Choosing a VPN (Best VPN)

How picking a good service can make the difference in keeping your Internet browsing secure and private

Not sure which VPN to use? Fret not! There are a variety of secure and reliable VPNs to choose from. Are you looking for speed? NordVPN would be a great choice.

If you're looking for a way to securely and anonymously browse anywhere without restrictions, VPN is the only way to go.  But have you realized that there are over 300 VPNs on the market today? So how do you choose a VPN that suits your needs?

Don't worry! This article got you covered. It has everything that you need to know, including what to consider before choosing a VPN, different VPNs (top picks), their solutions, and their pros and cons. In the end, you'll have an informed decision on what you want.

What to consider when choosing a VPN

Selecting a VPN that offers the best services requires diving deep into how each performs in terms of security, speed, and privacy. It would be best if you also considered factors like usability, value for money, the ability to unblock sites, and so forth. Let's look at the most important ones:

Security and encryption. Look at VPN encryption techniques to know how strongly it employs its security. Best VPNs have more reliable encryption strategies, and for that reason, they tend to be slower in terms of speed.

Jurisdiction and privacy. How does a VPN service approach privacy issues? You can only determine that through jurisdiction, particularly in countries with mass surveillance. Furthermore, data laws favor outstanding VPNs like ExpressVPN because they have maximum privacy and strict no-logs policy.

Speed. Know how fast a VPN is when connected to the internet. Since all VPNS have several encryption overheads, it is reasonable to experience a slow internet connection, but by a small percentage. If you are looking for a fast VPN, you can use a speed test to measure a VPN's latency rate, upload speed, download speed, and jitter.

Quality customer support. A top-rated VPN has reliable customer services, including assisting customers on an email interface, and an online ticket. An excellent example of VPNs that offer incredible customer support is NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

Compatibility with devices. Even though most VPNs are compatible with leading platforms like Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, and Linux, some VPNs are not accessible on all platforms. If you have an iPhone but use a Windows laptop, you should consider getting a VPN that has an app and platform for both. While some VPNs allow you to connect unlimited devices, others have a specific number of devices that you can connect. So, it's also a good idea to check the number of devices that each VPN allows.

Top VPN picks

Below is a master selection of the best VPNs that will suit your needs. They offer the best security, speeds, and reliability.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is the fastest VPN in the world with consistent speed, excellent security, and reliability. It works on Mac, Android, Windows, Linux, and iOS. This VPN also supports a maximum of six devices and offers 24/7 customer service support. You have the chance to use over 5,000 servers in approximately 59 countries. If your payment methods include credit card, Bitcoin, and PayPal, NordVPN would be the right choice to meet your security needs.

It uses next-generation encryption to ensure that all your internet data is safe. The good thing about NordVPN is that you don't need to give up speed for better security because it offers both through its ultra-fast connection. Not to mention, if you love streaming your favorite show, this VPN is the best because you'll have an uninterrupted moment. No more buffering!

With millions of VPN users opting for NordVPN, you can relate why it is ranked as a leading VPN service. It has incredible benefits, and it is a recommendable VPN to people who value speed, privacy, and need something less expensive. It is also an excellent service for unblocking websites and apps like Netflix. Some of the specialty servers found in NordVPN's apps include P2P, double VPN, and dedicated IP addresses.

Pros:
  • Extremely fast
  • Strong internet security
  • Strict no-logs policy
  • Users can connect up to six devices.
  • Using NordVPN is intuitive and straightforward.
  • Unlike other VPNs, it can unblock sites like Netflix.
 Cons:
  • It doesn't offer the best user experience at all times.
  • Its desktop app is cumbersome.
  • No kill switch on Android
  • Streaming servers are not branded.

2. ExpressVPN  

It is known for its incredible privacy, speed, and unblocking services. ExpressVPN works on Linux, Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac. It has over 3,000 servers available in more than 90 countries and offers 24/7 support to its users. The maximum number of devices that you can use with ExpressVPN is five.

ExpressVPN has been offering privacy and security for a long time now, and that's why it's one of the biggest and the most popular VPN. Even though it is not one of the cheapest VPN services available, ExpressVPN has a lot to offer if you selected is today.

Several benefits come along with installing ExpressVPN. For instance, you can watch, listen, stream, and enjoy content from blocked and censored blocked websites worldwide, even when you're over the seas. It is capable of masking your IP address through its secure VPN servers. Users can also browse anonymously without being noticed by potential hackers because ExpressVPN hides your online presence.

Besides, you will enjoy its trustedServer technology feature that ensures that your data is not written on any hard drive, keeping you even more secure. There are no connection or activity logs as well because this VPN service does not contain any traffic data that could reveal your identity, so your privacy and security are 100% sealed.

Other additional features for ExpressVPN to trigger your attention include DNS leak protection, Bitcoin payments, kill switch, P2P support, reliable and stable performance. So, it offers above and beyond to keep its users satisfied.

Pros:
  • Easy to use on any platform
  • Incredibly fast speeds across all servers
  • Zero logs
  • Terrific 24/7 customer support
Cons:
  • It has fewer simultaneous connections compared to rivals.
  • It is slightly expensive than other VPNs

3. TorGuard

TorGuard is a little bit different from what other VPNs offer because it was designed explicitly for P2P file-sharing users. Apart from its usual packages, it is known for its flexibility. Since it was launched in 2012, it has been grown, allowing its clients to access over 3,000 servers across 50+ countries.

It has fantastic security and availability, which is suitable for anyone opting for this particular VPN service provider. TorGuard provides security through OpenVPN, which itself supports a variety of encryption techniques. If you want greater security, TorGuard services do not end there; it takes things further by introducing SSL, HTTP proxy, or even SOCKS5.

While other VPN services offer generic kill switches, TorGuard has app-specific kill watch making it unique and reliable. The kill switch allows you to manually terminate a VPN connection in case there is a compromise. That aside, you can completely shut down your internet connectivity through the app once the TorGuard is closed.

You should know about TorGuard because it has pretty decent speeds, which drops a little due to the congestion of many servers. Other additional features you should consider before choosing this VPN service include stealth mode Proxy; no logs kept, OpenConnect SSL Based VPN, supports all devices and operating systems, and also has unlimited bandwidth.

Pros:
  • It offers the best VPN speeds.
  • Has DNS leakage protection
  • Users are not limited to stream content and view Netflix.
  • It has multi-protocol security.
  • Has over 2,000 servers available across different countries
 Cons:
  • Constant manual updates
  • It's a bit expensive than rivals.
  • Cannot get past China firewalls

4. IPVanish

IPVanish is a strong performer offering reliable VPN solution across platforms like Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and iOS. The number of devices supported is unlimited and has 1,500+ servers across 52 countries. Its customer support is available 24/7. If you are tech-savvy, you can manually set up an IPVanish configuration on your router, Ubuntu, Window's phone, and ChromeBook.

With IPVanish, clients experience zero traffic logs. They can browse anonymously due to strict policy against collecting both activity and connection logs. This VPN service does not store metadata about your session or any information concerning you. On top of that, IPVanish has secure encryption techniques to protect you from brute force cyber-attacks. Isn't that a huge plus?

Although the VPN has powerful apps, there are some issues, including the need to learn and usability issues. A couple of servers are also not labeled, and the iOS app lacks a kill switch.

Pros:
  • Outstanding download speeds
  • Super-fast live chat support
  • Powerful apps
  • Manages its own servers
Cons:
  • Servers are not labeled
  • Odd usability issue
  • The iOS app lacks a kill switch.

5. PureVPN

PureVPN has over 2,000 servers operating across 140+ countries. It offers premium services with P2P compatibility, unlimited bandwidth, and stable security features like port forwarding and military-level encryption.

It can even better unblock streaming websites like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and HBO GO. It also supports all security protocols on every server, including PPTP, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and IPSec/L2TP, to ensure that you receive ultimate security, regardless of the server you are using.

Apart from the mentioned security features, PureVPN has a split tunneling feature that allows you to choose the data you want to send through your VPN connection. It also offers leak protection features like IPV6, WebRTC, and DNS.

Pros:
  • Quite affordable
  • Great security
  • Works on several devices
  • Streaming services provided
  • Users can make anonymous payments
Cons:
  • Speeds can go low sometimes
  • Past difficult issues to overcome
  • Limited refund policy

Above are just a few top VPN picks. There are so many more out there. If you have gone through each of those five VPNs, you might be wondering which one will best meet your needs. It's pretty simple to select because you'll focus more on what you intend to do with the VPN. If you have many devices that you want to be connected to your VPN, then IPVanish would serve you well, but if your initial call is speed, then NordVPN is what you need. So, the choice entirely depends on what you are looking for.