Last Updated on May 17, 2022
This is a list of the Best VPN Service Providers in 2022.
Today more people are on the internet than ever before. And this number is only going to climb in the coming years.
In the US alone more than 70 million people are working remotely.
But what if your online activities are being watched, spied on, or monitored by a criminal, or a third party?
If you’re working from home, surfing the internet, Googling queries, exploring social media, watching your favorite streaming service, or playing games. Whichever is the case, you might require access to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) at any time.
And when you do, this comprehensive guide will help you choose the right VPN service for your unique needs and your budget.
A virtual private network can help you build more privacy, safety, and security from intruders by providing military-grade encryption systems.
Plus VPNs also provide an effective way of unblocking websites and streaming services that you might otherwise be able to access from your country.
But choosing the right VPN service among the lot can be daunting especially when there are hundreds of options in the market and everyone claims to be the best.
The major concern that people have against VPN companies is the data breach, IP address leaks, and the selling of personal data to third parties.
After addressing each of these concerns we’ve tried and tested more than a couple of dozen VPN services in the industry, reviewed each one of them, and have finally brought the best recommendations for you.
Here’s a list of the Best VPN Service in 2022.
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is a great VPN service that employs 2048-bit SSL encryption and doubles up as employing a whopping 5,500 servers strewn across 62 countries. It secures its proxy extensions and chats using a diversity of tools of which six may be used at a time.
The service also offers support for split tunneling that lets you earmark certain activities to go round the VPN for the sake of enhanced performances.
Your personal security seems to be the dominant aim of NordVPN. It is implemented by a combination of automatic kill switches and DNS queries.
Adding to all these is the fact that NordVPN is one of the most open not to mention providing round-the-clock live chat support for all your queries.
In recent times, it has undergone some improvements by incorporating the Android and the iOS operating systems. This notwithstanding, it does have limited business options, unlike TorGuard.
A number of factors make NordVPN stand out from the crowd. These include an attractive user interface, exceptionally fast performance, faster connectivity, unconstrained testing, and seamless connectivity to a server. On the flip side, the VPN service has issues with Netflix.
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN ranks at the very top of the VPN services owing to its similarly high ratings across numerous metrics that define such services plus the fact that it may be improved upon later.
For one, it lets you choose from 3,000 servers scattered across 60 locations in some 94 countries that are provided via five concurrent connection options.
Then comes its app availability on Linux, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows and the ability to pair with Xbox, PlayStation, smart TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, and the Apple TV routers.
For your safety, it utilizes industry-standard encryption and a variety of other protocols like L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. In addition to all these, it is also rolling out a Lightway protocol that is faster and more reliable.
On the whole, ExpressVPN is fast, user-friendly to both starters and professionals, possesses intuitive tools, and maintains its reliability across all platforms. Also, it operates seamlessly across desktops, TV streamers, mobile phones, and browser extensions.
The VPN software is also capable of unblocking the geographic restrictions that may hinder you from accessing services like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+.
Other than that, ExpressVPN also offers support for Bitcoin payments, DNS leak protection, kill switch, and P2P support. Throughout its operations, it maintains a no-logging policy.
ExpressVPN also provides many tutorials and guides that are aimed at letting you start out as well as around-the-clock live chat support that aims at providing answers to your queries. You can take advantage of its 30-day free trial to try it out.
3. Bitdefender Premium VPN
Bitdefender Premium VPN provides anti-virus protections alongside VPN services at a very affordable price. The service is centered on the Catapult Hydra protocol of the Hotspot Shield.
By and large, the VPN software provides faster speeds while depends on a large part of the Hotspot Shield extensively for its logging policies. The setup of the router happens automatically.
Bitdefender Premium VPN app is also not left out either as it too is simple, provides an on/off button, 30 server locations, a protective checkbox, and a fully functional kill switch.
You will find this VPN suitable if you are a starter who coincidentally has a limited financial endowment.
4. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN service was created by a team of scientists who converged at the European Center for Nuclear Research, the same place where the World Wide Web was invented.
At inception, its purpose was to provide encrypted email services mainly to activists and journalists. Like the European Center for Nuclear Research, this service is also based in Switzerland that maintains strong privacy laws.
ProtonVPN approaches matters to do with security by layering the many options atop each other, upholding utmost secrecy, making use of stringent encryption, and operating throughout the lifetime of the communication.
All of its apps are open-source while also audited independently. For all these, the company also provides a free service, medium speed, and zero limitations on the amount of data employed for the job.
5. Surfshark
Surfshark is mainly intended to get around restrictions and uphold the safety of your traffic while operating the Wi-Fi hotspots. It is also very safe and cheaper when paid for two years in advance.
Its top features include a ‘kill switch,’ multi-hop VPN connections, added layers of protection, and amazingly fast speeds of operations.
Compared to the many options that be, Surfshark is also faster. Particularly, it streams the HID contents faster even when routing the same via multiple connections.
The VPN service is nonetheless based in the British Virgin Islands which has lax data retention laws. Its main downside though is the fact that it is not tested for legality.
To counter this, the company upholds the zero-log policy that gives you the freedom to quit the diagnostic crash reports. If and when this happens, the company also keeps no trail of your logs.
Surfshark browser extensions have also been audited to weed out any security issues. To enjoy its services, you have to part with around $2.50 monthly if you pay up the subscriptions two years in advance or $6 monthly if you do so a year in advance.
6. HideMyAss! (HMA) VPN
HideMyAss! VPN leads in the number of server locations. These are 200 and are scattered across 200 nations, the world over. The locations may be broken down into 14 in the Middle East, 55 in the Asia Pacific, and well over 50 in Africa.
Adding to the high number of servers is the fact that it has been operational for quite some time now. Also, it treats matters to do with privacy with a higher degree of seriousness. What’s more? It also hires independent auditors to confirm its product offerings.
You will also find its apps relatively simpler to make use of. This is besides being able to serve you across every platform. On the same note, HMA VPN also provides maximum compatibility with other like-minded gadgets.
It does have a drawback though. Its online support is not really up to standard. Nonetheless, a team of advisors is always on standby to speak to you in case you need the necessary support.
Further to the above disadvantage, it also does not work well with streaming services. Some users also reported difficulties in unblocking other television streaming services like Netflix.
7. Windscribe
Windscribe is based in Canada and is largely famed for its free service that grants users 10GB of free data monthly. Over and above this, it charges fair prices while also providing unlimited data not to mention connecting many gadgets at once.
The service is compatible with many other platforms like Kodi TV set-top boxes and the Amazon Fire routers. It also provides great connection options, a Chrome VPN extension, a built-in firewall, wider geographical reach, hundreds of servers, and an appealing user interface.
Unlike many other VPN services, Windscribe does not require the installation of the desktop version.
On the downside, its performance is not really encouraging as it lacks the kill switch feature.
8. CyberGhost
CyberGhost provides a whole range of security systems that include malicious website blocking, ad-blocking, forcible HTTPS redirects, online footprint blocking, and cookies management.
To make all these possible, it utilizes 6,000 servers scattered across 89 countries in 112 places.
For all practical purposes, CyberGhost performance is adequate as it provides sufficient bandwidth to stream the video contents.
9. IPVanish
If you have an Android gadget, IPVanish is the service to seek to use. It makes use of strong encryption methods, downloads stuff at great speeds, splits the tunnels and facilitates at-home working.
Adding to the above is the excellent customer support service, seamless connectivity to the public WI-FI hotspots, 24/7 availability, live chats, phones, great email support, a comprehensive FAQs section, and customer services.
10. TunnelBear
The overwhelming choice of choosing between the mambo jumbo of internet security can come to an end with TunnelBear.
The cute bear animations in its interface make it look less like a typical VPN service and more user-friendly.
When talking about TunnelBear, we cannot miss its password manager sibling, RememBear. It’s a great easy-to-use service as well.
Apart from offering cute and attractive bear animations, TunnelBear is no less than any other VPN provider when it comes to providing high-end security features like a no-logging policy and a clear privacy policy that states it’s audited independently.
TunnelBear offers a speed that is competitive with all the other VPNs listed.
The best part about this VPN software is you get a free trial in order to test before you commit.
On the contrary, TunnelBear has fewer geographic server locations in comparison with the competitors.
11. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is another great VPN service provider based in the United States.
The company has been around since 2010 and boasts thousands of loyal customers.
PIA is also one of the secure VPNs as it does not log any of your information or record any data while using its servers.
On the flip side, the VPN provider does keep a track of your payment data and email address, which some might not like.
Also, the company is located in the United States, which is a member of the 5 Eyes Security Alliance, which gives the US government the right to request your information at any time or even share the data with several other countries.
No doubt PIA is generally fast and snappy though at times you may face speed drops.
In case, the security of your connection is compromised PIA also provides a kill switch to disconnect immediately.
The VPN service is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and Firefox. There are also browser extensions available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.
Router support is seamless too, though setting up OpenVPN will require manual efforts.
Not to forget Private Internet Access is supported on smart TVs as well as gaming consoles.
PIA offers month-to-month subscriptions or you can also select from 1 year or 2-year plans.
The monthly plan will cost you $9.95 per month, whereas the yearly plan is priced at $71.88 per year which turns out to be only $5.99 per month.
Additionally, the 2-year plan will give further benefits and cost you a one-time fee of just $83.87 which boils down to $3.49 per month.
12. Norton Secure VPN
Norton Secure VPN is a service offered by LifeLock, a trusted name for its excellent security products.
That said, LifeLock’s VPN service is not up to par and comes with various shortcomings.
The VPN service does not support P2P or BitTorrent, nor does it support Linux, routers, or set-top boxes.
On top of that, streaming compatibility for services like Netflix is limited as well.
It doesn’t stop here, and we even experienced privacy concerns over data leaks.
Talking about the VPN speeds, it’s decent for a mid-tier VPN service, nothing fascinating.
Norton Secure VPN service availability is limited to macOS, Windows, and Android.
You do get 24/7 live customer phone support and a 60-day money-back guarantee, which is great.
13. Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield has been a popular free VPN software for quite some time now, and the company is now trying to capture a bigger market share with its premium VPN offering.
The premium VPN service gives you full access to 1,800+ servers in more than 80 countries, support for connecting up to 5 devices, 24/ 7 support, and you will find absolutely no ads bogging you.
It makes more sense to pay a few dollars per month and get the premium service that’s totally worth it.
The best part about Hotspot Shield is its blazing fast speed. Perhaps you’re a gamer, streamer, binge-watcher, or a torrents guy, this VPN is built for you.
The speeds that you get are not only fast, but also provide consistent download and upload speeds in the US and distant locations too.
Hotspot Shield is available on almost every device you can think of whether it’s macOS, Windows, Android, or iOS.
You also get added functionality that enables support on routers, TV streamers, and Linux.
The SmartVPN feature is the talk of the town, as it allows you to select websites where VPN will be bypassed in order to deliver a smooth surfing experience.
The thing to keep in mind is that the company does admit by mentioning on its site logging VPN sessions, bandwidth, domains accessed, and IP addresses.
The app experience is not that good when compared to the desktop version.
If you liked the service, it’s advisable to purchase yearly plans as this is what makes Hotspot VPN one of the best-priced premium VPNs in the industry.
On top of that, if you didn’t like the service, there’s always a 45-day money-back guarantee.
14. PureVPN
Unlike many other VPN providers mentioned on the list, PureVPN doesn’t license its international server presence from local providers.
The company rather owns a self-managed network of more than 2,000 servers in 140 countries.
This helps PureVPN support its full range of protocols is it OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, or IKEv2. The company also offers a not-so-reliable PPTP.
When it comes to solving customer queries, PureVPN offers 24/7 expert support.
PureVPN also supports a wide range of devices that also including Kodi, Roku, and Boxee boxes.
The VPN provider also offers a 31-day money-back guarantee so you can try their service with peace of mind.
15. VyprVPN
VyprVPN comes with quick support and also gives you the ability to report bugs from within its app.
Though VyprVPN stands strong when it comes to security but is unreliable in terms of connectivity.
You can connect using the PPTP protocol but it is old and less secure.
VyprVPN often posts a pre-shared key on their website which increases the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks.
16. Mullvad VPN
Mullvad is a Swedish VPN company that has offered early support for WireGuard, which is referred to as a faster protocol for tunneling VPN traffic.
Mullvad VPN allows you to pay in cash for your membership and remain totally anonymous, which is a bit strange.
It is one of the few VPN services that don’t spend on flashy advertisements and marketing, instead of focuses on protecting the privacy of its users.
The app support is stellar and you will find the Mullvad VPN app on almost every major platform including routers.
The application is open-source and you can even analyze the code on GitHub.
Mullvad VPN is independently audited and if you’re an advanced user you can easily download configuration files that can be used directly with OpenVPN.
One of the most important components of a VPN service is good speeds and Mullvad does it pretty well, though you may have to try different servers sometimes in order to get your desired speed.
The cost of using Mullvad VPN is 5 euros per month.
17. Trust.Zone
Launched back in 2014 by Trusted Solutions LLC, Trust.Zone is a relatively new VPN service.
Being new, the company makes no compromises on the security of its users while being affordable as well.
Trust.Zone employs some of the best encryptions and VPN protocols in the industry and is also easy to use.
When it comes to surfing speeds, the VPN service provider doesn’t disappoint either.
You get decent speeds all along and have access to 170 servers spread over 96 different locations.
Talking about security, Trust.Zone comes with a kill switch that instantly terminates your session if an IP leak is detected.
Not to forget, the service is incredibly easy to install, connect, and switch servers. A full installation including download time will not take you more than 5 minutes.
One of the major downsides of using this VPN service is the limited device support. You can connect to iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, and Mac systems but there is a lack of support for gaming systems and other smart devices.
Customer support is not effective as well. The 24/7 help desk is missing and you need to fill in the contact form every time you need help.
When you go for a 2-year subscription plan you’re able to run five simultaneous connections as compared to only three when you subscribe for one 1-year or on a monthly basis.
18. VPN Unlimited
VPN Unlimited is a VPN app provided by KeepSolid. Some of the best things about this VPN service are its Netflix unblocking, AES-256 encryption, WireGuard Support, and affordable pricing.
The VPN company offers lightning server speeds when connected to nearby US servers but things change slightly when you try connecting to servers outside the US.
VPN Unlimited is particularly fast on Windows but there are many bugs and technical issues like kill switch failures, inability to connect via WireGuard, and occasional crashes, which makes the service unreliable at times.
When it comes to unlocking content on streaming services, VPN Unlimited does well on Netflix, Disney+, and iPlayer but fails on Amazon Prime Video. The multi-device support and connection are not smooth as well.
You get a free 7-day trial with VPN Unlimited, but no money-back guarantee. You also get effective web-based support but don’t expect live chat customer advisors.
The best part about VPN Unlimited is its multi-device support i.e. you can run it on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Apple TV, and even Windows Phone.
19. Perimeter 81
Perimeter 81 business VPN service is based on a Cloud VPN architecture and is ideal for users who want multi-device support.
You also get all the business-related features that can help you run your organization safely in the cloud, which also makes this VPN an ideal solution for remote businesses.
Whenever your company employee connects to an unknown network, Perimeter 81 automatically activates the VPN protection through Wifi-security and DNS filtering.
The company also claims to encrypt all outbound and inbound traffic that is routed through your dedicated private servers. This safety feature protects you from man-in-the-middle attacks and unsecured Wi-Fi networks and also keeps your business safe from data breaches, lawsuits due to negligence, and other claims.
Perimeter 81 also provides you with the data you need to monitor network activity. It also helps in auditing resource access, monitoring bandwidth consumption, and detecting network anomalies remotely.
Although the VPN service lacks behind when it comes to server access points. Perimeter 81 has 700 public servers in 36 countries which is a lot less when compared to the competition.
What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?
The term VPN stands for ‘Virtual Private Networking.’ It is a popular internet security method that makes use of technologies that add layers to the public and private networks such as internet hotspots and broad bands to secure data.
They enable users to send and receive data anonymously typically via a secure tunnel while also granting access to some prime content and sites like BBC iPlayer and Netflix.
All of its traffic is secure and may hence not be accessed arbitrarily by anyone else apart from you. They hence make the task of accessing online sites private and to some extent anonymous. They may however not be effective in case the devices or connections concerned have some malware.
What are the advantages of using a VPN?
A VPN typically hides your IP address by encrypting the internet traffic to make your sessions completely anonymous. This is a feat it achieves by masking your IP address to prevent your IP or DNS address from leaking.
In this way, it makes you appear as though you are somewhere else besides where you really are. Thus, it lets you bypass the contents that are blocked per geographical location or simply to un-censor the sites.
The sum total of all these is the support it gives journalists as well as privacy activists to escape the surveillance that their activities generally attract.
VPNs also operate by generating secure tunnels around the whole internet connectivity i.e. the browser and the app activities.
Most of these services do utilize the 256-bit AES encryption that maintains you in a state of utmost invisibility that prevents your Internet Service Provider from keeping track of the sites you visit. The same applies to your personal data.
Conclusion – Best VPN Service
These were some of the best VPN services that are available in 2022.
Most of these VPNs come with a free-trial period and a money-back guarantee, so you can give them a try without breaking your wallet.
Also do remember to inspect the speed, security, features, reliability, and competition before making your final decision.
I hope our extensive list of the best VPNs was helpful and you found the right VPN service for yourself.
And if you did, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, and also do subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay updated on all our latest resources on digital marketing, growing business online, startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurship.
Also, do let us know which is your favorite VPN service and why?
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