The Best VPN Services of 2023
Yes, you need a VPN

How We Rated the Top VPN Services

Rating the best services requires a deep dive into how individual VPNs perform in terms of speed, security, and privacy. It also requires an analysis of usability, and value for money, among other external factors.

Jurisdiction and Privacy

Jurisdiction influences how a VPN service approaches privacy issues. The top VPN services are based in countries that are not associated with mass surveillance. Data laws also favor VPNs that are located in these countries. Many elite VPN providers, like ExpressVPN, come with a strict no-logs policy, ensuring maximum privacy.

Security and Encryptions

Encryptions define how strongly a VPN service implements its security. The stronger the encryption, the better the VPN—if the performance is balanced. Stronger encryptions tend to result in slower VPN connection speeds. PrivateInternetAccess is just one example of a VPN service that can offer great security features that don’t affect performance.

Quality Customer Service

A reliable VPN service offers customers help in multiple ways. This includes customer assistance, an online ticket system, and an email interface. ExpressVPN and NordVPN both offer 24/7 live chat support, so customers can get support when it is most convenient for them.

VPN Protection: Can I Hide My IP Address?

A VPN encrypts and protects your data connection online. What you do online is open to prying eyes, but you can protect and hide your IP address and data by using a VPN. A VPN secures data between you and your business and protects your personal information.

There are loads of VPNs to choose from, and quality is on the rise. The process of choosing a VPN starts with a realistic assessment of your needs: if – for example – you only use Apple products, you must find the best VPN for Mac and Apple products.

How VPN Connections Benefit You

Not everyone has the same priorities or uses the internet in the same way. If you want to be more discreet, VPN providers give you a way to access the Internet through a “tunnel” service. This type of access masks your communication and displays the VPN’s IP address when you connect to a website, instead of your own.

This means that your private home IP address is hidden when browsing different websites. Using a VPN service will likely impact your computer speed as well. If you are looking for a high-performance VPN, make sure that it also keeps your privacy through data encryption between your computer and the target server. With ExpressVPN, you can improve the protection of your data, and stay hidden – all while browsing at top speeds.

Price Matters – But Only up to a Point

Free VPNs may seem attractive on paper, but they often offer a sub-par service and may have significant privacy issues. Always keep in mind that free services are free for a reason. The best VPNs offer a balance between quality and price, and some can be really cheap.

Speed and Reliability

A VPN keeps you safe online by rerouting your traffic through an encrypted server. If this process is done well, the effect on your connection should be unnoticeable. If, on the other hand, the VPN is poor quality, it may grind your internet speed down to a halt.

If you are looking for the best VPN, for example, look out for services with 99.9% uptime and no speed or bandwidth caps. This ensures your online experience will be smooth – irrespective of how heavy your internet usage is.

VPN FAQs

What Do I Need to Know Before I Subscribe to a VPN Service?

Before you subscribe to any VPN service, there are key factors to consider. These factors seek to answer how a particular VPN will help you. The VPN services that we highlighted were carefully selected based on the following factors:

Privacy

VPNs are meant to keep your information private from the rest of the world when you surf the internet. The best VPNs will always have a strict no-logs policy, located in a jurisdiction with no data retention laws. They should also implement security features that protect your privacy.

Security Features

Security goes hand in hand with privacy. The Elite VPN services, like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark, should have strong, unbreakable encryptions. The VPN service should implement other security features such as a kill switch, protection against leaks, a firewall, and obfuscation technology.

Speed, Performance, and Bandwidth

Besides privacy, you might want to use a VPN for speed-intensive tasks such as downloading files. In this case, the best VPN to consider is one that offers lightning speeds without any buffering. The VPN should also have unlimited bandwidth and should not be laggy or slow your connection to unacceptable levels.

Server Coverage

Server coverage dictates which locations you can access services from. Therefore, it’s wise to consider server locations when choosing a service.

Simultaneous Connections

The best VPNs give you the best value for your money. Therefore, you should consider one that offers many simultaneous connections. The simultaneous connections should not affect the performance of the VPN. This way, you can take full advantage of your VPN on all your devices. When you sign up for ExpressVPN, you’re covered for up to 5 devices on one subscription.

How Do I Choose the Best VPN?

There are numerous choices when it comes to VPN services. Narrow down those choices by focusing on the most important features, including:

• Speed
• Security
• Strong encryption
• Ease of use
• P2P functionality
• Price

Look for a service with high speeds, so your connection is smooth, strong security features, so your connection is private, and easy functionality, so you don’t hate your VPN. Also, look for one that offers P2P file sharing, and make sure the price is right.

Is Using a VPN Legal?

Yes! VPNs are totally legal to use in the vast majority of the civilized world. Of course, what you do with your VPN is subject to all laws governing your country. If you are doing something illegal with your VPN, that’s your business. VPN usage though is totally legal.

Expert Tips

Connecting to a VPN before surfing the internet, is essential. A good VPN will encrypt your browsing activity, and reroute your online traffic through a secure tunnel thereby masking your true identity from the encroaching eyes of governments, ISPs, as well as cybercriminals.

To get the most out of a VPN service, here are some tips to follow:

• Always go for premium VPNs because they don’t have limits.
• Consider a VPN depending on your needs. If you want privacy, choose the VPN service with robust security features and strong encryptions.
• Finally, not all VPNs offer what they claim, choose carefully!

Our Top 2 Picks