Best VPNs for India in 2026
Whether you live in India or are only passing through, a VPN encrypts your connection on public Wi-Fi and gives you an Indian IP address for the Indian services that check for one. Below are the seven VPNs we recommend for India, what each is best at, who should skip it, and the official figures behind the comparison.
Best VPNs for India compared
| # | VPN | Best for | Servers in India | Simultaneous devices | Money-back guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NordVPN | Best VPN overall for India | 25 (virtual) | 10 | 30 days |
| 2 | Surfshark | Best for families | — | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 3 | Private Internet Access | Best for torrenting | — | Unlimited | 30 days (new subscribers) |
| 4 | CyberGhost | Best for a long trial period | 60 (virtual) | 7 | 45 days (14 on monthly plans) |
| 5 | Proton VPN | Best free VPN | 30 (virtual) | 10 (VPN Plus) | 30 days |
| 6 | PureVPN | Best for Fire TV Stick | — | 10 | 31 days |
| 7 | ExpressVPN | Best for travelers | — | 10–14 (by plan) | 30 days (new users) |
Every figure in the table comes from the provider’s own website. Where a provider does not publish an Indian server count, the cell is empty rather than estimated.
Why the Indian servers are “virtual”
In 2022 India’s computer emergency response team, CERT-In, directed VPN providers to keep their customers’ names, contact details and IP addresses for five years. Most large providers responded by moving their servers out of India. They still offer Indian IP addresses, but through virtual locations: the server sits in a nearby country, such as Singapore, and the IP address it gives you is registered in India.
Every provider in this list that says where its Indian servers are hosted marks them as virtual. For you, that means Indian websites see an Indian IP address, but your traffic travels further than it would to a server inside India.
Who has the most servers in India?
How we picked these VPNs
The ranking is our editorial judgment of which provider fits which need in India. To keep it honest, we only publish facts we can source:
- Indian servers – how many servers each provider offers for India, in which city, and whether they are virtual, taken from its own server pages.
- Devices per plan – how many devices one subscription covers, which decides whether one plan is enough for a family.
- Refund period – how long you have to try the service and get your money back.
- Fit for the use case – streaming, travel, a usable free plan, or support for TV devices such as the Fire TV Stick.
We have not yet published our own speed or streaming tests for India, so this guide makes no claims about speeds or about which Indian apps each VPN unblocks.
The best VPNs for India, reviewed
1. NordVPN
- Servers in India
- 25 (virtual)api.nordvpn.com/v1/servers/countries · checked 2026-11-08
- Simultaneous devices
- 10nordvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-08
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 daysnordvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-08
NordVPN offers an Indian location in Mumbai. Its own server list marks every Indian server as a virtual location, in line with the other providers here. What makes it our overall pick is the rest of the package: a large network in the countries around India and a plan that covers enough devices for a phone, a laptop and a TV at the same time.
Our NordVPN review covers the apps and the privacy policy in more detail.
+ Pros
- An Indian IP address in Mumbai
- One plan covers a household’s main devices
- Large networks in nearby Singapore and beyond
− Cons
- Indian servers are virtual, as with every provider here
- Has a device limit, unlike Surfshark and PIA
- Fewer Indian servers than CyberGhost or Proton VPN
Choose it if you want one VPN that handles browsing, streaming and public Wi-Fi in and around India. Skip it if you need to protect more devices than one plan allows.
2. Surfshark
- Servers in India
- —not published
- Simultaneous devices
- Unlimitedsurfshark.com/features/multiple-devices · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 dayssurfshark.com/features/multiple-devices · checked 2026-11-07
Surfshark offers Indian IP addresses and covers an unlimited number of devices on one subscription. That is why we recommend it for families and shared flats: everyone can use the same plan on every phone, laptop and TV in the home. It does not publish an Indian server count, so the table leaves that cell empty.
+ Pros
- No device limit on one subscription
- Indian IP addresses on every plan
− Cons
- No published Indian server count
- The refund guarantee only covers your first purchase
Choose it if you are buying one VPN for a whole family. Skip it if you want to know how many Indian servers you are paying for.
3. Private Internet Access
- Servers in India
- —not published
- Simultaneous devices
- Unlimitedprivateinternetaccess.com · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days (new subscribers)privateinternetaccess.com · checked 2026-11-07
Private Internet Access (PIA) also allows unlimited simultaneous devices on one subscription. It is open about its Indian location: PIA says the hardware sits in Singapore while the IP address shows India. It is our pick for torrenting, but it does not publish an Indian server count.
Using a VPN does not make downloading copyrighted material legal. See torrenting in India below.
+ Pros
- No device limit on one subscription
- States plainly where its Indian location is hosted
− Cons
- No published Indian server count
- The refund guarantee is for new subscribers only
Choose it if you torrent legal content and want every device covered. Skip it if you want to know exactly how many Indian servers you are paying for.
4. CyberGhost
- Servers in India
- 60 (virtual)cyberghostvpn.com/vpn-server · checked 2026-11-08
- Simultaneous devices
- 7cyberghostvpn.com/features/money-back-guar… · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 45 days (14 on monthly plans)cyberghostvpn.com/features/money-back-guar… · checked 2026-11-07
CyberGhost lists the most Indian servers of the providers that publish a figure, all in Mumbai and all marked as virtual on its server page. It also gives you the longest refund period in this list on plans of six months or more, which is useful in India, where you will want time to check how a virtual location performs on your connection.
+ Pros
- The most Indian servers in this list
- The longest refund period here on longer plans
− Cons
- The lowest device limit in this list
- Monthly plans get a much shorter refund window
Choose it if you want the widest choice of Indian servers and time to test them. Skip it if you need many devices covered or only want to pay month by month.
5. Proton VPN
- Servers in India
- 30 (virtual)protonvpn.com/vpn-servers · checked 2026-11-08
- Simultaneous devices
- 10 (VPN Plus)protonvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 daysprotonvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-07
Proton VPN is the only provider in this list with a permanent free plan, which makes it our pick for a free VPN in India. The free plan covers a single device and connects you to a randomly selected server. You cannot choose India, so use it to protect yourself on public Wi-Fi, not to get an Indian IP address.
On the paid VPN Plus plan you can choose India. Proton says those servers are physically located in Singapore.
+ Pros
- The only permanent free plan in this list
- The paid plan includes Indian servers, second only to CyberGhost here
− Cons
- The free plan cannot connect to India on request
- The free plan covers a single device
Choose it if you want free protection on café, station or airport Wi-Fi. Skip it if you need an Indian IP address without paying.
6. PureVPN
- Servers in India
- —not published
- Simultaneous devices
- 10purevpn.com/order · checked 2026-11-08
- Money-back guarantee
- 31 dayspurevpn.com/order · checked 2026-11-08
PureVPN offers a dedicated Fire TV Stick app, which is why we recommend it if you mainly watch on an Amazon Fire TV device. It offers Indian IP addresses through virtual servers and says so on its India page, but it does not publish an Indian server count.
+ Pros
- A dedicated app for the Amazon Fire TV Stick
- A slightly longer refund period than most providers here
− Cons
- No published Indian server count
Choose it if you watch mostly on a Fire TV Stick. Skip it if you want the largest choice of Indian servers. Read our PureVPN review.
7. ExpressVPN
- Servers in India
- —not published
- Simultaneous devices
- 10–14 (by plan)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days (new users)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12
ExpressVPN offers two Indian locations, one hosted in Singapore and one in the UK, and labels both as virtual. Add its worldwide server network, and that is why we recommend it to people who travel in and out of India: one app gives you an Indian IP address when you are away and a local one wherever you land.
+ Pros
- A choice of two Indian locations
- A worldwide server network for travel
− Cons
- No published Indian server count
- The device limit depends on the plan you buy
- The refund guarantee is for new users only
Choose it if you regularly travel between India and other countries. Skip it if you want unlimited devices on one plan.
Watching Indian TV with a VPN
Indian streaming apps check where you are, and they often refuse to play when they see a VPN address. If you live in India and keep your VPN on, connect to an Indian location so the apps see an Indian IP address, and try another Indian location if one still refuses to play.
Indian channels and their streaming apps
| Broadcaster | Channels | Streaming app |
|---|---|---|
| Prasar Bharati | DD National, DD News | Waves |
| JioStar | Star Plus, Colors | JioHotstar |
| Sony Pictures Networks India | Sony Entertainment Television | Sony LIV |
| Zee Entertainment | Zee TV | ZEE5 |
JioHotstar streams the Indian Premier League (IPL), but you still need a JioHotstar plan that includes it.
Before you rely on it
- Streaming services often block VPN traffic, and what works changes over time. We have not tested which VPN currently works with which Indian app, so use the refund period to check the services you care about.
- Some services restrict VPN use in their terms. Check the terms of the service you subscribe to.
- Subscription services such as JioHotstar, Sony LIV and ZEE5 still need a subscription; a VPN only changes your location.
What to avoid when choosing a VPN for India
- Free VPNs that pay for themselves with ads or your data. The one free plan we list, Proton VPN, cannot give you an Indian IP address.
- Providers that are vague about their Indian servers. Check whether the provider says where its Indian location is hosted; the best ones tell you.
- Plans you cannot get refunded. Every VPN in our list has a refund window; use it to test the Indian apps you care about.
- Providers that say little about who runs them or what they log. Read the privacy policy before you pay, and check whether the provider keeps servers inside India.
- “Lifetime” deals from unknown brands. A service that has to keep running servers for ever on a one-off payment rarely lasts.
Is using a VPN legal in India?
Yes. No Indian law bans using a VPN. The rules CERT-In issued in 2022 apply to VPN providers, not to their customers: they require providers operating in India to keep customer records for five years, which is why the providers in this list host their Indian locations abroad.
A VPN does not change what is legal, though. This is general information, not legal advice.
Torrenting in India
Downloading or sharing copyrighted material without permission is illegal in India under the Copyright Act 1957, with or without a VPN. Rights holders regularly ask the courts, in particular the Delhi High Court, to order internet providers to block piracy sites, and those orders can extend to mirror sites that appear later. Torrenting itself is legal for content you have the right to share, such as open-source software or public-domain films.
How to get an Indian IP address
- Pick a VPN from the table above that offers an Indian location.
- Install its app on the device you want to use and sign in.
- Choose India in the server list and connect.
- Check that your IP address now shows India, then open the Indian service you want to use.
FAQ
What is the best VPN for India?
NordVPN is our pick for most people. It offers an Indian IP address in Mumbai, a large network in nearby countries, and one plan covers several devices. Surfshark is the better choice for large households because it has no device limit.
Is there a good free VPN for India?
Proton VPN has the only free plan in our list. It is useful on public Wi-Fi, but the free plan picks a server for you, so it cannot give you an Indian IP address. For that you need a paid plan.
Which VPN has the most servers in India?
Of the providers in our list that publish a figure, CyberGhost has the most Indian servers, followed by Proton VPN and NordVPN. All of them are virtual locations hosted outside India.
Can I watch JioHotstar, Sony LIV or ZEE5 in India with a VPN on?
These apps check for an Indian IP address, which a VPN connected to an Indian location provides. Streaming services do block VPNs, though, and we have not tested which VPN currently works with each app. Use a refund period to try it, and remember that these apps still need a subscription.
Is it legal to use a VPN in India?
Yes. The CERT-In rules from 2022 apply to VPN providers, not to people who use a VPN. A VPN does not make illegal activity, such as downloading copyrighted material, legal.
Are there VPN servers inside India?
Not with the providers in this list that say where their Indian servers are hosted. Since the CERT-In rules of 2022 they offer Indian IP addresses through virtual locations hosted in nearby countries such as Singapore.