Virtual private networks (VPNs) provide an additional layer of privacy that enables you to access foreign websites and can provide a secure connection for the transmission of sensitive business information. While they are typically used by individuals, VPNs also provide businesses with the ability to manage multiple user accounts, block certain types of content and protect your data from snooping.
We’ve analyzed the key features you should consider in order to choose the VPN service that best fits your needs. This is our top pick for 2022.
Surfshark
If you’re looking for an inexpensive VPN that costs twice as much as the product, then Surfshark is the right choice for you. The services in this guide are ranked by quality, not price, so it’s impressive to see a VPN that costs well under $2.50 per month at #3.
In our Surfshark review, we found its app to work very well and to offer all the privacy and security elements such as AES-256 encryption, termination switches, split tunnels, and the ultra-fast WireGuard protocol. Surfshark has been working on additional features such as MultiHop and Nexus – the latter is not fully formed yet, but looks promising.
If you’re a hardware hoarder, Surfshark’s unlimited simultaneous connection policy will be very attractive. Essentially, you can install a plan on as many devices as you want – great for full protection or even sharing with devices in your home. And, as a Linux VPN, Surfshark is one of the few providers that offers a full GUI – most others are just command lines.
In recent tests, connection speeds improved dramatically, reaching a whopping 950Mbps on our 1Gbps connection, making Surfshark one of, if not the, fastest VPNs we’ve tested. Plus, it’s proving to be very reliable for streaming media so far. We’ve had some problems before, but almost every provider has at some point.
However, when we went through the rigorous testing process of setting up Surfshark’s termination switch, we did manage to find it and have it show up to us very briefly. However, the circumstances under which this happened are unlikely to happen in the real world. And, unfortunately, Surfshark’s support is not as good as ExpressVPN’s or NordVPN’s.
All in all, Surfshark is an excellent budget option, and any minor issues with it seem to disappear when you consider its incredibly low price!
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is currently the fastest VPN we’ve tested in 2022, causing us to lose less than 2% of our total internet speed. Its iOS and Android apps are designed with a simplified approach, designed to connect quickly without fuss. A button on its login screen guides you to a quick connection The only option that comes with it is a drop-down server location selector, which defaults to your fastest nearby city.
ExpressVPN’s other options – its security and privacy tools, account and settings options, and support page – are all neatly hidden under the garden variety three-column icon in the upper-left corner of the screen. They’re worth checking out. ExpressVPN includes an on-board IP address checker, as well as two leak testers and a password generator.
In the past year, ExpressVPN has increased its number of independent third-party audits, published detailed information about its TrustedServer deployment process, joined the i2Coalition call for improved VPN industry ethics, and released the open source Lightway encryption protocol.
All of our top VPNs have broad compatibility across platforms and operating systems, but ExpressVPN’s collection of setup guides, detailed FAQs and troubleshooting articles offer users a distinct advantage. So does its 24/7 customer support and 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee.
The company has been in business since 2009 and ExpressVPN has a vast network of over 3,000 RAM-only servers spread across 160 locations in 94 countries. ExpressVPN’s best plan offers five simultaneous connections for $100 per year (which includes an additional three months, limited-time deal, for a total of 15 months of service). You can also choose a $13 per month plan, or pay $60 for six months.
NordVPN
NordVPN has long taken a “kitchen sink” approach to its VPNs, and it’s all inclusive. From the beginning, it has included features like multi-hop connections and access to Tor via VPN, both of which are still rare among competitors. NordVPN has also managed to position itself as an old school player in the still very new VPN world, now acquiring other companies and adding entirely new products in addition to improving its VPN.
To its credit, NordVPN has always been a solid product. Over the years, it has maintained a consistent and modern design across all of its platforms. It is also not afraid to change, being one of the first VPN companies to fully adopt the new WireGuard VPN protocol and RAM-only servers.
NordVPN’s greatest strength is that it offers something for everyone. Privacy experts appreciate its rare set of tools. People who want to unlock streaming content
UltraVPN
Users worldwide can access UltraVPN, a user-friendly and reliable service that provides protection and anonymity. With servers in over 70 countries, Ultra VPN makes it easy to unlock any website or material from anywhere on the planet.
Like all other Aura products, UltraVPN utilizes strong encryption as well as the OpenVPN protocol and works on both desktop and mobile devices. UltraVPN is one of the many well-known products owned by digital security giant Aura, which also powers Hotspot Shield and Touch VPN. In addition, it is one of the cheapest premium VPNs on the market.
IPVanish
IPVanish offers all the key features you might need in a VPN at a great price. Regular sales are part of the IPVanish experience, and you can enjoy the protection of a choice of more than 2,000 VPN servers from over 75 different locations with a very low cost commitment for one year.
Whether you’re browsing from home or using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, in addition to providing extensive protection, IPVanish makes it easier to avoid deep packet inspection – a method that ISPs sometimes use to limit your Internet speed. VPN offers unlimited data transfer caps and no limit to the number of devices you can use, making it very flexible for high-volume users and larger local networks.
No logs are kept, plus there are multiple connection protocols to choose from, which is useful if you want to be more involved in your VPN setup. 24/7 customer support means that the VPN is also there to help you whenever you need it. Not that you should need it often, thanks to the easy-to-use apps for all major platforms. It’s a great service, and it can even help you avoid geographic restrictions on many of your favorite streaming apps.