Best VPN for Privacy 2025: No-Logs Champions

Every VPN claims to be "no-logs." It's meaningless without proof. We evaluated privacy claims based on real-world evidence: police raids, court cases, and independent audits—not marketing.

Top 5 Privacy-Focused VPNs

#1 MAXIMUM PRIVACY RAID-PROVEN

Mullvad

Police raided them in 2023 and found nothing. The ultimate proof.

€5/mo

Always

Email Required: No

Cash Accepted: Yes

Jurisdiction: Sweden

Proof: Police Raid 2023

✓ No Email Required ✓ Cash/Crypto Payments ✓ Account = Random Number ✓ Same Price Since 2009

The Police Raid Story: In April 2023, Swedish police arrived at Mullvad's office with a valid search warrant. They wanted customer data. Mullvad had none to give—no emails, no names, no payment info linked to accounts. Police left empty-handed. That's proof that can't be faked.

#2 SWISS PRIVACY SOC 2 TYPE II

ProtonVPN

Swiss jurisdiction + open source + SOC 2 Type II certification.

$3.59/mo

Jurisdiction: Switzerland

Open Source: Yes

Audit: SOC 2 Type II

Free Tier: Yes

✓ Swiss Law Protection ✓ All Apps Open Source ✓ Secure Core (Multi-Hop) ✓ SOC 2 Certified

#3 COURT-TESTED 2x SUBPOENAS

Private Internet Access

FBI subpoenaed them twice. Both times: no data to provide.

$2.03/mo

Jurisdiction: USA (5 Eyes)

Open Source: Yes

Audit: Deloitte 2024

Proof: Court Cases

✓ Proven in Federal Court ✓ Open Source Apps ✓ Best Long-Term Price ⚠ US Jurisdiction

Court Cases: In 2016 and 2018, the FBI demanded PIA turn over user data in criminal investigations. Both times, PIA's response: "We don't have any data to provide." This was documented in court records—actual legal proof of no-logs.

#4 MOST AUDITED

NordVPN

Five independent audits by Deloitte verify their no-logs claims.

$2.99/mo

Jurisdiction: Panama

Audits: 5x Deloitte

RAM-Only: Yes

Double VPN: Yes

✓ 5 Independent Audits ✓ Panama (No Data Retention) ✓ RAM-Only Servers ✓ Double VPN Option

#5 REAL-WORLD TESTED

ExpressVPN

Turkish authorities seized their server—found nothing. TrustedServer tech verified.

$3.49/mo

Jurisdiction: BVI

Audits: 23+

RAM-Only: Yes

Proof: Server Seizure

✓ Server Seizure = 0 Data ✓ TrustedServer (RAM-Only) ✓ 23+ Audits ⚠ Kape Ownership

Privacy Features Comparison

VPN	No-Logs Proof	Jurisdiction	Anonymous Signup	Open Source
Mullvad	Police Raid ⭐	Sweden (14 Eyes)	✓ Cash/Crypto	✓
ProtonVPN	SOC 2 Type II	Switzerland ⭐	Email required	✓
PIA	Court 2x ⭐	USA (5 Eyes)	Email required	✓
NordVPN	5x Audited	Panama ⭐	Email required	✗
ExpressVPN	Server Seized	BVI ⭐	Email required	✗

Frequently Asked Questions

Does jurisdiction really matter?

It matters, but less than no-logs proof. A VPN in Switzerland with unverified no-logs claims is worse than a VPN in the US that's been court-tested. PIA operates in the US (5 Eyes) but has proven twice in court they have no data. Mullvad is in Sweden (14 Eyes) but police found nothing when they raided them. Real proof trumps jurisdiction.

What are 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, 14 Eyes?

Intelligence-sharing alliances between countries. 5 Eyes (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) share surveillance data. 9 Eyes adds Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway. 14 Eyes adds Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden. VPNs outside these alliances (Panama, Switzerland, BVI) face less government pressure.

Why is Mullvad #1 if it's in 14 Eyes Sweden?

Because they proved their no-logs policy under the harshest test: an actual police raid. Swedish authorities arrived with a legal warrant and found zero customer data—no names, emails, payment info, or connection logs. Jurisdiction matters less when there's literally nothing to seize.

The Bottom Line

For maximum privacy: Mullvad. No email required, accepts cash, police-raid proven. It's the gold standard.

For privacy + features: ProtonVPN offers Swiss jurisdiction, open source code, SOC 2 certification, AND streaming/torrenting support.

For privacy + value: PIA has court-proven no-logs at $2.03/month—best long-term price of any verified provider.

🔐 Privacy Proof Hierarchy (Best → Weakest)