Best VPN Service Providers – Top 14 Reviewed + Compared for 2023

Having the best VPN service in place can help you get around geo-restrictions to unblock content and to access the libraries of your favorite streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or BBC iPlayer from around the world. VPN services can also stop advertisers and other parties from tracking you online and many come bundled with tools to block ads and malware – providing an additional layer of security for your internet use.

With the increased number of data leakages, finding a reliable and trustworthy VPN connection service is challenging. Because of that, we’ve decided to take the matter into our own hands and go over the entire VPN market. We have analyzed over a hundred different VPNs, and here are our top 14 best VPN service providers for 2023.

14 Best VPN Service Providers 2023 Ranked

These are the best VPN service providers that we’ve found in 2023 based on our research. ExpressVPN took the top spot overall, but the different service providers offer a range of features at various price points that cater to specific niches, from gaming to streaming to providing services for individuals who particularly prioritize security. Check out our full list below:

1. ExpressVPN — We rank this as the best VPN overall, with fast connection speeds, multiple layers of privacy protection, and great customer support.
2. PureVPN — A high-speed service that comes with 6,500 servers in 78 countries, as well as P2P-optimized network connections and zero-logging.
3. IvacyVPN — A Singapore-based provider that delivers buffer-free streaming and offers split tunneling to partition and prioritize your traffic.
4. TotalAV — Great for the security conscious with features including antivirus software, ad and malware blockers, and data breach monitoring, in addition to standard VPN tools.
5. NordVPN — One of the strongest contenders on the market, with 5,400+ servers in 60 countries and industry-leading privacy and security features.
6. AtlasVPN — A safe, reliable VPN with advanced privacy features to automatically rotate IP addresses and stop your data from leaking if your connection drops.
7. Surfshark — A fast connection at a low price that allows unlimited devices and comes with double VPN for additional privacy.
8. PrivadoVPN — A Swiss-based firm that owns its servers and has a strict no-logs policy – and a free plan that’s great for beginners.
9. CyberGhost VPN — Smart options to optimize for gaming and streaming, as well as military-grade protection and a no-logs policy.
10. IPVanish — Fast VPN service with split tunneling options and encrypted cloud storage bundled in.
11. VyprVPN — Consistent VPN provider with strong security protocols and a no-logs policy that offers great customer support.
12. ProtonVPN — One of the best free VPN services available, as well as being a reliable and safe option.
13. Private Internet Access — An intuitive service that has deep customization options and robust security protocols.
14. PrivateVPN — A reliable provider with stealth features to bypass VPN blocks and DPI Firewalls, and to circumvent geo-restrictions and unlock streaming services.

Top 14 VPN Service Providers Compared

The comparison table below includes all the details you need about the key features of the best VPN providers on the market today. Are you looking for an affordable solution, the broadest global server network, or a plan that will cover all your family’s devices? We’ve got you covered, with options to cover all these cases.

Reviews of the Best VPN Services for Complete Online Freedom

With so many options, picking the best VPN service can take time and effort. After analyzing hundreds of virtual private networks, we’ve selected 14 that excel in security, speed, pricing, server pool size, and user-friendly policies. Read on and find the most suitable VPN for you.

1. ExpressVPN — Overall, the Best VPN Service in 2023

ExpressVPN is the world’s leading VPN that stands out from the crowd with its professional features, torrent support, and multiple layers of privacy protection. The most notable standout benefit is its customer support, available 24/7 via live chat. With ExpressVPN, you won’t have to wait a day or longer to reach its support, and its team of experts will walk you through any technical issue.

ExpressVPN’s main focus is creating safer and more improved VPN protocols. Thus, you won’t find add-ons here or get malware protection. But this isn’t a major downside, as add-ons and malware are considered convenience features rather than safety-related ones.

Instead, you can enjoy high security enabled by the custom-made protocol — Lightway. That said, ExpressVPN is virtually the best VPN service for torrenting, primarily thanks to the advanced and ground-breaking protocols.

For example, the “Smart Location” option will select the closest server to provide you with the highest speed. Also, it has one of the best VPN apps that choose the best server for you through a speed server test option.

It also boasts a “zero knowledge” Domain Name Server. This is another crucial feature that goes in this provider’s favor. The private DNS increases your security and minimizes the risks of exposing your IP to potential abusers.

Because of its efficiency and speed, ExpressVPN makes the Great Firewall of China look like a small bump in the road.

Pricing

Subscribing to a multi-year option could save you a lot more money:

ExpressVPN does offer fewer servers than Private Internet Access, for instance. But it all comes down to one question – “Is it more valuable to pay less for more servers or to pay more to get impenetrable protection?”. We have no dilemma on this one, and neither should you.

2. PureVPN — High-Speed VPN With Excellent Pricing

PureVPN is a feature-packed VPN service with over 6,500 servers in 78 countries and offers access to 300,000+ IP addresses for guaranteed anonymity. With it, you can connect up to ten devices simultaneously, including PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux.

In addition, it has extensions for Google Chrome and Firefox and provides plenty of walkthroughs to help you connect to devices such as routers, Android TV, Kodi, and Amazon Firestick.

PureVPN is among the few VPN providers that offer Peer-to-Peer (P2P) optimized network connections integrated into apps for each major platform. It provides a virtual IP for P2P traffic that keeps your identity confidential, even from your ISP, since the files shared with you go through your VPN-provided IP instead of the ISP-provided address.

That makes it easy to get around regional limitations and avoid bandwidth throttling, and it increases your security while downloading files over the P2P networks with the industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption.

Regarding its speed, PureVPN is a futureproof VPN service, thanks to its 20Gbps servers in various locations. All of its servers in France, Germany, and the Netherlands are ready for the advancement of 5G technology and hypersonic speeds, as well as Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City US servers.

Besides its superb connectivity, PureVPN keeps you safe with its DNS and IP leak protection, Internet Kill Switch (IKS), and no-log policy.

Pricing

Paying for a 24-month subscription that costs as little as $2.29/month nets you three additional months free of charge.

Stream content from Netflix and other popular platforms, connect to 6,500+ servers on up to 10 devices simultaneously and stay anonymous while browsing with this affordable VPN service. Try it risk-free today, thanks to its 31-day money-back guarantee.

3. IvacyVPN — Impressive VPN for Buffer-Free Streaming

IvacyVPN is a Singapore-based VPN service provider with over 15 years of experience with internet privacy and malware protection. Besides the traditional payment methods, like PayPal and Visa, you can purchase IvacyVPN with cryptocurrency via Coingate or Bitpay, allowing you to start your VPN journey anonymously.

With its Smart Purpose Selection feature, you can specify if you want to unblock regions, download files securely, or stream your favorite shows and movies. Picking one of these options allows IvacyVPN to connect you to the fastest server for the selected purpose.

IvacyVPN unlocks everything you might need for TV streaming, including BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. Furthermore, it allows you to access all major Netflix libraries, including the US, UK, Japan, and Australia.

While most of its servers are in the US and the UK, IvacyVPN also covers South American and African countries, regions often ignored by other popular VPNs. It also has servers in countries like Turkey, Vietnam, Russia, and Hong Kong, known for their repressive internet policies.

It allows you to divide your internet traffic and select which parts get encrypted by the VPN using its reliable split tunneling feature. For example, you may want to securely stream a show on Netflix while allowing your other apps to connect normally.

Pricing

With its 5-year plan, you can get outstanding value for your money, saving up to $537 as you pay only $1/month for 60 months.

With its no-logs policy and cryptocurrency payment options, you can achieve complete anonymity using this VPN. Try it risk-free for a month, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

4. TotalAV — Popular VPN With Superb Security Features

TotalAV provides its VPN service in a convenient package that contains one of the best antiviruses, ad-blocker, and malware blockers. In addition, you’ll gain access to its data breach-checking features and comprehensive password manager.

It’s hard to imagine that you’ll ever fall victim to a cyber threat with all of these additional tools, and its VPN does a terrific job at keeping your data hidden from third parties.

The TotalAV Safe Browsing VPN has various security features that’ll help you rest easy since no malware, spyware, or trackers can harm you. It uses the industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption, usually found in bank and government software, to render your data unreadable to third parties.

Beyond this, Total Webshield is a filter designed to prevent access to malicious websites, such as phishing websites and crypto-mining URLs. Plus, you’ll appreciate its built-in Total Adblock, which prevents advertisements and third-party trackers from showing and gathering your data.

To top it off, this VPN boasts excellent speeds on nearby servers and helps you avoid bandwidth throttling by your ISP provider by hiding your activity. That means you can watch TV shows and movies online without being limited by your provider, as they sometimes slow down your internet connection when you use a high amount of bandwidth.

Pricing

TotalAV offers a single subscription option to its users, although it’s well-priced at $39/year. It’ll send you an email 30 days before it charges you again, making it easy to cancel its renewal.

You’ll appreciate that TotalAV allows up to five simultaneous connections, ensuring all your devices are protected. It’s compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try its services risk-free.

5. NordVPN — Industry-Leading Product With First-Class Privacy Features

NordVPN remains a solid choice among countless VPN users. For over a decade, NordVPN has been delivering flawless services in protecting their users’ privacy. The number of servers is jaw-dropping, as you can hook on over 5,400 servers across 60+ countries to access geo-restricted content while keeping your IP anonymous.

NordVPN is an excellent all-around virtual private network service that allows you to stream and download files with minimal influence on your internet speed. We tested NordVPN speed several times and recorded 5% to 8% speed drops, which is impressive.

On top of this, it also owns most of its servers, thus reducing the chances of data leakage to a minimum. Its servers store data in RAM, meaning you can safely surf the internet without leaving any traces, as it’ll erase your data every time the server restarts.

NordVPN also doesn’t store any data and protects your IP address and other valuable information from any third-party influence. Regarding security, this is among the best-rated VPN services you can find.

Besides all this, NordVPN also offers a kill switch. If your VPN connection drops for any reason, the kill switch option will effectively shut down your internet connection and protect your data from falling into the wrong hands.

The kill-switch is a built-in feature for iOS and macOS users, whereas you’ll need to enable it on Linux and Android.

Pricing

You can get NordVPN for as little as $4.19 per month and save up to 57% if you register right now. Besides being one of the best VPN apps for streaming, you’ll keep your connection secure and private; plus, you can connect up to 6 devices with one subscription.

With NordVPN, you can access thousands of servers and enjoy enhanced security backed by a configurable kill switch, Dark Web Monitoring, and split tunneling features for the price of one gallon of milk.

6. AtlasVPN — User-Friendly VPN for Unlimited Devices

AtlasVPN has a generous free plan, a cheap paid plan, versatile features, and a high overall performance, making it one of the best VPN services this year.

Its additional features include a data breach monitoring feature that’ll notify you if your data leaks on the internet and an ad blocker which prevents even the most persistent ads from showing.

You won’t need more than one AtlasVPN account to protect all your devices, as it allows unlimited connections through a single subscription. Furthermore, it has a unique feature, SafeSwap, that makes it stand out from the crowd as it regularly changes your IP address, even when you remain connected to one server.

Regarding essential features, it has a reliable Kill Switch that’ll automatically disconnect you if your VPN connection is interrupted, preventing your real IP from leaking to third parties.

AtlasVPN also features the exceptional WireGuard protocol that boasts high speeds and the standard IKEv2 protocol. Enabling WireGuard and connecting to a nearby server allows you to stream content from Disney+, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and other streaming services without issues.

Beyond this, first-time VPN users will appreciate how user-friendly this VPN is, as its interface doesn’t require you to be a tech genius to navigate and understand.

Pricing

AtlasVPN’s free plan is limited to only three servers and 5GB of data, but it allows unlimited connections and reliably blocks ads.

However, for just $1.83/month for Atlas VPN’s three-year plan, you can connect to all its 750+ servers and get unlimited data, making it a superior and cost-effective choice for extensive use. Try Atlas VPN today and take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.

7. Surfshark — Fast, Affordable Service with Double VPN

Surfshark is definitely one of the best VPN service providers. It offers decent speeds and features that amaze even the most experienced users. That said, you can get this VPN cheaply and get a lot in return.

Admittedly, Surfshark isn’t the fastest VPN you’ll find. However, a 5-10% slower connection won’t make much difference for an average user. You probably won’t notice these small speed drops. Still, Surfshark makes up for the speed with high-quality servers.

Your torrenting or streaming experience won’t suffer. You can download your favorite content at relatively high speeds. Also, Surfshark is excellent for unblocking Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other reputable streaming platforms.

Security won’t be an issue with Surfshark, either. The kill-switch option comes with a basic package, so you don’t have to pay extra for this. Double VPN is another great addition. It allows you to connect through two different locations for added security.

So, for example, you can connect through a server in Germany and then get attached to another in Argentina, making it near impossible to track your activity back to you.

Pricing

Surfshark belongs to the group of cheaper VPNs. A regular monthly subscription is only $12.95. However, if you opt for a 2-year plan, it’ll cost just $2.30/month.

While its speed may seem a bit behind its main competitors like ExpressVPN, Surfshark has advantages. You can connect unlimited devices for less than $3 a month.

8. PrivadoVPN — Free Plan is Ideal for Beginners

PrivadoVPN stands out from the rest of the crowd with its wide coverage, and it offers stable speeds and above-average protection.

Right off the bat, you’ll be welcomed with a brief but detailed tutorial. The quick tour explains the basics and helps you to get the most out of PrivadoVPN. This is especially great for beginners, as they don’t have to be afraid of whether they’ll click the wrong button.

With that said, PrivadoVPN is the go-to solution for anyone looking for the best free VPN. The free plan comes with premium security and a handful of servers — perfect for testing the waters before deciding whether to upgrade your subscription.

PrivadoVPN’s premium plan offers slightly above 300 servers. Moreover, this provider owns most of its servers, and although it’s a small fleet compared to rivals, all of them are high-quality.

On top of this, PrivadoVPN is a solid no-log company based in Switzerland. This means the provider isn’t obligated to share information about your browsing history and sessions with anyone.

Pricing

You’ll probably be faced with the dilemma of whether to go for the free or paid versions. With the free plan, you can have 1 connection and use up to 10GB of data. For a periodic user, this might be enough.

On the other hand, for only $3.99/month, you can get up to 10 connections and unlimited data. Not to mention you’ll have virus protection. If you need a stable and secure connection with almost zero to no drops, then PrivadoVPN will be worth your buck.

9. CyberGhost VPN — Great Service for Gaming

CyberGhost VPN is a decent choice if you’re looking for a reliable VPN that secures your data and offers just enough features — particularly for those after the best VPN for gaming and torrenting.

CyberGhost comes with military-grade protection. You can rely on several security protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. Also, its no-logs policy was independently audited and passed the most rigorous security checks.

Beyond this, your interface won’t be stacked with too many features, either. But on the whole, it’s more than enough for an average user looking to protect their IP while gaming or browsing the web. Another great thing is that you can select optimized servers for gaming and streaming. Whenever you pick a streaming platform, the app gives you a list of optimized servers.

On top of this, CyberGhost offers a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee. This is great as you’ll have enough time to test different features, and if you decide you want your money back, it’ll provide you with a refund.

Pricing

You can grab one of the fastest VPN services at a bargain price of only $2.19. If you need an extra layer of security, you can get an antivirus + security updater for just $1 extra.

CyberGhost doesn’t offer many features like ExpressVPN, for example. However, you can get a reliable VPN and full access to 9,700+ servers for a low price.

10. IPVanish — Optimized iPhone App with Split Tunneling Options

IPVanish allows you to organize and adjust the user interface to get the maximum pleasure while streaming and torrenting. Also, it’s one of the best VPNs for iPhone and offers a responsive app. On the other hand, no dedicated app is available for Linux users.

With IPVanish, you get a VPN with a split tunneling option that allows you to choose which apps you visit through VPN and which through ISP.

When you combine the split tunneling option with great speeds and Socks5 proxy, you get an ideal VPN for torrenting. With that said, we haven’t experienced any major speed drops, and the VPN has done a fantastic job maintaining high performance.

Beyond this, SugarSync is a feature you won’t encounter with other VPNs — as one of the best VPN service providers, you get encrypted cloud storage, which will be available if you’re ready to pay a little extra.

Pricing

With IPVanish, you can connect to over 40,000 addresses for as little as $3.33 for a 2-year subscription. On top of that, you get a 30-day refund guarantee. So, if there’s anything you don’t particularly like about this VPN, you can get your money back with no fuss.

When it comes to torrenting, PrivadoVPN may seem like a better choice. However, with IPVanish, you can connect an unlimited number of devices at a decent speed for a significantly lower price.

11. VyprVPN — Swiss-based VPN with Strong Encryption

VyprVPN deserves attention for being reliable and consistent. It lacks a few features, but overall, it’s a convenient VPN with an excellent interface.

As aforementioned, the best VPN service providers boast a no-log policy. In terms of data retention and keeping their users’ information private, VyprVPN belongs to the very top.

Based in Switzerland, VyprVPN falls under the local jurisdiction and, as such, isn’t under any obligation to share details about its users. On the other end, the VPN doesn’t offer a massive chunk of features.

You won’t find split tunneling or Socks5 proxy support. However, there are a few convenience features, such as ad blocking, Firestick support, and browser extensions. Plus, they offer around-the-clock support via email and live chat.

Of course, this won’t affect your browsing experience directly. However, if you’re new to the whole VPN scene, you’ll probably have a bunch of questions. This is where VyprVPN support steps up, and they’ll provide you with the necessary assistance.

Pricing

With a monthly subscription price of $5, VyprVPN aims to take slightly more room into your budget. But, if you wish to take extra caution and protect yourself from potential abusers, remember that VyprVPN supports several protocols.

While it doesn’t have a spread network of servers like ExpressVPN, VyprVPN does own its servers, which significantly impacts its speed and the aforementioned security. The bottom line is — it’ll be worth every cent.

12. ProtonVPN — Best Free VPN Service Provider

ProtonVPN is known as a reliable and safe VPN. On top of that, it’s famous for allowing people to browse the web anonymously and – for free.

Like VyprVPN, Proton is also based in Switzerland. Hence, it boasts a no-logs policy and is considered safe and secure. Additionally, all Proton apps are open source, meaning developers can freely access the source codes and test them for bugs.

That said, ProtonVPN has both free and paid subscription plans. The free version allows you to connect through three countries and offers around a hundred servers. If you need a VPN to bypass public Wi-Fi or some office restrictions while at work, a free ProtonVPN will fit you ideally.

However, if you intend to use VPNs for streaming, going for the paid option would be the best of choices. You’ll unlock P2P servers on the paid version as well. In addition, you’ll get NetShield, a unique DNS filtering feature that keeps malware and ads away during your online activity.

Pricing

As mentioned earlier, ProtonVPN is available for free. However, the freemium version doesn’t support streaming and P2P file sharing. Still, a cash-free option would be a good fit if you’re an occasional user who likes to visit a few websites daily.

With the price of $5 per month, ProtonVPN is more expensive than PureVPN, for example. However, Proton does offer a unique VPN accelerator, something you won’t find with others. This feature is available for paid versions and boosts your internet speed by 400%.

13. Private Internet Access — Reliable VPN with Robust Security Protocols

Private Internet Access is suitable for both beginners and experienced users. On the one hand, less tech-savvy users can set up their app quite quickly, as it’s intuitive and straightforward. On the other hand, PIA offers users a chance to customize OpenVPN protocols.

Private Internet Access boasts a massive network of servers across over 100 locations. You can pick between 84 different countries, including China. It boasts a gigantic server count, which results in high-speed torrenting and flawless streaming.

We tested this claim and discovered minimum speed losses – under 8% – which is fantastic. You can unblock virtually any major streaming platform, though you might occasionally have to change between US servers to access Netflix.

PIA also offers robust security protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard, with additional security features, including the basic and advanced kill switch. If you use the VPN for streaming and browsing the web only, a basic kill switch will be enough to satisfy your needs.

Despite having a range of servers, PIA allows you to pick a dedicated IP. This is ideal if you have a few sites that you frequently visit and you want your IP to remain the same to make your browsing smoother.

The multi-hop option lets you choose between Shadow socks and SOCKS5 proxy. These are handy options if you wish to optimize your torrenting speed.

Pricing

For only $2.03, PIA is among the most affordable VPNs on the market — plus, you’ll get a 3-year access with a 3 months bonus.

Private Internet Access isn’t at the top of the best VPN for Netflix list; however, it has other advantages you can exploit. It’s the perfect choice if you need a reliable VPN provider to bypass geo-restrictions or access censored content.

14. PrivateVPN — Reliable Provider with Strong Stealth Features

PrivateVPN uses AES-256 protection like the rest of its competitors so that you can enjoy a secure internet connection with minimal or no speed drops. Also, the app comes with an effective kill switch.

Stealth VPN is another great feature offered by PrivateVPN. It bypasses VPN blocks and DPI Firewalls, thus presenting the traffic to your ISP as “usual.” This option is excellent for unblocking major streaming services and bypassing geo-restrictions such as the Great Firewall of China.

Besides this, PrivateVPN allows you to browse the web at decent speeds. However, you need to pick servers physically close to your location if you wish to enjoy the optimum performance. The more distant server you choose, the more your connection will drop.

That said, it also does a great job unblocking streaming services like Hulu or Amazon Prime. You can also expect top-notch performance for BBC iPlayer, which makes it among the best UK VPNs.

However, you could experience minor connection drops and inconsistency when connecting to Netflix.

Pricing

For only $2 (with a three-year billing period), you get a fast and reliable VPN service that allows you to connect up to 10 devices at once. PrivateVPN supports multiple operating systems and is among the best VPNs for PC.

Although PrivateVPN doesn’t boast a massive server network like ExpressVPN, you still get plenty for a $2 subscription.

Why Do I Need a VPN?

You may be thinking that if you have nothing to hide, you don’t need a VPN – but they can actually still provide some extremely useful services for you without going anywhere near anything shady. At its core a VPN – a virtual private network – allows you to anonymize your web activity by masking your IP address and making it invisible to your internet service provider (ISP). This stops hackers and advertisers from tracking your connection, keeping your traffic private and secure.

Many people use public Wi-Fi without knowing their data can be easily compromised. A VPN can keep your information away from any potential intruders. If you use restricted networks, a VPN can also help you to bypass firewalls and access blocked content.

On top of this, popular streaming networks like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer are unavailable in many countries. The best VPN service helps you navigate geo-restrictions and access your favorite streaming content and content libraries that are unavailable from your location. And it can do all this without having any impact on your connection speed.

What’s the Best Free VPN Service? Free vs. Paid VPNs

During the course of our research, we found that both PrivadoVPN and ProtonVPN are candidates for provider of the best free VPN service in 2023. ProtonVPN likely comes out ahead, though, offering access to servers in the US, the Netherlands, and Japan, and with no limitations on data use.

Indeed, there are no limitations on your use of the service. Even better is the fact that the provider includes a VPN kill switch with the free service – immediately cutting data transfer in the event that the VPN connection drops, meaning your connection remains secure and private whatever happens. This is a great feature and impressive with a free plan.

One of the drawbacks of the service is, of course, the very low number of servers and geos covered – which may be a showstopper if you need to view pages or resources from specific geos or a wide range of locations around the world.

Also, while free virtual private networks can do a great job of hiding your IP address when visiting various websites, it falls short compared to premium VPNs when it comes to streaming. Paid virtual private networks allow you to access thousands of servers across hundreds of countries — including in strict and censorship-prone countries like Turkey, Russia, and China.

Additionally, it’s essential to mention that all paid VPN services offer free trials. While it’s true you’re expected to pay at one point, this is a great way for you to see how a paid VPN performs at various tasks. If you’re unsatisfied, you can get a refund after the trial period.

How We Ranked the Best VPN Services

Given the large number of products on the global VPN service market, it can be challenging to pick the right one, especially if you’ve never used one before. While hundreds of virtual private networks advertise themselves as the best in the business, we believe that only a dozen deserve their place on this list. Here are the main parameters we looked at when choosing the best VPN service in 2023:

Performance and Speed

There’s no room for bugs or glitches with a VPN service. The best virtual private networks have to run smoothly in the background without affecting your computer’s CPU performance.

And the best VPNs allow you to browse the web with minimal influence on your internet speed. You’ll be able to upload and download content at high speed and without any interference from your VPN.

Connection Stability

The stability of your internet connection is key to protecting your online privacy. Every time your connection drops while using VPN, your computer is at risk of being discovered by hackers or other internet abusers.

The VPNs that we picked generally have an integrated kill switch. This feature automatically shuts down your internet connection in case of drops, thus preventing the possibility of any data leakage.

Privacy Policies

We only selected VPNs with a no-logs policy. This means they’ll store your data on RAM, and consequently, the provider won’t keep track of your browsing history and will immediately delete all data once you shut down the app. This means that the provider doesn’t preserve any information or records about your internet use, and your anonymized connection should prevent monitoring from your internet service provider or otherwise.

Security

Having a secure, private connection is fundamental to VPN functionality, so we took care to choose VPNs that prioritized delivering excellent security. As well as having strict no-logs policies, we looked for providers offering AES-256 encryption, as well as features like kill switches, leak protection, and IP shuffling.

Having multiple security protocols available and options like split tunneling – securing specific traffic – is an added bonus.

Value for Money

We set out to recommend products that suit a range of budgets. The most bulletproof service available isn’t necessarily ideal if it costs the Earth, after all.

Given this, we put forward premium products that come with the best features available, but we’ve also included affordable alternatives with our list, as well as the best free VPN service providers for occasional users. If you can get all the functionality you need for less, then why pay more?

Dispersed Server Networks

The VPN services that we chose have substantial server networks with geographic distribution spread around the world. That means they’re able to cater to users looking to log in from specific geos, who want to bypass local geo-restrictions, or who simply want anonymized local internet access.

The best providers in the business will tick all three boxes, offering high-speed connections and, critically, the access options their users need.

User Feedback

When researching products and services, it’s important to us that we take real user experiences into account. When we put together our shortlist of the best virtual private networks available, we hence sought out peoples’ opinions about how those services actually fared in practice.

It’s perhaps no surprise then that the providers we’ve highlighted are focused on delivering excellent service for their customers – and they have excellent reputations in the field for delivering secure, anonymous internet access for their users.

Are There Drawbacks to VPNs?

Using a VPN is a great way to browse the internet securely and privately and to get around surveillance and censorship from your government and your ISP. That said, there are some small downsides to using a VPN.

Firstly, it does cost money – and we really don’t recommend using “free” services that come with severe usage restrictions or, in the worst cases, may otherwise expose your data to malicious actors. This is obviously the exact opposite of what you want to happen if you’re seeking to secure your connection.

Due to the technicalities of re-routing your traffic, you may also have a slight reduction in your connection speed – though the best providers offer lightning-fast services that are ideal for gaming and streaming.

You should also consider the law around VPN use in your region. They’re unfortunately banned entirely in Belarus, Iraq, North Korea, and Turkmenistan, and there are restrictions around usage in India, Russia, and China – though they’re entirely legal for the most part in North America and Europe.

Best VPN Guides and Resources

Our expert researchers have put together a range of detailed resources on the best VPN services, which you can find below:

• Best Android VPNs
• Best VPN for iPhone
• Fastest VPNs
• Best VPNs, according to Reddit
• Best VPN for Linux
• Best VPN for Netflix
• Best VPN for business
• ExpressVPN Review – Everything You Need To Know
• PureVPN – An In-Depth Review
• Surfshark review – How Good Is Surfshark?
• CyberGhost VPN review – Is CyberGhost Worth Using?
• ProtonVPN review – An In-Depth Look
• Norton VPN review – Is Norton VPN Any Good
• Best VPN for the UK
• Best VPN for India
• Best VPN for the UAE
• Best VPN for Malaysia

Conclusion – What’s the Best VPN Service for 2023? ExpressVPN

There are a whole range of virtual private networks to pick from today, and the best VPN service providers face some tough competition. Nevertheless, there are a handful of market leaders that deliver a truly outstanding service when it comes to points like speed, safety, security, and trustworthiness.

We’ve picked the 14 best VPNs and created a list that caters to distinctive tastes. You can select different VPN types depending on your personal needs and goals. But one thing is certain – whichever you choose, you won’t regret it.

So, what is the best and most trusted VPN? Based on our research, we can’t recommend ExpressVPN highly enough. Try it risk-free now with the money-back guarantee.

Best VPN FAQs