Need a VPN to stream restricted content without interruptions? Or are you simply concerned about your online safety and privacy? Read on to find out which VPN services are worth trying this year

Internet freedom is becoming a commodity and a right. As a result, people want to experience the internet without restrictions by using virtual private networks (VPN) to protect their privacy and security. 

The increased demand is a direct result of snooping and censorship everywhere — internet service providers (ISPs), government authorities, and even search engines gathering user data, secretly tracking our browsing history and inspecting our emails and files with or without a warrant.

VPNs continue to evolve — that’s a fact. But there are only a handful of VPN providers that stand out. So, if you are looking for the best virtual private network service to stream restricted content without restrictions or stay anonymous online, this article is for you. 

That being said, we believe that CyberGhost is the best VPN service out there, due to its military-grade AES 256-bit encryption and access to over 8,000 VPN servers out there!

Here’s a comprehensive review of the 10 best VPN providers to help you choose the best one. Keep reading to know their main features, pros and cons, and the subscriptions they offer.

What We Didn’t Like:

First on this list of the best VPN service providers is none other than CyberGhost.

CyberGhost has been protecting online users since 2011, and it is based in Bucharest, Romania. What’s good about it is that Romania is a country that is privacy-friendly. 

Law 363-2018 in the country states that sensitive data can only be processed if extremely necessary.

This is why CyberGhost has a strict no-logs policy. However, it can be a bit confusing since they do track how many devices and which devices are connected to a subscription. 

According to them, it’s because they want to ensure that users don’t get to use more than seven devices with a CyberGhost VPN, as that is the limit. So, it’s pretty understandable why they have to log that info.

Speaking of devices, you can download an app for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. So, basically, you can use this on any device. A subscription will allow you to use unlimited bandwidth and connect to over 8,000 VPN servers in 91 countries .

Some of the countries with plenty of servers include Australia, Belgium, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Spain, and the United States. 

CyberGhost also uses AES 256-bit encryption, which is the largest AES key length size. This makes it mathematically complex and extremely difficult to crack. 

Even if this is the most ideal encryption standard that VPN providers should use, not all of them have it. This is why CyberGhost is one of the best services today.

Both plans good for two and three years come with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Pricing also can vary because CyberGhost usually offers promos and discounts on your first subscription.

Connect Up to 7 Devices With CyberGhost

What We Didn’t Like:

NordVPN has been in the industry since 2012 and is based in Panama. It is one of the few popular VPN providers that are trusted by influential tech sites and IT security specialists. 

Big companies like HuffPost, Forbes, TEDx  and BBC also trust this brand. Even YouTube star PewDiePie trusts this VPN, along with many other famous YouTubers. 

It’s simply one of the most popular VPN services, today, and it’s because of how strict it is with its log protocols.

NordVPN was the first major VPN provider to submit its no-logs practices for review in 2018 to PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, and they found that the company is true to its words. They also proved the same thing again in 2020 and passed the audit.

If you really want to make sure that even NordVPN knows nothing about you, you also can pay them with cryptocurrencies. This is because they can only see a wallet address with crypto when they receive your payment. So, basically, you can be completely anonymous with this VPN.

This provider uses OpenVPN,, which is an open-source software, to give you a reliable and secure VPN. This also uses AES 256-GCM encryption standard with a 4096-bit DH key and WireGuard , the newest and fastest tunneling protocol in the entire VPN industry. No wonder it is considered one of our top VPN providers in our review.

There are over 5,500 servers from 60 countries around the world that you can connect to with NordVPN. In addition, you can use the site’s VPN server locator to find a server that is best for certain online activities.

NordVPN is also king when it comes to internet speed. IT security institute AV-TEST compared the speed of this service provider to other popular services like PureVPN and ExpressVPN. They found that the average download speed in the US is 417.0 Mbps and 255.9 Mbps in the UK.

There are three packages or plans you can get from NordVPN. Here are the features included in each plan:

NordVPN has multiple subscription plans you can purchase depending on how long you want them to last. Here they are:

Note that first subscriptions at NordVPN are usually of lower prices because of promos and discounts. In addition, students can get an additional 15% discount with Student Beans and Youth Discount.

What We Didn’t Like:

ExpressVPN is one of the world’s largest VPN providers and has been around since 2009. It is owned and developed by Kape Technologies, which is also the owner of CyberGhost and other VPN services, like Private Internet Access.

With this VPN, you get to connect to over 3,000 servers in over 90 countries. There is no limit to switching and bandwidth, too. It doesn’t matter what device you have because it works on computers, tablets and smartphones.

You also can use this on Asus, D-Link, DD-WRT, Linksys, Netduma, Sabai, Tomato and TP-LINK routers, as well as Network-assisted storage like ASUSTOR, QNAP and Synology. You can connect up to five devices on one subscription.

ExpressVPN uses split tunneling so that you can access both foreign and internet service providers at the same time. Without this feature, VPN users may not be able to access LAN devices, too, when they are connected to a VPN server. 

Note that split tunneling is still not yet available for macOS 11 and above.

This is also one of the service providers that use AES with 256-bit keys. When it comes to VPN protocol, it uses Lightway. It is a next-generation VPN protocol that ensures fast connection speed, security and reliability. 

What’s more, you get to use the Threat Manager, which prevents all apps and websites on your device from communicating with a set of third parties that can track your activities. It lets you have more control of your online privacy and what data websites can get or access. 

ExpressVPN has a blocklist of trackers and malicious sites. Once you install the ExpressVPN app on your device, the Threat Manager can then recognize sites and block them, or at least don’t let them collect plenty of data related to your online footprint.

It’s an out-of-box service, which means all you need to do is download and install the app, then connect to a server. Other VPN services don’t really do this, as you need to set up the protocol that works best for your connection before you enjoy smooth browsing.

There are three main plans that you can subscribe to with ExpressVPN:

All ExpressVPN plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Prices may also change as ExpressVPN has different promos and offerings from time to time.

What We Didn’t Like:

Surfshark is a fairly new VPN company that has only been around since 2018. However, it is based in the Netherlands and has an excellent 4.3 rating on Trustpilot, making it a popular and trusted VPN by many people around the world.

This VPN offers plenty of features, including CleanWeb. This is the company’s version of an adblocker. Surfshark also has a Bypasser, which is a split tunneling feature similar to what ExpressVPN has. 

The Bypasser is customizable as you can select apps or sites that can be automatically routed through a VPN. 

This way, if you need to access important sites and apps like your online bank, they still know it’s you as they can still see you’re accessing your account within the location they know where you are.

There is also the Reverse Bypasser, wherein you can choose which sites and apps will go through the VPN tunnel instead. Another great feature of this service is Surfshark Alert. 

Aside from the Bypasser, Surfshark has a MultiHop feature that allows you to route your traffic through a multiple number of servers at once. This helps a lot if you want to make sure that it will be hard to trace you online as you can set your VPN server location in two different countries.

This is an identity protection tool that checks if a site has ever stolen your data and sold them to third-party sites or potential hackers. Through this, Surfshark can send you alert messages if your data ever gets breached.

You can use the Camouflage Mode to make it seem like your connection is just one of the site’s regular traffic. Basically, websites can’t detect that you’re using a VPN. This is very useful on sites that do not allow VPN use.

Moreover, Surfshark also allows you to change your protocol and data encryption settings. However, changing the data encryption on your connection is only available on Android. Surfshark uses multiple encryption standards, including OpenVPN, AES 256-GCM, and IKEv2/IPsec .

The following are the Surfshark plans that you can get:

All subscriptions at Surfshark include a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unhappy with their service. 

What We Didn’t Like:

TunnelBear is a Canada-based VPN that was founded in 2011, and it was acquired by McAfee in 2018 . With McAfee’s technology and reliable service, TunnelBear has  become the popular choice of many for VPN services.

It is commonly advertised as a free VPN, so the expectations are not too high for TunnelBear. However, even if the basic plan is free, this VPN company uses AES-256 encryption, too. 

This is also the only VPN that publishes regular independent security audit results. The latest published audit was in 2020, and it was conducted by Cure53. 

Based on this report, they only found two low, two medium and one high-risk vulnerability for TunnelBear’s services. This is nothing to worry about since all these vulnerabilities have already been fixed. 

There is also no need to launch the TunnelBear app and connect to a server each time you go online. Instead, you can keep your VPN on all the time, and it will automatically reconnect even after you restart your device.

There is also the Vigilant Mode or VigilantBear feature that is designed to keep your location and data private while TunnelBear reconnects after it loses connection for specific reasons like switching to a different Wi-Fi network or you’re suddenly out of the network range.

Another good feature is called GhostBear, which could help you access sites that do not allow VPN usage. 

It also helps make your encrypted data less detectable to governments, businesses and internet providers. So, even your internet service provider won’t know you’re using VPN. 

Just know that GhostBear is unavailable for iOS because this type of service is restricted on Apple devices.

TunnelBear has a fast number of servers in over 48 countries, including Argentina, Austria, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Greece, France, Malaysia, the Philippines, the US, the UK, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

While you can try TunnelBear for free for as long as you like, you can get a premium VPN plan for unlimited secure browsing and up to five connected devices. Here are the plans you can get at TunnelBear:

The basic or free plan only allows you to connect to limited servers. You also only get 500MB of free secure browsing each month.

Free Basic Plan With TunnelBear

What We Didn’t Like:

ZenMate is another company owned by Kape Technologies. It has been around since 2013, but it was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2018. That said, it’s also a trusted service provider and is at par with the leading VPN services, like ExpressVPN.

This is the best choice if you’re looking for a VPN that your family can use since it doesn’t limit the number of devices you can use with a single plan. This also proves that ZenMate is honest about a strict no-logs policy.

However, when you purchase a subscription, you can only choose to pay with a credit/debit card and PayPal. So, there goes your data, right? Still, you shouldn’t worry about this because ZenMate won’t keep a record of your banking info.

ZenMate is available on major operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and more. You can download this as a free browser extension for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Opera.

This VPN provider uses multiple encryption standards. Desktop and mobile users are protected by AES 256-bit. The VPN browser extensions are more powerful as it uses AES 128-bit.

When it comes to protocol, ZenMate uses TLS 1.2 (RFC 5246) and cipher suites like PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy), IKEv2, and OpenVPN. 

Here are all the plans you can subscribe to with ZenMate Ultimate, which is for all devices:

You can also upgrade your free browser extension to ZenMate Pro with the following rates:

ZenMate also offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee on all of these plans.

What We Didn’t Like:

Private Internet Access (PIA) is also owned by Kape Technologies, which is based in the UK. Meanwhile, PIA itself is based in the U.S. Why some people would raise an eyebrow on this is something we’ll get into in a bit.

This VPN company has been around since 2010, but it was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2019. Today, it has servers from over 84 countries with next-gen servers. 

This is something that can be confusing as different sections of the site would say only 30 or 78 countries. They definitely need to update their site info a bit. 

Regarding being U.S.-based, this could be an issue to some since the U.S. is part of jurisdictions under an intelligence alliance with multiple countries. However, PIA guarantees that they don’t log any of its users’ online activities.

PIA is now using open-source transparency, which means the company’s client source code is publicly available. Why does that matter? Well, open-sourced codes decrease vulnerabilities, and anyone can easily scrutinize and verify the code.

All the essential VPN features are offered by PIA, including kill switch, connection automation, ad blocking and advanced split tunneling . In addition, with an advanced encrypted tunnel feature, you can easily whitelist certain apps and sites.

You also can get a dedicated IP from PIA. You can get a static and anonymous IP address only you can access. This lets you see fewer CAPTCHAs and avoid security warnings. 

All plans you can subscribe to at PIA are covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee. Here are the following plans you can choose from:

What We Didn’t Like:

ProtonVPN has been in business since 2014, and it was founded by a team of scientists who met at CERN of the European Center for Nuclear Research. It is based in Switzerland and started out as an encrypted email service provider. Today, it has 1,700+ servers in 63 countries.

Since this is a service provider based in Switzerland, it’s not part of any jurisdictions that are part of any intelligence alliance like the Fourteen Eyes. Switzerland has some of the world’s strongest privacy laws.

ProtonVPN has a Secure Core architecture that enables them to have the unique ability to defend their services against network-based attacks. There’s simply no way for any third-party or hackers to get ahold of your real IP address with this feature.

When it comes to blocking ads, ProtonVPN has NetShield. This is a DNS filtering feature that not only blocks ads but also protects your device from malware. It also has the kill switch feature.

Another great feature that ProtonVPN has is the VPN Accelerator. This can increase your connection speeds by over 400%. This is made possible with advanced networking techniques that reduce latencies. That said, this is surely great for torrenting and uninterrupted streaming.

ProtonVPN also uses AES-256 with a 4096-bit RSA key and HMAC with SHA384, which is used for message authentication. It also utilizes some of the strongest VPN protocols right now, like the OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard.

You can use Tor with your Proton VPN subscription. The built-in Tor support on the ProtonVPN apps lets you route all your internet traffic through the Tor anonymity network and also lets you access the dark web.

Like PIA, ProtonVPN apps are also 100% open source, so you can be sure that they are only doing what they are supposed to be doing. In addition, they are very transparent with what they do, so you can be sure that they are not logging any of your online activities.

Despite being 100% open source, Proton VPN still gets independently audited by SEC Consult. They also publish the full results of the audits they get.

If there’s anything that’s lacking from this VPN provider, it’s good customer support. Unfortunately, there is no live chat support option to get help. You can only send them an email or send them a Tweet for queries or concerns.

You can protect up to 10 devices with a single subscription and get P2P and professional support. ProtonVPN also guarantees high-speed servers as they run their servers at a minimum speed of 1 Gbps. 

You can test a few ProtonVPN servers for free, but if you want to utilize all features that we mentioned above, you’ll need to select any from the following Proton VPN Plus plans below:

What We Didn’t Like:

IPVanish VPN has been around since 2012, and it now has over 2,000 servers in 75 locations worldwide, including Australia, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK, Spain and the United States.

This VPN supports numerous operating systems like Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome, Fire OS, and Linux. You can use it on routers like DD-WRT v2 & v3, Tomato, Asus-WRT and Merlin.

IPVanish offers several protocols, including IKEv2, IPSec, OpenVPN and WireGuard. All these make IPVanish a solid VPN for different online activities like gaming. It’s also best for people who usually use VoIP services as it could help lower those bills when you switch your VPN location.

Speaking of location, IPVanish is also located in the U.S., so if you don’t want a VPN provider involved in any intelligence alliance, you may want to try something else.

The IPVanish app has a free password generator privacy tool to help ensure that anyone won’t easily get into your online accounts. However, now, even if you can connect an unlimited number of devices when using IPVanish, it is strictly prohibited for multiple users to share an account.

Most of the IPVanish servers are in North America. Meanwhile, there are 92 servers in Asia, 31 in South America, 73 in Oceania, and over 530 in Europe. This provider also allows Shared IP addresses, so it will be tough to trace an activity to any individual.

Here are the 30-day risk-free plans you can choose from with IPVanish:

What We Didn’t Like:

Windscribe was founded in 2016 and is mainly known as a free VPN with an effective ad-block feature. It is downloadable on many devices, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android TV and phone, and iOS. It also offers a VPN router called InvizBox 2 that requires no VPN software installation.

That said, you can directly go anonymous whenever you go online. Aside from ad blocking, Windscribe also has tracker blocking and social network blocking. These blocking features come with the free plan, so you can still go anonymous without paying a single buck.

Speaking of payments, unlike most VPN services on this list, Windscribe doesn’t have a free trial period or a money-back guarantee. You can, however, request a refund if you’re unhappy with your purchase.

Just be sure to do this within three days of your purchase and that you have only used less than 10GB of your paid plan. Otherwise, you will no longer be eligible for a refund.

You can  use this free VPN for other streaming services like Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video. 

There’s also the Double Hop feature, which is similar to Surfshark’s MultiHop feature that lets you set two locations for one connection.

Like PIA, Windscibe also lets you get static IP addresses that you can use to avoid blacklists or share with a team. In addition, you can be sure that your device will be safe from malware with Windscribe’s R.O.B.E.R.T.

R.O.B.E.R.T is a one-of-a-kind customizable server-side domain that is also an IP blocking tool. Of course, once it detects any “evil” domains, you won’t be able to access them, but don’t worry because you can always customize your blocked list.

There are a few subscriptions you can choose from when you go with Windscribe, such as:

Team Accounts: $3/seat per month

A virtual private network (VPN) can give you privacy and even anonymity when you go online. Whether you’re using a public or private internet connection, a VPN can mask your IP address so you don’t leave any digital footprints.

Basically, VPNs can make you virtually untraceable and don’t let you use the same IP address again and again. Here are more reasons why you might need a VPN.

Connect Up to 7 Devices With CyberGhost

You can never be too careful when you go online. This is especially the case if you are online with a public connection. 

Yes, public Wi-Fi networks can be such a blessing, but it also threatens your online security because many hackers can get your data by capturing public Wi-Fi signals. 

Think of it as an old-school radio wherein you need to tune in to a certain channel to get in touch with people you know. However, that very channel can be easily accessed by someone else and listen to your conversations.

Hackers are so smart and creative nowadays that they can even set up false routers to help them steal your data. It could  be their way of installing malware on your device. Once this happens, they steal all the information you have on that device.

With a VPN, that can all be avoided because it encrypts your connection. What a VPN does is that it scrambles your information, so the hackers won’t be able to read or monitor what you’re doing online.

You’ve most likely encountered error messages on video streaming platforms like YouTube about how certain videos or content are unavailable in your region. There are also shows on sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video that are only available in certain countries.

This can be very annoying, but when this happens, a VPN could come in handy. When you have a VPN, you can seamlessly connect to a server in any country in no time. 

Once you log in to Netflix or YouTube, the site will then understand that you’re in the UK, even if you aren’t. This way, they will show you all the exclusive content they have. VPN simply lets you stream any content, shows, or movies that aren’t supposed to be streamed in your region.

There are also plenty of websites that aren’t available in certain countries. This can be quite a dilemma if you travel a lot, especially if it’s about managing your personal accounts related to your finances.

There are many online banks that aren’t accessible outside your location, and the only way you can do so is with a VPN. 

Sometimes, this is also used by online gamblers who are located in areas with no regulated online casinos.

A VPN can bypass most internet restrictions, including geo-restricted websites. 

Ever wonder how on earth Facebook knows what kind of ads they should be showing you? For example, a few minutes ago, you were just considering buying a juicer on Amazon, and the next thing you know, ads about juicers are all over your Facebook feed or the other websites you like.

That’s because these websites get your digital footprints by using your IP address and cookies. So, when you log in on a website, they would usually ask if you want to allow cookies so they can somewhat give you a better browsing experience.

Cookies are there to streamline your web experience. 

Yes, you can always deny websites access to your cookies, but it can be inconvenient to some. This is because if you don’t allow cookies when you leave the site and log in again, the website won’t recognize that you’ve been there.

So, if you’ve already added items to your cart, they won’t be there anymore once you get back to check them out. However, even if cookies can help you have a smoother online experience, it’s still a way for Facebook or other sites to know more about you.

If that’s something you’d like to avoid, then a VPN is what you need. It keeps your web activities private, so these websites have nothing to collect.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the best VPN service providers we recommend:

There’s a common misconception that using VPN can just slow down your connection. This can be true for most free version VPN services, but it’s completely different when you pay for VPN servers. 

Just take a look at some of the top VPN companies on our list, like Private Internet Access VPN and ProtonVPN. These are VPN services that let you use VPN servers with up to 10Gbps connection speed.

Many people purchase a complete VPN plan so they no longer have to deal with restricted content. To some, this is the sole purpose of using this service. A VPN that doesn’t let you stream restricted content is just pointless.

This is why we made sure that we only listed services that actually work on streaming platforms that can be strict with the use of VPNs like Netflix. 

Another main reason why people consider using VPN is to protect themselves online. Unfortunately, even if brands claim their website is secure, they are rarely honest about how they use the info they get from you.

We chose VPN services that do their best to gatekeep your digital footprint with the latest security features. Now, even VPN websites use cookies, so we also checked if they are strict about their no-logs policies. 

We also looked at what other customers have to say about certain VPN companies. Some may not be happy about certain factors in specific services that a VPN offers, but we also made sure to weigh in the good things that they have to say.

Overall, the sites we chose have a good reputation. Most of them are also rated excellent on review sites like TrustPilot.

True enough, a VPN subscription can be expensive, but always consider that there could be so many things at stake with all the information you share online. So, if you use a VPN and all that can be protected, it can be very worth it.

Sometimes, you don’t even need to spend anything to get a good VPN. There are VPN services like TunnelBear and Windscribe, with great features included in their free plans.

VPN works by connecting you to a private server and concealing your IP address. As soon as you connect to a VPN server, your IP address will change and be based on your choice of location. It also encrypts your digital footprint, so no third party can see what you do online.

Whether the use of a VPN is legal or illegal depends on your location. In the U.S., it is legal to use a VPN. However, times are changing, so the best that you can do is to check if it’s still allowed in your jurisdiction.

A VPN plan’s cost varies from one provider to another. Generally, a VPN 1-month subscription is at least $10. Subscribing with a longer contract can help lessen the fees. Most of the popular VPN providers would also offer discounts and promos from time to time.

Whether free version VPN subscriptions are good enough depends on what you need. Free VPN services like Windscribe are already good enough if you’re only looking for privacy tools like social media blocking and ad blocking.

However, it may not be enough if you want advanced features like malware protection and having a multilocation server. 

The best VPN service for free based on the sites we reviewed is TunnelBear. TunnelBear also uses military-grade encryption to make sure that all your online activities are hard to trace and decipher. However, know that free version VPNs have limited features. 

This is the case with TunnelBear since you only get 500MB of browsing with a free version account. Typically, free subscriptions also use different encryption and VPN protocols that aren’t as good as what paid plans have.

The best VPN for Netflix is either NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Netflix can detect a VPN, but with these two, you can freely access Netflix UK, Netflix IE, and more without any problems. Other VPN companies that could work on Netflix are Surfshark, Proton VPN, and PIA.

We find CyberGhost as the best paid VPN provider overall since it uses AES 256-bit encryption, which is the toughest to crack. It also has over 8,000 VPN servers, and some of them are dedicated servers for certain online activities like streaming and torrenting.

We hope this review will help you decide which VPN service works best for you. If you want a bang-for-the-buck VPN service, we highly recommend that you go for our No. 1 pick, CyberGhost, with its over 8,000 secure servers. 

If you need a good VPN to access restricted content on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, ExpressVPN or NordVPN are worth giving a shot.

The number of VPN services has exploded in recent years, and it can be hard to sort out all the options. We’ve chosen our top 10 favorites for now, but there are plenty of others out there that might work for you. 

We understand that every Internet user wants complete anonymity online, which is why we’ll try to provide exclusive added value from time to time.

Also, remember that the best VPN will really depend on your needs and your budget. So, it’s great that our top picks offer a risk-free money-back guarantee. This way, you can try each of them and see which service works best for you.

Members of the editorial and news staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal were not involved in the creation of this content.

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