The best virtual private network services change each year as new companies appear and established ones improve their product offerings. These VPNs are the best value to get when for browsing the Internet securely and privately.
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NordVPN
NordVPN is a well-received VPN, known for doing a lot of things right. It has 5,112 servers in 62 locations, supports up to six devices and has prices as low as $2.99 per month with a 3-year commitment.
A standout feature from NordVPN is the “Double VPN,” which routes users through two VPNs to give added protection. Encrypted traffic can also be routed through the Onion network.
The speed of this service is great and it supports most types of user traffic, including P2P. Users can test out this service with a three-day free trial.
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Surfshark
Surfshark VPN is a powerful, high-performance VPN service that excels in many ways. It offers more than 500 servers with speedy performance.
The advanced security protocols place utmost importance on maintaining user privacy, and the service never collects any logs or user data. The CleanWeb feature eliminates ads, trackers and malware from your browsing experience. A kill switch prevents users from being exposed due to a compromised connection.
Surfshark supports unlimited devices and even provides protection on public Wi-Fi. If people run into problems or have questions, customer support is available 24/7. Users seeking additional protection can use Multihop to go through a chain of VPNs. Follow this link to try VPN for free.
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Express VPN
ExpressVPN has more than 2,000 servers in 148 locations, and also offers 30,000 IP addresses. The maximum devices that users can have on the service is three, which is a low limit compared to other paid VPNs.
Pricing starts at $12.95 per month and goes down with a six or 12 month commitment. ExpressVPN stands out with its broad range of device support. It has native clients for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, Blackberry and Android. In addition, it also offers custom firmware for routers, smart TVs and even streaming media devices.
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IPVanish
IPVanish starts at $10 per month, with discounts at the 3 and 12 month marks. It has 1,100 servers in 60 locations, with more than 40,000 IP addresses available. It supports up to 10 devices per account and is optimized for performance.
IPVanish does not collect user data or keep logs. The user clients are easy to use, and the company provides manual setup instructions for devices that aren’t natively supported.
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Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield has a robust range of features, with month-to-month pricing at $12.99 and two-year contracts reducing that to $2.99 per month. One of the standout features of this VPN service is the speed. It’s a fast and responsive VPN that has 2,500 servers in 25 locations.
It supports five devices, but requires users to use the official apps in order to access the service. For people wanting to use Hotspot Shield with unsupported platforms, this is a big drawback.
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Tunnelbear
Tunnelbear is one of the most user-friendly VPN services on the market, making it an excellent choice for anyone not familiar with this technology. Prices start at $9.99 per month and go down to $4.99 per month with a one year commitment. It has 1,000 servers in 20 locations and supports up to five devices.
Performance is strong across the board, with the best results coming from European servers. It supports Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. While it doesn’t provide official support for other devices, it’s possible to set up Tunnelbear on them.
Tunnelbear doesn’t have a lot of power user features, to keep things simple, which can be a drawback for more experienced people.
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TorGuardVPN
Torguard VPN has pricing starting at $9.99 and a focus on P2P and BitTorrent traffic. It’s a speedy VPN with a somewhat misleading name. Many people may assume that it’s related to Tor or uses the Onion network for privacy. Instead, the Tor stands for torrent.
Torguard supports up to five devices, and has a reasonable $1 per month fee per extra device.
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Cyberghost
CyberGhost brings a lot of features to the table, delighting power users wanting to get more out of their VPNs. Pricing starts at $12.99 per month, with price breaks at a six month and 36 month subscription. It has 3,000 servers in 60 locations and supports up to seven devices.
Unlike many VPN services, it does support torrent traffic. One of the standout features for CyberGhost is the automatic server routing for geo-blocked services. It chooses the right locations to unlock that content without the user having to guess and do a lot of trial and error.
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Ivacy
Ivacy is a low-cost VPN that appeals to the budget-conscious. It has excellent performance and offers 450 servers across 100 locations. Users can bring up to five devices to the platform. It doesn’t hold session data or store anything outside of an email address. The mobile clients leave a lot to be desired, and more focus is put on the desktop clients.
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Windscribe
Windscribe is appealing to users who have a lot of devices, as there are no device restrictions on this service. It has 540 servers in 100 locations, and people can test things out with a 10 GB free plan. Pricing starts at a reasonable $4.50 per month, making it one of the lowest cost plans on a month-to-month basis.
The performance is average but it may be too slow for people who want to do a lot of streaming or downloading. It uses OpenVPN and does not store any session data.
These VPNs offer a great value, whether users want the most features or the best pricing. When evaluating a VPN service, consider all of the device types and use cases. Some VPNs restrict traffic types, such as torrent traffic, or have a strict device limit. By considering these factors in advance, people can find the best VPN for their needs.
