5 Best VPNs for New York City in 2024 (Get a NYC IP) (2024)

Best Overall

NordVPN has 471 servers in New York, and a single subscription gives you up to 6 connections.

As a New York user, this means that you can use your computer, smartphone, tablet, and three more devices at the same time, thus ensuring your online multitasking is protected!

NordVPN’s AES 256-bit encryption and RAM-only servers that never retain any data also ensure that any hacker trying to take advantage of public Wi-Fi in NYC cafes or the Grand Central station fails to do so, as long as you’re connected to NordVPN, that is!

And if your connection suddenly drops – for instance, on the NYC subway – NordVPN’s automatic kill switch will block your Internet traffic from leaking.

NordVPN also protects the privacy of your online activities in NYC, as confirmed by its independently verified no-logging policy.

And the DNS Leak Test I performed showed that my real IP wasn’t leaking, which means your US-based ISP can’t see it, either.

And since NordVPN is located in Panama, it doesn’t have to hand over any data to US authorities.

NordVPN works with Netflix UK & BBC iPlayer, so NYC-based users can enjoy their favorite British shows with no problem.

However, it doesn’t have streaming-optimized servers like CyberGhost – although the high number of New York servers might not require you to need those, as you can switch between servers if the buffering goes on for too long.

I tested NordVPN’s speed when connected to a New York server.

Here are the results:

Baseline:

So, we have a reduction in download speed that’s almost 60 percent.

However, it’s no surprise since I’m very far away from NYC.

Given the high number of NordVPN servers in the city, the chances of you as a New York-based user getting much higher speeds are very good.

NordVPN also offers an adblock feature called CyberSec.

This can help you browse anywhere in NYC with Internet access in a safe way without annoying pop-ups and autoplay ads – definitely makes things easier and saves time!

You can also get a Dedicated New York IP with NordVPN – we cover how to do this below.

It’ll allow you to access NYC-based resources – e.g., if you’re traveling elsewhere and need to access a specific IP-restricted cloud for work.

So, if you’re in NYC and want to protect your Internet activities, browse hassle-free on several devices and stream your favorite iPlayer shows, choose NordVPN!

If this seems too pricey for you, don’t worry – take advantage of our exclusive NordVPN discount today!

CyberGhost has 345 New York servers, and you can use it on 7 devices with one subscription.

So, if you’re working in an NYC cafe on your laptop whilst live-tweeting on your phone and watching an iPlayer show on your tablet at the same time, CyberGhost will protect all those activities – plus you can add four more devices if you need to!

Like the other providers on this list, CyberGhost offers top-level encryption, a kill switch, the most secure protocols, and has RAM-only servers and a no-logging policy.

However, it hasn’t been audited like the rest of the providers here, so NYC-based users of CyberGhost do not have the extra assurance of third-party audits and only have the provider’s word to rely on.

CyberGhost has servers that are optimized for streaming in many countries, including the USA and the UK.

So, if you wanna watch Doctor Who or Line of Duty in New York, you can use CyberGhost’s UK server optimized for BBC iPlayer!

The provider’s streaming servers in 12 countries also allow you to enjoy content from those countries, including France, Sweden, and Japan, that’s otherwise unavailable in the US.

So, if you want to watch anime or Scandinavian thrillers in New York, CyberGhost is here for you!

And if you’re traveling abroad from NYC but still want to enjoy Netflix US shows, you can connect to CyberGhost’s server that supports Netflix US streaming.

I tested CyberGhost’s speed when connected to its New York server.

Baseline:

Here, the download speed reduction is around 30 percent – fairly average, as it’s lower than ExpressVPN and NordVPN but higher than Surfshark and PrivateVPN.

CyberGhost also offers split tunneling, which allows you to tailor which apps on your device go through the VPN.

If you’re in New York and, for instance, want to use a work web application that doesn’t work with VPNs on your laptop whilst watching BBC iPlayer in the background, change CyberGhost settings so that the app’s traffic doesn’t go through the VPN.

If you’re an NYC-based user looking for a VPN that’ll help you access content unavailable in the US and allow you to multitask on many devices for a long term at a low rate, I recommend CyberGhost as one such provider.

CyberGhost’s longest plan is the cheapest one on this list.

The one-month one is slightly pricier than NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and PrivateVPN.

Want an even cheaper VPN?

Click here to get our exclusive CyberGhost discount today!

Surfshark has one server in New York and offers an unlimited number of connections with a single subscription.

This allows NYC-based users to use the same account for as many devices as they want – for instance, a team of several people in a New York-based start-up that uses cell phones and laptops alike.

Packed with all modern security and privacy features like AES-256 encryption, a kill switch (enabled manually), RAM-only servers, and a no-logging policy, Surfshark is excellent for privacy and security.

And on top of that, it allows you to browse comfortably without annoying ads, thanks to the CleanWeb ad blocker that also reduces data usage – which means you don’t need to pay more to AT&T or Verizon!

NYC-based users should, however, know that Surfshark is now based in the Netherlands as of October 2021 (previously BVI), which is a 9-eyes jurisdiction.

Surfshark’s representative confirmed that a security audit is planned soon to verify that the provider remains as secure as it has been whilst in BVI.

I’ll keep my eyes peeled for that report – but as long as they continue to use RAM-only servers and verify their new privacy policies with the audit, I can continue recommending Surfshark for privacy to NYC users.

Unlike CyberGhost, Surfshark doesn’t have dedicated streaming services.

However, it has servers in 65 countries and works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer – NYC-based fans of BBC shows can enjoy Surfshark’s UK servers in three locations, all optimized for streaming!

As with the other providers, I tested Surfshark’s connection speed when connected to its New York server.

Results are below:

Baseline speed:

So, despite only having a single NYC server, Surfshark’s speed reduction is only 24 percent.

That’s the second-lowest reduction on this list.

The ping, however, is quite high, which indicates that if you’re streaming something using the New York server, there’s a high possibility of lengthy buffering.

In addition to the above features, Surfshark’s extra feature of split tunneling, similar to CyberGhost and ExpressVPN, will allow you to customize which apps go through the VPN and which don’t.

Surfshark’s plan that’s the best value for money is the second cheapest on this list after CyberGhost.

Its shorter plans are slightly pricier than PrivateVPN and NordVPN.

Taking all that into account, I recommend Surfshark as the VPN for New Yorkers with the best value for money and multiple connections – you can connect as many devices as you want for a low price!

And for even lower prices, click on this link to claim your exclusive Surfshark discount today!

ExpressVPN has two servers in New York.

You can use it on up to 5 devices.

By the standards of NYC-based busybodies, it’s not that many – just two smartphones, a tablet, and two laptops, for instance.

On the bright side, ExpressVPN’s proprietary TrustedServer technology ensures that New Yorkers’ data is erased as soon as the RAM servers are rebooted – not that there’s any data to begin with!

The no-logs policy has been independently verified, like NordVPN, and the privacy-friendly BVI jurisdiction doesn’t require that any data is retained or transmitted anywhere.

Also, the provider’s independently audited protocol Lightway can keep your traffic in New York safe and save you time.

For instance, if your signal breaks when you’re in a cab going through the Lincoln Tunnel, Lightway will get you back online the second you get reception, and your traffic is encrypted right away – no extra action is needed on your part.

ExpressVPN works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer – you can enjoy all your favorite British shows in New York whilst protecting your traffic!

And if you want to watch a BBC show whilst working in a database that’s only accessible with an NYC IP, ExpressVPN’s split tunneling feature can help split your traffic into VPN and non-VPN.

The results of my test of ExpressVPN’s New York server’s connection speed revealed the following:

Baseline speed:

The download speed reduction here is around 35 percent.

However, considering that I’m quite far from NYC and ExpressVPN only has 2 servers, it’s a fairly decent speed.

One more thing – if you’re studying or planning to study in NYC and want to protect your devices, ExpressVPN is offering a $5k scholarship and a year-long subscription for free!

Therefore, I recommend ExpressVPN for prospective NYC students and New Yorkers who prioritize security and privacy above all and only need to protect a couple of devices.

ExpressVPN is the most expensive provider on this list for its long-term plans, despite offering the fewest number of simultaneous connections.

Unlike other providers, it doesn’t offer two-year or longer plans, either.

Worried about spending this much money?

Don’t be – grab your exclusive ExpressVPN discount today!

PrivateVPN has 5 New York servers and allows for up to 6 simultaneous connections.

That’s the same as NordVPN, which means NYC users can install PrivateVPN on six of their devices.

All these devices will be protected by PrivateVPN’s top-level encryption and security protocols.

The provider has a no-logging policy but no RAM-only servers like other providers on this list.

PrivateVPN works with Netflix andBBC iPlayerand provides detailed guides on the best ways to access them.

Like CyberGhost, PrivateVPN offers dedicated servers for streaming.

If you’re in New York and want toaccess Netflixlibraries from countries other than the USA, you can access them from the Dedicated IP list or tab in the PrivateVPN app.

Same goes for BBC iPlayer.

If, however, you’re traveling from New York to another country and want to enjoy Netflix shows from home, you have to install Wireguard first to access the streaming service seamlessly, a PrivateVPN representative told me.

The speed reduction here is quite insignificant, despite the fact that I’m quite far from New York.

If you’re a New York user of one of the five servers of PrivateVPN, you shouldn’t have any issues with speed.

PrivateVPN doesn’t offer split tunneling like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Surfshark.

However, given the excellent speed of PrivateVPN, I recommend it to those New Yorkers who value fast connections above all else whilst wanting to keep their data safe on several devices.

PrivateVPN’s best value plan costs only a little more than Surfshark and CyberGhost and significantly less than NordVPN and ExpressVPN, despite offering more connections than the latter.

You can test it for free for 7 days, and you get a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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