Of every product category I've reviewed for this site, VPNs are the one where the gap between the marketing and the reality is widest. Sponsored YouTube ads tell you that without a VPN, "hackers can steal your data on public Wi-Fi" — a sentence that was approximately true in 2010 and is approximately false in 2026, because the entire web now runs on HTTPS.
That doesn't mean VPNs are useless. They have specific, real, useful applications. It just means they aren't the all-purpose security tool they're marketed as. Most UK adults probably shouldn't pay for one. The ones who should buy them for the right reason.
When a VPN is genuinely useful
Public Wi-Fi at cafés, hotels, airports. A VPN encrypts your traffic against any local snooping. Genuinely useful — though HTTPS already handles most of it.
Geo-shifting streaming. Accessing US Netflix from the UK, BBC iPlayer from abroad. Useful, but legally grey, and increasingly fought by streaming services.
Privacy from ISP-level tracking. UK ISPs are required to retain certain metadata. A VPN moves that observation to the VPN provider instead. The honest question is whether you trust the VPN more than your ISP.
Avoiding price discrimination. Some online retailers charge different prices by location. A VPN can sometimes circumvent this.
Accessing geo-blocked content. Including UK-blocked content from abroad, or non-UK content from inside the UK.
When the VPN pitch is mostly marketing
The "VPN protects you from hackers" framing is largely overblown:
- HTTPS — now nearly universal in web browsing — already encrypts traffic between your browser and the website
- The "hackers stealing your data on public Wi-Fi" scenario is rare in 2026 with HTTPS prevalent
- VPNs don't protect against malware, phishing, or weak passwords — which are the actual ways UK adults get compromised
If your only justification for buying a VPN is "general security," you may not need one. Spend the £50-£120 a year on a password manager and 2FA hardware key instead.
The four worth knowing
ProtonVPN. Swiss-based, strong privacy track record, EU-friendly. Free tier available; paid £4-£10/month for full features. The right answer for most UK adults wanting reasonable privacy without entering full surveillance-skeptic territory.
Mullvad. Anonymous account creation (no email required), accepts cash payment, EU-based. The most privacy-focused mainstream VPN. £4/month flat — they don't do introductory deals or annual lock-ins, which is itself a value statement.
NordVPN. The most-marketed VPN by a wide margin. Heavily advertised on YouTube and podcasts. Decent service. Pricing is opaque — introductory offers versus renewal pricing differ significantly. £3-£10/month depending on tier and contract length.
ExpressVPN. Premium-positioned. Strong server network, good streaming geo-shifting. Higher price point at £6-£12/month.
How I'd actually pick
For travel and public Wi-Fi: ProtonVPN paid tier at £4-£8/month. Reasonable balance of privacy and convenience.
For anonymity-first users: Mullvad at £4/month.
For streaming geo-shift specifically: NordVPN or ExpressVPN during a sale. But verify the streaming services you actually want work with your chosen VPN before paying — streaming services play whack-a-mole with VPN IPs, and what worked last month may not work this one.
For UK adults whose only justification is "I should have one": don't pay for a VPN. Your money is better spent on a password manager (1Password or Bitwarden) and basic security hygiene.
What I'd swerve:
- Free VPNs — many monetise by selling user data, exactly what they market against
- 2-year prepaid VPN deals — lock-in is real; the provider can change terms or get acquired
- VPNs marketed primarily by influencers — heavy advertising spend often correlates with mediocre product quality
What VPNs don't do, and what does
For UK adults concerned about online security, here's the honest priority list — VPN is fifth, not first:
- Password manager (1Password, Bitwarden) — biggest single improvement to personal cybersecurity
- Two-factor authentication on important accounts — email, banking, financial accounts
- Software updates kept current — most successful attacks rely on known unpatched vulnerabilities
- Browser with reasonable privacy settings — Firefox or Brave for privacy-focused; Safari or Chrome for compatibility
- VPN for the specific use cases above, not as a general security tool
A VPN doesn't protect against malware (separate problem; use appropriate antivirus if relevant), phishing (your browser does most of this; password manager helps), or account compromise via data breaches (change passwords; use 2FA; monitor with Have I Been Pwned). And if you're worried about state-level surveillance, your threat model needs more than a commercial VPN.
Affiliate disclosure: Morningfold has affiliate partnerships with ProtonVPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Mullvad. See editorial standards.