Fines for downloading films and series (which are often not legally available), the introduction of a draconian ‘drag law’ and countless companies who would like to know what you are doing online – all are reasons to have a good VPN. Fortunately, there is a choice – for every goal, there is a good VPN. These are the top 15 VPN services!
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What should you pay attention to?
It is not always easy to choose a VPN, but for the average user, two things are important – price and speed. You want to pay as little as possible for a VPN that is as fast as possible, but there are a few other considerations that you can make. The number of servers you can choose from, the maximum number of devices you can connect, the encryption used, a possible data limit and whether apps are available for desktop or mobile. Also important – take a VPN that does not log usage data!
1 Private Internet Access
For years, Private Internet Access (PIA) has been a big favorite among VPN users, especially because of the cheap price that can be matched by few competitors. Despite the low cost, you almost never have to compromise – speed, servers, ease of use – they are all present. Moreover, Private Internet Access is one of the few companies that can demonstrate that it does not log usage data. It is not that other VPN services do that per se, but PIA proved nothing to keep up with during a lawsuit with the FBI. One of the best choices for … well, actually everyone!
For if you want what we use every day.
2 TorGuard
TorGuard has nothing to do with Tor but has been specially developed for torrent-downloaders. In the meantime, it is permitted to download via p2p at (almost) every VPN and TorGuard is no longer unique. It is still one of the most advanced torrent programs with a range of configurations that only the real pros can use – different SSL protocols, various keys and encryption standards, and many ways to implement. However, the desktop client is pretty dated, and there are many different, confusing packages for sale. Anyway, if you know what you do and want, that is, of course, no problem!
3 WindScribe
You should never trust a free VPN, but sometimes there are free trial versions that are not at all wrong. WindScribe distinguishes itself as VPN in two ways – a free version with a generous 10 gigabytes that you can deprive (but only on one device and not for BitTorrent traffic), and a paid version that you can use on an infinite number of devices at the same time. Also, the price of this VPN is excellent, although we have to say that it certainly does not get the fastest connections on American servers that we would like a VPN.
For if you want a free VPN with few restrictions.
4 NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most expensive VPNs in our overview, but for that, you also get the best of the best. Not only is NordVPN particularly extensive regarding options and servers, but the company also pays special attention to its security. Where most VPNs only support PPTP and l2tp protocols, NordVPN is now rolling out the new (and better) IKEv2. You can also select servers for specific requirements, such as servers with extra protection against DDoS attacks or with which you can surf via the Tor protocol. NordVPN has a lifetime subscription available.
For if you are looking for a VPN that is of paramount importance to safety.
5 TunnelBear
VPNs are not boring at all, proves TunnelBear, a cheerful program that brightens up with animated bears that are hidden here and there by the software. Of course, we want more than that, but TunnelBear is especially suitable if you are looking for a VPN that you can quickly turn on or that you can recommend to family members who ‘just e-mail from the campsite.’ The problem with TunnelBear is that you cannot download torrents with it. The BitTorrent protocol is blocked, so if you want to use your VPN just for that, you better look further.
For if you want to recommend an easy VPN.
6 Freedome
Striking at Freedome is not so much the service itself, but the price packages. Unlike most VPNs, at Freedome you can only choose one period to purchase the service (twelve months), but the price varies per number of devices. There are packages for three, five or seven devices that you can support with Freedome, so a family package for multiple family members is quickly an attractive deal. In addition, the service is fine, with enough servers to choose from and speeds that almost do not bother you. The Android app from Freedome is unfortunately misused to force an unnecessary virus scanner on your device.
For if you want to use a VPN on multiple devices.
7 Express VPN
Express VPN distinguishes itself on one very important part of other VPNs – you can still watch the American Netflix at the time of writing! Since the streaming service VPNs started blocking last year, you can unfortunately no longer increase the range by looking at the American catalog, but with Express that is still possible. On the other hand, you pay a lot of money, and you can only set up a meager three connections at once. Also, no free trial version is available. However, there are many articles online about how you can install Express manually on other devices, such as your smart TV.
For if you want to watch the American Netflix.
8 PureVPN
VPNs may be nice and safe, they pull your internet speed down considerably, and that is often quite frustrating. Many VPN services have fortunately taken many measures in recent years to boost this speed, but still, a slow VPN can be a source of annoyance. If that is your main problem, you must be with Pure VPN. This service may not have the most substantial number of servers, but comes out the fastest time and again and we hardly noticed that this VPN was running in the background. Woosh!
9 Hotspot Shield
Regarding price, Hotspot Shield is slightly above average, but we like that for a VPN with these speeds. But what makes Hotspot Shield interesting is the lifetime subscription, with which you can use this VPN for € 139.99 for the rest of your life. That is quite a dedication but think – if you use the VPN for more than one and a half years, you are already cheaper than when you take out the annual subscription. And if you still find nothing, you can always reclaim your money within 45 days.
For if you want to record your life for little money.
10 ZenMate
A VPN is not only suitable for power-users, but also for your less technically savvy family members. If you have to recommend a VPN that is immediately clear on how you use it, ZenMate is a good option. No fooling, simple menus and few complicated options. That means that everyone who wants to get more out of their VPN than just a quick connection cannot do much with ZenMate. Choosing your security protocol is not possible, for example, but if you do not need these kinds of things, ZenMate is right for you.
11 CyberGhost
Some VPNs do not stand out in any way, but that does not mean that they are not good. CyberGhost is such a service, where you do not get any extras or separate functions, but you do get a stable VPN at a good price. Especially when you go for the two-year option, you are at CyberGhost good; it will then be a lot cheaper than a lot of competitors. Combine that with a healthy number of servers in many countries, many different options, a kill switch and autostart … Do not you trust it? Then on cyberghostVPN.com/team, you can read a bio from every employee in the company, including the cleaning lady!
For when you are concerned with the company that developed your VPN.
12 Mullvad
One weakness of many VPN services is the payment system. You can still be protected as well; if you pay your VPN with a personal credit card and an e-mail address, you can often still find out. If you are afraid of that, you can go to Mullvad. There you can pay with a full zipper of anonymous means of payment such as bitcoin, and you can even send cash to the company by post. You also do not need an e-mail address to create an account. For 5 euros per month, you get a VPN service with good speed (but not the fastest) and a good number of options.
For if you want to pay anonymously for your VPN.
13 SurfEasy
SurfEasy is the VPN service that was taken over by Opera in 2015, the browser maker who has spent a lot of time on privacy in recent years. The technology behind SurfEasy is nowadays also used in Opera’s free proxy service, but you can also use it as a stand-alone paid VPN. There are several subscriptions available, where you can use the VPN on one or five devices at the same time and where you can choose a different number of servers. Pay attention, because only with the most expensive package you can also download torrents.
14 VyprVPN
Vypr is a VPN of the American GoldenFrog and is especially interesting for those who are looking for many different servers. With VyprVPN you can connect with over 200,000 different IP addresses, distributed over more than 700 servers around the world. In addition, there is not much to mention about VyprVPN, but perhaps that is the power – no hassle, easy to install, no problems with speed and clear apps for desktop and mobile. That is also nice.
For when you are looking for many different servers.
15 Tor
Okay ahead, we play a little bit fake with this, but no VPN list is complete without the (free!) Tor protocol. This has been developed by privacy activists and has been seen as virtually unbreakable for years – investigation services can not bypass encryption to this day. The disadvantage of Tor is that it sends your internet traffic through half a dozen proxies and that your connection there is extremely slow, so to stream you better find something else. But if you want to be sure that you do not suffer from goggles, there is no better alternative.
For when you are looking for the ultimate security.
