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VPN server lists as data: what providers publish
What a VPN provider's server list contains, how lists differ, why stated server counts and listed locations do not match, and how this archive records every change.
Key points
- Every provider publishes a list of its locations, for its apps or on its website. This archive reads 13 such lists several times a day.
- Lists differ a lot: 6 of them say which locations are virtual, and 10 name server addresses that can be measured.
- A provider’s marketing number (“servers in X countries”) and its list do not always match. The provider pages show both, side by side.
What a list can contain
| Field | What it says | In how many lists here |
|---|---|---|
| Country and city | where the location is listed | all |
| Virtual marker | whether the server is elsewhere | 6 of 13 |
| Server names or addresses | what an app connects to | 10 of 13 |
| Hosting or ownership | rented or owned servers | a few |
Three kinds of sources
- Documented: the provider documents the list for third-party use.
- Read by the provider’s own tools: the same list its apps or open-source tools use.
- Public but undocumented: reachable, but the provider does not describe it.
Each provider page names its source type and when the list was last read. If a list cannot be read for several days, the page says so and keeps the last known state.
Countries per list
 NordVPN | 150 | |
|---|---|---|
 Proton VPN | 149 | |
 ExpressVPN | 113 | |
 Private Internet Access | 112 | |
 CyberGhost | 100 | |
 Surfshark | 100 | |
 Windscribe | 72 | |
 hide.me | 57 | |
 Mullvad | 50 | |
 IVPN | 42 | |
 AzireVPN | 36 | |
 AirVPN | 23 | |
 OVPN | 20 |
The number counts every country in the list, including countries where every location is marked as virtual.
Of all countries listed, 39 appear in only one provider’s list, and in 27 every listed location is marked as virtual.
Stated numbers and listed numbers
Providers often state totals on their websites: countries, locations, servers. Where a provider does, its page on this site shows the stated figure next to the figure in its list. They can differ for simple reasons: the website rounds, counts servers that are not in the public list, or counts at a different time. The difference is shown, not judged.
Every change is recorded
When a location appears, disappears, changes its country, city, or virtual marker, the archive records it with a date. The changes page shows the last three months and offers an RSS feed.
All lists side by side: the comparison page shows countries, locations, virtual markers, and measurements for every provider in one table.
Next step
Read The real cost of a VPN over three years, which uses the archive’s price data the same way.
The figures in this guide come from the archive and change with every data update. As of October 17, 2026.
Check it with the archive's data
- Countries per VPN provider: listed and virtual-only
- VPN services and providers: locations, measurements, prices
- VPN comparison: compare VPN providers side by side
Read next: The real cost of a VPN over three yearsAll guides