5 Best VPN for WiFi in 2023: Public and Hotel WiFi

On the one hand, public WiFi networks are usually free to use. On the other hand, these types of networks aren’t secure, and they’re easily hackable. Also, those who own public WiFi hotspots might see which sites you visit and sell that data to third parties. All of that can lead to your personal and financial information being leaked and worse. However, you can use a VPN for WiFi and avoid such situations altogether.

With a VPN for WiFi, your connection to public or hotel WiFi will be encrypted. Thus, your data will be safe from third parties. Also, with a VPN, you can hide your real location, allowing you to watch geo-restricted content no matter where you're located. That’s a benefit you can use at home, on the go, and while traveling. 

In this article, you can learn how to use a VPN on public WiFi. Also, you will discover the top 5 best WiFi VPN providers on the market. That way, you'll be able to choose the best VPN that will satisfy your needs! 

So, let’s jump right in!

How to Use a VPN on Public WiFi

Setting up a VPN for WiFi is a straightforward process that takes a couple of minutes. You need to find a suitable VPN provider, subscribe, and complete the following steps:

1. Subscribe to a suitable WiFi VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN).
2. Download and install the VPN app on your device.
3. Launch the app and connect to a VPN server.
4. That's it! Now you are ready to use your VPN on public or hotel WiFi.

You can check out our in-depth guide on how to use a VPN on public WiFi if you want to learn more about the entire process overall. 

Best VPN for WiFi

The best VPN for public WiFi is the one that has strong encryption in place that can protect you from unwanted third parties, a strict no-logs policy, and fast and reliable servers that allow you to browse, stream, and make video calls. Also, it must have additional security measures in place, like DNS leak protection and a kill switch to further protect you from unsecured public and hotel WiFi networks. Lastly, a solid public WiFi VPN should have reliable customer support and a user-friendly app that most people can use.

Based on the criteria mentioned above, these are the 5 best VPNs for WiFi:

1. ExpressVPN – Our #1-Rated VPN for WiFi (Best Overall)
2. NordVPN – Most Secure VPN for WiFi
3. CyberGhost – Best VPN for Gaming, Streaming & Torrenting
4. Surfshark – Best WiFi VPN with Unlimited Connections
5. PIA – Best VPN for More Advanced Users

1. ExpressVPN – Our #1-Rated VPN for WiFi (Best Overall)

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for WiFi because it offers a complete package of services and features. Everything you need from a WiFi VPN, you will find in ExpressVPN. 

According to our tests, it’s the fastest VPN on the market, meaning you can use it to connect to local and remote servers, with minimal throttling. No matter how far away the server is, your connection will be ultra-fast, and you can enjoy browsing, streaming, and everything else with no lags or buffering.

The provider lets you connect to over 3,000 servers in 90+ countries. You can connect up to 5 devices at the same time, meaning that you can use this VPN for public WiFi on your phone, laptop, and tablet simultaneously. 

Moreover, ExpressVPN works on virtually any platform out there, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and many streaming and gaming devices.

With ExpressVPN, you get military-grade encryption and features like DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch, which will protect your data and keep you safe while using any public or hotel WiFi. 

Furthermore, this provider has powerful content-unblocking capabilities, enabling you to watch whatever you want, whenever you want. 

Lastly, ExpressVPN offers 24/7 customer support via live chat to all its users and a VPN app with a user-friendly UI. Thus, anyone can learn how to use this VPN in minutes.

2. NordVPN – Most Secure VPN for WiFi

NordVPN is the most secure VPN for WiFi, thanks to its robust security features and military-grade encryption. It is one of the most technologically advanced VPNs on the market and is suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

In addition to its robust security and encryption, NordVPN also has a strict no-logs policy, audited by a reputable third party each year. That means it will not log anything you do or share it with third parties.

Thanks to its simple user interface, the provider's app is super easy to use. So, you don't need to have any technical skills or knowledge to use it. Furthermore, you can use this provider on up to 6 different devices simultaneously.

NordVPN has a large fleet of more than 5,500 servers located in around 60 countries. So, you can have your pick of servers to use to safely browse any public or hotel WiFi. 

And even though it is not as fast as ExpressVPN, it still offers good connection speeds, allowing you to have a seamless online experience.

Lastly, NordVPN offers 24/7 customer support via live chat and has plenty of self-help resources you can use. Also, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee on its plans. You can use this provider as a VPN for hotel WiFi, public WiFi, and your own WiFi at home.

3. CyberGhost – Best VPN for Gaming, Streaming & Torrenting

CyberGhost is a powerful VPN for WiFi that offers excellent content-unblocking capabilities and a wide range of advanced features. It allows you to connect up to 7 devices at the same time, so you can be protected while using public WiFi on all your devices.

The provider has optimized apps for both desktop and mobile devices, routers, streaming devices, and more. Its apps are easy to use and allow you to manage your VPN in one place.

CyberGhost has more than 9,000 servers spread across 90+ countries. It has one of the largest server fleets on the market, which is great for those who want to unblock content in different countries and stream it from anywhere. Its servers are optimized for streaming, downloading files, and gaming.

When it comes to security, CyberGhost can keep you safe while you're using public or hotel WiFi. It has a strict no-logs policy, DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and more. Those measures help keep you secure online and provide you with complete anonymity.

CyberGhost is slower compared to ExpressVPN and NordVPN. However, you can optimize its performance by picking a server as close to you as possible. CyberGhost also has its own antivirus app, which users can add to their subscriptions for additional protection. However, the antivirus app is available on Windows only.

You can use its live chat to contact support agents 24/7 if you have any questions or issues. Moreover, you can find hundreds of support articles on its website.

4. Surfshark – Best WiFi VPN with Unlimited Connections

Surfshark can keep your data and information safe while you're using public WiFi anywhere in the world. It comes with strong encryption, DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and more security and privacy features that will protect you.

The provider also has a strict no-logs policy, which ensures that no one, including Surfshark, can access your data. You can use it on unlimited devices, meaning that you will be safe no matter how many phones, laptops, or tablets you connect to a public or other open WiFi.

This VPN for WiFi is also great for streaming, torrenting, and unblocking websites. It is easy to use and can unblock virtually anything you want. 

Also, this VPN is among the fastest VPNs out there – it performs better and faster than most of its competitors, including CyberGhost. With Surfshark, you can choose from more than 3,200 servers spread across 100 countries.

Furthermore, the provider offers a wide range of features, including CleanWeb, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware. It has a powerful kill switch, zero-knowledge servers, and multi-hop technology.

Finally, Surfshark offers 24/7 customer support, which you can use via its live chat. And you can try it risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

5. PIA – Best VPN for More Advanced Users

Private Internet Access is a VPN for WiFi suitable for more advanced users because it offers great opportunities for customization that few other VPNs do. Also, the provider supports a lot of devices and allows you to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.

The exact number of servers in its infrastructure is not known, but it ranges in the thousands – over 35,000, reportedly. The servers cover 84 countries in the world and offer medium connection speeds.

PIA's strong privacy measures limit its performance, but more advanced users can tweak their settings to optimize their VPN and make it faster. Therefore, it is best for more advanced users who can and want to customize their settings.

Advanced users can customize their level of protection, fine-tune their VPN protocol, increase or decrease the level of encryption, and do many other tweaks when they connect PIA VPN to public WiFi. 

In addition, users will be protected by PIA's no-logs policy and will be able to safely browse the Internet using public, hotel, or private WiFi.

You can contact its customer support agents 24/7 via live chat. Also, the provider offers around 200 how-to articles and guides via which you can learn how to solve certain issues yourself.

Why Do I Need a VPN for Public and Hotel WiFi?

You need a VPN for public and hotel WiFi because it provides an encrypted connection to keep your data safe. Other reasons why you should use a VPN for WiFi include the following:

• Prevent monitoring – Public and hotel WiFi networks aren't safe and make it pretty easy for third parties to monitor the traffic of the people using them. To prevent others from monitoring your traffic, you can use a VPN for WiFi.
• Protect multiple devices – Most VPNs allow you to use their services on multiple devices simultaneously. So, with a VPN, you can protect all your devices and browse freely on any public WiFi.
• Block ads – Some VPNs come with built-in ad blockers, while others offer add-ons and extensions, which you can get to block ads.
• Watch geo-restricted content – If you're traveling to another country, you won't be able to watch movies and TV shows that aren’t licensed to stream abroad. However, with a VPN, you can connect to a server in your country and watch whatever you want, no matter where you are.

Does a VPN Work on WiFi?

Yes, a VPN works on any WiFi network. WiFi connections are the most suitable for VPNs because they are stable. Thus, most people use their VPN on their WiFi networks.

VPNs work on any type of network (wired and wireless). So, you can use it on both. A VPN might slow you down a bit, so it’s always better to use a wired connection for it. However, using it on WiFi is also not an issue if you pick a fast VPN service.

On top of that, it would help to connect to a nearby server, if you care about speed. In other words, pick a fast VPN service that has plenty of both nearby and remote servers.

Does VPN Protect and Keep You Safe on Public WiFi?

Yes, a VPN protects and keeps you safe on public WiFi. That is why you should use a VPN on public WiFi. Without it, your data will be available to hackers and other parties who want to steal your sensitive information.

VPNs encrypt your data and keep it safe from vicious attacks and information theft. But how do VPNs work? In short, they encrypt your data by encoding it so that it becomes unreadable to anyone except for you. And by encrypting your data, the VPN can protect you from a number of online threats, many of which are associated with public WiFi networks.

Can I Use a Free VPN for WiFi?

Yes, you can use a free VPN for WiFi. However, we strongly recommend against using a free VPN service.

Firstly, free VPNs are not secure. They lack encryption, DNS leak protection, kill switches, and other security measures that are a "must-have" for every VPN. Without these features, your personal information will not be secure online. 

Secondly, free VPNs have a lot of users cramped into a few servers, which makes the servers overcrowded. This, in turn, slows down your connection speed significantly.

Thirdly, providers that offer free VPN services only have a few servers in a few locations. They do not cover many countries.

Lastly, with a free VPN, you will have a certain limit on how much data you can use per month. And those data caps are usually pretty strict.

You can learn much more about free VPNs and what they offer by checking out our comprehensive free VPN guide.

Final Thoughts

Using a VPN for WiFi is crucial if you want to keep your data safe and protected. Without one, your data will be vulnerable to malicious attacks and theft. Also, if you want to keep your identity hidden, you won't be able to do so without a VPN.

Remember that public WiFi networks are unsecure and easily hackable. So, if you want to browse freely on a public or hotel WiFi network, you should definitely get a VPN.

We recommend ExpressVPN, as it is the best VPN for WiFi overall on the market. It will completely protect your data while you're using public or hotel WiFi networks and provide you with full anonymity.

That’s it for our guide on the best VPN for WiFi. If you have any other questions or remarks, feel free to let us know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!