Device limits: how many connections at once
The device limit tells you how many connections a single account covers at the same time, and it is the quickest thing to check. At the tight end sit F-Secure VPN at 1 to 5, Banana VPN at 3 and GoodAccess at 3, which suit a lone laptop or a lone phone. At the wide end, Avast SecureLine VPN allows 10 devices, AzireVPN 10, FastestVPN 10 and GOOSE VPN 10, which covers a full household plus a router.
In between, AirVPN allows 5 devices and Astrill VPN 5, 12VPN allows 6 and Amnezia VPN 7, while CyberGhost allows 7 and ClearVPN 6. That middle band suits a couple who both work from home. Read the 12VPN review against the Amnezia VPN review when your household size sits near the ceiling.
Ranges mean the limit depends on the plan
Some providers publish a fixed device number. Others move the number with the plan you choose, and those limits are given as a range. Betternet allows 5 to 10 devices, F-Secure VPN runs 1 to 5 and ExpressVPN offers 10 to 14. Read a range as a sign that the number attached to the entry plan is lower than the top of the span.
So the comparison question changes: not how many devices in the best case, but how many on the tier you are about to pay for. Confirm the count at checkout, and ask how a router is counted, since a provider may treat the router as one device or as every device behind it.
Platform lists: the baseline every provider shares
Most consumer VPNs list Windows, macOS, Android and iOS as the core apps. Avast SecureLine VPN pairs that baseline with 10 devices, AzireVPN with 10, FastestVPN with 10 and GOOSE VPN with 10. Since the everyday devices are covered either way, the deciding question is what sits outside the baseline.
Ask whether you need Linux or a router. AirVPN lists Windows, macOS, Android, Linux and iOS, and CzechVPN adds Linux to a similar set. On the router side, Amnezia VPN lists routers and Astrill VPN lists Routers, while CyberGhost pairs its 7 device limit with Linux and Router support. Sort the broad lists from the narrow ones on the VPN ranking.
TV and streaming-device apps
TV apps are where the platform lists get longest, because every streaming box runs its own system. ExpressVPN covers Apple TV, Fire Stick, Android TV and smart TVs. CyberGhost covers Apple TV and Smart TV, ClearVPN covers Apple TV and Android TV, Amnezia VPN covers Android TV, and Avast SecureLine VPN covers Android TV. CactusVPN pairs Android TV with Fire TV, and FastestVPN pairs Fire TV with Xbox.
If your household watches on a Fire TV stick, that row matters more than the device count, because an app you cannot install leaves the connection unprotected. Compare the Avast SecureLine VPN review and the AzireVPN review for the shorter app lists, then check the longer lists when the television is the main screen.
Browser extensions
A browser extension protects the traffic from the tab you are in, which is what you want on a shared or borrowed machine. Chrome and Firefox form the common pair: CyberGhost, Betinternet, CactusVPN and ClearVPN list both, and FastestVPN adds Edge. ExpressVPN goes widest with Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Brave. Hide Expert VPN pairs Chrome with the Huawei AppGallery, which suits phones that rely on that store.
An extension does not replace the desktop app, so a provider whose list holds only browser support leaves a real gap. Check the full platform set against the machines you actually own before deciding.
Short lists and business clients
Some providers publish a deliberately short list. Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client lists Android, and ForestVPN lists Android. That is normal for a tool deployed by an administrator onto company devices rather than downloaded by a user, and it is the reason to check the Astrill VPN review and the AirVPN review when you want consumer apps with a wider reach.
Fortinet FortiClient VPN covers Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and ChromeOS, and GoodAccess pairs 3 devices with a similar platform set that includes Linux and ChromeOS. Google Cloud lists Android, iOS and ChromeOS, with connectors listed as usb-a, usb-c and nfc.
How to compare in one pass
Work the same order every time. Count devices first, because 1 to 5 on F-Secure VPN describes a different product from 10 to 14 on ExpressVPN. Then confirm the platform list covers the machines you own. Then check the extras that would push you toward a second app, such as a TV client, a browser extension or a router build. Then read the plan behind the number, since a range shifts with the tier.
Finish by weighing price against what the list actually gives you, and use the free VPN shortlist as the low end of the comparison. A provider with a modest device limit and a complete platform list often serves a household better than a larger limit you will not use.