Best VPN Services to use in 2024

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Last Updated on 07/04/2024 by Gaz S

VPN for online privacy

VPNs function as an intermediary when connecting to the internet, thus hiding your device’s IP address and protecting your identity. Additionally, if the data is intercepted, which is rare, it becomes unreadable until the recipient receives it. A private tunnel is created from your computer to the internet and hides important data through encryption.

Encryption hides your data in a way that it can’t be read without a strong password known as a key. The key breaks the code that your vital data has been transformed into. Only the VPN server and your computer know the key. Decryption is a process used to decode the encrypted data making it readable via application of the key.

VPN Services can also help you access a restricted network. With a VPN you can access region-restricted sites and access things you could not access normally. Furthermore, you may find that your public library, school, college, or office may restrict certain words or sites. You can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. Other people do not want their employers spying on their browser activities during work hours, so they use a VPN.

VPN and Netflix

Furthermore, many people use VPN Services to access all Netflix content from anywhere. Netflix usually imposes restrictions to subscribers in different locations, particularly those outside the US, where content licensing varies. Using a VPN, you can stream movies and TV shows that are accessible in a different location but restricted in your country.

VPN Services also offer better protection, especially on Public Wi-Fi. Your favourite local café or coffee house may have a weak network that can be pried easily. The same goes for airports and hotels. A VPN adds an extra layer of security in public places.

A VPN network offers better VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone calls. VOIP is like Google Hangouts or Skype, and it’s a free or affordable way to contact people. Just like other internet services, VOIP can be hacked. Therefore, a virtual private network can prevent hackers from tracking your VOIP phone calls.

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VPN Service Reviews

VPN Services

Want to know what a VPN is and what is it used for? Nord VPN tells Best Media Tools readers all about VPN.

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1. NordVPN Review

NordVPN is a secure, fast, and easy to use VPN. It uses the OpenVPN tunnelling protocol and standard 256-bit AES encryption by default. NordVPN packs more than 5300 serves across 59 countries, which makes access to restricted content and streaming easy to accomplish. NordVPN supports P2P and torrenting on all servers.

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Nordvpn review

Features

NordVPN is packed with amazing features. It comes with incredible privacy provisions that keep your data safe. Nord VPN has a no-log policy that ensures that sensitive browsing data is not recorded on the VPN’s servers. On the other hand, the double encryption features allow users to connect two servers at the same time, which gives it an extra layer of security.

Furthermore, NordVPN has an Onion network that offers unmatched anonymity. If you want your browsing information to stay safe, then NordVPN is your best choice.

NordVPN has added a feature known as CyberSec that protects your device from malicious sites or software. If you choose to activate this feature, it blocks intrusive ads, malware, and phishing scams, improving or speeding up your browsing experience.

Speed

In 2020, NordVPN introduced a VPN protocol called NordLynx that improves its speed. NordLynx is an extension of Wireguard, which is more efficient and newer than older protocols such as IKEv2 and OpenVPN. Consequently, NordVPN is the fastest VPN. It is fast enough to stream videos in 4K resolution, high-quality video conferencing, livestream HD video without sacrificing security. 

Ease of Use

NordVPN ‘s desktop and mobile applications download quickly and the setup is straightforward. The VPN requires only three steps to connect to a server. The installation process can take less than five minutes. NordVPN comes with a feature called Quick Connect that allows you to find a server quickly.  There is also a list of countries on the left side of the application that makes it easy for you to switch to other places and find the servers you need.

Besides, you can add servers to a favourite list to make sure the ones you use repeatedly are within easy reach. The apps have extra features that you can personalize to add more or less customization, privacy, and setting.

Pricing

NordVPN provides four pricing plans:

  • $125.64 every 3 years
  • $119.76 every two years
  • $83.88 annually
  • $11.95 per month

The discount increases with the increase of the signup period but you get the same features regardless of the plan you choose. For the incredible value it provides, this VPN is priced reasonably. It is affordable even for people who are on a budget. When compared to other VPNs, NordVPN offers the best value in the market, particularly for individuals looking for a long-term service that has access to premium features.

Support

The customer support has a 24/7 live chat that offers quick and professional responses. The Tutorial section is divided by platforms which makes it easy to find what you need. There are also detailed walkthroughs for those using NordVPN apps. The availability of different options means there are multiple ways of contacting customer services and getting solutions from a professional.

Conclusion

Excellent features, speed, security, and great customer support make NordVPN an incredible choice for browsing and streaming.

2. CyberGhost VPN Review

CyberGhost VPN have come a long way since its inception in 2011. Within the last couple of years this German and Romanian based cyber security company has built its security network up to just over 7000 servers, which they have in place in over 90 countries, giving you a truly global option to secure your connection. CyberGhost currently serves its trusted network to over 10 million users worldwide.

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CyberGhostVPN

Features

CyberGhost VPN can connect with up to seven servers at the same time. However, automated HTTPS redirection assures the most secure connection for websites. Apart from this, the optional data compression can reduce the bandwidth. So, at this point we would like to tell you about many other features;

Speed

The performance of CyberGhost VPN is nearly unquestionable. According to the UK servers, the average speed was around 65-70Mbps on a fibre broadband connection line. However, the added encryption reduced the performance, and the rate dropped up to 6-7%. However, There is a mixed bag when it comes a CyberGhost speed test:

• Download speed percentage: 73.9%
• Upload speed percentage: 28.2%
• Latency percentage: 35.7% 

However, the average speed is around the 55Mbps with 4K UHD of video streaming support.

Ease of Use

Ease of use
CyberGhost has developed apps, services, and features that make the whole VPN experience smoother.
After login in, you will just hit the power button to activate the server. Apart from this, you can use the drop-down menu to find servers for torrents and online streaming platforms.
Manually finding and connecting the server is another option to make the process easy.
You can also see the number of users and load percentage at each server. You can change the general setting by clicking at the cog icon.
CyberGhost VPN also provides you with an add blocker, WIFI protection, and data compression according to needs.
CyberGhost say you can also enjoy following streaming services:

• Netflix
• Amazon prime
• Hulu
• HBO Now
• BBC iplayer
• And Crunchyroll

Pricing

Here you have 3 plans to choose from.

One month, 18 months, and six months.

However, you can save up to 79% if you choose the 18-month plan. CyberGhost offers the 45 days money-back guarantee for all plans except I month plan. For a one-month plan, there is the facility of a 14-days money-back guarantee. There’s also a 24-hour free trial to check the services and features.

Other features included in CyberGhost VPN.
• 24-hour responsive customer support that provides help
• Apps for Android, Windows, macOS, IOS and many other
• Unlimited bandwidth and traffic
• Leak protection system
• And strict no logs policy along with many other

Support

CyberGhost VPN support is based on the usual how to guides, but they do cover Windows, Mac and ios and even go in to detail on how to set it up on amazon fire os, kodi media centres and your own router. There is also the obligatory web based chat system if you need direct help.

Conclusion

CyberGhost is a capable and trusted VPN service with full features and easy to use interface. So, there is a lot to like about CyberGhost as your trusted VPN service. However, the big bag of services at an affordable price makes it a very good choice to get you all the privacy and protection that you need. Thus, you can give this efficient and user-friendly service a chance. I hope the fast and reliable speed with the assurance of security would not disappoint.

3. VyprVPN Review

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VyprVPN

Features

VyprVPN is a VPN service that comes from Switzerland. The service is designed with the idea of helping you unblock websites and services from other countries. At the same time, it helps retain your anonymity online, and it’s very easy to adapt and adjust to your own requirements. To make it even better, it always encourages you to check out a multitude of options and features, as you will notice below.
The company has around 700 servers, most of them are in Europe and the US. They do own all the servers however, which means you don’t have to worry about any privacy problems, since everything comes together nicely and without any problems. There’s no data logging either, which means you can stay safe online without any issues, and that alone will help you quite a bit. 

Speed

When you use VyprVPN, you can expect speeds ranging from 20 to 55 mbps. This varies based on what server you are using. Granted, while speeds are lower if compared to other VPN solutions. But it’s still pretty good if you don’t want to use resource-intensive things. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Ease of Use

The tool is built upon OpenVPN, but they did include some features to really make things more interesting and dependable. There are also great security features like a kill switch or a toggle that helps you open a VPN when you connect to the public Wi-Fi. That alone can really make a massive difference.

Pricing

The price for VyprVPN is a bit on the high side. It will cost you $12.95 per month. However, if you go for the yearly plan it just costs $3.75 per month. If you go for 2 years, then it will be $2.50 per month. So it’s easy to see that they encourage you to go for a yearly basis, and that alone can be a very good experience if you want continual protection. You do have a 30-day money back guarantee, however there’s no trial version to test out and see how the service is working.

Support

VyprVpn support has a extensive step by step written instruction based support guide ie; how to set up your VyprVPN. If you cannot find your answer in any of their comprehensive guides then they have a web based chat system you can use.

Conclusion

We were happy with the VyprVPN performance, although the speeds can be improved. There’s also a lack of cryptocurrency support when you pay, which can be a problem for some people. Overall, it’s a very good idea to take your time and constantly focus on delivering the best value and experience. It’s imperative to know what you are getting into here, and if you manage it correctly, then nothing is impossible and you will be incredibly happy with the process. Going for the long term use is the smart approach here, and you will be very happy with their performance.

4. ExpressVPN Review

ExpressVPN is widely known for being a very fast and reliable VPN service. If you want to stay safe in the online world, you need a good VPN, and that’s why it makes a lot of sense to try out ExpressVPN. This is a solution that helps you stay anonymous online, not to mention you can play videogames, stream Netflix from other country or even reach blocked content as needed.

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ExpressVPN

Features

You get 160 servers you can choose from, and these are spread over 94 countries. Some would say that there are not that many servers, but you’re getting a pretty good value and quality for the money, and the results themselves are pretty impressive. You do have many servers for countries like the US, and they do show you a speed test for any server so you can figure out which is the better option.

ExpressVPN supports open VPN UDP/TCP and it also allows you to configure routers to use OpenVPN as needed. You can use it on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. They also offer support for the older L2TP protocol and you also have PPTP support. So yes, ExpressVPN does cover pretty much all you need, and the experience as a whole is a very good one.

Speed

On average, we had a speed of 58 mbps. Of course things will differ based on where you are located, but for the most part you are getting a very good deal, and the quality itself is impressive. In addition, you can do 4k streaming if you want, so that alone will be incredibly helpful too.

Ease of Use

ExpressVPN has a very good, simple interface. It doesn’t make things more challenging, instead it actually goes the opposite route and it makes stuff easier for you all the time. It eliminates challenges while making it a lot simpler for you to obtain the best experience. Aside from that, it’s designed with quality in mind, and you will appreciate the ease of use provided here. It’s also a very comprehensive, dependable tool to use, and one that has the potential to really deliver the value you need.

Pricing

With ExpressVPN you get 3 subscription. You pay $12.95 per month, $59.95 every 6 months or $99.95 every year. The yearly option seems to be the better one, and they do encourage that. They also accept credit cards and all the major online payment processors, so that won’t be a problem.

Support

ExpressVPN has a very comprehensive support section consisting of instruction guides, video how to’s and the contact support section which is a web based live chat system.

Conclusion

As a whole, ExpressVPN is maybe the best VPN package out there. It certainly provides a very good quality and value for money. On top of that, it’s very professional, dependable and people love it just because it’s so easy to customize and use the way you want. You can stay anonymous online and access a whole bunch of safety and security features too. It really is one of the top VPN products you can use right now, very reliable and dependable. Just consider giving it a try for yourself and you will find that it delivers a tremendous value for the money!

5. PureVPN Review

PureVPN is one of those solutions that a lot of people like because it’s dependable, reliable and easy to use. It’s also quite affordable, which makes it a really good option for a variety of different reasons. The company tries to protect you from anyone that may track your data in the online world, and it does a really good job at that. It’s extremely easy to adapt and customize to your own needs, and you will particularly like the attention to detail and value they provide. They don’t have data logging too, which is a major plus all the time.

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PureVPN

Features

When you think about a VPN, you do want to prevent any data logging and as we mentioned earlier, there’s none of that. The VPN also has a kill switch, so if you want you can immediately stop everything with the press of a single button. To make things even better, it also delivers dynamic IP addresses, which really makes it stand out quite a lot. Aside from that, you can use PureVPN for torrenting, Netflix and even accessing websites for other countries if you want, it’s that reliable and versatile all the time. There’s also split tunneling, which is what makes it so unique in the first place.

Speed

On average, we had a speed of around 70 mbps, which is actually very good for a VPN. It shows that there’s a lot of value and quality to be had here, especially from a performance standpoint, so you do want to take that into account. Speeds can be lower during the evenings however.
PureVPN managed to grow to the point where it has more than 2000 servers that span over 140 countries. It’s a large amount of servers, and you do have the opportunity to get multiple servers per country too. That can be really handy if you want to get the best speed within that country, as sometimes these things will differ more than you imagine.

Ease of Use

Well PureVpn does have a 7 day premium service trial that will cost you $0.99 so i think its worth every cent to try it yourself for 7 days, plus they have apps for all the major os

Pricing

It costs $10.95 per month, but if you go for a year you will pay $59, so that’s the better deal. It’s not that expensive when compared to other programs, and you should totally check it out right now!

Support

PureVPN has all the usuall support routes with setup guides, trouble shooting guides, FAQ’s, Live chat and a ticket systems which makes following your query with them very easy.

Conclusion

Overall, we believe that PureVPN does a very good job when it comes to offering a very good and rewarding user experience. It’s a very impressive system and one that you will appreciate a lot if you want to maintain your anonymity online. You should consider giving it a try if you want an inexpensive VPN.

6. IPVanish VPN Review

IPVanish is a USA based VPN providing service that appeals to it’s users because it offers a wide range of features.

The foundation date of the IPVanish is 2012, and has steadilly built its features that you can’t see elsewhere.

IPVanish has more than 40,000 shared IPs and 1,300 P2P friendly servers. You can approach these 1,300+ servers from more than 75 locations.

The company runs the service from its servers instead of renting out the hardware. It is one of those services that you can’t see in other service provider companies. In short, IPVanish is a trusted service provider with excellent security, customer support, and affordable price.

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IPVanishVPN

Features

IPVanish is continually working on expanding the service for better user service. However, ere you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, unlike other VPN services. Apart from this, there are the following features of IPVanish;

Privacy

IPVanish has strict rules and a rock-solid system to protect your privacy. However, it provides support for the highly secured protocols with industry-standard AES-256 encryption. The apps of IPVanish go a long way to give an unusual level of control over Open-VPN-setup. However, the window client offers the kill switch to eliminate the chances of a privacy breach. Above all, to check the protection service, you can check the leaks at sites including IP Leaks and DNS leak test.

Speed

With the test that took place in England and the Netherlands, the results were terrific. However, the speed was more than the average and was ranging from 69Mbps to 75 Mbps. Above all, the USA’s pace was around 220Mbps, and it’s more than enough for most applications.

  • Download speed percentage: 66.2%
  • Upload speed percentage: 52.5%
  • Latency percentage: 62.4%

Ease of Use

IPVanish works flawlessly on different platforms, including windows, mac, android, and fire-tv. Apart from these platforms, it is readily available for chrome, Firefox, Chromebook, Linux, etc. and you will always get a quick connect screen. 

The app interface is user-friendly and filled with information. You can see the scrolling connection speed graphs in the app interface. In short, it’s suitable for people who want to quick and easy setup. You can open an account and install a VPN in less than five minutes. The app works with minimal configuration and offers informative installation guides. In short, IPVanish is exceptionally lightweight; that’s why it’s an excellent option for older systems. 

  • Works perfectly fine with the Netflix
  • 30 days money-back guarantee
  • The 7-day free trial period for users who sign up using the IOS app
  • IPVanish is suitable for the torrent and offers 250GB secure cloud storage

Pricing

IPVanish service comes in the three pricing packages with the same features. So, you can get the subscription with PayPal, credit cards, and bitcoins. The time limit of the subscription is one, three, and 12 months in different packages. The one-month subscription is more flexible and a great option to try service. However, you can enjoy the discount of up to 46% at the purchase of annual plans.

Support

Customer support is available 24/7 with live chat services and help section. However, the fastest way to get in touch is through the live chat option.

Conclusion

IPVanish is an easy to use VPN service that provides reliable security and speed.

For the users who are searching for a lightweight VPN app this is the one to go for. You can easily use it at an older device, computer, phone, or tablet. So, take advantage of flexible offers and attractive discounts and use an unlimited number of devices.