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The Best VPN services in 2024 for crypto users

For anyone trading crypto and wanting to improve privacy and enhance security a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a tool worth considering. This article profiles the best VPN services in 2023 for crypto fans.

Contrary to the common misconception that cryptocurrencies are anonymous, the reality is that the address required to send and receive Bitcoin can be easily linked back to your IP address.

But if you connect to the internet through a server run by a VPN service provider, your internet protocol (IP) address is not revealed to destination sites and all data and information traveling between your computer or device and the VPN server is securely encrypted.

VPNs deliver a private, secure connection to the internet by creating a private network on a public internet connection. They mask IP addresses so that a user’s online activity becomes almost untraceable. VPNs encrypt a user’s data and hide IP addresses by bouncing network activity through a secure channel to another server. Anonymity is also enhanced if a VPN service accepts cryptocurrency as payment because if the authorities force a VPN to hand over payment records, a credit card number can be easily linked to its owner.

In addition to the privacy advantages, connecting via a VPN can potentially allow you to access content that is otherwise censored or prohibited in your own country — or enable you to set up an account on an exchange that you might be geographically blocked from joining — unless the VPN itself has been identified and blacklisted.

The following article looks at the best VPN services available in 2024, and below that details the main features that a high-quality VPN should include.

Best VPN Reviews

Surfshark Banner

 

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 3,200+ Logging Policy No-logs
Countries 94 Independently Audited Yes
Encryption AES 256 GCM Support 24/7 live chat, email and social media
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $2.49/month
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? Yes. BTC, ETH, BCH, Nano, DAI, TRX, USDT, BTT, AVA, BEAM, LTC

Surfshark VPN review

Founded in 2018, Surfshark VPN has been pushing the boundaries in the cybersecurity field from the get-go. With far-reaching coverage and fair price plans, it’s no surprise that Surfshark has become one of the most popular VPN services in 2022.

In 2018, only months after its creation, Cure53 praised Surfshark VPN’s browser extensions. The independent auditor found it to be “very rare” among others, as Surfshark protects against various security issues that browser extensions commonly suffer from.

Recently, the company has announced Surfshark Nexus, a unique innovation in the world of VPN technology. Nexus introduces features like an IP Rotator, which changes your IP address every now and then without disconnecting you. In the future Nexus will see added features like:

  • IP Randomizer: Get a new IP address every time you enter a new website;
  • Dynamic Multihop: Control the chain of servers your traffic passes through.

Surfshark allows you to connect as many devices as you like, which is rare in the VPN industry. Pair this with their military-grade encryption, multihop (chaining multiple VPN servers together for added security), and CleanWeb (a tracker and ad blocker) – Surfshark’s rising popularity is no surprise.

In addition to these features, Surfshark VPN delivers private DNS, data leak protection, and Camouflage Mode, disabling your ISP from knowing you’re using a VPN. They also back this up with 24/7 expert support via live chat and email.

Surfshark Laptop

Surfshark laptop and smartphone UI. Source: Surfshark

CNET, PC mag, and Tech Radar review the Surfshark VPN highly, particularly for its cost-to-feature ratio. Coming in at $12.95/month, a yearly plan brings your monthly costs down to $3.99. This drops to a further $2.49/month when billed for 24 months. 

Extending their reach beyond just a VPN, the Surfshark umbrella has widened. Now you can also get the Surfshark Antivirus, Search, Alert, and the new Incogni, which removes your personal data from data brokers. All of these cybersecurity products are available together with a Surfshark One account, at $3.98/month.

Surfshark Screen

Surfshark tablet UI. Source: Surfshark

From its conception, Surfshark has supported an open and secure internet. The company endorses non-profit organizations focused on safeguarding online freedom and digital transparency. Since then, Surfshark has gone on to become a Unicorn company in 2022.

To promote their ideals, their research projects highlight global issues like censorship, data breaches, and even cybersecurity learning tools for children. They also have an extensive educational blog, covering cybersecurity basics and support issues with the VPN. 

Surfshark VPN is available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and a range of browsers and smart TVs.


ExpressVPN-Header-min

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 3,000 Logging Policy No-logs
Countries 94 countries Independently Audited Yes
Encryption AES 256 Support 24/7 live chat & phone support
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $8.32/month
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? Yes. BTC

ExpressVPN review

With 3,000+ servers across 94 countries, ExpressVPN is one of the best known and reliable VPN services in the market. At around $8 a month ExpressVPN charges a premium for its service, but you do get a premium VPN service for your money. For example, when you download the ExpressVPN app on your Android or iPhone, all you have to do to connect quickly is press a button on the landing screen.

Express-VPN-On-and-off-min

ExpressVPN iOS

The only other task you have to complete is to choose a location from the drop-down menu that will show you the fastest server located nearby. ExpressVPN offers a wide variety of security and privacy tools and support options, all of which are easy to find on the screen’s top left-hand corner. This makes ExpressVPN a respected and very user-friendly service.

The network is powered by TrustedServer technology, built by ExpressVPN to ensure that no user online activities are ever recorded. ExpressVPN works with all operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Android, and Apple.

ExpressVPN-device-range-min

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN can unblock numerous content platforms, including YouTube, Amazon, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and Netflix. When testing ExpressVPN we joined the service with a New Zealand Netflix account, then travelled to China and were able to access US based Netflix programming easily from Shanghai.

ExpressVPN gets high marks across the board. It is an easy-to-run network, a trusted brand, and it offers enterprise-level encryption across the highest number of server locations.

Other positives include P2P support, DNS, and kill switch leak protection. ExpressVPN has a clear no-logging policy, which has been verified by independent auditors and it accepts payment in Bitcoin.

If you’re unsure for any reason about ExpressVPN, they offer a 30-day trial that means you can try it for a full month at no cost.


NordVPN

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 5200+ Logging Policy No-logs
Countries 60 Independently Audited Yes
Encryption AES 256 Support Articles, live chat, email
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $3.67/month on a 2-year plan
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? Yes. BTC, ETH, LTC, XRP, XMR, DASH

NordVPN Review

One of the features that makes NordVPN stand out is the option to have a total of six simultaneous connections through the network. Most other providers offer no more than five connections.

With a dedicated IP option, no known privacy leaks and performance that is equal to or better than most of its competitors, NordVPN offers fast, reliable speeds with no sudden dips or interruptions in service.

NordVPN is affordable and has a special offer available that equates to $3.67/month on a 2-year plan. The deal comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN IOS

NordVPN iOS

One red flag is a security breach from 2018 that resulted in a rented server being accessed without permission. While the company didn’t disclose this information right away, they did work hard to improve their overall security so this type of breach is unlikely to happen again. The breach didn’t result in the leak of any information that led to users being identified. And because NordVPN doesn’t keep logs of user activity, no users were directly affected by the incident.

NordVPN utilizes the AES-256 encryption standard and has a Double VPN feature. This means user internet traffic is encrypted twice, making for better overall security. NordVPN has 5,200 servers in 60 different countries so most user needs will be well catered for. The VPN provides system-wide and application-specific kill switches, strong DNS leak protection, and proxy extensions for browsers such as Firefox and Chrome.

NordVPN Android

NordVPN Android UI

NordVPN provides a range of payment options including credit cards, PayPal, and a selection of the biggest crypto assets – including the No.1 privacy coin Monero (XMR). NordVPN unblocks services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, and others (see more on unblocking below). The company provides troubleshooting guides and articles to help work through any challenges. NordVPN also has a 24/7 chat box and help desk.

NordVPN has hired PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an annual audit of its no-logging policy. In 2020 the company introduced the NordLynx protocol, which has increased the speed and reliability of its connections.

NordVPN works on all types of operating systems, including Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and Windows.


CyberGhost VPN

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 7300 Logging Policy No-logs
Countries 91 Independently Audited No
Encryption AES 256 Support 24/7 chat, email
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $2.25/month
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? Yes, BTC

CyberGhost review

CyberGhost VPN claims to have an impressive 7,000+ servers in 105 locations across 91 countries. The service can support a total of seven devices, enough for most people. In addition, the network will unblock streaming services including YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, iPlayer, and many others. It offers a trial period of 45 days – not 30 days like most other networks – and 24/7 live customer support whenever you need it.

CyberGhost-Servers-min

CyberGhost server list

The network supports numerous operating systems, however, CyberGhost is at its best on a Windows desktop or laptop. Other positives include its Smart Rules panel that lets you automatically connect to your preferred server and even launch a specific app. This means that if you want to launch your default browser but want it to be in incognito mode, you can do this as soon as you boot up your computer, an excellent time-saver.

CyberGhost-On-and-Off-min

CyberGhost mobile interface

In some areas, CyberGhost lags behind other VPNs. Firstly, the unblocking of networks can be patchy, in part because it can’t seem to handle networks such as BBC iPlayer, and if you’re in the UK or Canada, you won’t always be able to access some Netflix content. Nevertheless, the 45-day money-back guarantee gives you more than enough time to explore all its features to see if the network is right for you. Even better, if you commit to a three-year membership, you’ll only pay a little more than $2 per month, one of the lowest prices for a VPN. Like other VPNs, the per-month cost goes down the longer you sign up for, but all of CyberGhost’s prices are reasonable.

However, there are some red flags around the company’s background. The company was originally founded by German entrepreneur Robert Knapp. In 2017 he sold it to a company called Crossrider. This UK-based company was co-founded by an ex-Israeli surveillance agent and a billionaire with previous convictions for insider trading. He was later named in the Panama Papers. Crossrider was caught deploying software that allowed third-party developers to use malware to redirect user traffic to advertisers and give up private data.

On the positive side, CyberGhost is faster than Norton Secure VPN and offers split tunneling when used in Windows. CyberGhost works on Linux, Windows, iOS, Mac, and Android operating systems.
Its servers are well-organized into several different categories including servers made specifically for torrenting, NoSpy servers, and servers that are designed for streaming. CyberGhost users can also pay with Bitcoin.


Pure VPN

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 6500+ Logging Policy No logs
Countries 140 Independently Audited Yes
Encryption AES 256 Support 24/7 chat, email
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $2.22/month
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? Yes. BTC, ETH, LTC

PureVPN review

Pure VPN boasts 6,500 servers in 180 different locations, across 140 different countries. It is based out of Hong Kong and offers a 31-day refund policy. As any reputable VPN should, they have a no log policy. This has been verified by independent auditors, KPMG, which has an agreement with Pure VPN that says they can inspect the company without notice at any time.

PureVPN

PureVPN Mac GUI

PureVPN has both Chromebook and Kodi solutions available, and it was the first VPN service to fully implement the GDPR. The company occasionally offers a five-year membership that lets you utilize their services at extremely low prices, so look for those deals if you’re interested in using this network.

PureVPN can unblock Disney+, YouTube and numerous Netflix libraries. That being said, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime are not yet able to be unblocked reliably, which will undoubtedly leave fans of these two networks wanting more.

Pure VPN has 6,500+ servers in 140 countries. It will work on numerous operating systems, including Mac, Android, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Linux, Chrome, Routers, Firefox, and others including both PlayStation and Xbox. Along with the service, you get a live chat option, on-site guides, and a ticket system that allows you to get questions answered quickly.

Pure-VPN-Android-Homescreen-min

Pure VPN Android GUI

With Pure VPN, you can enjoy up to ten simultaneous connections, kill switch and split tunneling, and its supported protocols include OpenVPN TCP, SSTP, PPTP, and several others.

Pure VPN really excels in several areas, including a large server network, wide device support, and very functional apps. Its commitment to user privacy is impressive, and they provide good value long-term plans. The service works on Mac, Android, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and Linux. Payment can be made with Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin.


VyprVPN

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 700 Logging Policy No-logs
Countries 66 Independently Audited Yes
Encryption AES 256 Support 24/7 chat, email
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $1.67 per/month
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? No

VyprVPN review

VyprVPN is based in Switzerland and offers most of the features you’ve come to expect with a modern-day VPN. VyprVPN unblocks streaming platforms including YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and iPlayer. Currently, the network has 700+ servers in 70 locations and in 66 different countries. It supports a maximum of five different devices and comes with a 30-day trial period and 24/7 customer support. At $1.67 per month on a 3 year plan, it’s one of the most affordable VPN services available for those on a budget.

VyprVPN Range

VyprVPN Range

VyprVPN servers are owned by the company which means they don’t have to rely on third-party web hosts. Their website unblocking services are second to none and give you access to numerous streaming services, and when you open up the network on your Android app, it looks just like a full Windows app found on desktops and laptops.

Other important features include kill switch, DNS leak protection, auto-reconnect and start-up options, and URL filtering. VyprVPN has a no-logging policy and this is audited by a third-party security company. The kill switch and a few other features aren’t available with the iOS app, however.

VyprVPN Connected

VyprVPN Connected

VyperVPN has price plans for businesses starting at $300 per year. These include a cloud plan that offers dedicated business servers and IP addresses. In addition, VyprVPN offers the Chameleon protocol, which scrambles data so that no third party can see or access it. The protocol offers a high level of security while still offering super-fast internet speeds – and it claims to work in China, which has very strict censorship laws.

If you’re an occasional remote worker or an individual, VyprVPN will likely work for you, especially since they offer a maximum of 30 simultaneous connections – more than you’ll need. Also worth noting that the 30-day money-back guarantee is only available on the three-year plan. VyprVPN works on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.


Atlas VPN

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 750+ Logging Policy No-logs
Countries 38+ Independently Audited Yes
Encryption AES 256, ChaCha20 Support Live chat, help center, email
Split Tunneling Yes, on Android Best Price Per Month $1.99
Tor Over VPN No Can Pay with Crypto? Yes, BTC, ETH, XRP.

Atlas VPN Review

Atlas VPN is one of the more sophisticated freemium providers, combining traditional VPN protection with additional features. It offers three free locations users can connect to without buying a subscription.

The company managed to build an extensive VPN network slowly but steadily. Currently, Atlas VPN download grants access to over 750 servers. The servers are in 38 countries and strategically placed across more than 40 locations.

Atlas VPN Range Shot

Atlas VPN Range

Atlas VPN uses two industry-grade encryption protocols: AES-256 or ChaCha-20-Poly1305, which are virtually impossible to crack. When it comes to VPN protocols, Atlas VPN enables you to use IKEv2/IPSec and WireGuard protocols. Both protocols are safe. IKEv2/IPSec supports fast connections, while WireGuard provides enhanced protection even when changing networks.

If you enable the SafeSwap, Atlas VPN will automatically rotate your IP address which renders you virtually impossible to trace. Atlas VPN also addressed the phishing threat with the Tracker Blocker feature. It acts as an ad-blocker and automatically blocks access to phishing ads and websites. It also prevents tracking scripts from tracking, recording, and storing your online behavior. Atlas VPN also comes with a Data Breach Monitor which is useful if you’re using your email address to create accounts on exchanges.
Atlas VPN iOS

Atlas VPN on iOS

Atlas VPN supports numerous payment options, including credit cards, Google Pay, and PayPal. Atlas VPN enables its users to pay in cryptocurrencies when purchasing premium plans. Plus, a 30-day money-back guarantee protects each purchase.

Atlas VPN offers end-to-end encryption, kill switch, Tracker Blocker, SafeSwap, and support for crypto payments. It makes it a viable VPN option for crypto users interested in safely trading cryptocurrencies online.

Atlas VPN supports Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV/FireStick.


Tunnelbear VPN

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 3000 Logging Policy No logs
Countries 27 Independently Audited Yes
Encryption AES 256 Support 24/7 chat, email
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $3.33/month
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? Yes. BTC

TunnelBear VPN review

TunnelBear is a public VPN service based in Toronto. It was founded by Daniel Kaldor and Ryan Dochuk in 2011. In 2018, TunnelBear was acquired by McAfee. TunnelBear is like other VPNs in that it has both pros and cons. When it comes to transparency, TunnelBear is on par with other networks. No data leaks that identified users have been detected, including IP addresses and DNS. In the past, however, it did leak webRTC information. When tested, TunnelBear showed a 63% loss of Internet speed, which is about average for VPNs. But that number is definitely improving, with US scores being only 54%.

While it does offer the standard AES-256 and supports Perfect Forward Secrecy, it only has 27 server locations, and these locations don’t allow you to manually choose your VPN server or even a city. TunnelBear is not a reliable VPN service for accessing Netflix. In addition, it only offers split tunneling on Android.

TunnelBear works on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android operating systems and accepts payment in Bitcoin.


Private-Internet-Access-VPN-Header-min

Vital Statistics

Simultaneous Connections Yes Kill Switch Yes
Servers 29,000 Logging Policy Yes
Countries 78 Independently Audited No
Encryption AES 256 Support 24/7 chat, email
Split Tunneling Yes Best Price Per Month $2.19/month
Tor Over VPN Yes Can Pay with Crypto? Yes. BTC

Private Internet Access VPN review

Private Internet Access unblocks most streaming sites including Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. It has 29,000+ servers or proxy servers in 100 different locations in 78 different countries. It supports up to 10 devices on simultaneous connections.

PIA has a range of privacy features and security protocols, including WireGuard, which gives you the option to block location access.

While the number of servers offered seems impressively high, PIA arrived at that number by counting both encrypted VPN servers and proxy servers, and since proxy servers are not true VPNs, that high number is misleading. PIA does, however, offer 110 simultaneous connections as of now, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee and a kill-switch feature.

Bitcoin payment is an option and PIA is available for all types of operating systems, including Mac, Android, Windows, iOS, and Linux.


VPN technical terms explained

If you’re at all concerned about online security and privacy, you should use a VPN. If you regularly use public wifi networks, you should use a VPN. If you want to access content from providers such as Netflix that isn’t available in your country, you should use a VPN. VPN technology continues to advance and there is a reasonable amount of jargon used when the VPN service providers describe their features.

The following list explains what the main features of a VPN are – and why they might be important to you.

Simultaneous Connections – If you’re using a VPN and plan to share it with other people, or have multiple devices that you wish to use a VPN on, then a VPN service that allows Simultaneous Connections is crucial.

Dedicated IP – A dedicated IP is an IP address that is only used by one user. Usually, when you connect to a VPN server, you share the IP address of that server with many other users. However, with a dedicated IP, the VPN will provide you with a static IP address that only you can use. Don’t worry, this IP will be different from your actual IP address, so you’ll still remain anonymous. Having a Dedicated IP will cost more because it provides the following advantages.

Firstly, by using a dedicated IP, you are unlikely to be blacklisted, as your IP address won’t be associated with the user activity of a shared VPN IP address. For example, if a large number of VPN users use the same shared IP address to access Netflix, Netflix is likely to notice this activity and blacklist that IP address. The second advantage is that websites such as Gmail, and eBay often ask for additional verification if they see multiple users on the same IP address. Using a different IP address to log into your account than the one used to create the account is another flag to services such as Google. By using a dedicated IP you won’t have this issue.

Speed Tests – Using a VPN will impact your internet speed. Most VPNs will claim fast, issue-free internet browsing, but there will be a speed decline. The good news is that on a fibre connection, for standard website surfing, you’re unlikely to notice the difference. Most VPNs now offer a speed test that allows users to test their internet speed. You’ll need to have a VPN enabled. For an impartial, unbiased speed test result, use https://www.speedtest.net/ to test your internet speed without a VPN enabled, and then with your VPN enabled. Some VPNs allow you to select a server to use. Even servers located in the same country can have different speeds. Simply run a Speed Test to pinpoint the fastest server location for your needs.

AES-256 Encryption – VPNs hide user IP addresses and mix user traffic with other internet users. Crucially, VPNs encrypt user traffic between secure VPN servers and the user’s computer. This means it can’t be read by third parties in between.

Most VPN services now use AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with 256-bit keys. Commonly known as AES-256, this is the same encryption standard used by the U.S. government and security experts worldwide.

To demonstrate how secure this is, we’ll need to get technical. 256-bit keys means 2^256 or 1.1 x 10^77 possible combinations. That’s 115,792,089,237,316,195,423,570,985,666,687,907,853,269,984,665,640,560,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 combinations. Even today’s most powerful supercomputers are unable to break this encryption on a timeline of billions of years. Used correctly on a secure device, AES-256 encryption is sufficiently secure for all users.

Double VPN – Double VPN is a security feature that routes user traffic through two VPN servers instead of one. This means that the data is encrypted twice. Also known as multi-hop, this VPN server chaining method provides an additional layer of security and privacy. This is important for users with a need for strong privacy such as human rights activists and whistleblowers

High number of servers – One of the most important features of a VPN service is the number of servers provided. By providing multiple server options, a VPN is able to provide high performance for user internet connections while also providing strong security and privacy. The number of servers a VPN provides needs to be sufficient for users to seamlessly switch between them with no server or performance issues. For the best performance, those servers should be spread out around the world. The VPN service should also clearly state that it owns its servers and doesn’t rent them.

Number of countries – As well as providing a large number of servers, it’s just as important that VPN services spread these servers as evenly as possible around the world. This means users are less likely to experience server overload and unstable performance.

By having multiple server locations in multiple countries, a user can easily switch between their preferred locations.

For example, to access content that is only available in a certain country, users need to be able to easily switch the VPN server to that country. If the VPN provider only provides a limited number of server locations, this will not be possible.

Kill Switch – A VPN kill switch is a feature designed to automatically disconnect a user’s device from the internet if the VPN connection drops out. This is important to ensure that if for some reason the VPN connection is dropped, there is no chance that the user’s IP address is exposed compromising privacy. Most VPNs have a kill switch feature switched on by default. A kill switch prevents your IP address, location, or identity from accidentally being exposed.

Unblocking – Streaming service providers like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Disney offer different content depending on the region you access their service from. Unblocking doesn’t mean ‘hacking’, so you will still have to have a paid account with one of these providers. What unblocking means is if you’re in Australia and you access Netflix with a local IP address, you will see Australia-specific content. If you access via a VPN, though, and choose a server in Los Angeles, you will be able to view US specific content from Australia.

There is a constant fight going on between VPNs and providers such as Netflix that are aware that many people use VPNs to access content that isn’t available in their location. To combat this, Netflix actively attempts to block VPNs. Some VPNs providers are more suited to Netflix unblocking than others, so it is important to do your research to ensure you select the right VPN provider for your needs.

No logging policy – When using a VPN, user activity is hidden from the internet service provider (ISP) – but not from the VPN itself. That means if the VPN keeps logs, users are at risk of a security breach.

Most VPN services claim they don’t keep logs, but it can be hard to know for sure. VPNs are in the business of privacy and that means most VPNs do not keep user activity logs. It would be a business risk for them to keep and collect user data. Even so, reputable VPNs have been independently audited to confirm that they don’t keep logs. Otherwise you’d have to trust them, and if there is one rule of thumb, when it comes to online security, trust is in short supply. Don’t trust, verify.

A no-log VPN means that the VPN service does not collect, or “log,” any user data transmitted through its network. User’s privacy and anonymity are protected from everybody — even the VPN provider. Just as importantly, this means the VPN doesn’t have any records to give to authorities, even if requested.

OS support – The majority of VPN services support a wide range of operating systems and devices. Even so, some are optimized for specific devices. Always check that a VPN supports the OS and devices you intend to use it for.

Unmetered Bandwidth – For the majority of VPN users, Unlimited Bandwidth is a necessary feature to be able to browse and stream without any limitations. Most VPNs offer Unlimited Bandwidth, however some of the cheaper plan options do not. Select the plan that is right for you but if you intend to stream content, always select a plan that offers Unlimited Bandwidth.

IPv6 leak protection – The Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is a protocol for use on packet-switched Link Layer networks such as Ethernets. The Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a newer protocol with the ability to provide an infinite number of addresses.

Most of the internet’s IPv4 addresses have been used, and IPv6 is the protocol of the future. It’s needed to allow more users and devices to connect to the internet.

The risk of an IPv6 leak occurring happens when an ISP uses both protocols, but a user connects to a website or service which only supports IPv4. User requests sent to that website or service will contain both IPv4 and IPv6 IP addresses.

Split tunneling – Split tunneling is a VPN feature that divides a user’s internet traffic. Typically some traffic is sent through an encrypted VPN tunnel, and the rest is sent through a separate tunnel. Split tunneling allows users to choose which devices or applications need to be connected securely via VPN and which can connect to the internet directly.

The benefit of using split tunneling is that bottlenecks are avoided and bandwidth can be preserved when not all traffic has to pass through the VPN server. Another advantage is that split-tunneling lets users protect the device and the traffic they select without losing access to local network devices.

Tor-over-VPN – Tor (The Onion Router) is free open-source software designed to enable anonymous communication. It directs Internet traffic through a worldwide, volunteer overlay network, consisting of more than six thousand relays. Tor is effective at concealing a user’s location and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance.

By using Tor, a user’s data is anonymized but the process is slow and inefficient. The network does not collect any user information and the user does not need to trust the network not to do so.

A VPN works differently and sends data through its network. To prevent this data from being seen by ISPs, the data is encrypted. However, because the data passes through the VPN’s servers, a user must trust that the VPN does not maintain logs.

The ability to connect to a VPN first and then Tor is known as “Tor over VPN”. This option is provided by many VPNs and gives users the privacy protections of the Tor network, plus the added protection that prevents Tor from seeing a user’s IP address. It also mitigates the risk of being flagged by your home network for using Tor, as all the network will see is encrypted traffic to the VPN server. For most internet users, Tor over VPN is the most secure internet use available.


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