DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine. Unlike rivals Google and Bing, DuckDuckGo eschews ad trackers, making it tougher for websites to gather browsing data. In addition to its search engine, the company has a web browser and mobile apps.
DuckDuckGo also offers a subscription consisting of a VPN, information removal tool, identity theft restoration and now AI chat model support. I decided to take it for a spin.
During my testing, I was impressed by DuckDuckGo’s VPN offering. It has been audited to back up its no-logging claims, supports split-tunneling on some platforms for VPN connection flexibility and there’s a growing server network of 30-plus countries. In addition to a VPN, you get some handy privacy and security tools, as well as artificial intelligence chatbot access. Although DuckDuckGo’s VPN lacks the sheer volume of servers and bountiful privacy features of our top VPN recommendations, like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, its intuitive design is great for beginners.
All in all, the DuckDuckGo subscription is a decent offering for folks seeking cybersecurity basics that includes a VPN, privacy-forward AI, identity theft restoration and personal info removal services in one bundle.
DuckDuckGo’s VPN is extremely user-friendly
DuckDuckGo’s VPN is impressively simple without sacrificing basic functionality. Everything from signing up to using the VPN itself is a breeze. The service costs $10 a month or $100 a year, but there’s a seven-day free trial available. Here’s how to get started with DuckDuckGo’s VPN:
1. Head over to DuckDuckGo and click on the subscription link.
2. Select the $10 a month or $100 a year plan to sign up, or choose Already subscribed if you’re already enrolled.
3. Now that you’re signed up, download and install the DuckDuckGo browser or fire it up on your device if it’s already on your machine.
4. To log into your DuckDuckGo VPN, you’ll need to enter a one-time passphrase, which will be emailed to you.
Once you’ve signed into your DuckDuckGo subscription account, you’ll need to enable your VPN.
To turn on a VPN on Android or iOS/iPadOS:
1. Tap Settings > DuckDuckGo Subscription > VPN in your DuckDuckGo app.
2. Then, you can toggle on your virtual private network.
Here’s how to add DuckDuckGo on Windows and MacOS:
1. Head to Settings > DuckDuckGo Subscription > VPN.
2. Confirm the pop-up asking you to install the DuckDuckGo VPN. On Windows, tap Install. With MacOS, press. Add VPN Configuration and Allow in the pop-up window.
3. Click the VPN logo in the top right-hand corner of your DuckDuckGo browser.
DuckDuckGo’s VPN is great for general privacy and streaming
Compared to other VPNs, like ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark, DuckDuckGo is pretty spartan. You can choose from servers in 30-plus countries, including Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and US. Split tunneling — which lets you use a VPN for some apps but not others — is available on Android, but not MacOS, Windows or iOS/iPadOS.
I regularly use split tunneling when I want to stream one of my favorite Canadian TV shows (Murdoch Mysteries on the CBC website) using a VPN while excluding my Steam client so I can download PC games without throttling my internet connection.
I didn’t experience any DNS leaks, and was thrilled to discover built-in kill switch functionality. A kill switch disables your internet connection in the event of an unexpected VPN interruption, ensuring that your actual IP address stays masked. In addition to enhancing privacy, DuckDuckGo’s VPN is decent for streaming. I was able to use the DuckDuckGo VPN to watch Final Destination on Netflix using a French server — normally, it’s unavailable on Netflix in the US.
But you won’t find the vast array of settings that well-established VPN providers offer. For instance, you can’t select different VPN protocols like OpenVPN or IKEv2 — DuckDuckGo only uses WireGuard. VPN newcomers shouldn’t mind, but power users may be disappointed by the lack of customization. Likewise, DuckDuckGo’s server roster of 40-plus locations in 30-plus countries is decent, but currently falls well short of the thousands of servers in 100-plus worldwide locations that CNET’s top VPNs include. Its relatively small server network means DuckDuckGo isn’t ideal for travel.
You won’t find specialty servers, such as Double VPN or Onion Over VPN options, which encrypt your connection twice for beefed-up privacy. Similarly, DuckDuckGo’s virtual private network doesn’t include obfuscated servers, which make it more difficult for ISPs or websites to determine that you’re using a VPN — helpful in situations like on school Wi-Fi where VPNs might not work properly with some apps. Folks with critical privacy needs, like investigative journalists or political asylum-seekers, should look elsewhere.
However, there’s beauty in its simplicity. People simply seeking extra privacy while browsing the web or the ability to unblock international Netflix libraries in a handful of countries will appreciate the no-frills design of DuckDuckGo’s VPN. The company even partnered with security firm Securitum for an audit of its VPN infrastructure, which found no evidence of logging, and resulted in six high- and medium-risk issues being fixed. While audits don’t paint a full privacy picture, they’re helpful trust signals, and I like that DuckDuckGo is undergoing VPN audits.
Unlike many other browser plugins, the DuckDuckGo VPN works machine-wide
Whereas most VPN browser plugins only tunnel your web browser traffic through a virtual server, DuckDuckGo’s VPN works across your entire device. Essentially, the DuckDuckGo browser doubles as a VPN client app. So with the DuckDuckGo VPN toggled on, I was able to stream Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (normally on Peacock and Hulu in the US) on Netflix via a UK server in the Windows Netflix app. By comparison, most Chrome VPN plugins like the NordVPN app only secure traffic in your browser, not apps downloaded on your device or other web browsers.
Your DuckDuckGo subscription offers personal information removal and identity theft protection services
One of the trends we’ve noticed is that many privacy and security companies are beginning to provide bundle deals that include multiple cybersecurity tools. For instance, many VPN providers now let you subscribe to plans that include password managers, antivirus software or identity theft protection.
DuckDuckGo’s privacy bundle features a VPN alongside personal information removal and identity theft protection services. Its information removal scans more than 50 data brokers — like Spokeo — and automatically requests your data’s removal from that site. You can monitor progress in real-time. Personal information you provide when setting up personal info removal stays on your device — your Windows or MacOS computer — rather than DuckDuckGo servers, for increased privacy.
The company’s identity theft restoration helps you recover financial losses, correct errors in your credit report caused by fraud, and cancel and replace lost credit cards, passports, driver’s licenses and social security cards. Plus, you’ll get up to $500 for emergency travel assistance when you’re over 100 miles away from home while experiencing identity theft.
A DuckDuckGo subscription now includes AI chat models
In September 2025, DuckDuckGo added AI chatbot support, with access to several large language models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4o and GPT-5, Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 and Meta’s Llama Maverick on Duck.ai. DuckDuckGo maintains solid privacy in its AI offering — your chats are anonymized so as to hide information like your public IP address, your data isn’t used to train AI models, chats and other settings remain on-device. You can also instantaneously delete your chat history.
Notably, this isn’t the only privacy-first AI chatbot on the market — Proton’s Lumo is a privacy-forward ChatGPT alternative — but it’s great to see more options for folks who want to use artificial intelligence chatbots while keeping data private. Nevertheless, you’ll still need to place a high degree of trust that your data truly isn’t being used to train the AI chatbot you’re using, which can be difficult to verify completely.
DuckDuckGo’s subscription provides privacy basics on a budget
When compared with other available bundles, DuckDuckGo is a decent value, but it’s better for casual VPN users. Our top-rated VPNs boast significantly larger server networks, more advanced privacy features like split tunneling (which lets you pick and choose what apps to use a VPN connection with) and greater app support.
Surfshark One Plus, which costs $94 for the first year, includes a VPN, antivirus software, personal data removal and personal data security alerts. There are pros and cons to bundling cybersecurity services, and one of the main considerations is the specific tools you receive. For instance, some people might find Surfshark’s VPN and antivirus more useful, while others may want DuckDuckGo’s privacy-forward AI chat and identity theft removal services.
You’ll want to consider what privacy and security software you need, then shop around and decide whether to go the bundle or a la carte route.
DuckDuckGo’s subscription is a nice way to support DuckDuckGo and easily bolster privacy on supported devices
Because of its limitations, I don’t think DuckDuckGo’s VPN will become most folks’ — myself included — daily driver. It’s only supported on a handful of platforms, has a smaller server network than most competitors and lacks many advanced privacy features. Still, it’s a great choice for DuckDuckGo enthusiasts who want to financially support the privacy-centric search engine and keep it free from data collection. Developing a browser and search engine isn’t free, so this is a neat means of getting a solid service while contributing to DuckDuckGo development efforts.
Additionally, I can see this as a nifty all-in-one privacy suite — a VPN and tracking-free browser — while on a borrowed computer. You could simply download the DuckDuckGo browser, log into your VPN and enjoy system-wide privacy on a friend or family member’s PC, for example. That saves you from having to download a VPN app, install it and log in. Plus, you get the added benefit of browsing without saved search history that way.
VPN beginners who just want more privacy will appreciate the streamlined interface. If you don’t care about the small pool of servers or limited features, this is a good choice. VPNs can be overwhelming if you’ve never used one, and this app lets you get started without needing a veritable glossary of terms to determine the correct settings to enable.
While I mostly stuck to the VPN portion, a DuckDuckGo subscription includes a Personal Information Removal feature, Identity Theft Restoration and a privacy-forward AI chatbot. Personal Information Removal lets you remove information, such as your home address and phone number, from sources like people-finder websites. Data deletion services like this are useful, if imperfect, ways to get your information away from data brokers. Identity Theft Protection assists in the event of identity theft — a service I wish I had a few years ago when my credit card was charged over $800 at a barber shop (spoiler alert: it wasn’t me).
If you’re in the market for these services, paying $10 a month or $100 annually is a great value. and on top of that, you get a VPN.
For more information about this privacy-focused search engine, learn why you should use DuckDuckGo instead of Google.
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