Updated on: October 9, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Wisconsin in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : It has servers in 15+ US states, including servers near Wisconsin like in Chicago and Illinois, and can access 100+ streaming services that show NFL, NBA, and MLB games like ESPN+, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and other popular sites like Netflix. It gets around restrictions on university networks and public Wi-Fi and allows torrenting on all of its servers. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I spent a week researching and testing the top VPNs to find the best VPNs for Wisconsin. The VPNs on my list have servers in Wisconsin or a nearby state and can access lots of sports streaming services like ESPN+ and different libraries on other top sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime. They also work really well on university networks and hide your online activities from network administration for 100% privacy.
My favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which has servers near Wisconsin and in lots of other US locations, the fastest speeds in the industry, best-in-class security features, and is our #1 VPN in 2024. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick Summary of the Best VPNs for Wisconsin
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Wisconsin
ExpressVPN is my top VPN for Wisconsin. It has servers in 105 countries and 18 different locations in the US, including in neighboring Illinois, and on both the East and West coasts. This means you can get the fastest speeds possible, including on slow networks, like university Wi-Fi.
ExpressVPN is great for streaming from Wisconsin. It accesses top sports streaming platforms, like DirecTV Stream and Fubo, which offer a large selection of sports channels/networks, including ABC, FOX, TBS, and ESPN. Since the provider has servers in 15+ US states, it’s easy to watch MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL games from different states. It also works with 100+ other streaming services, like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+.
This provider is the fastest VPN on the market, so you’ll have no trouble streaming buffer-free NBA, MLB, and NFL games or your favorite shows. This is all thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol, which outperformed the fastest competitor VPN protocol, WireGuard, every time in my speed tests.
I like how ExpressVPN is excellent for getting around restrictions on school and university networks that prevent you from visiting certain sites or block activities like torrenting. The VPN offers obfuscation on all of its servers, which hides the fact that you’re using a VPN, so you can use it even if your university blocks VPN traffic.
ExpressVPN is great for torrenting. It supports P2P traffic on all servers, including US servers, and is compatible with all major torrent clients, including qBittorrent, Transmission, and Deluge. It offers port forwarding, too, which boosts your torrenting speeds by letting you connect to more peers, but the feature is only available on routers. For the fastest downloads, I recommend connecting to ExpressVPN’s servers near Wisconsin, Chicago, or Lincoln Park.
This VPN comes with split-tunneling, which lets you choose which apps use the VPN connection and which use your regular internet connection. You can route your sports streaming app traffic through the VPN while using your regular connection for food delivery services (or other services that require your actual location).
I like its Advanced Protection feature, too, which does a great job blocking annoying ads on torrent sites or flight and hotel booking sites. In my tests, it blocked most ads on all ad-heavy websites I visited.
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $4.99 / month, and you can try it out yourself risk-free by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the #1 VPN for Wisconsin. It has servers in 18 locations in the US, including locations near Wisconsin, like Chicago, can access all top streaming sites that show the NFL, NBA, and MLB, and provides the fastest speeds of any VPN. The VPN works flawlessly on university networks and is great for torrenting. It backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Servers in Wisconsin + Good for Torrenting
Private Internet Access (PIA) is the only VPN on this list that has servers in Wisconsin. This makes it the VPN to use if you need a Wisconsin IP address. PIA also has servers in every single US state, so you can easily connect to any US location from Wisconsin. Additionally, PIA provides servers in 91 countries.
This provider is excellent for torrenting from Wisconsin. It allows P2P file sharing on all of its servers, supports port forwarding on PC (and even mobile), and has SOCKS5 proxy support. A SOCKS5 proxy hides your IP address but doesn’t encrypt your traffic, so you get faster download speeds than a regular VPN connection.
PIA can access lots of local sports content on streaming sites like Fubo, Hulu, and ESPN+. I like how it has servers in the US that are optimized for streaming on both the US East and West Coast, so it’s easy to get the best possible speeds for buffer-free streaming of your favorite NFL, NBA, or MLB games. It also works with many different Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ libraries.
If your university network blocks VPNs, PIA can get around that, too. Its Multi-Hop feature allows you to obfuscate your traffic through a Shadowsocks server. PIA has Shadowsocks servers in the US East and West, plus 1 location in Dallas and Seattle.
In terms of extra features, it comes with the best ad, tracker, and malware blocker of any VPN (MACE). I visited several ad-laden travel sites and Wisconsin news sites like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and didn’t see a single ad. It also successfully detected and blocked several known phishing sites.
Private Internet Access is competitively priced, starting at just $2.03 / month, and it backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is the only VPN on this list with servers in Wisconsin, so it’s the best choice if you need a Wisconsin IP address specifically. It’s also the only VPN that offers servers in every US state. In addition, it supports torrenting on all servers, works on restrictive networks, and is good for streaming. Plus, it comes the #1 VPN ad blocker in the industry. All subscriptions are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
Editors' Note: Private Internet Access and this site are in the same ownership group.
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Great for Streaming in Wisconsin
CyberGhost VPN is an excellent VPN for streaming from Wisconsin. It has a ton of streaming-optimized servers in the US for sports platforms, like YouTube TV, Paramount+, Peacock, ESPN+, NFL+, and FOX, as well as other top streaming sites, like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. These servers are tested daily to ensure they work as intended.
I really like CyberGhost’s Smart Rules feature for automating your VPN connections, whether you’re in Wisconsin or out of state. You can, for example, set it so that the VPN automatically connects to any US server when you launch a specific app (like Fox or a torrenting app), or have it open that app automatically when you connect to a specific server location.
This VPN is decent for torrenting, too. It allows P2P file sharing on dedicated torrenting servers, including servers in nearby Chicago. That said, I prefer ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access for torrenting because CyberGhost doesn’t support port forwarding or have SOCKS5 proxy servers.
One drawback is CyberGhost doesn’t offer obfuscation, so you won’t be able to use it if the network blocks VPN traffic. You get an ad, tracker, and malware blocker (Content Blocker), but Content Blocker isn’t as good at stopping ads as Private Internet Access’s MACE.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans start at just $2.19 / month, and it backs every subscription with a money-back guarantee (up to 45 days for long-term plans).
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN is a great VPN for streaming in Wisconsin. It has streaming-optimized servers for major sports streaming platforms like Fubo and ESPN+, as well as several Netflix and Disney+ libraries. It also makes it easy to automate your connections but doesn’t offer obfuscation. All CyberGhost subscriptions come with a money-back guarantee (up to 45 days for long-term plans).
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Editors' Note: CyberGhost and this site are in the same ownership group.
4. NordVPN — Malware Scanner for Downloading Files More Securely
NordVPN helps protect you from malware-infected downloads on Wisconsin networks and in other US states, thanks to its Threat Protection Pro feature that scans the files you download for malware. This is useful if you torrent as many P2P file sharing sites aren’t safe. Threat Protection blocks ads, trackers, and malicious sites, too.
NordVPN allows you to torrent on dedicated torrenting servers in 15+ US cities, including Chicago. It also provides SOCKS5 proxy servers if you only want to change your IP address and get fast speeds, but it doesn’t support port forwarding (ExpressVPN does).
This provider works well on restricted university and public networks, and its servers in Chicago come with obfuscation, so you can use the internet more privately and securely in Wisconsin universities that ban VPNs and bypass network restrictions.
It’s a top VPN for streaming as well. It works with 10+ major streaming platforms, including several Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ libraries, as well as Hulu, Max, and BBC iPlayer.
NordVPN’s plans start at $2.99 / month, and it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is a good VPN for Wisconsin if you want to download files more securely because its Threat Protection Pro can scan files for malware. It’s also decent for torrenting and streaming and provides obfuscated servers to bypass VPN blocks. All NordVPN subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Easy-to-Use + Affordable VPN for Wisconsin
Surfshark is great for beginners in Wisconsin due to its intuitive apps. It has servers in 20+ US states, and it’s super easy to connect to any of them — for example, marking its Chicago server as a favorite puts it at the top of the list for easy access. You can also configure any server from any US location on the Quick-Connect button for 1-click connections.
It’s great for streaming and torrenting. It can access YouTube TV, Fubo, and ESPN+ and allows P2P file sharing on all US servers — it has servers in 20+ locations in the US. That said, ExpressVPN works with more streaming platforms, and Private Internet Access has more torrenting-specific features, like port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy support.
I’m a fan of Surfshark’s NoBorders feature. It’s very convenient on university Wi-Fi, as it automatically detects when you’re on a restricted network and provides a list of servers that can circumvent its restrictions. Camouflage Mode, Surfshark’s obfuscation feature, also works great for hiding your VPN use on university and public networks.
Surfshark is a very affordable VPN, starting at just $1.99 / month, and it backs its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is easy to use and very affordable, so it’s a good pick for people new to VPNs who need it in Wisconsin. It has servers near Wisconsin and other parts of the US, great tools to bypass network restrictions on university and public Wi-Fi networks and hide VPN use, and is also decent for streaming local sports matches and torrenting. All Surfshark subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
In order to create this list of the top VPNs for Wisconsin, I followed our proven testing methodology for VPNs. In my testing and research, I put particular emphasis on finding VPNs with servers in or near Wisconsin. But I also investigated other important factors, like whether the VPN is good for streaming and torrenting, how easy its apps are to use, and more. You can learn more about the criteria I used to rank and compare VPNs for Wisconsin below:
- I looked for servers in Wisconsin (or nearby states). Every VPN on my list has servers in Wisconsin or in nearby Illinois. This ensures that you get the best possible speeds when connected to the VPN. Plus, all VPNs I recommend here have servers in at least 10+ other US locations.
- I tested each VPN’s connection speeds. No matter which VPN you use, it’ll reduce your connection speeds slightly due to the time it takes to encrypt your data. But the VPNs I recommend all maintain fast enough speeds that you’ll hardly notice a difference when browsing, streaming, or torrenting in Wisconsin or any other US state.
- I assessed each VPN’s privacy and security features. I only included VPNs on my list if they have all the essential security features, including 256-bit AES encryption (the same level of encryption used by banks and militaries), a no-logs policy, meaning the provider can’t see and doesn’t track your online activities, and a kill switch, which disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops unexpectedly.
- I checked for good streaming and torrenting capabilities. Many VPNs don’t work with popular streaming sites or some don’t allow torrenting on their servers. However, every single one of the VPNs on my list work consistently with major streaming platforms like ESPN+, Paramount+, Fubo, and BBC iPlayer, and are P2P-friendly.
- I picked VPNs that provide excellent overall value. I only recommend VPNs that have flexible and reasonably-priced plans, allow a minimum of 7 device connections, come with a ton of useful extra features (like split-tunneling, an ad blocker, and more), and back all purchases with a money-back guarantee.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Mullvad VPN. This VPN is great for privacy and security and has servers in 10+ US states, but it’s not good for streaming because it doesn’t work with most major streaming platforms, especially sites like ESPN+ and Paramount+ that show local US sports matches.
- Astrill VPN. It’s a good all-round VPN with impressive customer support and excellent security and privacy, as well as servers in 30+ US cities (though none in Wisconsin). However, it’s just way too expensive compared to other top VPNs, and it doesn’t have a money-back guarantee.
- Norton Secure VPN. This provider is easy to use and works with most top streaming platforms. However, it only has dedicated torrenting servers in the Netherlands, and it doesn’t provide obfuscation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which VPNs have servers in Wisconsin?
Private Internet Access is one of the only top VPNs with servers in Wisconsin, so if you specifically need a Wisconsin IP address, it’s the VPN to go for. That said, there are plenty of good VPNs with servers in nearby locations (such as Chicago), and the difference in speeds is barely noticeable.
Can I use a free VPN for Wisconsin?
You could, but I generally don’t recommend using a free VPN. Free VPNs usually limit the amount of servers you have access to, so you may not be able to connect to a server in or near Wisconsin for the fastest possible speeds. Additionally, free VPNs often lack essential privacy and security features to keep you safe online, and some may even collect and sell your data to third parties, like advertisers.
Instead, I recommend getting a VPN for Wisconsin with affordable plans. ExpressVPN is my top pick — it has the fastest speeds in the industry, strong security features, and servers near Wisconsin in Chicago and Lincoln Park.
Can I use a VPN to change my location to Wisconsin?
Yes. When you connect to a VPN server, you’re assigned an IP address owned by your provider at that server location. And, by changing your IP address, a VPN makes it look like you’re accessing sites and apps from a different location. Private Internet Access has servers in Wisconsin and provides very fast connection speeds.
How do I get a VPN for Wisconsin?
Getting a VPN for Wisconsin is really simple — just follow these 3 simple steps:
- Subscribe to a good VPN for Wisconsin. I recommend ExpressVPN, which has the fastest speeds on the market and servers in nearby locations.
- Download and install the VPN app. Just follow the on-screen instructions provided by the installation wizard.
- Launch the VPN app and connect to a server in or near Wisconsin. That’s it! Your online activities are now protected by a VPN.
