F-Secure VPN (formerly Freedome) is easy to switch on, but it charges by the device, tops out at five devices on any plan and has no kill switch on iPhone. Streaming is also a gamble, because none of its servers are tuned for it. In our F-Secure VPN review it scored 6.5/10, which is fair for a simple app but well short of the best standalone services.
We measured seven alternatives against the weak spots we found in F-Secure VPN: speed on near and distant servers, streaming access, leak protection, audited no-logs privacy and the cost of covering a whole household. Our top pick is Proton VPN, which pairs an audited no-logs policy with a free plan and 10 devices on its paid tier.
Why look for an F-Secure VPN alternative?
F-Secure VPN gets the basics right, which is worth saying first. F-Secure is a long-established security brand, founded as Data Fellows in 1988 and based in Helsinki, so the service runs under Finnish law, inside the EU but outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances. Getting started is quick: install the app, sign in and tap connect, and automatic Wi-Fi protection turns the VPN on by itself when you join an unsecured network. Traffic is protected with AES-256 encryption, and the DNS and IP leak tests we ran came back clean.
The trouble starts when you ask for more than that. Plans come in 1-, 3- or 5-device tiers on annual or 2-year terms only, with no month-to-month option. A single device costs $49.99 a year and five devices cost $69.99, but five is the ceiling on every plan, while most rivals cover 10 or unlimited devices at one price. The kill switch is available on Windows, Mac and Android but not on iOS, and the apps offer no WebRTC leak protection.
Speed and streaming were the weakest parts of our time with it. Nearby European servers cost us roughly 15 percent of our download speed, North American servers 20 to 30 percent, and distant servers such as Australia more than 50 percent. Netflix libraries, BBC iPlayer, All4, and non-US Disney+ and Prime Video unblocked, while Hulu, HBO Max, DAZN, US Disney+ and US Prime Video failed. Results changed from server to server with no pattern we could plan around, since none are streaming-optimized.
Stability is the other sore point. F-Secure now runs the Hydra and WireGuard protocols through a third-party provider, and on Windows the Hydra connection can work for a while and then cut the internet entirely, especially after sleep, until you reconnect or restart the VPN services. F-Secure's own workaround is to turn off the kill switch or change the protocol, which gives up protection or speed to keep the connection alive. On iPhone, the VPN can drop when the phone hands over from Wi-Fi to mobile data.
Privacy is reasonable but not proven. F-Secure's privacy notice says it keeps no logs of the external addresses you visit, yet it stores session duration, connection timestamps, data transferred, device ID and your source IP for 90 days for abuse handling. We could find no public independent no-logs audit in F-Secure's published documentation as of September 2026, and audit status can change if F-Secure or its VPN provider commissions one. The network is also small, with servers in over 20 countries, no Linux app, and no obfuscation for heavily censored networks.
F-Secure FREEDOME VPN is now F-Secure VPN, and F-Secure retired the old standalone app during 2024. On iPhone, the VPN now lives inside the combined "F-Secure: Total Security & VPN" app, where a small toggle replaces Freedome's big connect button.
The best F-Secure VPN alternatives at a glance
The seven picks below are ranked by the score each earned in our full review, with F-Secure VPN in the last row as the baseline. Prices are the lowest long-term monthly rate each provider advertises.
| Product | Starting price | Simultaneous devices | Jurisdiction | Free plan | Platforms | Independent no-logs audit | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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$2.99/mo (2-yr) | 10 | Switzerland | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Yes, Securitum 2026 | Check price → |
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$3.49/mo (2-yr) | 10 | Panama | No | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Yes, Deloitte 2025 | Check price |
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About $3/mo (2-yr promo) | 10 (Basic) | British Virgin Islands | No | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Yes, KPMG 2025 | Check price |
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$2.49/mo (2-yr) | Unlimited | Netherlands | No (7-day trial) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Yes, Deloitte 2025 | Check price |
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EUR 5/mo flat | 5 | Sweden | No | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Infrastructure audit (Cure53 2024) | Check price |
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$5.75/mo ($69/yr) | Unlimited | Canada | Yes (10GB/mo) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Infrastructure audit (Packetlabs 2024) | Check price |
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$2.03/mo (3-yr) | Unlimited | United States | No (7-day mobile trial) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Yes, Deloitte 2025 | Check price |
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$49.99/yr (1 device) | 1, 3 or 5 (by tier) | Finland | No (free trial varies) | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | No public audit |
The best F-Secure VPN alternatives in 2026
1. Proton VPN - best overall F-Secure VPN alternative
Proton VPN is the best all-round replacement if you want proof of privacy, fast speeds and room for the whole family, and it scored 9.0/10 in our Proton VPN review.
On a nearby server, our download speed dropped by only about 8 percent, roughly half the loss F-Secure VPN showed on its closest European servers. We then opened a 4K stream, and it loaded in under four seconds without buffering. The paid plan unlocked more than 20 Netflix libraries, and our leak checks turned up no IPv6, DNS or WebRTC leaks across dozens of countries.
Proton AG is based in Switzerland, and Proton's independent no-logs audit is now in its fifth consecutive year with Securitum, with the 2026 report published in June. That is the kind of third-party evidence F-Secure VPN does not yet offer. The network is also far larger, with 20,798 servers in 149 countries.
VPN Plus covers 10 devices and costs about $2.99 a month on the 2-year plan ($71.76 upfront, renewing at $6.99 a month equivalent), or $9.99 month to month. There is also a free plan with no ads and no data cap, limited to one device and a small pool of servers. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Android TV, and each install took us about two minutes. Refunds within 30 days are prorated, so you get back only the unused portion.
Anyone leaving F-Secure VPN for want of audits, streaming or device headroom gets all three here in one subscription.
Pros
- Five consecutive Securitum no-logs audits
- Free plan with no data cap
- Secure Core multi-hop, Stealth protocol and NetShield blocker
Cons
- Secure Core costs roughly a third of your speed
- Live chat runs 9 a.m. to midnight CET, not 24/7
2. NordVPN - best for security features and speed
NordVPN is the pick for speed and security extras, and it ties Proton VPN at 9.0/10 in our NordVPN review.
Speed is where it stands out against F-Secure VPN. Our download speed dipped only around 7 percent, and 4K streams and video calls ran without buffering or stutter. We then worked through the major services. NordVPN unblocked Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Disney+, ESPN+ and YouTube TV on any server we chose, a much wider spread than F-Secure VPN managed. Connections stayed stable with no disconnects, which makes it the clearest fix on this list for F-Secure's Hydra drops, and our DNS and WebRTC leak tests were clean.
The company is based in Panama, and its sixth no-logs assurance engagement, run by Deloitte, was announced in February 2026. The network runs to about 9,000+ servers in well over 100 countries, a large step up from F-Secure's 20-odd. Features include Threat Protection Pro, Double VPN, obfuscated servers, Meshnet and the WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol.
The Basic plan costs $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, $5.49 on the 1-year plan and $14.99 month to month, and renewal is higher. It covers 10 simultaneous devices on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and the major TV platforms, and there is no free plan. A 30-day money-back guarantee applies.
Pros
- Meshnet and Threat Protection Pro built in
- Unblocks major US streaming services on any server
- Six no-logs assurance engagements
Cons
- Double VPN slows downloads by about 80 percent
- Kill switch defaults need adjusting
- Obfuscated servers in only about 16 countries
3. ExpressVPN - best for ease of use across platforms
ExpressVPN suits anyone who liked F-Secure VPN's one-tap simplicity but needs it on more devices and platforms.
Its strength is consistency. We ran it through heavy daily use, and the Network Lock kill switch tripped only rarely while the connection otherwise held steady. It is not the fastest pick here, though. On Mac and Windows our download speeds dropped by roughly 37 to 39 percent, yet they stayed fast enough for 4K streaming and gaming. It unblocked international Netflix libraries and worked with Hulu and ESPN+ on iOS, and our DNS and WebRTC leak tests passed.
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. Its RAM-only TrustedServer setup and privacy-policy claims were checked in a KPMG no-logs audit published in June 2025, and that audited setup is a large part of why it scored 8.8/10 in our ExpressVPN review. Servers sit in 113 countries, and the apps cover Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and routers.
Plans are tiered by device count: Basic covers 10, Advanced 12 and Pro 14 simultaneous devices. The promotional 2-year rate changes with running deals, so expect it from about $3 a month, while month-to-month pricing depends on the tier you choose. It costs more than Surfshark for comparable terms, and there is no free plan. New users get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Families who outgrew F-Secure's five-device ceiling can move up to 14 devices without switching providers later.
Pros
- Simple apps on nearly every platform, including routers
- KPMG-assessed TrustedServer RAM-only servers
- Kill switch rarely trips under heavy use
Cons
- Speed loss of roughly 37 to 39 percent on desktop
- Email support can take close to 48 hours
4. Surfshark - best for unlimited devices
Surfshark is the answer to F-Secure's per-device pricing, because one plan covers unlimited simultaneous devices.
Value is a big part of why it scored 8.6/10 in our Surfshark review. The Starter plan costs $2.49 a month on the 2-year plan ($67.23 for the first 27 months), renewing at $79 a year. Month-to-month billing costs several times the long-term rate. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, a 7-day free trial starts on Android, iOS or macOS, and a 30-day money-back guarantee applies.
Its speeds were uneven but usable. Download losses ranged from about 10 percent on long-distance links to around 30 percent in some Mac tests, and Windows speeds can lag. Upload speeds were only passable compared with downloads. Streaming was stronger: we changed Netflix regions without being flagged, and Surfshark has apps for Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV. We also tried torrenting with Camouflage Mode on, and it ran only about 5 percent slower than without the VPN. When the connection dropped, the kill switch held.
Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, runs RAM-only servers and has had its no-logs policy verified again by Deloitte in June 2025. The network spans 4,500+ servers in 100 countries, and Bypasser split tunneling gives fine-grained app and site exclusions that F-Secure VPN lacks.
Pros
- Unlimited devices on every plan
- Two Deloitte no-logs verifications
- Camouflage Mode for restrictive networks
Cons
- Windows speeds can lag
- Upload speeds are only passable
5. Mullvad VPN - best for anonymity and privacy
Mullvad VPN is for readers who left F-Secure VPN over its 90-day connection logs and want to share as little as possible, and it scored 8.5/10 in our Mullvad review.
Signing up asked us for no email at all. We received a random account number instead and could have paid with cash or crypto. Speed was excellent, with an average download loss of only about 2 percent, and nearby servers sometimes tested slightly faster than no VPN at all. The kill switch worked, Lockdown Mode added stricter blocking, and our DNS and WebRTC leak tests passed.
The privacy case goes beyond promises. In April 2023, Swedish police arrived with a search warrant for customer data and found nothing, because Mullvad stores none. It has no ISAE 3000-style no-logs certification, but Cure53 completed its fourth infrastructure audit in June 2024. Mullvad is based in Sweden and runs WireGuard only, across 566 servers in 50 countries.
Streaming is the trade-off. Netflix access was inconsistent, with Canada and Australia working while the US and UK libraries were repeatedly blocked. There is also no setup tutorial and no automatic fastest-server option, so you pick locations by hand.
Pricing is a flat EUR 5 a month (about $5.69) with no long-term discounts, covering up to 5 devices on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. There is no free plan or trial, and the money-back window is 14 days.
Pros
- No email needed, with cash and crypto payment
- Police search found no customer data
- Flat price with no long-term lock-in
Cons
- Unreliable for US and UK Netflix
- Support is email-only, with no live chat
- Shorter 14-day refund window
6. Windscribe - best free alternative
Windscribe is the best free swap for F-Secure VPN, which has no free plan of its own, and it scored 8.5/10 in our Windscribe review.
The free plan gives you 10GB a month with a confirmed email (2GB without), unlimited devices, the same encryption as Pro and R.O.B.E.R.T. ad and tracker blocking. Free locations cover about 10 countries, and the free tier leaves out streaming-optimized servers and torrenting. Free servers suffered periodic speed drops of up to 90 percent at busy times, which is the main cost of paying nothing.
Pro is a different experience. On nearby servers our speeds held near the baseline, about 92 of 95 Mbps, though they fell off on long routes such as Singapore. Netflix US and UK worked, but several regional streaming services stayed blocked. The desktop app has more menus and toggles than most VPNs, the mobile apps are much simpler, and custom R.O.B.E.R.T. rules live in the website account panel rather than the app.
Windscribe is based in Canada. It has no dedicated no-logs audit, but Packetlabs audited its RAM-only server stack in June 2024. Pro costs $69 a year ($5.75 a month) or $9.00 month to month, with servers in over 69 countries, and Build a Plan lets you pay $1 per location per month with a $3 minimum. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, TVs and routers. Refunds are limited to 7 days from purchase and under 10GB of paid-plan data used.
Pros
- Free plan with 10GB a month and unlimited devices
- Apps for TVs and routers as well as desktop and mobile
- Flexible Build a Plan pricing
Cons
- Free servers slow sharply at busy times
- Strict 7-day, under-10GB refund policy
- Human ticket replies can take around 18 hours
7. Private Internet Access - best for customization on Windows, macOS and Linux
Private Internet Access (PIA) is for people who found F-Secure VPN too bare and want settings to tune.
Installation was straightforward, with an optional tutorial. The main screen puts the connect button, recommended server and new IP up front, while the deeper settings screen, where the customization lives, feels dense. You get WireGuard or OpenVPN with a choice of AES-128 or AES-256, split tunneling for apps and sites on desktop, port forwarding, a SOCKS5 proxy, multi-hop and the MACE blocker. We set the Advanced Kill Switch to always on, and it blocked all internet access until the VPN connected.
Speed depends heavily on distance. On nearby servers our download speed dipped only about 5 percent, and WireGuard ran about 5 to 10 percent faster than OpenVPN, but international routes averaged close to 60 percent slower. Upload speeds fell roughly 80 to 90 percent, so a large video upload can take about three times as long. Streaming worked on 20+ platforms, including Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer, but only on the streaming-optimized servers.
PIA is based in the United States, a Five Eyes country, which is offset by a third Deloitte no-logs review completed in December 2025 and court cases in 2016 and 2018 that produced no usage logs. That track record helped it to 8.4/10 in our Private Internet Access review. It costs $2.03 a month on the 3-year plan, $3.99 on the 1-year plan or $11.95 month to month, with unlimited devices across 91 countries. There is a 7-day free trial on mobile and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Deepest settings of any pick
- Unlimited devices and a low 3-year price
- Court-tested and Deloitte-reviewed no-logs policy
Cons
- Upload speeds fall roughly 80 to 90 percent
- Regular servers get blocked by streaming services
How we picked and tested these alternatives
We started from the places F-Secure VPN let us down and asked each alternative to do better on them. That meant measuring download speed on nearby servers and on long-distance routes, then opening the streaming services F-Secure VPN struggled with. Because F-Secure's apps offer no WebRTC protection, we ran DNS and WebRTC leak tests on Proton VPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Mullvad, and we checked how the kill switches in ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Mullvad and PIA behaved when a connection dropped.
Privacy counted as much as performance. We gave credit only for independent evidence, such as a published no-logs audit, an infrastructure audit or a real-world case where authorities came away with no user data. We also compared what each provider costs to cover five devices, since that is where F-Secure's per-device tiers hurt most, and we noted each money-back window.
Every score quoted here is the one each service earned in our full review, and the ranking follows those scores. Where two services tied, Proton VPN and NordVPN at 9.0, and Mullvad and Windscribe at 8.5, we ordered them by how directly they fix F-Secure VPN's weak spots.
F-Secure VPN vs the alternatives: what you gain and give up
The picks above all beat F-Secure VPN on the measurable points. You gain independent audits (or, for Mullvad, a police search that came away empty), networks of 50 to 149 countries instead of about 20, and far more reliable streaming. You also gain device headroom, from 10 devices on Proton, NordVPN and ExpressVPN to unlimited on Surfshark, Windscribe and PIA. Linux support and per-app split tunneling come with every alternative. Most also add obfuscation, and Proton, Windscribe and PIA add port forwarding, all features F-Secure leaves out.
What you give up is mostly convenience. F-Secure Total users lose the single-vendor setup, where antivirus, VPN and account management share one app and one bill. You also lose F-Secure's Finnish jurisdiction, which only Proton (Switzerland), Surfshark (Netherlands) and Mullvad (Sweden) match with European bases. Finally, F-Secure VPN leaves you almost nothing to configure, so a feature-rich app like Windscribe or PIA can feel busy by comparison.
Free vs paid alternatives to F-Secure VPN
If price is the gap you care about most, start here: F-Secure VPN has no free plan. Its product pages currently offer a 30-day free trial, though F-Secure changes the trial length by region and campaign, so the trial on offer can differ. After that you pay per device on an annual or 2-year term.
Two of our picks give you a permanent free option. Proton VPN's free plan has no data cap but covers one device, while Windscribe's free plan allows unlimited devices but stops at 10GB a month. Either is fine for occasional public Wi-Fi use, but neither unblocks streaming or supports torrenting. If free is a hard requirement, our guide to free VPN alternatives compares more options and the risks that come with them.
For daily use, a paid plan is still the better deal against F-Secure VPN. Surfshark and PIA cost less per month on long terms than F-Secure's single-device price, and they cover every device you own.
Security suite alternatives: if you want antivirus plus a VPN
Price is one gap; the bundle is another. Many people reach F-Secure VPN through F-Secure Total, which bundles the VPN with antivirus, scam protection, a password manager, 24/7 dark web monitoring and identity theft assistance. If that all-in-one protection is what you value, you have two routes.
The first is to keep F-Secure for antivirus and add a standalone VPN. F-Secure Internet Security covers antivirus, ransomware and scam protection without a VPN. F-Secure does not publish guidance on running its antivirus alongside another vendor's VPN, so use your new VPN's money-back window to confirm both work together on your devices.
The second is to move to a provider that bundles security tools with the VPN. NordVPN's Complete and Prime tiers add the NordPass password manager, cloud storage and identity protection. Surfshark's higher tiers add antivirus, the Alert breach monitor and Incogni data removal, and ExpressVPN's upper tiers add a password manager and identity tools. For full suites from antivirus makers, see our roundup of antivirus suites that include a VPN.
Hotspot Shield and Kaspersky VPN also come up often as swaps. We didn't rank them here, so if either is on your shortlist, hold it to the same audit, device and streaming checks as our seven. If you are weighing other suite VPNs, our guides to Bitdefender VPN alternatives, ESET VPN alternatives and AVG Secure VPN alternatives cover the same trade-offs for those brands.
How to choose the right F-Secure VPN alternative
Start with the reason you are leaving, then check each candidate against the criteria in EFF's guide to choosing a VPN, which stresses trust, logging practices and who runs the service. For someone switching from F-Secure VPN, these points matter most:
- Device count. Count every phone, laptop, tablet and TV you want covered. If it is more than five, look at Surfshark, Windscribe or PIA for unlimited devices, or ExpressVPN for up to 14.
- Audit evidence. Prefer a published no-logs audit or a real-world test over a policy page alone.
- Streaming. If streaming is why you are leaving, NordVPN unblocked the widest range of services for us, on any server.
- Platforms. F-Secure has no Linux app. Every pick here does, along with Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
- Kill switch on every device. F-Secure's is missing on iPhone, so confirm the new VPN's kill switch works on each platform you use.
- Restrictive networks. F-Secure has no obfuscation. Proton's Stealth protocol, NordVPN's obfuscated servers, Surfshark's Camouflage Mode and Windscribe's Stealth option all help on censored networks.
- Refund terms. Money-back windows run from 7 to 30 days, so plan your testing inside the shortest one that applies.
The best replacement fixes the specific thing that made you leave F-Secure VPN, whether that is device limits, streaming or proof of privacy.
How to switch from F-Secure VPN
Once you have picked a replacement, switching takes a few minutes per device. Follow these steps in order so you are never left unprotected in between.
- Pick your replacement and buy the plan. Check the money-back window first, because it sets how long you have to test.
- Turn off F-Secure's VPN. If you bought F-Secure VPN on its own, sign in to your F-Secure account and turn off automatic renewal. If you use F-Secure Total and plan to keep its antivirus, switch off only the VPN toggle in the F-Secure app.
- Uninstall the standalone app. Open your system settings and remove F-Secure VPN from the installed apps list on each device you are moving. Skip this step if the VPN lives inside a Total installation you are keeping.
- Install the new VPN. Download the app from the provider or your device's app store, sign in and connect to a nearby server.
- Run leak tests. Check for DNS, IP and WebRTC leaks, since WebRTC protection is something F-Secure's apps never offered.
- Test what you actually use. Open your streaming services, try a large download and let a laptop sleep and wake to confirm the connection comes back.
- Use the refund if needed. If it doesn't suit you, cancel inside the money-back window and try the next pick.
Refund terms differ more than you might expect. Proton VPN's 30-day refund is prorated, Mullvad gives 14 days, and Windscribe refunds only within 7 days and under 10GB of paid-plan data used. If you bought F-Secure VPN recently, its own 30-day money-back guarantee may also let you recover some of what you paid.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to F-Secure VPN?
Is there a free alternative to F-Secure VPN?
Is F-Secure VPN the same as Freedome?
Is F-Secure VPN included in F-Secure Total?
Which alternative supports the most devices?
Can I use an alternative on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS?
Does F-Secure VPN work in China?
Verdict: which F-Secure VPN alternative should you choose?
Our overall pick is in the box below, but the right alternative depends on why you are leaving. NordVPN is the choice for streaming and speed, and Surfshark is the one to buy if you want to cover unlimited devices on a budget. Mullvad suits anyone who wants to give away as little personal data as possible, Windscribe is the best free option, and PIA suits tinkerers who want every setting. To compare these with the rest of the market, see our ranking of the best VPN services.
