10 Best VPN Services Of 2017
by islam ahmed
What is a VPN service? How Does it work?
Short Bytes: VPN, or a virtual private network, helps you to make your online activities more private and anonymous. It can protect you from the prying eyes of hackers and government agencies, which are after your personal information and actions. Some of the best reviewed and trusted VPN services are Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and IPVanish. In this list of best VPN services, you can find the qualities of these services, their price, and downloading links.
Best VPN Services Of 2017
1. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is one of the world’s leading premium VPN services which is based in the USA. If you’re taking your security for granted, it’s time to reconsider your preferences and invest in some reputed VPN service like Private Internet Access. It’s one of the best VPN services that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
Recommended by many reputed websites and privacy-focused blogs, Private Internet Access can be simultaneously used by up to 5 devices with unlimited bandwidth. It currently supports OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec protocols. Private Internet Access doesn’t monitor the users or sensor its servers. It has servers located all around the world (more than 3,000 servers), so you don’t need to worry about bad data speed. It also supports BitTorrent downloading and ad-blocking.
Supported Platforms:
Android, iOS, Chrome, macOS, Linux, Windows
Private Internet Access VPN price and payment method:
For using this anonymous and secure VPN service, you need to spend $6.95/month. If you choose the yearly plan, you’ll need to spend $3.33/month, i.e., $39.95/year. Buying a Private Internet Access subscription can be accomplished using PayPal, credit cards, Google Wallet, OKPay, etc. Bitcoin is also accepted as a mode of payment.
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a reputed private internet network service that promised to deliver the best security and private experience. Based in the British Virgin Islands which has no retention laws, ExpressVPN doesn’t keep user logs. It works on the shared IP basis, so that a single IP can’t be tracked back to a single user. It also has a kill switch that bars the apps from connecting to the internet if the VPN is disconnected.
As its name suggests, ExpressVPN is known for its speed. With the support for PTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP protocols, ExpressVPN has established itself as one of top VPN services around. They also have a .onion website. This VPN service is great for torrent and P2P downloading as all its servers are optimized for the same. It also has no restrictions on how much you use the services. Another thing, ExpressVPN doesn’t store logs, so you don’t need to worry about that.
Supported Platforms:
Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS
ExpressVPN price and payment method:
ExpressVPN’s yearly plan, which is also its most popular one, costs $8.32 per month. The yearly plan also comes with 45-days moneyback guarantee. Being one of the best VPN services around, ExpressVPN allows you to make payment via different modes, including BitCoin.
3. NordVPN
NordVPN, a Panama-based company, is known for its simple-to-use VPN solution with hundreds of worldwide servers located in 57 different countries. Its Double VPN technology encrypts data twice to provide you a better peace of mind. As it follows the zero log policy, no log of user activity or IP addresses is kept.
For torrent downloading, the majority of NordVPN servers are a good choice. Other servers are optimized for other purposes like streaming, Tor-over-VPN, and double encryption. Using NordVPN, you can connect up to six different devices simultaneously, which is great for a small household.
Supported Platforms:
Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS
NordVPN price and payment method:
To use NordVPN, you’ll need to spend $5.75 per month if you’re choosing the annual plan. This way you can avail 52% discount. For monthly plan, you’ll need to spend $11.95 per month. Apart from credit card, PayPal, and other popular payment modes, you can also choose the Bitcoin payment method.
— NordVPN
4. IPVanish
IPVanish, a Florida-based VPN service, is a top VPN service for general users. With more than 750 servers spread across 61 countries, you can rest assured that IPVanish won’t disappoint you with its performance. It is also known for its no-log and no ad-injection policy. The website of IPVanish provides detailed instructions regarding the setup process to make the overall process hassle-free.
IPVanish supports Open VPN, L2TP, and PPTP protocols. Just like most of the other services on this list of best VPN services, you can connect up to five devices with IPVanish. For the BitTorrent downloaders, IPVanish is a boon as it doesn’t restrict P2P downloading. It’s also a great VPN for Kodi users. However, unlike our top recommendation Private Internet Access, IPVanish doesn’t come with ad-blocking.
Supported Platforms:
Android, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows Phone
IPVanish VPN price and payment method:
The best-value IPVanish’s yearly plan costs $6.49 per month. Just in case you wish to go for a single month plan, you’ll need to spend $10. For payment, you can also use BitCoin to remain anonymous. It goes without saying that you can use other methods like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, etc.
— IPVanish
5. PureVPN
PureVPN is a Hong Kong-based VPN service that’s known for its speed and performance. With its end-to-end encryption and variety of tunneling protocols, PureVPN promises to deliver complete online privacy to its users. It has more than 750 servers spread across 141 countries. Its inbuilt tool chooses the best server based on different factors.
PureVPN has repeatedly scored great points in speed tests. It also comes with additional add-ons that let you use a NAT Firewall or get a dedicated PC address. PureVPN supports torrent downloading on more than 200 of its servers.
— PureVPN
Supported Platforms:
Android, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
PureVPN price and payment method:
PureVPN’s 2-year plan costs $2.95 per month. It comes with an attractive 7-days money-back guarantee. If you wish to grab a single month’s plan, you’ll have to spend $11 per month, which doesn’t make much sense. This premium VPN accepts BitCoin payments. You can also select the traditional payment modes like credit card, PayPal, etc.
6. StrongVPN
StrongVPN is based in California and it promises to provide a log-less anonymous internet experience. It has more than 400 servers spread across 24 countries to help you out. You can connect StrongVPN using the popular protocols like PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, or OpenVPN. While the users are limited to two devices at a time, the bandwidth is unlimited.
There is also an option to scramble the web traffic to make the VPN traffic look like normal traffic. StrongVPN is one of the best VPN services for unblocking US Netflix and Hulu. Its servers support torrent download as well. The setup of StrongVPN is also simple and it comes with good documentation.
Supported Platforms:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
StrongVPN price and payment method:
If you wish to choose the yearly plan of this premium VPN service, you’ll need to spend $5.83 per month. The single month plan costs you $10 per month. Both of these plans have free StongDNS included. Apart from the popular payment methods, anonymity-focused Bitcoin is also available as a payment mode.
7. VyprVPN
The #7 entry on this list of best VPN service providers is VyprVPN. It’s a popular VPN service that claims to be the world’s most powerful VPN. It offers a high level of security and downloading speed, thanks to 700+ servers and 200,000+ different IP addresses.
VyprVPN uses and manages all of its hardware to ensure end-to-end privacy. It supports PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, and OpenVPN. It also comes with a Chameleon technology for defeating VPN blockades and throttling. It makes it very useful in geographical regions like China where the government has employed strict restrictions.
Supported Platforms:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
VyprVPN price and payment method:
Just like other top VPN services for accessing blocked websites and anonymity, Golden Frog VyprVPN comes in different plans. The annual plan of VyprVPN, which allows 5 simultaneous connections, costs $6.67 per month. The standard VyprVPN plan with 3 connection support costs $5 per month when billed annually. These plans also come with a 3-day free trial.
— VyprVPN
8. TorGuard
TorGuard is own by a US-based company and follows the no logs or time stamp policy. It’s a special VPN service for torrenting and P2P file sharing. Please note that it’s not connected to the Tor Browser in any manner. Here, Tor refers to torrent.
Apart from anonymous VPN service, TorGuard also provides proxy and email service. The VPN service has more than 1600 servers in more than 50 countries. It allows 5 simultaneous connections and unlimited bandwidth. If you need more devices, you can do so by paying $1 per month. TorGuard supports OpenVPN, SSTP, L2TP, and IPsec protocols.
Supported Platforms:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
TorGuard price and payment method:
If you choose the yearly plan of this excellent VPN service for torrent downloading and safeguarding your privacy, you need to spend $4.99 per month. Going for the single month plan will cost you $9.99. Bitcoin payment method is also supported here.
— TorGuard
9. Buffered VPN
Buffered VPN is a Gibraltar-based company, and promises to provide a decent security and no-compromise performance. You can use Buffered VPN and connect up to five devices simultaneously. Its server network is spread across 40 countries and the new servers are being added. It doesn’t store any private logs.
Its port discovery feature automatically searches for open ports to run OpenVPN over. It’s a feature that sounds useful for travelers. It should be noted that Buffered VPN doesn’t come with a Kill Switch. It supports BitTorrent traffic and treated equally.
Supported Platforms:
Windows, macOS, Linux
Buffered VPN price and payment method:
The yearly plan of Buffered VPN costs $8.25 per month and monthly plan costs $12.99 per month. It should be noted that unlike other service providers in this list of best VPN services for anonymity and privacy, Buffered VPN doesn’t support Bitcoin payment mode at the moment.
10. TunnerBear
TunnelBear, the last entry on this list of the best paid VPN services, is known for its slick interface. It follows the no-logs policy and provides good encryption. It provides good download speeds and comes with a kill switch. Moreover, it also works with Netflix.
TunnerBear also offers a free VPN service that restricts one to just 500MB data per month. Compared to other premium VPN services, TunnerBear has lower server density; it has servers in 20 countries. It should also be noted that it doesn’t support P2P filesharing or BitTorrent downloading. It also doesn’t come with the inbuilt ad-blocking feature.
Supported Platforms:
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Opera
TunnelBear price and payment method:
As said above, TunnelBear VPN comes with a free VPN plan that gives you 500MB of free data every month. The paid plans are of two types. The yearly plan costs you $4.99 per month, and monthly plan costs $9.99 per month. Apart from payment methods like VISA, MasterCard, American Express, etc., TunnelBear VPN can also be purchased by making a payment in Bitcoins.
Editor’s Recommendation:
The first two entries on this list, Private Internet Access, and ExpressVPN, are one of the best reviewed and well-received VPN services. Private Internet Access VPN is known for being affordable and ensuring complete security. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, is known for its speed and performance.
VPN FAQs:
What is a VPN service? How Does it work?
In today’s times, VPN (and other privacy-focused services) are witnessing a great increase in the popularity. VPN, or a Virtual Private Network, is a private and controlled network that lets you connect to the internet. It’s like your private lounge where you can browse the web without any foreign interference. VPNs encrypt 100% of your computer traffic and routes it through the VPN servers located all across the world.
Just in case you’re willing to know about the working of a VPN and its different components, don’t forget to read our dedicated article on the same.
Why should I use a VPN service?
Apart from hiding your internet activity from your internet service provider, a VPN service also lets you bypass the governments’ censorship practices. Here are some major reasons to use a VPN service:
- Hide from your ISP
- Use public Wi-Fi without risk
- Bypass government/office internet restrictions
- BitTorrent/P2P downloading
Are free VPN services as good as paid ones?
There’s a big reason why all the VPN services aren’t free. Providing VPN services and encryption to millions of users demands hundreds of servers all across the world. You might be promised multiple security features by a free VPN provider, but they might come with restrictions like low speed, limited bandwidth, insecure encryption, and risk of logging your personal information and sessions.
Here are some more articles on VPNs to help you understand its importance. Do give them a read and share your feedback with us:
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