VPNs have become synonymous with cybersecurity. They provide users with an extra layer of protection by encrypting Internet traffic and disguising IP addresses. You can use VPNs to access foreign websites, bypass censorship and securely transfer sensitive business information.
Besides protecting your privacy and data from cybercriminals and government officials, VPNs prevent your ISP from tracking which apps or websites you use. In addition, they stop ad trackers from monitoring your online activity and prevent them from seeing your actual location. If you have set up this tool correctly, you can increase your Internet speed by preventing bandwidth throttling from your ISP. You can even prevent DDoS attacks from disgruntled gaming opponents. What’s more, you ask? You can stream and download content from anywhere in the world (except the countries where VPN is completely banned, such as China and North Korea).
Premium VPN providers offer the highest level of privacy with several security algorithms and protocols. In addition, they are known for handling sensitive information and not storing or tracking the users’ online activity.
This article discusses the top 5 VPN providers and their features so you can subscribe to the service that caters to your specific needs. Please note that the VPN providers are listed in no particular order of importance.
NordVPN
NordVPN is the fastest VPN with a user-friendly interface. As a result, you can rely on enjoying stable connections with barely any speed loss. In addition, the service boasts exceptional security measures; you can use it to unblock streaming services, play multiplayer games, etc.
The features of this service are as follows:
- It uses state-of-the-art 256-bit advanced encryption standards recommended by the NSA. It also utilizes three security protocols: Nordlynx, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec.
- Maintains a strict no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t collect traffic that passes through its servers
- It has 5,700+ servers in 60 countries.
- Secures up to six devices simultaneously with just one subscription
- An automatic kill switch prevents data from accidentally leaking to the web if the VPN connection drops.
- CyberSec is NordVPN’s security software that blocks access to websites identified as hosting spyware. It also blocks video ads and pop-ups to ensure a smooth browsing experience.
- Offers support for Torrenting and Netflix
- 24/7 customer support
- 30-day free trial with a money-back guarantee, and then you can choose between monthly, yearly, or 2-year plans.
Surfshark
Surfshark offers an impressive suite of security and privacy features, a user-friendly interface, unlimited simultaneous connections, and an expansive global network of 3,200+ servers in 100 countries. This VPN app competes with the best in the market at a much lower price without compromising quality and security.
The features of this VPN service are as follows:
- Secures unlimited devices simultaneously with just one subscription
- CleanWeb and CleanWeb 2.0 blocks malware and ads before they can load, ensuring a clean, ad-free browsing experience
- A split tunneling feature called Bypasser ensures users can choose the data they wish to encrypt, use two IP addresses simultaneously, etc.
- Maintains a strict no-logs policy
- An automatic kill switch is a safety net if the VPN connection drops.
- It uses industry-leading AES-256-GCM encryption to protect data and uses secure protocols like WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec, and OpenVPN.
- 30-day free trial with a money-back guarantee, and then you can choose between one month, 12 months, and 24 months.
- It has 3,200+ servers in 100 countries.
- 24/7 customer support
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access takes security to the next level with 33,000+ servers, along with malware and ad blocking. With nearly ten times the number of servers other VPNs offer, this service guarantees readily available connections wherever you go. In addition, the VPN stops users from accessing websites that may compromise their data, and it is one of the most popular services for safely browsing the web.
The features of Private Internet Access are:
- No-logs policy
- Global VPN server network with 33,000+ servers in 84 countries
- Unlimited device connections with a single subscription
- Split tunneling feature to let users customize their security
- Uses open-source VPN protocols for security, such as OpenVPN and WireGuard
- Excellent for streaming, torrenting, and gaming with features like fast connection, unlimited bandwidth, and P2P support.
- Advanced kill switch that prevents data transmission when the VPN connection is lost or switched off
- Multi-hop to let users channel their traffic via an additional server for an added security layer
- Free for 30 days
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is popular for unrestricted gaming and streaming. It offers consistently fast speeds across any distance and comes with a Fire TV app, MediaStreamer, and its Smart DNS tool to work with Roku, Apple TV, and other game consoles. In addition, the servers of ExpressVPN allow P2P traffic without logging or tracking data transfers, making it a highly-secure option for torrenting. The only drawback is that it’s more expensive than the other VPNs on this list, but the price is justified.
The features of this service are:
- More than 3,000-RAM only servers spread across 160 locations in 94 countries
- IP address masking
- Unblocks 10 Netflix regions, Prime Video, Disney+, and more
- AES-256 encryption, no-logs policy, and RAM-based diskless servers
- Knowledgeable and friendly 24/7 customer support
- Accepts Bitcoin and allows users to browse their hidden .onion website using the Tor browser.
- Split tunneling and network lock kill switch
- Threat Manager blocks applications and websites from communicating with trackers and other malicious third parties
- Lightway protocol for a more secure and faster VPN experience
- 30-day money-back guarantee
IPVanish
IPVanish is a no-logs, private VPN ideal for Kodi and Fire TV Stick users. It unblocks most Netflix regions, and you can change your IP location by accessing any of the 40,000 anonymous IP addresses this service offers. However, IPVanish is not great at overcoming video geo-restrictions. It cannot beat the blocks imposed by BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and other content platforms.
The features are:
- Connect unlimited devices simultaneously
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Anonymous browsing with 40,000 IP addresses that are shared among subscribers
- DNS protection measures
- Split tunneling and kill switch
- 2,200+ servers in 75+ global VPN locations
- Encrypted web browsing preventing snoopers, Man-in-the-Middle attacks, etc.
- 24/7 support
- WireGuard VPN protocol
- Verified no logs and unmetered connections
Besides these, there are other VPN services you can try. For example, PureVPN, ProtonVPN, Hotspot Shield, and CyberGhost. Go through the features of the VPN services to ascertain which one is perfect for you.
