How to Choose the Best VPN

A vpn can protect your online privacy and help you unblock geo-restricted content. They also mask your IP address so that websites can’t track your activities.

A vpn can also make it appear as though you’re located in another country, making it easier to avoid surveillance, access blocked sites, or use streaming services that aren’t available in your area.

Privacy

When it comes to privacy, you want a VPN that does everything possible to keep your online activities private. That means encrypting traffic as it goes out of your device and showing the world an IP address from one of the VPN’s servers instead of your own.

You also want a VPN that doesn’t log user data or use it to sell it to third parties. Some free VPNs do this, but it’s important to read their privacy policies before signing up.

A good VPN for privacy should have strong encryption protocols, such as OpenVPN or IPSec, and protect your data with an effective kill switch. If a server gets overloaded, or the distance between you and the server is too far to maintain a reliable connection, the kill switch will kick in to keep your data safe.

Speed

The best vpn can speed up your internet, but the amount you get is dependent on a number of factors. These include your home network and connection choices, available bandwidth, VPN server choice, routing, and location.

One of the most important things to remember when using a VPN is that the encryption process and re-routing of data can slow down your connection. However, the fastest VPNs can minimize this lag so that you don’t notice it much when streaming or torrenting.

There are a few ways to enhance your VPN’s speed, but the most important is to choose a VPN with servers near your location. This will help minimize latency when you’re downloading or streaming videos, especially if you’re gaming.

Another way to improve your connection is to switch from Wi-Fi to ethernet. A faster ethernet connection will allow you to use your VPN at higher speeds.

Streaming

A streaming VPN is the perfect tool for accessing geo-locked services, preventing irksome geo blocks from keeping your favorite shows and movies unavailable in your country. These include services like HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

In addition to avoiding these limits, streaming VPNs also offer a host of additional features that can help you get the most out of your experience. These include supercharged security, encryption, malware protection, a password manager, and more.

ExpressVPN is one of the largest VPN suppliers in the world, and it has a dedicated team that works hard to prevent its servers from being blocked by services like Netflix. It also has a long list of possible servers, so you can choose to connect to a server close to where the action is happening.

Apps

The best vpn is often the most feature-filled, but there are also providers with simple apps that are easy to use. If you’re looking for the most straightforward VPN experience, look no further than Canadian-based provider ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN’s Android app is easy to navigate and intuitive. It shows ping and load percentage for each server, allows you to favorite servers for easy access, offers split tunneling for apps that only connect with your VPN when using selected apps, and includes a kill switch. Surfshark’s iOS app is another great choice. Its Quick Connect widget displays the closest server and its ping and load percentage, so you can see which is the fastest for you. It also includes multihop connections, ad and malware prevention, and split tunneling for apps and websites that only connect with your VPN when using selected other apps.