Best VPN Services for 2023

“VPN” is the abbreviation of “Virtual Private Network.” It’s a set of technologies that allows linking computers to create a private network as if they were nearby, but their actual locations could be thousands of miles apart. This means that you’re not connected to the Internet directly, but through intermediary means, i.e. a server in a foreign country as if you were there. Hence, it offers anonymity by hiding the user and making it very hard for anyone to track them.

There are plenty of reasons to use a VPN:

• With governments spying on our online selves, corporations profiling users for targeted ads, and copyright warriors keeping an eye on our torrent traffic, VPNs are one of the few ways to take back your privacy.
• People who find themselves using public wifi hotspots rely on encryption to keep sensitive details out of the hands of hackers.
• Activists and journalists under oppressive regimes depend on privacy for their lives, while businesses use VPNs to protect valuable information.
• The overwhelming majority of VPN users are mostly concerned with accessing geo-blocked entertainment platforms, such as Netflix, or censored websites, such as YouTube in China.

This multitude of reasons people use Virtual Private Networks for has caused VPN services to flourish and become ubiquitous. Virtually anyone can benefit from them in some way.

To get VPN protection up and running, you may tinker settings to your home router or set it up through built-in means on your OS. However, the least time-consuming way for a common user to use a VPN is to pick a third-party provider that has an app for your device type, install it, launch it, and just pick a server from the list.

Learning how to choose a VPN service is essential because making a mistake can cost you both financially and in terms of online security.

If you’re on the lookout for a secure and reliable VPN service, there are multiple factors to consider. Here are the main criteria we use to evaluate VPN providers:

• Server count and global spread: the more servers, the merrier
• Speed and performance: good VPNs tend to have a smaller impact on your connection speeds
• Encryption and tunneling protocols: look for AES-256 encryption and OpenVPN or IKEv2 protocol
• Jurisdiction: be wary of VPNs based in Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes countries
• Geo-unblocking capabilities: the best providers can reliably unblock Netflix
• Multi-platform support: if you plan to use your VPN on more than one device, make sure it’s compatible
• Value for money: pricier doesn’t necessarily mean better – always check the feature list
• Customer service: solid and established VPNs always offer live chat support.

Mostly yes, but the legal status of VPN services depends on the laws of each country and other contextual factors. For example, VPN use is completely illegal and punishable by law in Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and Belarus. Elsewhere, VPN services are restricted in some way – China and Russia are prime examples of this.

Most countries allow VPN use. However, some actions people use these tools for can be illegal. Copyright infringements or hacking, for example, will get you into trouble regardless of country.

If you’re not sure whether VPNs are legal in your country, take a look at our global VPN legality guide and find out if your country is on the VPN prohibition list.

Be careful, because you cannot trust all VPN services! The VPN market is all about trust – we can never be fully aware of what happens in the data centers around the world. As such, you should rely on the available facts to determine whose trustworthy and who isn’t.

Also, make sure to stay up to date with the goings-on of the VPN market – it’s constantly in flux, and even incredibly popular VPN providers sometimes get involved in privacy scandals or are acquired by less than trustworthy companies.

Independent audits, tests of “no-logs” policies in the wild, and independent research are invaluable sources of information to make an informed decision. Remember – using a compromised anonymity tool leaves you exposed to all kinds of risks!

Absolutely – the ability to stream your favorite Netflix TV shows and movies from anywhere in the world is probably the best reason to use a VPN.

Whether you’re on vacation abroad or happen to live in a country with a different Netflix library, you’ve definitely seen your favorite show disappear from Netflix at least once.

A VPN will help you bypass such geo-blocking measures and stream whatever, wherever, on whichever devices you own. By changing your IP address, the best VPNs for Netflix manage to reliably fool the platform, which is notorious for its tireless proxy detection efforts.

If watching Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or other geo-blocked platforms is the reason you’re looking for a VPN, our recommendation is to get NordVPN as the best VPN for streaming.

NordVPN works with a wide variety of streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other popular services. It also offers the largest selection of specialized streaming servers and supports a whopping six simultaneous devices, which means you can use NordVPN on any desktop or mobile device you own, including Android TV.

NordVPN is a great VPN for Kodi as well and will let you stream safely, no matter which Kodi add-on you choose.

Here are some simple step-by-step guides for streaming the most popular geo-blocked TV shows and sports events:

• How to watch UFC online
• How to watch F1 online

If your VPN supports routers or Smart TVs, you can set it up on your device. Some VPNs that don’t have native support for routers or Smart TVs can provide you with manual instructions to do so.

That said, it’s always better to use a VPN that has a native app for the device in question.

Setting up a VPN on your router is a smart move. That way, you no longer have to worry about your VPN’s limitations on simultaneous connections and extend the protection to all the devices you own. If you’re thinking about pairing your router with a VPN, here’s an in-depth guide on how to do just that.

Setting up a VPN on your Smart TV is also a good idea. This will let you effortlessly stream geo-blocked shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming platforms.

Yes – besides being great for streaming, VPNs also enhance the security of your online connection. When you connect to a VPN server, it acts as a secure and encrypted tunnel between your network and whatever online service you’re using.

This means that potential attackers (or your ISP) can’t intercept or identify your online traffic, which makes VPNs some of the safest and most reliable tools for protecting your connection while you’re browsing, shopping online, or even torrenting.

All of the ten VPN services on this list are great at protecting your privacy and security since they all offer military-grade encryption, safe tunneling protocols, and have no leak problems.

With that in mind, the most advanced tool in the shed security and privacy-wise is NordVPN. There are many reasons why NordVPN is considered the most secure VPN service on the market:

• NordVPN is based in Panama, which doesn’t belong to any intelligence-sharing alliances.
• The provider has an independently-audited no-logging policy, which means that your online traffic data remains yours and yours alone.
• NordVPN’s security and privacy package is unrivaled in the industry and includes advanced features like Double VPN (multi-hop), Onion over VPN, Obfuscated servers, CyberSec browser security suite, as well as an automatic killswitch and watertight DNS and IP leak protection.

For these reasons and more, we consider NordVPN as the best VPN service for privacy and security.

Yes! If you live in a country or community known for restricting human rights – both off- and online – a VPN can be your best bet in terms of protecting yourself from government surveillance, internet censorship, and cyberbullying.

VPN security and privacy measures offered by top-notch VPN services help to bypass geo-blocking and online traffic scanning. These techniques are often used by both individual predators and organized government agencies alike.

To learn more about how a VPN can help you stay safe and regain your freedom online, check out our guides on the following subjects:

• Bypass internet censorship in China
• LGBTQ online safety guide
• Avoid government surveillance: 5-9-14 eyes alliance