A VPN inevitably slows down your internet a little, since it adds extra work into the process of getting online. However, a good VPN can keep the disruption to a minimum — many of the best VPNs reduce your speed by less than 10 percent, even on different continents. If you’ve ever used a good VPN, you’ll know the annoyances of a slow VPN are a solvable problem.
Although some of the factors that might slow down a VPN are up to the VPN to fix, you have more agency here than you might think. For one thing, you can always work on some of the flaws in your own home internet. For another, there are so many VPNs on the market that you can always switch to another if there's one you can't make work. If you're frustrated by a slow VPN, try the eight tips below.
1. Get more speed from your ISP
Outside of a few very specific circumstances, it's rare for a VPN to make your internet faster. Generally, the best speed you can get from your VPN is limited to the browsing speed you'd have without it. That means one of the best ways to get a faster VPN is to get faster internet. Check with your ISP to see if it offers any higher-speed plans.
2. Try a wired connection
Another way to improve your speeds is to switch from a wireless internet connection to wired ethernet. You don't need a new plan for this — just get an ethernet cable that fits both your computer and your router. Most laptops don't have ethernet ports built in, so you might need to buy an adapter as well. This boosts speeds by shortening the distance a signal has to travel on your home network.
3. Use the closest VPN server to your real location
As explained above, proximity to a server makes a difference in how well it performs, especially when your activity needs to be updated live. If you don't need a specific location for whatever you're doing, pick the nearest one.
Beware though, as some servers — especially in the southern hemisphere — give you virtual locations instead of real ones, so they might not actually be where they claim to be. When in doubt, check the VPN's website or contact its support team.
4. Change to a VPN server with less load
If your VPN isn't directing traffic effectively within its locations, some servers might be getting used much more than others. When you're sailing along with a VPN and delays suddenly spike, you might be able to get your speeds back by switching to another server in the same location.
Some VPNs let you choose between all the servers in a single location, and might even show what percent of each is being used right now (naturally you want the lowest percentage available). If your VPN only shows the names of countries or cities, you can still get a different server by disconnecting, waiting a few seconds and connecting again. Think of it as jiggling the switch for your VPN service.
5. Try a different VPN protocol
We covered above how some VPN protocols are faster while others are more stable. Try all the protocols available on your VPN app and see which one runs fastest. In my experience, that'll probably be either WireGuard or OpenVPN over UDP, but some providers have their own special protocols that might work even better.
6. Use split tunneling
Split tunneling, a feature available on many VPN apps, can be used to wring a little more speed out of your connection. With split tunneling, you can choose some apps or URLs to be protected by the VPN while the rest run unencrypted like normal.
The more traffic you run through the VPN, the harder it has to work to process it all, which can lower your speeds. Try splitting the tunnel so only the stuff you really need to protect is getting encrypted, and see if that lighter load improves your VPN's performance.
7. Clear your browser cache and cookies
Remember how slow speeds on a VPN might not be the VPN's fault at all, but could be your browser acting sluggish for other reasons? One of the most common reasons for a web browser to run slower is that it's managing a huge backlog of saved files. Go into your browser's history control panel and clear your cache and cookies, which should free up some processing power.
8. Switch to a faster VPN
If all else fails, you might just be flogging a dead horse (and no, DeadHorseVPN does not get my seal of approval). Some VPNs aren't built to handle traffic without slowing it down. Your best bet might be to try another VPN and see if it runs faster. In my experience, the three fastest VPNs are Surfshark , ExpressVPN and NordVPN .
You don't even have to spend money to learn if another VPN might be faster. Plenty of the best VPNs come with free trials or refund guarantees so you can see for yourself how quickly they work. Try one or two and check whether your speed problems continue.
