AirVPN is a privacy-focused VPN service that activists and hackers started in Italy in 2010, and it is best known for inbound port forwarding and its open-source Eddie client. Looking for an alternative? Proton VPN is our top pick: it keeps port forwarding, publishes yearly no-logs audits and offers friendlier apps.
Mullvad is the better choice if an anonymous account matters most, and Private Internet Access is the cheaper route when port forwarding is the one feature you cannot give up. This list is for AirVPN users who want the same privacy stance with less setup work. For the full picture of the original, see our AirVPN review.
Quick picks: the best AirVPN alternatives at a glance
We ranked every pick by how well it replaces what AirVPN users rely on: privacy proof, port forwarding, anonymous payment, open-source apps, price and ease of use. The order therefore does not always follow the score, which comes from our full review of each service. Our full method is in how we chose, and these three cover most reasons people leave AirVPN.
1. Proton VPN - best overall AirVPN alternative
Proton VPN is the closest match to what AirVPN does well, and it removes most of the friction. Port forwarding works on every paid plan, all of its apps have been open source since 2020 under GPLv3, and Securitum audits its no-logs policy every year. It is based in Switzerland, and its network covers 140+ countries.
We looked hardest at port forwarding, because AirVPN users care about it most. We built a torrenting setup with Proton's built-in profiles, connected to a P2P server and switched on port forwarding in the app. The forwarded port changed on every reconnect, so we had to update the torrent client's listening port each session, unlike with AirVPN's reserved ports.
Nearby servers kept about 90% or more of our baseline download speed, and distant ones averaged around three-quarters. The US Netflix library loaded without hopping between servers, and DNS, IPv6 and WebRTC leak tests stayed clean. Upload speeds trail NordVPN, and live chat runs roughly 9am to midnight CET rather than around the clock.
VPN Plus costs $9.99 per month, or $2.99 a month on the two-year plan, and covers 10 devices with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can pay by card, PayPal, cash or Bitcoin, and apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and the main TV platforms. Our Proton VPN review goes deeper, and our guide to Proton VPN port forwarding walks through the setup.
2. Mullvad VPN - best for anonymous sign-up and payment
Where Proton wins on features, Mullvad wins on anonymity. When we signed up, the site gave us a random account number seconds after we clicked the button. There was no field for an email address or a name anywhere on the page, and that number is the only thing you need to log in. You can then pay with cash by mail, Monero or Bitcoin, among many other methods.
Speed was steady where it counted. Nearby servers held about 92 of our 95 Mbps baseline, and the slowdowns on distant servers in South America and Asia were predictable rather than erratic. Streaming was the weak spot, because Netflix and Disney+ worked only some of the time.
Pricing is a flat €5 per month for any plan length, covering 5 devices, with open-source apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Cure53 completed its fourth infrastructure audit in 2024, and when Swedish police raided the company in 2023 they left with no customer data.
The biggest trade-off for AirVPN users is that Mullvad removed port forwarding in 2023, making seeding, game hosting and self-hosted services harder. It has also been WireGuard only since January 2026, split tunneling is missing on macOS and iOS, and support is email only. The 14-day refund excludes cash payments. Our Mullvad VPN review has the full breakdown.
3. Private Internet Access - best for port forwarding on a budget
If Mullvad is the privacy purist's answer, PIA is the practical one for people who need open ports. It supports port forwarding on every server except its US locations, and its long-term plan works out to around $2.03 a month, although PIA rotates its deal length and bonus months.
We ran a torrent client with port forwarding switched on, and it cost only about 4% of our speed. The forwarded port changed with every reconnect, as with Proton. General speed loss was about 4% on local servers and 18% internationally. The long desktop settings list felt overwhelming at first but easy once tuned, which will feel familiar to Eddie users. Streaming is the weak spot, because US and UK Netflix no longer unblock and Disney+ and Hulu detect the VPN.
PIA allows unlimited simultaneous connections, covers 91 countries and keeps its apps open source. Deloitte completed its third no-logs assurance review in December 2025, and the company is based in the US under Kape Technologies. You can pay by card, PayPal or crypto via BitPay. The 30-day refund covers new subscribers only, and auto-renewal is on by default. Our Private Internet Access review has more detail.
4. NordVPN - best for speed and streaming
Where PIA keeps open ports, NordVPN gives them up in exchange for speed and streaming. It has no inbound port forwarding on any server, plan or dedicated IP, so skip it if you seed torrents or host a game server.
For everything else, it was the most dependable streamer in this group. Nearby servers lost only about 4% of our download speed and 7% of upload, and 4K streams played without buffering. Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and Prime Video all unblocked reliably. Double VPN cut speed by around 80%, and the map view needed zooming before we could pick a server, so we used the list view instead.
Deloitte ran its sixth no-logs assurance engagement at the end of 2025, and the company is based in Panama. Only the Linux app is open source, while the other apps are proprietary. The monthly plan costs $14.99, and the two-year Basic plan sits around $3.49 a month, although promotions move it between roughly $3.39 and $3.49. It covers 10 devices, accepts crypto such as Bitcoin and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. See our NordVPN review for the full results.
5. ExpressVPN - best for beginners who found AirVPN too technical
If NordVPN is the upgrade for streamers, ExpressVPN suits people who never want to open a settings menu, the opposite of AirVPN's settings-heavy client. You install it, press connect and it works. When we forced the connection to drop, the kill switch tripped and held our traffic, and Netflix libraries in several countries loaded without blocks.
The trade-off is speed, because downloads fell by about 37% to 39% on Windows and Mac. Email support took nearly two days to answer, and the apps did not update themselves.
Port forwarding only exists on routers running ExpressVPN's router app or its Aircove router. The Lightway protocol is open source, but the apps are not. KPMG audited its privacy commitments for the third time in June 2025, and the company is registered in the British Virgin Islands. Monthly plans start at $12.99 for Basic, with Advanced and Pro tiers above it, and the two-year Basic plan costs about $2.49 to $2.79 a month, since ExpressVPN changes that promo rate often. Basic covers 10 devices, accepts cards, PayPal and Bitcoin, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our ExpressVPN review covers the tiers.
6. IVPN - best small, privacy-first provider
After ExpressVPN's polish, IVPN swings back toward AirVPN's own spirit as a small, transparent provider focused on privacy over extras. Like Mullvad, it lets you sign up with an account ID and no email, and it accepts cash, Monero and Bitcoin. It runs gateways in 41 countries from Gibraltar, and all of its apps are open source.
WireGuard speeds were strong, with about 5% loss locally and 14% on international servers. The app has quirks, though. Picking a server did not connect us automatically, so we had to flip the connect toggle separately, and the apps occasionally logged us out on their own. The kill switch and leak protection worked as advertised, but only US Netflix loaded, and inconsistently.
IVPN removed port forwarding in 2023 and blocks P2P traffic on US servers, so it cannot replace an AirVPN torrenting setup. It runs an annual Cure53 security audit programme that began in 2019. Standard costs $6 a month or $60 a year for 5 devices, Pro Suite covers 10 devices, and every plan has a 30-day refund window. Our IVPN review explains its score.
7. Windscribe - best free AirVPN alternative
Windscribe earns the free spot because its free plan allows unlimited devices, where Proton's free tier covers one, and upgrading to Pro unlocks port forwarding. The free tier gives you 10GB a month with a confirmed email and servers in 10 countries. That cap ran out quickly when we streamed on it, so treat it as a light-use option.
On Pro, US connections kept about 91% of our download and 90% of our upload speed, while Singapore dropped to about 68 Mbps from 92 Mbps nearby. Prime Video and BBC iPlayer unblocked first time, but Netflix needed multiple server switches. Repeated leak tests showed no IP, DNS or WebRTC leaks, although the cluttered interface took us a while to decode.
Pro adds ephemeral port forwarding with 7-day rules, or permanent forwarding with a paid static IP. It costs $9 a month or $69 a year, with payment by Monero and other crypto, PayPal or card. Apps are open source on GitHub, and Packetlabs audited the servers in 2024. Windscribe is based in Canada but has said it will move if Canada's Bill C-22 passes the Senate. Our Windscribe review has the full notes.
AirVPN vs the alternatives: side-by-side comparison
Prices below are the cheapest long-term monthly equivalent, and promotional rates move often.
| Product | Price (long-term) | Free plan | Port forwarding | Open-source apps | Independent audit | Jurisdiction | Anonymous payment | Devices | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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$2.99/mo (2 yr) | Yes (1 device) | Yes (paid, P2P servers) | Yes (GPLv3) | Securitum no-logs (yearly) | Switzerland | Cash, Bitcoin | 10 | Check price → |
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€5/mo flat | No | No (removed 2023) | Yes | Cure53 infrastructure (2024) | Sweden | Cash, Monero, Bitcoin | 5 | Check price |
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About $2.03/mo | No | Yes (not US servers) | Yes | Deloitte no-logs (2025) | US | Crypto via BitPay | Unlimited | Check price |
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About $3.49/mo (2 yr) | No | No | Linux only | Deloitte no-logs (2025) | Panama | Crypto | 10 | Check price |
|
About $2.49-$2.79/mo (2 yr) | No | Router app only | No (Lightway only) | KPMG (2025) | British Virgin Islands | Bitcoin | 10 (Basic) | Check price |
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$5/mo ($60/yr) | No | No (removed 2023) | Yes | Cure53 programme | Gibraltar | Cash, Monero, Bitcoin | 5 (Standard) | Check price |
|
$5.75/mo ($69/yr) | Yes (10GB/mo) | Yes (Pro) | Yes | Packetlabs (2024) | Canada | Crypto incl. Monero | Unlimited | Check price |
 |
€2.75/mo (3 yr) | No | Yes (up to 5 ports) | Yes (Eddie, GPL-3.0) | None | Italy | Crypto incl. Monero | 5 |
Proton's free plan has no data limit and rotates you through servers in 10 countries. AirVPN's five-port cap applies to accounts opened since June 2023, and older accounts kept a higher limit.
Why people look for an AirVPN alternative
Most people who leave AirVPN are not unhappy with its privacy. They are tired of the work it takes to use. The Eddie desktop client looks dated and exposes so many settings that we needed trial and error to find the ones that mattered, and it paused for roughly 10 to 30 seconds on every connect and disconnect.
Choosing a server takes effort too. Servers are named after stars rather than listed by country, and the ping figures did not reliably point us to the fastest one. Same-country connections lost only about 5% of our speed, but long-distance servers lost over half. The network is small, with servers in 23 countries listed on AirVPN's own site and about 250 servers in total, a count that shifts as servers come and go. Small networks like this can also get crowded when users arrive from a provider that drops a feature, as happened after Mullvad removed port forwarding.
There is also no iOS app, so iPhone users import config files into a third-party WireGuard or OpenVPN app. Streaming was hit and miss, with Netflix working on some regional servers while Hulu and BBC iPlayer failed, and support runs through email tickets and a forum with no live chat. Payment is a weaker reason than it used to be, since AirVPN now takes PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Pay and five cryptocurrencies including Monero, though not cash.
To be fair to AirVPN, its port forwarding is more flexible than any alternative here, the open-source Eddie client is released under GPL-3.0, and its per-server load stats are public.
How we chose these AirVPN alternatives
We judged every service against the reasons people pick AirVPN in the first place: privacy and no-logs proof, port forwarding, payment anonymity, open-source apps, price and ease of use.
We measured download speeds on nearby and distant servers against our baseline connection, ran DNS, IP and WebRTC leak tests, and tried the major streaming libraries. Where port forwarding is on offer, we set it up with a torrent client, and we went through sign-up to see how much personal data a service asks for. We also contacted support to see how quickly a useful answer arrived. The scores match our full review of each service.
What to look for in an AirVPN replacement
Start by naming the one AirVPN feature you actually use. EFF's guide to choosing a VPN makes the broader point that the right VPN depends on what you need to protect and which provider you are willing to trust.
Port forwarding and P2P support
Port forwarding lets incoming connections reach your device through the VPN, which helps with seeding torrents, hosting game servers and running self-hosted services. AirVPN lets new accounts reserve up to 5 fixed ports. Proton and PIA assign a random port that changes when you reconnect, while Windscribe Pro keeps a rule for 7 days, or permanently with a paid static IP. Our roundup of the best VPNs with port forwarding compares them in more depth.
Port forwarding support changes more often than most VPN features. Mullvad and IVPN both removed it in 2023 because it was being abused, so check a provider's current help page before you pay.
Payment options and account anonymity
An anonymous payment only helps if the account is anonymous too. Mullvad and IVPN issue an account number instead of asking for an email, which is the strongest setup here. Mullvad's flat monthly price of €5 also drops by 10% when you pay in cryptocurrency. Check the refund rules, because Mullvad does not refund cash payments and PIA's crypto payments do not auto-renew.
Open-source apps, audits and no-logs proof
Open-source apps let anyone check what the software does on your device, and independent audits check what happens on the servers. AirVPN has the first but not the second, because its no-logs policy has never had an independent audit. Proton publishes its yearly Securitum no-logs audits, and NordVPN and PIA both use Deloitte. Our guides to the best VPNs for privacy and the best open-source VPNs cover both angles.
Jurisdiction and server network size
AirVPN operates from Italy, a 14 Eyes country, and Italian residents are not allowed to use it. Proton in Switzerland, NordVPN in Panama and ExpressVPN in the British Virgin Islands sit outside that alliance. Network size matters as well, because more countries mean shorter hops and less congestion at peak times.
Is AirVPN still worth using?
Yes, if you are comfortable with its client and port forwarding is central to how you use a VPN. It still offers the most flexible port forwarding here, plus OpenVPN over SSH or SSL for censored networks, which got us through in China after manual configuration.
The price is fair too. One month costs €7, and the three-year plan is €99, or €2.75 a month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our AirVPN score of 7.2/10 reflects the dated client, the small network and the missing audit rather than any privacy failing.
AirVPN alternatives FAQ
Is AirVPN safe, and is it still good?
Which VPN is most like AirVPN?
Which AirVPN alternatives support port forwarding?
Is there a free AirVPN alternative?
Which AirVPN alternatives accept cash or crypto?
Is Tor a replacement for a VPN like AirVPN?
Final verdict: which AirVPN alternative should you choose?
Choose by the feature you would miss. If you use port forwarding, Proton VPN keeps it with better apps, and PIA does the same for less money. If anonymity is the point, Mullvad or IVPN will feel like home. If speed and streaming matter more than open ports, NordVPN is the upgrade, and ExpressVPN is the gentlest landing for anyone who found Eddie hard work.
