Where to buy a vpn connection

In its simplest form, the best VPN works by tunneling your connection through its own encrypted servers, which hides your activity from your ISP and anyone else who might be watching — including the government, advertisers and nefarious hackers. This also allows you to access restricted sites, stream a wider range of shows, and avoid network throttling.

And, if you're on holiday anywhere outside your home country, you can use the best VPN to access the Netflix shows you love, as they may be unavailable overseas. The competition to be crowned best VPN gets tougher every day, but there's still a clear winner that's head and shoulders above the rest — ExpressVPN.

It also performed well in our streaming tests, easily getting around the geo-restrictions of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video — and, because it provides such swift connections, you'll be able to watch in HD or 4K just like usual.

And when you look at the facts, figures, stats and user experience, it's quite clear why. It also has all the additional features you wouldn't want to be without.

That includes a very reliable kill switch to cut your connection and avoid leaks if the VPN cuts out, split tunneling so that you can route some apps through the VPN and whitelist others, plus DNS leak protection, class-leading encryption, servers in 94 countries, and a solid zero-logging policy.

ExpressVPN complements its excellent privacy credentials with great streaming performance, too — something that's increasingly important in today's market. This is even more impressive due to the fact Netflix has recently cracked down hard on VPNs, and while ExpressVPN was initially affected, it's bounced back much faster than any other service.

Combined with great connection speeds, it's the perfect streaming companion. However, there are a couple of minor reasons why ExpressVPN might not be for.

Firstly, one plan only covers 5 simultaneous connections. That means you can only log in on 5 devices at the same time — although you can log in and out as you wish and have the VPN installed on any and all you devices.

ExpressVPN is also a little more expensive than the competition, but considering its unbeatable streaming performance and privacy tools — not to mention the stellar live-chat support and full torrent support — we think the slight extra outlay is worth it.

The best bit, though? Tom's Guide readers can now claim a free month plan with cloud backup software BackBlaze on the month plan. However, if you're not sure, ExpressVPN also offers a day money-back guarantee. So, in the unlikely case you don't like the service, you can claim a full refund. But if you want to try before you buy, you'll still be covered by that day money-back guarantee to make sure it's the right VPN for you.

With a massive presence that includes YouTuber plugs, TV ads and even sports team sponsorships, it's a brand that's not afraid of the limelight. Thankfully, it's not all bluster, either. With a kill switch, all the basic protocols plus the WireGuard-based NordLynx, excellent encryption and seriously blistering connection speeds, it's a comprehensive package.

While we're not huge fans of the map-based interface, Nord's apps are stable and reliable, and within them you'll have the choice of over 5, servers in 60 countries. Plus, P2P is supported, and combined with extra privacy features like Double Hop and Onion over VPN, it's a great choice for those looking to stay under the radar.

While annoying, these results can vary day-to-day, so if it's something you're likely to rely on, you've got a day money-back guarantee so you test it. Otherwise, though, NordVPN is an excellent service and we're absolutely happy to recommend it to our readers — and it only misses out on top spot thanks to a couple of small issues, and the fact that the competition is so strong.

Save big on NordVPN's longest plan If you want to save some money when signing up to Nord, you're best off going for its longest two-year plan. You'll get the best price on offer, plus the standard day money-back guarantee that allows you to test the service before you commit. If you're looking for absolute bang-for-buck, British Virgin Island-based Surfshark should definitely be on your radar. At less than half the price of some of its competitors while delivering comparable performance in many areas, it's a great choice for those looking to save their cash.

Surfshark's apps are simple and effective, but don't think they're underpowered. While they can't quite compete with the techiest of the bunch, you'll have a kill switch, over 3, server to pick from, split tunneling, and industry-standard AES encryption. If you've got tons of devices to cover, Surfshark stands out as well. That means whether you've got 5 or devices you want to install a VPN on, one Surfshark plan can do it all.

Speeds are also a little down on the competition, but unless you've got a base connection of over Mbps, you won't notice any difference.

Overall, Surfshark is an excellent budget option, and when you consider its incredibly low price, any small issues it has seem to fade away! A thoroughly premium service at a bargain price Surfshark is a great option for those who want a simple VPN to set and forget. It's perfect for streaming almost any service, the apps are super simple, and you'll get a day money-back guarantee as standard so you can test-drive the VPN before you commit.

We've always liked ProtonVPN as a hardcore privacy tool, but in our latest ProtonVPN review we saw huge improvements in terms of everyday usability and customer service — so much so, that the Swiss VPN has jumped from 9th to 4th in this guide! Just about all of the issues we had last time have been addressed.

We were also disappointed last time that ProtonVPN didn't offer live chat support. Well, that's been sorted out too. It's not all about streaming, though. The apps are also powerful and stable on all devices if a little complex , and features like the kill switch are some of the best around.

For those that really value privacy, ProtonVPN is a great choice. It's getting trickier by the day to pick faults with Proton, but there are still a couple of sticking points. Firstly, while some servers do support P2P traffic, there are relatively few compared to the competition. Prices are also a little on the steep side, but sign up for 2 years and you'll get a decent deal, with a generous 10 simultaneous connections to boot. Overall, ProtonVPN is very much on the up, and it's evident the devs are putting in some hard work rather than resting on their laurels — and thanks to that, ProtonVPN has become a service we can wholeheartedly recommend.

Sign up now on the ProtonVPN website. Private Internet Access is staying on its upward trajectory, and in our last two round of reviews we've seen the veteran provider find a new lease of life and begin to challenge the dogs once again. Boasting quite possibly the biggest server network of any provider — PIA doesn't disclose numbers, but it's at least 10,, and possibly over 35, — it's bound to to get you a good connection no matter where you are with no chance of overloading.

However, PIA really stands out when you get under the surface a little. Its desktop apps offer port forwarding — a relative rarity — and its kill switch is super reliable. Also, its proxy browser extensions are also very good, with updated tech that allows for faster browsing.

However, we're still waiting on PIA to deliver its independent security audit, so unlike some providers like Express, Nord and Proton, we have to take any privacy claims it makes on face value.

However, PIA has a good track record, so we're not too sceptical. If you're looking for one of the best VPNs that's both cheap and capable, Private Internet Access might be right for you. Sign up now on the PIA website. CyberGhost has a feature-loaded, user-friendly interface, with convenient buttons in the Windows client software for streaming media, torrenting files, protecting your Wi-Fi transmissions and evading censorship — read our CyberGhost VPN review for more info.

Those streaming and torrenting features are really useful, as it takes out the trial-and-error of testing individual servers to see if they work with Netflix and the like — and it's worth mentioning that the issues with BBC iPlayer we had last time have been resolved. While ExpressVPN's just always seems to work, individual servers of many other providers can drop Netflix support as they get detected, so CyberGhost makes it super easy to get streaming. CyberGhost also delivers excellent speeds when using WireGuard, topping out at an incredible Mbps.

That's fast enough for even uncontested corporate networks, so just about any user will be able to browse without impediment. However, there are a couple of app issues, mostly to do with the kill swicth. While it keeps you protected, the app may display that you're still connected while cutting your connection.

Also, the server load display has been cut, which was a neat feature we appreciated. Sign up now on the the CyberGhost website. With its in-house Catapult Hydra protocol, Hotspot delivers reliable, swift connections.

However, since the majority of the competition has introduced WireGuard, it's been overtaken as a truly fast VPN. A real drawback, however, is the loss of Netflix access. This is very changeable, though, so we'll keep this updated as and when we undertake more testing. A very useful feature is full P2P support, so if you're a big torrenter, Hotspot Shield could be a good choice.

Device support is wide, too, and apps across all platforms share the same clean interface. Some very privacy-minded users may take umbrage with the fact that Hotspot Shield does undertake a little more session logging than, say, ProtonVPN, but in practice there's nothing recorded that can tie you back to your activity. So, Hotspot Shield remains a solid VPN, but as the competition steadily improves it needs to keep up, or risks being left behind.

Sign up now on the Hotspot Shield website. Seemingly designed for the more techy user, it boasts a bunch of useful additions and powerful apps that display all the data you could wish for.

IPVanish has only recently implemented WireGuard, but thanks to that update it's now one of the fastest services we've tested. Its OpenVPN speeds aren't quite as impressive, but most users will be using the new protocol anyway.

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. Windscribe also offers static IP addresses out of 13 locations but does not have dedicated IP addresses.

Hotspot Shield, by far, has the most user reviews out of any VPN we analyzed and manages to maintain high user ratings across various app stores and TrustPilot. With a solid free plan and excellent streaming capabilities, Hotspot Shield has drawn in a huge user base.

The free version comes with strict limitations: a single device slot, throttled connection speeds and a MB-per-day data cap. To erase those limitations, be prepared to pay. There is no option for a dedicated IP address. Forbes Advisor analyzed 10 primary factors and 20 subfactors to organize this list of the best VPN services. Based on those factors, each VPN provider could score a total of 50 points. We then translated that point system into an easily digestible 5-star rating.

Our criteria includes factors such as device compatibility; user reviews; maximum number of devices; number of servers; location of servers; number of discrete server locations; pricing for basic annual plan; availability of a dedicated IP add-on; and the price of that add-on if available. The various pricing systems for VPNs can get confusing.

To account for business and work uses for VPNs, we paid special attention to ones that allow you to connect numerous devices simultaneously in case your household, coworkers or employees also need protection and offer a dedicated IP address as an add-on—a core feature of most business VPNs because it reserves a private IP address for only you and all devices attached to your account.

VPNs are virtual private networks that encrypt your data and mask your online activity from snooping third parties. When you do things like check your email, chat with colleagues and browse websites, a VPN can help keep you anonymous. The overall cost of a VPN will depend on what service package you get and any add-ons you choose. This feature, often available as a premium add-on, dedicates an unchanging IP address to you and you alone.

If one of those users acts nefariously on a certain website, it can lead to that IP address being blacklisted, affecting the entire pool of people using it. Having your own dedicated IP elminitates this possibility, making it a great investment if you plan to use the VPN for work and business purposes.

In short, personal VPNs protect individuals who are typically consumers. People usually use them to browse the internet safely and access websites or streaming content only available in certain countries. Business VPNs protect the interests of the companies, not the employees. Business VPNs typically have some sort of user management dashboard and are also more expensive.

For smaller teams, solopreneurs and freelancers, a business tier VPN may not be necessary. Our list above looks at personal VPNs that have multiple uses. VPNs are used by millions of people all over the world. The vast majority of users are able to browse the web anonymously and without issue. Certain countries, such as China and Russia, have laws against using a VPN to bypass banned websites. Adam Hardy is a former assistant editor at Forbes Advisor, where he covered small business and tech.

Previously, he was a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder, specializing in the gig economy and entrepreneurship. Finance and other publications. Jacob Roach is a writer and technology enthusiast. He specializes in computing and small business software, lending his experience to sites like Digital Trends, Business Insider, and Cloudwards.

You can follow him on Twitter ManowarElves. In that role, he was responsible for writing, editing, and strategizing content geared toward small business owners. Before that, he worked at PCMag as a business analyst. Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team. Editor, Contributor, Editor. Editorial Note: Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Read more. Best Of. Featured Partners. Learn More On Privateinternetaccess. Private Internet Access. Our ratings take into account each service's pricing and features along with each platforms overall usability.

Dedicated IP Address Yes. The provider's custom NordLynx protocol has certainly been an eye-catching development in the last year or so. It has helped to make Nord's connection speeds some of the fastest we've recorded and more reliable, even from servers that are further afield. We also admire Nord's dedication to putting the tarnishing news of historic data breaches behind it. It now brings in PricewaterhouseCoopers to carry out a thorough audit of its no-logging policy every year.

But it hasn't reacted as quickly to other VPNs in the fight to keep accessing worldwide Netflix catalogs. Hopefully this is just temporary and Nord will be firing on all cylinders again soon. Not only are NordVPN's troubleshooting articles plentiful, these tutorials are also really useful.

If we have one other quibble, it would be with the user experience that NordVPN supplies. Just little things like the destination cities not being listed in alphabetical order or searching through menus for specialist task functions left us wishing for tweaks.

That's especially the case when it comes to its otherwise effective mobile apps. But, these are pretty minor minus points and, as with any VPN reviews you'll find on the internet, we understand that this ultimately comes down to personal preference. NordVPN has a few options available included monthly subscriptions and an excellent value two-year special offer. If you want to give the service a whirl before you commit, NordVPN provides a day money back guarantee.

We understand that the prices available for Surfshark are the factor that will stand out most when you're considering a new VPN, but there's way more to like about Surfshark than mere dollars and cents. When you first head to its website, Surfshark's laid-back and playful branding takes software that may be a bit intimidating to newcomers and makes it really accessible and user-friendly.

So if you're somebody who is easily bamboozled and, ultimately, put off by complicated menus and myriad options, Surfshark - like ExpressVPN above - could be the ideal VPN for you.

It keeps its interface completely stripped back and free from complication. All you'll really see are options for 'Quick connect' and 'All locations', accompanied by a Settings icon, and nothing else at all really.

Whether that level of detail or lack thereof is a boon or a drawback entirely depends on your perspective. That said, when it comes to keeping you and your online identity secure, Surfshark is all business. That's a marked difference from the VPN services sitting above in this guide.

And that's for unlimited connections, too. And theoretically you could even let friends and family members use your sub, too. Surfshark offers a day money back guarantee, giving you plenty of time to give it a try before committing for a longer period. So where does it lose marks?

Not too many places, but competition is tough these days - especially when Express and Nord have managed to improve their server speeds so substantially, while Surfshark's have remained merely 'good'. And, thorough as our testers are, we have noticed the odd issue with Surfshark's kill switch.

The result is far from lethal, but it doesn't quite reach the levels of perfection that Express has attained. But it always feels like this company is trying to raise its game, and in May it let independent security consultants Cure53 complete a security assessment to "to thoroughly examine and evaluate the security posture exposed by the Surfshark server" - it ultimately confirmed that there was "a very solid security premise at Surfshark".

It may not be quite the fastest VPN, or the cheapest, or the most powerful, but Private Internet Access often stylized as simply PIA is still a likeable VPN provider with more than enough features to justify a place on your shortlist.

The latest count we're told is more like 10,, which still puts it way ahead of the rest when it comes to pure server numbers. That sure sounds impressive, but it wouldn't be worth a thing without quality VPN clients and a wealth of security smarts.

Thankfully, PIA offers a healthy mix of privacy features and security protocols including WireGuard - this extends to its first rate Chrome extension, which adds in the option to block location access, third-party cookies, website referrers and more. That's not just us saying that either, as the user reviews on the App Store and Play Store are generally really positive. And there's support here for up to 10 simultaneous connections, so it's easy to cover pretty much all of your devices on one reasonable subscription.

Since our last round of testing, it has added SmartDNS to its features list - another string to its bow in helping you watch region-restricted content.

It isn't the slowest around and won't significantly hold you up for most 'normal' web activity. But PIA still does plenty to stand out from the crowd and the pricing beats a lot of the competition - often throwing in free extra months or additional security licences when you sign up for more than a year. Over the last months and years, Proton has been a VPN provider on a mission. Its server network has shot from a few hundred to nearly 2, still less than most, but heading in the right direction and it has made notable improvements to its clients and apps, adding new features and support.

The most significant of those in was WireGuard , which has now been fully rolled out. That bodes well for Proton's future proofing. But even if it hadn't, our speed testing witnessed some of the most eye-catching OpenVPN speeds around. In short, you don't have to worry about waiting to be connected if you're in a hurry to turn on ProtonVPN, and then afterwards you can just leave it working in the background knowing it won't slow down your internet connection.

Proton has really improved its streaming skills, too, becoming a reliable provider for getting around geo-restrictions when you're abroad. It breezed past BBC iPlayer, aces Amazon Prime Video and netted us access to foreign Netflix catalogs without much trouble at all - that's in a year where more reputable providers ahem, NordVPN have encountered problems.

Although it should be noted that this is only the case if you have a Plus subscription - you won't get this kind of quality from its free or Basic tiers. The very fact that Proton is based in Switzerland, instantly makes you just feel safer. And that's only enhanced by terrific kill switches, the opportunity to pay by Bitcoin and solid P2P support for torrenting.

There's still room for some improvement, of course. We'd love to see Proton take a leaf out of Surfshark's book and make the apps and clients feel a bit friendlier and less technical. Feels like poor form, although at least Proton has a very useful free VPN if you do want to give it a try without any cost whatsoever. This is a powerful and trustworthy service, though, and if that's your top priority, we'd recommend you take a look. VPN service CyberGhost has been a firm favorite of ours for some time now, and it's no surprise that it has a user base of over ten million subscribers.

The company covers the basics well, with more than 7, servers spread across odd countries, apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, torrents allowed and speedy live chat support. CyberGhost shines no matter what device you're planning to use it on. Beneath its clean, easy to follow interface lies a sea of fantastic features and functionality.

It will quickly connect you to the right server for you if you're specifically looking to stream or torrent, for example. And extra touches like its Smart Rules panel shows that the engineers at CyberGhost have really put some thought into the user experience.

It allows you to automatically connect to your preferred server launch a particular app such as your default browser in incognito mode when you boot up your computer.

A genuinely useful added bonus. We need to spend just a bit of time mentioning the speeds CyberGhost demonstrated in our most recent tests. Website unblocking has historically been another strong suit of CyberGhost's, and we're glad to report that it has upped its game again in our streaming tests. To break into the hallowed top five, we'd like to see CyberGhost clean up a few of the rough edges we witnessed. Not having an audit or a great support site really does matter, the Windows app keeps shtum when it disconnects, and it irritates us that once you've registered your seven devices, you then have to deregister one before you're able to use CyberGhost on another computer, phone or other gadget.

With a meaty day money back guarantee and fair pricing especially if you're willing to commit , CyberGhost is still well worth a closer look.

With parent company Kape showing more and more ambition in this cybersecurity field we mentioned its purchase of ExpressVPN above , you're in the hands an organization that continually seeks to push the envelope.

It's yet more evidence that taking the plunge and paying just a few dollars a month gets you a far superior VPN experience - especially when you read more below about its exclusive pricing just for TechRadar readers. Performance has been a major selling point for a few years now, with Hotspot Shield's proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol helping to deliver some of the fastest and most consistent download speeds around.

That said, it has rather 'stood still' in this regard of late, and services with WireGuard or that have their own proprietary protocols like ExpressVPN's Lightway or Nord's NordLynx have now overtaken Hotspot when it comes to outright speed.

As well as being able to run the service on devices where you can use its native Windows, Mac, Android or iOS apps, Hotspot has added functionality to support use on routers, Linux and TV streamers, too.

A SmartVPN feature - that let's you select websites on which the VPN will be bypassed - is another welcome addition, especially if you only really wanted to keep your VPN on when shopping, banking, streaming, etc. If you really just want a VPN to help you stream more varied content, Hotspot unblocks most of the major streaming services. To springboard back up to the top of this chart, we'd like to see Hotspot uses bring in some independent auditors to verify its logging practices.

Especially as the provider does admit to logging VPN sessions, bandwidth, domains accessed and IP addresses. All of these are reasoned out on Hotspot's website, but we'd welcome an auditor's view on things.

There's also room for improvement on its iOS app, which just doesn't quite match the high quality desktop or Android experience. But subscribe for more than just a month at a time, and Hotspot Shield becomes one of the best priced premium VPNs on the market. And if you try it and still aren't impressed, then there's a generous day money back guarantee that will let you get your money back without issue.

On the subject of support, we really like that you can access it directly from your Android or iOS app on mobile. There's something about IPVanish that just feels comforting when you get started. It's probably the reassuring graphs and charts in the desktop app that does it.

But rest assured, it's not just about looks as IPVanish has the security smarts AES encryption, kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection to fit the bill as a great choice for the privacy conscious.

While the Android and iOS apps don't seem to get updated or refreshed that often, there's probably a good reason for that - they function really well. The Android VPN app is a particular feather in IPVanish's cap, with more settings and options than most of the competition and the ability to really configure it to your ideal set up. With the likes of Nord, Express and Hotspot all rolling out their own proprietary security protocols, IPVanish was beginning to look a little bit left behind in terms of modernisation and speeds.

Enter WireGuard - the service finally added the option and speeds have, predictably, gone through the roof. So far, so positive. If streaming's your thing, however, IPVanish doesn't claim to be your best friend. And it shows: our latest round of testing showed struggles to unblock Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus or large swathes of Netflix shows, which makes it hard to wholeheartedly recommend if you're looking to uncover a new world of content to watch.

But overall, if you need its unbarred simultaneous connections or the power and configurability of its apps, take the plunge with this VPN service. And if somehow you end up unhappy you're protected by a 30 day money-back guarantee.

Windscribe is a trusted name in the VPN industry and it delivers a high quality product with plenty going for it. From a beginner's perspective, you you get clients for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux, for instance, as well as slick browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Opera extensions.

A single subscription covers unlimited devices, too, so you can cover them all with Windscribe. Quite niche, perhaps, but we like that Windscribe is thinking outside the box.

That makes the provider a sound option for streamers that want to watch overseas content or their own programming from abroad - unless you're a Netflix subscriber, as Windscribe has struggled to react to Netflix's latest blackout. The network has locations in cities spread across more than 60 countries, but its odd servers in total are far fewer than what most other providers have on offer.

WireGuard is now fully operational and works reliably, even if speeds are a little down on the peaks we've seen from other providers. That seems like a big miss these days, with all of the big competition offering an on the spot advisor to pick up queries.

Windscribe doesn't tick every available box then, then, but the service does have a lot of interesting features. If you're looking for a new VPN, use the free plan to find out what Windscribe can do for you. The free tier limits you to ten locations but gives you a generous 2GBGB data allowance a month.