Best VPN services for 2021

Even though VyprVPN is one of the best VPNs of the year, its price doesn’t reflect this high position.

At the moment, it starts at $1.66 a month (if you purchase a 36-month subscription) and covers 30 devices (limited offer). All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Sadly, VyprVPN doesn’t offer anonymous payment options.

Visit VyprVPN to read more about the features

6. CyberGhost VPN – Truly global coverage

CyberGhost is a great VPN with 6,800+ servers in 89 countries and no monthly data limits.

Its main strengths lie in its breakneck speeds, huge server list, and the ability to unblock almost any geo-restricted content.

Security and privacy

Like many other top VPN services, CyberGhost VPN implements military-grade encryption to encrypt your internet traffic. In addition, it has an always-on kill switch and no leaks.

This provider doesn’t keep any logs (including traffic, timestamps, and IP addresses). However, its owner is a UK company Kape Technologies which has a spotty reputation.

Speed

Thanks to its vast server network and the WireGuard protocol, CyberGhost offers some of the industry’s best speeds. It’s probably not the fastest one, but if you have a decent connection, the drop-off shouldn’t be a problem.

Features

CyberGhost VPN has the majority of the features any experienced VPN user needs. It supports torrenting and split tunneling (Windows and Android), offers dedicated IP addresses, and has a free SOCKS5 proxy.

Those who want extra protection will be happy with the Tor over VPN feature. We recommend it to anyone living in a place where internet freedom is restricted.

Streaming

CyberGhost VPN is one of the best when it comes to streaming. It has a long list of optimized servers dedicated for Netflix and other content platforms.

This service unblocks multiple Netflix libraries, including the US. Furthermore, it gives you Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and many more.

Platforms

CyberGhost VPN is extremely versatile when it comes to applications for different platforms. It offers desktop apps for Windows, Linux, and Mac, as well as mobile applications for iOS and Android. There are dedicated Amazon Fire TV & Fire Stick and Android TV clients too.

Aside from that, you can download free browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, or set up CyberGhost on a number of routers and NAS.

Last but not least comes the SmartDNS feature. It will allow you to unblock your favorite movies and shows on gaming consoles and different smart TVs.

Customer support

Like many other best VPN services of the year, CyberGhost VPN offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, which is available in English, French, and German. Alternatively, you can submit a request form.

You can also browse through the numerous troubleshooting guides on the official website of CyberGhost VPN. There are whole sections dedicated to different operating systems like Windows, Linux, Android, Mac, and others.

Price

There are four plans in total, ranging from one month ($12.99) up to three years ($2.25/month). At the moment, the last plan comes with 3 months extra.

Additionally, you can buy a dedicated IP for $5/month. The available locations are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany.

CyberGhost VPN offers a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee, which should be enough for you to make up your mind. There’s also a 24-hour free trial for desktop users.

Payment options include credit cards, PayPal, AmazonPay, and Bitcoin.

Visit CyberGhost to read more about the features

7. PrivateVPN – superb VPN for streaming

Not that long ago, PrivateVPN received a complete UI overhaul. Now, it has a fresh look and is more than capable of competing with most best VPN services.

Security and privacy

PrivateVPN isn't located in a very privacy-friendly jurisdiction. The company's headquarters are in Sweden, which is Fourteen Eyes country. On the upside, the service has a strict no-logs policy, meaning that your data should remain safe despite these concerns.

You can customize how your data will be encrypted with 128 or 256-bit versions of CBC or GCM modes. So, if you're very cautious, you can get stronger security.

Speed

Even though PrivateVPN primarily relies on OpenVPN tunneling protocol, the speeds are decent. They are on the same level as what you could expect from other providers.

Keep in mind that encryption level can affect your speeds, so adjust your settings accordingly.

Features

Features is the area in which PrivateVPN has a few aces up its sleeve. Namely, HTTP, SOCKS5 proxies, and port forwarding. These are not something that you could find on any given VPN service, so it helps PrivateVPN distinguish itself from the competition.

Streaming

Out of all VPNs we've tested, PrivateVPN is one of the best options for streaming. It unblocked every media streaming website that we threw at it. This list even includes Netflix and DAZN.

Most VPN service providers struggle with the latter, while with PrivateVPN, you can breeze through them without any problems.

Platforms

Unless you're using Linux, you shouldn't worry that PrivateVPN won't support your device. The apps are available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, so you'll be able to install them on every device that you use daily.

The service supports up to six simultaneous connections. This should be enough even for larger families.

Customer support

With PrivateVPN, you can find help in several ways. For starters, there's their knowledge base which should answer most basic questions that you might have.

If you still can't find a solution, you can reach out to their customer support agents via live chat or email. Most of the time, the replies are pretty quick, so you can expect your issue to be solved just as fast.

Price

On top of all the other benefits, PrivateVPN is very affordable. The longest plan can be bought for as low as 2.50/month. That's a fraction of what the other service providers are charging.

Plus, you can also try their service for free for 7 days. It doesn't even require any payment information, and if you end up opting for a full subscription, all plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

You can test the premium PrivateVPN version freely for one day.

Visit PrivateVPN to read more about the features

8. ProtonVPN – Best freemium VPN

ProtonVPN is open-source, keeps no logs, has a good free version, and offers a lot of useful features for beginners and advanced users alike.

Security and privacy

ProtonVPN uses the bank-grade AES-256 encryption, which would potentially take millions of years to crack. In other words, it’s impossible for anyone to steal the data you send online when using ProtonVPN. On top of that, this service has no DNS or IP leaks whatsoever.

Privacy-wise, this provider looks great. Located in Switzerland, it has no connection to the Fourteen Eyes alliance members. Moreover, it keeps no activity logs and has its open-source apps audited.

Speed

All VPNs have an effect on internet speed, and ProtonVPN is no exception. However, the fact that this service doesn’t have WireGuard automatically puts it on the second-tier list. There, ProtonVPN manages to fare pretty well.

Features

ProtonVPN is quite a feature-rich service. It automatically blocks trackers and dangerous websites (NetShield), and offers its own version of multi-hop, named SecureCore. Tor over VPN is also available, but once again, to Visionary and Plus subscribers only.

There are lots of customization options for split tunneling, letting you exclude/include apps or even websites.

Streaming

To be fair, ProtonVPN is not the best option for Netflix and streaming in general. While it has specialized servers that can unblock your movies and TV shows, we can’t guarantee they will work all the time.

And now comes the sad part – streaming servers are available to Plus and Visionary users only.

Platforms

You can use ProtonVPN on many platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices. Even though each app is slightly different (lacking a feature or two, or using only one tunnel protocol), the most important features are the same.

There are also apps for Android TV and Chromebook users plus some tutorials on configuring ProtonVPN on routers.

The number of simultaneous connections depends on your pricing plan. Free users get one while Visionary subscribers enjoy ten devices per account.

Customer support

Like many other services on this list of the best VPN software, ProtonVPN has a huge knowledge center with lots of guides that help you deal with various issues yourself.

However, if you want the help of a real human being, you’ll have to create a support ticket – there’s no live chat available.

Free users usually get a reply within a few hours, while paid users get their problems solved a bit quicker. We think that this is fair.

Price

The free version of ProtonVPN allows for one VPN connection and provides you with servers in only three countries. On the bright side, you can use it indefinitely as it has no data caps.

Then, there are three paid versions, which cost $4, $8, and $24 a month if you choose the annual plan. The difference in price comes from the number of features and allowed connections.

Payment options include credit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, and gift cards. All subscribers are eligible for a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Visit ProtonVPN to read more about the features

9. Mullvad VPN - Most privacy-friendly VPN

Mullvad is the VPN choice for anyone who has a strong security, privacy, and anonymity focus. This little Swedish VPN has a completely anonymous sign-up process and zero third-party trackers on their website.

We especially like that Mullvad is open-source, doesn’t keep any logs, and places a high-degree of importance on business ethics.

Security and privacy

Mullvad takes your security and privacy very seriously. Aside from a completely anonymous account, Mullvad VPN implements AES-256 encryption to hide your data that goes through their servers. Needless to say, Mullvad also has the usual protections, namely, a kill switch and leak protection.

Mullvad lets you choose between two tunneling protocols: WireGuard and OpenVPN. While OpenVPN is the industry standard in terms of security, WireGuard lets you enjoy higher speeds while browsing the web or downloading content.

Speed

From our experience testing VPN services, we can say that Mullvad is one of the fastest VPNs in 2021 - especially if you use the WireGuard protocol.

Depending on the server you choose, you will experience only a minimal decline in download and upload speed. However, there’s one caveat - Mullvad doesn’t cover a huge number of countries, which means your speeds may suffer due to your location.

Features

Advanced users will really appreciate Mullvad because it’s rich in features that can be difficult to find otherwise.

For example, Mullvad VPN supports torrenting, offers port forwarding, the Bridge Mode feature to merge two or more networks, and split tunneling. In addition, it has a SOCKS5 proxy and supports IPv6. You can also edit your preferences, enabling a kill switch or making Mullvad automatically connect you to a server as soon as you turn on your device.

Streaming

This is the section that prevents Mullvad from taking a higher spot on the list of the best VPN software. It seems unblocking geo-restricted content is simply not Mullvad’s objective. For example, it struggles to unblock Netflix and BBC iPlayer, which is a bit disappointing.

On the other hand, Mullvad VPN lets you watch geo-restricted content on Youtube.

Platforms

As of now, Mullvad VPN supports Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and macOS.

The user interface of the program is almost identical no matter which version you use. However, the number of features can differ. For example, the Android app is in its beta version and lacks features like the kill switch, and doesn’t support IPv6.

Customer support

If you are an advanced VPN user, you will like all the extensive guides that Mullvad features on their website.

However, when you come across a problem you can’t fix yourself, you can use Mullvad’s customer support - just write them an email or contact them via Twitter or Facebook.

Price

Unfortunately, there’s no free version of Mullvad VPN, so you’ll have to buy a subscription to try out this service yourself.

Mullvad costs $6/month no matter the subscription length. Even though this might sound like a disadvantage, we like that Mullvad doesn’t try to tie you down with a prolonged subscription plan.

Visit Mullvad to read more about the features

10. IPVanish – Excellent and affordable VPN

IPVanish is one of the most affordable VPN services. Though, this isn't the only benefit that it brings to the table.

Security and privacy

IPVanish uses 256-bit AES encryption. It's an undecipherable industry-standard cipher. Most banking and military institutions rely on it for classified documents and other sensitive data. Your account credentials are protected with SHA-512 hash functions scrambling your login and password. No hacker will be able to power through them.

Speed

For the most part, IPVanish speeds don't disappoint. If you pick a closer location, even with protocols like OpenVPN, you will be getting good speeds. Though, if you pick a country on the other side of the globe, the speeds can take a hit. Keep this in mind if you want the best possible performance for streaming.

Features

All IPVanish plans come with additional features. You can automate your connections with On Demand toggle and use split-tunneling to control which apps connect via VPN and which go through directly. If you're an avid torrenter, there's a free SOCKS5 proxy.

Streaming

While IPVanish isn't the best option for streaming. It does unblock some media streaming websites. If you'd like to watch DAZN or BBC iPlayer, it won't work. Though, if you're interested in YouTube or Netflix, IPVanish can unblock both of those pages.

You may also set up IPVanish on your Kodi player with OpenELEC or LibreELEC. That way, you can watch all kinds of shows without exposing your IP.

Platforms

The only case when IPVanish might not be for you is if you're strictly a Linux user. IPVanish doesn't support this OS. Though, if you're on Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS, you will be able to download and install their apps.

There are no browser extensions – you won't be able to set up a lightweight add-on. Instead, you'll have to use their apps or set up a manual connection.

Customer support

Just like many other VPN services, IPVanish has a knowledge center. There, you'll find a great deal of frequently asked questions, tutorials, and guides. 99% of the time, you'll find a solution there without the need to dig around for answers.

Still, if you need human support, you can contact them via email or live chat. While email reply rates aren't breakneck fast, live chat is much quicker.

Price

The first year's discount is the most appealing. The discount is so steep that their pricing looks like a steal. You can also get SugarSync cloud storage for only a couple of dollars more. Plus, all their plans offer ten simultaneous connections, making it a superb value deal.

Visit IPVanish to read more about the features

How did we test and rank these VPNs?

Ranking VPN services is no easy feat. You have to consider a lot of factors, from the number of features to compatibility with various devices.

So what should you know before buying a Virtual Private Network? There’s more than a few things to check if you want to choose the best option for you.

Below is the VPN buying guide for 2021 with 7 crucial points we considered in making this list:

1. Speed. Unless your ISP is using bandwidth throttling, your connection with a VPN will be slower because of encryption, distance to the server, and other factors. That being said, it doesn’t have to be slow. If top speed is a priority, search for a service that offers the WireGuard protocol and is often mentioned on fastest VPN lists.
2. Server list. Check if the VPN has enough servers around your location. Some concentrate their resources in North America and Europe, but others have solid presence in Asia as well. Also, make sure there are servers in the countries from which you’re planning to connect to. Finally, look for a VPN that has only physical servers with RAM-only storage.
3. VPN jurisdiction. You have to be a really bad girl or a bad boy to get noticed by the intelligence agencies. Nevertheless, it’s still better when your VPN is in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, such as Switzerland and not in one of the Fourteen Eyes countries (US, UK, Australia, etc.) or, in the worst case, a country like China.
4. Streaming and torrenting. Some VPNs are unable to unblock Netflix and other streaming platforms, while others prohibit P2P traffic. If that’s what you need, make sure you’ll be able to do both.
5. Apps and supported devices. Most VPNs support the major OS types, but if you’re a fan of Linux, the list narrows down. Furthermore, you would want to protect all of your devices, so make sure your provider supports your router, game console, and smart TV. Finally, check if the number of simultaneous connections will be enough for you.
6. Customer support. Don’t settle for a VPN that doesn’t offer 24/7 live chat. It’s an industry standard, not some premium feature.
7. Bang-for-the-buck. Finally, make sure you’re not overpaying. There are many VPNs with similar features and contrasting prices. Also, don’t forget to exercise your money-back guarantee – most providers give one month to test things out.

Best VPN services compared

	NordVPN	Surfshark	ExpressVPN	PIA	Mullvad VPN	VyprVPN	PrivateVPN	CyberGhost	ProtonVPN	IPVanish
Brand
Rating	4.9	4.7	4.6	4.5	4.3	4.3	4.2	4.2	4.1	4.1
Free version	Yes	Yes	No	Yes (Android, iOS)	Yes	Yes (Android-only)	No	No	Yes (Android and iOS)	No
Price (lowest price per month)	$3.30	$2.49	$6.67	$2.69	€5	$1.67	$2.50	$2.25	$8	$2.62
Streaming	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, Dysney+	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, Dysney+	Netflix, DAZN, BBC iPlayer, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, Dysney+	Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, Dysney+	Youtube	Netflix, DAZN, Youtube, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Youtube	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, Dysney+	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Youtube, HBO Now	Netflix, YouTube
Logging	No logs, independently audited	No logs, not audited	No logs, independently audited	Some personal information logging, not audited	No logs, audited	No logs, audited	No logs, not audited	No logs, not audited	No logs, not audited	No logs, not audited
Servers	5,400+ servers in 59 countries	3,200+ Servers in 65 countries	3,000+ servers in 94 countries	35,400+ servers in 78 countries	770+ servers in 37 countries	700+ servers in 70+ countries	200+ servers in 63 countries	7,000+ servers in 91 countries	1,200+ servers in 55 countries	1,600+ servers in 52 countries
Simultaneous connections	6	Unlimited	5	10	5	5	6	1-7	5	10
Country	Panama	British Virgin Islands	British Virgin Islands	US (part of 5 Eyes)	Sweden (Part of 14 Eyes)	Switzerland	Sweden (Part of 14 Eyes)	Romania	Switzerland	US (part of 5 Eyes)
Review	NordVPN review	Surfshark VPN review	ExpressVPN review	PIA review	Mullvad VPN review	VyprVPN review	PrivateVPN review	CyberGhost VPN review	ProtonVPN review	IPVanish review

Video review: Best VPNs of 2021

What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that secures your connection over the internet. It does so by encrypting your traffic and hiding your Internet Protocol (IP) address from third parties, such as your government or your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

As a user, your interaction with a VPN isn't going to be difficult. Every step of the connection process is automated and is controlled via an app. Once you install it on your device, the service creates an encrypted "tunnel," which it uses to exchange with a VPN server. It acts as an intermediary in your connection displaying an IP address assigned by your service provider.

Companies use VPNs to secure remote access of company data, but lots of individuals also need this type of service. I’m talking about journalists who work with sensitive information and want to remain anonymous, or those who live under authoritarian regimes and want to unblock access to various internet resources.

Some people are using VPN to protect their privacy or to access geographically restricted sites. This can happen due to censorship or because the website is available only to a limited number of visitors from a particular country.

How does a VPN work?

Generally, when you're connecting to some website, your device sends a query to your ISPs DNS server asking for its IP address. Then, your ISP routes your request to the website's server. When your device crunches the data, it displays a website with videos and pictures once it fully loads. This is fast, but it leaves a lot of traces of what you were doing online. So, over time ISPs can harness quite a lot of information about their users.

When you subscribe to a VPN service, you're entering an agreement to borrow their infrastructure. Such services own a large volume of servers, so your connection is no longer routed via your ISP when you connect to them. The VPN uses a tunneling protocol to connect to your selected remote server. However, this time you're not connecting directly.

The end website receives a different IP address than your own, and your ISP can only tell that you're using a VPN, but it doesn't know what you're doing. That way, your privacy becomes protected by a veil of shadow.

Do I need a VPN?

Like antiviruses, VPNs are a cybersecurity tool aimed to provide better protection against various cyberthreats. Your digital footprints are scattered all around the web, so picking the breadcrumbs can be a way to get a pretty good idea of who you are.

Marketers and cybercriminals can even go as far as to use this data against you, so a VPN tool helps a lot. With it, not only can you disappear off the grid, but you have other uses like unblocking geographically-restricted websites or safely torrenting.

Benefits of using a VPN

Those new to this field may ask: "What can you do with a VPN?" It turns out, there are quite a few ways these tools can help you on a daily basis. Here's what you can do with a VPN:

• Protect your data. All reputable VPNs use military-grade encryption, which means that the information you’re sending over the Internet becomes inaccessible to decipher to third parties. For example, people living in restrictive countries use it to protect their identities. As such, VPN for China is a must.
• Hide your online activities from your ISP. A VPN hides your browsing activity from your Internet Service Provider. A VPN can even help you if you’re using Comcast Xfinity, one of the least privacy respectful providers in the US.
• Protect your identity. If you absolutely need to disappear off the grid when you’re surfing the web, use a VPN for anonymity. They will effectively remove any ties between your browsing habits and your real identity.
• Secure your wifi connection. Hotels and airports offer free but often unsecured wifi. Therefore, hackers might be snooping on your traffic. Luckily, thanks to the VPN's encryption, that is no longer a problem. It's an especially good pairing with Android or iOS phones.
• Beating geo-blocking. I bet you've seen a message "This content is unavailable in your country" at least once. Due to geo-blocking, you may not see the same Netflix shows that are available in the US or another country. However, the best VPN services can unblock Netflix, Hulu and support other popular streaming platforms and devices, such as Amazon Firestick and HBO, no matter where you are.
• Have better connections for gaming. Some ISPs are notorious for throttling gaming traffic. You can solve this by using a VPN with your PlayStation, Xbox, or Nvidia Shield.
• Safe torrenting. P2P is legal in most countries, but that doesn’t mean downloading copyrighted content is. Using a VPN for torrenting will protect your identity and your location from both the ISP and the government.

These are only a few ways of using a Virtual Private Network. Others may include avoiding bandwidth throttling, defending against malware, or finding the lowest prices when doing online shopping.

What are the limitations of a VPN?

Although VPN is a good tool to make your connection safer, this doesn't protect you from all possible dangers. Your connection will indeed be much safer with them, but if you enter your personal information on some sketchy website, your data will still end up in someone's hands.

You can still download malware when using a VPN, as they aren't intended to check your files. So, it still matters to exercise proper cyber-hygiene when visiting websites, even when using a VPN.

Be mindful of your browser if you're using an outdated app that has Javascript vulnerabilities. This could also be used to inject malicious code into your system, which is also a cause for concern. Keeping your daily applications and installing important security updates is paramount.

How do I get a VPN?

If you prefer a DIY approach, you can rent a server somewhere far away and then self-host a VPN for yourself. You'd need a could-hosting provider and some technical know-how. For everyone else, there are VPN service providers.

These are businesses that are lending their server fleet for a monthly fee. When you pay them, they give access to their global networks. Once you're their subscriber, you can just head to their website, download, and install their client. Once you log in, you get the list of all available countries where you're able to connect.

You can minimize the VPN to the background so it doesn't interfere with your browsing. However, if you head online to check your IP address, it would display a different one if you actually were teleported to a foreign country.

Can VPN services be trusted?

All VPN providers claim to have no-logs policies, but this isn't often the truth. There are many reports of a no-logs VPN service, which leaked private its users' information after a major data breach. So, even if you're not paranoid, it may be a bit hard to trust such claims.

However, there are ways to filter out untrustworthy VPN services. Here's what you should look for:

• Independent audits. If a service had its no-logs policy audited, it's a good chance that a VPN is trustworthy. Agencies like PwC are multi-million dollar industries that are outside the scope of bribery. So, if they're saying that a VPN adheres to privacy policy claims, you should probably take note.
• Court cases. There's no better method to prove its privacy-policy claims than their response to the law requests. If a VPN service collaborates with law enforcement and shows up in court with a list of logs, don't think that it would be different in your case.
• Ownership. You should always take into account the owners of a VPN service. Chances are they manage several other products and look into how they are managed. Were there any data breaches or privacy scandals? This may also help to form a perspective on how your data will be treated.

Free vs. Paid VPNs: which is the best for you?

In general, paid VPNs are better than the free ones. The latter have to rely on ads and selling your data (which is not always anonymized), unless they are offered by a premium VPN provider. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a good free VPN – it’s just that they will have one or more limitations that often are a deal-breaker.

The most common free VPN limitations are as follows:

• Speed. Most free services are slower than paid ones. While you might be able to stream in full HD using some VPNs, expect a serious drop-off in speeds.
• Servers. Free VPNs usually offer only a few servers in the US, the Netherlands, and some other countries. Also, those servers tend to be overloaded and have high latency, which is bad for gaming and VoIP calls.
• Data limit. Freemium VPN services will often give you a certain amount of GBs per month or MBs per day. Therefore, downloading large files or streaming high quality videos will soon leave you blocked until next month.
• Number of devices. Expect to get only one connection per account. This means that you won’t be able to use a free VPN on both your computer and your smartphone.
• Geo-blocking and P2P. You won’t be able to use Netflix and other streaming platforms with most VPNs. What’s more, some of them also prohibit torrenting, especially if they don’t have a data limit.

If you choose a solid paid VPN, you won’t have to deal with the issues listed above. You won’t see any ads either and your data won’t be sold to third-parties. Also, you can expect priority customer support which will solve most of the problems right away.

Are free VPNs safe?

Whether a free VPN is safe will entirely depend on the context. Even on the Google Play store, you can find many of them, though the most popular option isn't always the safest one. Free VPNs are a notoriously muddy segment.

Always be suspicious of free VPN that serve you ads, as they're most likely contenders that are collecting your data. This completely invalidates the purpose of a VPN in the first place, so you should not install them on your devices.

A much better option is using reputable VPN providers. Some of them have free versions of their premium products. It often acts as a bait for you to buy their service later, but there are ones that have no caps and can be used for free forever.

Don't forget that most premium VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you refund it before your trial ends, you essentially get a free service.

What's the fastest VPN?

When we're talking about the VPN speeds, we're actually factoring in several different things.

• The distance from your location to a VPN server to your device
• The used tunneling protocol
• The VPN server's load
• Your baseline Internet speed

Even time of the day could also be an important factor. All of this makes the evaluation for the fastest VPN that much more challenging.

We usually calculate the drop-off speeds in our reviews and comparisons compared to the baseline speed test results. So, the faster VPN is the one that reduces your baseline speed less. Among such services are NordVPN, Surfshark, Hotspot Shield, and ExpressVPN.

Can you be tracked if you use VPN?

In theory, you can be tracked even if you use a VPN. However, only governments hold such power and they likely won’t spend the necessary resources to get you.

But doing that won’t be easy if you use an anonymous payment and a throwaway email to create your account. The tracking also becomes much harder if you use Tor over VPN and your chosen provider doesn’t keep any logs.