What Really Matters When Choosing The Best VPN

A VPN encrypts your data, making it impossible for anyone to see what you’re up to online. That includes hackers, your internet service provider (ISP) and even your government. It’s also a great way to get around local censorship by giving you access to sites blocked in your region, from YouTube and TikTok in China to Western news and social media in Russia and Iran.

While there’s a ton of VPN options out there, choosing the best one starts with understanding your needs and intended use case. For instance, will you mostly stream content or just want to stay safe online? If the latter, you’ll need a fast VPN that doesn’t keep any logs about your activity.

Another important factor is the network’s size and variety of server locations. Ideally, you’ll find a VPN with an extensive global reach that offers servers in all the major regions of the world.

Lastly, look for a VPN that’s easy to set up and use on all your devices. A VPN should have an intuitive app and browser extension that work together to make getting started quick. It’s also a good idea to pick a VPN with a generous money-back guarantee in case you’re not satisfied with its performance or features.

With all those factors in mind, our experts have rounded up the best VPNs on the market right now. The top four are listed below, along with their price points and feature sets.

NordVPN has a lot going for it: It’s the fastest premium VPN, it has a huge range of servers in all our key countries and it comes with a few other handy extras like malware protection and Meshnet networking. The subscription prices aren’t cheap, but the 30-day money-back guarantee and various discounts on longer terms make it competitive.

ExpressVPN previously topped our list but its high price point, limited toolkit and recent DNS leak mean it’s been dethroned. The service still offers an excellent experience, though, with a clear design and the ability to connect up to 10 devices at once. Its apps are also available on a ton of platforms, including iOS and Android.

Windscribe Pro offers a solid free 机场 vpn with 10GB of data per month that’s great for casual users, but it’s outclassed by the better paid options on our list. It does, however, offer a low monthly subscription with unlimited data and access to all its main features, including the ability to use it on up to five devices simultaneously.

The best budget VPN is Private Internet Access. It’s not as polished as the more expensive rivals on our list but it does offer an impressive 35,000 servers across 91 countries. It also has a commitment to fighting censorship around the globe, including sponsoring Deutsche Welle, which allows free users in countries like Russia and China to get unbiased news instead of state-controlled propaganda. Plus, it’s open source and boasts a generous ten device limit that’s higher than that of competitors like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.