qualify · Updated August 13, 2026

Best VPNs for privacy

This page optimises for one thing: how little the provider can reveal, either because it never collected the data or because it operates where collection is hardest to compel. Speed, streaming and price are ignored entirely. A provider that is fast and cheap but holds your email, your card and your IP is not what this page is for.

The rule for this page. Ranked by the transparency criterion, then jurisdiction. Providers with no published audit are excluded.

Answer

IVPN, then Mullvad

10/10 on transparency. A deliberately small, transparent operation that costs more than the market and makes no attempt to hide it.

Visit IVPN

We earn nothing from IVPN. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.

Providers that qualify, ordered by the rule above
#	Provider	Deciding fact	Transparency	Overall
1	IVPN Unpaid	10/10 on transparency	10/10	82.5
2	Mullvad Unpaid	10/10 on transparency	10/10	85.5
3	Proton VPN	9/10 on transparency	9/10	90.0
4	Private Internet Access Unpaid	8/10 on transparency	8/10	73.0
5	Windscribe Unpaid	8/10 on transparency	8/10	67.0
6	NordVPN	6/10 on transparency	6/10	84.0
7	ExpressVPN Unpaid	5/10 on transparency	5/10	74.0
8	CyberGhost Unpaid	5/10 on transparency	5/10	70.0
9	Surfshark Unpaid	5/10 on transparency	5/10	75.5
10	PureVPN	4/10 on transparency	4/10	69.0

Why these, in order

1. IVPN

82.5

10/10 on transparency. A deliberately small, transparent operation that costs more than the market and makes no attempt to hide it.

Against it: One of the smallest server networks in this dataset.

Visit IVPN

2. Mullvad

85.5

10/10 on transparency. The strongest privacy posture of any provider in this dataset, and the only one we cannot earn a commission from.

Against it: No native app for Apple TV, Android TV or games consoles.

Visit Mullvad

3. Proton VPN

90.0

9/10 on transparency. The best-documented security stack in this dataset, and the only free tier we consider safe to recommend.

Against it: Refunds are prorated against usage, not returned in full.

Visit Proton VPN

4. Private Internet Access

73.0

8/10 on transparency. The only provider here whose no-logs claim has been tested by a court rather than only by an auditor — but it is a US company.

Against it: United States jurisdiction, inside the Five Eyes agreement.

Visit Private Internet Access

5. Windscribe

67.0

8/10 on transparency. Unusually honest about its own incidents, but Canadian jurisdiction and a three-day refund window are real costs.

Against it: Canada is a Five Eyes member state.

Visit Windscribe

What did not qualify, and why

Excluded providers are named rather than omitted. If one of them is the VPN you already pay for, this tells you exactly which requirement it misses.

Provider	Why it is not on this list
FastestVPN	No published independent audit.

Questions

Which VPN gives away the least about me?: IVPN. 10/10 on transparency. Ranked by the transparency criterion, then jurisdiction. Providers with no published audit are excluded.
How many providers qualify for this list?: 10 of 11. The other 1 are excluded because they do not meet the requirement, and they are named at the bottom of the page rather than quietly dropped.
What does this ranking ignore?: Speed, streaming access and price.