Chances are that if you found your way here, you’re looking to take your first steps into the world of virtual private networks. If privacy and security are among your main concerns while surfing the web, you’re in the right place. A VPN (virtual private network) is a technology that provides secure, private, anonymous access to the Internet. Find out more below!
Getting to Know VPNs
A VPN provides private and secure access to the Internet. When you use a VPN, you connect to a VPN provider’s server with their software. The VPN client software sends your data through an encrypted tunnel that scrambles the data passing between your computer and the VPN provider’s server.
Because you connect to the VPN server to get access to the Internet, your real world IP address cannot be seen by the rest of the Internet, only the IP address of the VPN server can be seen. This masking of your real world IP and the secure tunnel to the VPN server that encrypts your data is what makes the privacy and security aspects of a VPN so strong and attractive to those of us looking to protect ourselves online.
The other major benefit to using a VPN is that VPN providers offer many servers in different countries. By connecting to a server in a different country, you appear as though you are actually located in that country. This is very handy if you are trying to access a geoblocked website. Connecting to a UK server while you are located in the United States, for example, would allow you to watch shows on the ITV website.
Our Top VPN Providers
While there are many reasons to use a VPN, our main concerns are speed, customer service, and ease of use. We’ve focused on these three benefits to offer you reliable recommendations on who we think is truly the best. Below are our top choices when it comes to VPN providers:
| Rank | VPN | As Low As | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| $4.87/month | Visit Site | ||
| 2 | $8.32/month | Visit Site | |
| 3 | $6.67/month | Visit Site |
1. IPVanish
IPVanish has a lot to offer: free VPN software and apps that are easy to use, over 25,000 anonymous IPs in 60+ countries, fast speeds, excellent security encryption, and you can get a 1-year subscription for as low as $4.87/month. Whether you are looking for secure browsing or looking to watch geoblocked or government censored content, IPVanish has got you covered.
Visit IPVanish VPN2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a solid performer with VPN software offering multi-platform support for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. Although Express offers extremely user friendly apps with all the protocol options, they are a little pricey compared to other VPN providers who offer more server locations in additional countries.
Visit ExpressVPN3. VyprVPN
Though not the fastest VPN, VyprVPN is a solid performer in the USA. Unfortunately, Vypr isn’t the greatest for those most concerned with privacy as they do keep logs. If this doesn’t bother you and you have the extra money to fork over, Vypr does offer some nice features. VyprVPN (starting at $9.99 per month) has over 45 servers in North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.
Visit VyprVPNWhether you want to be able to browse the Internet without being spied on or you want make yourself appear as though you are located in a different country to access geoblocked content, a premium VPN service with a good server selection is just what you need. Any one of the three providers we mentioned here are excellent options and you will have a great experience no matter which one you choose.
