What ChatGPT recommends: VPNs
Asked 6 times in Sept 2026, ChatGPT named NordVPN in 6 of 6 answers, ExpressVPN in 6 and Proton VPN in 6. Three brands appeared in every answer.
Checked Sept 23, 2026
- NordVPN 6 of 6
- ExpressVPN 6 of 6
- Proton VPN 6 of 6
- Surfshark 4 of 6
- Mullvad 3 of 6
Cited most: vpn.comparitech.com, rtings.com, protonvpn.com
Every brand ChatGPT named
| Brand | Answers | Named first | Average position |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 6 of 6 | 5 | 1.2 |
| ExpressVPN | 6 of 6 | – | 3 |
| Proton VPN | 6 of 6 | – | 3.5 |
| Surfshark | 4 of 6 | – | 3.5 |
| Mullvad | 3 of 6 | 1 | 1.7 |
Position is the order a brand first appears in an answer. 1 means it was named first.
The websites ChatGPT cited
ChatGPT attached 13 different websites to these answers. These are the ones it used most. If you want to be named, these are the pages to be on.
| Site | Publisher | Answers citing it |
|---|---|---|
| vpn.comparitech.com | Comparitech VPN Intelligence Platform | 6 of 6 |
| rtings.com | RTINGS.com | 3 of 6 |
| protonvpn.com | Proton VPN | 3 of 6 |
| top10vpn.com | Top10VPN | 3 of 6 |
| support.nordvpn.com | NordVPN Support | 3 of 6 |
| expressvpn.com | ExpressVPN | 3 of 6 |
| surfshark.com | Surfshark | 3 of 6 |
| auditedvpn.com | Clearward | 2 of 6 |
| security.org | Security.org | 2 of 6 |
| techradar.com | techradar.com | 2 of 6 |
| techrepublic.com | TechRepublic | 1 of 6 |
| neonpioneers.com | NeonPioneers | 1 of 6 |
| privacytestlab.com | PrivacyTestLab | 1 of 6 |
The questions we asked
- "What is the best VPN right now?" (3 runs)
- "Which VPN is best for streaming?" (3 runs)
Asked twice, the same question kept about 93% of its brands and 61% of its cited sites.
Ads
We saw no ads in these 6 answers. That is expected: ChatGPT shows ads mainly to logged-in Free and Go users, and we ask logged out. See who sees ChatGPT ads.
Read one of the answers
"What is the best VPN right now?"
There isn’t one objectively “best” VPN—the right choice depends on what you care about. As of September 2026, the strongest options are: Mullvad — strongest choice if privacy/anonymity is your priority. It doesn't require an email address to create an account, minimizes personal information, and has a strong history of independent audits. NordVPN — strong all-around option if you want speed, lots of features, streaming, and an easy-to-use app. Its no-logs practices have been independently audited. Proton VPN — particularly attractive if you want privacy plus a good free option. Its apps are open source, and Proton says its infrastructure passed a fifth consecutive annual no-logs audit in 2026. ExpressVPN — another polished, beginner-friendly option with audited privacy infrastructure. My practical shortlist If you care most about… Look at Maximum privacy/anonymity Mullvad Best all-around experience NordVPN Free VPN Proton VPN Free Simplicity for beginners ExpressVPN One important caveat: a VPN doesn't make you anonymous on the internet. It mainly shifts trust from your ISP/network to the VPN provider and hides your IP address from sites you visit. If you tell me whether you mainly want streaming, privacy, gaming, torrenting, travel/public Wi-Fi, or bypassing geographic restrictions, I can narrow it down to the most suitable option.
Common questions
What does ChatGPT recommend for VPNs?
Asked 6 times in Sept 2026, ChatGPT named NordVPN in 6 of 6 answers, ExpressVPN in 6 and Proton VPN in 6. Three brands appeared in every answer.
Which websites does ChatGPT cite for VPNs?
The sites cited most often were vpn.comparitech.com (6 of 6 answers), rtings.com (3 of 6 answers), protonvpn.com (3 of 6 answers).