Are you a big fan of the operating system Linux Mint? I am! For a long time, I was a happy Windows user. Then I became an Ubuntu user, and now I am a Linux Mint user. I also use Ubuntu and Windows, but I often think of Linux Mint as my favorite of the three. But, which VPN is the best to use with Linux Mint? What are the differences worth taking into consideration before you buy a VPN subscription?
Linux Mint is an operating system based on Ubuntu. As a result, it is very similar to Ubuntu in many ways. This comes as an advantage because Linux developers always aim to create well-working applications for Ubuntu, which again means that they will work well with Linux Mint as well. As a consequence, most serious VPN providers have applications that you can install and run in Linux Mint. But, that doesn’t mean that they are all similarly good. What makes one VPN better than another VPN? And is the best Windows VPN necessarily the best VPN for Linux Mint?
What is needed to be a great VPN for Linux Mint?
I believe one of the most important things to consider is whether or not you need the VPN to have a graphical interface. Some people love the Linux command line, while others fear it like a monster. Which is your category? If you don’t mind using the command line, most VPNs with Linux support are good for you. Are you, however, trying to avoid the command line at all costs? Then you need a VPN with a graphical interface, and suddenly the options turned very limited.
Besides the question about the graphical interface, we need to consider the general VPN issues.
- Does the VPN have great download speeds, or will it slow down my Internet connection?
- Can I have multiple connections running simultaneously?
- Does it have applications for all the important platforms, including browser extensions?
- Is it cheap or expensive?
- Can I pay for the service using cryptocurrencies?
- Do they have good customer service and a good reputation online?
If you ask these questions and get an answer, I believe you are on the way to finding a good VPN for Linux Mint. But, instead of you doing all the research, I will give you some tips in this article!
The best VPN services for Linux Mint.
Let me start by making things easy. If all you want is a fast VPN with a graphical interface for Linux Mint, combined with a cheap subscription fee, the best solution for you is probably Surfshark. I will mention several other VPN providers in this article as well, but I just wanted to make things easy at once.
There are other VPN services that might be better in some areas than Surfshark, but this is a safe bet for most people. Why is that?
Want to try Surfshark yourself? Click the button below to visit their website.
Why is Surfshark a safe tip for Linux Mint users?
There are many things that make Surfshark a great VPN for Linux Mint users. Here I will list some of them.
- Price: If you click the button above you will get a great discount. I really recommend the 24-month deal on which you will get two additional months for free if you click the link above. When you choose this option, the monthly price is only $2.30. The prices might change in the future, but with their current prices, this is one of the cheapest VPN services on the market.
- 1-month subscription: $12,95 per month (which is fairly expensive).
- 12-month subscription: $47,98 for the first 12 months.
- 24-month subscription: $59.78 for 24 months (here you even get two months for free in addition to the first two years).
- Linux Mint GUI: Surfshark actually has a client with a graphical interface for Linux Mint. As a result, you don’t have to spend time in the command line whenever you desire to connect, disconnect, or change some application setting. I should also mention that the application looks really nice and it is very easy to use. You should, however, know that you need to run two commands in the terminal window during the installation process.
- To install Surfshark you first need to download their Linux client from the Surfshark website.
- Run the downloaded file and install the package using the graphical interface.
- Open the terminal windows and run the following commands: 1:) sudo apt-get update followed by 2:) sudo apt install surfshark
- When this is done, you will find the Surfshark application listed will all the other applications installed on your Linux Mint system in the graphical interface. Below you can see the Surfshark icon in the Linux Mint application and also an image from the VPN client itself.
- Support for other platforms: Not only can you use Surfshark in Linux Mint, but it is easy to use in Windows, on Macintosh, and on your tablet/phone (iOS/Android), and it can also be used on Android TVs and FireTVs. I should also mention that Surfshark has browser extensions for Firefox, Edge, and Chrome.
- Multiple connections: Would you like to use the same subscription on multiple devices? Surfshark doesn’t have any limitations for this, meaning that you can use the same subscription on an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. As a consequence, you can even share your subscription with your family members (and maybe split the subscription fee as well?!) and use it at the same time.
- Live support available: If you ever need some help, Surfshark has 24-hour support available on its website. You can open the live chat window and get in contact with customer support at once. I have used this several times myself, and you will normally find a solution and get help immediately. Do you have trouble with the Surfshark application? Is something wrong with your subscription? Are you having trouble watching BBC iPlayer or maybe accessing American Netflix with Surfshark? Customer support can help with all such requests and several others.
- Great download speeds: I remember when connecting to a VPN equaled terrible download speeds. That is no longer true, at least not for Surfshark. In general, I experience almost no latency at all while using Surfshark, especially not if I connect to a server of close proximity. Below you can see two screenshots I just made. The first shows my download and upload speed before using Surfshark, and the second shows the same speeds while connected to a Surfshark server. As you can see, the results are really good.
- Absolutely fantastic for streaming: Maybe you need a VPN to surf securely and access social media sites blocked in your country. Surfshark is great for that. But, it shines even more if you need a VPN to access streaming sites and TV networks unavailable in your country. Maybe you want to stream Champions League football on the popular streaming service Paramount+ in the United States? Or what if you want to watch a popular anime series available on Japanese Netflix? Surfshark is amazing for such activities. It is, in fact, one of the best VPN services on the market for Netflix and other streaming services. As a result, you can stream Netflix content in more than 15 countries, and also get access to hundreds of other TV networks and streaming services.
- Takes care of your privacy: Is it important for you to hide your identity? Surfshark is registered in the British Virgin Islands. As a result, they are not a part of any intelligence sharing agreement (like the 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes). Besides this, you can pay for your subscription with cryptocurrencies, making sure that not even Surfshark will know your true identity.
These are just some of the factors that make Surfshark a perfect choice for Linux Mint users. You have no reason to worry if you decide to give it a try. You can cancel your subscription within 30 days and get all your money in return.
Click the button above to test Surfshark yourself!
Doesn’t Surfshark look nice as it is running in Linux Mint? It is easy to maneuver, and changing settings is simple. Do you need any more than that? If you do, here you have a few other suggestions for great VPN providers for Linux Mint.
Are you terrified of the Linux command line? PureVPN is a great solution!
If you are desperate for a VPN with a graphical interface, PureVPN is a great pick. With PureVPN, you do not have to use the terminal window at all, not even during the installation process. You can download the brand new Ubuntu/Linux Mint client from the PureVPN website. Then you double-click the downloaded file and start the installation process. You will immediately find the PureVPN icon on the list of applications and the rest of the process will all happen without the terminal window.
PureVPN has servers in almost 70 countries. As a result, they have servers in more countries than Surfshark, but the difference isn’t really big. You can use the same VPN subscription on ten devices at the same time (which is more than enough for 99,9% of all users).
This service is great for unblocking streaming services as well. It doesn’t give access to as many Netflix countries as Surfshark, but it is quite close and works with Netflix in approximately 10 countries. You can also use PureVPN for many other streaming services.
One thing PureVPN lacks in its Linux Mint application is support for the Wireguard protocol. This is the newest and most popular VPN protocol currently. Since this is implemented in PureVPN on other platforms, it is probably just a matter of time before it will be added to their Linux Mint application as well.
When it comes to pricing, it is a little bit cheaper than Surfshark. Here you can see the current prices of PureVPN (which might change by the time you decide to visit the PureVPN website).
- 1 month subscription: $10.95
- 12 month subscription: $39.99
- 24 month subscription: $53.97 (you get three additional months for free)
As you can see, PureVPN is cheaper than Surfshark, but not a lot cheaper. Personally, I’d rather pay the little difference to get a Surfshark subscription, but if you’d rather save some money, use PureVPN instead.
PureVPN has a full refund policy valid for 31-days (1 day longer than Surfshark).
Click the button above to visit their website.
Since I am supposed to give useful advice, I should mention that PureVPN is much slower than Surfshark (and most other VPN providers). It also takes a longer time for the connection to be made, which means I often have to wait 20-30 seconds from I click connect until the VPN is up and running. Below you can see two screenshots, one from before I connected to a PureVPN server and the second shows the speeds after I connected to the nearest PureVPN server.
Would you like a third recommendation instead? Here you go!
ExpressVPN is awesome if you don’t mind using the command line!
Don’t you mind using the Linux Mint command line? If your answer is no, then ExpressVPN is a fantastic VPN for you. ExpressVPN is more expensive than both Surfshark and PureVPN, but it has a great reputation online. Just like Surfshark, it is fantastic for streaming and unblocking, and it lives up to its name, giving awesome download speeds. As a result, many people gladly pay more to use this service.
If you want to use ExpressVPN on your Linux Mint device, do the following.
- Visit the ExpressVPN website and download the application for Ubuntu.
- Double-click the file you just downloaded and install the package.
- Open the terminal window and run the following commands.
expressvpn (if it doesn't work, run the following command).
sudo dpkg -i <package name> (it might look like this: sudo dpkg -i /home/thomas/Downloads/expressvpn_3.32.0.5_1_amd64.deb)
expressvpn activate (this will help you activate your application in order to use it).
expressvpn connect smart (this will connect you to the best ExpressVPN server based on your location)- You can learn much more about how to install and use ExpressVPN on Ubuntu-based systems in this article.
ExpressVPN has servers in almost 100 countries, making it the biggest of the three VPN providers mentioned in this article. You can “only” use your subscription on five devices simultaneously, but that is more than enough for average users.
If privacy is important, ExpressVPN Is also registered in the British Virgin Islands, and payments can be made with cryptocurrencies.
I should also mention that ExpressVPN has live chat available on their website. If you ever have trouble using the service, this is the place to go.
What about ExpressVPN download speeds?
I have shown examples of download speeds for both Surfshark and PureVPN. What is the status of ExpressVPN? Take a look at the screenshots below to find out.
As you can see, ExpressVPN is lightning fast. As I connected to the “smart” server, I actually connected to a server in France that is more than 1500km from my present location. Still, I experienced no latency at all. As a result, ExpressVPN really deserves its reputation as a lightning-fast VPN.
What more is there to say? ExpressVPN has been around for a very long time and they have managed to protect its reputation. Why is that? It is a great service. If you don’t fear using the Linux Mint terminal window to use a VPN, this might just be the number one VPN to use.
Are you ready to give ExpressVPN a try? Click the button above to visit the ExpressVPN website.
If you click the button, you will get 3 months for free if you purchase a 12-months subscription.
Above you can see me watching the content on French Netflix using ExpressVPN. You can use the VPN to watch Netflix content in more than 10 countries, and it is also the best VPN in general for unblocking popular other streaming services like BBC iPlayer, Paramount+, ESPN+, PeacockTV, and hundreds of others.
Which VPN will you use in Linux Mint?
I have given you information about three VPN providers that work great with Linux Mint. Which will you choose? Do you have a favorite? Do you have good or bad experiences with any of these or other VPN providers? I would love to hear input, thoughts, and comments from you, so please use the comment field below to let me know.
