Do you need a VPN?
Updated 21 September 2026 · How we research
The honest answer is that it depends on your threat model. A VPN is a strong answer to some problems, irrelevant to others, and occasionally a downgrade. Here is how to tell which applies to you.
Situations where a VPN clearly helps
In each case the VPN is solving a network-layer problem, which is what it is for.
| Situation | What the VPN changes |
|---|---|
| Public or shared Wi-Fi | A local attacker on the same network sees an encrypted tunnel instead of whatever is not already protected by HTTPS. |
| An ISP that profiles or sells browsing data | Destinations and DNS queries move inside the tunnel. |
| Travelling and needing services from home | Your apparent location follows the server you pick. |
| Peer-to-peer file sharing | Your home IP address is not advertised to every other peer in the swarm. |
| A network that blocks large parts of the internet | An obfuscated protocol may restore access — see obfuscation. |
Situations where it does not help
- Protecting an account you are logged into — use two-factor authentication.
- Stopping malware — that is a job for patching and endpoint protection.
- Preventing advertising trackers inside a browser — use browser controls.
- Hiding activity from a service that already knows your identity.
Home broadband is a trade, not an upgrade
On your own connection, using a VPN moves visibility from your ISP to your VPN provider. Whether that is an improvement depends on which of the two you trust more and what each retains — see logging explained.
Working out your own answer
- Name what you are actually worried about: the local network, your ISP, the sites you visit, or a specific adversary.
- Decide whether that concern lives at the network layer. If not, a VPN is probably the wrong tool.
- Decide whether you trust a VPN provider more than the network you are on.
- Pick a protocol appropriate to where you will use it — see protocols.
- Verify it works with these checks rather than assuming.