CyberGhost is one of the best and most intuitive VPNs on the market. CyberGhost strikes the ideal balance between a powerful set of features and an interface that's intuitive enough for users of all levels. Features include dedicated server locations for streaming and torrenting, as well as privacy-focused NoSpy servers. CyberGhost offers a generous 45-day refund period, so you can test the system yourself without having to commit.
NordVPN is a fast and secure VPN service with a host of unique features. It's one of the most secure VPNs out there, combining AES-256 encryption with an ad and malware blocker, as well as dual VPN services, also known as multihop connections. If you want to bury your online presence, NordVPN provides the tools. NordVPN has a robust set of add-ons for its VPN plan, including NordLocker, a file encryption service; NordPass, a password manager; and most importantly, a dedicated IP address.
If you need it, NordVPN also offers a Team subscription for small businesses, although its price is opaque. What sets IPVanish apart from the competition, according to our standards, is its lack of additional features and, most importantly, its lack of a dedicated IP address add-on. Without a dedicated IP, IPVanish may not be the best option for heavy duty or business use. Where IPVanish stands out is its sensible user experience, top-notch security, and affordable pricing.
It's also available with SugarSync, in case you're looking for some online storage. ExpressVPN is a kind of poster for the personal VPN market. It is unmatched in security and ease of use, providing an intuitive VPN application that has a wealth of advanced technology behind the scenes. In addition to AES-256 encryption via standard VPN protocols, ExpressVPN offers its patented Lightway protocol that increases speeds without compromising security.
ExpressVPN aims to intentionally protect individual VPN users and not companies, who apparently can track the behavior of their employees through a business VPN. Therefore, ExpressVPN doesn't offer any of these services. The purpose of a VPN is to keep you safe when you're online, and VPNs aren't much more secure than NordVPN. Not only does the company employ best-in-class security features, such as AES-256 encryption and the OpenVPN protocol along with its proprietary NordLynx protocol, but it offers additional features that you won't find in other VPNs.
For example, NordVPN blocks intrusive ads, trackers, and malicious websites. With multihop, user connections are not routed through an encrypted tunnel, but through several encrypted tunnels. In addition, NordVPN has a strict logging policy and is located in Panama, a country outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes surveillance alliances. Whether you're looking to avoid government espionage or gardening hackers, NordVPN has you covered.
CyberGhost has more than 7,500 servers in 91 different countries, so even though we only tested it in the United States, wherever in the world you're in, you probably won't have problems connecting either. The company is based in Romania, it is not a member of the international surveillance networks that we continue to mention, and Romania, as a country, has almost no data retention laws of its own, which makes CyberGhost an excellent choice for privacy. Hotspot Shield was one of the fastest VPNs we tested on our Windows and Mac computers. Download speeds decreased by 30% and 18%, while upload speeds decreased by 0.2% and 26% on Mac and Windows, respectively.
Although the latency was a little more than we would have liked, Hotspot Shield is an excellent option to download torrent files or watch Netflix. Overall, VPNs are reliable, as almost none of the companies we reviewed recorded our traffic or web activity. However, some VPNs are definitely more reliable than others; we prefer companies based in non-member countries to Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes, the international surveillance alliances. We also look for VPNs with strict logging policies that only retain the minimum amount of customer data to run their services; these types of VPNs are more reliable than most.
We've looked at the key features you need to consider in order to choose the best VPN service for your needs. Surfshark: Easy-to-use VPN with great value for money (opens in a new tab) It may not have the same variety of OpenVPN servers or speeds as the two main VPN services, but Surfshark is still feature-packed and great for unblocking restricted services. By testing across multiple devices and platforms, we can assess which VPNs are the best for gaming versus the best for streaming, torrenting, or sharing sensitive information. Good connection speeds are incredibly important for VPN users: if a VPN slows down your Internet at full speed, it's unlikely that it will be used regularly, leaving more devices unprotected.
Get 3 months FREE of the best VPN (opens in a new tab), Tom's Guide readers can claim 1 year of Backblaze and 3 months free on a 12-month plan with ExpressVPN, that's 15 months for the price of 12. There are split tunnels and the double VPN feature that basically allows you to use 2 VPN servers at once. VPN Unlimited, also known as KeepSolid, is a New York-based VPN provider that made the cut due to its compatibility with several platforms that offer discrete applications for multiple devices, its positive user experience, access to a dedicated IP as an upgrade, as well as a personalized subscription plan. for companies. In short, the best VPN makes the Internet a freer place and allows you to do whatever you want, when you want to do it.
You'll also want to make sure that your VPN protects your privacy and doesn't leak any of your data outside the VPN tunnel, thus exposing you to your ISP and other entities that may be monitoring your online activity. As VPNs become increasingly popular and competition between providers grows tougher every day, it can be a difficult job to decide which VPN is best for you. You can even use the VPN connection with devices that don't support native VPN apps thanks to SmartPlay technology. .
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