It's not easy to choose a VPN. In today's VPN market, VPNs are often just as intent on killing out their competition as they are expanding their features, fixing security holes, or developing services. Customer satisfaction often comes last when compared to revenue generation.
Despite that quality VPNs are more necessary than ever. Many people use VPNs to access large Netflix libraries--so much so that just lask week Netflix lashed out against VPNs in a press release explaining it's stance on VPN use with their service. It's only the first major news of 2016 while 2015 was strife with governments restricting VPN use in China and even Australia. VPNs in these countries are almost mandatory since the userbase is behind strict firewalls that restrict most forms of internet content. Not only that, but people often need to use VPNs for torrenting, since the very nature of torrenting (P2P) makes IP addresses public in BitTorrent programs.
The growing need for VPNs has made the market saturated. The result is a market that has premium VPNs at the top that claim the same features as the low tier VPN providers. But the process gets even more confusing when VPN's leech of their competition. Recently after doing some research on VPN's and how they market, I found a disturbing ad.
In this case, IPVanish VPN is blatantly using an add to trick potential TorGuard customers into visiting their website. The ideal situation for them would be to convert a TorGuard customer into an IPVanish customer unwillingly. Pretty freaky huh? This is only ONE example of how VPNs trick customers into buying their products.
So what are the best VPNs to buy?
1.TorGuard VPN
TorGuard VPN is our top pick for many reasons. One reason is that they are one of the only VPN providers to provide consistently high quality live chat 24/7. It doesn't matter if you're asking about billing, the company sold VPN routers, or even how to use the VPN application they provide--the representatives here always have an answer. What's even better is that their support doesn't require information to start the chat, and they even do remote access to solve problems quicker.
TorGuard VPN is stable since it's a one stop shop kind of deal. Not only do they provide one some the most robust applications (they have applications for browsers, phones, Windows + Mac) you can find for VPNs (applications include security features like DNS leak protection, kill switches, WebRTC protection, 256-bit AES encryption), but TorGuard as a provider also has encrypted email options, proxy options, and VPN routers bundled with TorGuard services.
Here's a full TorGuard VPN review.
2.Private Internet Access VPN
Private Internet Access, otherwise known as PIA, is one of the cheapest VPN solutions you can find for only $6.95 a month (at least per month, TorGuard VPN beats it for a 6-month subscription at $29.95). PIA also has key app performance, strong encryption, and mobile application that works just as well as it's Windows counterpart. It's also one of the only VPN providers to have live chat--although it's not as consistent as TorGuards.
3.CactusVPN
CactusVPN has a refreshingly modern website and application appearance. While it's mobile application isn't as usable as it's excellent PC counterpart, CactusVPN still stands out from the pack with decent pricing, usability, and strong 256-bit AES encryption. Its speeds might be a bit lackluster for torrenting, but it'll get the job done for everything else!
4.ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the most user-friendly applications out there--perfect for the VPN noob that craves speed and excellent application versatility and performance. Its lacking in encryption options, a tad more expensive than some, missing some essential features like a kill switch and DNS leak protection, but the applications from ExpressVPN combined with a killer setup process, make it a secure VPN to recommend.
5. AirVPN
AirVPN lacks a mobile application, and it has an outdated website, but the core VPN services that AirVPN provides are super reliable. Internet hacktivists designed AirVPN, and its main app is open source, so it has our stamp of approval. Inside the VPN app, you have essentials like a network kill switch, 256-bit AES encryption, and good speeds. AirVPN is also very transparent with providing information to users whether in their forums or the interface of their application which gives complete information about servers like ping and server loads.
Now is the best and worst of times to purchase a VPN. It's the best time since you need one. Internet providers are getting better at watching and controlling data, and companies themselves are intent on tracking all of your information to target ads and customize experiences to manipulate you into being their consumer. Not only that but whole countries themselves are controlling citizens and their access to the internet itself. If you live in China or another censored country, you know that a VPN is often the last vestige of hope for Internet freedom.
And then it's also the worst times to use a VPN since so many VPN providers are more greedy than they are altruistic. More VPNs want you to purchase their service without a refund available. And more VPNs simply want to trick you into buying year long subscriptions without knowing how good the service is in the first place. Now, we aren't saying this is the final five list, that all other VPNs aren't good at all. This is just a good starting place, so your dollars don't get wasted. If you're looking for a good VPN review site, check out this one.
Be careful. It's a crazy VPN world out there.
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