We tested more VPN services than we care to count. This means you don’t have to test all of them to find the one that is best suited for your Windows.
The best ones — which you do want to get — are not free. Some of them, however, offer a free trial or a strong money-back guarantee, which is equally valid. Yes, you will have to pay some money upfront, but you will also be able to quickly get that money back in case you don’t like the service.
Even though we doubt that will be the case — we have selected the best services, after all — it’s good to know, there is an option to get your hard-earned cash back for any reason.
Here’s our list, consisting of the services that either offer a free trial or a money-back guarantee. Chances are you will find the service for your needs here.
Pros
Cons
- 5,000+ servers in the network
- Easy to use - install it and forget it
- One license is good for up to 6 devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Chrome extension is just a proxy
- You can't pay with PayPal
Summary
Its network includes more than 5,000 servers spread across 60 countries, which directly translates into faster speeds. NordVPN is also very secure, relying on the strong 256-bit encryption combined with secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2/IPSec). But as a user, you get a seamless experience with all this technology "doing its thing" in the background.
NordVPN is well suited to pretty much every task you throw at it — whether it's accessing a banned site from some country that filters out the internet, torrenting, accessing streaming services, or just wanting to keep a low profile on the web. It also doesn't keep any logs.
We highly recommend NordVPN to anyone looking for reliable service.
Pros
Cons
- Feature-rich yet easy to use
- One of the best VPNs around
- Strong no-logging policy
- Reliable support you can reach 24/7
- Limited number of servers in Africa and the Middle East
- Kinda pricey
Summary
ExpressVPN has great desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps and browser extensions. Also, it is well suited for video streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and others.
However, what makes it stand out is its ease of use. We can't emphasize this enough. One could tell a lot of time has been spent making sure even the advanced features are easily accessible. And we love it for that. Plus, let's not forget ExpressVPN's speed which tends to leave other services in the dust.
Pros
Cons
- It's super fast!
- Works with Netflix, BBC and others
- Easy to use apps, browser extensions
- You can try it for free!
- Some advanced features are not configurable
- Not the best for high-censorship countries
Summary
Furthermore, thanks to the availability of browser extensions - Hotspot Shield is also one of our top choices for Chrome and Firefox VPNs.
Your privacy is equally well protected, with the software only collecting some anonymized that help continually improve its service.
There is one caveat though - it won't work in high-censorship countries like China. If you don't need that in the first place, we highly recommend Hotspot Shield.
As that's typically the case with most VPN services out there, the longer you commit - the better deal you get. However, what makes Hotspot Shield even better is the fact that it offers a 7-day free trial of its service. A few other top VPN providers do the same. Plus, its money-back guarantee lasts for 45 days, making for a risk-free purchase. Cause, you can always get your money back. Sweet and just the way we like it.
Pros
Cons
- Reliable download and upload speeds
- Works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Lets you use it on unlimited number of devices
- Low number of servers in Africa and Australia
Summary
You can rely on it for streaming and torrenting, with included extra features like CleanWeb and MultiHop, delivering a that much better — and more secure — experience.
Surfshark, the company, is based in the British Virgin Islands and with its zero-logs policy makes for a powerful combo to anyone looking to keep its web whereabouts under the radar.
The service is easy to use and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
Cons
- One the best VPNs for torrenting
- Works well with Netflix
- Simple setup on all popular devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Doesn't work with BBC iPlayer
- Doesn't work in China
Summary
Its desktop apps are not among the prettiest ones, but they get the job done. The important thing is that installation is easy and straightforward, and that no logs are kept by the company.
When it comes to pricing, IPVanish is somewhere in the middle — it's not the most affordable option but also not the most expensive one. As noted, it will be most appreciated by heavy BitTorrent users, and — related — Kodi fans.
You SHOULD test a VPN…
But you shouldn’t necessarily ask for a free trial cause in most cases – it is not available. That’s just the way the industry works.
However, most VPNs — at least the best ones — offer a money-back guarantee which is as good as a free trial. So if during that money-back period (typically 30 days), you find that a VPN doesn’t work for you – simply ask them to return you the cash. It’s that simple.
And during that month, you’ll want to test a VPN as much as you can:
- See how it works with popular streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and others.
- How about torrenting – is it allowed and how fast it is?
- Does it slow down your Internet connection?
You don’t want to regret your decision later on. So, make sure to get a VPN that will cover all your needs. That’s why we think…
A free trial is cool but not a must-have for a VPN
The free trial option lets you test some service — in this case a VPN — before paying for it. Not many VPNs offer free trials, but as we’ve noted above – they “get away” with money-back guarantees that tend to last for a whole month. And as far as we’re concerned, these work just as well. At the end of the day, you need a free trial for test purposes, and a money-back guarantee provides you with the same capability. Again, if you determine that some VPN doesn’t work for you – ask to get your money back.
What you want is the best VPN!
In that sense, a free trial option is nice, but not a dealbreaker. At least not in our book. You do want a respectable VPN that has proven to work for many users — even millions of users. And so what if it doesn’t provide the free trial option? It offers a money-back guarantee that accomplishes the same thing – lets you test the service before committing to a long(er) term contract.
But, you may wonder, what makes a great VPN? The answer to that question depends on what you need a VPN for and where you live.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to sign-up for a VPN that has many servers spread across the world, adopts new technologies and has a solid zero-logs policy, which is preferably confirmed by a third-party audit.
In other words, you’ll want to…
Get a VPN for all your needs…
Forget free trial, get a VPN that could be used for many other things, including (as we’ve mentioned above) for:
- Accessing content that could otherwise be restricted in your physical location.
- Preventing tracking and minimizing your digital footprint so that no one can track you online (at least not that easily).
- Avoiding throttling from your ISP – which is known to happen when you’re torrenting or accessing video streaming services.
- Bypassing firewalls in a workplace, university, school and so on.
- Bypassing censorship in places like China, North Korea, countries in the Middle East, and even Turkey and Russia.
- Securely connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots – with a VPN encrypting all the traffic coming to and from your devices.
The bottom line is – get a VPN that fits all your needs. The top contenders include the following:
