The Best VPN of 2022

1. NordVPN - Best VPN for Privacy

Editors Rating:

9.7 /10

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How We Review

The whole point of a VPN is to keep you safe when you’re online, and VPNs don’t get much safer than NordVPN. Not only does the company employ the very best security features, like AES-256 encryption and the OpenVPN protocol along with its proprietary protocol NordLynx, but it offers extra features you won’t find in other VPNs. For instance, NordVPN blocks intrusive ads, trackers, and malicious websites. With multihop, user’s connections aren’t routed through one encrypted tunnel but through multiple encrypted tunnels. Plus, NordVPN has a strict logging policy and is located in Panama, a country outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes surveillance alliances. Whether you’re looking to avoid government spying or garden-variety hackers, NordVPN has you covered.

Double The Encryption

In our full NordVPN review, we go deep into its encryption methods. One of the things we liked most about NordVPN is its use of double-VPN, meaning that our web traffic was encrypted not once but twice through multiple servers. This is ideal for anyone super-concerned about privacy; activists, bloggers, journalists, or anyone working in a place filled with surveillance and censorship, we’re talking to you!

On top of that, NordVPN easily works with devices using the Tor network. In case you don’t know, Tor, otherwise known as the Onion Network, is an anonymous way to connect to the internet. It uses several volunteer computers acting as servers to bounce internet traffic around the globe, effectively making Tor users anonymous. Tor users are often alienated from VPN use because of how the Tor network is set up, but with NordVPN, you’re one click away from combining the anonymity that the Tor network provides with the privacy of a VPN.

Netflix Access

VPNs aren’t just for privacy. Since they use servers to reroute internet traffic, they also make websites think that we’re browsing from a different location (i.e. the location of the server). Because of that, we were able to stream Netflix shows that are only available in other countries by connecting to a server outside the U.S. When we connected to a U.K. server, for instance, we got to enjoy the unique humor of British comedy. And since NordVPN works across all major device platforms — Windows, Mac, iOS, iPad, Linux, and even smart TVs — we were able to stream on whatever device we were using.

Low Prices

At $11.99 per month, NordVPN wasn’t the cheapest VPN we’ve tested, but we’ve been able to unlock amazing discounts just by signing up for a whole year. On a yearly payment basis, NordVPN costs only $4.99 a month, a total of $59.88 for the whole year. The monthly rate further drops to $3.99 with the two-year plan. Considering how great a VPN NordVPN is, that price is hard to pass up.

2. Surfshark - Best VPN for Security

Editors Rating:

9.5 /10

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How We Review

Surfshark made it easy for us to torrent and download movies and TV shows without fear of retribution. With unlimited devices per subscription, this VPN gave us a different IP address every time we connected, which makes tracing much harder; however, if we wanted to stick with the same IP address, that was an option as well. In addition to that, it allows for streaming Netflix in addition to torrenting.

Camouflage Mode

When you connect to a VPN, government and network surveillance can’t tell what you’re doing online, but they can deduce that you’re using a VPN based on how your traffic looks. The problem with that is that it could get you in trouble if you’re traveling to a country that restricts or bans the use of VPNs. Surfshark has a nifty workaround called Camouflage Mode, or in general VPN terms, obfuscation. Basically, Surfshark uses technology to camouflage your traffic and make it look like you’re not using a VPN. That’s a great privacy feature, especially if you’re a frequent traveler.

International Servers

While we only connected to Surfshark from the good old U.S of A, they have options in over 60 countries, from Vietnam to Albania. In the U.S, there are servers in over 20 cities, including L.A, Chicago, Dallas, Boston; you get the picture. The closer you are to a server, the better your connection. With Surfshark, we were more than satisfied.

Streaming Services

It’s no secret that we love streaming, and what was awesome about Surfhsark is that we didn’t have to try out a bunch of different servers to stream on different platforms. Let us give you an example. We were dying to watch National Treasure on Disney+, for obvious and Nick Cage-related reasons. Normally with VPNs, we have to try connecting from a few different servers before we find one that the streaming service hasn’t blocked, but Surfshark actually did that work for us, automatically finding the right server for the right streaming service. Aside from Disney+, we also streamed from Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Spotify, and Youtube, although the VPN works with even more services. Learn more about the best VPNs for Youtube TV. Surfshark also works with Apple TV, making it one of the best VPNs for Apple TV, as well.

3. Private Internet Access VPN - Best VPN for Windows 

Editors Rating:

9.4 /10

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How We Review

If you have a Windows computer, look no further than Private Internet Access. We got really fast speeds when we tested it out on our Vivobook, but it also has great apps for iOS and Android devices. Plus, we were satisfied with their privacy policy, which is super strict. The company has never even been asked to hand over user data, not that they would have any to hand over even if they were. According to the founder, “We don’t log, period”. However, the company is based in Denver, so that’s something to keep in mind, as the United States is a Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes member.

Encryption Options

Most VPNs didn’t give us many choices when it came to encryption methods, authentication modes, and handshakes, but Private Internet Access actually let us customize how their VPN worked. We had four options: the default, recommended protection, an option that was more focused on speed, an option more focused on security, and an option with no authentication whatsoever. While we went with the recommended option, we could see the other options being useful if we ever want to prioritize speed over security or vice versa.

Dynamic IP Addresses

We got a new IP address every time we connected to Private Internet Access, which is definitely preferred over static IP addresses. That made us harder to trace, ensuring our anonymity online. Think of it like wearing a mask; if you wore the same mask every time, people would eventually start to catch onto your identity. With Private Internet Access, we got a fresh new mask every time we logged on, which kept any potential hackers guessing.

4. IPVanish - Best VPN for Android

Editors Rating:

9.3 /10

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How We Review

IPVanish has all the features you expect from a top-tier VPN, like strong encryption, fast speeds, and extras like split tunneling. What sets IPVanish apart from other companies, though, is its commitment to customer service. We can’t tell you how much trouble we have sometimes getting companies to respond to our technical questions. Many VPNs don’t offer phone support, and a fair number don’t provide answers 24/7. IPVanish has friendly customer service agents you can talk to any time, via both phone and online chat. Yet, the company doesn’t charge any more than other VPNs. A one-year subscription, for example, is just $3.99 a month.

Kill Switch

We used IPVanish at the library one day, and when the connection failed, the VPN closed all of our Web windows automatically, ensuring no one could see our IP address or web traffic. This was a lot better than the alternative, although we had to reopen the windows that IPVanish “killed.” Of course, when we were downloading large files and didn’t want to be interrupted even if the VPN failed, we had the option to turn the kill switch off.

Robust Customer Service

IPVanish also wins when it comes to helping customers with problems. Not only do they have 24/7 live chat and a comprehensive FAQ section, but also a phone line, a huge rarity for VPN companies. We got responses within five minutes, and other customers had similar experiences according to reviews on Amazon and Trustpilot, four out of five and 4.6 out of five respectively.

An Audited Privacy Policy

All of the VPNs we’ve reviewed have privacy policies that outline what types of data they collect, why they collect those types of data, and how they use the data. Not all of them, though, have been audited like IPVanish. The Leviathan Security Group, an independent security and privacy auditing firm, audited IPVanish’s privacy and security practices just this year. They’ve found that IPVanish’s claim that it doesn’t log browsing and usage data is true. The firm also determined that IPVanish is non-invasive to its users’ privacy, making it a solid VPN for privacy-conscious users.

5. Ivacy - Most Affordable

Editors Rating:

9.2 /10

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How We Review

You won’t find a reputable VPN with more affordable pricing that Ivacy. Truthfully, we were a little skeptical when we found out we could get a subscription for as low as $1.19 a month. Lots of cut-rate VPNs make up the difference by selling customer information to third parties. Not Ivacy, though. We went through their privacy policy with a fine-toothed comb, and discovered they don’t keep anything related to our online activities. They don’t keep IP addresses, timestamps, or browsing histories. Plus, their location in Singapore means they’re outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes surveillance alliances. In other words, they can’t be forced to turn over any data to any government agency.

Strict Logging Policy

All VPN companies have to keep some information if only to conduct business. Ivacy VPN, though, keeps as little of our information as possible. Yes, it does keep our:

• Names
• Emails
• Payment methods
• Crash event reports
• Performance data
• Failed connection attempts
• Application usage
• Aggregated bandwidth use

It would be hard to operate a successful VPN without this information, though. More important is what Ivacy VPN doesn’t keep:

• IP addresses
• Browsing histories
• Timestamps

As long as it’s not tracking any of this data, we feel pretty safe and secure.

Smart Purpose Selection

VPNs serve multiple purposes, but Ivacy actually configured servers optimized for specific purposes. It has servers optimized for streaming, downloading, unblocking content, and so much more. We enjoyed its streaming capabilities the most, as it let us access Netflix uninterrupted. It’s not just for Netflix, though, as we were able to use Ivacy to stream on Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Kodi, BBC, and other streaming platforms.

Low Prices Plus Discounts

How low can VPN prices go? Well, the least expensive VPN we’ve tested thus far is Ivacy, with monthly rates that go as low as $1.19. This monthly rate, though, is only applicable if you’re on the five-year plan, so it pays to commit. If you’re only looking to lock-in your subscription for a year, Ivacy costs $3.99 a month. Still not bad.

As if those prices weren’t enticing enough, Ivacy VPN offers lots of deals and discounts throughout the year, whether it’s Christmas or Halloween, Boxing Day or the Fourth of July. Last year, it offered 87 percent off for Green Day. That’s a lot of savings options.

6. Atlas VPN - Best Data Breach Monitoring

Editors Rating:

9.0 /10

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How We Review

Atlas VPN is a relatively new player in the VPN market, but we’re already impressed by what it can do. We got all the security we expect from a top-tier VPN, with AES-256 encryption and a strict privacy policy. In addition, we got tons of extras, like unlimited simultaneous connections, IP addresses that rotate while we’re browsing, and a free data breach monitor. We predict you’ll be hearing lots more about this VPN in the months and years to come.

IP Address Safeswap

We always prefer VPNs that use dynamic rather than static IP addresses because dynamic addresses change regularly. When our address changes every time we log on, we’re harder to track. Atlas VPN goes one better than dynamic addresses, though. The company’s Safeswap technology didn’t just assign us a new address every time we logged on. We got new addresses as we browsed, every time we visited a new site. You can’t get much more anonymous than that.

Data Breach Monitor

More and more VPNs have begun offering extra perks to their customers, like free cloud storage. Atlas provides a data breach monitor on all its paid plans. This monitor scans leaked databases looking for your personal information. While it isn’t quite as thorough as the best ID theft services, it does provide important early alerts so you can change your credentials and lock down your accounts at the very first signs of trouble.

Free Option

Atlas VPN’s prices are among the lowest we’ve come across, but they also have a free plan. This isn’t one of those trials with a strict 500 MB data limit. It’s not set up to give you a paltry seven days of service before rolling over into an expensive paid plan. It’s not one of those VPNs that provide free service by selling your data to the highest bidder. Atlas’s free VPN is a true VPN that can keep you safe and secure while you browse the web. You are limited to only three servers, but there are no data caps, and you never have to worry about Atlas turning over your personal information to anyone.

7. ExpressVPN - Best Encryption

Editors Rating:

9.1 /10

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How We Review

It’s no big surprise that most of our digital security expert team members have iPhones; after all, we’re young and live in Brooklyn, where we’re constantly joining public Wi-Fi networks. ExpressVPN easily connected us with fast speeds, and with a kill switch, if our connection was lost, we were still protected. Aside from our iPhones, ExpressVPN also worked quite well on our Mac and Windows computers, and best of all, we could be on public and private networks at the same time, which came in handy when we were multi-tasking, which is pretty much all the time.

Lightway Protocol

ExpressVPN is at the forefront of VPN technology. In addition to adopting existing VPN protocols, it developed a proprietary protocol that is both secure and fast, called Lightway. This VPN protocol runs on only 2,000 lines of code, much less than protocols like OpenVPN. And as a result, it’s lightweight and it provides a smooth user-experience.

Strict Logging Policy

Of course, ExpressVPN didn’t keep our web traffic or activity, which is the most basic thing we expect from VPNs meant to give us privacy. But they also didn’t keep much more of our information than necessary; they only knew which app and version we used, when we used it, the server we connected to, and the amount of data we transferred in MB. Our traffic, metadata, and DNS queries weren’t logged, thankfully.

IP Leak Blocking

There are VPNs that we consider “leaky” because their technology doesn’t effectively block IP address and browsing data leakage. ExpressVPN is far from being that, though. It’s one of the most secure VPNs on the market, capable of blocking DNS leaks and WebRTC leaks. In fact, once you’re connected to ExpressVPN, you can use its website’s WebRTC leak detector to make sure it isn’t leaking your IP address through your browser’s WebRTC feature. Each time we tested ExpressVPN for those leaks, we didn’t find any — just the result we were hoping for.

8. PureVPN - Best Server Base

Editors Rating:

8.9 /10

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How We Review

PureVPN is one of the best VPNs for travel, with more than 6,500 servers in over 78 countries including the U.K., Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. This made it easy for us to travel without joining shady Wi-Fi networks and running into internet censorship. PureVPN hid our browsing history and IP address so we could be more anonymous online.

Huge Global Network

PureVPN has one of the largest global networks of servers and is available in more than 78 countries. Specifically, the VPN has servers in:

No wonder PureVPN is one of the best VPNs for Australia, the best VPNs for France, the best VPNs for Germany, and more.

Strict Logging Policy

While we were jet setting and connecting to international PureVPN servers, PureVPN hid our IP address, along with our browsing history. In fact, the VPN only collected our:

• Names
• Email addresses
• Payment information
• Total bandwidth consumed.

Everything we did online, on the other hand, was ours to keep. And since PureVPN is based in Hong Kong, a Five Eyes non-member, the company can’t be forced, legally, to give any of our information to the government. Add in some AES-256 encryption, the highest standard around, and PureVPN is certainly trustworthy when it comes to privacy.

Dedicated IP Address Available

With PureVPN, we got the same IP address every time we connected, shared with thousands of other PureVPN users. That was great for security, since we were lost in the crowd. For some websites that recognize these shared IP addresses, though, that was an issue and we got blocked. That’s why we were happy that, in addition, PureVPN offers dedicated IP addresses for only $2.04 a month with a two-year subscription. Dedicated addresses are just as secure as shared addresses, but we were the only ones using this IP address. That made it easier for websites to remember who we were.

9. CyberGhost - Best VPN for Mac

Editors Rating:

8.9 /10

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How We Review

CyberGhost has over 7,500 servers in 91 different countries, so although we only tested it out in the United States, wherever in the world you are, you probably won’t have trouble connecting either. The company is based in Romania, not a member of those international surveillance networks we keep mentioning; plus, Romania as a country has almost no data retention laws of its own, making CyberGhost a great pick for privacy.

Military-Grade Encryption

CyberGhost uses AES-256, which is the current industry standard when it comes to encryption. Whenever we connected, we got an anonymous IP address that we shared with other CyberGhost users on the same server. Combined with the encryption, we felt confident that our identities were hidden when we used CyberGhost to browse the Internet.

Discounts Available

In case you haven’t noticed yet, we could never pass up on great deals, and CyberGhost has one of the best deals around. Although its $12.99 monthly plan is pretty standard compared to other VPNs, its one-year, two-year, and three-year plans are heavily discounted. They cost $4.29, $3.25, and $2.29 per month, respectively. Of course, three years is a pretty long time, so to make the deal sweeter, CyberGhost is including three months of free VPN service to the three-year plan for a limited time.

NoSpy Servers

CyberGhost, like most of the VPNs we review, doesn’t keep logs of its users’ browsing data. Bur CyberGhost takes things up a notch with its NoSpy servers. These data centers operated by CyberGhost itself are located in Romania, which is outside the reach of the 14 Eyes alliance. Romania’s laws also makes it a VPN-friendly country, as it doesn’t require data gathering and mass surveillance tactics used by other countries. When you connect to one of CyberGhost’s NoSpy servers, you can rest assured that your data is safe.

10. Hotspot Shield - Best VPN for Netflix

Editors Rating:

8.9 /10

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How We Review

When it came to Netflix-watching parties, Hotspot Shield had us covered with fast speeds on our Mac and Windows computers. We also didn’t experience huge delays or lags on Netflix when we used the app on our Android devices, which came in handy during commutes. Plus, Hotspot Shield has a free option for those that don’t want to spend money on a VPN; however, you’ll be limited to a daily data cap of 500 MB, which may make watching movies and TV shows on Netflix and other streaming services a bit difficult. We went with the monthly plan, which cost us $12.99 a month, although there were cheaper options if we had signed up for one or two years.

Regular Transparency Reports

Clearly, we don’t love the fact that Hotspot Shield is based in the United States. However, we were impressed that they have annual transparency reports to prove that they don’t hand over customer data, even when asked. In 2019, for example, they were asked to hand over users’ data 56 different times, refusing every time. Clearly, Hotspot Shield is dedicated to protecting users’ privacy, and their transparency reports prove that.

Free VPN

We usually avoid free VPNs because of how prone they are to shady privacy practices, and because most of them are limited in what they can do. Hotspot Shield, however, is a reputable company with a proven track record, so we had no issues trying out its free VPN. It still has limits; for instance, only one device can connect at a time, and there’s a 500 MB daily data limit (which we think is generous). But we liked that the free VPN was covered by the company’s no-logs policy, so we didn’t worry that Hotspot Shield would log our activity and sell our data to third parties.

Super-Fast Speeds

Hotspot Shield was one of the fastest VPNs we tested on our Windows and Mac computers. Download speeds decreased by 30% and 18% while upload speeds decreased by 0.2% and 26% on Mac and Windows, respectively. Although the latency was a bit more than we would’ve liked, Hotspot Shield is a great option for torrenting files or watching Netflix.

11. ProtonVPN - Best VPN for Zoom

Editors Rating:

8.8 /10

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How We Review

ProtonVPN performed well in our speed tests, both on Windows and Mac, as well as on iOS and Android. Not a lot of VPNs had as fast and as consistent speeds as ProtonVPN, which is why we’re recommending it as the best VPN to use with Zoom and other virtual meeting software. In addition to its good speeds, ProtonVPN had a free plan for those who don’t want to spend money on a VPN. The free plan has no data limits, but it could only be used on one device. That being said, we opted for the Plus plan, which we think was the best value plan offered by ProtonVPN. It cost us $10 per month, but we could’ve brought down the price to $6.63 a month had we gone with the two-year plan.

Regular Transparency Reports

We were impressed that ProtonVPN has annual transparency reports to prove that it doesn’t hand over customer data, even when asked. The company is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and isn’t subject to Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or 14 Eyes surveillance agreements. Even so, we liked having additional proof that the company collects the bare minimum about us, only our email addresses, payment information, and timestamps. At our last check, the only significant activity on the transparency report was a 2019 data request for information from the Swiss courts. Since ProtonVPN doesn’t collect IP addresses or online activity about any of its users, it had nothing to turn over.

Free Version

We were excited to discover that ProtonVPN offers a totally free option and that it works with Android, Windows, macOS, and iOS. Heck, it even works with Linux. There are a couple of downsides to this free version. You can connect only through a single device, and there are only servers in three countries: the U.S., Japan, and the Netherlands. Still, the free version has no speed limits and no data limits, so you can Netflix to your heart’s desire.

Fast Upload Speeds

With more of us working from home than ever, we need fast upload speeds and low latency so our meeting software works smoothly. There’s nothing more embarrassing than when you laugh at someone’s joke but they don’t hear it until two minutes later. ProtonVPN was one of the fastest VPNs we tested on our Windows and Mac computers when it came to both upload speeds and latency.

Proton VPN Speeds

12. Norton Secure VPN - Best VPN With Dynamic IP Addresses

Editors Rating:

8.4 /10

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How We Review

Norton, perhaps most famous for its LifeLock identity theft protection (read more in our LifeLock review) and its Norton antivirus software, also has a VPN, and it’s not half bad. Every time we connected to the macOS app, we got a different IP address, which made it difficult to trace us online. Since online anonymity is what we’re after, we were satisfied with this VPN app.

Affordable Prices

How much does the Norton Secure VPN cost, you ask? Well, if you only sign up for a month on one device, it’s $4.99. However, for 10 devices for a year, the cost is only $59.99, which amounts to only about $0.50 a per device per month. If you need a VPN for the whole family, this plan is incredibly affordable, one of the best VPN deals we’ve seen in a while (and that includes VPN Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, as well!).

Strong Encryption

Norton Secure VPN encrypted our web activity and hid our IP address using AES-256, the same encryption that the U.S. government and military use, so you know it’s secure. Beyond that, in some locations, the VPN encrypted our web activity and changed our IP addresses multiple times, a process called multi-hop or double hop. That made it that much harder to track us online, from our personal emails to the items we bought on Etsy. No one needs to know about our obsession with vintage cookie jars, after all.

User-Friendly Mobile Apps

We all know that using a public Wi-Fi network directly is a great way to get hacked, which is why we always connect to a VPN like Norton Secure while we’re checking our phones in line for croissants. Fortunately, Norton does mobile apps well, specifically the Norton Secure VPN— Security & Privacy WiFi Proxy Android app and the Norton Secure VPN & Proxy VPN iOS app. After we downloaded the apps, we connected to nearby servers in seconds without any bugs or glitches. Other Norton customers agree with us, as the Android app has a 4.4 rating and the iOS app has a 4.3.