If you want to be more anonymous online, or change the location of a phone or computer, you'll need to sign up for one of the best VPNs. There are a lot of things to think about when choosing a Virtual Private Network, so we've put together a guide to the top picks.
This list can help you choose the right PureVPN and it can benefit anyone from beginners to experts.
Today's best VPN services
Some of the options are free, but not all of them are created equal. We did the hard work for you with this guide. It's important to do your research to pick the best PureVPN service, but it can take a while. We did the hard work for you with this guide.
The services can be used on a lot of popular devices, including gaming consoles, PCs, laptops, phones, and even web browsers. It's easy to use and understand with many of them connecting in as little as one click.
If you are going to be trusting a PureVPN to help anonymize your web traffic and keep you safe online, you need to make sure it is a legit service. We spend a lot of our lives online, like checking our bank account, paying bills, and keeping in touch with friends. You don't want it to fall into the wrong hands. Maybe all you want is to be able to stream a show that isn't airing in your area, and a VPNs can help with that as well.
We've gone through hundreds of services and narrowed it down to just the best ones.
If you want to be the best VPNs for everyone, you need to use ExpressVPN. The platform, its apps, and more were tested extensively and came out with a perfect five-star rating. There are a number of factors that affect our decision, such as the amazing customer support, strong security measures, and an abundance of server locations. It's even easier to use ExpressVPN since there are no data limits and you can set it and forget it.
The Lightway protocol used by ExpressVPN was very fast in our testing. In our tests, it worked for unblocking a lot of popular TV shows and movies.
It's common for providers to have apps for all of your devices. ExpressVPN has those and those apps are so user-friendly that we named them our top VPNs for both Mac and PC. It stands out even more because of its custom firmware that is offered for some routers, the browser extensions that make it easy to connect to it, and the fact that it has a variety of streaming hardware to choose from.
ExpressVPN has a wide range of security features, including IKEv2, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec. The ioXt Alliance has certified it.
If any of the above sounds intimidating, don't worry, you will be fine. There is nothing to worry about with the software and ExpressVPN's excellent customer service. The support agents are able to respond quickly to questions.
There's nothing to complain about with ExpressVPN. A bit of a premium is charged for the service, which checks a lot of the key boxes for what most users will care about. You can save up to 49% on your first year of service if you use our link, which is higher than most of the competition. If you can't figure it out, you can always get your money back with a 30-day money-back guarantee from ExpressVPN.
It's possible that you're next best PureVPN choice. The company matches or beats all of its competitors in terms of features and speed, and is not far behind when it comes to real-world testing.
There are more than 5,500 server in 60 countries in NordVPN's network, and they use a different type of cipher than most others. Even when connecting to your own location, the custom NordLynx protocol makes for fast and reliable connections.
All of the standard security features are offered by NordVPN, but there are some extras as well. A kill switch, apps for nearly every platform, and an easy built-in feature allow you to get around the blocks easily.
Security and privacy are the focus of the company. An annual no-logging audit is one of the things it does, as well as its super strong encryption. It can also be used for payments in the form of the digital currency, Bitcoins.
There's a lot to like about NordVPN, but it's not perfect. If you want to connect to a specific location, it can be difficult to find a server that will let you do that. It's difficult to challenge for top spot right now because it doesn't have an app for media streamers like ExpressVPN.
You can choose to pay for a single month of access or a year of access. The cost per month drops as you commit to a longer period of time, with the best price being on the two year plan. You can get a free month, year, or two years extra when you go for the two-year plan.
Our full review of NordVPN is now available.
Surfshark has a cute name, but it's still one of the best VPNs to sign up for. You can connect an unlimited number of devices to your subscription and keep them all secure. Considering how affordable Surfshark's introductory pricing is, it's a solid choice.
Surfshark gives you access to over 3,200 different server that are spread across 65 different locations. It gives you a lot of options when trying to change your location. We tried it for streaming and it worked for us.
It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you time to try it out and decide if it's the right service for you. Our review of Surfshark is also worth checking out. The new pricing structure gives you 24 months of access for just $59.76 total, which breaks down to about 8 cents per day. It is renewed every year after the first two years.
If there is one thing that the company knows, it is privacy and security. No one will be able to eavesdrop on your connection if you use ProtonVPN.
The company is based in Switzerland, which gives it legal protection. Switzerland's privacy laws are some of the best in the world, and it can't be forced to spy on anyone.
It can be used as an always-on PureVPN that will automatically connect to a server when the connection is interrupted. Many of the server use a 10 Gbps connection, and all of them have a minimum speed of 1 Gbps.
Net Shield is a feature available on all platforms that protects you from internet harms. It's a little more flexible than similar services and you can choose whether you want to block ads or not.
If you want to try out the service for free, you can do it before you pay. You may notice slower speeds on a free plan if more people are online.
If you decide to go for a free or paid plan, Proton is a good choice.
PIA is a private internet access service. The only real area where the service stands out is in its huge server count, which is by far and away the most of any provider, and it is also consistently good in a lot of other areas.
In our testing, speeds were fast enough using WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, and we found it was possible to use it to get around the ban on iPlayer. It wasn't going to be on a list of the fastest VPNs, but it was usable for day-to- day needs.
PIA has the security and privacy features to back them up, and they do it with a mix of strong security and privacy features. P2P is supported with port forwarding, and you can pay in Bitcoins. PIA's ioXt certification is a start but there has been no substantial security audit.
PIA may be forced to hand over any data it has as part of the U.S.'s international security alliances. PIA doesn't log any data, so theoretically wouldn't have anything to give over, but its headquarters may be enough to deter certain users.
CyberGhost is a company that is based in Europe. It has more than 6,000 different server that span more than 100 locations.
CyberGhost's interface is its best feature. The company doesn't make you guess which server to use, it makes it easy to identify them. Select the service that you want from a list and it will show you the best server to connect to in order to watch the content. Once connected to the server, the app will open a browser window so you can begin streaming. It's convenient if we've seen it.
The service can block malicious websites. It will send you to the most secure version of each site to make sure you are safe. You can use data compression on the go.
CyberGhost has been able to bring over 10 million users to its service due to its ease of use, speeds, and reliability. Signing up for a long-term plan will help reduce the per-month cost of the service. Do you want to be the next subscriber? All the details can be found in our full CyberGhostVPN review.
In our best free VPNs post, we recommend paying a few bucks for the company's premium offerings to solve almost every complaint we have with it. You can get full access to all of its 3,200+ server that are scattered across 115 different locations if you step up to unlimited bandwidth. It's possible to connect up to 5 devices at the same time, and you can get that wonderful 24 hour support.
Although its mobile apps aren't as feature-rich as the desktop equivalents, the service is free and available on a variety of devices. There are new features to support use on Linux and TV streamers.
In our testing, the service had fast speeds and consistent ones. We were able to watch Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
As per its privacy policy, Hotspot Shield does not log any of the above, but there is some session logging that can be turned off.
Since Hotspot Shield has not put itself through any type of public security or privacy audit, you will have to trust that the information is in the aggregate. It's also worth mentioning that there is no support for the digital currency.
It's worth giving the service a try, since it offers a free 7-day trial.
If you want to rule out IPVanish, you should. It allows for all of your devices to be connected at the same time and has an impressive 40,000 sharedip addresses. If you need cloud storage, you can bundle it with IPVanish for just a few dollars more.
All of the popular platforms have apps for them. It's easy to connect to the service from within it because they aren'tbogged down with useless features. The app has a great user interface that makes it easy to connect to a server in the desired location.
The server was always up and running, the download speeds were consistent, and slightly above most of the others we tested. Things will only get better in this department because of the network expansion that took place in early 2021.
It was noticed that not every server existed where it was said to be, which could be a problem for people looking to unblock content. It's only a minor thing, but it's worth considering if you're looking for a streaming PureVPN.
Customer support is one of the areas where IPVanish excel. It's possible to get support from the company any time of the day or night, and agents can be reached from within the app. The company moved from a 7-day to 30-day money-back guarantee. If you want to start today, you need to give our review a read.
It's possible that TunnelBear isn't the best option for those who want to have control over where they connect and how their PureVPN operates. Most people will find the company's approach to be simplistic. The interface is very clean and easy to understand, and the apps are available on a wide range of platforms.
The focus is not just on the app. Some of the others are offering more server space than the others. It's not a big deal if you want to connect to specific locations.
On the privacy front, which is what most people are using a VPNs for, TunnelBear gets some extra points for its hiring of independent specialists to run a security audit on its server. This is something that no other company is doing, and we wish that more companies would do the same.
PureVPN is in the middle of the pack in this list. It's likely that you'll have one nearby for a reliable experience or in a desired location for getting around geographic restrictions, because it has over 6,500 server locations in 140 countries. It's worth trying out if you can get it for $1.
Despite PureVPN's website stating compatibility, we were not able to get it to work with the iPlayer. PureVPN has apps for a lot of devices, so if you're worried about streaming, you'll be happy to know.
PureVPN can be used on devices that are connected through your routers, and it supports up to 10 simultaneous connections.
There are a lot of features like a selection of protocols and a smarter than average kill switch. PureVPN's no-log policy has been assessed by two independent auditors. Personal user data is not stored on the system, but we did find some issues with the Windows app in PureVPN's review.
PureVPN's support site is not great, but it does offer round-the-clock customer support, as well as a 31 day money back guarantee.
How do you pick the best VPN for you?
It's not as difficult to find the best PureVPN service as you might think. There are a few things that you will want to consider when buying a new subscription for yourself, so let's break them down now to help you make a decision.
The first thing you need to do is find a provider that has a good app that is easy to use, which we have considered strongly in our rating of the below services. Most of the best VPNs will work on Mac, PC, Android, iPhone, Fire TV Sticks, and more. If the app is hard to use, you may not want to use the service in general.
One of the things you will want to consider is how many devices you can use at the same time, whether or not the company offers strong customer support, and the overall cost of the service that you are signing up for. The cost of a PureVPN service varies from $2 a month up to $6 a month. Surfshark is one of the cheapest, but it is also one of the more expensive.
There are a lot of things to think about when choosing the best PureVPN for you. One of the main uses for most people is the protection of their data. How much time do you spend on the internet each day? Banking details, credit cards, passwords, and more are entered all around the web, and sometimes from a public internet connection. The virtual tunnels of the internet can be used to keep all that data secure.
It is possible to connect to a server in a different location than where you are. This is called "spoofing", and it makes it appear as though your traffic is coming from a different place. You can access local content like concerts, sporting events, news, and more.
It's difficult to understand which one to pick for yourself when you're not actually using it. There are a lot of different PureVPN options, some of which are free and some of which are paid. Picking out the best PureVPN is difficult because they have different data limits and cap the number of concurrent connections. Don't get flustered. We put different options through their paces so that we could break it down for you. There are a number of reasons why we think ExpressVPN is the best choice. The balance between price, speed, reliability, and ease of use is the best.
To see the good, the bad, and the differences between them, check out a full breakdown of all the best VPNs. We've put together a list of the best free and paidAndroidVPN options for you to consider.
Our top three best VPNs right now are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark.
What about the other VPN companies?
Hundreds, if not thousands, of other VPNs are available. Some of the new providers make some pretty crazy promises. In order to make a decision, we've tested a lot.
You should stick to one of the options mentioned here when you start with a PureVPN. We look at new offerings, review our picks, and make sure the information in the guide is accurate.
The best PureVPN of the year.
VPN FAQs
We have everything you need to know if you're in the market for a virtual private network. Picking the right competitor for you depends on your needs. We'll help you decide which one to buy by taking a look at the virtual private network.
✏️ What is a VPN?
There is a virtual private network. Adding an extra layer of security to the network you are connecting to is the idea behind it. Data can be sent and received privately while connecting to that network.
Once connected, your traffic is routed through a tunnel in order to protect it from outsiders. The protection prevents people from being able to see what's happening, and it also prevents them from knowing where it's happening from.
If you want to add security to your location, you can connect to a server in a different location. You would be able to view content that you wouldn't have been able to previously.
⚙️ How do VPNs work?
It doesn't seem complicated at first, but a VPNs works in a simple way. Your traffic is routed through a set of server that can be used to protect it and change it's location. It's not possible for others to see what you are doing in public.
A virtual private network adds a middle step instead of going from your device to the website. The path goes from your device to the website.
Once you are connected to the service and a server, everything is done in the background. It's cool that you can connect to a server in Europe from an airport in New York. You would think that this extra step would slow your speeds, or cause a delay in getting things done, but many of the best providers offer fast speeds and reliable connections, so you barely notice that it's even connected in the background.
⚖️ Are VPNs legal?
In most areas of the world, you can use a virtual private network. Some countries have put restrictions on the use of virtual private networks, while others have no restrictions at all.
There are some providers that are approved for use in countries that don't allow use of virtual private networks. Some of the options are better than others. Companies in China have to get approval from the Chinese government before they can use VPNs.
Things are much more serious in the U.A. You can be sentenced to jail time if you use a virtual private network.
Before you install a virtual private network in your home, be sure to get some information from the local authorities.
❓ Is a VPN worth it?
If you travel a lot and spend a lot of time on public wi-fi spots, it's a good idea to have a virtual private network. You'll want to make sure your data is safe because these don't have any of their own security measures.
We do a lot of our day-to-day activities online. Do you know how many times you've accessed bank information from a public network? It could be bad news for you if the wrong people take it.
There are some free options that are worth considering if you're looking for a cheap PureVPN. For the price of a cup of coffee or a fast-food lunch, you can add protection to all your browsing sessions. If you do the cost-benefit analysis yourself, you'd be in favor of a virtual private network.
💻 What are the best VPN uses?
Most people will be drawn to two huge use cases for a virtual private network. Adding security and privacy to their traffic is the first use of a virtual private network. In the business world, people are constantly traveling and this is a requirement. Many companies use a Virtual Private Network to access their intranet and services.
Many will use a Virtual Private Network to connect to a server in a different location to access content that is blocked in their area. It's called "spoofing" and it allows you to do things like watch Disney+ from anywhere even if it isn't supported in your area.
There are many uses for the service.
💰 Is a paid VPN better than a free VPN?
You have to make some compromises when you choose to use a free PureVPN. The free version allows for fewer devices to be connected at the same time, slower speeds, and less server space.
There are some services that offer unlimited data but have better speeds for paying customers. There are definitely ways to live with a free PureVPN, you just need to be aware of the limitations and factor those into your decision making.
If you upgrade to a paid plan, you'll see no ads, and many companies offer unlimited connections as well.
At the end of the day, any PureVPN is better than no PureVPN. If you're happy with the free service, you might want to upgrade to a paid option for a better experience.
🔎 What to look for when picking a VPN?
Knowing what's important to look for is not always easy. We've broken it down into a few easy things that anyone can do.
- Does the provider have servers in the country you need? Sometimes you are looking to watch specific content, or you only want to be able to connect to local servers, and every single VPN provider operates in different areas. Pure server count isn't always the biggest factor in determining speed or reliability — be sure to look specifically at the locations.
- Can you connect everything you want at the same time? Some providers offer only one connection at a time while others offer more spaces or even an unlimited amount. This is critical because you don't want to be worrying about disconnecting one device to protect another. Get one that works for everything you need it to or even one that can run on your router to cover all of the devices in your home.
- What is the logging policy? Many providers have a "no-logging" policy, but that doesn't always mean the same thing to each of them. Be sure to read through their FAQ and take a look at the privacy policy so that you totally understand what information (if any) is being collected when you use the service, and how it is used.
- Are you comfortable with the pricing structure? Prices vary from free to $10 or more per month for some services. The longer you commit to using the service (buying a one- or three-year plan) the cheaper you can get the per-month rate. It may prove worth spending a little more upfront to keep yourself protected for a longer period of time, for less. Most have trial periods or money-back guarantees, too.
📺Can a VPN unblock regional content?
One of the selling points for a lot of people is that they can spoof their location with a virtual private network, meaning that they can access content that isn't available in their area. It's great for people who travel a lot and want to stay up to date with local shows.
You can use it to access content from many different services. Normally, you just need to connect to the virtual private network and select a server that will allow you to watch the content you want to watch in that country.
If the content provider blacklists the service's server, they may not be able to Unblock some Streaming Content.
We have a guide on the best streaming VPNs, as well as a guide on the best iPlayer VPNs, and a guide on the best PureVPN.
📱Should I use a VPN on my phone?
You would use a virtual private network on every device that connects to the internet. This is the best way to protect yourself and your data from being tracked and hacked.
Every one of the VPNs mentioned in this best guide has a mobile app, which means you can use it on your phone. We've put together a list of the best VPNs for both phones, so be sure to check them out.
In the context of legal recreational uses, we test and review virtual private networks. It's for example:
It's possible to access a service from another country.
It's important to protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy.
We don't support or condone the illegal use of VPNs. Future Publishing does not endorse or approve the consumption of paid for content.
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