TurnKey Linux is a Debian‐based appliance library tailored for server‐side roles, not a general‐purpose desktop distro. It uses the APT package manager (apt-get under the hood), is optimised for headless and containerised deployments, and by default you’ll interact via SSH. Desktop environments aren’t installed out of the box (though you can add lightweight options such as LXDE or Xfce), so any VPN solution must support fully scripted or CLI-only workflows, integrate cleanly with systemd, and require minimal extra libraries.

For that reason, the best VPN providers for TurnKey Linux are those offering:

• Native Debian/Ubuntu APT repositories or easy .deb packaging
• Dedicated CLI clients or straightforward WireGuard/OpenVPN profiles
• Systemd service definitions or wg-quick scripts
• Strong documentation for headless servers

Of all options out there, three stand out on TurnKey:

• ProtonVPN – Official APT repo, robust CLI tool, WireGuard support, systemd integration.
• NordVPN – Solid Debian package, easy nordvpn CLI, auto‐connect kill-switch via systemd.
• Mullvad – Offers both OpenVPN config files and a dedicated Debian package for its CLI tool, plus WireGuard profiles.

Comparison Table

Installing and Configuring ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN’s CLI is distributed via its own APT repository and supports both OpenVPN and WireGuard. Below are the steps for a TurnKey Linux server (Debian-based).

1. Add the official ProtonVPN repository:

wget -q -O - https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/public_key.asc  apt-key add -
echo deb https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian unstable main > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/protonvpn.list
apt-get update
    

2. Install the CLI tool:

apt-get install protonvpn-cli
    

3. Initialize ProtonVPN (interactive):

protonvpn-cli init
# Enter your ProtonVPN credentials and choose default settings
    

4. Connect via WireGuard (fastest):

protonvpn-cli connect --fastest --protocol wireguard
    

5. Enable auto-connect on boot:

systemctl enable protonvpn.service
    

Installing and Configuring NordVPN

NordVPN offers a dedicated Debian package and its nordvpn CLI integrates seamlessly with systemd for auto-connect and killswitch features.

1. Download and install the repository package:

apt-get install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl
curl -s https://repo.nordvpn.com/gpg/nordvpn_public.asc  apt-key add -
echo deb https://repo.nordvpn.com/deb/nordvpn/debian stable main > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nordvpn.list
apt-get update
    

2. Install the NordVPN client:

apt-get install nordvpn
    

3. Login and set defaults:

nordvpn login
nordvpn set autoconnect on
nordvpn set killswitch on
    

4. Connect to the nearest server:

nordvpn connect
    

5. Check status:

nordvpn status
    

Installing and Configuring Mullvad

Mullvad provides both a CLI package and ready-made WireGuard configuration files for headless setups.

1. Install dependencies and the Mullvad package:

apt-get update
apt-get install -y lsb-release gnupg curl
curl -fsSL https://mullvad.net/media/misc/MULLVAD-GPG-KEY  apt-key add -
echo deb https://mullvad.net/download/deb/ (lsb_release -cs) main > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list
apt-get update
apt-get install mullvad-cli
    

2. Login with your account number:

mullvad account login your-account-number
    

3. Connect over WireGuard:

mullvad tunnel wireguard create
mullvad relay set wireguard best
mullvad tunnel wireguard up
    

4. Enable auto-start on boot:

systemctl enable mullvad-daemon
    

All three providers above integrate cleanly with TurnKey Linux’s Debian base, rely on APT or .deb packaging, and offer CLI or service files. Choose ProtonVPN for seamless systemd services, NordVPN for the polished nordvpn tool and network killswitch, or Mullvad if you prefer full control via WireGuard config. In each case, you maintain lightweight, headless operation perfect for TurnKey’s appliance-style deployments.