About SetupDesk
SetupDesk exists to make VPN setup boring — in the best way. Clear steps, honest limits, and a check at the end so you know it worked.
SetupDesk publishes step-by-step VPN setup guides for the platforms most people use: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and web browsers. We focus on one thing — getting a VPN installed and configured correctly — and we try to do it better than the sprawling review sites that bury the actual steps under rankings and ads.
How we write these guides
The instructions come from providers' own documentation and apps, plus reputable, dated sources for anything technical. We write the steps to be generic enough that they stay accurate as apps get redesigned, and we date what we can. We do not run our own speed tests, so we never publish 'we measured X Mbps' claims — where numbers matter, we say where they come from and tell you to check the current figure yourself.
What we're honest about
A VPN is a useful privacy and security tool, not a magic one. It encrypts your traffic and hides your IP address; it does not make you anonymous, and it shifts trust from your network to your VPN provider. That is why our recommendations lean toward providers that publish independent audits — and why we happily point to Mullvad and Windscribe, which pay us nothing, when they're the better setup experience.
How we pay the bills
Some links to VPN providers are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you subscribe — at no extra cost to you, and it never changes the steps we recommend. Full details are on our affiliate disclosure page. Spotted a step that's out of date or a prompt that's changed? Tell us — corrections keep these guides worth reading.