Best VPN for Small Business (2026): 8 Top Picks Compared
A business VPN is essential for securing remote work, protecting sensitive data, and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. This guide compares the 8 best business VPNs in 2026, with verified pricing, features, and recommendations for small businesses.
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For more resources, see our cheapest VPN for business 2026 guide, our best software for remote teams 2026 guide, and our best collaboration tools for remote teams 2026 guide.
Why Your Small Business Needs a VPN
A business VPN encrypts all internet traffic between your employees' devices and your company resources. This is critical for:
- Remote work security: Encrypt traffic on public Wi-Fi and home networks
- Data protection: Prevent interception of sensitive business data
- Access control: Centralized user management and access policies
- Compliance: Meet GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 encryption requirements
- Privacy: Mask your IP address from websites, trackers, and ISPs
Top 8 Business VPNs Compared
1. NordLayer — Best Overall for Small Business
Price: From $8/user/month (Lite), $11/user/month (Core), $14/user/month (Premium)
NordLayer is the business VPN from Nord Security, built on the same infrastructure as NordVPN. It offers centralized admin controls, SSO integration, dedicated IPs, and ThreatBlock DNS filtering. The Core plan ($11/user/month) is the most popular tier, adding site-to-site connectivity and SSO integration.
Pros:
- Centralized admin console with user management
- SSO via SAML (Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta)
- Dedicated IP addresses available
- ThreatBlock DNS filtering for malware and phishing protection
- Servers in 60+ countries
- 24/7 customer support
Cons:
- Smart remote access requires Premium tier ($14/user/month)
- No native SD-WAN routing — focused on remote access only
Recommended for: Small businesses that need centralized admin controls, SSO, and DNS filtering at a competitive price.
2. ExpressVPN for Business — Best for Global Reach
Price: From $12.95/user/month (Business), Custom (Enterprise)
ExpressVPN for Business extends the consumer platform with team management features, centralized billing, and admin dashboards. Its defining strength is the largest server network in the industry — 105 countries — paired with an audited no-logs policy backed by KPMG, Cure53, and PwC audits.
Pros:
- 105 countries — largest global server footprint
- Lightway protocol delivers fast, mobile-friendly connections
- Audited no-logs policy (KPMG, Cure53, PwC)
- TrustedServer RAM-only infrastructure wipes data on reboot
- Native apps for all major platforms including routers
Cons:
- More expensive per user than NordLayer or Surfshark
- No SSO integrations beyond manual user provisioning
Recommended for: Distributed teams that prioritize global server reach and proven privacy posture.
3. Surfshark One — Best Budget Option
Price: From $5.99/user/month (Surfshark One), $8.99/user/month (One+)
Surfshark One is the most affordable business VPN option, bundling VPN, antivirus, and identity breach alerts. The defining feature is unlimited simultaneous device connections per license — one license covers an employee's laptop, phone, tablet, and home router.
Pros:
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections per license
- Bundled antivirus + breach alerts at no extra cost
- Cheapest per-user price in business VPN segment
- RAM-only servers across 100+ countries
- CleanWeb blocks ads, trackers, malware at DNS level
Cons:
- Admin features are limited compared to NordLayer
- No native SSO support — manual user provisioning
Recommended for: Cost-conscious small teams (5-50 users) that want comprehensive security at a tight budget.
4. Twingate — Best Zero-Trust Alternative
Price: Free (Starter, 5 users), $5/user/month (Teams), $10/user/month (Business), Custom (Enterprise)
Twingate is a modern zero-trust network access (ZTNA) platform that replaces traditional VPNs. Instead of routing all traffic through a gateway, Twingate uses identity-aware split tunneling to give users direct, encrypted access only to specific authorized resources.
Pros:
- Free plan with 5 users is genuinely usable — not a trial
- 15-30 minute deployment versus days for traditional VPN
- Application-level access — users see only authorized resources
- Strong identity provider integrations (Okta, Entra ID, Google, JumpCloud)
- Developer-friendly API and Terraform provider
Cons:
- Less suited to site-to-site branch office VPN scenarios
- Compliance audit logs require Business plan ($10/user/month)
- Newer brand — less established than NordLayer or ExpressVPN
Recommended for: Tech-savvy teams and engineering-led companies that want zero-trust architecture.
5. Proton VPN Business — Best for Privacy
Price: From $6.99/user/month (Business), Custom (Enterprise)
Proton VPN Business is the enterprise tier of the privacy-focused VPN from Proton AG (Swiss company behind ProtonMail). All clients are open-source and independently audited. The Swiss jurisdiction provides some of the strongest privacy protections in the world.
Pros:
- Swiss jurisdiction — strongest legal privacy protections
- All clients open-source and auditable on GitHub
- Audited no-logs policy by Securitum
- Secure Core servers route traffic through Switzerland
- Integrates with Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive, Pass
Cons:
- Secure Core servers add latency for non-Europe users
- Smaller server count than NordLayer or ExpressVPN
Recommended for: Organizations in regulated sectors (legal, healthcare, journalism, finance) that need auditable privacy assurance.
6. Perimeter 81 — Strong ZTNA Alternative
Price: From $8/user/month
Perimeter 81 is a cloud-based zero-trust network access platform that combines VPN capabilities with ZTNA features. It offers DNS filtering, dedicated IPs, and centralized admin management.
Recommended for: Mid-market organizations transitioning from traditional VPN to zero-trust architecture.
7. Tailscale — WireGuard Mesh VPN
Price: Free (up to 100 devices), From $8/user/month (Pro)
Tailscale is a WireGuard-based mesh VPN designed for development teams. It creates a peer-to-peer mesh network between devices without requiring a centralized gateway.
Recommended for: Engineering teams and development shops that need simple, fast, peer-to-peer connectivity.
8. NordVPN Teams — Legacy Plan
Price: From $8/user/month
NordVPN Teams is the legacy business plan from Nord Security, now superseded by NordLayer. Existing NordVPN Teams customers are being migrated to NordLayer. New customers should choose NordLayer directly.
Recommended for: Existing NordVPN Teams customers only. New customers should choose NordLayer.
Comparison Table
| VPN | Starting Price | Free Plan | SSO | Servers | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordLayer | $8/user/mo | No | Yes (SAML) | 60+ countries | Overall best |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95/user/mo | No | No | 105 countries | Global reach |
| Surfshark One | $5.99/user/mo | No | No | 100+ countries | Budget |
| Twingate | $0 (5 users) | Yes | Yes (SAML) | Cloud-based | Zero-trust |
| Proton VPN | $6.99/user/mo | No | Yes (SAML) | 90+ countries | Privacy |
| Perimeter 81 | $8/user/mo | No | Yes | Multiple | ZTNA alt |
| Tailscale | $0 (100 devices) | Yes | Yes | Mesh | Dev teams |
| NordVPN Teams | $8/user/mo | No | No | 60+ countries | Legacy |
How to Choose the Right Business VPN
Step 1: Determine Your Needs
- How many users do you need to support?
- Do you need SSO integration?
- Do you need dedicated IPs?
- Is zero-trust access important?
- What is your budget per user?
Step 2: Compare Pricing
For a 10-person team (monthly cost):
- Twingate Starter: $0 (free for 5 users, $25/mo for 10)
- Surfshark One: $60/month
- Proton VPN Business: $70/month
- NordLayer Lite: $80/month
- ExpressVPN Business: $130/month
Step 3: Test Before Committing
Most business VPNs offer free trials or money-back guarantees. Test with 2-3 users before deploying company-wide.
All prices verified as of July 2026.