Best VPN Services to Ensure Your Privacy on the Web

Review & Comparison, Last Update April 21, 2024
If you pay particular attention to protecting yourself from hackers, data theft, and other online threats, you definitely need to secure your Internet connection by using a VPN. This service makes all your sent and received data encrypted and secured from anyone, be it hackers or government. Just scroll down and select the right VPN service for your needs! ...Read more ...Read less
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BEST 2024
PROS
CONS
OUR VERDICT
Rates
Encryption technology
Servers
Bandwidth / Speed
Supported Platforms
Simultaneous Connections
Сustomer Support
Money Back
 
PROS

With this VPN provider, you'll be able to switch to a server located anywhere in the world. High connection speed enables streaming videos to play without buffering interruptions. For premium users, the service offers unlimited bandwidth.

CONS

The yearly plan is rather expensive.

OUR VERDICT

The ExpressVPN can boast one of the fastest connection speeds among its competitors. Watch your favorite video clips and movies in high definition!

detailed parameters
Rates

$12.95 / month

$59.95 / 6 months

$99.95 / year

Encryption technology
  • PPTP
  • L2TP/IPSec
  • SSTP
  • OpenVPN (TCP, UDP)
Servers

145 VPN servers in 94 countries 

Bandwidth / Speed

Unlimited / Unlimited

Supported Platforms

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Routers, Linux

Simultaneous Connections

Up to 3

Сustomer Support

24/7 | E-mail, Live Chat

Money Back

Within 30 days

PROS

With more than 2000+ servers in 140+ countries, PureVPN allows you to get access to almost any website. You can choose one of several secure encryption technologies to protect your data and make yourself invisible on the Intenet.

CONS

It might take you some time to get used to the interface of the service.

OUR VERDICT

PureVPN is what you need to be able to search the net without limits. You'll definitely like a great number of additional functions that will make your Internet experience more pleasant.

detailed parameters
Rates

$10.95 per month (1-month plan)

$5.81 per month (1-year plan)

$1.65 per month (5-year plan) at 85% discount

Encryption technology
  • PPTP
  • L2TP
  • IKEv2
  • OpenVPN
  • SSTP
  • Stealth protocol
Servers

2000+ servers in 140+ countries

Bandwidth / Speed

Unlimited bandwidth

Supported Platforms

Windows, Mac OS, Android, Kodi, Chrome, Firefox

Simultaneous Connections

Up to 5

Сustomer Support

Live Chat, Support Center, Email

24/7 Priority Business Support

Money Back

31-day money back guarantee

PROS

This VPN keeps no logs at all and it is compatible with services like Netflix as well as with TOR. You can connect up to 7 devices with a single license, which is more than it is usual.

CONS

The speed is not the highest on the market.

OUR VERDICT

Being based in Romania, a country outside the 14 Eyes, the CyberGhost is one of the most privacy-oriented services. Plus, with all the features, you can be positive your anonymity is completely protected.

detailed parameters
Rates

$11.99 / mo (1-month pan)

$4.99 / mo (6-month plan)

$2.75 / mo (18-month plan)

Encryption technology
  • 256-AES bit encryption
  • OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec and PPTP protocols
Servers

~3000 servers in over 60 countries

Bandwidth / Speed

Unlimited bandwidth and traffic

Supported Platforms

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Routers

Simultaneous Connections

Up to 7

Сustomer Support

24/7 chat, email

Money Back

45-day money back guarantee

PROS

The service offers unlimited access to the Internet at high speeds. Privacy enhancing technologies guarantee a secure and reliable way to share your information across networks. It is also really easy to install.

CONS

The VPN uses only one encryption technology.

OUR VERDICT

By combining functions of a proxy service and VPN Hotspot Shield ensures reliable data protection and anonymous browsing environment whenever you go online.

detailed parameters
Rates

$12.99 / month

$53.94 / 6 months

$71.88 / 1 year

$139.99 / unlimited

Encryption technology
  • OpenVPN 
Servers

200 VPN servers in 90 countries

Bandwidth / Speed

Unlimited / Unlimited

Supported Platforms

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android 

Simultaneous Connections

Up to 5

Сustomer Support

24/7 | E-mail, Forum

Money Back

Within 30 days

PROS

This VPN offers unlimited P2P traffic and server switching, anonymous torrenting, higher encryption rate, and payments in cryptocurrency. There is an Auto-Connect feature to make the program start when your computer launches.

CONS

The software installation and configuration are rather complex.

OUR VERDICT

Thanks to the huge number of IPs and several encryption protocols, IPVanish is definitely one of the best VPNs available. Prevent getting hacked while online!

detailed parameters
Rates

$10 / month

$26.99 / 3 months

$77.99 / year

Encryption technology
  • PPTP
  • L2TP/IPSec
  • IKEv2
  • OpenVPN
Servers

750+ VPN servers in more than 60 countries

Bandwidth / Speed

Unlimited / Unlimited

Supported Platforms

Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Ubuntu, Chromebook, Routers

Simultaneous Connections

Up to 5

Сustomer Support

24/7 | E-mail 

Money Back

Within 7 days

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Express VPN Hight-Speed, Secure and Anonymous

Fast, Technically Advanced

ExpressVPN іs considered to be the choice of professional users since this is really one of the fastest VPNs in theory and in practice. The service offers the best response time among a huge variety of different services. By the way, with the VPN Speed Test function, it's possible to check the speed as well as choose other servers that offer the higher speed than the current one. Therefore, this VPN perfectly fits users who are looking for a solution that will allow them to download large amounts of data and work with remote servers.

Review of Express VPN Hight-Speed, Secure and Anonymous Service

Choice of Professionals

The company defines its product as an excellent solution suitable for both corporate and home use. The main vector of the company development was aimed at the hardware and software improvement, it is clearly seen in a great performance and the user interface convenient even for complete beginners. There is also a FAQ section at the company's website, so, you will get answers to any of your questions. Furthermore, you'll find there detailed manuals on how to use the VPN service and ensure the best security while browsing the Internet.

Express VPN Hight-Speed, Secure and Anonymous Service in the use

High-quality Customer Service

Although Express VPN service is more expensive than its analogs, it provides many significant performance benefits. In particular, the VPN offers unlimited bandwidth and speed considered to be the best on the market. 24-hour support service will be a convenient addition to all listed features. No matter what questions you have, highly qualified experts will help you resolve any of them.

Detailed review of Express VPN Hight-Speed, Secure and Anonymous Service

Your Security is in Good Hands

Most users who take security and privacy very seriously will value that the service doesn't keep any DNS queries and traffic logs. Therefore, all your Internet activity will be kept absolutely private and protected from theft and tampering. The VPN uses five encryption protocols guaranteeing reliable protection against viruses, hacker attacks, and identity theft.

Express VPN Hight-Speed, Secure and Anonymous Service application

Additional Info

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PureVPN Fastest VPN

Everything You Need for Unlimited Internet Access

The PureVPN service is all about security, anonymity, and unlimited possibilities. By choosing this service, you can be sure your identity is protected thanks to the elaborate AES-256 encryption standard. To achieve the best results in protecting your data, the developers of the PureVPN service offer you to choose among several powerful protocols including PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, OpenVPN, and Stealth. Besides secure personal information, you get the chance to use protected Wi-Fi connection whenever you use the Internet. Of course, just like all VPNs, this service provides complete anonymity by hiding your IP so no one can track it down. To conceal your IP, more than 300,000 IPs are used within the PureVPN platform. What’s more important, this service prevents your IP from leakage using the DNS protection technology. In addition to your safety on the web, PureVPN can provide you with unlimited bandwidth and speed so you can surf the Internet and transfer data without limits. The last but not the least feature we’d like to point out about this service is its compatibility. Whether your device runs on Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android operating system, PureVPN will work foolproof with any of your gadgets.

Review of PureVPN Fastest VPN Service

More Than a VPN Service

PureVPN can offer you more than you might expect from a similar service. Once you subscribe to it, you’ll also be able to use its antivirus, content and Web filter applications. There’s no need to explain the advantage of antivirus. Just click one button in PureVPN menu, and your computer will be protected from possible malware. The content filter gives you a chance to remove bothersome pop-ups and enjoy ad-free Internet experience. As for the Web filter, it allows you to block the sites that disturb you from work, your child from study, etc.

PureVPN Fastest VPN Service in the use

Choose Your Subscription

With the user in mind, the developers of PureVPN offer you three subscription options to meet your needs and fit your budget. 1 month of subscription costs 10.95$ and the longer you are going to use the PureVPN service, the more you’ll be able to save. Thus, a month of 1-year plan will cost 5.81$/month while 5-year plan is a real bargain since monthly fee is only 1.65$/month (at 85% discount). No matter which option you choose, you can be sure you’ll get your money back within 31 days if you don’t find the service useful.

Detailed review of PureVPN Fastest VPN Service

Additional Info

    Manufacturer


 

CyberGhost Fast and Secure

When You're Looking for Complete Anonymity

The CyberGhost company operates out of Romania, a country in a southeastern Europe. If you are a maven in the field of cybersecurity you might recognize how this is an important piece of information. If you are not exceptionally knowledgeable about VPN specifics, let us put it out in plain words for you: Romania is a country outside the 14 Eyes directory, a list of countries that participate in the exchange of signals intelligence, which means that it does not make its service providers gather and share any data about its users. In terms of VPN services, this is one of those features anyone striving to go full anon for some reason or another will be aiming at.

There's more to CyberGhost. In addition to not sharing the data internationally, this provider does not keep logs of your web activity when you use their VPN. While many other services claim the same, many of them have a "fine print" in their Terms of Service that can warn attentive users that some logs are indeed kept though used only in certain law-abiding circumstances; some services also use the logs commercially and get a huge backlash when it is discovered, as you can probably imagine. Well, back to the topic: CyberGhost does not keep any logs, even the connection logs. You will indeed get full anonymity with this service.

Review of CyberGhost Fast and Secure VPN Service

Top Protection

A single license will offer you the use of VPN on up to 7 devices. It used to be only one device before, then after the company was purchased by the Crossrider Limited, it was upped to 5 devices per license. Now, it is 7 and that's one of the largest numbers on the market.

The system uses the 256-AES bit encryption, the latest and most secure there is today. All the most popular protocols are also supported, including OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, and IPSec. There are apps for all the most popular operating systems, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and even Linux. You can connect the CyberGhost to your router as well.

The main concern users show in regards to the CyberGhost VPN service is that their speeds are not very high. Still, they are not the slowest on the market and with the level of privacy protection the company offers, many people are ready to make some speed sacrifices. If you are, too, then there are very few cons to this service.

CyberGhost Fast and Secure VPN Service in the use

Top Long-Term Option

CyberGhost has around 3000 servers in ~60 countries so wherever you are, you have the best connection the company can offer. In addition to that, the company also has very nice pricing options for long-term contracts. It will cost you less than $3 per month for an 18-month package or $5.25 for a yearly subscription. The monthly plan is less favorable at $12.99 but in case you don't like the service, they have a 45-day money back guarantee, another thing that is better than most other services provide.

Installing and setting the software is easy and user-friendly but if you do encounter some issues you can reach out to the customer support via email or chat; both are pretty fast-responding and highly professional (the latter had been an issue as well before but had been solved after the company purchase). The software is compatible with TOR and streaming services like Netflix, which is a fairly uncommon feature for a VPN provider. All in all, there are, in our opinion, more pros to this service than there are cons.

Detailed review of CyberGhost Fast and Secure VPN Service

 

Hotspot Shield VPN

Security First

AnchorFree Inc. takes the privacy of your personal data very seriously, and so does its own. Most likely, you won't find complete information about the location and the exact number of the company's servers. This information is kept secret, therefore you won't know your IP and location of the connected server until you switch to the VPN. Although it might seem inconvenient for users who want to select their access point on their own, a random selection of the server significantly increases your security on the network. It's necessary to add that the unique Hotspot Shield Elite technology ensures data compression and speeds up the data transfer. Great job!

Review of Hotspot Shield VPN

Tools and Capabilities

The Hotspot Shield Elite is provided together with anti-malware software to protect your data against malware, ransomware, and many other online threats. With this VPN service, you can be sure your computer will be protected from all kinds of viruses. The secure connection can be set up on up to five devices simultaneously. For this, all you have to do is download the necessary app from App Store or Google Play and install it on your Apple or Android device. In addition, you can activate a special function which automatically switches your computer to a proxy server. Meanwhile, if you want to do it manually, you can arrange the corresponding settings.

Hotspot Shield VPN in the use

Secure Сonnection

Hotspot Shield is a service extremely easy to install and use. Thanks to the intuitive interface, the configuration takes next to no time and effort. With one click, you will be able to start private browsing in a completely secure and safe environment. An access code keeps your username and password anonymous. However, if you do not want to use the access code, you can just log in using your email address and password. It's really easy to see whether your connection is protected or not. The red bar on the window shows that you're not connected to the VPN. When you connect to the server, the red bar turns yellow. You can see the server you are connected to as well as an amount of data that is being uploaded and downloaded.

Detailed review of Hotspot Shield VPN

Suits Best

Basically, this VPN service is a great choice for those who are new to such kind of software. It doesn't require specific knowledge to be configured the proper way. Just download the software and install it on your computer or gadget! The website has a section with FAQ, you'll be able to find all necessary information there.

Hotspot Shield VPN application

Additional Info

    Manufacturer


 

IPVanish VPN Service Provider

Enhanced Security Capabilities

Among a variety of VPN services providing Internet security and keeping your online presence and information private, IPVanish ensures the most reliable protection against data theft and tampering. It neither keeps traffic logs of the user's Internet activity nor records any of the user's data and Internet traffic. Basically, it means whenever you browse the web, download files, send and receive email, chat, you stay anonymous and your personal data is kept secure. With multiple VPN encryption standards such as OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec, as well as 256-bit data encryption, this service delivers the maximum level of safety online. With lots of different IPs available, you will be able to bypass any IP blocks that might be restricting you from accessing various websites.

Review of IPVanish VPN Service Provider with Fast, Secure VPN Access

Сonvenience and Reliability

Although IPVanish is related to standard VPN services, it has a couple of advantageous features. First, it provides unlimited P2P bandwidth as well as unlimited switching to different servers. Secondly, the service allows anonymous torrenting, which is crucial for users who want to be invisible while downloading soft, games, or movies. By the way, using torrents and other software identifying your current position is a vulnerable part of many other VPN services.

IPVanish VPN Service Provider with Fast, Secure VPN Access in the use

Comprehensive Client Support

IPVanish VPN supports all the most popular operating system platforms like Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. It means that you'll be able to protect your data using not only your desktop but also smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. Additionally, it's possible to set the VPN up on your router as well, so, your VPN connection will go directly through the router and each of your devices will simply need to connect to the network. As you understand, there will be no necessity to set the VPN up on each individual device or gadget. By the way, up to five various devices can be connected to a single IPVanish VPN account. Not bad!

Detailed review of IPVanish VPN Service Provider with Fast, Secure VPN Access

Designed to Suit Everyone's Needs

The IPVanish VPN is an excellent choice for everyone since it incorporates many sophisticated protection features to meet both home and small business network needs. More than 750 VPN servers located in more than 60 countries, multiple data encryption protocols, technical support - all this will guarantee your secure online activity.

IPVanish VPN Service Provider with Fast, Secure VPN Access application

Additional Info

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What Is a VPN Service?

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is the technology that allows creating a private network (sometimes through another server or connection channel) over the Internet network. The name VPN itself accurately reflects a short definition of how it works. Basically, VPNs enable users to access private networks and then receive and share data remotely through the web connection. The major purpose of VPN services is to ensure your anonymity on the Web, allowing no one to obtain access to your personal information. Likewise, thanks to VPNs, users have an ability to bypass blocks and experience Internet browsing unrestrictedly in the countries with censorship. Specific encryption protocols make all data and traffic hidden and protected from third parties.

If you wish to create your own website, get acquainted with website builders and web hostings.

What Features to Compare

VPN Protocols

Most frequently, VPN services are divided by the level of security they provide. To ensure a secure connection, VPNs always use specific encryption protocols. Each type of protocols has its own advantages and drawbacks. Point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP), for example, provides data confidentiality, however, doesn't guarantee data integrity and origin authentication. Therefore, solutions based exceptionally on PPTP often don't provide the necessary level of data protection. Layer 2 Tunnel Protocol (L2TP/IPSec) is considered to be more reliable than PPTP, however, it also has some security issues. OpenVPN is the best standard of VPN encryption. The protocol delivers the highest level of encryption allowing all VPN users to keep their web browsing traffic private and completely secure.

Company’s Location and Servers

When choosing the right VPN service, it's equally important to know the company's location and a number of its servers. It's crucial for the user to have servers in his country since the closer he is to a server, the faster his network connection will be. A large number of available servers generally mean they will not be overloaded and Internet connection will be flawless. Besides, if you’re using a VPN to avoid censorship, it's advisable to stay away from VPN providers in the same country. With thousands of IPs available, it'll be much harder to track down your web activity.

Bandwidth and Supported Platforms

providers apply speed or bandwidth limits. Therefore, it's important to understand how VPNs manage the data transferred through their service and whether they are the best solution to meet your needs. If you are planning not only to surf websites but also download data you want to opt for unlimited options. On the flip side, you can save a lot of money by choosing services with limited bandwidth or speed.

Likewise, don't forget to pay attention to operation systems a VPN service is compatible with. The leading VPN providers offer versatility and extended compatibility, allowing to use services on desktops as well as mobile devices.

Additional Features

Besides everything that was already mentioned you can be interested in some other offers of VPN providers. Some plans include unlimited server switching as well as a simultaneous connection of multiple devices. Thanks to this, it's possible to ensure the protection of several devices connected to the Internet at the same time. Last but not least, you shouldn't underestimate the quality of a customer support and a money back guarantee offered by VPN providers.

How to:

FAQ:

Q: Is there any difference between a proxy and a VPN service?
A:
 Yes. Regardless of programs and applications the user might be using on their laptop or smartphone, VPN connections usually encrypt all of the Internet traffic and route this traffic through the VPN server. In contrast, a proxy server secures user's traffic transferred through an Internet browser. Not all applications are compatible with a proxy and most of them require a special configuration to work with this service. In the case of a VPN connection, you don't need any special configuration to work with the service. Therefore, VPNs are more versatile solutions, they provide more stable and secure connections than proxy servers. 

Q: How to set up a VPN connection?
A: It depends on your VPN service. Quite often, it's enough to start a special program or app on your device, log in to your account, and select the required VPN server.

Q: Can I use personal firewalls with VPN?
A: Yes, you can, however, it might cause occasional connectivity issues with VPN. Some developers recommend using built-in firewalls which come with operating systems.

Q: Is it safe to use VPN software with public Wi-Fi hotspots?
A: 
Yes, it is. You can connect tour device to public Wi-Fi without worryings since all received and shared data are encrypted by special VPN protocols.

Q: Are VPN services available for laptops, smartphones, and tablets?
A: Yes. Almost every provider supports multiple platforms to enhance accessibility to secure online activity. All companies usually provide detailed instructions how to adjust a VPN service on different types of devices.

Q: Does a VPN service really make my personal data protected?
A: The use of a reliable VPN service really provides a high degree of privacy and security on the Web. The networks protect your Internet activity and data from surveillance, tampering, and theft.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of the OpenVPN protocol?
A: Setting up the OpenVPN network can be a challenging task, especially for beginners. Multiple options and configurable aspects can make OpenVPN services difficult to work with. Additionally, encryption and decryption processes might cause slight latencies when you go online. However, peer authentication using pre-shared keys, authentification certificates, strong encryption standards make OpenVPN an ideal solution for people who want to keep their networks private and secure from hackers and prying eyes. The last but not least, OpenVPN protocol prevents any data loss, corruption, or miscommunication.

Sources:

1. VPN, Wikipedia.

2. Andrew Tarantola VPNs: What They Do, How They Work, and Why You're Dumb for Not Using One, Gizmodo. March 26, 2013.

3. Douglas Crawford VPNs for Beginners – What You Need to Know, BestVPN.com. January 20, 2016.

4. What Is A VPN? What Is My IP.

5. Bradley Mitchell What Are the Advantages and Benefits of a VPN? Lifewire. April 07, 2017.

6. Jason Fitzpatrick How to Choose the Best VPN Service for Your Needs, How-To Geek. July 8, 2015.

7. David Gewirtz Understanding VPNs and how to choose one, CNET. March 7, 2017.

8. Choosing the VPN That's Right for You, Surveillance Self-Defense.

9. Jeff Tyson & Stephanie Crawford How VPNs Work, HowStuffWorks.

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Publish Date: 2017-05-31 14:16:31