A 2022 CERT-In directive (final compliance enforced in 2026) requires VPN providers operating in India to retain user logs for five years — it targets companies, not individual users, but it’s reshaped which providers keep real physical Indian servers. Combine that with a highly price-sensitive market and frequent regional internet restrictions.
Providers we compare for India users
See all 15 providers →An India-relevant selection from the 15 providers we track, prioritising providers that publish a clear stance on Indian server locations given the CERT-In data-retention rule. Cards marked “Approved” are live, active affiliate partnerships with a real tracked link; the rest are shown for comparison only and are not affiliate links. Cards marked “Approved” are live, active affiliate partnerships with a real tracked link; the rest are shown for comparison only and are not affiliate links.
✓ Approved Streaming · Torrenting · No-Logs
Runs virtual India server locations (registered elsewhere, licensed to appear as Indian IPs) specifically to avoid the 2022 CERT-In five-year log-retention directive, per its own site.
✓ Approved Streaming · Torrenting
The only major provider offering unlimited simultaneous device connections on every plan — useful for larger Indian households sharing one subscription.
✓ Approved Streaming · Privacy
A cross-platform, budget-friendly VPN provider with a no-logs policy, per its own site.
✓ Approved Budget-friendly
A budget-focused provider with a self-owned server network and unlimited simultaneous device connections on its plans, per its own site.
Streaming · Router-Level
RAM-only TrustedServer network using virtual India server locations to avoid the CERT-In data-retention rule, per its own site.
Streaming · Privacy
Self-owned server network across 78+ countries with an independently audited no-logs policy, per its own site.
No-Logs · Free tier
Based in Switzerland, outside CERT-In’s jurisdiction; its free tier is a genuinely free VPN with no data cap, no ads and no activity logging, per Proton’s own site.
Router-Level · Streaming
Runs its own first-party ‘NoSpy’ servers in Romania; supports manual router setup.
Why this matters — by the numbers
Cyber threat & regulatory context in India
A snapshot of India’s current cyber-threat and regulatory landscape, for context on why encrypting your own traffic is one small piece of a much bigger picture.
Since 2022 (with compliance fully enforced through 2026), VPN providers operating in India must retain user logs for five years and report certain incidents within six hours. It targets companies, not individual users — but it’s why many major providers now run virtual, not physical, Indian servers.
Since its 2024 launch, I4C’s bank-fraud registry has helped block over ₹8,031 crore in fraudulent transactions, drawing on more than 18 lakh shared suspect identifiers and 24 lakh flagged mule accounts.
Compare VPN providers for India users
Full chart →| Provider | From | Devices | No-logs audit | Kill switch | Servers / countries | What stands out | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free 10GB tier; paid Build-A-Plan from ~$1/location/mo | Unlimited | Partial — no dedicated no-logs audit; 2024 PacketLabs infra audit found no logging evidence | Yes | 60+ countries, 100+ locations | A permanent free tier (not a trial) plus a pay-only-for-what-you-use ‘Build-A-Plan’ pricing model. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$2.03–2.19/mo (long-term plan) | Unlimited | Yes — Deloitte (3 audits, latest early 2026) | Yes | 91 countries, 140+ locations | 100% open-source apps published on GitHub, with a no-logs policy PIA says has held up under real law-enforcement data requests. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$2.11/mo promo (2-yr, renews ~$5.75/mo) | 10 | Yes — KPMG, 4 audits (2019–2024) + always-on framework | Yes | 80+ countries, 6,000+ servers | KPMG ‘always-on’ continuous audit framework — surprise checks year-round, not just a one-off report. Partnership application pending confirmation as of 11 Aug 2026. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$2.19/mo (2-yr plan) | 7 | Yes — Deloitte Audit Romania (2nd audit, May 2024) | Yes | 100 countries, 11,500+ servers | Runs its own first-party ‘NoSpy’ servers in Romania; supports manual router setup rather than a dedicated router app. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$2.40/mo (2-yr plan) | 10 | No independent audit found | Yes | 60+ countries, 70+ locations | Built by the team behind the AdGuard ad/tracker blocker; layers DNS-level filtering on top of standard VPN encryption. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$2.49/mo (2-yr plan) | Unlimited | Yes — Deloitte (2022, 2023, 2025) | Yes | 100 countries, 4,500+ servers | The only major provider offering unlimited simultaneous device connections on every plan. | Get deal → | |
| Free tier available; paid from ~$2.99/mo | 1 (free tier); more on paid plans | Yes — Securitum (annual since 2022) + 2025 SOC 2 | Yes (customizable) | 127+ locations, 20,500+ servers (free: 10 countries) | Its free tier is a genuinely free VPN with no data cap, no ads and no activity logging — not just a trial. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$3.09/mo (2-yr plan) | 10 | Yes — Deloitte (6 audits, latest Feb 2026) | Yes | 135+ countries, 9,000+ servers | Double VPN multi-hop encryption plus built-in Threat Protection malware/tracker blocking, on top of a Deloitte-audited no-logs policy. | Get deal → | |
| From ~$3.49/mo (2-yr plan) | Not clearly published (“one subscription covers all your devices” per its own site) | No independent audit found — stated policy only | Reported in third-party reviews (not stated on its own features page) | 70+ regions per its own site | One of only three providers on this site with a live tracked partner link right now, alongside NordVPN and FastestVPN. | Get deal → | |
| From ~$4.49/mo (2-yr Advanced plan) | 10–14 (by plan tier) | Yes — KPMG (2022, 2024, June 2025) + Cure53 | Yes (Network Lock) | 113 countries, 214+ locations | RAM-only TrustedServer network and Lightway protocol, with a dedicated router app and pre-configured Aircove routers. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$4.58/mo (annual plan) | 5 | No independent audit found — stated policy, not third-party verified | Yes | 40+ countries, ~70 cities | Smaller-scale no-logs provider with apps across major desktop/mobile platforms; not yet independently audited. (Note: a different company from the similarly-named hide.me.) | Get deal → | |
| Flat ~$5.76/mo (€5), every plan length | 5 | Yes — 10+ audits (Cure53, Assured AB) | Yes (all platforms except iOS) | ~50 countries, ~580+ servers | Generates an anonymous account number instead of requiring an email or name; accepts cash-by-mail or crypto. | Visit site → | |
| From ~$10/mo standard; lifetime deals also offered | Unlimited, per its own site | No independent audit found — stated policy only | Yes | 47–49 countries, 800+ servers | Cayman Islands-based (outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances), with unlimited device connections and a live lifetime-deal tracked link on this site. | Get deal → |
Sorted here by starting price first — India is a highly price-sensitive VPN market, per our own research for this site’s India guide.
Want the full picture for India?
Legal status, jurisdiction detail, and the specific reasons India users most commonly give for using a VPN.
Read the full India VPN guide →