The Best VPN for Dating Sites & Apps 2024: OkCupid, Tinder, PoF & More (2024)

Key Takeaways:

• ExpressVPN is the top VPN for dating sites; it’s easy to use, provides excellent security and speeds, and has a wide geographical server spread
• Second on our list is NordVPN, offering great speeds, dedicated IP addresses and all the security you need
• Surfshark, CyberGhost and PIA are some more affordable NordVPN alternatives, but if you are really on a tight budget, you can try Windscribe and ProtonVPN for free

Dating apps are the most common way people meet their significant other. In fact, one in four couples meet online. However, if you want to use a dating app, you don’t need to just be careful about your heart — you should make sure that you are always well protected from stalkers or online dating scams. The best first step is to use the best VPN for dating sites.

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic, hides your location and prevents your sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. It also enables you to access dating services that are restricted in your area. To save you some time, here are the best VPN services for online dating sites to help you stay safe and secure.

The Top VPNs for Dating Sites

What Makes the Best VPN for Dating Sites & Apps?

To choose the best VPNs for online dating sites, we took into consideration some of the most important elements a great virtual private network (VPN) must have: security and anonymity, an amazing user experience and widespread VPN server locations, as well as well-designed mobile versions for dating apps. Here are the five best VPN services for dating websites.

1. ExpressVPN — The best VPN for online dating; fast, secure and easy to use
2. NordVPN — Fantastic security features and excellent speeds
3. Surfshark — A secure VPN with unlimited simultaneous connections
4. CyberGhost — Extensive server network and a simple one-click setup
5. Private Internet Access — Affordable with a great number of worldwide servers

Dating online helps people connect, but there can be downsides. There are plenty of stalkers and scammers trying to get users’ sensitive data or personal information. The best VPN will provide strong encryption and safeguard your identifiable information by adding an extra layer of protection to your online connection.

Additionally, all VPNs on our list come with apps across all major platforms, including mobile apps so you don’t have to pause your online romance when you’re on the go.

Finally, a good VPN for dating websites should have servers in many parts of the world, especially in the area where you want to date. All the VPN providers on our list provide thousands of servers in many different countries, as well as a fast and reliable connection no matter where you are in the world — or where you want to pretend to be.

Why You Should Use a VPN for Online Dating

Using a VPN any time you’re online has many advantages: it gives you extra security, it hides your true IP address and location, and it makes your browsing anonymous.

There are many situations where using a VPN is essential for privacy and even personal safety. Here are just a few examples:

• Affairs — One in four people use a dating app while in a committed relationship
• Romance scams on dating sites — Romance scams reached a record $304 million in losses in 2020
• Cyberstalking — 13.5 million people in the U.S. experience stalking each year, with one in four experiencing cyberstalking
• Same-sex dating — hom*osexuality is still illegal in 69 countries, with the death penalty as a legal punishment for same-sex sexual acts in six countries

Although there has been an increase in security with online dating apps in the past decade, privacy can be a major issue. Some apps connect with the user’s social media account, while others require users to have the app track your location, including Happn, Her, Bumble, Tinder and Mamba.

This wealth of personal information online makes users vulnerable in real life to harassment, stalking and doxing. Using a VPN will hide a user’s IP address from the dating app, and it will also hide the online activity from third parties.

People often use a VPN app for one simple but very useful reason — to draw a line between their online dating life and their real life. Whatever the reason, people still feel the need to keep this part of their lives private — and they have every right to do so.

The 5 Best VPNs for Online Dating Sites & Apps

Now that we’ve covered all the criteria, let’s go over our top five VPNs for dating sites, starting with our top recommendation, ExpressVPN.

1. ExpressVPN

More details about ExpressVPN:

• Pricing: $6.66 per month
• Provider website: expressvpn.com

First on our list is ExpressVPN, which has great speeds, excellent security and a very pleasant user experience. It offers over 3,000 servers spread over 160 locations around the world — giving you a lot of options when it comes to online dating.

ExpressVPN also has apps available for just about any device, and you can also connect up to eight different devices at a time. It’s also incredibly easy to use, with a one-click step to get connected to a server online.

First-Rate Security Features With ExpressVPN

Apart from hiding your IP address and anonymizing your traffic, ExpressVPN also uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is the same standard that the U.S. government uses to protect confidential information. To find out more, read our ExpressVPN review.

All that said, ExpressVPN is not the cheapest VPN service out there, but it’s worth the money. The $6.66 per month. With ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee, you have a month to try it out and see if it checks all the boxes for your dating site.

2. NordVPN

More details about NordVPN:

• Pricing:$3.39 per month
• Provider website: nordvpn.com

NordVPN comes in second for the best VPN for dating sites. With over 5,000 servers in 59 countries, NordVPN is an excellent alternative if you want a cheaper option than ExpressVPN but still don’t want to compromise on security and privacy.

NordVPN lets you connect up to six devices at the same time, across all major platforms. In terms of features, with NordVPN you also get a kill switch, an ad and malware blocker, as well as double encryption. Read more in our NordVPN review.

Double Your Encryption With NordVPN

NordVPN’s double vpn server runs your internet connection through two VPN servers, doubling your connecting encryption, but at the cost of speed. In addition to this double layer of online privacy, you can ask for a dedicated IP address to avoid repeated verification requests, which will help with unblocking dating sites.

The monthly plan that NordVPN offers is expensive, but the $3.39 per month and is more affordable per month than ExpressVPN’s best deal (read our ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison). However, if NordVPN doesn’t meet your expectations, you can cancel it with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Surfshark

More details about Surfshark:

• Pricing:$2.29 per month
• Provider website: surfshark.com

Although it’s a rather recent arrival on the VPN scene, Surfshark has managed to catch up with its competitors. It has all the features you’d expect from a VPN, from strong encryption to a kill switch and split tunneling. It also boasts an impressive server network for its age, with over 3,200 servers in 100 countries around the world.

The multi-hop double VPN feature gives you the option to further protect your privacy by connecting via two VPN servers. Additionally, with the CleanWeb feature, you won’t have to worry about annoying ads, phishing attempts or unexpected malware attacks. Check out our Surfshark review for more information.

Unlimited Connected Devices

Surfshark offers users an unlimited number of devices, which will help you keep track of your dating journey across all your devices — your computer, your mobile device or even your tablet.

Surfshark’s $2.29 per month, which makes it one of the best deals out there. Aside from the monthly plan, It’s less expensive than both ExpressVPN and NordVPN, and also offers unlimited simultaneous connections. Plus, its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

4. CyberGhost

More details about CyberGhost:

• Pricing:$2.37 per month
• Provider website: cyberghostvpn.com

CyberGhost is another excellent and affordable VPN provider for online dating services. It has an impressive VPN server network of around 7,800 servers in 91 countries. CyberGhost also allows for seven simultaneous connections.

It’s also very easy to use, but not at the expense of security. CyberGhost offers split tunneling, DNS leak protection and a kill switch to prevent a data leak when your connection drops. You can check out our CyberGhost review for more details.

Easy-to-Use Secure VPN

Compared to other VPNs, CyberGhost is an incredibly simple and easy-to-use VPN service. Once you download the app — whether it’s on Windows, Android, iOS or Mac — there is an effortless one-click setup: one button to turn it on and off.

CyberGhost provides great value, with the $2.37 per month. Finally, there is an impressive 45-day money-back guarantee (14-days for the monthly plan), which is more than other VPN services typically offer.

5. Private Internet Access

More details about Private Internet Access:

• Pricing:$2.19 per month
• Provider website: privateinternetaccess.com

Private Internet Access has been on the market long enough to refine itself and offers first-class features, decent speed and more than 24,000 servers in 84 countries. You can also connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, with plenty of app options for accessing dating sites.

Although it is one of the cheapest VPN options out there, it doesn’t scrimp on security, offering a kill switch, advanced split-tunneling options and dedicated IP addresses, as well as ad and malware blocking. Read our PIA review for more details.

Affordable & Reliable

PIA is also quite easy to use — also coming with a one-click setup — and provides decent security protection for an affordable price.

PIA is perhaps one of the best deals you can get for a VPN service. Its $2.19 per month; however, 39 months is a long time to commit to a VPN — it might even be longer than your dating site relationship! Luckily you can try it out with PIA’s 30-day money-back guarantee.

Can You Use a Free VPN for Dating Websites?

Although the market is crammed with free VPNs, most are not secure. Many free VPNs will sell your personal data, give you malware or simply not protect your connection.

Luckily, if you’re on a tight budget, there are a few good free VPNs on the market that you can use for dating sites. However, even with these VPNs you will have to sacrifice something — whether that be the speed, the number of server locations or how much data you can use.

The Best Free VPNs for Online Dating Apps & Websites

If you’re using a free dating site, you’ll likely not want to spend any money on a VPN. Here are the two best free VPNs that won’t compromise your security and privacy.

Windscribe

More details about Windscribe:

• Pricing: Free; $5.75 per month per server
• Website: windscribe.com

Windscribe is our favorite free VPN. It has a solid privacy policy and will reliably protect your connection. It comes with a solid no-logs policy, a malware and ad blocker and split tunneling.

However, you only get 10GB of data on the free plan, as well as access to only 10 of Windscribe’s 65 country locations. However, this could be enough protection for you if you’re dating in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Switzerland, the U.K. or Hong Kong.

Windscribe also comes with paid plans, including a build-a-plan option where you can add a server location for $1 per month (with a two-server minimum) — this is a great option if you need dating protection in only a couple specific locations. Read more about it in our Windscribe review.

ProtonVPN

More details about ProtonVPN:

• Pricing: Free; $4.99 per month
• Website: protonvpn.com

ProtonVPN is another excellent VPN that offers a free plan option. It excels in features and ease of use. In addition, it has a great iOS and Android app, a strict no-logs policy and a kill switch. However, the free plan is limited to three server locations out of its 54 country options. It’s one of the best free VPNs because you get unlimited data, which is rare with free VPNs.

On the other hand, the servers on the free plan are located in just three countries: the U.S., Japan and the Netherlands. Also, users on the free plan only get “medium speed,” which can be additionally throttled during peak hours since the provider prioritizes users on paid plans. Check out our ProtonVPN review for more information.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, we place ExpressVPN and NordVPN on top of our list of the best VPNs for dating sites. Whether you’re looking for a POF VPN, Tinder VPN, Hinge VPN or OKCupid VPN, the two services are a safe bet. What sets them apart is their top-notch security, wide server spread and ease of use.

However, if you’re on a budget, we recommend some cheaper but convenient options such as Surfshark, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access. Otherwise, Windscribe and ProtonVPN have trustworthy free plans if the limited server locations work for your dating needs.

Have you ever tried visiting an online dating site with a VPN? If so, what was your experience? Does ExpressVPN sound like the right pick for you or do you think you will pick a more affordable option and forego the advanced features? Let us know in the comment section below. As always, thank you for reading.

FAQ

• Yes, a VPN will not only keep you secure but will also help you ‌unblock dating sites like Tinder, OkCupid, PoF and many more.

• ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Tinder. However, there are other VPNs that work just as well, such as NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost.

• There are many VPN options that are good for Zoosk, but if money is not an issue, then the best one would be ExpressVPN.

• The best VPN to use for OkCupid is ExpressVPN. You get incredible security, lightning-fast speeds and access to a vast number of servers in many different countries. However, if you want to go for a free service, we recommend Windscribe.