The ongoing saga of Facebook data collection and the implementation of the GDPR have personal online privacy as a hot topic once again. A common method to protect yourself online is the use of a virtual private network, or VPN, for short. It allows you to send information securely when you use public networks through a group of networked computers and remote servers. However, not all VPNs are the same, so we took some time to find the best VPN services.
That being said, signing up for free VPN services, especially those dedicated to mobile applications, can be risky for business. Know that all "free" services are earning you money in some way, whether through ads or something less innocuous.
We have gone through the web in search of reviews, testimonials and statistics about what are the best VPN options. Then, we test the services for ourselves, taking notes on the ease of use and testing the speed of the network. Taking into account all these factors, these are the services that stood out.
The best private Internet access
If the happy family on the home page is not enough to convince you, perhaps the fact that it is one of the most reliable VPN services in the market is. Private access to the Internet makes everything you want from a good VPN: it hides your IP address, protects your information and encrypts your browsing activity using a variety of encryption methods.
We test private Internet services using your Windows installer, which configures VPN protocols and provides a simple utility in the task bar to activate and deactivate the VPN connection. While the interface was Spartan, the performance was excellent. Our test system consistently maintained more than 110 Mb / s of download and upload speeds of 19 Mb / s with the VPN connection activated, very close to our usual download of 125 Mb / s and upload speeds of 20 Mb / s.
On the downside, Netflix complained about a proxy and Amazon Prime Video did not play due to a geographical restriction. These errors occurred whether we use automatic configuration or if we select a local EE server. UU
- Cost : $ 7 monthly, $ 40 per annual subscription
- Number of servers : 3,030+ [19659011] Number of server locations : 28 countries
- Supported customers ]: Windows, MacOS, Unix / Linux, iOS, Android
- Number of simultaneous connections : Up to five
Download now for:
Windows MacOS Linux iOS Android
The rest
TorGuard
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Named just like TorGuard, the software offers better protection. The distinctive features of the software lie in its ability to connect to a mix of services for different activities, with four different packages available based on different needs. The VPN service will cost you $ 10 each month, but there is a cheaper proxy service if all you need is to hide your IP address from the world.
Like most VPN services, the program will prevent websites from seeing your personal IP address, preventing others from identifying you or your geographic location. From email overseas to unlimited server switching between more than 3,000 servers around the world, TorGuard offers a pretty impressive scale. Both expert and professional geeks should take a look at the service, along with the discount packages that come packaged with hardware.
The TorGuard client for Windows was easy to install and did a quick job connecting to a VPN server, including the ability to choose a server location before connecting. The speed of the Internet in our test system dropped from our usual download of 125 Mb / s to 53 Mb / s, and our load ran at 17 Mb / s compared to our usual 20 Mb / s. That is not the best performance in our tests, but all the Internet services we tested worked without problems, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
- Cost : $ 6 / month for anonymous proxy; $ 10 / month for anonymous VPN; $ 7 / month by anonymous email; $ 11.50 / month per privacy package
- Number of servers : 3,000+
- Number of server locations : 55+ countries
- Compatible clients : Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Number of simultaneous connections : up to five
Download now for:
Windows MacOS Linux iOS Android
VyprVPN
VyprVPN offers a full service solution divided into basic and first level packages. The company's Chameleon technology uses an open and unmodified VPN protocol to encrypt its metadata, preventing VPN blocking and unwanted bottleneck that slows down the transmission speed when using popular services such as Netflix. VyprVPN was created by Golden Frog, which was founded in response to the NSA surveillance of the AT & T network from the "infamous Room 641a" in San Francisco.
You can have up to five simultaneous connections with VyprVPN, making it suitable for families and small businesses. There are no price increases based on data usage, and almost all platforms are compatible, including routers, Blackberry devices, TVs and Linux hardware. The service has expanded in recent years and now has more than 700 servers in 70 locations on six continents. There is even a 3-day free trial version so you can decide if Vypr works for you.
The installation of the VyprVPN client is easy and direct, as is the connection to a VPN server. We discovered that our connection speed through the VyprVPN server fell from our usual load of 125 Mb / s to around 85 Mb / s, and from 20 Mb / s to 17 Mb / s. In practice, as with the other services, we do not notice any difference when VyprVPN is enabled, and both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are reproduced without problems in our tests.
- Cost : $ 5.00 / month billed annually ($ 10 / month billed monthly) for the basic service; $ 6.70 / month billed annually ($ 13 / month billed monthly) for premium service
- Number of servers : 700+
- Number of server locations : more than 70 countries
- Supported customers : Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, router, QNAP, Blackphone, TV
- Number of simultaneous connections : up to three in the basic plan, up to five in the unlimited plan
Download now for:
Windows MacOS TV Blackphone
QNAP Android iOS Router
NordVPN
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
With double, 2048 SSL bit encryption, it's easy to see that NordVPN values your privacy. But the company has also worked hard to build its server network to include more than 3,700 server locations in 61 countries around the world. The service also comes with a variety of security tools for encrypted chat and proxy extensions, and can use up to six devices simultaneously, which is higher than many companies are willing.
The theme that runs in this service is personal security. From protected DNS queries to automatic closing switches, NordVPN wants you to know that your information will not fall into the wrong hands. It makes sense, then, that the company also accept Bitcoin for payments. The company has recently improved its platform support, adding iOS and Android and overcoming its weakness.
The NordVPN client provided one of the most attractive interfaces, and the connection to a VPN server was direct and very fast. However, we found that the performance is somewhat irregular, with our fastest connection running at 53 Mb / s down and 26 Mb / s up, compared to 125 Mb / s down and 20 Mb / s with the VPN connection deactivated We had a problem connecting to Netflix, but Amazon Prime Video worked without problems. Our other Internet tests worked without problems.
- Cost : $ 3.30 / month with a 2-year agreement; $ 12 / month when invoiced monthly; $ 7 / month when invoiced every six months; $ 5.75 / month when invoiced annually
- Number of servers : 3,714
- Number of server locations : 61
- Supported clients : Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android
- ] Number of simultaneous connections : up to six
Download now for:
Windows MacOS iOS Android
ExpressVPN
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
ExpressVPN's claim "Trusted Leader No. 1 in VPN" may be a bit difficult to prove, but the service offers a compelling list of features, nonetheless. It also constantly tries to make consistent improvements in speed and simultaneous transmission capabilities, and with support for all major platforms (Windows, MacOS, Android, etc.), you will not have to worry about compatibility. ExpressVPN appears in a series of "best VPN" lists, so its relatively high prices are justified.
With a presence in 145 locations in 94 countries, you will not have to worry about international travel either. In addition, the more than 2,000 servers are well located in common travel destinations and urban centers. Any package will provide unlimited bandwidth and speed, a guaranteed uptime of 99.9 percent and 24-hour customer service. With so many guaranteed features, it is not surprising that this provider is considered among the best, although note that ExpressVPN only supports up to three simultaneous connections, which is the lowest of the services on our list.
Configuring ExpressVPN and connecting to a VPN server was quite easy. The performance, when connected to the VPN server, was average at 49 Mb / s down and 16 Mb / s up, compared to our usual speeds of 125 Mb / s down and 20 Mb / s up. Netflix complained that a proxy was in use when we used the automatic configuration option, but it worked fine when we manually selected a local EE server. UU Amazon Prime Video played very well, and our other Internet tests were completed without problems.
- Cost : $ 8.30 / month when invoiced annually; $ 10 / month when invoiced every six months; $ 13 / month when invoiced monthly
- Number of servers : 2,000
- Number of server locations : 148 locations in 94 countries
- Compatible clients : Windows, MacOS, Linux , iOS, Android, Blackberry, router
- Number of simultaneous connections : Up to three
Download now for:
Windows MacOS Linux Blackberry
Android iOS Router
ProtonVPN
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
ProtonVPN is one of the newest VPN services and has some founding members full of stars. The company was founded at CERN, the birthplace of the Internet, and emerged from the ProtonMAIL service that has been protecting email from activists and journalists for years. The service acts as a Swiss company and, therefore, is free of the laws of the USA. UU And the European Union and is not a member of the "fourteen-eye surveillance network", and user traffic is not registered and passes through countries friendly to privacy. and therefore you do not need to worry about revealing your true IP address.
ProtonVPN is a bit expensive, but only the most expensive OpenVPN protocol is used, not the least expensive to operate the PPTP and L2TP / IPSec protocols. On the other hand, ProtonVPN has only managed to create a Windows and Android client to this point. If you are using a MacOS or Linux machine, or want to access the ProtonVPN service on your iOS device, you will have to configure it manually. One advantage is that there is a free plan that you can use to test the service, which is limited to three countries, one device and low speeds, and the prices increase from there.
The installation and configuration of the Windows client of ProtonVPN was simple enough and provided some of the best statistics in use. The performance was at the lower end of our comparison group at 39 Mb / s down and 18 Mb / s up, compared to our usual decrease of 125 Mb / s and 18 Mb / s. Netflix was blocked, but Amazon Prime Video and our other test services connected without problems.
- Cost : $ 5 / month when invoiced annually by the Basic plan (two devices and high speeds); $ 8 / month when you are charged annually for the Plus plan (five devices and the highest speeds and access to Secure Core and Tor servers); $ 25 / month when invoiced annually for the Visionary plan (10 devices, the highest speeds, access to Secure Core and Tor servers, and ProtonMail)
- Number of servers : Depends on the plan (up to 14) [19659010] Number of server locations : Depends on plan (up to 112)
- Supported clients : Windows
- Number of concurrent connections : Depends on plan
Download now for: [19659014] Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux
