If you want to dive deeper into each VPN, we’ve also reviewed most of the popular VPN apps available, created guides for specific types of users, and have also compared the most popular VPN apps in a head-to-head round-up. It’s all available here. VPNs come in the form of an app you install on your phone or a client you use on a laptop or desktop. It protects your internet connection by adding encryption on the fly. If you visit a website that is not secure, your internet connection back at home will stay protected because of the VPN. On a public wireless network, for example, a hacker would not be able to tap into your computer and steal your credit card and other data. A VPN has become pretty much essential. Especially in an age of criminal hacking, invasion of privacy, and tracking what you do online—we can’t emphasize it enough: with a VPN, you are protected, and without one, your data could become compromised. First, there’s something called a remote access VPN. This is the VPN you’ll need for personal use. A remote access VPN works by connecting you to a secure server in a different location. Connecting to another server will encrypt your data and help keep your personal information away from cybercriminals. Next there are site-to-site VPNs. These are the VPNs people use when they’re part of a large company and need to access data from their team. Many government organizations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) end up using site-to-site VPNs to protect sensitive data. Large companies or businesses often use private networks to encourage collaboration and secure their information. Chances are, if you’re looking for a personal VPN for your own PC or household, you’ll want to use a remote access VPN, like NordVPN. If you use a VPN, you obscure your personal information. When you enter your credit card number, date of birth, and your address to register for a new app, for example, the VPN encrypts and secures that data so it can’t be hacked. Information on how you interact with the web. Facebook is widely known for tracking how you interact with websites even outside the Facebook app. In order to produce better, more targeted ads, websites can collect patterns based on your browsing history and the web browser you use. Your IP address. Any website you visit at any time can collect your IP address and circumvent private internet browsing. Every person needs an IP address to access the internet. Your IP address can lead back to you and your approximate location when you accessed the internet. By itself, your IP address doesn’t reveal too much about you. But if it’s paired with other personal information, it could reveal more info about you than you want it to. Cookies. These are tiny text files that you can collect when visiting many websites. Cookies help other websites keep track of your personal preferences. On the one hand, this can be helpful when you’re searching the same thing or trying to find an old website you signed into. It helps keep your browsing history for you. However, cookies are often used by websites for marketing and advertising. Cookies can collect info from site-to-site or from page-to-page. Information about your browser. Websites can often see which browser you’re using. While this might not seem like a big deal at first, your browser can make it easier for websites to use cookies. The browser itself collects information (browsing history) about which accounts you’ve signed into. All of this stored information makes your internet experience less private. If you want actual online protection, you’ll need to pay for it. Pricing tends to run around $10 or $12 per month, but these apps are much cheaper if you pay by the year. Check out the prices below to get an idea of what you should pay for a VPN. With its great trial policy, VPNSecure makes a lot of sense for test driving a new VPN. You’ll only pay a buck for the first month of service, which should give you ample time to decide whether VPNSecure is a good fit for you or not. VPNSecure does require that you state your displeasure by chat or email and work with tech support to resolve any issues, but if you decide to part ways, they do allow that. VPNSecure also has clear and helpful instructions so you can learn how to optimize and use your VPN service, even if it’s your first time.
30-day trial period Highly rated VPN Online privacy Great instructions Mobile device compatible (Android and iOS app)
Want to know more? Read our full-length VPNSecure review. Second only to VPNSecure is the highly rated Norton Secure VPN. You’ll find clear and helpful instructions for using the VPN app on a laptop or smartphone, stated in a way that will get you up and running quickly. Norton is well-known for being a professional security company, and it knows how to present features in a clear interface. The 60-day refund policy is offered with the annual membership and allows you to try out all of the features in the full version.
60-day return policy with annual membership Clear install instructions Online privacy Reliable and secure VPN overall Mobile device compatible (Android and iOS app)
Want to know more? Read our full-length Norton Secure VPN review. Surfshark is an impressive, powerful, and easy-to-use VPN, which makes it a bit surprising that there’s a 30-day return policy for new VPN users. You can kick the tires all you want, but we’ve found the interface to be one of the best around. Another bonus is that this VPN includes helpful instructions they call “beginner’s guides’’ for new VPN users.
30-day refund policy Beginner’s guides for new users Online privacy Clear and efficient interface Mobile VPN (Android and iOS app)
Want to know more? Read our full-length Surfshark review. For example, you can watch Resident Evil: Retribution on Netflix in Canada, but not in the US. Meanwhile, the hit crime drama NCIS is available on Netflix in the United States, but nowhere else. Netflix tries to block VPN access to its content to honor these country-specific agreements. However, many VPNs are good at getting through Netflix’s firewalls. But just because you can use a VPN to access content outside your country, doesn’t mean you should—this violates Netflix’s terms of service. Netflix can ban you or any of its users for any reason, we assume (but again, we’re not lawyers). It could certainly ban you for breaking their terms of service. However, we haven’t found any accounts of users being banned for using a VPN to stream content from another country. But Netflix will block certain content if it thinks you’re using a VPN to access foreign movies and shows. Of course, you’re not doing anything wrong if you use a VPN server in your own country to use the internet and stream privately. You can compensate for slower VPN speeds by upgrading to a faster internet service provider and making sure you’re using top-quality Wi-Fi equipment With online banking, you’re using personal information, bank account numbers, secure passwords, and in some cases, social security information. If hackers see your information while you’re online banking, they could steal money from your account, make you a victim of credit card fraud, or even steal your identity. Thanks to the encryption provided by a VPN, your information becomes much less vulnerable. While incognito mode might stop your browser from collecting info from other websites, it doesn’t stop those websites from collecting your info while you visit. People can still track your info and watch you online, which is why using a VPN still beats out simply using incognito mode. Guest mode is another Chrome feature that helps keep your browsing data private. It was designed for people searching the internet on someone else’s computer, but turns out, it works just as well when you’re using your own. Like incognito mode, guest mode stops websites from installing cookies onto your computer and tracking your whereabouts. Whether you use guest mode or incognito mode, it’s up to you. They both serve the same purpose and both prevent any information from being saved. Browser cleaners work by clearing your internet history (which you can also do manually through Chrome) and removing any of the most basic malware people often use to track your activity.
