| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Smart Location server auto-selector | Costly plans |
| The fastest speeds in the world | Five connections at a time |
| Security and privacy features that are solid |
A virtual private network (VPN) is an Internet security service that allows users to access the Internet as though they were connected to a private network. VPNs use encryption to create a secure connection over unsecured Internet infrastructure.
Encryption is a way of scrambling data so that only authorized parties can understand the information. It takes readable data and alters it so that it appears random to attackers or anyone else who intercepts it. In this way, encryption is like a 'secret code'
A VPN works by establishing encrypted connections between devices. All devices that connect to the VPN set up encryption keys, and these keys are used to encode and decode all information sent between them.
The effect of this encryption is that VPN connections remain private even if they stretch across public Internet infrastructure. Imagine John is shopping online from his hotel room. Now suppose that a criminal has secretly infiltrated the hotel’s network infrastructure and is monitoring all data passing through (sort of like tapping a telephone line). John’s data is still secure because of the VPN. All the criminal can see is the encrypted version of the data.
We tested, reviewed, and ranked dozens of the leading VPN offers to come up with this top 10 list. To figure out which VPNs are really worth your money, we looked at the features, reputations, and prices of each brand.
We chose VPNs that have military-grade encryption, a range of protocols (OpenVPN, L2TP, IKEv2, and more), DNS leak protection, and a kill-switch. We also compared each VPN brand’s number of servers and where they are situated, as well as their speed and latency.
ExpressVPN is the most popular VPN service and it's not difficult to understand the reason. With over 3000 servers spread across 160 locations and the ability to conduct an online VPN speed test with unlimited bandwidth ExpressVPN provides faster connections than just about every similar VPN service. In addition, it has best-in-class security and encryption options such as a no logs policy and a user-friendly interface and ExpressVPN is able to keep pace with its competitors. ExpressVPN does not keep any activity logs of users who use its network. Additionally, it does not keep any connection-related information, also. ExpressVPN declares that it doesn't log any IP addresses and browsing history, as well as metadata, traffic destinations, or DNS queries.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Smart Location server auto-selector | Costly plans |
| The fastest speeds in the world | Five connections at a time |
| Security and privacy features that are solid |
| Package | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 Month | $12.95/month |
| 6 Month | $9.99/month |
| 1 Year | $6.67/month |
Although Surfshark is just beginning to make waves in the market, it has already established an impact with its reputation. It has a high speed for streaming, gaming, and torrenting, and unblocks websites like Hulu and Netflix it prevents ads and malware and safeguards your personal data. But, as it's still in its early days, the service is a work-in-progress and requires further improvements including its accessibility for the Windows client currently in beta testing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High speed across more than 1700 servers spread across 64 countries | The availability of Windows clients is in the Beta phase |
| Strong data protection | A one-month subscription costs $199. |
| Packages | Price |
|---|---|
| 1-month Plan | $12.95/month |
| 6-month plan | $6.49/month |
