In recent years, online security has been a major cause of anxiety among internet users around the world. Apart from cybercriminals and hackers who may be looking to hijack your data and access your personal information, there is also the issue of the government who may be monitoring your online activities. There are just too many uncertainties when it comes to the internet and this is even particularly true for torrent users and avid streamers.
What’s the way out? Protecting yourself with a Virtual Private Network.
Also referred to as a VPN, a Virtual Private Network could give you the anonymity and security that you require to stay secure and safe on the internet. Apart from the protection it promises, this tool can also help you bypass geo-restrictions and unblock censorships, especially in China.
However, while a great service can be useful in many ways, it’s somewhat difficult to choose the right one. There’re literally hundreds of options in the market, so choosing the best ones in 2024 is not an easy task.
Beyond the deceptive claims and bogus advertising gimmicks, many providers in the market have literally nothing to offer.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a plunge into the world of VPN services and have compiled a list of the top 10 providers in the world (according to us). We’ve assembled options that aren’t only certain to protect you, but also sure to help you bypass restrictions. So, “what are the best VPNs in 2024?” Take a dive into this article to find out.
Ranking the top providers usually comes down to a lot of factors, which we shall discuss later in this comparison and ranking article.
Before that though, below are the best Virtual Private Network providers in the market.
ExpressVPN claims to be the “Number One Trusted Leader” and they’re doing everything to back that hefty claim.
Apart from constantly improving its speeds and streaming capabilities, the provider is also upgrading its platform support, so you won’t have to worry about device compatibility.
With many state-of-the-art features and functionalities built into the Virtual Private Network service, it’s little wonder why it is not a cheap option compared to some of its competitors in the market. Besides, it uses the strongest encryption protocols, so you can rest easy knowing that only aliens can breach your data.
Furthermore, ExpressVPN has servers in 160 locations in 94 countries, so you don’t need to worry when you’re traveling abroad. Moreover, the provider has more than 3,000 servers and they are well dispersed across common urban centers and travel destinations.
Regardless of the plan you buy, you will enjoy an unlimited speed and bandwidth, guaranteed uptime of 99.9 percent, and around-the-clock customer support. In addition, you will also be able to unblock your favorite streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
With so many features assured, the reason why the provider goes around claiming to be the best in the business is understandable.
Probably the only part where ExpressVPN may need to urgently improve is their simultaneous connections. And that is exactly what they did by announcing 2 more simultaneous connection, to pass from 3 to 5.
Like we previously mentioned, ExpressVPN is a little costlier than its rivals.
However, they are making up for their steep price with some unique incentives. Firstly, every plan comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Also, the 12-month plan comes with an extra 3-month free plan, which saves you 49 percent.
Solve your VPN needs with ExpressVPN >
Based in Romania, which is a country with no compulsory data retention laws, the reasons why CyberGhost takes the second spot in this best VPN ranking is easy to find. With its impeccable combination of ease of use and power, the provider has won over the hearts of over ten million people.
When it comes to CyberGhost, the basics are adequately covered. The provider has more than 4600 servers in 61 countries, giving you plenty of options wherever you go.
Not only that, but it also offers compatible apps for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS, making sure that you can enjoy the service regardless of your type of device.
As if that wasn’t enough, the VPN also allows 7 simultaneous connections, making sure that your family members can also enjoy the protection.
Another major highlight is the seamless app interface. The provider doesn’t leave you to just independently find the right server to unblock websites.
Instead, you simply need to select a geo-restricted service – Netflix, Youtube, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and more – and the application connects to the most suitable server automatically.
Furthermore, there are many extras. The VPN can block trackers, malicious websites, and ads.
It also has automated HTTPS redirection that makes sure that your connection is always secure. Apart from that, the provider also uses military-grade 256-bit encryption, along with DNS leak protection. With all these, you are assured that your personal data won’t get into the wrong hands.
However, it’s not all good news as the service as a couple of shortcomings. The interface of the desktop client can look really complicated. Also, in comparison to ExpressVPN, the service doesn’t offer the best speeds. In general, though, CyberGhost provides users with lots of rare functionality despite being priced reasonably.
Providing outstanding value, with excellent features and all-around performance at a cost that is hard to beat, NordVPN is another solid option in our best VPN ranking and comparison table. To ensure maximum security, the provider uses AES-256 encryption and supports the strongest protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2/IP Sec, impressively.
Since the company is based in Panama, it is also outside the jurisdiction of the Five Eyes and the Fourteen Eyes and doesn’t have any obligation to retain the data of its users. Thanks to this, the service has a strong no-logging policy, which is excellent news for users who are keen on privacy.
Moving on, the provider also has an enormous network of more than 5000 servers spread across more than 60 countries, with the company constantly adding even more. It offers designated servers for peer-to-peer sharing, dedicated IPs, OnionOverVPN, and double encryption. You can also safely download torrents and unblock Netflix and other geo-restricted streaming services, thanks to the patented SmartPlay DNS settings.
Another excellent feature you will find on the service is CyberSec, which helps blocks ads and malware automatically. In addition, the VPN also has advanced obfuscation settings to make sure it works in nations with stern censorship policies like China. Plus, there is no worrying about leaks as the provider prevents them with a Kill Switch feature and custom DNS settings.
On the client support front, the company has a 24/7 live chat support, always ready to come to the aid of users. What’s more, you will find a massive knowledge base filled with helpful information on servers and setups. While the service isn’t as fast as ExpressVPN, which is the best provider in the market, it offers decent speeds as well.
Based in the BVI, Surfshark is a provider with playful and laid-back branding.
However, it’s all business as soon as it comes to online privacy and security. For starters, it caters for all the basics as it uses military-grade AES-256 encryption, supports OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, and features a Kill Switch that helps prevent your data from leaking in the event of a connection loss.
Additionally, the provider is equipped with a DNS leak protection and provides an extra security layer with a double VPN hop. And lest we forget, it has an almost no-log policy, so only your billing information and email address are stored.
Furthermore, the service is fast, whether you are connecting to a US server or somewhere father like New Zealand or Australia. It’s also useful for unblocking Netflix from abroad, which is impressive considering Netflix’s strict geo-restrictions.
If you are the sort of person that gets bamboozled easily and, eventually, put off by complex menus and countless options, this could be the best option for you. Its interface is kept totally stripped back and complication-free.
While the provider has just more than 800 servers, which are spread across over 50 countries, the servers are strategically positioned.
One of the best things about this service is the fact that a single account can cover unlimited devices and services. Therefore, if you intend to use it on your desktop (compatible with Mac, Linux, and Windows), tablet, smartphones, and Amazon Fire TV Stick, a single subscription will cover all of the devices at the same time.
Lastly, the provider offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, which affords you with a lot of time to test it out before buying a long-term subscription. And even, the long-term plans acre reasonably priced. While it doesn’t have a free trial, the 30-day guarantee should make up for it.
Enjoy unlimited simultaneous connections with Surfshark >
IPVanish is another provider that makes our best VPN list based on pure merits. Offering a super easy-to-use interface, this service can be used effortlessly by beginners and experts alike. IPVanish enables you to connect easily to their private secure network. Moreover, they even have compatible apps for a wide range of platforms like Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
In addition, this provider offers a decent performance when it comes to the number of devices you can connect at once, allowing 5 simultaneous connections. This is way more than the industry standard (5), so you can protect your other devices with a single account.
When it comes to network coverage, the company offers more than 750 servers in over 60 countries. Impressively, you can utilize IP addresses from any location or country. In fact, the app will recommend the fastest servers to you as speed is a major concern for users.
While it can’t be compared to the likes of ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, IPVanish has a robust network, unlimited bandwidth, and excellent infrastructure.
However, it can be compared to the biggest companies when it comes to security. Thanks to the military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, the provider’s security is watertight. In addition, the service supports torrenting, offering unlimited bandwidth. Their strict no-log policy is also a big plus, especially for privacy-conscious users.
Aside from its funny theme and cheerful tone, HideMyAss also provides decent performance.
You get super-fast servers in 190 countries, which covers almost 100 percent of the globe. Remarkably, HideMyAss is capable of unblocking the best streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. While you may encounter some issues while trying to unblock Hulu, you should be successful after a few attempts.
Furthermore, HideMyAss provides solid security, with AES-256 encryption and OpenVPN support to ensure you’re always safe. Sadly, the provider stores connection logs, which might be a cause for concern for VPN users.
Besides, it’s based in the United Kingdom, so it needs to comply with the UK’s data retention laws. Not to mention the fact that the UK is a member of the 14 Eyes, which means HideMyAss can be compelled to hand over its data.
On the upside, the VPN is easy to use and offers compatible apps for a wide range of devices. The company even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which allows you to get a full refund if not pleased within 30 days. There is a condition though – you mustn’t have used more than 10GB of bandwidth to qualify for the refund.
However, the client support leaves a lot to be desired as the live chat only works on workdays. That apart, they don’t always respond immediately, making this VPN a bad choice for people who want the best client support.
VyprVPN is a Swiss-based provider with servers in 73 locations and a heap of rare advanced features.
For instance, the provider has a zero-knowledge DNS service. Its patented Chameleon protocol is capable of getting you online even in countries with stringent VPN-blocking systems like Iran and China.
Additionally, platform support is the best and covers literally everything. From the normal Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android apps to routers QNAP, Android TV, Anonabox, Blackphone, and more. When it comes to speeds, the service is mostly decent too, with only the more unusual locations lagging behind.
It’s also refreshing to see that the provider is an independently audited no-log VPN service. In other words, there is no logging of users data whatsoever.
And there is even more good news for people looking to get past geo-restrictions as this service unblocks US Netflix and BBC iPlayer. However, despite all the good stuff we have mentioned, this service is not without its shortcomings.
First of all, it’s clunky Windows client feels like a throwback, with an ugly-looking interface. Apart from that, the resources on the website are not as detailed as other services.
Nonetheless, the free trial it comes with gives you a chance to test out the service and see if it’s worthy of your commitment. While this provider is not perfect, it definitely has a lot of things to like.
Unblock streaming services with VyprVPN >
Despite its fairly cheap price, Windscribe delivers a lot more than you may expect in a lot of areas. For instance, it offers clients for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux, and also extensions for Opera, Firefox, and Chrome.
Also, as you can read in our article that present and compares the free VPN providers, it gives you some free GB every month !
It also offers guides detailing how to set the service up on Kodi, routers, and more. With server locations in 60 countries around the world, the network is a great size too.
Security-wise, Windscribe offers a decent performance too, adhering strictly to a no-logging policy and offering support for AES-256-bit encryption and IKEv2 encryption protocol. It also has a Double Hop option that enables you to route your web traffic through two servers for extra anonymity.
When it comes to website unblocking though, there was mixed news. While the service can unblock US Netflix, it may struggle to unblock BBC iPlayer. There is no round-the-clock support, either, so it may take a while before your questions are answered.
However, even though Windscribe does not tick all the boxes, the service is equipped with many interesting features.
If you are interested in testing it out to see if it’s worth your money, the provider offers a generous 10GB of free data. While the free plan restricts you to just 10 locations, we think it is still a bargain. And lest we forget, the service doesn’t keep logs.
Being one of the top options when it comes to streaming and privacy, PrivateVPN is certainly one of the best VPNs in the world. Featuring 2048-bit encryption, the service offers military-grade encryption, offering your data maximum protection.
While they don’t have thousands of server locations (only a bit more than 100 servers) like the likes of ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, the servers are strategically positioned and maintain reliable connections and high speeds.
While PrivateVPN is good for gaming and streaming, it experiences a couple of bottlenecks occasionally. Nonetheless, they make up for that with their competitive pricing and configurable connection protocols.
Apart from that, the service is one of the few VPNs that are still capable of unblocking Netflix, so streaming-loving users may want to keep that in mind.
With that said, it would be great if the company could introduce a two-year subscription option. PrivateVPN is a reliable and solid VPN but a couple of improvements could get it further up the ranking. For example, the online client support system is a bit slow and could use some improvement with a 24/7 live chat support.
Also, the Windows client seems a bit complicated, even though its connection protocols surpass industry standards.
Overall, PrivateVPN is great and reasonably-priced option for privacy and streaming. It is easy to install, while it has a clean interface that makes it appealing.
Hide your identity with PrivateVPN >
We conclude this comparison and best VPNs ranking with a VPN that sticks firmly to the basics.
While ZenMate is not as outstanding as other services that made this ranking, it made this list for good reasons. Despite being priced modestly, the provider supports the OpenVPN protocol and has more than 290 servers across 30 countries.
However, the company is based in Germany, which is a part of the 14 Eyes and a really bad location for VPN providers. Consequently, it can’t maintain a no-logging policy, which may be a huge concern for people who are keen on privacy.
Moving on, the service supports torrenting, even though it doesn’t have a separate profile for it. And for people who love streaming, the speeds are above average, which should be enough.
For optimum security, the service also comes with a Kill Switch, which ensures that your sensitive data is not leaked in the event of connection loss. Speaking about connection crashes, it used to frequently happen, but everything has since been improved and the service is very stable now.
On the client support front, Zenmate is likely to disappoint you as it offers only a ticket system. Of course, that system is almost obsolete now and it would be better if it could offer the trending 24/7 live support.
However, that is not to say that you won’t eventually get a detailed response from knowledgeable and friendly staff.
We have looked and tested over 60+ providers in the quest to find you 2024’s Best VPN.
So, “what are the criteria that helped in figuring out which ones are the best?” There is a number of them.
Of course, value for money and choice of the country are important but there are many more criteria we looked at.
A Virtual Private Network has become incredibly popular over the last few years, which has led to an increase in scammers who pretend to offer the best VPN service.
It is therefore important to differentiate between fake providers which provide false promises and the established ones who provide a consistent and excellent service.
Some of the top 2024 VPN’s like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost may not be free but are well trusted, themselves financially secure and offer good terms and conditions.
By choosing an old and experienced provider, you ensure yourself that the quality of service will suit your expectations and that security won’t fail you.
Performance has two key attributes – speed and stability.
The best providers barely impact your speed for both uploading, downloading. For most people, the download speed is the most important thing but which factor is most important depends on what your primary use case will be.
As the 2024 best providers have realized the importance of speed, particularly if you are gaming, torrenting or if you are looking to stream HD video there are now specialist offers on the market, with NordVPN being one of the leading players in this space.
When testing the services we use a number of standardized tests which we update regularly to ensure that the speed is the same as what is advertised.
As well as speed stability is a critical attribute of the best Virtual Private Networks, most providers now have 99% uptime but you really want to be looking out for those such as ExpressVPN that has 99.99%+ uptime.
The uptime is particularly important if you are using a VPN for a time-critical activity such as watching football on Sky.
Our tests suggest that when you combine speed and stability, ExpressVPN currently is the best VPN in this ranking. If you want a specialist and higher intensity offering then CyberGhost’s offering focused on high-bandwidth activities is particularly good.
The most effective VPN providers 2019 understand that you are relying on them to keep you safe on the internet. Therefore, they’re required to implement market-leading security to protect themselves from hackers, ISP, and the government.
To achieve this level of security, a Kill Switch is an incredibly critical feature. With this feature, if the Virtual Private Network stops working suddenly, all of the exchange of data with the internet is instantly blocked. This ensures that your IP address is not shared with the wider public.
Alongside a Kill Switch functionality, how your data is dealt with is also critical. The best providers ensure that they hold no identifying data about you and have no logs of your internet activity.
This is critical because it means even if a third party, for example, a government agency requests to see the information about what you have been doing on the internet they will not be able to provide it as they will not have it.
Encryption is the final aspect of security. In this regard, the top Virtual Private Networks offer 256-bit AES encryption, which is the same protocol that is used by the military and offers top quality encryption ensuring your safety on the internet. The creme de la creme of VPN providers also enable you to decide which encryption protocol you wish to use.
As a summary, we used three criteria when ranking the best providers in 2024 from a security perspective. The first of the criteria is the Kill Switch, the second is the storage of customers data, with the third being the encryption protocols offered.
As when you select many services, the numbers are important. During our evaluation, we looked carefully at exactly what the providers mean when they talk about the number of servers and the location of servers. Often people talk about the number of servers, and whilst this is important, the location of the servers is equally as important both from a functionality and stability perspective.
In other words, the more the servers, the more stable the network will be. This is because you will always have a server close to you and fewer users will depend on one server. More servers will also result in better speed and more IP addresses, which is perfect for people who love streaming.
Think about it like a motorway, traffic is moving between A and B. The more lanes available the faster the traffic moves. Similar to rush hour traffic, the times you are most likely to want to use your VPN is exactly the time others are likely to want to use it and when the server capacity will be tested.
The best providers have been steadily increasing the numbers of servers that they provide customers with, some now have a few thousand servers. The more servers you have the more likely it is that there is a server close to you which improves the speed and stability of the service.
As ISP, government, particularly China and streaming sites have got smarter to the use of virtual private networks, the best providers have also become smarter. Those providers therefore regularly add new locations and addresses to ensure they are one step ahead.
The top VPNs 2019 from a number of servers perspective is NordVPN with over approximately 5,000.
As well as the number of servers the location of the servers is also very important. As we know, the best VPN providers give you security on the internet and access to unlimited content by masking your IP address and replacing it with the providers IP address. At the point of set up, you select the server location that you wish the IP address to be shown.
Selecting the right location and the ability to change the location is critical which is why most of the biggest providers now offer servers in most countries globally. Why do we view this as being so important?
1. Accessing content: Much content, for example, Netflix and BBC iPlayer is restricted to a specific geographic zone. If you want to use these services outside of the geographic zone you will need the best VPN which gives you an IP address that matches that geographic zone. So if you are in America and want to access BBC iPlayer, you need to have a UK IP address.
2. Censorship: Countries with lots of censorship have become sophisticated to the use of software which enables citizens to get around the censorship. The top providers are particularly effective at offering server locations that fly under the radar. They also allow you to access non-censored content from countries such as China, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
3. Security of data: Different countries have different regulation around accessing server data. Certain countries take privacy more seriously than others and mean that server data is secure.
The best VPNs stay close to the regulation and ensure they provide server location options which are in countries such as Panama, Romania, Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands that provide high levels of security andprevent government authorities accessing the server information.
In summary, when deciding on which is the right VPN provider for you, make sure to take into account both the number of servers and the locations of servers available. Our analysis suggests that ExpressVPN has jumped to the top of the 2024 list on these criteria and is closely followed by CyberGhost.
The number of simultaneous connections is becoming an increasingly important criterion as people have ever more devices that they require security on. The average person has 4 devices and the average family has even more than this.
To ensure you are safe across your devices you need to have a Virtual Private Network on each device. Some of the 2024 best VPN providers such as CyberGhost offer 7 simultaneous connections. Surfshark even has no limit !
Most people are not technical geniuses and ease of use therefore high up in the criteria that we use. When evaluating this, we run a speed test where we see if you can install the product speedily.
The well-established players understand the importance of this criterion. The ones that are among the simplest and can be up and running in under two minutes are ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, NordVPN, PrivateVPN, and HideMyAss.
The VPN you’ll choose will depend on what you’re looking for. If it is the ease of use, you won’t choose the same as if you’re goal is to have the widest country coverage.
Similar to ease of use the best VPN providers 2019 understand that you might want to get in touch and ask questions. Some of the top providers now offer 24/7 service accessible via e-mail, chat, and telephone.
Most of the better quality providers have invested in this area over the past couple of years with CyberGhost, NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Hidemyass offering 24/7 support.
This is an area where you really get what you pay for, many of the free providers offer low levels of support and you can’t access them when you really need them. The best VPN providers continue to invest heavily in customer service, including good information guides and explanations on the most ideal configurations for your specific use case.
Although the top VPN providers can generally be used to service all of your needs, different ones have different strengths. Thus, this is something we look at when deciding which is the top choices in 2024.
We have outlined the major use cases and which the best VPN providers are for each one
Accessing and unblocking Netflix is one of the most mainstream uses of a Virtual Private Network. One of the most common complaints about some of the free providers is that they do not enable you to access Netflix.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN who’re two of the leading providers understand that accessing Netflix is a critical use case. Therefore, they have optimized their server locations effectively to ensure global Netflix coverage.
We have all experienced that time when you are on holiday and you can’t access that program that you normally watch every 10.00 on a Tuesday because iPlayer/HBO/Sky are not available in the country you are in.
ExpressVPN is also very good on this front and allows you to access these services globally. CyberGhost also has a good offer and is among one of the leading providers.
The leading VPN providers give you unlimited access to torrenting/p2p enabling you to torrent to your heart’s content. Those offering unlimited access includes ExpressVPN, NordVPN and CyberGhost.
Kodi is a wonderfully powerful free and open-source media platform which enables you to access a huge wealth of content. The leading providers understand the intricacies associated with the Kodi platform and the value of the vast number of add-ons available.
When selecting the best VPN provider for Kodi we look at the number of add ons supported. Today ExpressVPN covers the most Kodi add-ons followed by NordVPN, and CyberGhost.
Enabling you to access your favorite services such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Youtube, Netflix, Instagram, Google, and more in countries that censor content is one of the things that really separate the men from the boys.
The best providers use a double VPN, this means that the traffic goes through two servers and even the second server has no idea of the original IP address because it has been changed by the first server.
Double anonymity is key if you are in China, the Chinese government actively goes after the top VPN providers. Therefore, you need to ensure you’re using the best VPN from an optimization perspective.
The great firewall is getting stronger and stronger yearly, with the Chinese government trying to strengthen their censorship. Consequently, only the top providers are able to bypass the great Chinese firewall. ExpressVPN has by far the strongest service when it comes to China and double anonymity.
This is a relatively new use case and one that only the very best VPN providers have developed services for. Since GDPR a number of US news sites who are not GDPR compliant such as the New York Daily Times and the Baltimore Sun have blocked access to European readers.
To access the content you need a non-European IP address, ideally a US one. NordVPN and ExpressVPN who have a large number of servers are some of the strongest on this attribute.
Whether you agree that using a Virtual Private Network is legal or not, one thing you can’t argue against is that almost everybody needs a VPN in 2024. Apart from protecting your data and allowing you to surf the internet safely under the radar, a Virtual Private Network also allows you to effortlessly bypass geo-restrictions.
To put it simply, a VPN is one tool every internet user nowadays are struggling to do without.
Having reviewed the best providers in the market, we are confident that you will be able to choose the ideal option for your needs. While ExpressVPN is our recommended pick due to its array of features and strong security protocols, there are also some capable alternatives in our ranking.
However, regardless of the one you choose eventually, you will surely be glad you came across this page.