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The Best VPN Services for 2021 | PCMag

What Is a VPN? When you switch on a VPN, it sends your web traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a server controlled by the VPN company. From there, it exits onto the web as normal. If you make sure to only connect to websites secured with HTTPS, your data will continue to be encrypted even after it leaves the VPN. This sounds simple, and maybe superfluous, but it can have profound effects on your privacy. Think about it this way: If your car pulls out of your driveway, someone can follow you and see where you are going, how long you are at your destination, and when you are coming back. They might even be able to peek inside your car and learn more about you. With a VPN, it’s as if you drive from your house into an underground tunnel, into a closed parking garage, switch to a different car, and drive out. No one who was originally following you knows where you went.
When your VPN is on, anyone snooping around your network can’t see what you’re up to. This is true even if the snooper controls the network. Public Wi-Fi networks, which are ubiquitous and convenient, are unfortunately also extremely convenient for attackers. How do you know, for example, that “starbucks_wifi-real” is actually the Wi-Fi network for the coffee shop? In fact, a popular security researcher prank is to create a network with the same name as a free, popular service and see how many devices will automatically connect. Even if you’re inclined to trust your fellow humans (which we do not recommend), you still shouldn’t trust your internet service provider (ISP). In the US, your ISP has enormous insight into your online activities. To make matters worse, Congress has decided that your ISP is allowed to sell your anonymized browsing history. Considering that you are already (over)paying for the privilege of using their (iffy) services, selling your data is just egregious. A VPN prevents even your ISP from keeping tabs on your movements.
Another benefit of a VPN is that your true IP address is hidden behind the IP address of the VPN server. This makes it harder for advertisers and others to track your movements across the web. Even a dedicated observer would have a hard time telling whose traffic is whose, because your data is mixed in with everyone else using the same VPN Are the Limitations of a VPN? VPN services, while tremendously helpful, don’t protect against every threat. Using a VPN can’t help if you unwisely download ransomware or if you are tricked into giving up your data to a phishing attack. We strongly recommend that readers use local antivirus software, enable two-factor authentication wherever available, and use a password manager to create and store unique, complex passwords for each site and service you are also limitations to how anonymous you can be with a VPN. Advertisers have many tactics at their disposal to gather data on you and track your movements. This ranges from online trackers to browser fingerprinting. We recommend taking advantage of anti-tracking features in your browser, and installing dedicated tracker blockers like the EFF’s Privacy VPN services also provide their own DNS resolution system. Think of DNS as a phone book that turns a text-based URL like “” into a numeric IP address that computers can understand. Savvy snoops can monitor DNS requests and track your movements online. Greedy attackers can also use DNS poisoning to direct you to bogus phishing pages designed to steal your data. When you use a VPN’s DNS system, it’s another layer of protection. Secure DNS is improving privacy already, but a VPN goes a step ‘s some debate among security experts about the efficacy of VPNs. Since most sites now support secure HTTPS connections, much of your online experience is already encrypted. Secure DNS products like Cloudflare 1. 1. 1 and Bitdefender’s Yonly exist precisely because some feel VPNs are overkill. Still, a VPN covers the information not already protected by HTTPS, places an important buffer between you and the people controlling internet infrastructure, and makes online tracking more difficult. VPNs are useful for improving individual privacy, but there are also people for whom a VPN is essential for personal and professional safety. Some journalists and political activists rely on VPN services to circumvent government censorship and safely communicate with the outside world. Check the local laws before using a VPN in China, Russia, Turkey, or any country with repressive internet comprehensive anonymization of your traffic, you’ll want to access the free Tor network. While a VPN tunnels your web traffic to a VPN server, Tor bounces around your traffic through several volunteer nodes which makes it much, much harder to track. Using Tor also grants access to hidden Dark Web sites, which a VPN simply cannot do. That said, some services, such as NordVPN and ProtonVPN, offer Tor access on specific servers. Note that Tor will slow down your connection even more than a member that a determined adversary will almost always breach your defenses in one way or another. What a VPN does is protect you against mass data collection and the casual criminal vacuuming up user data for later to Choose a VPN ServiceThe VPN market has exploded in the past few years, growing from a niche industry to an all-out melee. Many providers are capitalizing on the general population’s growing concerns about surveillance and cybercrime, which means it’s getting hard to tell when a company is actually providing a useful service and when it’s selling snake oil. In fact, there have even been fake VPNs popping up, so be careful. When looking for a VPN, don’t just focus on speed, since that’s the factor you and the VPN company have the least control over. Since nearly all VPN companies offer some mixture of the same technologies, consider value instead. How can you get the most for the least? Look for extra features like split tunneling, multi-hop connections, and so on. You may not need these all the time but they’re useful when you every VPN service provides its own app with a full graphical user interface for managing the VPN connection and settings, and we recommend that you use it. You might dismiss such things as mere chrome, and instead prefer to manually manage your VPN connections. This works, but doing so is tedious, requires manual updating, and won’t give you access to the additional privacy tools that many VPNs provide. When looking at a VPN, decide whether you can stand looking at it. Evaluating a VPNs trustworthiness is a tricky thing. It’s not made any easier by the VPN industry itself being a cesspool of backstabbing and phony claims. We’ve found that, despite some missteps, most of the major VPN players aren’t bad actors, but there’s always room for improvement. The best VPN services will be up front and honest about their strengths and weaknesses, have a readable privacy policy, and either release third-party audits, a transparency report, or both. The best way to know if a VPN will work for you is to try it out in your own home. See if you can access all the sites and services that you need. Find out if the interface is usable, and if the speeds in your area are acceptable. Some VPN services provide a free trial, so take advantage of it. Make sure you are happy with what you signed up for, and take advantage of money-back guarantees if you’re not. This is why we also recommend starting with a short-term subscription—a week or a month—to really make sure you are happy. Yes, you may get a discount by signing up for a year, but that’s more money at stake should you decide the service doesn’t meet your performance Is the Best Free VPN? Not all VPN services require that you pay. There are, in fact, many excellent free VPNs. But all the free VPNs we’ve tested have some kind of limitation. Some limit you to just a few simultaneous connections or devices on an account. Others restrict your data. Others limit you to just a handful of servers. Still others do all of the nding the best free VPN is an exercise in balancing those restrictions. TunnelBear, for example, lets you use any server on its network but limits you to 500MB-1GB per month. Hotspot Shield also places no limits on the number of devices, but it restricts you to 500MB per day and only US-based servers. Kaspersky Secure Connection doesn’t limit your devices but doesn’t let you choose a VPN server—the app does it automatically. Editors’ Choice winner ProtonVPN has the unique distinction of placing no data restrictions on free users. You can browse as much as you want, as long as you want. You will be limited to just one device on the service at a time and can only choose between three server locations, but the unlimited data makes up for all that. It doesn’t hurt that ProtonVPN, from the same people that brought you super-secure ProtonMail email, is very concerned about security and customer far as what our readers are actually willing to spend, that’s a different story. A poll of PCMag readers found in our poll that 65 percent of respondents expect VPNs to be free, whereas only 10 percent expect them to cost $10 or more. For those of you who are at least willing to put down some cash, we also have a roundup of the best cheap You Trust Your VPN Service? If you’re using a service to route all your internet traffic through its servers, you have to be able to trust that service. It’s easier to trust companies that have been around longer, simply because their reputation is likely to be known. The trouble is that the VPN industry is very young, and some VPN companies have been playing dirty. In this environment, figuring out who to trust is very PCMag, we give special attention to the privacy practices of VPN companies and not just the technology they provide. In our testing, we read through the privacy policies and discuss company practices with VPN company representatives. We look for a commitment to protecting user information, and practices that gather and retain as little user information as part of our research, we also make sure to find out where the company is based and under what legal framework it operates. Some countries don’t have data-retention laws, making it easier to keep a promise of “We don’t keep any logs. ” It’s also useful to know under what circumstances a VPN company will hand over information to law enforcement and what information it would have to provide if that should best VPN services have a privacy policy that clearly spells out what the service does, what information it collects, and what it does to protect that information. Some companies explain that they collect some information, but don’t inform you about how they intend to use that information. Others are more emerged in late 2019 that NordVPN, TorGuard, and VikingVPN servers had been breached the previous year. No user data appears to have been compromised in the attacks. However, NordVPN acknowledged that its TLS keys had been exposed, but TorGuard said this was not the case for its keys. This was a comparably small incident—affecting just one of NordVPN’s servers, for example—but it has served as a wake-up call to the industry and customers. Since then, it seems that NordVPN and much of the VPN industry has made significant efforts to improve privacy practices and harden their infrastructure. Overly ProtectiveThe web and internet-connected devices are generally not designed for VPNs, which creates some unfortunate interactions. Some security-conscious companies like banks may be confused by your VPN. If your bank sees you logging in from what appears to be another US state or even another country, it can raise red flags. Expect to see captchas and more frequent multi-factor requests when your VPN is tflix and other streaming services often block access by VPN, since a VPN can be used to access region-locked content. Many companies, and especially Netflix, aggressively adjust their tactics to block VPNs. That means a service that works today may be blocked tomorrow, and vice versa. That could be an issue for many readers, because while the preponderance of you appear to use VPNs to protect yourselves, nearly a quarter use VPNs primarily for general, we found that VPNs have improved their ability to access far-flung streaming content. In previous years, it was extremely unusual to find a VPN that could stream Netflix content from outside the US. Keep in mind that accessing region locked streaming content can breach terms of service, and PCMag cannot supply legal advice for such, because a VPN encrypts your data as it’s transmitted from your device, it’s often impossible to access local devices on the same network. A great example is Chromecast. If you’ve got a VPN running, you won’t be able to use Chromecast. You may as well be on a different Wi-Fi network. Some VPNs allow for split-tunneling, where you can designate applications and sites that can travel outside the VPN connection. Others include an option to make traffic visible to LAN by the NumbersSome important things to look for when shopping for a VPN include the number of simultaneous connections the VPN service allows, the number of servers available, and the number of locations in which the company has VPN services allow you to connect up to five devices with a single account. Any service that offers fewer connections is outside the mainstream. Keep in mind that you’ll need to connect every device you wish to protect to the VPN service, so just two or three licenses will barely be enough for even just one paradigm may be changing, however. Many services now offer far more than five simultaneous connections. Some have even done away with this restriction entirely. Avira Phantom VPN, VPN, Ghostery Midnight, IPVanish VPN, Editors’ Choice winner Surfshark VPN, and Windscribe VPN place no limit on the number of simultaneous connections. Of course, there are more than just phones and computers in a home. Game systems, tablets, and smart home devices such as light bulbs and fridges all need to connect to the internet. Many of these things can’t run VPN software on their own. Some VPN companies provide instructions on how to configure a router to use a VPN, which would protect all the devices on the network. There’s some debate on whether or not this will cause even more unforeseen complications. We don’t recommend this solution to anyone other than an experienced and patient tinkerer. The distribution of VPN servers is a key consideration. The more server locations a VPN has to offer, the more options you have to spoof your location! More importantly, having numerous servers in diverse locales means that, no matter where you go on Earth, you’ll be able to find a nearby VPN server. The closer the VPN server, the better the speed and reliability of the connection it can offer you. Remember, you don’t need to connect to a far-flung VPN server to gain security benefits. Depending on where you live, a server down the street is as safe as one across the also look at how many virtual servers and virtual locations VPN companies use. A virtual server is just what it sounds like—a software-defined server running on server hardware that might have several virtual servers onboard. A virtual location is a server configured to appear somewhere other than where it is physically located. While neither is inherently problematic, it’s a bit worrisome to choose one location and discover you’re actually connected somewhere else entirely. Some VPN companies take a smart view to virtual servers, using them to provide VPN support for regions where it might be too risky to physically house a server. When VPNs use these technologies, we prefer that they are transparent about ‘s the Fastest VPN? When a VPN is active, your web traffic is taking a more circuitous route than usual, often resulting in sluggish download and upload speeds as well as increased latency. The good news is that using a VPN probably isn’t going to remind you of the dial-up days of yore. Most services provide perfectly adequate internet speed when in use, and they can even handle streaming HD video. However, 4K video and other data-intensive tasks like gaming over a VPN are another story. When we test VPNs, we use the Ookla speed test tool. This test provides metrics for latency, download speeds, and upload speeds. Any one of these can be an important measurement depending on your needs, but we tend to view the download speed as the most important. After all, we live in an age of digital consumption. (Editors’ Note: Note that Ookla is owned by PCMag’s publisher, Ziff Davis. )To evaluate VPNs, we first run several speed tests without the VPN. Then, we compare that figure to speed tests taken with the VPN active and find a percent change. Our speed tests stress comparison and reproducibility. That means we stand by our work, but your individual results may vary. After all, perhaps you live on top of a VPN server, or just happen to have a super-high bandwidth connection. Please read our feature, conveniently named How We Test VPNs, if you want the full details. In the past, we tested all of our products back to back. This year, we’re using a rolling schedule that will provide fresher data much faster. This change was also necessitated by the limited access we have to the PCMag Labs due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For an update that talks about the how the pandemic has affected our tests, you can read COVID-19 Upended How We Test VPN Speeds. The chart below shows our most recent speed test results.
Get Yourself a VPNA VPN is an easy way to protect your privacy online, and it can be a tool for circumventing unwanted internet restrictions, too. None of the services in this list are perfect, and there will surely be times when it won’t make sense to use a VPN. But it’s a valuable tool to have in your personal security through the review links of the best VPN services below for detailed analysis and performance results, and feel free to chime in on the comments section below them. Once you’ve picked, be sure to read our feature on how to set up and use a VPN to get the most from your chosen service. (Editors’ Note: While they may not all appear in this story, Buffered VPN,, IPVanish, and StrongVPN are owned by J2 Global, the parent company of PCMag’s publisher, Ziff Davis. )

Best VPN service of 2021 – CNET

Whether you’re working remotely or you simply care about your online privacy, a VPN, or virtual private network, is key. Here’s how it works: A VPN encrypts the connection between you and the internet, keeping your browsing habits private and your information safe from prying eyes. However, there are a lot of VPNs to choose from, and not every VPN service offers the same level of reliability, security and speed. So how do you find the best VPN service to meet your particular needs? That’s where this best VPN guide comes in. After researching and testing a number of VPN services, we rounded up a list of the VPN providers that do the best job in keeping your online information totally secure. Editors’ note: Following the Sept. 13 sale of ExpressVPN to Kape Technologies, a company that has raised significant privacy concerns for us in the past, we’re carefully re-evaluating ExpressVPN to determine the implications that its new ownership may have on users’ privacy. We’ll update our recommendations and reviews if and when warranted.
What is a VPN?
A commercial virtual private network is technology that allows you to create a private connection over a less private network by creating an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the internet. You can install a VPN just like you would any other app or program on your smartphone or computer. A VPN can let you get around censorship in your country or access geo-restricted media content from another country — and prevents your internet service provider from being able to intrude on your privacy by snooping on your web browsing. VPNs do this by allowing you to appear as though you’re connecting from a different location or country. A VPN is great for anyone using public, unprotected Wi-Fi, such as what’s offered in airports, bars or coffee shops. Your VPN protects your sensitive information — from your work projects to bank account login information — from being seen by malicious actors who trawl public Wi-Fi networks. When you browse the internet while on a VPN, your computer will contact the website through your VPN’s encrypted connection. The VPN will then forward the request for you and forward the response from the website back through its secure more beginner-focused VPN help, we’ve demystified some of the jargon in our guide to all the VPN terms you need to know.
Do I need a VPN?
People who access the internet from a computer, tablet or smartphone will benefit from VPN usage. A VPN service will almost always boost your privacy by encrypting your online activity. Communications that happen between the VPN server and your device are encrypted, so an internet service provider or someone on your Wi-Fi network spying on you wouldn’t know which webpages you access. They also won’t be able to see private information like passwords, usernames and bank or shopping details and so on. Anyone who wants to protect their privacy and security online should use a VPN.
Does everything I use need a VPN?
If your goal is to protect your personal data from prying eyes, you want a VPN on whatever you are using. That means having a VPN to protect your laptop, your phone, your Xbox and your smart TV. If your goal is to use a VPN to gain access to streaming services which have been made unavailable in your country for whatever reason, you want a VPN on whatever you are using to access those streaming services. This could be as simple as a VPN for your Chrome browser or setting up a VPN for your Amazon Fire TV Stick. Whatever your reason for wanting a VPN, it’s usually a good idea to have it set up on as many of your web-connected things as possible.
What is a mobile VPN?
Use a mobile-friendly VPN to avoid slower speeds and ensure greater data privacy for your whole device. Mobile VPNs generally have a smaller memory footprint, and require less processing power than desktop VPNs, so they run faster and save more battery. Our top three VPN picks all have excellent, easy-to-use mobile app options for their services. Some VPNs will only work with one type of platform — like Apple or Android — and some are universally compatible. To find the right mobile VPN for you, check out our mobile-specific VPN guides below. We routinely update them with our retesting information, so check back often. How to set up a VPN on your iPhone or Android phone, and why you need oneBest Android VPNs for 2021Best iPhone VPNs of 2021
What’s the best free VPN?
None of them. Seriously. While there are plenty of excellent free security and privacy apps online, VPNs sadly aren’t among them. Safe VPNs cost companies a lot of money to operate and keep secure, and free ones are almost always malware-laden data snoops. But there’s good news: The burgeoning VPN market is hypercompetitive right now, so prices for even the best VPNs regularly drop to less than $5 a month. In fact, the least expensive VPN we’ve seen so far ranks in our top three VPNs overall for security and speed. Check out our quick list of budget-savvy VPNs to find one in your price range.
How do I choose the right VPN for me?
We’re keeping a close eye on how each VPN provider stands compared with its competitors, as well as any new VPN services that may become available. We’ve cataloged our most recommended VPN services to date — and listed some less viable VPN selections, too, based on our testing. We’ll be regularly updating this VPN guide as new contenders hit the said, the VPN landscape can be confusing and mystifying. Here are some quick tips, each of which link to a more in-depth ‘t use free VPN services: You’ll find only paid VPN options below because they’re the only ones we can recommend. Look for a no-logs VPN, but understand the caveats: The best VPNs keep as few logs as possible and make them as anonymous as possible, so there’s little data to provide should authorities come knocking. But even “no-logs” VPNs aren’t 100% transparency is important, but warrant canaries are only the beginning: Many services use “warrant canaries” as a way to passively note to the public as to whether or not they’ve been subpoenaed by a government entity, as many investigations from national security agencies can’t be actively disclosed by law. But — like the no-logging issue — warrant canaries aren’t always as straightforward as they seem. You should spend more time investigating whether your prospective VPN has cooperated with authorities in the past — and how and when it’s disclosed that twice about using a US-based VPN: The Patriot Act is still the law of the land in the US, and that means US-based VPNs have little recourse if and when the feds show up with subpoenas or national security letters in hand demanding access to servers, VPN user accounts or other data. Yes, they may have little data to access if the service has a strong no-logs policy, but why not just choose a service that’s based outside Uncle Sam’s jurisdiction? (If this is a concern for you, you’ll want to avoid countries that the US has intelligence-sharing agreements with, too. )
When we determine the best VPN, there are a lot of details to consider. In our current ranking and testing system, we evaluated more than 20 factors, including price, security, performance, ease of remote access, number of server locations, bandwidth caps, logging, dedicated and dynamic IP, client VPN software and customer support. Below, we’ve listed your best VPN options, including such popular names as ExpressVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish and NordVPN. The best VPN right nowLet’s look at each of our VPN vendors below in more depth. Keep in mind that this is an evolving list: It’s constantly being updated. We’re actively working on more VPN testing and research, so expect this guide to change throughout the year as our VPN use continues and we put each option through its paces. The list below presents our favorites in an overall ranking; if you want to see each top VPN judged by more specific criteria, check out the links VPN for MacBest Android VPNBest VPN for iPhoneYou’ll mostly find the same names you see here, but we’ll call out when and where specific traits make for a better choice in a more narrow evaluation.
ExpressVPN
Editor’s Choice Award for best VPN: Blazing speeds, proven privacy
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Number of IP addresses: 30, 000Number of servers: 3, 000-plus in 160 locationsNumber of simultaneous connections: 5Country/jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands94-plus countriesThree months free with one-year plan, plus a free year of Backblaze cloud backup (limited-time offer)ExpressVPN tells us its network is powered by TrustedServer technology, which ExpressVPN built to ensure that there are never any logs of users’ online activities. In the privacy world, ExpressVPN has a strong track record, having experienced a server seizure by authorities which proved its zero-log policy true at the time. We also like the quality of the VPN’s setup guides and the detailed information in its FAQ. While its speeds consistently compete with heavy-hitting competitors, our 2020 speed tests saw ExpressVPN produce a 52% overall loss of our normal internet speeds, representing a significant slowdown compared with its 2019 score of 2% speed loss. Like the rest of the top five VPN services we’ve reviewed, ExpressVPN offers a useful kill-switch feature that prevents network data from leaking outside of its secure VPN tunnel in the event the VPN connection fails. Unlike the others, though, ExpressVPN gained points from us for its support of Bitcoin as a payment method — something not all of our favorites offer, but which adds an additional layer of privacy during company has been in business since 2009, and ExpressVPN has a substantial network of fast VPN servers spread across 94 countries. Its best plan is priced at less than $7 a month for an annual package, which includes three months free. Read more: ExpressVPN review: A VPN speed leader with a secure reputation
Read our ExpressVPN review.
Surfshark
A speed leader, packed with features
Number of servers: 3, 200-plusNumber of server locations: 65Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands$2. 49 a month (81% discount) for a two-year planWhile Surfshark’s network is smaller than some, the VPN service makes it up on features and speed. Let’s start off with the biggest win it offers: unlimited device support. If you want to run your entire home or office on Surfshark’s VPN, you don’t have to worry about how many devices you have on or connected. It also offers antimalware, ad-blocking and tracker-blocking as part of its it’s fast. With more than 3, 200 servers in 65 countries, we lost less than 17% of average internet speed during our most recent speed tests. That’s faster than the 27% speed loss we saw in previous tests, and pushes it ahead of ExpressVPN to be the current front-runner in our speed rfshark received generally high marks when its Chrome and Firefox extensions were audited for privacy by German security firm Cure 53 (PDF link of full report) — though that audit was commissioned by company has a solid range of app support, running on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Fire TV and routers. Additional devices such as game consoles can be configured for Surfshark via DNS settings. We particularly like the feature that allows you to whitelist certain apps and websites to automatically bypass the VPN. For some business uses, this can be critically important. Surfshark also offers three special modes designed for those who want to get around restrictions and more carefully hide their online footsteps. Camouflage Mode masks your VPN activity so your ISP doesn’t know you’re using a VPN. Multihop jumps your connection through multiple countries to hide your trail. Finally, NoBorders Mode “allows [you] to successfully use Surfshark in restrictive regions. ” Just be careful. Doing any of these three things could be illegal in your country and could result in severe penalties. During our testing, we didn’t see a single IP address or DNS leak, and had no trouble accessing Netflix. Unlike many of the other VPN providers, Surfshark doesn’t offer a one-year plan. Its best offer is $2. 49 a month, for its two-year plan (you pay about $60 upfront). A six-month plan is $6. 49 a month (about $39 upfront), and month-by-month plans are $12. 95 a month. Definitely take advantage of its generous 30-day trial to decide if you like this service (and if you choose the two-year plan, maybe set a reminder in 23 months to see if you can talk it into a continued discount rate) more: Surfshark VPN review: A feature-rich service with blazing speeds and a security focus
Read our Surfshark VPN review.
NordVPN
Best VPN for reliability and security
Number of IP addresses: 5, 000Number of servers: 5, 200-plus serversNumber of server locations: 62Country/jurisdiction: Panama62 countries$3. 67 a month (69% discount) for a two-year planNordVPN in-depth review and hands-on testing (ZDNet)NordVPN is one of the most recognized brands in the VPN field. It offers a generous simultaneous connection count, with six simultaneous connections through its network, where nearly all other providers offer five or fewer. NordVPN also offers a dedicated IP option, for those looking for a different level of VPN connection. NordVPN offers a kill-switch feature, and the ability to VPN into Tor. We detected no privacy leaks during our our most recent speed tests, NordVPN’s performance was on par with many of its competitors, reducing our speeds by 53% on average (which is slower than the 32% loss measured in previous speed tests). We found NordVPN’s speeds were reliably fast. There were never any sudden dips or service interruptions, and where we expected the VPN to underperform, it proved itself up to the company’s two-year VPN subscription plan currently costs $3. 67 a month ($99 billed at once). That price is lower than most contenders, but creeps up for the one-year plan ($4. 92 a month or $59 total) and the monthly plan ($11. 95 a month). But it does have a full 30-day refund policy. While NordVPN has lived on this list for a long time, we moved it to the penalty box in October 2019 to re-evaluate our recommendation after a report emerged that one of its rented servers was accessed without authorization in 2018. Nord’s actions following the discovery included — eventually — multiple security audits, a bug bounty program and heavier investments in server security. While we’d have preferred it if Nord had self-disclosed the issue much earlier, the fact that the breach was limited in nature and involved no user-identifying information served to further verify that NordVPN keeps no logs of user activity. As a result, Nord remains on this list as a recommended vendor. Read more: NordVPN review: Still the best value for security and speed
Read our NordVPN review.
ProtonVPN
High security standards at high speeds
Number of servers: 1, 25955 countriesCountry/jurisdiction: Switzerland30-day money back guaranteePlus Package: $8 per month ($96 charged yearly)When we speed-tested ProtonVPN, we saw an impressively small 9. 6% speed loss compared with average speeds clocked without a VPN. ProtonVPN’s base speeds sent it blazing past most of our roster of tested services and into second place behind ExpressVPN. Even more impressive is Proton’s ability to reach those speeds despite a relatively small fleet of 1, 259 servers in 55 countries. Like ExpressVPN, Proton also costs more than most of the VPNs we’ve reviewed. Even so, ProtonVPN’s high security standards and legacy of transparency may make this VPN option worth the price. Along with its options to send your traffic through a secure bunker of private servers, we love ProtonVPN’s transparency policies: It’s completely open-source with routinely published audits, and includes a built-in route to VPN into Tor servers. We’re also confident recommending its mobile app since it has eliminated the use of some weaker security protocols, like PPTP and L2TP, which are still used by some other VPNs. On price, we’d like to see ProtonVPN come down a bit. ProtonVPN’s standard package, called Plus, runs $8 per month ($96 charged yearly). That price is higher than the Editors’ Choice Award-winning ExpressVPN, whose best plan is priced at $6. 67 a month for an annual package. ProtonVPN also gets beat on price by NordVPN’s two-year plan at $3. 75 per month ($45 a year), and Surfshark’s two-year plan at $2. 95 monthly ($30 a year). While ProtonVPN offers a $4 per month package, that package doesn’t come with enough valuable features to make it competitive against NordVPN. Read more: ProtonVPN review: A secure service with a solid reputation that costs a pretty penny
Read our ProtonVPN review.
IPVanish
Best VPN choice for beginners
Number of IP addresses: 40, 000-plusNumber of servers: 1, 600-plusNumber of server locations: 75-plusNumber of simultaneous connections: UnlimitedCountry/jurisdiction: US$5. 20 a month (57% discount) for a one-year planA big win for IPVanish is its fun, configurable interface, which makes it an ideal client for those who are interested in learning how to understand what a VPN does under the hood. Its multiplatform flexibility is also ideal for people focused on finding a Netflix-friendly VPN. A unique feature of the IPVanish VPN, and one we’re intrigued by, is the VPN’s support of Kodi, the open-source media streaming app that was once known as XBMC. Any serious media fan has used or built Kodi or XBMC into a media player, and the integrated IPVanish Kodi plug-in provides access to media $10 a month or $80 a year, IPVanish is obviously trying to move you toward its yearly program. We’re a little disappointed that it only allows a seven-day trial, rather than a full 30 days, but it does offer a full money-back guarantee. That said, the company gets kudos for its recent increase from 10 to now-unlimited simultaneous connections. We also liked its connection kill-switch feature, a must for anyone serious about remaining anonymous while surfing. Read more: IPVanish review: Get under the hood with this zippy VPN
Read our IPVanish review.
Other VPNs we’ve tested Not every VPN can be a favorite. These are ones we reviewed, but they’re not full-throated recommendations for one reason or another, including limited features and concerns over adequately hiding your identity.
HotSpot Shield
Hotspot ShieldServers: 3, 200-plus in 82 locations Country/Jurisdiction: US (Five Eyes member) Platforms: Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, Linux, Amazon Fire TV ($40 at Amazon)Price: $8 per month or $95. 88 billed annually. Month-to-month plan at $13Hotspot Shield VPN’s TLS-based Hydra Catapult protocol, US jurisdiction, 128-bit AES encryption support and large percentage of virtual servers might strip away our trust in its ability to provide more privacy protections than its competitors — but those are all key components to its ability to achieve the blazing speeds it delivered during its most recent speed tests. As of May 2021, it’s the second-fastest VPN I’ve tested, effortlessly delivers smooth-streaming media and can dance between server connections without missing a beat, no matter how many interruptions you throw at it. A 26% speed loss puts it in second place, falling behind Surfshark — which lost just 16. 9% of its speed the last time I tested it — and knocking ExpressVPN down to third place with a 51. 8% speed loss at last measurement. Speed losses on UK connections were under 8%, Gaming, torrenting, browsing, streaming — these speed-dependent services won’t be slowed down for Hotspot Shield users. We’re not excited about Hotspot’s privacy and security, though. Since the services uses a closed-source proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol, instead of the more transparent open-source OpenVPN protocol, we’d like to see Hotspot give the public more third-party audits — a necessary step to bring Hotspot up to speed with routinely audited VPNs like TunnelBear. As recently as April 2021, review site vpnMentor discovered a DNS leak in Hotspot Shield’s plug-in for Google Chrome. Hotspot acknowledged the issue at the time and aimed to improve the product. We’re also not thrilled about the amount of user data Hotspot collects, and its privacy policy. With its premium product, it gathers and retains much more information about users than most other VPNs. And if you’re using the free version of its product, it shares that information — along with even more finite data, including your MAC address and specific phone identifier — with advertising companies. While its interface is user-friendly and its speeds are thrilling, spending time with Hotspot is going to leave your wallet a little lighter than you might prefer. It’s current price is higher than its nearest competitors, its speeds slightly slower and its privacy more questionable. If you’re looking for a VPN purely on the grounds of speed, we still recommend passing on Hotspot until it improves. Read more: Hotspot Shield VPN review: This speedster costs more than its faster, more private competitors
TunnelBear
TunnelBear Average speed loss: 63% Number of servers: 1, 800 in 23 countriesJurisdiction: Canada, with US parent companyPrice: $3. 33 per month, or $120, for a three-year planTunnelBear’s gotten a lot of hype in the last couple of years. But when we looked under its hood and compared it with its VPN competitors, our excitement waned. TunnelBear’s speeds are reasonable. We lost nearly 63% of internet speed overall when we used it, which is about average for a VPN. TunnelBear’s speeds have steadily improved over the years as measured by other review and testing sites, though, and the US scores we recorded saw a speed loss of only 54%. On the plus side, TunnelBear is holding its own in the transparency competition among VPNs by publishing the results of its independent security audits and annual transparency reports. No IP address, DNS or other potentially user-identifying data leaks were detected during our testing, but in the past TunnelBear was observed to have been leaking WebRTC information. TunnelBear’s VPN encryption is standard AES-256 and it supports Perfect Forward Secrecy. However, it’s also a Canadian business owned by US-based McAfee, so if you’re looking for subpoena-proof international online privacy, you’re playing with fire. It holds a paltry 23 server locations from which you can’t manually choose your VPN server or even a city. It doesn’t offer Tor-over-VPN, it offers split tunneling only on Android and it can’t even unblock Netflix. On a per-month breakdown, the least expensive TunnelBear plan is its $120, three-year plan. You can also go month to month for $10, or pay $60 upfront for a single year. Either way, TunnelBear accepts payment via credit card and Bitcoin. Unlike other VPNs, it doesn’t take PayPal. Also unlike other VPNs, it doesn’t support Amazon Fire Stick or Android TV. Read more: TunnelBear VPN review: The overpriced ursine has trouble living up to the hype
CyberGhost
CyberGhost VPN Number of servers: Over 6, 800 worldwide in 89-plus countries Number of server locations: 111 Jurisdiction: Romania, with UK parent companyNumber of simultaneous connections: five$2. 25 a month for a three-year plan, or $3. 49 a month for two-year planCyberGhost in-depth review and hands-on testing In CNET’s previous coverage of virtual private networks, we’ve praised CyberGhost for its roster of competitive features. Our in-depth review of CyberGhost last year included speed testing, security verification and an analysis of its full suite of privacy tools. Since then, the VPN company has increased its number of servers and is prepared to roll out new privacy tools, all while remaining one of the cheapest VPNs we’ve reviewed — at $2. 25 per month for a three-year plan. As we’ve bolstered our approach to VPN reviews in recent months, however, CyberGhost has raised some red flags. Its parent company’s history warrants skepticism; our previous tests have shown it to expose your VPN use to your ISP; its website and app trackers are more numerous than warranted; and its ad blocker uses an untrustworthy method of traffic manipulation no VPN should even think about. Its low price previously made it worth considering if you needed to change the appearance of your location online, but not if you wanted best-in-class security. While CyberGhost’s connection speed and security appear to be improving, I don’t currently recommend using the VPN service provider if you’re in a country where VPNs are illegal. I also recommend that anyone in the US review CyberGhost’s parent company before deciding whether to pay for a subscription. On the plus side, however, CyberGhost is still faster than Norton Secure VPN and was less taxing on my device’s processing power during testing. It also offers split tunneling in its Windows client and has its servers neatly organized into user-friendly categories: NoSpy servers, servers geared for torrenting, servers best for streaming and servers best for use with a static IP address. CyberGhost imposes no data caps and allows unlimited server switching. Read more: CyberGhost VPN review: Promising improvements but its parent company concerns me
Norton
Norton Secure VPN Number of countries: 29Number of servers: 1, 500 (1, 200 virtual)Number of server locations: 200 in 73 citiesCountry/jurisdiction: US$40 for the first 12 monthsNortonLifeLock, long known for excellence in security products, has a relatively limited offering in its VPN product. Norton Secure VPN does not support P2P or BitTorrent, and it does not support Linux, routers or set-top boxes. Its Netflix and streaming compatibility is somewhat limited. Even worse, during testing, we experienced privacy-compromising data leaks. During CNET’s testing, Norton Secure VPN speeds were comparable to other midtier VPNs but not particularly competitive. Although its VPN is only available on four platforms — Mac, iOS, Windows and Android — Norton gets points for its 24/7 live customer phone support and 60-day money back guarantee. Read more: Norton Secure VPN review: More work is needed for this privacy product to shine Other VPNs in the mix Below you’ll find some additional VPNs. We’re in the process of re-evaluating them in the coming months.
PureVPN
PureVPN Number of servers: 6, 500 Number of server locations: 180Country/jurisdiction: Hong Kong$10. 95 a month, $3. 33 a month for a 2-year planPureVPN does not log connection information. The company joined the “no log” movement in 2018, which was recently verified via a third-party audit by Althius IT (albeit one commissioned and paid for by PureVPN). We like that PureVPN offers a 31-day refund policy and supports Bitcoin payments, to further extend anonymous browsing. We also like that PureVPN has both Kodi and Chromebook solutions available. In addition, PureVPN was the first VPN service we noted to fully implement the GDPR.
StrongVPN
StrongVPN Number of IP addresses: 59, 500 Number of servers: 650-plus Number of server locations: 26 countries and 46 cities $5. 83 a month (42% discount) for a one-year planStrongVPN in-depth review and hands-on testingStrongVPN blasts onto our favorites list with excellent infrastructure and decent price performance. As with our other favorites, StrongVPN has a strong no-logging policy. Since VPN is all about protecting your privacy, that’s a place the savvy VPN providers can pick up points. Strong also picks up kudos for its large base of IP addresses, which also helps protect your anonymity. It has a solid collection of servers and worldwide locations. For those of you who need a dedicated IP, you can get one from the company, but you’ll need to contact support to get help setting it up. One of StrongVPN’s strengths is the company’s network. It owns and operates its entire network infrastructure, which means it has no externally dictated limits on bandwidth or the type of internet traffic allowed on the network. This gives you the confidence that you’ll be able to power through your work. StrongVPN’s regular monthly price of $10 is in the middle of the pack, but its yearly price of $70 is among the lowest of our contenders.
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access Number of IP addresses: N/ANumber of server locations: At least 37 (101 with proxies included)Country/jurisdiction: USSpeaking of price, if you want one of the less expensive providers, Private Internet Access is the place to go. The key to getting the most savings with this vendor is buying its two-year plan for $69. 95. That works out to $2. 69 a month. It also offers a one-year plan for $39. 95 (which comes out to $3. 33 a month) and a monthly plan for $9. The company does not release information on the number of IP addresses available, though it does offer a dedicated IP option. The company claims to have an extraordinarily high number of servers — more than 31, 000. But PIA appears to have arrived at that number by counting both encrypted VPN servers and proxy servers. It is crucial to note: Proxy servers are not VPNs. Operating since 2010, PIA now offers 110 simultaneous connections, a kill-switch feature and a 30-day refund period. VPN FAQ ContinuedSince we’re living in a connected world, security and privacy are critical to ensure our personal safety from nefarious hacks. From online banking to communicating with co-workers on a daily basis, we’re now frequently transferring data on our computers and smartphones. It’s extremely important to find ways of securing our digital life and for this reason, VPNs have become increasingly common.
What’s the best VPN right now?
ExpressVPN received a CNET Editors’ Choice Award for best overall VPN. We evaluate VPNs based on their overall performance in three main categories: speed, security and price. Express isn’t the cheapest, but it’s among the fastest and, so far, is the most secure. Surfshark, with its lower price, is a close second among our picks, thanks to its impressive performance and unlimited device rdVPN, our third choice, is a die-hard heavy-hitter. It costs more than Surfshark but less than Express, has an enormous network that’s constantly getting faster and more secure and is easily the most reliable service we’ve tested.
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Which VPN should you pick?
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How do I know what I need in a VPN?
Picking a VPN requires knowing two things to start with: what you want to use it for and what you’re willing to pay. There is a vast number of VPNs available to choose from that range widely in what they offer, but with those two answers, you can start hunting for a VPN that has the right blend of speed, security and cost. Below, you’ll find specific FAQ sections on picking a VPN based on the most common needs: gaming, streaming media, working from home and privacy-sensitive professions. For a deeper dive, check our detailed walk-through of how we evaluate and review VPNs. If you’re looking for some quick pointers, here are universally applicable advice guides for flags to watch out for when choosing a VPNHow to identify a good VPN: 3 features to look out for
If you subscribe to only one CNET newsletter, this is it. Get editors’ top picks of the day’s most interesting reviews, news stories and videos.
What is a site-to-site VPN?
This is when the VPN technology uses a gateway device to connect the entire network in one location to a network in another location. The majority of site-to-site VPNs that connect over the internet use IPsec. Rather than using the public internet, it is also normal to use multiprotocol label switching clouds as the main transport for site-to-site VPNs. VPNs are often defined between specific computers, and in most cases, they are servers in separate data centers. However, new hybrid-access situations have now transformed the VPN gateway in the cloud, typically with a secure link from the cloud service provider into the internal network.
What is a remote-access VPN?
A remote-access VPN uses public infrastructure like the internet to provide remote users secure access to their network. This is particularly important for organizations and their corporate networks. It’s crucial when employees connect to a public hotspot and use the internet for sending work-related emails. A VPN client on the user’s computer or mobile device connects to a VPN gateway on the company’s network. This gateway will typically require the device to authenticate its identity. It will then create a network link back to the device that allows it to reach internal network resources such as file servers, printers and intranets, as if it were on the same local network.
What’s the best VPN for work

Top 6 Truly Free VPN Providers of October 2021 | VPNOverview

Click here for a short summary! Top 6 Truly Free VPN Providers of 2021: A SummaryMany VPN providers offer free versions of their premium apps. Although limited, they are more than enough to keep you safe and anonymous online. Some of them also allow torrenting and can even unblock Netflix a look at our top 6 (truly) free VPNs:PrivadoVPN: Best free VPN for Windows and Mac usersProtonVPN: Best free VPN with unlimited Best free VPN in terms of customer supportTunnelbear: Best free VPN if you’re looking for many server locationsWindscribe: Best free VPN for fast connection speedsZoogVPN: Best free VPN for FireTVYou don’t have to compromise your online safety and privacy to save money. These providers offer excellent protection 100% cost-free. Unfortunately, they also come with limitations, like speed caps and data limits. If you want a cheap VPN that protects you online without restricting your browsing, we recommend Surfshark. Otherwise, we can dive deep into the top free VPNs of 2021. Read the full article below! With a Virtual Private Network (VPN), you can use the internet more anonymously and securely by means of an encrypted connection. Most VPN providers require a monthly fee if you want to use their secure server network. However, there are some VPN providers that offer a connection for this article, you’ll learn more about free VPN services, how they work, and why you should be careful about using them. We’ll also recommend six excellent free services you can start using right Careful with Free VPN ServicesYou always need to be somewhat wary of ‘free’ products and services — and VPNs are no exception. Although some free VPNs will do their job very well, not all of them will be able to compete with paid VPN services claim to be free but still take something from you, even if it isn’t money. For example, some free VPNs, such as Hola, sell your data connection to other customers. Other free providers even monitor the websites you visit so they can sell this data to marketing other words, you might think your online life is protected by these free VPNs, but your privacy is actually being compromised even considering: Free trial with a premium VPN for 30 daysFree VPNs generally come with certain limitations. Premium paid VPNs, on the other hand, are more secure and offer more options, such as unlimited data, unlimited speeds, proper customer support, and access to streaming services from all over the you want to try a premium service for free, there’s a strong up-and-comer we wholeheartedly recommend: Surfshark. For only $2. 49 per month, you get all the advantages of a premium VPN. The free trial comes in the form of a 30-day money-back guarantee. Within those first 30 days, you can get your money back without any problems. Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked! Cheap with many extra options Visit Surfshark If you want to know how you can use the Surfshark trial period to your advantage, you can check out this Surfshark free trial guide. Or find out more about trial periods with all the biggest VPN a free VPN is really what you are looking for, there are a few reliable options. You might run into data limits or speed caps, but the free VPN providers in the list below are generally recommendable and are completely don’t have to provide your payment information or make use of a money-back guarantee. Free really is free with these VPN mparison Table of the Best Free VPNs of 2021Free VPN1. PrivadoVPN2. ProtonVPN3. 4. TunnelBear5. Windscribe6. ZoogVPNSpeed capNoYesNoNoNoNoFree data per month10 GBUnlimited10 GB500 MB2 GB 10 GB Servers in countries123540+103Netflix USA working? YesSometimesNoNoNoNoP2P traffic allowedYesNoYesNoYesYes (Limited)Level of encryptionAES 256-BitAES 256-BitAES 256-BitAES 256-BitAES 256-Bit128-BitOperating systemWindows, Mac, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TVWindows, Mac, iOS, Android, Android TV, Linux, ChromebookWindows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TVWindows, Mac, iOS, AndroidWindows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TVWindows, Mac, iOS, Android, Android TV Linux, Fire TVWebsiteVisit PrivadoVPNVisit ProtonVPNVisit Visit TunnelBearVisit WindscribeVisit ZoogVPNWhat is the Best Free VPN? After extensive testing, we conclude that PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN service of good free VPN providers are ProtonVPN,, TunnelBear, Windscribe, and ZoogVPN, with each option having its own unique advantages and top list of free VPNs can be summarized as follows:PrivadoVPN: Best free VPN for Windows and Mac usersProtonVPN: Best free VPN with unlimited Best free VPN in terms of customer supportTunnelbear: Best free VPN if you’re looking for many server locationsWindscribe: Best free VPN for fast connection speedsZoogVPN: Best free VPN for FireTVHow did we determine this top six list exactly? First of all, it was important that there were no direct or hidden subscription costs. VPNs with free trials — but that automatically turn into a paid subscription — were not included in our ditionally, we felt it was crucial that the VPNs we test don’t sell customer information to third comparing various free VPN services, we also looked at encryption, data limits, speed caps, the number of simultaneous connections that are allowed, and the server locations. Picking the best free VPN for youFree VPNs often have a combination of different limiting factors regarding data, internet speeds, and server availability. In everyday practice, this doesn’t necessarily pose a problem. Which provider you pick is mainly a matter of personal you intend to use the VPN for streaming? Then it’s important to have reliable speed and a large amount of data available. Note that, when it comes to streaming, paid VPN services usually perform better because of their higher speeds and lack of data gardless of your purpose for the VPN, you should try to find a free VPN service that has servers in your country and no speed cap. This can be difficult given the limited number of server locations most free VPNs offer, but it’s not you will find some more in-depth information about the free VPNs on our top 6 list. 1. PrivadoVPN – Best Free VPN for Windows and Mac usersPrivadoVPN is the best free VPN at this moment — a surprising newcomer with a great interface and user experienceFeaturePrivadoVPN free version performanceTorrentsAllowedNetflixYes, for readersSimultaneous connections1Server locations12 locationsData limit10 GB per monthSpeed capNoneEncryptionAES 256-BitPriceCompletely freeWebsiteVisit PrivadoVPN websitePrivadoVPN promises to keep you private, and it excels at doing just that. Let us walk you through what we like and dislike about this free asons to pick PrivadoVPNThere are multiple reasons why this provider is a good pick. First of all, PrivadoVPN works with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Android TV, and Fire TV. It also works with Netflix, which is uncommon (and therefore a huge plus) for a free VPN PrivadoVPN, torrenting poses absolutely no issue; we tried downloading several different torrents ourselves whilst connected to PrivadoVPN, and the process worked ivadoVPN offers unlimited speeds as long as you stay within the monthly 10 GB data limit. Note that, after finishing your 10 GB of monthly data, you can still use PrivadoVPN. You’ll just be limited to one server and 1 Mbit speeds, but you’re still protected and anonymized. Furthermore, considering it’s a free VPN, there are loads of server locations to choose from: Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, London, Amsterdam, New York, Chicago, Washington, Miami, Los Angeles, Montreal, Mexico City, and Buenos, PrivadoVPN Free also comes with an automatic kill switch. This is an essential security feature often found only in paid VPN PrivadoVPN have any limitations? There are a few limitations to keep in mind with PrivadoVPN. First of all, there is no dedicated Linux, you can use PrivadoVPN’s free version only on one device at a time. Other than that, PrivadoVPN performed really well in our tests and has several impressive features you wouldn’t expect from a free rdict on PrivadoVPNPrivadoVPN is, at this moment, our editor’s choice for the best free VPN. It has a beautiful app; it works intuitively; and it’s fast and user-friendly. A refreshing new player and one to keep an eye PrivadoVPN for free2. ProtonVPN – Best free VPN with unlimited dataProtonVPN is the most well-known free VPN, ideal for those seeking a free VPN without data limitsFeatureProtonVPN free version performanceTorrentsNot allowedNetflixSometimes, not consistentlySimultaneous connections1Server locations3 locationsData limitNoneSpeed cap‘Medium speed’EncryptionAES 256-BitPriceCompletely freeWebsiteVisit ProtonVPN websiteProtonVPN can justifiably be called one of the best free VPNs on the market. This popular provider from Switzerland offers user-friendly software and applications with good choose the free version of ProtonVPN? The free version of ProtonVPN has no data limits, which is unique amongst free VPN providers. Another of ProtonVPN’s features is that that it functions well on all your devices. ProtonVPN works with Mac, Windows, Android, Android TV, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, and even certain routers. Occasionally, we succeeded in accessing Netflix using ProtonVPN’s free servers. However, there are no guarantees that Netflix will always work, as it is constantly trying to block VPN access to its streaming service. Therefore, you have to rely on some luck when finding a ProtonVPN server that isn’t currently being blocked by the paid ProtonVPN subscription gives access to far more servers, paying customers have a much better chance of getting Netflix to work. Disadvantages of the free version of ProtonVPNThe free version of ProtonVPN has a speed cap. This makes sense, considering how many people use the limited number of free ProtonVPN servers. Internet speeds can dip as the servers struggle to handle all the ProtonVPN website also openly advertises the speed of their free VPN as ‘medium, ’ while all their paid subscriptions have ‘high speeds. ’ProtonVPN doesn’t support torrent downloads. This means you cannot download files from torrent sites when you are connected to a free ProtonVPN free version of ProtonVPN gives you access to servers in “only” three different locations: three servers in the United States, three servers in Japan, and three in The Netherlands. This very limited selection of servers could be troublesome for some can use ProtonVPN for free on one device at a time. But seeing as it’s a free service you could theoretically register multiple accounts with different email addresses. This way you can protect every device you own with a separate ProtonVPN rdict on ProtonVPNOur editorial team finds that ProtonVPN is currently one of the best free VPNs available. Aside from ProtonVPN’s free service, we have also reviewed the premium version of this provider. Get ProtonVPN for free3. – Best free VPN in terms of customer supportA trustworthy free VPN that allows torrents but denies access to free version performanceTorrentsAllowedNetflixDid not work in our testsSimultaneous connections allowed1Server locations5 locationsData limit10GB per monthSpeed capNoneEncryptionAES 256-BitPriceCompletely freeWebsiteVisit websiteWhy choose the free VPN service from is a well-known name in the VPN landscape. This provider offers both a paid and free subscription options. The free subscription gives you access to five servers in four countries: one in the Netherlands, Canada, and Germany, and two in the USA (East and West) is a zero-logs VPN. This means the provider doesn’t store any information regarding your internet activities, which is good news for the privacy-conscious. The free version of also gives you 24/7 access to customer past years, didn’t allow people to use the free version to download torrents. But this policy has changed, and free users can now in fact download via torrent sites. However, just keep in mind the monthly data limitations when is no speed limit for free users. Furthermore, the app works on many operating systems, like Windows, iOS, Mac OS and Android, Linux, and Fire TV. Operating systems that works withDisadvantages of the free version of free VPN generally does not work with Netflix. We tested this ourselves. When you try to watch a movie or series with turned on. you get a message saying that you are using a VPN or proxy and aren’t allowed to continue free version of has a data limit of 10 GB per month. If you want to stream, you will reach this data limit quite rapidly. In such cases, the free version of ProtonVPN might be a better pick. Alternatively, you could consider a cheap paid VPN option like NordVPN or you’ll only be able to protect one device at a time. Like ProtonVPN, however, you can bypass this limitation by registering multiple accounts; one for every device you want to use rdict on free version of will work well for most of your needs. There, however, is a data limit, which isn’t ideal for streaming or though you get a lot more data than most competitors, 10 GB is still a relatively small amount. Unlike other services, though, lets you torrent with their free VPN. Get for free4. TunnelBear – Best free VPN if you’re looking for many server locationsTunnelBear is one of the most reliable providers offering a free VPN solutionFeatureTunnelBear free version performanceTorrentsNot allowedNetflixDid not work in our testsSimultaneous connections allowed5 locationsServer locations40+ countriesData limit500MB per monthSpeed capNoneEncryptionAES 256-BitPriceCompletely freeWebsiteVisit TunnelBear websiteWhat benefits does the free TunnelBear VPN application provide? TunnelBear is another good option if you’re looking for a free VPN. The interface is clear, fun, and easy to use. The visual style is unique and very recognizable. The website is easy to navigate and the installation of TunnelBear software is quick and ditionally, security and encryption are up to par, and the free version of TunnelBear doesn’t cap with its free version, TunnelBear allows you to choose from all of its available servers in countries like the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, India, and were able to view several different online streaming services whilst being connected to a TunnelBear server, including Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and YouTube. Netflix USA didn’t seem to work, however. TunnelBear is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Moreover, their free VPN can be used on multiple devices at the same time, just like their paid VPN provider has some limitations but is still a very good free VPN. If you want to download the free version, click “Pricing” at the top of their website, then select the free wnsides of the free version of TunnelBearThe biggest disadvantage of using TunnelBear is the data limit, as you only get 500 MB per month. For everyday use, most people would surpass this data limit, especially when streaming can add 1 GB of free data to this limit if you tweet about TunnelBear, — but the question is whether you’re willing to do this as a user looking for more online customer support is limited for free users. TunnelBear says on its website that paying customers can expect ‘priority customer support. ’ This means you will be helped quickly and more efficiently in case you are facing any issue with then there’s the issue of Tunnelbear not allowing P2P traffic on their servers, so we highly discourage torrenting via Tunnelbear’s rdict on TunnelBearThe free version of TunnelBear is of high quality, but only suitable if you need a small amount of data. The unpaid package can suffice if you occasionally want to log into an unsafe public Wi-Fi network. This prevents you from falling victim to a hacker who is lurking on said public network. Get Tunnelbear for free5. Windscribe – Best free VPN for fast connection speedsDecent free VPN that works with almost all operating systems and devicesFeatureWindscribe free version performanceTorrentsAllowedNetflixDid not work in our testsSimultaneous connections allowedUnlimitedServer locations10 countriesData limit2GB to 10GB per monthSpeed capNoneEncryptionAES 256-BitPriceCompletely freeWebsiteVisit Windscribe websiteWhy should you choose Windscribe’s free VPN? Windscribe is one of the more well-known free VPNs we tested these past years. This service’s security measures seem of the highest level, and there have never been any incidents reported regarding the safety or the privacy policy of which operating systems does Windsribe work? Well, basically, on all major operating systems. You can use Windscribe on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and even free version of Windscribe has fewer options than the paid package. For free users, Windscribe provides 10 servers divided amongst different countries around the world. This is compared to the paid option, which lets you use more servers from up to 63 countries. Furthermore, the Windscribe servers are very fast. Another advantage: you can use Windscribe on as many devices as you want. Pretty unique for a VPN that comes free of dscribe: Limitations of this free VPNThis free VPN service has a data limit of 2 GB per month. However, if you choose to share your email address with Windscribe and verify your account, you get 10 GB a in mind that this is technically a payment: you pay with your email address and get more data in return. We think this is a bit odd. Likely, your email address is used for marketing purposes so that Windscribe can approach you by email and get you to upgrade to a paid subscription. Even when you manage to acquire 10 gigabytes of data, you’re likely to quickly burn through this after some days of internet use, especially when downloading or streaming. Another downside of Windscribe is its usability. Windscribe’s software is not as easy to use as some of the other free VPN providers listed above. Most of the buttons in the software take you to your account page on their website. This is not as user-friendly as software that lets you edit certain settings from within the VPN application were unable to get Netflix to work in combination with Windscribe. Torrents, however, were not an rdict on WindscribeThe free VPN package of Windscribe is really solid. The speeds are great, although we do dislike the data limitations. Also, Windscribe isn’t a great pick for people who enjoy watching Netflix with their VPN. Get Windscribe for free6. ZoogVPN – Best free VPN for FireTVA free zero-logs VPN provider with a limited number of servers that can be used on one device at a timeFeatureZoogVPN free version performanceTorrentsAllowedNetflixDid not work in our testsSimultaneous connections allowed1Server locations3 locationsData limit10 GB to 50 GB per monthSpeed capNoneEncryption128-BitPriceCompletely freeWebsiteVisit ZoogVPN websiteWhy should you choose ZoogVPN? ZoogVPN offers users multiple encryption protocols. Free users can choose between IKEv2 and OpenVPN, and paying users have additional protocols to choose from. But for most users, OpenVPN will suffice, as this is a very suitable protocol for security and speed and is the standard among VPN works on Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android devices. There’s also support for AndroidTV and testing the free application of ZoogVPN, we discovered it offers a kill switch functionality. This is a feature you can turn on and off, and it ensures that all internet traffic is interrupted whenever the secure VPN connection unexpectedly drops. The presence of a kill switch is pretty special for a free VPN and we felt that it is definitely a feature worth should you avoid ZoogVPN? Some limitations of this providerThe big downside when it comes to ZoogVPN’s encryption is the 128-bit encryption instead of the AES 256-bit offered by other free VPNs. Why they would purposely choose to provide their free users with lesser encryption is lost on you have a free package with ZoogVPN, you can only use 3 servers in the entire server network. These servers are located in The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States of free version can be used on just one device at a time. However, this is the case with most free VPN providers. ZoogVPN has a data limit of 10 GB per month. You can add to this limit, but to do so, you’ll have to refer paying customers. Every paying customer you refer to ZoogVPN, will earn you an additional 5 GB of data, and you can earn up to 50 GB per VPN servers of ZoogVPN are quite fast, but when they are under heavier load, free users are the first to notice. When we tested ZoogVPN’s free servers in January 2021, Netflix did not seem to rdict on ZoogVPNEven though ZoogVPN is not in the first position on our list, keep in mind that there are more than 300 free VPN options on the market. The fact that a provider is included in this list of best free VPN services means they meet a certain quality threshold. ZoogVPN does have its fair share of limitations, like every free product out there, but it remains a good choice for a free VPN. Get ZoogVPN for freeFree VPN vs. Paid VPNYou need to be careful when using free VPN services. A study conducted a couple of years ago, which included over 300 free VPN applications, found that many free VPNs don’t protect your data properly. Access to all kinds of unnecessary sensitive information (such as your contacts, photos, and social media) is often requested. Some free providers even infect your device with spyware and other free VPN services are owned by Chinese companies, which might raise suspicions about their intentions and the level of safety and anonymity they actually provide. As we all make non-stop use of the internet these days, it’s worth using a good and reliable VPN VPN services will generally be more mindful of your privacy. They also offer a more advanced level of security, as well as many extra instance, connections tend to be much faster with paid VPNs. You’re allowed multiple simultaneous connections (to share your subscription with friends and family — or to use one account on both your laptop and your phone). You also have a higher chance of accessing free streaming services from abroad such as Netflix USA or BBC iPlayer. On top of that, you can safely download torrents without having to worry about data limits or of these features aren’t available with free services. What’s more, paid VPN subscriptions have become quite cheap — and they’re worth every penny. If you want to know which companies currently offer the best VPN services, have a look at our comprehensive top five best VPNsThere are large price differences between paid VPNs. Some premium VPN providers may shock you with their price tag, but luckily, there are several that offer very good VPN connections for low just a few dollars a month, you can get a really good VPN and enjoy peace of mind regarding the safety of your internet connection and data. A good example of a great VPN that costs little is to learn more about the different cheap VPNs out there? You can check out our article here: Check out the best cheap VPNsFree VPNs without Data LimitsAs you’ve seen, most good free VPNs come with data limits. Free VPN users are restricted this way because maintaining VPN servers and VPN connections cost money. Data limits allow the provider to permit you to get to know their VPN service without it costing them too much vertheless, there’s at least one free VPN without data limits: ProtonVPN. The free version of this VPN can be quite slow at times because all its free users are spread out over just three servers. When these servers get too crowded, your speed will go down. ProtonVPN hopes this makes lengthy use of its free services less ever, if slow speeds are not an issue for you (for example, if you don’t need your VPN for streaming), ProtonVPN is certainly worth considering. A big downside to the data limits of free VPNs is that they’ll often keep you from watching an entire movie or TV show. When you are watching an online stream (e. g. on Netflix), you’ll hit the monthly data limit after about an hour or two. So, even if the speed of the connection isn’t an issue, your viewing pleasure will be VPNs Without Speed CapsAs most free VPNs already employ data limits, they don’t need to set speed caps. As a result, these VPNs are often just as fast as paid VPNs. Some free VPNs don’t actively set speed caps because their free servers are already slowed down by the large number of ckily, there are free providers that offer a relatively sizeable number of servers, such as TunnelBear and Windscribe. This means that, even though the VPN connection is free, speeds are still very decent. TunnelBear especially clearly demonstrates what a paid subscription would look like, as this VPN provider gives you access to all its servers, albeit with very limited data (500MB/month) VPN For All Your DevicesMost good free VPNs offer software and apps that are compatible with common devices and operating systems. This means that such VPNs are easy to install on your computer, smartphone, tablet, and VPNs even offer software for lesser-used operating systems, making it possible to use a free VPN on Linux, for instance. We will briefly discuss the various devices free VPN for your computer or MacMost free VPNs are available for Windows and Mac. There are three ways in which you could use a VPN on your computer:With a dedicated application for your operating systemThrough the settings of your operating system (built-in VPN support)Through a browser extensionSome VPNs are only available as a browser extension, such as for Chrome or Firefox. This means they do NOT protect your other internet traffic, including torrents and emailing. The only thing a VPN browser extension protects is the internet traffic running through your browser, such as online banking via your bank’s website. Different operating systems require different kinds of VPN software. Linux users will often have a harder time setting up a VPN connection compared to Windows or Mac users. Setting up a VPN connection on Windows or Mac is usually just a matter of downloading and installing the provided software; Linux users often have to manually configure their VPN VPN for iOS and AndroidVPNs for smartphones are becoming more popular. Not only do we use our smartphones more and more, but we also connect them to unprotected Wi-Fi networks more often than we do with a computer. A free VPN definitely adds value for any smartphone all good free VPNs offer applications for both Android and iOS. All free VPN providers we mention in our overview above offer free software for both Android and VPN for tabletSmartphones are not the only devices running on Android and iOS: iPads and Android tablets do, too. It is just as easy to install and set up free VPN software on your tablet as it is on your phone. Using a VPN is ideal if you want to watch the American version of Netflix on your iPad, for example. Just as with smartphones, all free VPNs listed above have software for both iPads and Android VPN server locationsMost free VPNs grant you access to a small sample of servers compared to their paid subscription. The exception being TunnelBear, which gives you access to their entire global network of VPNServer locationsPrivadoVPNThe United States, The Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina and FranceProtonVPNThe US, The Netherlands, and United States (East, West), The Netherlands, Germany, and CanadaTunnelBearAll of their global servers including the US and the UKWindscribeUnited States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and RomaniaZoogVPNThe US, The UK and, The NetherlandsFree VPNs you should avoidThere are also numerous free VPNs out there you should avoid. Many aim to track your data and sell it to others. Their usage harms your privacy instead of protects free VPNs even sell your connection to other users. Usually, your bandwidth is given to premium users of the service, who in turn use your connection and IP address as their very own ‘VPN server. ’Below is an overview of some unsafe free VPNs that are relatively VPNWhy it’s best not to use itHolaSells your bandwidth to paying users. This enables paying users to use your internet connection to access the web. As a result, your IP address could end up being connected to suspicious perVPNKeeps track of your data to fulfill DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) requests. If you’re looking for a way to download anonymously, you’ll be better off with a different iphon ProAllows partner companies to track users. Also shares data with commercial partners, other partners, and the Psiphon Pro parent company. In other words, you’ll have a hard time staying anonymous with this VPNAdds different types of trackers (cookies, pixel tags, web beacons) to a user’s browser and shares data with third tternetAllows advertisers, among other third parties, to track user data. AnonyTunAllows advertisers to place cookies and build user are not the only unsafe free VPN providers out there. Many VPNs in the App Store and on Google Play don’t have clear policies regarding data processing and you encounter such a VPN yourself, always be careful. Don’t assume you’ll be able to browse the internet anonymously with these VPNs. Feel free to let us know in the comments about other VPNs to avoid and help us further protect our nclusion: What is the Best Free VPN? Free VPNs are perfect for occasional use and when you only need limited data. The free VPN services recommended in this article generally support multiple platforms and operating systems. So, whether you’re looking for a free VPN for iPad, Android, or iPhone, the recommended VPN services should work for your ever, the moment you start using a free VPN regularly or for streaming, you will quickly run into data limits and speed caps. Similarly, you will often experience restrictions when you try to download shows and movies with a free VPN. In such cases, you’ll be much better off with a cheap paid you’re looking for a free VPN service, make sure to choose one of the trustworthy providers listed in this article — especially since many free VPN apps in the Play and App Store don’t work properly or are a threat to your privacy and security. Internet safety begins with a good VPN, and a bad VPN can have the opposite are some new free VPN services on the market that we haven’t included in our top list yet. Some providers seem promising, but they can only be called “safe to use” after they have passed the test of table below contains the best free VPN providers of this moment, for specific purposes and criteria:CriteriumBest free VPN optionSpeedWindscribeDataProtonVPNServer locationsTunnelBearSafetyPrivadoVPNEase of usePrivadoVPN The Best Free VPNs: Frequently Asked QuestionsDo you have a question about free VPNs? Click on one of the frequently asked questions below to read the free VPNs truly free? Many ‘free’ VPNs do more harm than good and aren’t free at all. These VPN apps store and sell your personal information. In such a case, the VPN can’t actually be called free, as you pay with your providers that don’t do this and that offer very decent free versions include ProtonVPN, Windscribe, and you want to check out truly free VPN providers, take a look at our ‘Best Free VPN’ article. Can I watch Netflix with a free VPN? Because free VPNs often offer just a handful of servers, you won’t be able to watch Netflix with many of these services. Some free versions of VPNs — such as ProtonVPN and Zoog VPN — occasionally work with Netflix, but this isn’t you want unlimited access to Netflix with a VPN (to get access to American Netflix, for example), you’ll be better off with a good premium VPN. Are free VPNs safe to use? Many free VPNs don’t do what they promise. Some won’t make you anonymous, and some will sell your private data to other companies or even install malware on your phone or you want to use a free VPN, you should always make sure to pick a safe one. Click here for an overview of the best, safest free VPNs of this moment. Do free VPNs sell my personal data? Some (free) VPNs earn their money by collecting your user data and selling it to other parties. In such cases, you may not pay money to use the VPN, but you do pay with your personal information ckily, not all VPNs do this. ProtonVPN, for example, has a safe free version, the costs of which are covered by their premium service. What is the best free VPN? There are a number of good free VPNs that you can use safely, although they often have data or speed limits. Your personal preferences determine which one is b

Frequently Asked Questions about worldwide vpn

What is the best VPN worldwide?

Best VPN service of 2021ExpressVPN. Editor’s Choice Award for best VPN: Blazing speeds, proven privacy. See at ExpressVPN.Surfshark. A speed leader, packed with features. See at Surfshark.NordVPN. Best VPN for reliability and security. … ProtonVPN. High security standards at high speeds. … IPVanish. Best VPN choice for beginners.3 days ago

Is there a completely free VPN?

TunnelBear is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Moreover, their free VPN can be used on multiple devices at the same time, just like their paid one. This VPN provider has some limitations but is still a very good free VPN.

Which VPN has all countries?

How we’ve chosen the best VPN server providersExpressVPN – 3,000+ servers in 94 countries. While ExpressVPN doesn’t have the sheer number of servers a few of its competitors do, it has the widest network of any VPN we’ve tested. … CyberGhost – 6,700 servers in 90 countries. … NordVPN – 5,400+ servers in 58 countries.Mar 18, 2021