The Best VPN Services Available

When it comes to browsing the web, it’s often the case that sticking your browser into incognito mode isn’t enough when it comes to protecting your privacy. In fact, a lot of people prefer to use a little extra security in their browsing sessions, and when it comes to making sure that your internet history is fully secured, then there is no better option than a VPN.

If you already know, then you can go ahead and skip this section and jump straight to out recommendations. If you don’t know why a VPN could be useful, then you should probably read on.

If you are wondering what exactly a VPN does, the simple answer is that it masks your IP address, making your activity invisible to both your ISP and the different web pages and services you might use. Why could this be useful?

Well, no one online or even your ISP will be able to learn your activity or even where you are browsing from. This means that you could log into your Netflix account and watch content hosted only on foreign versions of the site – or you could use a VPN to bypass content restrictions that lock you out of viewing region-locked content.

There are other benefits to using a VPN. If you have a VPN turned on, then your ISP won’t be able to detect what it is you are downloading, if you choose to download. Get what I’m getting at here? You can download whatever you want without anyone knowing. It could be useful if you want to enjoy a lot of content or applications without anyone knowing where or how you got that content from. VPNs are good for that.

Good question. Each service offers something a little different for its users, so have a read through and decide which is best for you, but bear this in mind: In order to get the best service from your VPN, you might have to pay in order to use it. There are free alternatives available, but if you read into it a little you will learn that even the best free VPNs will be making money off of your data somehow – investing in a VPN service will ensure a much better product, and a much easier time living with it on your PC.

Ever been on YouTube? Chances are that you have heard of Nord VPN if you have – they sponsor a lot of content creators, and that’s not a bad thing. I’ll talk about why in a moment, but first, let’s talk about all the different features you can expect from Nord VPN.

First and foremost, it’s a reliable service. You can count on it to mask your IP address securely without any interruptions in your regular internet speed, and you know that it will always be dependable. Nord also makes it plainly obvious that your data is never up for sale – a big advantage when it comes to paying for your VPN, rather than relying on a free alternative.

You get 59 countries to choose from when it comes to picking the location of your VPN, and you even get to take the Nord VPN protection onto your other devices thanks to its mobile encryption – you can protect up to 6 different devices with Nord VPN, which isn’t bad at all for a service of this level.

It’s a pretty comprehensive service, one that seems to have anticipated all of the different needs from someone considering using a VPN, and has accounted for them as part of its paid package.

If you are looking to splash some cash on a proper VPN service, then Nord is a great option – and going back to what I mentioned in the first paragraph, they have a tonne of sponsors, whose discount codes often give several months of free VPN coverage alongside all the regular service.

All in all, a great, reliable VPN service that we recommend if you are looking for a well-priced VPN option.

Realistically, there is a very good chance you are reading this list because you are looking for a well-priced, easy to use VPN as a person who has never used one before. And if you are that person, then I would recommend Tunnel Bear.

Tunnel Bear is really simple to use and comes with a friendly UI that operates on your desktop that even a child could use its so easy. It even comes with animations of said bear tunneling to whatever country you choose to mask your IP from. Fun stuff.

Speaking of different countries, Tunnel Bear offers 23 countries for you to change your ISP to, not bad from a service that only costs from $3.33 per month. Sure, there aren’t as many different features in play here as there are with Nord VPN – but that’s not a big issue, as Tunnel Bear offers different servers in all the different countries you would want servers to be based in order to beat region-locked content walls.

Tunnel Bear can also protect up to five of your devices, and won’t slow down your internet speed unless you decide on browsing from a country that is set very far away. Otherwise, if you don’t care about accessing specific countries, then you can set Tunnel Bear to find the fastest server for you – like I said, super simple.

If you are looking for credibility, then you should also know that Tunnel Bear operates a policy of never sharing their users’ data with anyone and that as a company they also release a yearly security audit and have stellar user reviews.

Plus, it’s filled with bear puns. It’s not a technical point, but it counts in my book.

If Tunnelbear is geared towards those who are first getting into VPN services, or who want something a little simpler to get to grips with on a day to day basis, then Surfshark is for those who are really concerned about their privacy settings on the internet.

For example, Surshark comes with a killswitch built into its software that you can enable and disable, so that if your connection to the VPN server times out, you stop browsing and your data remains secure – good stuff if you want to eliminate even accidental unprotected browsing.

It also comes with a whitelisting option, so that you can allow apps like banking and skype to get through the VPN for uninterrupted use – which is pretty handy if you are familiar with how a VPN can affect these type of apps.

But, there are going to be those who are looking for a comprehensive VPN that can hide any and all activity once you are connected to the internet – and Surfshark is capable of just that. Not only are its plugins for Chrome and Firefox pretty good, but the actual program can run on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and other software as well, meaning that it can protect any of your devices – fiddle with your DNS settings enough and you can even encrypt your game consoles.

All of this is good too because Surfshark will protect an unlimited number of devices for you, meaning that if you have the commitment then literally any device you have that can connect to the internet – good stuff if that’s the kind of thing you are concerned about.

In terms of stacking up against some of the others in this list, you should be aware that Surfsharks pricing can come in a bit higher than say Tunnel Bear or Nord’s cost, but in return, you are getting a higher number of security features.

You can also expect some additional features in Surfshark that you might not find in other VPN services – like their ‘open internet’ feature that allows for unrestricted internet browsing even in areas that control their internet usage. If you lived in China for example, or are planning on taking a trip there in the future and are concerned about your data? Surfshark will let you continue to use the internet as you once did, whilst protecting your identity and usage completely as you do so. A great service for those who need it.

Basically, if you are needing a VPN that offers a great deal in terms of amendable and customizable security options, then Surfshark could well be the way to go.

As far as VPNs go, a big concern is the speed of the internet once the VPN is in use. Since your internet traffic is being relayed off of an entirely separate server, it could theoretically take a little longer to do the things you might usually get up to online. Not so with Express VPN.

Express VPN has always proven to us that it is capable of providing a steady and reliable VPNM service, whilst offering speeds that might not often be associated with a VPN of this nature. 94 countries with 160 locations contained within are offered out to users – but the real draw here is that Express VPN has been delivering high spend and quality VPN browsing experiences and downloads for years – and have proven themselves to be a reliable service thanks to it.

Whilst Express VPN falls short of the security features found in Surfshark for example (it only offers up to five simultaneous connections at any time), it does have a more competitive pricing structure – and like all of the other VPN services on this list, it does come with a trial period and various annual subscriptions that offer money off the service as a whole, making it quite good value for money.

In terms of features, you can expect the favorite kill switch feature to be present to protect your data if you ever lose connection whilst you are away from your device and in the middle of a download, with support included even for devices like smart TVs and game consoles that come along with comprehensive user guides to help you set these different VPNs up on whichever device you need them on.

There is one security feature that some of the other VPNs in this list don’t offer though, and that’s via the payment system. Basically, you can pay for your Express VPN subscription via Bitcoin, meaning that realistically you never have to compromise your personal data to the actual VPN company itself, making your data entirely secure and anonymous even from a billing standpoint, if that is the kind of thing you are concerned about.

Basically, Express VPN is the one to go for if you want a great VPN that offers fast speeds and reliable usability before everything else.

There you have it – the best VPN services on the market today, that you can download and start using right now. These are only a few options though, there are other VPN services available out there, and if we have missed a certain VPN that you think should make the list, then please feel free to add it into the comments below.

Otherwise, we can boil it down to this: IF you are a beginner, looking for an entry-level VPN to use, check out Tunnel Bear. If you want the most secure VPN, then get Surfshark, for the fastest VPN try Express VPN, and for a great, all-rounder be sure to test Nord VPN.

Remember, most of these services will come with a trial option – so be sure to put each of these services through their paces, and find the VPN that best suits your requirements, rather than taking our word for it entirely, or putting up with a service that doesn’t entirely fit your browsing habits.