Best Multi-hop VPNs Guide
Looking for a VPN with Double VPN, MultiHop or chained servers? This guide concentrates on multi-hop routing and presents three services that implement it in a way that works on real‑world devices and networks.
Editor's choice • Multi-hop & Double VPN
MultiHop pairs • Unlimited devices
Privacy‑first • Advanced routing control
In a typical VPN connection, your device creates an encrypted tunnel to a single VPN server, which then forwards your traffic to the open internet. With multi-hop routing (sometimes called Double VPN, MultiHop or chained VPN), your traffic passes through two or more VPN servers in sequence before it leaves the VPN network.
The main idea is to add another layer between your real IP address and the final exit point. One server knows who you are but not where you are going, while the other knows where the traffic is going but not who you are. That separation is what makes multi-hop attractive for people who want more than a simple single‑server setup.
Many providers implement this as a set of curated routes — for example, a Double VPN option that sends traffic from one country to another, or a MultiHop pair such as "Paris via Amsterdam". Others allow you to build more custom chains when you control the configuration yourself.
The terminology around multi-hop VPNs can be confusing because different companies use their own labels. In practice, Double VPN usually means exactly two hops within the same provider's network. MultiHop can mean the same thing, or it can refer to a small number of fixed pairs that are easy to select in the app.
When people talk about VPN cascades or VPN chains, they often mean a setup where you connect to one VPN server and then build an additional tunnel through another service on top of it. This is more complex and tends to be a niche hobby project rather than something most users need every day.
Multi-hop VPNs are also different from Tor. Tor routes traffic through multiple volunteer nodes, with separate entry, middle and exit relays. A multi-hop VPN keeps everything inside one provider's own infrastructure, which typically gives you much more predictable performance and a simpler configuration.
The honest answer is that most people are well served by a single‑hop VPN connection. For everyday streaming, public Wi‑Fi, bypassing simple censorship or hiding your IP address from the websites you visit, a standard connection to a trustworthy provider is usually enough.
Multi-hop routing becomes interesting when you want an extra separation between your identity and the final exit server. Examples include connecting from networks where you prefer not to reveal your VPN exit location, routing certain tasks through an additional country, or reducing how much any single server can see about your activity at once.
There is always a trade‑off: a Double VPN or MultiHop route adds more distance and processing, which means it can be slower and less stable than a direct single‑hop connection. That is why it makes sense to treat multi-hop as an optional tool for specific situations, not something that must be on every minute of the day.
This page focuses on a small set of VPNs rather than a long comparison table. NordVPN, Surfshark and Mullvad were chosen because they all offer some form of Double VPN, MultiHop routing or advanced path control, while also being suitable for normal day‑to‑day use on laptops and phones.
Instead of publishing synthetic benchmarks or claiming a "fastest" winner, the comparison is based on how clearly each provider exposes its multi-hop options, how easy it is to switch between single‑hop and multi-hop modes, and how well the feature integrates with things like streaming profiles or split routing.
Your own priorities matter a lot here. If you mainly want an all‑round VPN that happens to include Double VPN as a bonus, NordVPN is likely to feel comfortable. If you prefer a straightforward app where MultiHop is just another server category, Surfshark is a strong candidate. If your main concern is privacy policies and minimal data collection, Mullvad naturally stands out.
It is easy to get lost in the idea of building ever more complex VPN chains. A practical approach is to start from your actual threat model. Ask yourself which concrete problems you are trying to solve: hiding your home IP from certain services, separating work and personal connections, or reducing how much a single provider can see about your activity.
From there, use Double VPN or MultiHop routes sparingly and deliberately. For example, you might keep a regular single‑hop server as your default, and save one or two multi-hop routes as favourites for more sensitive sessions. That way the feature remains easy to understand and you can notice if performance changes.
Whatever provider you choose, it is worth combining multi-hop routing with basic good habits: keeping devices patched, using strong passwords and a password manager, enabling multi‑factor authentication where possible and being cautious with browser extensions. A multi-hop VPN adds layers, but it does not replace everyday security hygiene.
Not automatically. A well‑run single‑hop VPN with clear policies can be safer than a poorly managed multi-hop setup. Multi-hop adds separation between entry and exit points, but it also adds more moving parts. The key questions are how much you trust the provider and whether the feature fits the risks you actually face.
Multi-hop routes are normally slower than direct single‑hop connections because your traffic travels farther and is processed by more than one server. For everyday browsing and work tools this may be fine, but for latency‑sensitive tasks such as competitive gaming you will usually get better results with a nearby single‑hop server.
Probably not. Many people enable Double VPN or MultiHop only on specific devices, such as a laptop used for research or a browser profile dedicated to sensitive tasks. On other devices, a standard VPN connection is often simpler and easier to manage. Most providers let you combine different setups under one account.
Some advanced users do chain tools together, for example by using a VPN and then Tor in the browser. This can increase complexity quickly and is rarely necessary for normal use. If you consider such setups, it is worth reading detailed guidance from trustworthy security sources rather than improvising a chain on the fly.