Top VPN Services

A VPN can safeguard your data by ensuring your connections are secure and private. But while sweeping claims of military-grade encryption or complete digital obscurity could be tempting, Consumer Reports’ Yael Grauer recommends that you look for more specific indicators that a service is genuine before you make a commitment.

Start with compatibility. The service should support at least the popular operating systems, such as Windows, macOS and Linux, Android, and iOS. It is important to know how many devices are supported by the service and how many connections it allows simultaneously. Finally, you’ll want to take a look at the number of available servers and their locations around the globe. This can help you choose one that is close to home or gives you high speeds when traveling abroad.

Some services offer special functions, such as dedicated ‘Netflix servers’ which block geo-restricted websites, or extra security features, such a RAM-only servers, which wipes data every time the service reboots and monitors the dark web, and threat protection. Review the ownership structure of the business and allvpnnow.com/what-is-data-room-due-diligence/ if it has had any privacy scandals or data breaches in the past.

The best overall service we tested was NordVPN, which has thousands of servers in 94 countries AES-256 encryption and ChaCha20, a reliable kill switch, split tunneling and obfuscated servers. It’s also one of the few providers to publish its detailed no-logs policy and engages PricewaterhouseCoopers for annual audits. The prices aren’t cheap, but you do get plenty of features for your money and a great long-term plan includes a full 30 days money-back guarantee.