What 'Simultaneous Connections' Means
VPN providers limit how many devices can be connected to their servers at the same time under a single account. A plan with '5 simultaneous connections' means 5 devices can be actively connected to the VPN at the same moment -- not that you can only install the VPN on 5 devices total. You can install the VPN app on 20 devices but only use 5 at once. In practice, most households do not have 5 devices actively browsing simultaneously, so a 5-device limit is sufficient for many users.
Typical Limits by Provider
NordVPN: 10 simultaneous connections (raised from 6 in 2024). ExpressVPN: 8 simultaneous connections. Surfshark: unlimited simultaneous connections. Private Internet Access (PIA): unlimited simultaneous connections. ProtonVPN: depends on plan (Free = 1, Plus = 10, Unlimited = unlimited). Mullvad: 5 connections per account. CyberGhost: 7 simultaneous connections. For most households with 2-4 people who all use the VPN: NordVPN at 10 or Surfshark at unlimited are the most practical choices.
VPNs with Unlimited Devices
Surfshark and Private Internet Access offer unlimited simultaneous connections on all plans. This is particularly useful for: households with 5+ active users, small teams where everyone needs VPN access, or users with many devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, smart TV). One Surfshark account can cover an entire family at its standard price point.
Sharing a VPN Across Your Household
You can share a single VPN account with household members (family or roommates) as long as you stay within the connection limit. Some VPN providers explicitly allow this; others technically prohibit it in their Terms of Service but do not enforce it for personal household use. Mullvad is an exception -- it has a strict per-account limit and accounts are tied to a license key rather than an email, so sharing is possible but each connection counts toward the limit. For a household of 4 with different usage patterns, NordVPN (10 connections) is comfortably sufficient.
Router-Level VPN Counts as One Connection
If you set up a VPN at the router level (all home network traffic through the VPN), it counts as ONE connection from the VPN provider's perspective, regardless of how many devices are on the home network. This is the most efficient use of connection allowances for households with many devices.