Your VPN is slow because your traffic is taking a longer route, getting encrypted along the way and sharing a server with other people. When one of those things goes wrong the slowdown gets much worse than it should be. Some speed loss is normal, but a big drop usually comes down to the wrong protocol, a server that's too far away or too busy, or a weak connection underneath. The good news is that all of those are fixable, usually in a few minutes.

If you'd like a guided route, our free VPN troubleshooter asks a few questions and points you to the right fix.

Measure it fairly first

Before you change anything, find out how much the VPN is really costing you. Lots of "slow VPN" problems turn out to be slow wi-fi or a busy evening on the broadband, and you'd never know without a fair comparison.

  1. Close anything that's using the internet heavily: downloads, cloud backups, game updates, and ask anyone else in the house to pause streaming if you can.
  2. Disconnect the VPN and run a speed test on a site such as speedtest.net or fast.com. Note the download speed, upload speed and ping (ping is how long it takes for a tiny message to go there and back, measured in milliseconds; lower is better).
  3. Connect the VPN to a server in your own country and run the same test again, on the same device, in the same spot.
  4. Repeat both tests once more. Speeds wobble from minute to minute, so two rounds give you a more honest picture.

Compare the two sets of numbers. The gap between them is what your VPN costs you. If your speed is poor even without the VPN, the VPN isn't the main problem, and you'll get more from fixing your wi-fi or talking to your broadband provider.

What's a normal speed drop?

Every VPN slows you down a little. There's no way round it: your data makes an extra stop and gets wrapped in encryption on the way. With a modern protocol and a nearby server, you might barely notice. A modest drop, often somewhere between 5 and 25%, is normal, and you probably won't feel it in everyday use. Lose more than half your speed, though, and something needs attention.

It helps to know what you actually need. Netflix recommends 3 Mbps for 720p HD, 5 Mbps for 1080p Full HD and 15 Mbps for 4K. Mbps is megabits per second, the unit speed tests show. Even after a VPN takes its share, most UK broadband connections leave plenty of room. So if streaming is buffering, the issue is often not the average speed but a connection that dips every so often.

Ping matters more than people think. A server on the other side of the world might still give you a decent download speed, but every click takes noticeably longer because each request has to travel so far. That's what makes browsing feel slow even when a speed test looks fine.

Why VPNs slow you down

Distance. Without a VPN, your data takes the most direct route to the website. With one, it goes to the VPN server first, then on to the website. If that server is in another country, the detour can be long. Every extra mile adds a little delay.

Encryption. Your device scrambles every piece of data before sending it and unscrambles what comes back. That takes processing power. On a modern laptop or phone, it's barely noticeable. On an older or low-powered device, such as a cheap streaming stick or an old router, it can become the bottleneck.

Protocol. The protocol is the set of rules the VPN uses to build its tunnel. Older ones like OpenVPN are reliable but heavier, and they make your device work harder. Newer ones like WireGuard are leaner and usually much faster. NordVPN's version of WireGuard is called NordLynx. ExpressVPN has its own fast protocol called Lightway. PureVPN offers standard WireGuard.

Server load. A VPN server is shared with other customers. When lots of people pile on to the same one, often in the evening, everyone gets a smaller slice.

Your own connection. A VPN can only work with what your broadband and wi-fi give it. If the base connection is weak, the VPN makes a weak connection slightly weaker.

Step-by-step fix for a slow VPN

Work through these in order, running a speed test after each change so you know what actually helped.

  1. Switch to a faster protocol. If you're on OpenVPN, this is the biggest single improvement for most people. Choose NordLynx in NordVPN, Lightway in ExpressVPN or WireGuard in PureVPN. Our guide to changing VPN protocol shows exactly where the setting lives in each app.
  2. Pick a closer server. Connect to the nearest location that still does what you need. If you're in the UK and only want privacy, a UK server is ideal. If you need a US server, cities on the east coast are generally closer to the UK than those on the west coast.
  3. Try a different server in the same place. Servers in the same city can be very differently loaded. Choose a specific server or a different city instead of letting the app pick automatically, then test again. Our guide to switching VPN server shows how in each app.
  4. Fix the wi-fi underneath. Move closer to the router, switch to its 5GHz network if it has one (faster and less crowded, though shorter range), or plug in a network cable to test. If the VPN is quick on a cable but slow on wi-fi, the VPN isn't what needs fixing.
  5. Use split tunnelling. If you only need the VPN for a few apps, split tunnelling lets you send just those through the VPN and everything else over your normal connection. Less traffic through the tunnel means more speed for the apps that need it, such as your streaming app, while game updates and cloud backups run outside it.
  6. Check your security software. Antivirus programs that inspect all your web traffic can slow things down on top of the VPN. Pause the web protection part briefly to test, then add the VPN as an exception if that helps.
  7. Restart everything. Restart the router and your device, then reconnect. It's dull advice, but it clears out stuck connections and memory problems that build up over days.
  8. Update the VPN app. Providers improve speed and fix bugs regularly. An old version can hold you back.
  9. Test at a different time of day. If speeds are fine in the morning and poor in the evening, the server is busy at peak times. Try a smaller city or a less popular server during those hours.

Server load and distance explained

Think of a VPN server as a motorway services. Stop at one that's quiet and you're in and out quickly. Stop at the busiest one on a bank holiday Friday and you'll queue. VPN servers in big hubs like London, New York and Amsterdam are popular for good reason, but that popularity means they fill up, especially between early evening and late night.

Distance adds a delay you can't avoid. Data travels quickly, but not instantly, and it rarely goes in a straight line. A server in the next city might add almost nothing. One on another continent adds a noticeable pause to every request. For gaming, video calls or anything else that needs a quick response, distance matters more than raw download speed.

Most VPN apps show some sign of how busy each server is, or let you choose a specific one. Use that. A quieter server a little further away can beat a packed one next door.

Is your internet provider throttling you?

Throttling means your provider deliberately slowing down a certain type of traffic. Some networks do this to VPN traffic, or to streaming, during busy periods. It's more common on some mobile networks, on workplace or public networks, and in some countries than on typical UK home broadband, but it does happen.

If your provider is throttling streaming or a particular website, a VPN can actually make things faster, because the provider can no longer see what you're doing. If they're throttling the VPN itself, you'll see the opposite.

The test is simple: compare speeds with and without the VPN at the same time of day on a few different days. If the VPN is consistently and dramatically slower, try a different protocol, then an obfuscation setting if your provider has one. In NordVPN this is the Obfuscated Servers option, which now runs on its NordWhisper protocol and disguises VPN traffic to look like ordinary encrypted browsing. If you're on public wi-fi, our guide to VPNs on public wi-fi covers the limits those networks can add.

When the VPN is the bottleneck

If you've changed protocol, tried several servers, fixed your wi-fi and the VPN is still painfully slow, the provider itself might be the problem. Free VPNs are the usual offenders: small server networks shared by lots of users, and sometimes deliberate speed caps to push you towards a paid plan. Our guide on whether free VPNs are safe explains the wider risks too.

Speed problems can also look like drops. A connection that slows to a crawl can make streams freeze and apps time out, which feels like the VPN has disconnected. If your VPN is actually cutting out, see our guide on why your VPN keeps disconnecting. And once you've made changes, it's sensible to check your VPN is working properly, so you know the speed you're seeing is through the tunnel.

Device-specific tips

Windows

Windows laptops often run several heavy background tasks: system updates, cloud syncing and antivirus scans. Pause those while you test. If your antivirus has its own web protection or firewall, check whether it's inspecting VPN traffic as well. Use the Windows app's split tunnelling feature if your VPN offers it, so downloads and updates can run outside the tunnel.

Mac

Make sure the VPN app is up to date and set to the fastest protocol. Check System Settings, then Network, then VPN for leftover configurations from apps you no longer use, and remove them. If you're on a laptop with Low Power Mode on, it can hold back performance, so switch it off while you test.

iPhone and iPad

Low Power Mode limits background activity and can slow things down, so turn it off to test. Check the VPN app is using NordLynx, Lightway or WireGuard. If you're on mobile data, your signal strength matters a lot; a speed test without the VPN will tell you whether the network itself is the weak point.

Android

Battery saver and per-app battery limits can throttle a VPN app as well as disconnect it. Set the VPN app's battery usage to unrestricted in Settings, then Apps. Android VPN apps often support split tunnelling, which is handy for keeping games or big downloads off the VPN.

Routers

Running a VPN on your router covers every device in the house, but routers have far less processing power than a laptop, so encryption can become the bottleneck. If your speeds are poor through a router VPN, switch to WireGuard if the router supports it, update the firmware, or run the VPN on the devices that need it instead.

Amazon Fire Stick

Fire Sticks are built to be cheap and compact, so they don't have much processing power to spare. A lightweight protocol makes a real difference here. The stick is also often stuck behind the TV with a weak wi-fi signal, so an HDMI extender or a closer router can help. Our Fire Stick VPN guide has more, and if you use a Roku, which can't run VPN apps itself, see our Roku VPN guide for the router-based options.

A VPN that keeps its speed

A good provider makes a big difference to speed. Larger server networks mean more quiet servers to choose from, and modern protocols keep the encryption overhead low.

NordVPN is our top pick: NordLynx is fast, there are plenty of servers to spread the load, and split tunnelling is available on Windows and Android. ExpressVPN comes second, with its Lightway protocol designed for fast, stable connections. PureVPN is a solid third choice on a tighter budget, with WireGuard available in its apps. For more fixes, browse our connection problems hub.