What’s the best VPN you could get for yourself? That’s what this page is all about – to help you find a VPN that will cover all your needs.
You see, we’re all different and you may need a VPN for one reason and I may need it for a different one. Also, one day you may decide that you also need a VPN for something else. So you’re best off getting a VPN that covers a whole spectrum of use cases.
Whether you need it to access streaming service that may not be available in your country (or to keep enjoying them while traveling), to bypass various restrictions in places like schools and office, bypass censorship or just to keep a low profile on the Internet – a good VPN will cover all your needs.
With that in mind, here are the best personal VPNs you can sign-up for today:
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
Summary
Its network includes more than 6,200 servers spread across 111 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.
What makes the best personal VPN?
The best personal VPNs get the job done in different use cases. No matter what you need a VPN for, these services have you covered. We’re talking about things such as:
Streaming
The best personal VPNs let you access all the movies and TV shows on virtually every service. The questions we’ve asked were: Can you get a buffer-free experience from different locations? Can a streaming service detect that you’re using a VPN and won’t let you “in” because of it? Are there servers dedicated to popular streaming services such as Netflix?
Torrenting
Best personal VPNs handle torrenting with ease. We wanted to check whether a VPN offers servers dedicated to peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic or are all servers in the network ready for these sorts of tasks? Both approaches work as far as we can tell, it’s just that in the first case — we like when P2P-dedicated servers are clearly marked on the list (of servers/locations).
Unrestricted access
You’ll want a personal VPN to bypass your ISP’s restrictions, among other things. The questions we’ve asked were: Can you use a VPN to connect to the Internet from a college campus? Can it get the job done without the IT department knowing what you’re doing online? You don’t want a VPN that can’t handle the relatively simple firewall in a school or a workplace, right?
Bypassing censorship
Somewhat related – the best personal VPNs can be used in high-censorship countries such as China, North Korea, UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. The infamous Great Firewall of China is arguably the toughest nut to crack, but the best personal VPNs can do it – and we love ’em for that.
Speed & reliability
Last but not the least, we had to test the speeds of each of the VPNs on our list. If the experience was too slow, you wouldn’t be accessing YouTube or any other video platform despite that being possible. In a similar vein, we wanted to see whether a VPN delivers reliable and consistent speeds every time we’ve used it. We tend to think that reliability is more important than speed for most users.
Can I try a free VPN?
I guess trying is ok, although we don’t suggest anyone to use a free VPN. You see, it takes a lot of resources to build a large server network which is directly related to the VPN service’s speed and reliability. Needless to say, this is something free solutions can do ONLY if they sell your data. And then – what’s the point of getting a VPN if your data is up for grabs to the highest bidder?
Instead, get a personal VPN that has a proven track record to work from all around the world. And that’s what this list of Best personal VPNs is all about.
For what it matters, most VPNs on this page offer money-back guarantees, allowing you to ask for your hard-earned cash back if you determine that the service doesn’t work for you. Heck, you should extensively use a VPN during the money-back period to see whether it fits your needs. There is no need to settle for the second-class service, especially when you know there are other great VPNs out there.
Get a personal VPN that works for everything!
You need a personal VPN that will cover many things. In that sense, it will:
- Protect your privacy from the government and big corporations
- Bypass restrictions imposed by the government or various organizations
- Change your IP address so you get unrestricted access to Netflix, Disney+, iPlayer, HULU, and other video streaming services
- Encrypt and protect private data from cybercriminals
The top contenders that check all these boxes include the following:
