With a VPN, your personal data is scrambled, making it impossible for hackers or data collectors to see what you’re up to. It’s a great tool for anyone, but it’s especially valuable for people who have sensitive online activity to protect, such as journalists or those sending corporate information over public Wi-Fi networks. And it’s helpful for those who live in countries with strong government surveillance practices, as they can use the service to skirt data collection by their local internet service providers (ISP).
But there are many VPN services out there, and not all of them are created equal. It’s important to understand what you need from a VPN before you start shopping. In addition to looking at security features, you’ll want a VPN that can support a wide range of devices and unblock geo-locked media content. You’ll also want a provider with a solid pricing structure and server pool size, as well as transparent privacy and security policies.
To help you find the best Virtual Private Network for your needs, we’ve analyzed more than 20 of the most popular VPN services and selected the best in several categories, including security, speed, pricing, server pool size and user-friendly policies. Our picks are listed below.
If you’re looking for a VPN that offers a broad range of features at an affordable price, Surfshark is hard to beat. It’s fast enough for streaming and boasts top-tier privacy credentials, and it allows up to six simultaneous device connections. It’s a great choice for families or groups of friends.
Another VPN that stands out is PIA, which is one of the only services on our list with diskless servers, running everything in RAM for increased speed and security. The company also publishes semiannual transparency reports on requests for users’ information, which gives customers peace of mind.
A great option for gamers, NordVPN’s Meshnet feature enables you to create secure private networks within your home. It’s ideal for gaming, as you can connect multiple devices to the VPN at once without causing household detection and bypassing family filtering options like the Parental Controls in Windows 10. It also helps prevent high-ping issues in-game by keeping your data close to home. Another great option is v2ray 机场怎么选.
CyberGhost is another VPN to consider if you’re shopping for an inexpensive option. It has a simple, intuitive Windows app that’s easy to get started with, and it has plenty of servers in a variety of locations. That means you can easily unblock country-restricted games or increase your connection speeds for multiplayer gameplay. It also offers a number of useful security and gaming features, such as a dedicated game server that reduces lag by optimizing your game’s bandwidth. It’s also a good choice for small-business owners, as it can protect against DDoS attacks and ward off hacking attempts. The service also has a decent range of other tools, such as an anti-malware component and a NAT firewall. It’s worth noting, however, that CyberGhost doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee.