A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a service that establishes a secure network connection to a network by an electronic gadget such as a smartphone or laptop. The service intercepts all data packets sent and received by the gadget through the network and re-routes them to a remote server before forwarding the packets to the user’s device. By doing so, the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the user’s device is masked and cannot be traced back to them.
There are many VPN applications in the market with some being either free or freemium while most are premium and come with a monthly subscription. We are going to look at some of the best paid VPNs that are there and discuss on why they are top-rated by our team.
1. ExpressVPN
Our number one choice is Express Technologies Ltd, ExpressVPN. Headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, this service is rated as the Best Overall VPN in relation to the speed of its servers, security provided in addgeneral reliability such as in unblocking regional restrictions.
The VPN service has some outstanding features that make it stand out with one being its very own pioneer protocol, Lightway that is incorporated with OpenVPN UDP and TCP. Below are our ratings of the services:
Pros
- Uses TrustedServer technology that ensure no data is stored.
- Uses AES-256 data encryption which is military grade.
- Has a strict no logs policy.
- Automatic kill switch to prevent leaks in case of disconnection.
- Offers private DNS owned by the company for safer and faster connections.
- Works in Mainland China
Cons
- Very highly priced and is among most expensive.
- Does not have protocols such as Wireguard that is very popular.
A VPN establishes a secure network connection to a network by an electronic gadget such as a smartphone or laptop.
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2. NordVPN
Coming in at a close second is NordVPN, a service based in Panama under NordSec Ltd. This is one popular service as it offers satisfaction are a much cheaper monthly price compared to ExpressVPN.
Another thing that makes it outstanding is the Dedicated IP feature. This allows a subscriber to have their own static IP addresses which is more efficient.
Pros
- Double VPN feature which tunnels your activity through two servers before getting to the final destination.
- Support for more payment methods as it supports both cryptocurrency and direct cash debit.
- Constantly updates IP addresses of servers blocked by streaming sites like Netflix.
- Pocket friendly prices for high quality service.
- Super fast speeds across its several thousand servers worldwide.
- DNS leak protection.
Cons
- Torrenting limited certain few servers, else torrents will flatline.
- Slow connection to server speeds, especially on Windows OS.
- Unsatisfactory customer support.
3. ProtonVPN
Created by the same professional team that designed the encrypted mail service, ProtonMail, ProtonVPN is a Swiss based internet privacy company offering a wide range off products including the mail service and a drive.
Proton Technologies’ programs are open source and the company has been publicly audited to guarantee its users that they get exactly what they pay for, online security and privacy.
Pros
- Arguably the most secure and private VPN in the market.
- Protected under Swiss privacy laws that assure anonymity.
- High speed servers spread out across many countries worldwide.
- Full disk encryption that ensure there are no attacks for data theft and malice.
- Tor over VPN feature which allows one to view the dark web with extra security.
- DNS leak prevention to prevent seeping of data.
- open source and audited servers offers more guarantee of privacy.
- Free subscription that offers limited but good servers at no cost.
Cons
- Lacks an in-built ad blocker.
- Very high princes for monthly subscription.
4. Cyberghost VPN
Originally founded in Romania in 2011, the service was later acquired by Kape Technologies in 2017 for $10 million. It has managed to make it into the list of the top VPNs in the digital market due to some of its features. One of them is the dedicated servers for specific tasks such as torrenting or gaming.
Pros
- 45-day money back guarantee if unsatisfied with its service.
- Very affordable, especially with longer period plans.
- Dedicated IP addresses for users interested in extra privacy.
- Works perfectly in unblocking sites like Netflix and Hulu.
- Categorized servers such as streaming, gaming and torrenting.
- Supports P2P sharing of torrents.
- Over 3,700 servers which encrypt data using AES-256 hashing.
Cons
- Integrated with very few payment options; PayPal, Credit Card and BitPay.
- Tracks activity across the 7 devices allowed per account.
- Far servers are very slow.
5. IPVanish VPN
U.S based IPVanish prides itself as being one of the few companies that own ,run and maintain all its servers in its farms. The company boasts of over 40,000 IP addresses spread across all its server locations and is among the VPNs with most mothly subscribers.
Pros
- Security and privacy offered across a unlimited number of simultaneous device connections.
- Cloud storage of up to 250GB offered with a purchase of its plans.
- It has very good prices and plans ranging from monthly to bi-annually.
- Wide range of payment options offered at checkout.
- Access to over 40,000 IP addresses to all subscription plans.
Cons
- Sudden connection drops reportedly occur over some periods.
- Service inaccessible in certain countries.
- Not recommended for streaming as connection speed tend to fall.
Conclusion
The market of today sure offers a great number of VPNs but understanding if they meet the expectations they promise is very important.
Check out our blog on the top shows on Netflix you can unblock using your VPN subscription.
Choosing the right VPN for oneself requires keen research about the main need for the VPN. We believe that our review of the greatest VPNs will help you in making that decision.
Feel free to leave a review in the comment section.
