Menu
We researched 32 VPN services, tested 12, and consulted information security and legal experts to find the best VPN for most people. Here's our verdict.
Share on Facebook Tweet this Share The ongoing saga of Facebook data harvesting and the has personal privacy online as a hot topic once again. One common method for protecting yourself online is the use of a — or VPN for short. It allows you to safely send information when using public networks via a group of networked computers and faraway servers.
Not all VPNs are the same, however, so we took some time to find the best VPN services. That being said, signing up for free VPN services — especially those dedicated to mobile apps —. Know that all “free” services are making money off of you somehow, whether it be from advertisements or something less innocuous. We’ve scoured the web for reviews, testimonials, and statistics on which are the best VPN choices.
Then, we tried out the services for ourselves, taking notes on ease-of-use and testing network speeds. Keeping all of these factors in mind, these are the services that stood out. Private Internet Access The Best If the happy family on the homepage isn’t enough to convince you, maybe the fact that it’s one of the most reliable VPN services on the market is. Does everything you could want from a good VPN.
It hides your IP address, protects your information, and scrambles your browsing activity using a variety of encryption methods. We tested Private Internet Services using its Windows installer, which configures the VPN protocols and provides a simple utility in the task bar to turn the VPN connection on and off. While the interface was spartan, performance was excellent. Our test system consistently maintained over 110 Mb/s download and 19 Mb/s upload speeds with the VPN connection turned on, very close to our usual 125 Mb/s download and 20 Mb/s upload speeds. On the downside, Netflix complained about a proxy and Amazon Prime Video wouldn’t play due to a geographical restriction. These errors occurred whether we used the automatic setting or selected a local U.S.-based server.
Cost: $7 on a monthly basis, $40 for an annual subscription. Number of servers: 3,197+. Number of server locations: 28 countries. Clients supported: Windows, MacOS, Unix/Linux, iOS, Android — several browser extensions.
Number of simultaneous connections: Up to five. Download now for: The Rest TorGuard. Mark Coppock/Digital Trends With a name like, the software better offer strong protection. The software’s hallmarks lie in its ability to connect to a melange of services for different activities, with four different packages available based on various needs. The VPN service will run you $10 each month, but there’s a cheaper proxy service if all you need to do is hide your IP address from the world. Like most VPN services, the program will prevent websites from viewing your personal IP address, thus preventing others from identifying you or your geographic location. From offshore email to unlimited server switching between over 3,000 servers across the globe, TorGuard offers some pretty impressive scaling.
Skilled geeks and professionals alike should take a look at the service, along with the discount bundles that come packaged with hardware. The TorGuard Windows client was easy to install and made quick work of connecting to a VPN server, including the ability to choose a server location prior to connecting. The internet speed on our test system dropped from our usual 125 Mb/s download to 53 Mb/s, and our upload ran at 17 Mb/s compared to our usual 20 Mb/s. That’s not the best performance in our testing, but all internet services that we tested worked without a hitch, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Cost: $6/month for anonymous proxy; $10/month for anonymous VPN; $7/month for anonymous email; $11.50/month for privacy bundle. Number of servers: 3,000+. Number of server locations: 50+ countries.
Clients supported: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Number of simultaneous connections: Up to five Download now for: VyprVPN offers a full-service solution that’s divided into basic and premier packages. The company’s Chameleon technology utilizes an unmodified, open VPN protocol to scramble your metadata, preventing VPN blocking and unwanted throttling known to slow your streaming speeds when using popular services like Netflix.
VyprVPN was created by Golden Frog, which was founded in response to NSA surveillance of AT&T’s network from the “infamous Room 641a” in San Francisco. You can have up to five simultaneous connections with VyprVPN, so it’s suitable for both families and small businesses. There are no price hikes based on data usage, and nearly every platform is supported, including routers, Blackberry devices, TVs, and Linux hardware.
The service has been expanded in recent years, and now boasts more than 700 servers across 70 locations in six continents. There’s even a 3-day free trial so you can decide if Vypr works for you.
Installing the VyprVPN client is easy and straightforward, as is connecting to a VPN server. We found that our connection speed through the VyprVPN server dropped from our usual 125 Mb/s upload to around 85 Mb/s, and from 20 Mb/s download to 17 Mb/s. In practice, as with the other services, we could tell no difference when VyprVPN was enabled, and both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video played without issue in our testing. Cost: $5.00/month billed annually for basic service; $6.70/month billed annually for premium service. Number of servers: 700+. Number of server locations: 70+ countries. Clients supported: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Router, QNAP, Blackphone, TV.
Number of simultaneous connections: Up to three in the basic plan, up to five in the unlimited plan Download now for: NordVPN. Mark Coppock/Digital Trends With double, 2048-bit SSL encryption, it’s easy to see that NordVPN values your privacy.
But the company has also worked hard to build up its server network to include more than 3,700 server locations in 61 countries around the world. The service also comes with a variety of security tools for encrypted chat and proxy extensions, and you can use up to six devices simultaneously, which is higher than many companies are willing to go. The theme running throughout this service is personal security. From protected DNS queries to automatic kill switches, NordVPN wants you to know that your information won’t fall into the wrong hands.
It makes sense, then, that the company also accepts Bitcoin for payments. The company has recently improved its platform support, adding in iOS and Android and thus overcoming its one weakness. The client provided one of the most attractive interfaces, and connecting to a VPN server was straightforward and very quick.
We found performance to be somewhat spotty, however, with our fastest connection running at 53 Mb/s down and 26 Mb/s up, compared to 125 Mb/s down and 20 Mb/s with the VPN connection turned off. We did have an issue connecting to Netflix, but Amazon Prime Video ran without issue. Our other internet tests went without a hitch. Cost: $3.30/month with a 2-year agreement; $12/month when billed monthly; $7/month when billed annually.
Number of servers: 5,000. Number of server locations: 62. Clients supported: Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android.
Number of simultaneous connections: Up to six Download now for: ExpressVPN. Mark Coppock/Digital Trends ExpressVPN’s “#1 Trusted Leader in VPN” claim may be a bit difficult to prove, but the service offers a compelling list of features nonetheless.
It also constantly tries to make consistent improvements in speed and simultaneous streaming capabilities, and with support for all major platforms (Windows, MacOS, Android, etc.), you won’t need to worry about compatibility. Shows up on a number of “best VPN” lists, and so its relatively high prices are justified. With a presence in 145 locations across 94 countries, you also won’t need to worry about international travel. Furthermore, the more than 2,000 servers are all well placed throughout common travel destinations and urban centers. Any package will land you unlimited bandwidth and speed, a guaranteed 99.9 percent uptime, and 24-hour customer service. With so many guaranteed features, it’s no wonder this vendor is considered among the best — although make note that ExpressVPN only supports up to three simultaneous connections, which is the least of the services on our list. Setting up ExpressVPN and connecting to a VPN server was easy enough.
Performance, when connected to the VPN server, was average at 49 Mb/s down and 16 Mb/s up, compared to our usual speeds of 125 Mb/s down and 20 Mb/s up. Netflix complained about a proxy being in use when we used the automatic configuration option, but it worked fine when we manually selected a local U.S. Amazon Prime Video played just fine, and our other internet tests completed without issue. Cost: $8.30/month when billed annually; $10/month when billed every six months; $13/month when billed monthly.
Number of servers: 2,000. Number of server locations: 148 locations across 94 countries. Clients supported: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Blackberry, router. Number of simultaneous connections: Up to three Download now for: ProtonVPN. Mark Coppock/Digital Trends is one of the newest VPN services, and it boasts some star-studded founding members. The company was founded at CERN, the birthplace of the internet, and grew out of the service that’s been protecting the email of activists and journalists for years. The service acts as a Swiss company and is thus free from the laws of the U.S.
And the European Union. It’s also not a member of the “fourteen eyes surveillance network,” and user traffic isn’t logged and passes through privacy-friendly countries, so you needn’t worry about your true IP address being revealed. ProtonVPN is a bit pricey, but only the most expensive OpenVPN protocol is used, not the less costly to operate PPTP and L2TP/IPSec protocols. It also offers free plan that you can use to try out the service, which is limited to three countries, one device, and low speeds, and prices go up from there. A great enhancement of the service as of late, was the introduction of Linux, iOS, and MacOS clients. It’s now available on the full suite of popular operating systems and platforms.
Installing and configuring ProtonVPN’s Windows client was simple enough and it provided some of the best in-use statistics. Performance was at the lower end of our comparison group at 39 Mb/s down and 18 Mb/s up, compared to our usual 125 Mb/s down and 18 Mb/s up. Netflix was blocked, but Amazon Prime Video and our other test services connected without a hitch. Cost: $4/month when billed annually for the Basic plan (two devices and high speeds); $8/month when billed annually for the Plus plan (five devices and the highest speeds and access to Secure Core and Tor Servers); $24/month when billed annually for the Visionary plan (10 devices, the highest speeds, access to Secure Core and Tor Servers, and ProtonMail).
Number of servers: Depends on plan (up to 14). Number of server locations: Depends on plan (up to 112). Clients supported: Windows. Number of simultaneous connections: Depends on plan Download now for.
There are more than 120+ different VPN apps on the market today. But how do you know which one is the best VPN for Mac? Not all VPNs work with Macbook. Even some of the paid ones don’t. In fact, according to our research, more than 32% of VPNs don’t have stand-alone app for Mac.
Meaning they only work with Windows computers and/or Androids. Luckily, we’ve only listed the ones that do work with Mac. Our Review Process For Finding Best Mac VPN As you might know, we, at only focus on testing and reviewing different VPN software. In order to find the best VPN for Macbook, we compared the following:. Security and Privacy Features (Are there any IP leaks).
Speed (Will they slow down your Internet connection). Usability on Mac (+ Client Existence). Netflix and Torrenting.
Cost Obviously, these are not the only factors you should look at when deciding whether or not to purchase a VPN. However, they are some of the most important, common, and popular pain points that people have. So, without further ado, here are the top five VPNs for Mac users. ExpressVPN.com Safe, Secure, and Smooth VPN for Mac We found to be the safest, smoothest, and most secure VPN for Mac. User interface on Mac (very simple & straightforward) Security and Privacy Features ExpressVPN’s security is top-notch. It uses some of the most powerful and cutting-edge security features, such as the coupled with 256-bit AES encryption.
When you look at the best VPNs on the market today you notice almost all of them have one thing in common: the security dream team that is OpenVPN and AES-256 as opposed to obsolete protocols like PPTP. ExpressVPN also has a strict no-logging policy, meaning that they keep no trace of where you’ve been on the web and what you’ve done while connected to their service. That’s huge for a VPN. The cherry on top of this security sundae is that they’re based in the British Virgin Islands, which has no local data retention laws and exists outside the jurisdiction of the multi-nation surveillance alliances that pose a serious threat to your anonymity.
You can have total peace of mind with ExpressVPN. Mac users can rest easy knowing that this VPN has their safety in mind at all times.
Speed and Performance ExpressVPN is not, but it’s far from slow It was faster than 92% of other VPN providers. We only a saw a 13% drop in terms of load speed.
That’s barely a blip on the radar, and Mac users shouldn’t even be able to detect such a negligible difference. Some VPNs can slow down your connection by more than 80%. Fortunately, ExpressVPN isn’t one of them. Usability on Mac The ExpressVPN for Mac app is incredibly smooth and can be run on three simultaneous devices. Server changes can be done with just one click, and it runs safely minimized behind your browsing windows. The user interface is simplistic, straightforward, and easy to use. That’s just one of the many reasons why Mac users can get their money’s worth and more using this quality product.
Netflix and Torrenting For Netflix fans, we found that all. So with ExpressVPN, you can be pretty confident in bypassing the geo-blocking of most of the major streaming services out there. They also allow torrenting on all of their servers, too. It’s even listed in their. Cost and Plans ExpressVPN is far from the cheapest VPN on our list.
But you can’t deny the incredible all-around service that it offers. At its cheapest, it’s going to run over $6 per month. Ordinarily, this VPN will fun you over $8 per month, but by clicking our link below, you get access to the special pricing listed here. Read more in our full. NordVPN.com Best Bang-for-Your-Buck VPN for Mac NordVPN on Macbook comes in second to ExpressVPN on our list by the slimmest of margins.
This is a well-balanced VPN that hits every major area you’d want. This service actually doubles ExpressVPN’s connection limit, allowing up to six simultaneous devices per account.
It also improves on the one area where we feel ExpressVPN falls short: the price. Security and Privacy Features What you’ve got here is an air-tight VPN with no leaks, plus a winning security combination. First off, they’re not logging any of your information.
It’s amazing how some VPNs continue to call themselves private and anonymous in the background. Thankfully, NordVPN isn’t among them. They keep track of some data, like your email address and payment info.
But the latter can be overcome by paying them with a cryptocurrency. They use OpenVPN as one of their tunneling protocols, along with its privacy-ensuring tag team partner, AES-256 encryption. Nord also goes a step further with, sending your signal through two VPN servers for additional security. Speed and Performance We started off with a speed of around 98 Mbps, and after connecting to NordVPN, we averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of 74 Mbps. Still plenty of speed to accomplish all of your torrenting and video-streaming needs.
Usability on Mac NordVPN has a great MacOS application. It is simple and easy to use, with no learning curve whatsoever.
You can use NordVPN’s Mac app to connect to more than 5,000 servers in any of the company’s 62 countries. The app comes with a built-in kill switch, which automatically disengages your connection if it senses that an IP leak is present. We’re happy to report that no leaks whatsoever were found while testing NordVPN. Netflix and Torrenting Mac users can rejoice because out of the five NordVPN servers that we tested Netflix on, four of them worked flawlessly. Torrenting is not only allowed, but it’s also encouraged.
NordVPN has several P2P servers which are specifically designed for torrenting safely. They also work with the TOR network.
TOR is an anonymous browser which lets users peruse the Dark Web undetected. Cost and Plans It’s incredibly rare to find a VPN that’s this good and this affordable. They’re currently running a special where you can with a two-year commitment. But even when they’re not running a promotion, the regular price is just $6.99 per month for a whole year.
When it comes to getting the best bang for your buck out of a VPN for Mac, NordVPN takes the cake. Read more in our full 3. CyberGhost.com Cheap Alternative for Mac Users CyberGhost VPN of Macbook Mac users will find CyberGhost to be a well-rounded, affordable VPN with awesome usability. Security and Privacy Features The first thing you need to know about CyberGhost’s security is that the company is based out of Romania.
This location places it far from the jurisdiction of the that pool the espionage information of 14 different countries. They also provide the winning combination of OpenVPN and AES-256. Another amazing benefit of CyberGhost is that it passed our extensive IP leak test, showing that it’s a tightly-run system with no security breaches. Couple that with their strict no-logging policy and you’re good to go. Speed and Performance I won’t sugar coat.
We weren’t in love with CyberGhost’s speed performance. We started out at a benchmark download speed of 98.71 Mbps, and here’s what we got while connected to CyberGhost. CyberGhost speed is just average That’s a pretty hefty drop off, but the speed was still very manageable., you only need 25 Mbps to stream Ultra HD content, so the speed we’re getting here is more than enough to see you through. Usability on Mac CyberGhost’s Mac app is easy to use and has one-click access.
That means you just press one button and you’re off to the anonymous-internet races on up to seven simultaneous devices. See that big yellow button? That’s all you need to worry about.
Just make your selection from any of their 3,000+ servers and CyberGhost will connect and start hiding your activity. We loved the way this app worked. It was simple and user-friendly, with no major issues. Netflix and Torrenting CyberGhost fully embraces torrenting services.
It’s one of their key selling points. They even have a feature where they select untraceable servers for you to give you the best and safest torrenting experience.
As for Netflix, CyberGhost does have servers that work with it. And they take some added measures to help you along. They have a Netflix unblocking feature that keeps changing IPs whenever Netflix attempts to interfere. We tried it and loved it.
Cost and Plans One of CyberGhost’s huge selling points is its low price point. You read that right. Just $2.75 per month. CyberGhost is living proof that you don’t have to pay through the nose for a quality Mac-friendly VPN.
Read more in our full 4. Mullvad.net Most Anonymous VPN for Mac Mullvad app on Mac Mullvad is a Swedish VPN that privacy-loving Mac users will want for their very own. I’m not exaggerating. Mullvad might be the most anonymous VPN we’ve ever seen.
It’s so secure that you can actually overlook its Swedish jurisdiction, which puts it right in the crosshairs of the 14 Eyes Surveillance Alliance. Security and Privacy Features Yes, it’s Swedish location can be super problematic. But this just might be the one exception. You sign up with an email address and you’re giving an account number like something out of a Swiss bank. No addresses, phone numbers, even names!
And if you’re paying with Bitcoin there’s absolutely nothing linking you to this account. It uses our old pal OpenVPN, but it also makes use of an experimental crypto-based protocol known as Wireguard.
It has been known to deliver up to 5x faster connection speeds with no delays whatsoever. Many believe this is the next big thing for the VPN world. We’re eagerly anticipating it. Mullvad also has a smaller server park numbering 302 active servers.
Speed and Performance Mullvad is a speedy product that can connect to five simultaneous devices. We started out with a benchmark download speed near 100 Mbps and Mullvad slowed down only a bit – 82.75 Mbps using servers based in the EU. Their US server didn’t hold out as well, though, with speeds falling to 59.45 Mbps. Mullvad is actually the 10th fastest VPN that we’ve reviewed, putting it in the upper echelon of quick and efficient systems. Usability on Mac Mullvad is a straightforward, easy-to-use app on the MacOS. You enter in your Mullvad account number and either hit enter or press the green button. It will connect you right away to the server of your choice.
You can also switch locations with the press of a button. It’s a small and easily-hideable app that won’t get in the way of your activity. Netflix and Torrenting VPNs that support torrenting are hard to come by in 14 Eyes Alliance countries. But Mullvad supports P2P file sharing efforts and has even included to make sure users are torrenting safely. We tested Netflix on six different Mullvad servers. Four of them came up with nada, but two of them worked perfectly. That puts Mullvad in the elite company of these seven.
Cost and Plans This product has only one price point. It’s 5 euros per month, which comes out to $5.79 USD. While not as inexpensive as something like NordVPN or CyberGhost, getting your hands on one of the most anonymous VPNs in the world for under six bucks per month is pretty awesome. Read more in our full 5. WindScribe.com Limited Free VPN for Mac Users Windscribe app on Macbook If you’re looking for a Mac VPN that has a free option to test drive, look no further than WindScribe. Windscribe has both a paid plan and a free service. Just keep in mind that carry their own risks.
Security and Privacy Features Windscribe has the duo of OpenVPN and AES-256, proving that these two services must be doing something right since every single entry on our list makes use of them. When you first start the service up it uses IKEv2 as its default protocol, so you’re going to want to switch over to OpenVPN ASAP. They don’t log your activity, but they are keeping track of your bandwidth. That’s to keep free users from going over their allotted 14 GB per month. They also hold onto your OpenVPN username, server, connection time, and the amount of data gathered over a three minute period.
It’s also located in Canada, which puts it in the dreaded 5 Eyes Surveillance Alliance, also including the US, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. But again, it’s free!
What’s more, you can use it with an unlimited number of simultaneous devices. It’s up to you to decide whether that’s worth more than these red flags. On the plus side, we found no leaks at all, so it won’t be accidentally bleeding out your IP. It also includes 528 different servers located throughout 55 countries. It’s not a huge server park but it’s respectable. Speed and Performance We lost over half of our speed using Windscribe.
We started out at 100 Mbps and we ended up with 42.97. Is this ideal? Is it world ending? Usability on Mac We won’t lie to you: Setup. But once you’re up and running, the WindScribe app is very functional.
As you can see, there’s just one button. It’s a simple on-and-off switch, and the app itself is very small.
It can be easily minimized down into your toolbar or hidden behind your browser window so as not to impede your activity. You won’t even know it’s there. Netflix and Torrenting Windscribe will let you torrent to your heart’s content, but it’s not available on every server. If you see an icon with “P2P” crossed out, that’s a server that will not let you torrent. This has a lot to do with the various countries these servers are located in and their specific stance on torrenting. The good news is that they do offer a service called Windflix, which is a series of Netflix unblocking servers.
We tried two different servers with Windflix and both of them worked. Just keep in mind that the free Windflix plan caps you at 14 GB per month. So if you’re looking to torrent or stream a fair amount, you might want to fork over some cash and upgrade to the paid plan.
Cost and Plans Speaking of cash (how’s that for a segue?) Windscribe’s paid plans are decently priced. Their lowest tier is $3.70 per month. Canadian jurisdiction and some limited logging are not things I’m willing to pay for when there are four other VPNs on this list that do much more (sometimes for less money). Read more in our full Quick Tips for Choosing a VPN When choosing a VPN, you have to ask yourself what you’re looking to do. If you just want to browse anonymously while connected to airport WiFi, then you might be able to get away with one of the many questionable free VPNs out there. But if you’re looking to really browse the net anonymously, stream blocked content, and torrent the night away, you need to ensure your VPN has a few specific features in place. These include:.
It’s not logging information. It’s not leaking your IP address.
It has a jurisdiction outside of surveillance alliances. It’s fast. It fits your budget. It has OpenVPN and AES-256 encryption. It is user-friendly.
It runs on a multitude of devices. It allows torrenting. It can unblock Netflix Use these 10 tips and you’ll be able to find the VPN of your dreams, whether you’re connecting with a Mac, a PC, or via a smart device.