2026 VPN Statistics and Consumer Report: 40% of Americans Remain Unprotected Online

More than ever, consumers are using tools to help stay anonymous and protect their data while browsing the internet. Virtual private networks (VPNs), which help users create secure, private internet connections, are among the most popular tools in the fight for data privacy online, with 60% of Americans using one in the last year.

Given the popularity and effectiveness of VPNs, each year our team at All About Cookies compiles an annual report to understand how consumers interact with VPNs, how much they understand them, and more.

To compile this data, we surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults to learn about their knowledge and experiences with VPNs, and conducted a thorough review of the VPN market to understand trends, product features, and usage in the coming year.

Key findings

• Most Americans know what VPNs do, and more than half (60%) actively use them.
• Around two-thirds of VPN users (64%) connect weekly or more.
• 40% of users utilize their VPN to protect their data from being collected by AI companies and tools.
• 94% of users who pay for a VPN service say they are satisfied with their VPN, while 83% with a free VPN say the same.
• 82% of VPN users utilize a VPN on their computer, and 55% use one on their smartphone.
• Nearly 70% of Americans have used a VPN before.

How well do Americans understand VPNs?

While the concept of virtual private networks has become increasingly common in recent years, do most people actually know what they are and how they work?

It turns out the answer is a resounding yes. 98% of survey respondents said they have at least heard of a VPN, including almost 80% who said they know what VPNs do. These results indicate an increase in VPN knowledge. Last year, only 58% of people said they were familiar with what VPNs do.

Several factors are driving this rise in VPN awareness, from the spread of age verification laws worldwide to growing concern about government and AI-based digital surveillance. Experts expect this trend to continue for years to come.

While more people than ever are familiar with the general idea of VPNs and what they do, very few fully understand the specifics. When presented with a list of 12 potential VPN functions, some real and some fake, only 13% of respondents correctly identified every actual function that VPNs perform, and only 3% did so without also selecting an incorrect option.

While only a small percentage of people have a complete handle on exactly what VPNs do, most have a general sense of some major functions. Nearly three-quarters of respondents correctly said that VPNs hide their IP address from websites they visit, while at least half also accurately identified allowing access to geographically-restricted content (59%) and encrypting internet traffic so others can’t see it (50%) as genuine VPN operations.

VPN usage statistics

In an increasingly digital world, it makes sense that many people would look for ways to increase and improve the safety of their data online. VPNs can be a powerful tool in anyone's arsenal for beefing up digital security, but how many people are actually using them?

60% of respondents indicated that they used a VPN last year, including 5% who started using a VPN for the first time. 46% said their VPN usage stayed consistent or increased compared to the year before, while just 9% said they used their VPN less often. An additional 9% said they stopped using a VPN entirely last year, and less than a third of respondents, 31%, said they have never used a VPN at all.

Among non-users, about half (48%) said they simply feel like they do not need a VPN, the most common reason for non-use. However, the second- and third-most common reasons people don’t use VPNs point to a knowledge gap: 30% said they don’t know how to set one up, and 29% said they don’t know which VPN provider to trust. For those users, our NordVPN review is a good place to start.

VPN market pricing and features

There are many reliable VPN options available to users looking to beef up their digital security, and each comes with its own unique features and pricing. The All About Cookies team has collected detailed data on more than 50 of the most popular and well-known VPNs, which we have broken down here.

When it comes to affordability, nearly 73% of top VPNs have a monthly price tag of $4 or less, granting users access to the full capabilities and features the VPN offers. That means that nearly three-quarters of the best VPNs on the market charge less than a single cup of coffee for a month of online protection.

Even with such low price tags, making these VPNs a relatively minor financial investment, the vast majority of VPN services come with money-back guarantees. In fact, 84% of VPNs analyzed allow users to get their money back if they aren’t satisfied within 30 days of use.

We also evaluated each VPN's functionality against the key features users expect from a quality virtual private network. We found that the median number of maximum connections among top VPNs is 10, with 11 services offering unlimited connections.

When it comes to the number of servers and countries customers can connect to, the VPNs we evaluated give users access to nearly 2,800 servers in 60 different countries on average. However, the highest-rated VPNs offer 3,000+ servers in over 100 countries.

Free vs. paid VPN usage

When it comes to VPNs, users have a lot of options. Things like usability, functionality, and available features can impact which VPN someone chooses to use. Another key consideration for many is price (or lack thereof).

Some VPNs require users to purchase the program or pay for a subscription, while others are free. The downside to free VPNs is that many are known to have poor privacy practices, lack security features, or outright sell user data for profit, though some top free VPNs are more trustworthy than their peers. In general, however, using a highly rated VPN that comes with a price tag will provide users with a better and safer VPN experience.

A little less than half of VPN users (46%) say they use a free VPN service, while 30% say they pay for their VPN of choice. 16% say their VPN access is provided by their school or work, and 8% use a VPN built into their browser or operating system.

While not having to pay a dime for free VPNs makes them enticing, there can be downsides to that value. Namely, users may actually be “paying” for that VPN access in the form of personal data, as many free VPNs cover their operational costs by logging and selling user information to third-party companies, something that more than half of survey respondents (56%) were unaware of.

For anyone concerned about a VPN selling their data, choosing one of the best no-log VPNs is a great way to improve internet safety with confidence.

64% of VPN users connect to their VPN weekly

While VPNs can provide a bevy of benefits to users, they can only do so if they’re actually being used. We wanted to find out how often current VPN users are actually connecting to their VPN of choice.

The majority of people who use VPNs (80%) use them every single month. That includes about a third (31%) who say they boot up their VPN every single day before they begin surfing the internet, and exactly a third (33%) who say they use a VPN a few times per week.

Most common uses for VPNs

VPNs are used to enhance data security and online privacy, which can be especially important when performing certain tasks online. All About Cookies asked real VPN users to tell us which digital tasks they use VPNs to perform.

The top two uses for VPNs are broad: 75% of users say they use their VPN to increase their general internet safety, while a little more than two-thirds (67%) use a VPN for increased security when using public Wi-Fi. Those features also play into other top VPN uses, such as keeping personal data from corporations and advertisers and maintaining anonymity online.

Another major use of VPNs is to change IP addresses, a process that hides a user’s true location and makes it appear as if they’re accessing the internet from somewhere else. 62% of users report having used a VPN to change their IP address before.

Changing your IP address can be done for a number of reasons, with a popular one being to gain access to geo-restricted content. Streaming services have different content available in different countries, and changing their IP address can give users access to a new catalog of shows and movies that may not be available in their home country. Using VPNs to watch Netflix and other streaming services is generally legal and a great way to get extra value from a streaming subscription.

Using a VPN to access streaming services is also fairly common, as more than half of respondents (54%) say they have logged on to a streaming service using a VPN before.

What else are VPNs used for?

There are less common and occasionally seedier uses for VPNs as well. While these uses were cited by a significantly smaller portion of survey respondents, they are still things that between 10% and 40% of VPN users say they have used a VPN for.

Current events and digital trends are also driving VPN usage for some users. More and more states and countries have introduced age verification laws that restrict access to certain kinds of content, and as a result, 12% of respondents say they have used a VPN to bypass age verification requirements.

Concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) collecting user data have resulted in 40% of VPN users saying they use their VPN to protect their data from AI companies, while 19% say they use a VPN to access AI tools in a more secure and private manner.

Accessing geographically restricted content is another relatively common use for VPNs. More than two-fifths of users (41%) say they’ve used a VPN to access content that is blocked where they live, and exactly one-quarter say they have watched live sports streams online using a VPN before (like out-of-network NFL games).

Do VPN users feel truly anonymous online?

It’s clear that keeping personal data secure and anonymous is a major reason most people use virtual private networks, to the point that some even pay for a VPN anonymously. So just how confident are current VPN users that they’re truly anonymous online when using a VPN?

More than half of users (52%) say they’re mostly confident in their online anonymity when using a VPN, while nearly one-tenth of respondents (9%) are even more confident than that, saying they have complete confidence that they are truly anonymous when they browse the internet using a VPN.

Overall, users appear very happy with their VPN experience. 94% of users with a paid VPN subscription say they are satisfied with their service, including 50% who say they are very satisfied. While there is a drop off in satisfaction among free VPN users, 83% of respondents in that category still said they are at least somewhat satisfied with their VPN, with around a third (32%) saying they are very satisfied.

Advice from our experts

Many of the best VPNs come with a price tag, so we asked experts for their opinions on free vs. paid VPNs.

Are there any red flags you can think of when it comes to installing a free VPN?

Is a paid VPN a worthwhile investment in your opinion?

_{Some responses may have been slightly edited for clarity and brevity.}

Tips for getting more out of your VPN

Safe, secure web access should be available to everyone. When looking to get set up with a VPN, consider the following:

• Use a top provider. With so many options available, it can be hard to know which to pick. To help, our team has reviewed more than 50 of the top VPNs to find the absolute best VPNs available.
• Get yourself properly set up. Knowing how to set up a VPN on your devices should ensure you’re getting all the benefits of secure browsing and that everything is running properly.
• Learn the basics. Becoming familiar with VPN pros and cons can help you discern how a VPN can improve your daily browsing.
• Secure your online privacy. Age verification databases are susceptible to data breaches, putting your sensitive data at risk. Learn how a VPN can help bypass verification checks online for secure, private browsing.

Methodology

All About Cookies surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 or older using a survey platform in April 2026.