Some free VPN services can’t guarantee your privacy, as they make money by selling your personal information to advertisers – we’d suggest you be wary of them. The best VPNs not only promise no logging, but they also invite independent auditors to inspect their servers and confirm that no identifiable user data is captured or stored.
2. Speed
Sending your internet connection through a remote server will inevitably impact speed – but the best VPN providers invest big in fast infrastructure to ensure your browsing isn’t slowed to a crawl, even when you’re using servers halfway around the world. We test every VPN to find out which ones least impact your download and streaming experience.
3. Access streaming services
Most video-streaming services are region-restricted – but a good VPN will trick them into letting you access whatever you want to watch. You should be able to watch foreign services like Netflix US from the UK without a hitch; ideally, it’ll also be possible to watch British services like BBC iPlayer when connected to a UK server, so you can keep up with your favourite shows when travelling.
4. Simultaneous connections
A VPN will usually let you connect from more than one device – so, for example, you can conveniently keep the VPN running on your phone while also using it on a desktop computer or smart TV. A few services (such as Atlas VPN and Surfshark) allow unlimited simultaneous connections. If you have the right hardware, you may even be able to configure a VPN on your router to protect all your home devices in one go. Asus routers offer a “VPN Fusion” feature that lets you configure different servers for different devices.
5. Customer support
All our top VPNs offer online tutorials to help you get the best from their features and live-chat customer support is normally on hand to answer any of your questions. Most of the best VPNs offer a 24/7 service, though a few operate only during office hours.
How we test VPNs
We subject every VPN we review to rigorous first-hand testing. We start by installing both the desktop and mobile clients, trying out features and exploring the interfaces for ourselves.
We then measure internet performance using the Google Speed Test tool. We establish a baseline by testing speed with the VPN deactivated – and then repeat the test while connected to VPN servers in London, New York and other locations to see how upload and download speeds are affected.
Next, we try various video streaming sites, including Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ITV, Channel 4 and Now TV, on desktop platforms. We launch each site in the browser, while, on mobile devices, we use the dedicated app. We test whether it’s possible to access US-only content by connecting through a server in the US, and we check whether British sites are accessible from a VPN server in the UK. Remember that streaming services can update their VPN-detection systems without warning, so no VPN is guaranteed to work 100% of the time.
Finally, we use online tools such as the DNS Leak Test to confirm that the VPN isn’t revealing any information about our DNS requests that could compromise your privacy. All of these tests are taken into account in our ratings and recommendations.
Test results: Speeds
Chart representing the average download and upload performance lost when using a VPN, compared with not using a VPN, on a Windows computer. A higher number indicates slower overall performance.
Test results: Infrastructure
| HQ location | Countries | Total servers | Simultaneous connections | |
| Atlas VPN | US | 42 | 1000+ | Unlimited |
| CyberGhost | Romania | 91 | 9,200 | 7 |
| ExpressVPN | British Virgin Islands | 94 | 3000+ | 5 |
| Hide.me | Malaysia | 85 | 2,000 | 10 |
| HMA | UK | 210 | 1100+ | 5 (10 option) |
| Hotspot Shield | USA | 80+ | 3,200+ | 10 |
| IVPN | Gibraltar | 37 | Not stated | 2 (Basic); 7 (Pro) |
| NordVPN | Panama | 60 | 5,800+ | 6 |
Test results: Pricing
| Atlas VPN | CyberGhost | ExpressVPN | Hide.me | HMA | Hotspot Shield | IVPN | NordVPN | |
| Free service | Limited servers | X | X | 8 locations, 1 connection, no streaming | X | 500MB/day, only US servers, one device, ads | X | X |
| 1 month | 9.83 | 10.89 | 10.9 | 9.99 | X | 10.99 | $6 (Basic); $10 (Pro) | 10.29 + VAT |
| 6 months | X | 37.14 | 50.46 | 34.99 | X | X | X | X |
| 12 months | 40.11 | X | 84 | X | 39.48 (then £95.88) | 83.88 | $60 (Basic); $100 (Pro) | 46.48 + VAT |
| 2 years | X | 49.95 + three free months | X | 69.99 + three free months | X | X | $100 (Basic); $160 (Pro) | £80.73 + VAT |
| 3 years | 58.74 + three free months | X | X | X | 86.04 (then 95.88) | X | $140 (Basic); $220 (Pro) | X |
| Transaction currency | UK pound | UK pound | UK pound | UK pound | UK pound | UK pound | US dollar | UK pound |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 45 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 45 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Crypto payment options | Bitcoin, Ether and other via CoinPayments | Bitcoin | Bitcoin | Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, Horizen, ZCash | X | X | Bitcoin, Monero | Bitcoin, Ether and others through CoinGate |
#VPNs #tests #Expert #Reviews
source: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/vpns/1405130/best-vpn
