Best VPN for Small Business in 2026
Proton VPN wins as the best VPN for small business in 2026: dedicated gateway and fixed IP at $9.99 per user. Tailscale and NordLayer compared.
Rankings reflect documented features, public pricing as of the "Last Updated" date, and category positioning analysis. We apply a Commercial Gate: only tools we can earn a commission from (now or in the next 12 months) enter the ranking pool. When a non-monetizable tool is the right answer, we name it with a caveat. How rankings work · Editorial policy
Proton VPN for Business
Most small businesses do not need a VPN, and the ones that do need it for one of two reasons: a fixed IP address that internal tools and client systems can allowlist, or encrypted transit for staff working from hotel and cafe wifi. Proton VPN for Business wins on that brief in 2026 because the Professional tier at $9.99 per user includes a dedicated gateway with a static IP, the company keeps no connection logs, and the apps are the least intrusive of the four. Tailscale is the value pick when the actual problem is staff reaching internal servers, because a mesh network solves that without routing all traffic anywhere and is free for the first three users. NordLayer is the runner-up for teams that want a traditional business VPN with more admin reporting. Twingate is the zero-trust option for teams replacing an old office VPN rather than buying their first one.
Try Proton VPN for BusinessAt a Glance
| Feature | Proton VPN for Business | Tailscale | NordLayer | Twingate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Essentials $6.99/user/mo, Professional $9.99 | Free for 3 users, Starter $6/user/mo | From $8/user/mo, 5-user minimum, dedicated server +$40/mo | Free for 5 users, Teams $5/user/mo |
| Starting Price | - | - | - | - |
| Fixed IP | - | - | - | - |
| Free Tier | - | - | - | - |
| Best For | - | - | - | - |
Quick Comparison
Our Top Picks
Proton VPN for Business
Dedicated gateway with a static IP on the Professional tier, and a no-logs policy that has been tested in court.
- Dedicated gateway with a fixed IP included on Professional
- No-logs policy independently audited and tested in court
- Least intrusive apps of the four, fast connection times
- Swiss jurisdiction, open-source clients
- Admin console is simpler than NordLayer
- No per-user activity reporting
- Not a mesh, so internal servers still need exposing to the gateway
Tailscale
0Not a VPN in the traditional sense. A private mesh that solves the internal-access problem better than one.
- Free for three users, enough for a very small team
- Internal servers stay off the public internet entirely
- Direct device-to-device connections, so it is fast
- Setup is minutes, no network engineering
- Does not protect general internet traffic on public wifi by default
- Fixed public IP needs a self-run exit node
- No publisher affiliate programme (we do not earn from this pick)
NordLayer
The traditional business VPN with the most admin reporting, at a higher all-in cost.
- Most complete admin reporting and device posture checks
- Site-to-site and identity provider integration
- Long track record at scale
- Fixed IP is a $40 a month add-on, not included
- Five-user minimum on every plan
- Heavier apps and slower connections than Proton
Twingate
0Zero-trust access for teams replacing an office VPN rather than buying a first one.
- Per-resource access rather than network access
- Free for five users, cheap above that
- Right model for mixed staff and contractor teams
- Setup needs resources and policies defined up front
- No general internet protection or fixed public IP
- Overkill for a team with one or two internal services
How This Was Tested
Pricing reflects published business-tier list prices billed annually as of September 2026, including the cost of a fixed IP where it is an add-on. Products are judged against the two jobs a small business has for a VPN, fixed IP for allowlisting and encrypted transit on untrusted networks, and the mesh and zero-trust tools are included because they are what many buyers actually need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Proton VPN for Business, because the Professional tier at $9.99 per user includes a dedicated gateway with a fixed IP and the no-logs policy has been independently tested. If the real need is staff reaching internal servers rather than a fixed IP or public-wifi protection, Tailscale does that job better and is free for three users.
Usually not. Almost everything staff use is already encrypted in the browser. The two exceptions are a fixed IP address that a client, a bank or an internal system can allowlist, and staff who regularly work on hotel or cafe networks. If neither applies, the money is better spent on a password manager.
A business VPN routes traffic through the provider's servers, which hides it from the local network and can present a fixed IP. Tailscale connects a team's devices directly to each other so internal services are reachable without being public. One protects traffic going out; the other makes private things reachable. Many small businesses want the second and buy the first.
Between $5 and $14 per user a month in 2026, with the fixed IP being the hidden cost. Proton includes it at $9.99. NordLayer charges $8 per user plus $40 a month for the dedicated server. Tailscale and Twingate have free tiers for small teams but do not provide a fixed public IP without extra setup.
For a sole trader on public wifi, yes, and it is cheaper. For anything with more than one person it is not, because consumer plans have no admin console, no way to remove a leaver, and no fixed IP. The business tiers exist for those three things.
Because allowlisting by IP is still how many systems restrict access: a payment gateway, a client's SFTP server, a bank portal, a self-hosted admin panel. With a dedicated gateway every member of staff arrives from the same address and can be allowed in one rule. Without one, each home connection has to be added and changes whenever an ISP reassigns it.