The best VPNs for businesses and teams of 2025: Expert tested

2 weeks ago 3

Digitizing your services is great, but it also brings cybercriminals to your doorstep. If you don't take the necessary steps to bolster security, hackers can steal sensitive business data, leading to loss of reputation and, of course, finances.

Encrypting every aspect of your online and offline operations, including cloud spaces, communication channels, and private networks, is necessary. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) does just that, but you need to choose the right one tailored to your business' or team's needs.

Our top pick for businesses and teams is NordLayer. It appeals to small and large organizations alike, offering easy-to-use multinetwork and cloud protection features alongside native apps for teams to install on their devices, including smartphones, and use on the go. NordLayer's advanced suite includes a threat and malware filter to block malicious phishing links targeted at your business.

If the name NordLayer sounds familiar, that's because it's offered by NordVPN, one of the best encryption providers in the game. That also means a lot of effort and infrastructure is dedicated to ensuring NordLayer meets high security and privacy standards for business use. AES 256-bit encryption offers safe end-to-end cryptography, while the in-house NordLynx protocol provides secure and fast connections over traditional protocols like OpenVPN.

NordLayer offers seamless site-to-site integration, which is beneficial if you run multiple branches that communicate and share resources via cloud spaces. It works with access management services like Google Workspace, Okta, AWS, and OneLogin. You can also install the NordLayer app on standalone devices such as those running Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, or iOS (including browsers) and secure your team's connections outside the private network.

Review: NordVPN

There are advanced settings to customize protection on NordLayer. Split tunneling, for example, allows you to exclude some devices, programs, or devices from routing on the VPN and use direct internet connections instead. NordLayer's ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) tools also help to verify and authorize devices connecting to your network. You can set access permissions for confidential documents and resources in your organization, while features like multifactor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and always-on VPN also increase access security.

Hybrid workers can greatly benefit from NordLayer's Smart Remote Access feature. It facilitates secure access to office files even if your employees aren't within the premises. However, the server presence in only 33 countries can be a limitation for remote workers in locations that aren't covered. NordLayer is reasonably priced, starting at $8 per month (minimum of five users required). You can request a demo trial or use the service's 14-day money-back guarantee to test if it's useful for your organization.