Best zero trust platform
Cloudflare Zero Trust Researched
Zero-trust access and secure web gateway with a free tier for small teams.
8.7Editorial score 8.7 out of 10Free for up to 50 users; paid around $7 / user / monthIndicativeRead review
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Best Business VPN & Zero Trust
Secure remote access, dedicated IPs and network controls for distributed teams.
Read the full buying guide: Best Business VPN for Small BusinessTL;DR — quick picks
- Best overall: Cloudflare Zero Trust (8.7/10) — small teams replacing a VPN.
- Best value: Cloudflare Zero Trust (value 9.2/10).
- Easiest to adopt: NordVPN (ease 9.2/10).
- Best with a free plan: Cloudflare Zero Trust.
Ranked shortlist
Ranked by overall score, calculated from six weighted criteria for security products. “Best for” labels come from our buying guide.
Best for private network access
Tailscale Researched
Easy mesh networking built on WireGuard — private networks in minutes.
8.7Editorial score 8.7 out of 10Free personal; business from around $6–18 / user / monthIndicativeRead review
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Best VPN replacement
Twingate Researched
Zero-trust remote access designed as a simple VPN replacement.
8.5Editorial score 8.5 out of 10Free for small teams; paid from around $5–10 / user / monthIndicativeRead review
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NordVPN Researched
A fast consumer VPN suited to individuals and very small teams on public Wi-Fi.
8.2Editorial score 8.2 out of 10From a few dollars per month on long-term plansIndicativeRead review
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Best for privacy-focused teams
Proton VPN for Business Researched
Privacy-focused business VPN with dedicated servers and IPs.
Comparison table
| Tool | Score | Best for | Starting price (indicative) | Free plan | ≈ 10 seats / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Zero Trust | 8.7 | Best zero trust platform | Free for up to 50 users; paid around $7 / user / month | Yes | $70 |
| Tailscale | 8.7 | Best for private network access | Free personal; business from around $6–18 / user / month | Yes | $60 |
| TTwingate | 8.5 | Best VPN replacement | Free for small teams; paid from around $5–10 / user / month | Yes | $50 |
| NordLayer | 8.3 | Best team VPN | From around $8–10 / user / month | No | $80 |
| NordVPN | 8.2 | Freelancers | From a few dollars per month on long-term plans | No | Quote |
| PVProton VPN for Business | 8.1 | Best for privacy-focused teams | From around $7–10 / user / month | No | $70 |
“≈ 10 seats” is the cheapest paid plan that fits ten users at indicative list prices. Flat-priced products show “—”.
Build your own decision matrix
Our ranking uses fixed weights. Your priorities may differ — re-weight the six criteria and the shortlist re-orders instantly. Print it or download a CSV to share with your team.
| Tool | Features | Ease | Value | Support | Security | Integrations | Your score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tailscale | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.4 | 8.71 |
| 2. Cloudflare Zero Trust | 9.0 | 7.4 | 9.2 | 7.6 | 9.2 | 8.6 | 8.69 |
| 3. Twingate | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.2 | 8.53 |
| 4. NordLayer | 8.2 | 8.8 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 7.6 | 8.30 |
| 5. NordVPN | 7.8 | 9.2 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 6.4 | 8.23 |
| 6. Proton VPN for Business | 7.6 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.8 | 7.0 | 8.09 |
Drag the sliders to match your priorities. Scores are our editorial sub-scores; weights start at the values we publish on the methodology page. Nothing you change is stored or sent anywhere.
Buyer’s guide: choosing a business VPN
Business VPN vs consumer VPN
Consumer VPNs focus on privacy and streaming. Business VPNs add central management, dedicated gateways, user provisioning and access policies.
Do you need zero-trust access?
If your goal is controlling access to internal apps, zero-trust network access (ZTNA) features may be more relevant than a classic VPN tunnel.
Dedicated IPs
A dedicated IP lets you allow-list your team in admin panels and cloud services — a useful control for small teams.
Map what actually needs protecting
List the resources staff need remotely — internal servers, admin panels, allow-listed SaaS — before choosing. If everything is SaaS with SSO, you may need less than you think.
Key features to look for
Zero-trust access
Grant access per app and user rather than to the whole network.
Identity provider integration
Sign in with Google, Microsoft or Okta and enforce MFA.
Dedicated IPs
Static IPs for allow-listing in cloud apps.
Device posture
Check that devices are updated and encrypted before allowing access.
Logging & audit
See who accessed what and when.
How business VPN pricing works
| Pricing model | What to know |
|---|---|
| Per user per month | Most common; some add per-server or per-gateway fees. |
| Free tiers | Several zero-trust products are free for small teams up to a user or device cap. |
| Add-ons | Dedicated IPs, gateways and advanced security often cost extra. |
Run the numbers: Small Business Security Checklist · Business VPN & Zero Trust Cost Calculator · Data Breach Cost Estimator
Evaluation checklist
- Central admin console
- Dedicated IP / gateway options
- SSO and user provisioning
- Device posture checks
- Clear logging policy
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying a consumer privacy VPN for business access control.
- Giving every user access to the entire network.
- Not integrating with your identity provider.
- Forgetting contractors and personal devices.
- Ignoring connection limits on free plans.
business VPN comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a VPN and zero trust?
A VPN connects users to a network; zero trust verifies each user and device for each app. Zero trust limits damage if an account is compromised.
Can small businesses use zero trust?
Yes. Several zero-trust tools have free or low-cost plans designed for small teams and take minutes to set up.
Can a small team just use a consumer VPN?
It may work for privacy on public Wi-Fi, but lacks central management and offboarding controls.
Does a VPN slow down internet speeds?
Some overhead is normal. Choose providers with gateways near your team.