Best VPN services in February 2024 (2024)

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Other VPNs we considered

Torguard, VPN Unlimited and IVPN didn’t quite make our top 10 list. But, each of them has something unique to offer that makes them stand out. Let’s take a quick look.

Torguard

Torguard VPN has over 3,000 servers in 50 countries and plenty of features. It has an ad blocker, dedicated IP address with paid plans, a no-logs policy, and works on a variety of operating systems. If you want to protect a lot of devices, Torguard’s premium plan could be a good fit, since it supports up to 30 simultaneous connections.

When we tested Torguard VPN, we initially couldn’t connect to any of its servers. It turns out that a login glitch for iOS users won’t let you connect unless you log in using the “Signed up on the app” login option (even if you signed up on the website). This is a big issue for users and quite confusing, which is one of the main reasons we bumped Torguard out of our top 10. It was also one of the slowest VPNs we tested.

VPN Unlimited

VPN Unlimited has solid features, with over 3,000 servers, a no-logs policy and simultaneous unlimited device capability (albeit for an upcharge). The main reason we wanted to include VPN Unlimited, despite not cracking our top 10, is because it offers a lifetime VPN plan for $199 ($99 special at the time of reporting), which is not a norm in the industry. So, if you use VPN Unlimited for a month and like it, you can pay for a lifetime subscription and save significantly in the long term, making it a great option for users looking to save money

It’s worth noting that VPN Unlimited didn’t make our top 10 is because it was one of the slower-performing VPNs in our speed tests, especially for upload speeds. It also had one of the slowest ping rates among the VPNs we tested.

IVPN

IVPN is all about privacy and security. It has no-log servers, is entirely open source, and undergoes independent annual security audits. Additionally, it allows users to pay with cash, Monero, or Bitcoin, encouraging further privacy and making user tracking even harder. So, if your main goal with a VPN is to keep things as private and secure as possible, IVPN is a good choice.

There are a few downsides to IVPN that pushed it out of our top 10. For one, it has far fewer servers than most top VPN providers, with only 77 servers in 31 countries. And, of all 18 providers we looked at, its iOS and Android app user reviews are near the bottom (tied with Mozilla VPN), suggesting it might not be a great fit if you want to protect your mobile devices.

What is a VPN and how does it work?

The term VPN stands for virtual private network. Essentially, a VPN is a private network of servers connected to the internet. Many VPNs have servers located around the world. By using the VPN servers instead of public servers, users can keep their data safer and perform tasks they wouldn’t be able to otherwise, like bypassing geo-locked firewalls.

Although quite technical in its implementation, a VPN basically creates a protected tunnel for your data to pass through and uses specific protocols to authenticate and encrypt that data as it comes and goes from your devices. It also protects and shields your IP address from interested parties and prying eyes.

How does a VPN protect you online?

When you connect to the internet on any device, that device has a unique internet protocol (IP) address and sends data back and forth between itself and the sites you visit. For users without a VPN, that data and IP address are vulnerable should someone with the right tools decide they want to find your general location or harvest your data.

A VPN acts like a middleman. Instead of your vulnerable data being sent directly to the site you’re browsing, it goes to the VPN via a protected tunnel. When it gets there, the VPN hides your IP address and encrypts the data before sending it through another protected tunnel to the site. And, when information is sent back your way, it goes through the VPN, which checks for and blocks any intrusive data requests or malware before it reaches your device.

Small businesses and VPNs: Do you need one?

With more and more small businesses getting targeted by hackers, cybersecurity is one of the many critical issues facing small-business owners today. If you want to secure your business and do all you can to protect yourself from liability, using a VPN is a smart choice.

If you accept customer payments (financial data is especially enticing to hackers) or have employees who work remotely, a VPN is extra critical. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) goes as far as saying that employees should only use public Wi-Fi “when also using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt traffic between their computers and the internet.”

So, what exactly does this look like for small and medium-sized businesses? It really depends on the size and nature of your business. If you’re a single-member LLC with 10 or fewer business devices, then a standard plan with most reputable VPN providers will probably work for you. But, if you have multiple remote employees, a larger office with 10-plus devices, or a retail location where you’re routinely accepting customer payments, you may want to consider a business VPN service. If you have 50 or more devices to protect, using an enterprise-level business VPN with a dedicated representative to walk you through the process might be worth exploring.

Popular VPN uses

VPNs have a variety of uses, some of which you may not be aware of. Here are the main ones.

Browse privately and securely

VPNs use protocols to tunnel, authenticate and encrypt data, which shields your internet protocol (IP) address and protects much of your private information from prying eyes any time you access the internet on a VPN-protected device. For those who need to be able to securely work from anywhere or who want to make extra sure their business and/or personal data is safe, VPNs provide an extra layer of protection when accessing a home, business or public Wi-Fi network.

Access remote personal, work or educational networks

If there is a network access server (NAS) set up at your home, business or school and you have the appropriate VPN set up on your device, you can create a secure connection between your device and that network, no matter where you are. This has a wide variety of applications for business owners and individuals alike.

For example, VPNs allow you to work securely from anywhere, meaning your home office could be in Fiji or Fargo, North Dakota. VPNs also make it easy to share sensitive business data with partners/employees no matter where they are, ensuring you can make use of resources and talent anywhere in the world.

Stream and access geo-blocked media from other countries

Available streaming content is often based on the location detected by streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus. So, if you’re not in a specific country, you can’t access that region’s geo-specific content. With a VPN, you can connect to a server in that country, bypassing geo-blocked firewalls, and watch content you otherwise couldn’t access.

Save money booking hotels online

Many VPN providers allege you can save money on flights, hotels, rental cars and other travel bookings by using a VPN. After our own research, we didn’t find any evidence substantiating claims about flights being cheaper based on server location. We ran a quick test with US and UK server locations and didn’t see any difference in pricing that couldn’t be accounted for by currency exchange rates when searching for the exact same flights from Chicago’s O’Hare to London’s Heathrow airports.

However, this wasn’t the case at all with hotels. We checked hotel prices in London and found that when we were using a VPN server based in the US, advertised base rates were over 15% cheaper on average for the exact same hotel. So, if you’re thinking about traveling (whether for business or pleasure), consider clearing your internet cache and checking rates for common travel bookings using VPN servers based in different countries.

Gaming and gaming network applications

Many don’t think of gaming as a small business, but with the rise of professional gamers and gameplay streaming, more individuals are finding a professional path in the $250 billion gaming industry. If you’re a professional esports player, VPNs add an extra level of security and protection, making it much harder for outside forces to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and other cyberattacks while competing. For professional streamers, VPNs can help protect against bad actors who want to troll, dox or stalk you (via IP address/private data harvesting).

How to choose a VPN

A lot goes into choosing a VPN. The first step is to figure out what you want to accomplish with your VPN. Are you looking to set up a secure and remotely accessible network for your business? Or is it just for home/personal use, like streaming? Once you have that figured out, you’re ready to look at VPN providers and features. Here’s what you should consider.

VPN security and encryption

VPN security and encryption is accomplished using VPN protocols — the rules a VPN uses to move data back and forth between your device and the VPN servers. We discuss the six main VPN protocols in detail below, but in general, look for VPNs that use (or are built around) OpenVPN, WireGuard or IKEv2/IPSec protocols, as those are the best at balancing security and speed.

Server network and locations

VPN providers often hype their server count. And, it’s true that having enough servers in critical locations does increase the speed and reliability of your VPN connection. But, all servers are not created equal. “Server” could mean a dedicated server with a large 20GPS bandwidth or a virtual server that is limited and shared between multiple providers. The better metric is to make sure that a VPN service has adequate and secure servers/locations for your use case. Here are some examples:

• Security and privacy: If increased security and privacy is your main goal, then there is no reason to get fancy with your servers. Look for a reliable VPN with servers located close to your physical location (but not in your actual city, for privacy reasons).
• Streaming geo-locked media content: Picking servers for geo-locked content is pretty simple. Find a VPN provider with servers located in the countries where you want streaming access and make sure they have a good record of unblocking the streaming service providers you want to use.
• Gaming and gameplay streaming: One of the biggest factors when gaming is your ping rate. The longer the ping, the more laggy your gameplay. Focus on finding a VPN provider with dedicated and high-bandwidth servers as close to you as possible to reduce ping. And make sure P2P connections are allowed.

Speed and performance

The speed and performance of a VPN is dependent on a variety of factors, including the hardware quality of the server, the type of protocol that is used, how close the server is to your location and whether the VPN servers are routinely maintained and updated. Level of security also affects speed and performance. In other words, if you want additional layers of security (like those provided by a double VPN where your data is encrypted twice), you will sacrifice some speed and performance.

Many VPN providers will allow you to switch between different VPN protocols depending on whether you want maximum speed, maximum security or a balance of both, so keep an eye out for that.

Logging policy

Logging is when a VPN provider stores your information instead of deleting it, which can include sites you’ve visited, keystrokes, IP information and even payment information. Free VPNs, for example, have a reputation for tracking and selling your data to make money (since they aren’t making anything off of subscriptions).

We recommend using a VPN with a clear and transparent no-logs policy. Bonus points if the VPN uses RAM-only servers, which make it much harder for data to be hacked and ensure all data is wiped every time the servers are reset.

Device compatibility

Most VPN providers are compatible with a variety of devices. But, it’s important to double-check that whatever VPN you’re considering works with the devices you need it to. This is especially important if you have a device with a Linux operating system, which can be a bit trickier for VPN configurations.

Also, just because a VPN says it’s compatible doesn’t mean it actually works well on a specific device or system. It’s always good to read some reviews before committing to a provider. For example, if you’re a business looking to protect company mobile devices, you don’t want to use a VPN service that has a clunky and unwieldy mobile app, even if it’s technically compatible.

Customer support

Customer support is a huge factor to consider when picking any software or service. Of course, talking with live agents via phone, email or online chat can be very helpful. But, for VPNs, we found that a comprehensive online help center with applicable tutorials makes a huge difference. If you’re planning on setting up a VPN for your business and have over 50 devices, look for a service that will provide you with a dedicated account manager to guide you through the process.

How much does a VPN cost?

There are a few free VPNs and subscription VPN providers that offer free plans with limitations. For paid plans, you can expect to pay a little less than $11.50/month on average or a lump sum of around $54 upfront for an annual subscription ($4.53/month). Here are the exact averages based on the data we pulled from our top providers.

Before we get too deep into VPN costs, it’s worth saying that there are free VPN options out there. However, most providers that pitch their services/advertise as a free VPN don’t have a very good track record, including poor security and often harvesting and selling client data.

Several reputable VPN providers, like Proton VPN and hide.me, have free VPN plans. Free plans generally have limitations, including fewer servers to select from, device limitations and/or speed restrictions. However, they may be enough for basic users who are just looking for a more secure connection on one device.

In contrast, paid plans are significantly more robust. For example, Proton VPN’s free VPN plan has around 100 servers (in only three countries) and covers only one device, compared to over 3,000 servers (65+ countries) and up to 10 devices for its paid plans.

Most VPNs allow you to pay monthly or annually. Annual plans are much cheaper per month but require a lump-sum payment upfront. Monthly plans are more convenient for cash flow, but average out to between two and three times the cost of annual plans. Depending on the provider, other features that set premium plans apart from basic plans are a dedicated IP address, cloud storage, file sharing/encryption and additional privacy protection.

Should you use a free VPN?

Note: When we (and most folks) use the term “free VPN,” we are referring to VPN services that are always free and have no paid subscription options. We are not referring to a basic forever-free plan, free trial or introductory period offered by a paid VPN provider.

If security is a priority for you or your business, you should avoid using free VPNs. In many cases, free VPNs pose a variety of security risks. For one, they often don’t have the resources to reliably update servers, audit security protocols and perform other tasks that are critical to maintaining a secure VPN service. Another issue is that, in many cases, free VPNs track and sell your keystroke and browsing data (they have to make money somehow). And — in extreme cases — free VPNs may even be fronts for malware schemes. VPNs, in general, reduce your connection speed, but free VPNs are some of the worst offenders, due to limited bandwidth and sub-standard maintenance.

So, if you’re very occasionally using a VPN to try to stream/unlock location-based content or a similar task where security is less critical, then you may be OK using a free VPN. But, in most cases, the risks outweigh the benefits.

Common VPN protocols

A VPN protocol is a set of rules that a VPN follows to move data between the VPN servers and your devices. Essentially, the protocol is the process a VPN uses to transport (or tunnel), authenticate and encrypt data. Different VPNs use different protocols, each with specific pros and cons. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most used VPN protocols.

OpenVPN

OpenVPN is one of the most popular protocols due to its security and speed. It uses either the transmission control protocol (TCP) or user datagram protocol (UDP). Most VPNs that use the OpenVPN protocol will let you select which to use. TCP is more secure with multiple levels of authentication, but UDP is faster. One big plus about OpenVPN is that its code is open source, meaning it can be routinely checked by third parties to ensure that it is secure and doesn’t have hidden vulnerabilities in the code.

WireGuard

WireGuard is the new kid on the block making waves in the VPN protocol industry. Its code and protocol implementation are more efficient, which makes it faster than its competitors. WireGuard is also very secure, with open-source code and state-of-the-art cryptography packages like Poly1305 and ChaCha20 for data authentication and encryption. But, being relatively new, WireGuard has yet to fully prove it can scale while maintaining security and speed.

IKEv2/IPSec

IKEv2 stands for internet key exchange version 2. It is a tunneling protocol that works with the IPSec encryption/authentication protocol to protect your data. It’s very popular on VPN mobile apps because if your VPN server connection is interrupted, it will automatically reconnect when a new source is available. This makes it an ideal option when switching back and forth between Wi-Fi and mobile data connections, and makes it one of the most stable protocol options.

PPTP

PPTP stands for point-to-point tunneling protocol and was one of the forerunners of VPN tunneling protocols. The problem is that it uses the outdated MPPE cypher to encrypt data, which is relatively easy to crack and leaves your data at risk and exposed. There is no built-in method to verify the legitimacy of received data, making it vulnerable to being manipulated or replaced along the way.

L2TP/IPSec

L2TP is an abbreviation for layer 2 tunneling protocol and works with IPSec as its authentication/encryption protocol. Because it encapsulates data twice, connection speed is slower than other protocols and it often struggles to bypass firewalls. It is widely available and easy to install, which is one of its upsides.

SSTP

Secure socket tunneling protocol (SSTP) is a Microsoft product. It uses 2048-bit certificates for authentication and 256-bit SSL cipher for encryption, making it one of the more secure protocols from a complexity standpoint. However, because it is tied with Microsoft, it has less compatibility than many other protocols and less code/data-harvesting transparency.

How to set up and use a VPN

Figuring out how to set up and use a VPN is relatively simple. As an example, let’s walk through the process with NordVPN, our top VPN for secure internet browsing.

The first step is to set up an account online. Navigate to NordVPN’s pricing page and select the plan you want. You can select a two-year, one-year or monthly plan depending on your needs using the top bar, as shown below. Keep in mind, the longer the plan, the cheaper the monthly cost will be (although one-year and two-year plans require you to pay in one lump sum when you sign up).

Once you’ve selected a plan and hit the “Get Plan” button, you’ll be asked to enter an email and payment information. After you pay, you’ll be able to log in to your dashboard.

On the top right of your dashboard, you’ll see an option to download NordVPN.

NordVPN will automatically identify what operating system and browser you’re using. Select whether you want to download software to protect your whole computer, your mobile device or your browser (extension). If you select the mobile option, you’ll be shown a QR code you can scan with your mobile device that will take you to the right app you need to download.

Once you’ve downloaded the software on your device(s) of choice, you’ll be prompted to sign in using the account info you created a few steps ago. On Mac, the button to log in is at the top right corner of the app.

Once you’re logged in, you simply hit the quick connect button at the top right and you’re protected. To confirm your status, you can always look at the little lock at the top of the screen. If it’s green and says “connected”, then you’re secure. The country where you’re connected via the VPN will be highlighted in the column on the left. You can change countries by simply selecting another country and waiting for it to reconnect. The green dot on the map shows which server you’re currently connected to.

NordVPN is just one example, and many other VPN providers enable you to set up and use a VPN. It isn’t difficult to use a VPN, and most folks should be able to figure it out without too much trouble, especially when using a reliable provider like one from our list that offers help and setup support along the way.

Methodology: How we choose the best VPNs

To help you find the best VPN, we researched top products using a specific set of desired data points. After we collected this data, we narrowed our list to 18 VPNs based on six primary categories encompassing 25 different metrics. We weighted each metric based on what matters most for users. Using the final score for each VPN, we selected the 10 that rose to the top for this list.

We then assigned each VPN an Editors’ Score encompassing four key areas before converting final scores to a star rating out of five. This score doesn’t affect our selection methodology or assessment of key data points for ultimate list inclusion.

Here’s how our methodology breaks down:

Base features (25%)

We built a list of core features that top VPNs should offer, including anonymous browsing, DNS protection, multifactor authentication, a kill switch, split tunneling, etc. Since this category covers fundamental functionality a VPN needs to be useful/worthwhile and comparable to its competitors, it has the heaviest weight in our assessment.

Speeds (20%)

Internet speed matters. Whatever your task, you want to complete it with minimal loading or lag time, and you don’t want to boost security at the cost of efficiency. The heavy weighting of this category gives equal importance to average download speed and average upload speed for assessed VPNs.

Additional features (15%)

We also wanted to determine what additional features each VPN offers outside of a core feature set, such as browser extensions, simultaneous connections and number of continents with servers. This weighting reflects that the features assessed for this category are often nice-to-haves but not core requirements for every VPN use case.

User reviews and ratings (15%)

Customer experience with VPNs affects a vendor’s reputation and provides a valuable rubric to assess product efficacy. To score this category, we assessed VPN popularity and UX across multiple reputable product directories (such as G2, Capterra, Apple’s app store, etc.).

Pricing (10%)

While pricing does vary across VPNs, the majority of researched products were priced similarly. We assessed whether each VPN service provides transparent pricing, as well as the lowest and highest monthly cost to use each tool and whether or not it offers a free trial or free version.

Service and support (5%)

Difficult-to-use VPNs get frustrating, quickly. Whether that’s because it won’t connect or causes the same amount of access issues as the security benefits it provides, we wanted to find out how easy it is to get help if you need it, whatever your preferred support channel is (e.g., live chat, phone, knowledge base, etc.).

Editors’ Score (10%)

Our Editors’ Score for the top VPNs considered four key factors: included features, value for money, popularity and ease of use. After we ranked VPN options using metrics associated with each of the above categories, we evaluated the products at the top of our ranked list and assigned each a grade on a scale from terrible to excellent (each descriptor is associated with a numerical value). The final score (inclusive of our Editors’ Score) was then converted into a star rating (where zero stars is the lowest possible score, and five is the max).