Virtual private networks (VPNs) are notoriously difficult to work with. Maybe you\u2019re a remote worker who has to sign in to one each day to access company services, or you tried it once because you heard you could use it to access international content, but were met with laggy service and frequent disruptions. Today\u2019s VPNs don\u2019t have to come with those headaches, and they can be a useful tool to help protect your online privacy. We tested nine of the most popular VPN services available now to come up with our top picks for the best VPN for 2024, and lay out what you should know before paying for one.<\/p>\n
What is a VPN?<\/h2>\n
VPNs, or virtual private networks, mask your IP address and the identity of your computer or mobile device on the network and creating an encrypted “tunnel” that prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from accessing data about your browsing history. VPNs are not a one-size-fits-all security solution, though.<\/p>\n
Instead, they\u2019re just one part of keeping your data private and secure. Roya Ensafi<\/a>, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, told Engadget that VPNs don\u2019t protect against common threats like phishing attacks, nor do they protect your data from being stolen. Much of the data or information is stored with the VPN provider instead of your ISP, which means that using a poorly designed or unprotected network can still undermine your security. But they do come in handy for online privacy when you\u2019re connecting to an untrusted network somewhere public because they tunnel and encrypt your traffic to the next hop.<\/p>\n That means sweeping claims<\/a> that seem promising, like military-grade encryption or total digital invisibility, may not be totally accurate. Instead, Yael Grauer<\/a>, program manager of Consumer Reports\u2019 online security guide, recommends looking for security features like open-source software with reproducible builds, up-to-date support for industry-standard protocols like WireGuard<\/a> (CR’s preferred protocol) or IPsec<\/a>, and the ability to defend against attack vectors like brute force.<\/p>\n Before considering a VPN, make sure your online security is up to date in other ways. That means complex passwords, multi-factor authentication methods and locking down your data sharing preferences. Even then, you probably don\u2019t need to be using a VPN all the time.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you’re just worried about somebody sitting there passively and looking at your data then a VPN is great,\u201d Jed Crandall<\/a>, an associate professor at Arizona State University, told Engadget.<\/p>\n If you use public WiFi networks a lot, like while working at a coffee shop, then VPN usage can help give you private internet access. They\u2019re also helpful for hiding information from other people on your ISP if you don\u2019t want members of your household to know what you\u2019re up to online.<\/p>\n Geoblocking has also become a popular use case as it helps you reach services in other parts of the world. For example, you can access shows that are only available on streaming services<\/a>, like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, in other countries, or play online games with people located all over the globe.<\/p>\n Whether or not VPNs are worth it depends how often you could use it for the above use cases. If you travel a lot and rely on public WiFi or hotspots, are looking to browse outside of your home country or want to keep your traffic hidden from your ISP, then investing in a VPN will be useful. But, keep in mind that even the best VPN services often slow down your internet connection speed, so they may not be ideal all the time.<\/p>\n In today’s world, we recommend not relying on a VPN connection as your main cybersecurity tool. VPN use can provide a false sense of security, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Plus, if you choose just any VPN, it may not be as secure as just relying on your ISP. That\u2019s because the VPN could be based in a country with weaker data privacy regulation, obligated to hand information over to law enforcement or linked to weak user data protection policies.<\/p>\n For VPN users working in professions like activism or journalism that want to really strengthen their internet security, options like the Tor browser may be a worthwhile alternative, according to Crandall. Tor is free, and while it’s less user-friendly, it\u2019s built for anonymity and privacy.<\/p>\n To test the security specs of different VPNs and name our top picks, we relied on pre-existing academic work through Consumer Reports<\/a>, VPNalyzer<\/a> and other sources. We referenced privacy policies, transparency reports and security audits made available to the public. We also considered past security incidents like data breaches.<\/p>\n We looked at price, usage limits, effects on internet speed, possible use cases, ease of use, general functionality and additional \u201cextra\u201d VPN features like multihop. The VPNs were tested across iOS, Android and Mac devices so we could see the state of the mobile apps across various platforms (Windows devices are also supported in most cases). We used the \u201cquick connect\u201d feature on the VPN apps to connect to the \u201cfastest\u201d provider available when testing internet speed, access to IP address data and DNS and WebRTC leaks or when a fault in the encrypted tunnel reveals requests to an ISP.<\/p>\n Otherwise, we conducted a test of geoblocking content by accessing Canada-exclusive Netflix releases, a streaming test by watching a news livestream on YouTube via a Hong Kong-based VPN and a gaming test by playing on servers in the United Kingdom. By performing these tests at the same time, it also allowed us to test claims about simultaneous device use. Here are the VPN services we tested:<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong> The best password managers for 2023<\/a><\/p>\nUnderstand your VPN needs<\/h2>\n
Are VPNs worth it?<\/h2>\n
How we tested<\/h2>\n