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What Is a VPN & Why You Need One
Definition
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a piece of software that keeps your internet activity private and secure. When running, a VPN app creates a secure connection (tunnel) between your device and a private VPN server before forwarding your web traffic on to the website or application you’re trying to reach.
Routing your traffic through a secure VPN server prevents third-parties, like your Internet Service Provider, from tracking and logging what you do online. It also prevents hackers intercepting your internet data transfers.
The illustration below shows how a VPN works:
Sadly, not every VPN is trustworthy or effective. Many VPNs, especially free ones, suffer from privacy and security flaws, slow speeds, limited server ranges and compatibility.
For the best experience, we recommend using a top-rated VPN. They reliably change your IP address, protecting and enhancing your internet access around the world.
Highly Recommended VPNs in 2024
Based on our latest tests, here are three of our favorite VPNs:
- ExpressVPN: Best VPN Overall. Visit Website.
- PIA VPN: Best Cheap VPN. Visit Website.
- CyberGhost: Best VPN Risk-free Trial. Visit Website
Why Trust Us?
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our advice is based on our own testing results and is unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
| VPNs Tested | 61 |
| Total Hours of Testing | 30,000+ |
| Combined Years of Experience | 50+ |
Three Recommended VPNs Reviewed
Since 2016 we’ve tested and reviewed 61 VPNs on criteria such as speed, security, privacy, customer support, and more.
Below are brief summaries of some of the top-performing VPNs this month.
ExpressVPN: Best VPN Overall
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ExpressVPN is the best VPN service of 2024, excelling in all our testing categories. It’s highly secure, consistently fast, and it worked smoothly on all our test devices.
In our experience, the VPN service is particularly suited for fast HD/4K streaming, lag-free gaming, and anonymous torrenting around the world.
On the rare occasion we incurred a technical issue, ExpressVPN’s excellent 24/7 customer support was knowledgeable and quick to help resolve the problem.
Private Internet Access: Best Cheap VPN
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Private Internet Access (PIA) is a highly private zero-logs VPN with the largest server network available.
PIA’s VPN server network is not only the largest there is, but it’s also one of the most secure we’ve tested.
The service provides access to 18,651 no-logs VPN servers in 91.
We were pleased to record fast connection speeds across all servers, particularly when file sharing and downloading torrent files.
The impact of the VPN’s server size on short-distance speeds is significant: we recorded an internet speed loss of just 5% connecting to nearby server locations within New York.
The American-based VPN also comes with many advanced security settings, as well as a rare native application for Linux, to keep your internet activity private and secure.
CyberGhost: Best VPN Risk-free Trial
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We recommend CyberGhost to those looking to trial a high-performing VPN for up to 45 days.
One of the reasons why CyberGhost is popular with remote workers and travelers is its wide network of 12,000 servers.
With so many servers available in 100 countries, connecting to a nearby server is quick and with little traffic congestion.
Additionally, CyberGhost’s Dedicated IP is ideal for users that need to connect to specific web services using the same private dedicated IP address.
Dedicated IPs cost extra, though, and are only available in Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US.
Why You Should Use a VPN
There are several advantages to using a VPN service.
VPN services are typically used to:
- Protect sensitive data transfers on public WiFi networks.
- Hide your web traffic from Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
- Securely access websites and apps around the world.
- Safeguard your identity and activity while torrenting.
We’ve explained each benefit in more detail below:
1. Encrypt Data Transfers on Public WiFi Networks
Cybercriminals take advantage of public WiFi networks without password protection to steal sensitive data like your bank details and passwords.
When you use a public WiFi connection that doesn’t require a password, you’re putting your sensitive data at risk.
VPN software can protect your web traffic from hackers and other third parties. It encrypts your browsing activity and makes it almost impossible for criminals to intercept your data transfers.
2. Hide Your Web Activity from Your ISP
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like AT&T and Verizon monitor every website you visit and every unencrypted message you send.
An ISP can see any HTTPS web domain and any HTTP web page you visit. Depending on where you live, it will almost certainly be required by law to store your browsing history for years.
In some instances, ISPs can even decide to throttle and slow down your internet speed based on the web services you use.
A VPN encrypts your web requests as they travel from your device to the VPN server. Your ISP will know you’re using a VPN, but it won’t know what websites, applications and web services you’re accessing.
Therefore, your ISP will find it much harder to track your activity and browsing history on the web.
By changing your IP address, VPN services also make it much harder for the websites you visit to identify you.
3. Securely Access Sites & Apps Worldwide
Not all websites are available in every country, for a variety of reasons.
Typically, either the website itself or your ISP prevent you from accessing certain websites by blocking your public IP address.
You can use a VPN to switch your real IP address with an IP address from another country to regain access.
Hide Your IP Address While Torrenting
P2P file-sharing without a VPN or proxy can be dangerous. Your personal IP address is visible to everyone you’re sharing files with, and your ISP can track your download activity.
A VPN hides your IP address, your identity, and your file-sharing activity from both your ISP and other users. This protects you from the risks of torrenting with your real IP address.
We tested CyberGhost’s torrenting capabilities on qBittorrent.
Limitations of VPN Services
VPN services are great for improving your online security, privacy, and freedom. But even the best VPNs come with limitations.
Below are some things that VPN software can’t do:
- Provide complete virus and malware protection. Always use trusted antivirus software, even if your VPN has a malware-blocking tool.
- Store all your passwords securely. Some VPNs now offer password managers, but we suggest using established ones like 1Password.
- Increase your internet speed. The only exception is if your ISP is throttling your connection.
- Make you completely anonymous. VPNs can improve your privacy, but they can’t make you completely anonymous. There are other ways to track your activity online including browser fingerprinting, tracking scripts, and traffic analysis.
How to Use a VPN Service
Below are simple steps on how to use VPN software on your device:
- Sign up to your chosen VPN service. We recommend ExpressVPN.
- Download and install the VPN software on your device.
- Sign in to your VPN with your account details.
- Go into the application’s settings and ensure the VPN kill switch is turned on. This prevents your real IP
address leaking if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly. - Return to the app’s home screen, and select the VPN server location you want to connect to.
- Click or tap ‘Connect’ on the VPN app and after a second or two you will connect to your chosen VPN server.
- Once you’re connected to a VPN server, you will be assigned the IP address of that server.
- Your device’s internet connections are now more secure and private thanks to the VPN in operation.
The video below shows how easy it to use a VPN application. In this example, we show ExpressVPN and PIA VPN side by side.
ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access are both very easy to use.
The Dangers of Free VPNs
There are hundreds of free VPNs on the market, but most of them are limited at best and dangerous at worst.
The main issues with free VPNs are: monthly data caps, limited server choice, slow speeds, and abuse of your personal data.
The True Cost of Free VPNs
VPN services can monetize your data in unexpected ways.
It’s expensive to develop and operate a reliable VPN, and many low-cost or free services choose to subsidize the price of subscription with income from other channels.
If you’re not paying for your VPN service at all, it’s likely that some form of data collection, sharing, or sale is occurring in order to cover the cost of the product.
Many of these free services also rely heavily on advertising, which is less than ideal for privacy.
Our investigations have revealed that some of the most popular free VPNs on the market have secret links to mainland China, while 85% of the most popular free Android VPN apps feature excessive permissions with the potential for privacy abuses.
While there are a few good free VPNs worth using, their limitations are evident. If you only need a VPN for a short period of time, considering taking advantage of a VPN risk-free trial.