Best VPNs according to Reddit in 2022

There’s this saying from the folklore archives of the internet - if you want an honest opinion about something, go to Reddit.

Okay, maybe I lied, there is no such saying. But the sentiment is real. Reddit users are known for their brutally honest opinions on stuff, and VPNs are not an exception.

Even though some companies will try to look good on Reddit by posting comments themselves, they’re pretty easy to recognize. Real users’ voices always drown out the fake ones: and people posting about nothing except one favorite VPN are easily found out.

With this in mind, and to help you navigate in the vast and boundless realm of Reddit, I scoured the endless threads for hours. What came of it is this list of the best VPNs according to Reddit in 2022. Give it a look.

Best VPNs Reddit users recommend in September 2022:

Here’s a short summary of the top VPNs Reddit users recommend in 2022. If you wish for more details on what redditors think about a specific provider, keep on reading!

1. NordVPN - the best VPN by Reddit in 2022 overall
2. Surfshark - the best price and quality ratio according to Reddit
3. PrivateVPN - fast and reliable VPN for browsing and more by Reddit
4. TorGuard - Reddit’s simple VPN for everyday use
5. Windscribe - a trustworthy VPN for streaming with a free version
6. Mullvad - the most anonymous and generally favorable VPN by Reddit

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Key factors Reddit users rely on when offering the best VPN

There are a couple things that Reddit users seem to be concerned about when looking for the perfect VPN. This also applies to simply evaluating personal experience with one or the other provider. Take a look at what is the most important for Reddit users when picking a VPN:

• Price - everyone wants a good provider for the lowest price possible, and the best money to quality ratio.
• Logging - Reddit users care about their privacy the most and take the no-logging policies very seriously. A single scandal related to leaked logs might put the service on the hate list for good.
• Unblocking abilities - kudos to a VPN that is able to bypass the most recent counter measures that streaming platforms seem to employ against VPN usage.
• Speed - VPN connection has an effect on the internet speed, and the lesser it is, the better.
• Torrenting, P2P servers - does this VPN have dedicated P2P servers? Does it throttle upload/download speed? Reddit users notice it all. After all, a VPN must be useful in many ways.
• Jurisdiction - this factor is closely tied to logging policies, and a VPN under the 14 Eyes country’s jurisdiction is a pretty big no-no.

Best VPNs by Reddit users - our detailed list for September 2022

Here's the detailed version of the best VPNs Reddit users recommend shortlist:

1. NordVPN - the best VPN according to Reddit users

Country:	Panama
Logs:	No logs
Streaming platforms:	Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more
Price	from $3.09/month

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The general consensus around NordVPN seems to be that it has its issues from time to time, but is overall widely accepted as being the best. Reddit users praise good speeds, friendly user interface, and always heavily discounted long-term subscription plans. No-logs policy also is a big plus among users that value their privacy the most.

On top of that, people seem to be glad about NordVPn’s unblocking abilities and the option to use numerous devices at once.

As for activities other than streaming (which doesn’t always go according to plan, but this is mostly due to streaming platforms employing counter measures against VPN usage), users seem to like specialised servers, such as the P2P or Obfuscated ones.

For more info, read our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark - VPN with the best price

Country:	The Netherlands
Logs:	No logs
Streaming platforms:	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, YouTube, HBO MAX, Disney+
Price:	from $2.21/month

Visit Surfshark VPN

The cheap and fast combo has earned Surfshark numerous recommendations for users either looking to buy their first VPN or migrate to a better option. Not only that, Surfshark’s infinite simultaneous connections option really has Reddit users reeling.

Another great thing about Surfshark that’s been pointed out numerous times is their unblocking abilities. Very few people complain about Netflix not working, for example. The big number of servers in various countries spanning all over the world also add to the good reputation of Surfshark in streaming contexts.

As mentioned, speed is also one of the things Surfshark is cast in a positive light on Reddit. It is constantly recommended in threads about the fastest VPN providers.

However, some of the users are concerned about Surfshark’s jurisdiction moving to the Netherlands, which is a part of the 14 Eyes agreement. Nevertheless, Surfshark’s subreddit has an official statement about relocating to the Netherlands and how it doesn’t affect their no-logs policy in any way harmful to the users’ data.

For more details, read our Surfshark review.

3. PrivateVPN - fast and reliable VPN

Country:	Sweden
Logs:	No logs
Streaming platforms:	Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, and more
Price:	from $2.00/month

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Quite liked by Reddit users, PrivateVPN is a Sweden-based VPN provider. Redditors talk about it mostly in the context of being good for torrenting. Even though there have been a few comments here and there about IP leaks, these issues were quickly fixed.

PrivateVPN also gets mentioned among the VPNs that support port forwarding pretty often. Even though its port forwarding method is a bit unconventional, Reddit users seem pretty satisfied with it, and tend to recommend it to others.

When it comes to streaming, though, there have been a few posts focused negatively on the topic. Users complain about US or Japanese Netflix not working, and some even go as far as saying “don’t use PrivateVPN for streaming under any circumstances.” However, as one user noted, every VPN has issues with Netflix from time to time, and it’s not really on them - Netflix, like many other streaming platforms, employ anti-VPN technologies, which sometimes do work.

Otherwise, Reddit VPN experts like PrivateVPN for its agreeable prices as well. All in all, it looks like a reliable VPN that Redditors suggest you consider getting:

Take a look at our PrivateVPN review for more details.

4. TorGuard - VPN for torrenting

Country:	US
Logs:	No activity logs
Streaming platforms:	Youtube
Price:	from $4.00/month

Visit TorGuard

Reddit's one of the favorites, TorGuard is based in the US, and for some this is a deal breaker. However, there are plenty of other TorGuard’s features that are in Reddit users’ favor.

For example, I saw people talking about no significant drops in speed and pretty steady downloads and uploads. Streaming also often gets mentioned as one of TorGuard’s strengths. Additionally, commenters noticed and liked the simplicity of the service itself.

However, TorGuard’s reputation for torrenting seems to be taking a hit, as several users have recently mentioned that this VPN doesn’t work with torrenting anymore, as P2P servers have been eliminated. To go with that, some users express their worry about the fact that TorGuard has never been audited.

Another thing that users don’t agree on is its kill switch, which apparently “works like a charm” for some but is completely unreliable for others:

For more information, read our TorGuard review.

5. Windscribe - free VPN for streaming

Country:	Canada
Logs:	No logs
Streaming platforms:	Netflix, DAZN, BBC iPlayer, YouTube
Price:	From $4.08/month

Visit Windscribe VPN

Another VPN with a free version, Windscribe, is generally well received among Reddit users.

It may not be as advanced as some of its contenders on this list, but fairly good upload/download speeds and unlimited connections make it functional. Talking about functionality, Windscribe even has specialised servers for streaming. With them, streams are neither buffering nor get blocked. That’s a pretty big plus if I say so myself.

Another well liked feature of Windscribe among Reddit users is that it allows torrenting on most of its servers. As for the countries where torrenting is illegal, Windscribe’s servers there are marked with a “No P2P” sign.

In terms of security, one instance had the users worried. In June 2021, Ukrainian authorities seized two of Windscribe’s unencrypted servers. No user data was found on these servers, which is a silver lining of sorts. But for the bigger majority of users, this was (and still is) a deal breaker when it comes to subscribing to Windscribe:

For more information, read our Windscribe review.

6. Mullvad - 100% anonymity guaranteed

Country:	Sweden
Logs:	No logs
Streaming platforms:	Youtube
Price:	$6.00/month

Visit Mullvad VPN

Mullvad is recommended pretty often by Reddit users. Those who value their privacy together with the company’s transparency and use VPNs for torrenting sing high praises for this Sweden-based provider.

Mullvad allows its users to stay completely anonymous. They don’t require any email address when creating an account, and payments can be made anonymously with cryptocurrencies and even cash.

This provider also owns many of its servers (though it’s not much) and therefore can be completely transparent about them. This is a highly valued feature of any VPN provider, according to Reddit users. To add more to transparency, Mullvad is an open-source provider.

Mullvad is one of the best VPNs for torrenting according Reddit because of port forwarding and its very strict no-logs policies.

As for speed, Mullvad was in fact the first VPN to implement the WireGuard protocol and has even donated to the project. Many of the providers that use this tunneling protocol today have really good speeds, and they have Mullvad to partly thank for that.

However, if you’d want to use Mullvad for streaming, maybe look for other options. This provider, unfortunately, doesn’t work with streaming platforms except for YouTube.

For more information, read our Mullvad review.

Why Reddit users' opinions are important

You may ask, why should I take some Reddit user’s opinion into account when choosing a VPN for myself? Here are some reasons to trust Reddit users more than so-called professional reviewers (yes, I realize I am one of them):

• They’re users, just like you. Regular people are not marketers, ready to gloss over something that isn’t quite right. They know what they need and what meets their expectations or underdelivers.
• Reddit users tend to be brutally honest. There is no waxing poetic about any product, and VPNs are not an exception. Most popular providers don’t make it to the top because they’re popular. A VPN has to be really deserving of the positive feedback to really get some of it.
• Sponsored comments and fake accounts are easy to spot. All it takes is one look at a profile’s activity. If their engagement history is diverse and spans over numerous topics, it’s a real person. If it’s only praising certain providers - you can be sure it’s someone from the provider’s marketing team.
• Any slip ups will not go unnoticed. If something doesn’t sit right with a provider, it will get mentioned multiple times. This applies to data logging scandals, leaks, slow speeds, and pretty much anything else.
• Reddit users don’t hand out compliments easily - you’ll see plenty of problems reflected in various threads, and not that many good things. If you see someone say something good about a provider, it either is a sponsored comment (easy to check by looking at the user's profile) or a real and rare but genuine good review.

How to not get confused by Reddit comments

Once a question is shared on Reddit, the comments start flooding and it can get pretty tough to know what to trust and what not to trust. Nevertheless, some key points help to detect a confusing comment.

First and foremost, Reddit is used widely by service providers who promote their products over anonymous accounts. Comments giving nothing but blind praise are pretty suspicious, and the ones with affiliate links or special offer codes are immediate red flags. They’re out there to sell, not to help.

The comment in this picture might’ve also been made by someone who signed up for an ExpressVPN affiliate program – and is only interested in getting as many people to use the code.

It’s important to note that a trustworthy comment will rarely talk only about the good or the bad side of the service only. Whenever you come across such a comment, we suggest keeping your mind sharp and looking for more nuanced opinions.

What's the best VPN for Netflix according to Reddit?

NordVPN is dubbed as the best VPN for watching Netflix by Reddit users.

Of course, it is ranked as the best VPN for Netflix for more than one reason. First and foremost (as it wasn’t obvious already), NordVPN is truly capable of unblocking Netflix. 21 global libraries, to be exact. The good news doesn't end there: all the videos stream in full HD quality and there's pretty much no lag to be found, anywhere.

If your selected NordVPN server has been blocked by Netflix, there is a solution. You can easily switch to another server and continue enjoying your preferred Netflix library.

Aside from Netflix, NordVPN unblocks a lot of popular streaming services, such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

Watch Netflix with NordVPN

VPNs which Reddit users don’t recommend

You’ve seen the list of Reddit recommendations for VPNs, but what about providers that are not that good or simply too controversial? Give Reddit’s opinions a read and learn about which providers you should double-think before purchasing.

AirVPN

This one gets both praised for being fast, open-source, and somewhat reliable with logging policies. However, I have seen dissatisfied users talking about their more than unpleasant and inefficient customer support:

Private Internet Access

Highly controversial due to their recent scandals about handing over user data in courts and being owned by a “known malware distributor Kape Technologies”. Despite being one of the cheapest and best equipped VPNs (especially regarding user interfaces for different operating systems), PIA have severely ruined their reputation on Reddit.

ExpressVPN

Again, it’s about the scandals. Hiring suspicious people, it seems, doesn’t sit well with Reddit users:

In fact, ExpressVPN is owned by the same company that owns Private Internet Access, which really doesn’t add credibility to it at all.

On top of that, the quality of the service has also gotten worse. It’s reported that ExpressVPN has started to randomly disconnect, leak IP addresses, and more.

Does Reddit recommend free VPNs?

Yes and no. Reddit is no exception for people who are always looking for a way to save every penny. While many people know the risks of a free VPN, they still tend not only to use them but also to recommend them.

The risks of a free VPN include identity theft, financial loss, broken devices – and let’s not forget your wasted nerves while dealing with these consequences. Fortunately, numerous Reddit users do understand how wrong it is to trust a free VPN – and how they make money.

In a crowd of Reddit users that recommend free VPNs, you can also easily find those who don’t recommend them. And we would side with the latter bunch of commenters.

After all, a premium VPN will always be the safest and the most efficient way to protect yourself online.

Best VPN subreddits to subscribe to

If you want to get honest opinions about VPN services and get some help in choosing a VPN for yourself, there are a couple subreddits I recommend subscribing to:

• r/vpnreviews - general users’ reviews about any VPNs
• r/VPNTorrents - discussions about torrenting over VPN
• r/NetflixViaVPN - find out about which VPNs work and which don’t
• r/VPN - a great place to find all kinds of information about VPNs

Final thoughts

Reddit is a great place to look for honest opinions on all kinds of products, including VPNs. Countless subreddits dedicated to discussing VPNs for specific purposes, problem solving, and more can help you choose the right provider.

As regular users, people on Reddit take such factors as price, logging policies, speeds, and unblocking abilities into account. They don’t gloss over what isn’t right and rarely put undeserving providers on a pedestal.

In short, trusting Reddit users’ opinions when choosing a VPN provider for yourself is a pretty smart choice to make.

With that in mind, it is safe to say that the best Reddit VPNs are NordVPN with Surfshark following close behind, and PrivateVPN in third place.

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