Where to buy vpn

A big loss, however, is Netflix, and IPVanish simply can't unblock any library, anywhere in the world. We hope that this is addressed soon, but there are no guarantees. There are graphs going up and down, drop downs to select servers and locations, scrolling matrix-like numbers and a map interface that, admittedly, is better than NordVPN's.

For those who know what they're doing this is great, but for the greener user, it could all be a bit much. On the topic of apps, IPVanish doesn't tend to deliver such frequent updates as its competitors. While they're stable, this does mean that new features are slow to arrive, and if there's something new on the horizon, it could still be months before it's introduced — just look at how long WireGuard took to arrive.

Overall, though, while it's lost a little ground on the top services, IPVanish is still well worth considering, especially if you're a fan of in-depth, techy software. Sign up now on the IPVanish website. Our Windscribe review found the provider's free service that gives users 10GB of data a month very useful, but it also offers a fairly-priced paid service that delivers unlimited data and lets you connect as many devices at once as you like.

Most other VPN services permit only five to 10 at a time. Windscribe is compatible with many platforms — including routers and Amazon Fire and Kodi TV set-top boxes. The service offers a great variety of connection options, has a wide geographic reach with hundreds of servers, and presents an appealing, if minimal, user interface. It's also good for watching overseas Netflix, and has dedicated 'Windflix servers' to enable this.

The service's Chrome VPN extension is a standout feature. As one of the best on the market, it offers tons of features and can be used without installing the desktop client — great for work computers of other devices you can't install software on. For those that do install the desktop client, you'll notice the brand-spanking Windscribe 2. It's still good enough to stream with, but it's got nothing on the very fastest providers out there.

You can pay for a Windscribe subscription with Bitcoin, you don't even have to provide an email address, and the service is based in Canada, which may appeal to users wary of US authorities. Overall, for those looking to test out a VPN with a free service and then sign up once you know it works, Windscribe is an excellent option.

It's evidently aimed at the more advanced user. The apps are hugely configurable and have a wide range of protocols, DNS protection, and also supports torrenting on most servers. However, if you're a bit of a newbie, the amount of customization might throw you off, in which case we'd recommend going for a service like ExpressVPN. In our streaming testing, Hide.

Finally, it's also got some excellent privacy credentials - although it hasn't yet undertaken a security audit. Overall, it's a great choice, especially if you like to tinker with your software. Sign up now on the Hide. With servers in countries, HMA boasts the widest network of any VPN on this list, and with apps for plenty of devices you'll have plenty of options here.

However, those servers are spread a little thin, and we'd like to see each location populated with more than just a few. HMA has recently undertaken a no-logging audit by VerSprite, which has been passed — although we're not entirely sure of the true scope of this, and the final report isn't available to the public to inspect.

Still, though, that's good news. But P2P is allowed, so torrenting is still on the table. Overall, it's a good VPN that it might be worth taking a look at. Sign up now on the HMA website. VyprVPN is a useful service that has a lot going for it. A standout of our VyprVPN review is its watertight no-logging policy, which has also been publicly audited. This is a great start if you're after a VPN to keep your info private. Plus, with 30 simultaneous connections, you won't be limited to picking just a few of your devices.

In our tests it performed well in the UK, but in the US it didn't come close to making the most of our ultra-fast line. Still, it does provide usable speeds, and if you don't have top tier internet you're unlikely to notice the difference. Sign up now on VyprVPN's website. However, in our StrongVPN review we found out that it goes beyond the basics, offering some unique extra benefits while missing out on some more obvious others. A really attractive feature is that you can have up to 12 devices running StrongVPN at once, which is more than enough to cover all of your devices and still have some left over.

But this is balanced out by a lack of detail in the client, which doesn't include information in the server browser or DNS settings — and we also had some minor issues with the kill switch. Making a up a little for that is the affordable pricing, alongside the free GB of SugarSync storage, and as the storage provider is usually pretty expensive, this is a good deal.

However, StrongVPN have missed a trick here, as if you visit the homepage you simply won't see anything about this partnership until you check out the pricing plans. Sign up now on the StrongVPN website. For those who've never used a VPN before — and perhaps are a little intimidated by the prospect — TunnelBear could be the perfect choice. You can start off with a limited free plan which admittedly only gives you MB of data a month , or upgrade to the full service which gives access to over 1, servers in 46 countries.

Check out the full TunnelBear review for more detail. Network performance is acceptable and prices are par for the course.

However, the biggest draw is its comprehensive privacy policy and regular audits, which will appeal to you if you're looking for a VPN to genuinely keep your information safe.

TunnelBear's simplicity, though, is also its downfall. While it's easy to use, so are ExpressVPN and most of the other top-rated providers, but once you get used to using them, you'll have the choice to explore in-depth options if you want to. No such luck with TunnelBear, though, as there's a dearth of configuration.

You've also got no choice but to run TunnelBear's client software — unless you use Linux — which may concern some privacy-minded users, and there's no option to set up TunnelBear connections on routers or other devices. Sign up now on the TunnelBear website. One of the best antivirus providers Bitdefender has launched a standalone VPN product. Bitdefender VPN used to come bundled with the antivirus package, but now it's available on its own, and for a very reasonable price.

However, that reliance on Hotspot Shield does mean Bitdefender doesn't have much control over its logging policy, and it's also impossible to manually set up as a router VPN , too. Bitdefender's app is about as simple as possible — which will be positive or negative depending on what kind of user you are. That's it. The only close to unique feature is Bitdefender's autoconnect menu. You can set the VPN to activate if it detects P2P, banking, mature content, dating, and a number of other kinds of website, which may well be quite attractive.

Beyond that, though, there's little in the way of features that would make you choose the service over those higher up this list.

Read more in our full Bitdefender VPN review. Sign up now on the Bitdefender website. If you don't mind signing up for a massive five years, Ivacy is just about the cheapest VPN you can pick up. Beyond that, Ivacy is a pretty decent VPN overall, and quite unlike Bitdefender, its apps are full to the brim with interesting additions.

You can filter your servers for the best ones to use with any particular streaming provider, save your favorites, choose between a number of protocols, and the app even claims to scan downloaded files for viruses. You'll also get a kill switch and split tunneling. However, there are a few usability issues that we weren't hugely impressed with. Automatic server selection didn't often give us the server we'd usually choose, and Streaming Mode threw up a host of problems like hidden IP addresses and unswitchable servers.

Plus, while we know it's cheap, we didn't appreciate being served ads in a commercial product. Overall though, you can't sniff at that price, and if that's your only concern, Ivacy might be for you. Sign up now on the Ivacy website. Choosing the best VPN for can be a tricky process — that's why we've put together this comprehensive guide. As a middle ground, fan-favorite NordVPN is also useful.

It offers serious security for a decent price, and has apps for tons of devices. When testing VPNs, we check every aspect that might be of concern. To begin with, we look at what personal details a service needs, and any essential features like encryption. Then we consider pricing, and whether money-back guarantees are on offer, and whether it works on other operating systems as a Mac VPN or Linux VPN as well as on Windows.

During the physical testing, we test speeds over a number of servers, check for DNS leaks, test kill switch functionality plus any and all other additional features, and measure connection time and if the apps crash.

Finally, we review how easy the apps are to use, and test the services on desktop and mobile devices. Using a VPN is not illegal, and it's perfectly legitimate to want to protect your data and activity. Having one on your computer and using it regularly in pursuit of watertight web security and location spoofing is in no way unlawful. In our most recent testing, we lauded the quality of its clients and apps.

Not only are they easy and friendly to use, but they really pack in the extra features for anybody who wants to fully customize their VPN experience.

Its best pricing is dependent on you being happy enough to commit to it for the next few years and pay upfront for the privilege , but any qualms should be quelled by the fact that PIA just keeps on improving. In terms of streaming, it keeps adding more and more services to its 'unblock' list most recently it has upped its game as a BBC iPlayer VPN.

And its redesign shows - superficially at least - that this is a provider that is investing in the future. If Surfshark's appeal is its sheer simplicity, CyberGhost takes the plaudits for being such a thorough package at such a low price. But if that sounds like it's going to be complicated to use, then please don't misunderstand us. We're really fond of how easy this provider makes it to connect to just the right server for your purpose.

That means that if your main purpose for getting a VPN is streaming , CyberGhost will actively help you select the ideal server for watching Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.

That does sometimes mean that speeds aren't up to the same pace as, say those of ExpressVPN. But you can discover all this for yourself with CyberGhost's generous day money back guarantee - one of the lengthiest VPN free trials on offer. And it remains one of the best in the business, only just missing out on our overall top 10 of the hundreds that we test. The reason it makes this list is thanks to its incredibly priced multi-year plan.

But it's not all about the dollars and cents few, as they are. As we say, VyprVPN has a strong reputation in this field, and was especially impressive in our testing when it came to streaming. It may not have some of the features of some competitors and its strong server list looks on the low side in comparison, but this is still a friendly, easy-to-use VPN.

Oh, and did we mention the price!? Unlimited data usage and up to five simultaneous connections. Not only do you get a rather affordable VPN with NordVPN providing you avoid the monthly subscription , you also benefit from a service with excellent security.

There is also an option to send encrypted traffic over the Onion network for an additional layer of security, plus an automatic kill switch, and more. We're not excited about Hotspot's privacy and security, though. Since the services uses a closed-source proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol , instead of the more transparent open-source OpenVPN protocol, we'd like to see Hotspot give the public more third-party audits -- a necessary step to bring Hotspot up to speed with routinely audited VPNs like TunnelBear.

Hotspot acknowledged the issue at the time and aimed to improve the product. We're also not thrilled about the amount of user data Hotspot collects, and its privacy policy. With its premium product, it gathers and retains much more information about users than most other VPNs. And if you're using the free version of its product, it shares that information -- along with even more finite data, including your MAC address and specific phone identifier -- with advertising companies.

While its interface is user-friendly and its speeds are thrilling, spending time with Hotspot is going to leave your wallet a little lighter than you might prefer. It's current price is higher than its nearest competitors, its speeds slightly slower and its privacy more questionable. If you're looking for a VPN purely on the grounds of speed, we still recommend passing on Hotspot until it improves. TunnelBear's gotten a lot of hype in the last couple of years. But when we looked under its hood and compared it with its VPN competitors, our excitement waned.

TunnelBear's speeds are reasonable. On the plus side, TunnelBear is holding its own in the transparency competition among VPNs by publishing the results of its independent security audits and annual transparency reports. However, it's also a Canadian business owned by US-based McAfee, so if you're looking for subpoena-proof international online privacy, you're playing with fire.

It holds a paltry 23 server locations from which you can't manually choose your VPN server or even a city. Either way, TunnelBear accepts payment via credit card and Bitcoin. In CNET's previous coverage of virtual private networks, we've praised CyberGhost for its roster of competitive features. Our in-depth review of CyberGhost last year included speed testing, security verification and an analysis of its full suite of privacy tools.

As we've bolstered our approach to VPN reviews in recent months, however, CyberGhost has raised some red flags. Its parent company's history warrants skepticism; our previous tests have shown it to expose your VPN use to your ISP; its website and app trackers are more numerous than warranted; and its ad blocker uses an untrustworthy method of traffic manipulation no VPN should even think about.

Its low price previously made it worth considering if you needed to change the appearance of your location online, but not if you wanted best-in-class security. While CyberGhost's connection speed and security appear to be improving, I don't currently recommend using the VPN service provider if you're in a country where VPNs are illegal.

I also recommend that anyone in the US review CyberGhost's parent company before deciding whether to pay for a subscription. On the plus side, however, CyberGhost is still faster than Norton Secure VPN and was less taxing on my device's processing power during testing. It also offers split tunneling in its Windows client and has its servers neatly organized into user-friendly categories: NoSpy servers, servers geared for torrenting, servers best for streaming and servers best for use with a static IP address.

CyberGhost imposes no data caps and allows unlimited server switching. NortonLifeLock, long known for excellence in security products, has a relatively limited offering in its VPN product. Its Netflix and streaming compatibility is somewhat limited. Even worse, during testing, we experienced privacy-compromising data leaks. Below you'll find some additional VPNs. We're in the process of re-evaluating them in the coming months. PureVPN does not log connection information. The company joined the "no log" movement in , which was recently verified via a third-party audit by Althius IT albeit one commissioned and paid for by PureVPN.

We like that PureVPN offers a day refund policy and supports Bitcoin payments, to further extend anonymous browsing. StrongVPN blasts onto our favorites list with excellent infrastructure and decent price performance.

As with our other favorites, StrongVPN has a strong no-logging policy. Strong also picks up kudos for its large base of IP addresses, which also helps protect your anonymity.

It has a solid collection of servers and worldwide locations. For those of you who need a dedicated IP, you can get one from the company, but you'll need to contact support to get help setting it up. One of StrongVPN's strengths is the company's network.

It owns and operates its entire network infrastructure, which means it has no externally dictated limits on bandwidth or the type of internet traffic allowed on the network. This gives you the confidence that you'll be able to power through your work. Speaking of price, if you want one of the less expensive providers, Private Internet Access is the place to go. The company does not release information on the number of IP addresses available, though it does offer a dedicated IP option.

The company claims to have an extraordinarily high number of servers -- more than 31, It is crucial to note: Proxy servers are not VPNs. Operating since , PIA now offers simultaneous connections, a kill-switch feature and a day refund period. Since we're living in a connected world, security and privacy are critical to ensure our personal safety from nefarious hacks. From online banking to communicating with co-workers on a daily basis, we're now frequently transferring data on our computers and smartphones.

It's extremely important to find ways of securing our digital life and for this reason, VPNs have become increasingly common. Picking a VPN requires knowing two things to start with: what you want to use it for and what you're willing to pay. There is a vast number of VPNs available to choose from that range widely in what they offer, but with those two answers, you can start hunting for a VPN that has the right blend of speed, security and cost.

Below, you'll find specific FAQ sections on picking a VPN based on the most common needs: gaming, streaming media, working from home and privacy-sensitive professions. For a deeper dive, check our detailed walk-through of how we evaluate and review VPNs.

If you're looking for some quick pointers, here are universally applicable advice guides for beginners. None of them. While there are plenty of excellent free security and privacy apps online, VPNs sadly aren't among them. Safe VPNs cost companies a lot of money to operate and keep secure, and a free VPN service is almost always malware-laden data snoops. Check out our quick list of budget-savvy VPNs to find one in your price range. If your goal is to protect your personal data from prying eyes, you want a VPN on whatever you are using.

If your goal is to use a VPN to gain access to streaming services which have been made unavailable in your country for whatever reason, you want a VPN on whatever you are using to access those streaming services. Whatever your reason for wanting a VPN, it's usually a good idea to have it set up on as many of your web-connected things as possible.

Use a mobile-friendly VPN to avoid slower speeds and ensure greater data privacy for your whole device. Mobile VPNs generally have a smaller memory footprint, and require less processing power than desktop VPNs, so they run faster and save more battery. Our top three VPN picks all have excellent, easy-to-use mobile app options for their services. Some VPNs will only work with one type of platform -- like Apple or Android -- and some are universally compatible.

We routinely update them with our retesting information, so check back often. If you're working from home, you may be sharing your internet connection with multiple devices and family members or roommates. That's a lot of simultaneous connections to a VPN and a lot of drag on a network. Pick a VPN that lets you use one subscription on as many devices as possible and has excellent speeds so your Wi-Fi isn't bogged down.

If your job involves handling sensitive information like financial or medical records, however, your priority VPN criteria is security.