Choosing the proper VPN service is vital if you want to remain anonymous and secure online. The finest VPN services can help you achieve your objectives by preventing bandwidth limiting, censorship, and ISP tracking.
Are you concerned about your privacy online?
If so, be assured that you are not the only one searching for the best VPNs. You have every cause to be concerned about your internet security.
Security is the top concern for the majority of businesses. In fact, 25% of I.T. companies use machine learning to enhance this element of their organizations. According to the Threat Report for the second quarter of 2018, the number of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults surged by 500%.
However, it may be mitigated by the use of a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN offers an extra degree of protection for both public and private networks. As organizations become more digital and more individuals work from home, everyone is using premium and free VPNs to safeguard their important data.
One of the instant advantages of using a VPN is that your IP address is quickly changed from the incumbent to the VPN-supplied one. Because you log in from a different server, the new IP address is often created in a different location or country.
You may log in from Kyoto, Japan, yet your IP address indicates that you are in New York, New York. VPN services offer a greater degree of encryption that enables you to transmit and receive important data while connected to public Wi-Fi.
Some of the most notable advantages of a VPN include the ability to browse anonymously, avoid internet restrictions, and enjoy online privacy.
How Do You Find the Best Paid and Free VPNs?
There are hundreds of VPN service providers (both open-source and commercial) on the market, making it difficult to choose the best free VPNs. When choosing a paid option, the same error occurs. Thousands of biased internet reviews exacerbate the difficulty of the endeavor. In order to compile this collection of VPN evaluations, I combed the internet.
Before selecting from these VPN companies, make sure to consider some essential VPN uses, such as:
- Transfer speeds
- Protection measures
- Netflix Availability and unblocking capabilities for Torrenting
- Jurisdiction \sUsability
- Maintenance and assistance
- Number of concurrent connections
- Cost
After considering all of these variables, you will be able to choose the VPN that best meets your needs.
Disclosure: This article is supported by readers. If you make a purchase through one of the links below, I might earn a small commission at no cost to you.
What Are the Best VPNs?
Here are my top suggestions for the best free VPNs that also offer premium plans.
Image Source: NordVPN
In 2012, NordVPN was introduced as one of the greatest VPN service providers accessible.
As of September 2019, it runs on over 5500 servers located in over 60 countries. The majority of servers are situated in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Australia, and Canada.
In addition to conventional VPN servers, it provides a variety of other services, such as P2P file sharing, double encryption, and access to the Tor anonymity network. Its excellent position in Panama is one of its many benefits. There are no required data retention rules in Panama for legal reasons.
Key Features:
- Superior Military Encryption
- CyberSec (blocks suspicious websites automatically leading to increased protection)
- Military-grade security ciphering
- Provides a dual VPN functionality
- Completely concealed IP Address Strict
- No Logs Policy
- Bitcoin Transactions
- Mechanical kill switch
- DNS Leak Protection Onion over VPN
- Unblocks Countries Such as China
- Rapidity with Real-Time Streaming
- SmartPlay (allows you to access your favorite streaming sites securely)
- High-Speed P2P (Peer-to-Peer) VPN Browser Proxy Extension
Pros:
- Signup, configuration, and installation are all easy.
- Friendly user interface
- 30-day refund guarantee
- 24/7 customer service and support (Winner, Best Customer Service, 2018
- BestVPN.com Awards)
- Extremely trustworthy
- Compatible with all browsers and devices.
Cons:
- Performance is highly dependant on use duration.
- Servers are concentrated in and around Europe, with little geographic variety.
- No service warranties
- No telephone assistance for customers
Pricing:
- The first NordVPN plan is a monthly subscription that costs $11.99 per month.
- The second plan is an annual one that costs just $4.99 per month.
- The third option is a 2-year plan with a monthly cost of $3.99.
Image Source: CyberGhost
CyberGhost VPN has been in the market for more than 15 years and offers fast and secure VPN services that allow users to watch and browse without restrictions.
With their array of online privacy tools, you may unblock streaming services, watch athletic events, get better online discounts, and gain access to prohibited websites. In addition, their platform protects your data by concealing your IP address, securing your financial transactions, and safeguarding your digital identity.
Using a single subscription, you may secure up to seven devices concurrently and conceal your server with a multitude of choices.
Key Features:
- Internet connection anonymization with a single click.
- 120 server sites in over 88 countries, with over 6,200 servers in total.
- Intelligent rules and manually adjusted privacy controls.
- Secure file sharing with unlimited bandwidth.
- Kill switches ensure that your actual
- IP address is never revealed.
- A stringent “no logs” policy that ensures your information is never kept.
- 24/7 live help for customers.
Pros:
- Excellent features for Mac users, and all Mac products are supported.
- A money-back guarantee for 45 days.
- Their global server network allows for very quick connection rates.
- Independently run anti-spyware servers.
- An IP address that is exclusively yours.
Pros:
CyberGhost VPN has different pricing plans based on your term length. Their best value is the $2.29/month plan, which covers three years (and you get three extra months free VPN).
Image Source: StrongVPN
One of the world’s oldest VPN service providers, StrongVPN began operating in 1994. It is currently a market leader and a major provider of VPN services worldwide.
At the moment, it has more than 950 servers, 59000 IP addresses, and is accessible in more than 25 cities. It is one of the best options for VPN service providers because of its strong infrastructure.
To meet your needs, they also offer a dedicated IP address. It also provides two highly cost-effective options that offer the best value for your money and is quite simple to use. However, considering how long it has been operating in the industry, its global footprint is not as noteworthy.
Key Features:
- No connections or activity are logged.
- Option “Best Available Location.” provides up to 12 connections at once.
- No cap on speed.
- Robust DNS.
- An official no-logs policy.
- AES-256 encryption that is strong.
- The protocols L2TP, SSTP, OpenVPN,
- IPSec, and IKEv2.
- WiFi security in public places.
- Beta of the WireGuard protocol.
Pros:
- works with Hulu and Netflix.
- Fast and courteous client service.
- 24/7 client assistance.
- More than 12000 happy clients.
- suitable with all browsers and devices.
- Outstanding infrastructure
- Outstanding service everywhere.
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days.
Cons:
- Slow (on most servers).
- The user interface is a little awkward and not very welcoming.
- The US government is always free to step in (due to US jurisdiction at the location).
Pricing:
- The first is a monthly plan, payable every month at the rate of $10.99.
- The second one is an annual plan, billed at $3.66/ month for the first year.
Image Source: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a virtual private network service provided by Express VPN International Ltd, which is based in the British Virgin Islands and was first made available in 2009.
The VPN software is primarily marketed as a privacy and security solution that hides users’ IP addresses and encrypts their web traffic. One of the biggest VPN services in the world, it operates over 2500 remote servers throughout the world in 94 different countries and more than 150 different locations. Brazil, Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands have the most of its servers there.
Key Features:
- From anywhere in the world, access material, even on sites that are prohibited ( even while traveling).
- 16 server sites spread out over 94 nations.
- Allows browsing anonymously.
- Complete IP address masked.
- Security is guaranteed because no data is written to the hard disk.
- Activity and connection logs are absent.
- Split tunneling VPN.
- Zero-knowledge, encrypted, and private DNS.
- Enables you to stream sports online.
- Defends you from malicious Wi-Fi attacks.
Pros:
- Superior security encryption.
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days.
- 24/7 live chat assistance.
- Switch to kill network locks.
- extremely trustworthy
- All devices and browsers, including Windows, iOS, Mac, Android, Linux, routers, gaming consoles, and smart TVs, are supported.
Cons:
- Little more expensive than others in the market.
- Limited alternatives for setting up.
- Limited possibilities for configuration.
- No telephone help. Only email and chats are available for communication.
Pricing:
A one-month subscription to ExpressVPN costs $12.95; an annual subscription costs $8.32; and a six-month subscription costs $9.99.
For the first 30 days of service, all plans come with a 100% money-back guarantee. You’re ready to go after choosing your plan, providing your email address, and selecting your chosen payment method.
Image Source: Surfshark
Surfshark is a British Virgin Islands-based VPN service provider that is a relatively young participant in the industry. Most of its customers are from Europe. It goes above and above to offer the best service with over 800 servers spread across more than 45 countries.
With nations like Australia, Germany, Canada, India, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands, it is unquestionably compatible. Although its price plans are a touch on the expensive side, the amenities it offers more than make up for it.
Key Features:
- IP addresses may be efficiently hidden.
- Split tunneling is possible.
- The best AES-256-GCM encryption available.
- IKEv2/default IPsec’s secure protocol.
- Use the camouflage setting to offer an extra layer of protection.
- MultiHop (lets you connect via multiple countries at once).
- You may access the internet in restricted places while using NoBorders mode.
- Security against leaks and private DNS.
- Kill switch included in.
- Aabsolute no-logs rule.
- Simultaneous, unrestricted device connections.
- With the help of the CleanWeb function, you may browse without advertisements or trackers and without worrying about malware or phishing attacks.
- Split-tunneling is permitted via the Whitelist feature.
Pros:
- Device connection is limitless.
- DNS and leak defense.
- Skilled assistance available round-the-clock.
- Excellent user interface.
- Not governed by any legislation requiring the storage of data.
Cons:
- One of the most expensive VPN services available.
- Results from different speeds might be quite different.
- The servers’ geographical locations are not dispersed equally.
- Some clients can be put off by static IPs.
Pricing:
- The first one costs $12.95 per month and is a monthly subscription ( billed every month).
- The second plan is an annual one that costs $3.99 each month for a whole year. You have the possibility to save up to 69% with this plan.
- The last one is for two years and costs $2.49 each month. Every 24 months, there is a total cost payment of $59.76.
Additionally, all subscriptions come with a 7-day free trial on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Image Source: NortonVPN
A pioneer in security goods and services, Norton Secure VPN. One of the nicest things about this VPN service provider is that we are aware of its ownership, in contrast to other VPN providers that don’t provide any ownership information. It is a top option due to its accountability and solid support.
Furthermore, it provides a broad service area with 1500 servers spread across more than 200 server locations and 30 countries.
Key Features:
- Bank-level encryption.
- Browse in private.
- On the move, access your favorite websites, movies, and applications.
- Blocks annoying ads that could trace your online activity.
- When utilizing public Wi-Fi, all data is sent and received with 100% encryption.
- Operating systems that are compatible, including iOS, macOS, Windows, and Android.
Pros:
- Accountable ownership.
- 24/7 live client service.
- Support by phone is offered.
- Suitable with all devices and browsers.
- Accessible in more than 30 nations.
- Guaranteed money-back for 60 days.
- Affordable price ranges.
- Backed by the Symantec name and brand.
Cons:
- Do not Supports Linux.
- Not compatible with set-top boxes and routers.
- Lacks P2P support.
- Not having a kill switch.
- Do not Supports BitTorrent
- Only accepting payments through credit cards and PayPal
Pricing:
The introductory monthly rates for one device are $4.99, five devices are $7.99, and ten devices are $9.99.
For one device, five devices, or ten devices, annual rates start at $39.99 and $59.99, respectively. After the first year, the yearly plans do, however, vary. After a year, the cost is $49.99 for a single device, $79.99 for five devices, and $99.99 for ten devices.
On the other hand, after the first year, the monthly plans remain unchanged.
Image Source: TorGuard VPN
Another outstanding, feature-rich VPN provider on our list is TorGuard VPN.
It is a superb platform for avoiding and eluding censorship as well as accessing forbidden and barred websites, with more than 3000 servers spread over more than 50 nations. In contrast to the bulk of VPN service providers, it also has a strong presence in Southeast Asia. It is a product that is loaded with some of the best features and is priced reasonably. In a nutshell, it gives customers excellent value for their money.
Key Features:
- Permits 8 connections at once.
- Has a kill switch.
- Protection against domain system leaks.
- Phishing, malware, and ad blockers.
- It is OK to torrent.
- Unlimited bandwidth and speed.
- OpenVPN/WG/SSTP/IPSec.
- Based on OpenConnect SSL VPN.
- Stealth proxy for TorGuard.
- 100% Private, No Logs Kept.
- Protection from DNS leaks.
- Encryption using AES-256 bits.
- Firewall NAT.
- Enables both TCP and UDP.
- Perfect up front secrecy (TLS).
- GCM and CBC ciphers in multiples.
Pros:
- Money-back guarantee for 30 days.
- More than 3000 servers spread throughout 50 nations.
- Excellent round-the-clock client service.
- Free 7-day trial.
- Suitable with all devices and browsers.
- Methods of secrecy to avoid discovery.
- There are several browser extensions.
Cons:
- On mobile devices, the kill switch option is not accessible.
- Only some cities may engage in torrenting
Pricing:
- The first plan is a monthly plan with a monthly fee of $9.99.
- The second option is for three months and costs $19.99 every quarter.
- The semi-annual (6 month) plan with a price of $29.99 is the third option.
- The fourth plan is an annual plan that costs $59.99 each year.
- The fifth plan is biennial and costs $99 per year.
- The sixth plan is for three years and costs $139.99.
Credit cards, PayPal, and even cryptocurrency are available as payment methods.
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