VPN services are among the most useful and flexible tools available to internet users. They improve your security by helping to protect against hackers, increase your privacy by hiding what you get up to online, and allow you to geo-spoof your location in order to access services that are only available in other countries.
The Best VPN Services 2017
Using a VPN service is arguably the single most effective measure you can take to improve your online privacy and security. In addition to making our pick of the best 2017 VPN services out there, this article explains why you need a VPN.
It also aims to give you a clear idea of the limitations of using a VPN. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are powerful and important tools, but there is no such thing as a one-stop-shop when it comes to protecting your privacy and staying secure when using the internet. VPNs should, therefore, be regarded as a vital tool in your internet toolbox.
What Can a VPN Service Do for Me?
A VPN can:
- Help protect you against NSA-style blanket surveillance
- Geo-spoof your location in order to watch streaming services that block access based on your geographic location
- Protect you against hackers when using public WiFi hotspots
- Bypass censorship (by the government, your workplace, or school)
- Torrent safely (if your VPN service permits this)
In order to understand how using a VPN can do all these things, it is helpful to understand what a VPN actually is. I discuss this and other issues (including the limitations of using a VPN) after our recommended VPN provider summaries. So read on!
Best VPN Services: Summary
- Provider
- Price
- Features
- Our Score
- Visit Site
- 1
ExpressVPN
- $8.32PER MONTH
Ultra-fast - great for streaming! Ultra Secure - 256-bit encryption Unlimited downloading 5* Customer Support + 24/7 Live Chat 30-day money-back guarantee- 10.0
- 2
VyprVPN
- $6.67PER MONTH
- 30 day Money-back Guarantee! Unlimited downloading and streaming! Servers in 70 countries 24/7 Live Support Connect up to 3 Devices
- 8.8
- 3
IPVanish
- $6.49PER MONTH
- 7 day Money-back Guarantee! Unlimited downloading and streaming! Servers in 60 countries Ticket Support Connect up to 5 Devices
- 8.0
- 4
Buffered
- $8.25PER MONTH
- 30 day Money-back Guarantee! Unlimited downloading and streaming! Servers in 39 countries Ticket Support Connect up to 5 Devices
- 8.0
- 5
VPNArea
- $4.92PER MONTH
- 7 day Money-back Guarantee! No logs at all! Connect up to 5 devices Accepts Bitcoin P2P: yes
- 7.2
WINNER
ExpressVPN
5/5
PROS- Ultra-fast – great for streaming!
- Ultra secure – 256-bit encryption
- Unlimited downloading
- 5* customer support + 24/7 live chat
- 30-day money-back guarantee
CONS- Aggregate connection logs
- A bit pricey
ExpressVPN hits our number one spot thanks to offering a feature-filled service that is readily accessible to the more casual user. Its headline act is probably its ridiculously fast speed performance, but fantastic 24/7 customer support and a generous 30-day, no-quibble, money-back guarantee certainly don’t hurt! Robust encryption, no usage logs (but some connection logs), and servers located in a whopping 94 countries around the world are also big draws.
Users in China will appreciate ExpressVPN’s special “stealth” servers located in Hong Kong, and users everywhere will appreciate the new free Smart DNS service that is included with all VPN accounts. Of particular note is ExpressVPN’s easy-to-use desktop software for Windows and Mac OS X, and its funky apps for Android and iOS.
Additional features: three simultaneous connections, P2P: yes.
Try the best VPN service today!
30-day money-back guarantee
2ND PLACE
VyprVPN
4.4/5
- PROS
- Very fast due to own infrastructure
- Over 70 countries
- Accepts Alipay
- Port selection
- Based in Switzerland
- CONS
- Some connection logs
VyprVPN is notable for being one of the rare VPN services to own and control its entire network infrastructure. The result is fantastically fast connection speeds around the world. Dedicated IP servers are available, but only on the premium package. A free Smart DNS service is also included and customer support is outstanding.
VyprVPN offers “Chameleon” stealth technology specifically designed to defeat the Great Firewall of China. In addition, it uses UDP ports in its apps to help defeat port blocking and other throttling issues. Its mobile apps are also very smart, and with a 30-day money-back guarantee (and three-day free trial), there is little reason not to give this service a go. Do please note, though, that VyprVPN does not permit torrenting.
Additional features: no usage logs.
3RD PLACE
IPVanish
4.2/5
- PROS
- No logs at all
- Client with VPN kill switch and DNS leak protection
- Five simultaneous connections
- Smart DNS included
- Accepts bitcoin
- CONS
- Based in US
- So-so support
This high-profile VPN company has good privacy credentials. It keeps no logs (at all), accepts payment in bitcoin, and permits torrenting. IPVanish also throws in a free Smart DNS service for all customers. It is based in the US, which is not ideal if NSA surveillance bothers you. Its client provides DNS leak protection, and despite being a little stripped-down, works very well.
Additional features: P2P allowed, mobile apps for all operating systems, seven-day money-back guarantee.
4TH PLACE
Buffered
3.7/5
- PROS
- Fast speeds
- No usage logs
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- P2P: yes
- Based in Hungary
- CONS
- A bit pricey
- Some connection logs
This Hungarian VPN provider may be small, but it punches above its weight. Being based in Hungary places it outside the direct reach of the NSA and GCHQ. In addition to running servers in 16 countries, Buffered offers a unique “port discovery” feature. This allows you to bypass login requirements when using WiFi at airports, hotels, and so forth by searching for open ports in the local LAN neighborhood. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available, but do read the terms of service, as important conditions apply.
Additional features: three simultaneous connections.
5TH PLACE
VPNArea
3.7/5
- PROS
- No logs at all
- Up to six devices at once
- Fantastic value for money
- Servers in 47 countries worldwide
- Excellent technology
- CONS
- Works well but isn’t as mind-blowing as some other services
VPNArea is based in Bulgaria and is therefore firmly out of the NSA and GCHQ areas of influence, which makes it a great option for any privacy-heads out there. That focus on privacy is reinforced with a great no logs policy, strong encryption, and accepting bitcoin payments. Speeds are also superb on this VPN and server locations are plenty (over 60 countries).
Additional features: P2P is permitted, DNS leak protection, per-app kill switch (desktop clients).
Best VPN Services: Considerations
Understanding VPN Services – an Encrypted Connection
When using a commercial VPN service, you connect to the internet via a VPN server. The VPN server is operated by a VPN provider, and the connection between your computer (or smartphone, tablet, or similar) and the VPN server is encrypted.
- This means that your internet service provider (ISP) cannot spy on what you do online (as your data is encrypted). It will also foil mass blanket surveillance of the kind routinely performed by the NSA and GCHQ.
You should be aware, however, that this setup also means your VPN provider can spy on you, should it so wish.
- The “encrypted tunnel” will also help protect your data when using public WiFi hotspots. Even if you connect to an “evil twin” hotspot run by a hacker, or if a hacker is using packet-sniffing software to intercept your wireless data, a VPN will protect you, because all data passing between your device and the VPN server is securely encrypted.
- VPN providers usually run VPN servers located in different locations around the world. This is great for avoiding censorship, as you can simply connect to a server located where there is no such censorship.
- This feature also allows you to access services that are geo-restricted. A good example of this is BBC iPlayer, which is only available to UK residents.
- Because you connect to the internet via a VPN server, anyone on the internet will see the IP address of the VPN server, not your real IP address. This means VPNs are a great way to protect yourself when torrenting.
- It also means they provide some privacy benefits when surfing the web, as websites cannot identify and track you by your IP address. Do be aware, however, that websites use a large number of very sneaky ways to uniquely identify and track visitors. A VPN should be considered an important but incomplete defense against this. It should therefore be supplemented with goodbrowser privacy add-ons.
VPNs and Streaming
Although VPNs are great for privacy and security, our research shows that by far the most popular use for them is to stream TV shows from countries that restrict access to their content based on where you live (usually because of licensing restrictions).
The US version of Netflix, for example, offers a much bigger and more up-to-date catalog than is available to international customers. This is despite the fact that international customers pay pretty much exactly the same price as US-based customers!
I live in the UK, but thanks to the miracle of VPN technology, I can access the full US Netflix catalog!
BBC iPlayer is also very popular, thanks to the world renowned quality of its programing. That all iPlayer content is freely available to VPN users can’t hurt either! Many expats also use VPN services in order to enjoy a slice of home by streaming national networks when living abroad.
It is worth noting that both US Netflix and BBC iPlayer are trying to block VPN users. Implementation of these blocks is patchy, and many providers have founds ways to defeat them, but it is a cat-and-mouse game.
In all of BestVPN.com’s newer reviews, we test to see whether US Netflix and BBC iPlayer are available at the time of writing. However, as this situation can change rapidly, we always advise taking full advantage of any free trials and money-back guarantees.
That way, you can test whether your chosen VPN works with the streaming service you wish to access.
VPN Services and Privacy Issues
Many people use VPNs in order to improve their privacy, and VPNs are very good at this. It is important, however, to understand the limitations inherent in the setup.
Your ISP (and by extension, government) cannot see what you get up to on the internet because all of your data is encrypted and every IP address you visit after connecting to the VPN server is hidden from it. All your ISP can see is that you are connected to a VPN server.
This is perfectly legal almost everywhere (except the UAE and maybe one or two other places). Plus, because VPNs are also routinely used by businesses for secure communication between offices and remote workers, their use is not considered suspicious in any way.
What this does mean, however, is that trust is simply shifted from your ISP to the VPN provider. So, how do you know that your VPN provider can be trusted? The simple answer is that you cannot 100% know for sure. This is a major reason that VPNs are not suitable for use by those committing serious crimes (or Edward Snowden).
However… many VPN services’ business model relies on maintaining customer trust in a way that does not apply to ISPs. And if they keep no logs (as many of the better ones claim not to), then they have nothing to hand over. Even if ordered to by a court.
Please check out my article on 5 Best Logless VPNs for a more complete discussion on this issue.
VPN Services and Torrenting and P2P
All internet data hidden from your ISP + your IP address being hidden from anyone on the internet = torrenting win!
Do please be aware, though, that not all VPN providers permit P2P. You should, therefore, check carefully that P2P is allowed before signing up to a service. Torrenting using a VPN service that does not permit it can result in your subscription being cancelled, and some VPN services have been known to hand over customers’ data to copyright holders on receipt of a DMCA warning.
So please only torrent using a VPN service that allows it. These can be relied on to protect your privacy.
qBittorrent is a lightweight but remarkably fully-featured open source BitTorrent client.
For a list of good VPN providers that allow torrenting, plus a discussion on issues related to it, please check out 5 Best VPNs for torrents, P2P and filesharing.
More Information
In addition to reviewing and comparing VPN services, BestVPN.com provides a wealth of VPN-related resources. If you would like to learn more about VPNs I suggest starting with:
If your interest in VPNs has been peaked, then you might then like to move on to:
- PPTP vs L2TP vs OpenVPN vs SSTP vs IKEv2, and
- VPN encryption terms explained (AES vs RSA vs SHA etc.).
Or just browse our Guides!
Conclusion
If you would like to access geo-restricted content, then you want to use a VPN. If you care about either privacy or security on the internet, then you really should be using a (no logs) VPN. If you want to P2P download without looking over your shoulder, then you absolutely must use a VPN.
For the price of a beer or two each month, you know it makes sense!
Best VPN Providers: Recap
- Provider
- Price
- Features
- Our Score
- Visit Site
- 1
- ExpressVPN
- $8.32PER MONTH
- 30 day Money-back Guarantee! Unlimited downloading and streaming! Servers in 87 countries 24/7 Live Support Connect up to 3 Devices
- 10.0
- 2
- VyprVPN
- $6.67PER MONTH
- 30 day Money-back Guarantee! Unlimited downloading and streaming! Servers in 70 countries 24/7 Live Support Connect up to 3 Devices
- 8.8
- 3
- IPVanish
- $6.49PER MONTH
- 7 day Money-back Guarantee! Unlimited downloading and streaming! Servers in 60 countries Ticket Support Connect up to 5 Devices
- 8.0
- 4
- Buffered
- $8.25PER MONTH
- 30 day Money-back Guarantee! Unlimited downloading and streaming! Servers in 39 countries Ticket Support Connect up to 5 Devices
- 8.0
- 5
- VPNArea
- $4.92PER MONTH
- 7 day Money-back Guarantee! No logs at all! Connect up to 5 devices Accepts Bitcoin P2P: yes
- 7.2
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