You’ve undoubtedly heard that a virtual private network (VPN) is an essential tool for protecting your privacy, but most people can’t even begin to guess what the best VPN is. PCMag steps in at this point. We have over ten years of experience reviewing VPNs and over twenty-five years of writing about them. You may thus be sure that Proton VPN, our top pick, has a score we stand behind and that you can rely on when it receives not only an Editors’ Choice award but also a five-star rating—an honor we grant very seldom, if at all. However, there are ten more VPNs discussed in this article, each of which is superior in its own right. View our top picks below, to determine which VPN is right for you.
The Best VPN Services of 2024
- NordVPN – Best VPN for Privacy
- Surfshark – Best VPN for Security
- Private Internet Access VPN – Best VPN for Windows
- Hotspot Shield – Best VPN for Netflix
- Norton Secure VPN – Best VPN With Dynamic IP Addresses
- IPVanish – Best Customer Support
- ExpressVPN – Best Encryption
- CyberGhost – Best VPN for Mac
- Proton VPN – Best VPN for Work
- UltraVPN – Best for Day-to-day Use
How We Pick the Best VPNs
Selecting a VPN requires taking into account a plethora of technical aspects, such as the quantity of servers available, the encryption and protocols employed, device compatibility, connection speed, and more. Then there are the non-technical aspects, such as the VPN’s policy regarding user privacy and whether or not it records browser history. We take all of those into account when comparing VPNs, but ultimately, there are three key considerations that determine which VPNs are the best: security, speed, and privacy.
We’ll offer you an overview and rank each VPN we suggest in those three categories as we talk about them (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Bad). We will also describe our user experience and the rationale behind each choice.
Because of its emphasis on privacy, general dependability, and user-friendliness, NordVPN has maintained its top ranking among all VPNs we tested for the past three years. It gave us a private surfing channel right after installation; no more setup was needed.
We were thrilled to receive helpful freebies with our NordVPN subscription. Threat Protection, for instance, automatically blocks advertisements and potentially dangerous websites. Much like antivirus software, it also found malware being downloaded into our devices. Nearly. Our runner-up, Surfshark, provides actual antivirus software though, so give it a glance if you’re looking to bundle VPN and antivirus.
What We Liked
- Based In The Privacy-Friendly Nation Of Panama; Provides Multi-Hop/Double Hop For Further Anonymity
- Current Vpn And Encryption Protocols
- Able To Access Streaming Material And Banned Websites Strict Logging Policy
- Applications That Are Easy To Use
What We Dislike
- Higher Costs Compared To Competitors
- Customer Service Is Difficult To Reach.
- Constrained P2p Servers (For Torrenting)
