A Comparison of The Best VPN Providers in 2024

NordVPN is one of the most popular VPN providers in the world, with well over 10 million registered users. The company has an active social-media presence, and its aggressive marketing campaign mean you're likely to get a pop-up ad from them simply for reading this article. There's good reason for their popularity, though, as they offer multi-layer protection in addition to the new Galois-Counter Mode (GCM) AES-256 encryption. For example, their real-time Threat Protection system helps stave off sophisticated hacking attempts, and their kill switch reduces risk of exposure. NordVPN even offers a Dark Web Monitor, that sweeps the Dark Web for your credentials, in case they've been leaked.

NordVPN offers several features, though some of them come at an added cost. For example, the standard plan doesn't include a static-IP, but you can get one for an additional $3.69 a month. Similarly, their mobile password manager, NordPass, is included in the Plus plan, which costs a dollar more per month than the Standard plan. NordVPN is certainly one of the best VPNs offering a static-IP, though the monthly price is a bit high. If you're a sports fan, NordVPN has an excellent feature, called "Sports from the Source". This feature allows you to stream the official, televised version of a sporting event, so you don't have to connect to some shady site and watch in horrible 256p resolution that freezes right before the game-winning goal.

Because NordVPN uses high-end obfuscation servers, most entities won't even be able to tell you're on a VPN. That makes it much easier to use streaming services like Amazon Prime, which tend to reject traffic from VPNs even if you have an Amazon subscription. NordVPN also offers Double-VPN options, to make your footprint all but impossible to track. There are versions of NordVPN available for all devices, which is great, but keep in mind that a membership only entitles you to 6 devices. That's plenty if you're just getting it for yourself, but if you need it for a business, consider requesting a NordLayer consultation. They can tailor a VPN to your company's exact specifications.

PureVPN is an excellent option for those on a budget willing to commit to a 2-year plan, which only costs $3.24 a month. The system works well with most streaming services, including Hulu and DAZN, but you'll have to put in a little effort if you want to sidestep Netflix's IP bans. PureVPN is fully compatible with Android-TV operating systems, which means you don't need to connect your television to your computer just to watch your favorite shows. In terms of anonymity, PureVPN is quite good for torrenting, but the actual download speeds aren't the best. Regardless, make sure you connect to a server in a country that allows it, such as Switzerland or Mexico. If you try an American or Canadian server the IP will likely get blocked.

The Windows and Android versions of PureVPN offer the WireGuard protocol, which is going to yield the fastest speeds speeds when streaming or downloading, but iOS users will have to settle for one of the other three protocols. Also, while using WireGuard, you won't be able to connect to a static IP, nor will you be able to tunnel split. Lastly, you're not likely to penetrate the Great Firewall of China without additional obfuscation tunnels, but that's WireGuard's fault, not PureVPN's. It's also important to note that in 2017 PureVPN helped the FBI locate a notorious cyber-criminal, which was a source of great concern for many VPN users, whose goal is to remain untraceable.

PureVPN has an excellent version for Linux users, but like most things involving Linux you need to have a bit of IT knowledge, because you have to operate it via the Command Line Interface. Other excellent feature from PureVPN is the "port-forwarding" option, which allows you to maneuver between your personal computer and a remote desktop without exposure. You can also use port-forwarding to watch your home-security camera while you're away, or to connect directly to a gaming server.

By the time Surfshark hit the market in 2018, there were several excellent VPNs available. To penetrate the market, Surfshark pursued an aggressive development strategy, regularly upgrading their product-and-features list. An offering for iOS was quickly followed by one for Android. In 2020, just two years after Surfshark's launch, CNN Underscored named it the Best VPN for 2020. Since then, Surfshark has added numerous important features, upgraded its encryption standards, and expanded its accessibility to include personal computers, smartphones, smart TVs, and routers.

Surfshark offers several highly sought-after features, including a static servers that assign you the same IP each time, allowing you to operate regularly from the same faux location using the same faux IP address. This avoids awkward situations where you have to explain how you got from Dubai to Los Angeles in just 3 hours. Similarly, Surfshark offers GPS-Spoofing, which allows users to mask the true location of their mobile device, replacing it with the location of the chosen VPN. If you really want to make yourself difficult to track, consider Surfshark's Double VPN, MultiHop, which connects your already masked location to a second VPN, thereby masking the mask.

Surfshark also offers its own advertisement-and-malware protection, so you don't have to deal with constant pop-ups and threats. Surfshark also works very well for torrenting. Nevertheless, the most celebrated feature Surfshark offers is their unlimited-device plan. Unlike most VPNs, which limit users to somewhere between 3 and 5 devices, Surfshark users are welcome to connect to as many devices as they'd like. That's a major consideration for large families with a dozen devices, and for businesses that can't afford to license dozens of products.

We all know someone who has difficulty dealing with new technology. Perhaps you're that person and all you want is an easy-to-use VPN that keeps your data safe and lets you enjoy the internet in peace. In that case, TunnelBear is the VPN for you. This simple system offers the very basics and nothing more. You won't have to type in a bunch of command prompts, activate obfuscation servers, or test various protocols. In fact, you don't even need to select the VPN location if you don't want. Simply leave the interface set to "auto" and let the system choose the best VPN for you. To be sure, you have the option to tweak all of the features, but if that's your goal there are better VPNs out there.

One of the most attractive offerings from TunnelBear is their free version. This is for infrequent users, however, as its restricted to 500MB per month, which isn't even enough to download one movie at a decent video quality. But if you're only using it for online banking and other personal data, you're not likely to max out your monthly allowance. The paid versions provide unlimited data, as well as other extra features, including "Remembear," which generates and catalogs your passwords under a master password. There's also SplitBear, which allows Android users to allow/deny access to various phone apps.

TunnelBear offers extensions for Chrome and Firefox, as well as Opera, and it has clients for Windows, macOS, and iOS. It doesn't have have a router client, however, and even premium access is limited to 5 devices. There is a Linux version of TunnelBear with limited functionality, but let's be honest: If you're sufficiently tech-savvy to utilize a Linux-based VPN, TunnelBear really isn't for you. TunnelBear is exposed to Five-Eyes spying, but they've only ever confirmed the identify of one user at the behest of the authorities, and that's all they revealed since they really don't collect any information, as proven by several voluntary audits.

Shopping for a VPN is like shopping for a car: you'll have to choose between affordability, reliability, and raw speed. If you intend to use a VPN for online video games or live streaming, you need serious speed. For such users, the experts at 9Ranks recommend ExpressVPN. With download speeds averaging over 100 Mbps and support for 4K video streaming, ExpressVPN is a top choice among speed demons. To be sure, it's more expensive that other services, but you get what you pay for. ExpressVPN is one of very few systems that penetrates the "Great Firewall of China," and it easily facilitates foreign versions of the most popular streaming services. That's very useful in the case of Netflix, which has different playlists depending on region.

ExpressVPN has numerous features and clients (i.e. apps) for smart TVs, mobile apps, and routers. Smart TV clients are great for Netflix and Amazon Prime, as we're pretty sure you don't want to watch your favorite shows on your laptop or at your desk. The mobile app is crucial for online purchases, as research shows people now make most of their purchases on their mobile devices. Features like Smart Location help you locate top-tier connections, while ExpressVPN's automatic kill switch, known as Network Lock, blocks all internet traffic on the rare occasion a VPN drops. This means you're safe till the VPN comes back online. If you intend to work on the VPN all the time, the router options is ideal.

It's also important to note that ExpressVPN doesn't track any of your internet activity. This was actually proven in court, when the Turkish government confiscated an ExpressVPN server, claiming it contained information about a political assassination. Despite sophisticated efforts by Turkey's elite IT squads, no one was able to extract any of the user's data. Simply state, your data is 100% safe with ExpressVPN. The only real criticism against ExpressVPN is that it's more expensive than most other services.

Designed by the same team of CERN Lab experts that created ProtonMail, the ProtonVPN system is an expertly coded, open-sourced, and fully audited VPN. There are 2 plans to choose from: "Free" and "Plus," as well as larger packages that include the VPN. The free version offers access to around 100 servers, but they're concentrated in 3 countries and you can only use it on one device. The Plus plan offers 1700 servers over 60 countries, and can be used on up to 10 devices. The free plan has decent speeds, with slight reduction in benchmarks, but the Plus plan offers lighting fast speeds (up to 10 Gpbs) due to the ProtonVPN proprietary "VPN Accelerator." If you're really into torrenting extra-large files, such as movies in 4k, this is obviously the best option for you.

If you want a complete package, Proton Unlimited includes ProtonMail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive (cloud storage), and ProtonVPN. This option is not cheap at all, in fact, it's very expensive. But if you're extremely security conscious, it worth it. All the paid plans offer secure core-servers, which ProtonVPN owns and operates without external influence. The company has a strict "no logs" policy, and they take great pride in their Swiss-based company, as Switzerland has some of the strictest personal-privacy laws in the world.

There aren't many negative things to say about ProtonVPN, though 9Ranks did take some points off for the lack of static-IP. Consider they own and operate their servers, it's not clear why they can't, or won't, generate static-IPs. Then again, they did develop a VPN accelerator that successfully quadruples VPN speeds and reduces latency, so there's always hope for the future.

PrivateVPN is a small network of approximately 200 servers operated out of Sweden, though they have servers worldwide. Though surprisingly small in scale, PrivateVPN has a lot of scope, due to the careful designation of servers. For example, they have specific servers dedicated to sidestepping geo-location, making it possible for viewers to enjoy Netflix, Hulu, and even Amazon outside their restricted region. In addition, PrivateVPN is torrent-friendly, with little speed-reduction during downloads. Unfortunately, the interface doesn't include an integrated speed test, so you'll have to hunt around using Ookla or the like.

There are couple of strikes against PrivateVPN, starting with the fact that their customer-service chat only operates during Swedish business hours, which can be a touch annoying when the game's about to start and you need help. Also, Sweden's intelligence community does spy on VPNs to some extent, meaning there is a slight chance you'll get caught torrenting or streaming outside your region. Nevertheless, the company's "no-log" policy is rather strict. Another feature missing from the system is an ad-blocker, which is quickly becoming a standard feature on VPNs.

PrivateVPN is a very versatile system, with versions available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers. But for some strange reason the kill switch only works correctly on Windows. On the other hand, PrivateVPN offers a "stealth" mode that hides your actual IP, while making it very difficult for other systems to identify your virtual IP as a VPN. This is one of the best ways to circumvent the notorious Great Firewall of China, and it just might allow gamers, especially poker players, to access sites banned in their country. PrivateVPN refuses to divulge the nature of their stealth program, but thus far it has proven quite effective.