10 Best VPN Services Of 2018: Top VPN Provider Reviews & Buying Guide

by islam ahmed

sing a top-rated VPN is one of the best ways to protect your online privacy in today’s times. They also serve other purposes like website unblocking, remote access to company resources, bypassing censorship, etc. In this article, we’ve reviewed the top VPN services and listed their best features to help you make an informed decision while spending your hard-earned money.

So, take a look at these VPN services, know their features and performance, and choose the best one for your needs:

Top 10 Best VPN Services for 2018

1. NordVPN: #1 Editor’s Recommendation

On its website, NordVPN declares that one can’t be safe without a private VPN service. This has become a fact in today’s times when advertisers and governments are busy tracking your activities. To make you feel secure while browsing the web, NordVPN comes packed with advanced features, and it’s rightly the best VPN service of 2018. The server section in the app shows a list of 56 nations where NordVPN has 2657+ VPN servers. This section also shows the useful details like speed, load, etc.

With DoubleVPN technology, it lets you visit a website over two consecutive VPN servers, so that second VPN doesn’t know your actual IP. There’s also an option to pair NordVPN with Tor using Onion over VPN servers. This makes it a recommended VPN for torrent downloads. A new feature named CyberSec is present to tackle with malware and phishing threats while using this VPN service.

In Fossbytes NordVPN Review, this VPN service turned out to be pretty impressive and earned the most points. Moving over to streaming services, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others turned out to be accessible. With its SmartPlay technology, its makers claim to provide support for ~400 streaming services. It’s worth noting that NordVPN operates under Panama’s jurisdiction, where no data retention laws are present. That’s an extra plus point. So, if you’re looking for a perfect VPN that balances price and performance, NordVPN is the ultimate winner.

Biggest features:

• Tons of high-speed servers to choose from
• Six simultaneous connections allowed
• Unique features like anti-DDoS, double encryption, Tor servers
• OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and SSTP protocols
• Blocks threats and malware
• If needed, provides static IP addresses

Supported platforms and NordVPN pricing:

The apps for all major platforms are available for this recommended VPN service provider. You can get the same for Windows, Linux, iOS, macOS, and Android platforms. That’s not all. NordVPN is also available for Raspberry Pi, different routers, and browsers.

With 30-day money-back guarantee, you can rest assured that NordVPN will turn out to be useful for you. They also accept Bitcoin as a payment mode. Here are the pricing options:

• Monthly plan: $11.95/month
• Yearly plan: $5.75/month
• 2 Year plan: $3.29/month

 Get NordVPN

2. Private Internet Access (PIA): #2 Editor’s Recommendation

The market of VPN service providers has grown at an exponential rate in the past 1-2 years, and services like Private Internet Access have managed to provide an excellent service to the privacy-focused individuals. Whenever we discuss the most affordable and best VPN services, PIA scores the best points and rightly finds the top spot on many lists.

It’s a VPN service operated by London Trust Media Holdings based on the United States. If you solely consider the number of servers, then PIA turns out to be the biggest operator with more than 3200 servers spread across 25 countries around the globe. In our PIA VPN review, PIA scored impressive results with the automatic configuration and needed very less input from the user. The tests also resulted in very less speed loss in comparison to speed test without VPN connection.

The PIA customer support is also commendable and you get a reply within hours of raising a ticket. The only one thing you need to keep in mind while going ahead with this personal VPN is its inability to unblock Netflix US from outside the country. If you’re looking for a VPN for the same, you need to look at our other top-rated Editor’s Choice VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. However, if you’re looking for an affordable VPN for torrenting, PIA won’t disappoint you.

Highlight features:

• Unlimited VPN bandwidth
• Simultaneous connections up to 5 devices
• No logs storage policy
• Multiple VPN protocols supported, including PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, OpenVPN
• Malware, trackers, adware blocking
• 128-bit AES encryption with SHA1 authentication & RSA-2048 handshake
• AES-256 (SHA256, RSA-4096) encryption also offered

Available Platforms and PIA subscription cost:

This top-rated and cheapest VPN for 2018 is available for almost all popular platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. You get to download a Chrome Extension as well. While checkout, you can also use Bitcoin as a payment method. The affordable pricing of Private Internet Access is as follows:

• Monthly plan: $6.95/month
• Yearly plan: $3.33/month
• Two Years: $2.91/month

 Get PIA VPN

3. ExpressVPN: #3 Editor’s Recommendation

When it comes to speed and support, you can’t get better than ExpressVPN. With its head office located in the British Virgin Islands, this top rated VPN provider has its servers spanned across 148 locations in 94 countries. The number of total servers is 1700+. Thanks to its features like shared-IP and kill switch, you can rest assured on the privacy front.

Apart from low latency and fast speed, best-in-class support is the biggest benefit you get with ExpressVPN. There’s a live chat support right on the website, which ensures your problem is solved within minutes. The chat option is also available for non-customers who wish to make some inquiry before making the final decision.

Now, moving ahead to the torrenting and online streaming services, ExpressVPN doesn’t let you down and justifies its above-average pricing. Dedicated servers of Nextflix streaming help you unlock an unlimited library of content to binge watch, making it one of best VPN services of 2018. In our ExpressVPN review, Amazon Prime video US too worked without any hassle. In case you’re facing any difficulty connecting to Netflix or Prime Video, feel free to take advantage of the 24/7 chat support.

Highlight features:

• Secure 256-bit AES encryption
• Best offshore VPN for privacy
• Simple interface
• Kill Switch for extra protection
• .onion website of ExpressVPN to defeat censorship
• Support for PTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP protocols
• Connect to 3 devices simultaneously

Supported platforms and ExpressVPN pricing model:

In case you’re opting for ExpressVPN for safe browsing, you won’t need to worry about the cross-platform support. The top VPN service provider also has dedicated apps for Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android, Routers, and Blackberry. That’s not all. You also get to use the unlimited VPN bandwidth using ExpressVPN extensions and ExpressVPN MediaStreamers for consoles like PlayStation, Apple TV, Xbox, and Fire TV.

ExpressVPN plans come with 100% money back guarantee for first 30 days. Bitcoin is also an accepted payment method these days by most of the VPN service providers. Different plans offered are:

• Monthly plan: $12.95/month
• Yearly plan: $8.35/month
• 6 Months: $9.99/month

 Get ExpressVPN

4. IPVanish

The fourth entry on our list of best VPN services is Florida-based IPVanish, which helps to make your real IP disappear. With the help of 40,000+ shared IPs and 1000+ VPN servers spread across 60+ nations, this private VPN service lets you access censored apps and websites by taking the advantage of the unlimited bandwidth. With this no-log VPN, you can use any of the widely supported protocols, including PPTP, OpenVPN, IPsec, etc. From the app, you can switch different protocols as well. It has great features but NordVPN provides a better experience at lower prices.

Its major features are:

• Support for Netflix US streaming outside the US
• 256-bit encryption
• Option to use SOCKS5 proxy
• Features like IPv6, DNS leak protection, Kill Switch
• Allows BitTorrent downloading
• Automatic IP cycling

Supported platforms and IPVanish pricing:

IPVanish comes with a 7-day money back guarantee. It’s available for different platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Linux, Chrome OS, Fire TV, and routers. Different available plans for IPVanish are:

• Monthly plan: $10.00/month
• Yearly plan: $6.49/month
• 3 months plan: $8.99/month

 Get IPVanish

5. TorGuard

As the name suggests, a specialized VPN for torrenting and P2P downloads, the US-based TorGuard finds its place at #5 on this 2018 best VPN list. Some of you might be connecting the dots to Tor browser, but that’s not the case here. The users can take advantage of a large number of servers spread across the world. With the license, you get to use this TorGuard VPN service on 5 devices. For adding each device, you need to pay $1. It also comes with a free static IP.

Major features of TorGuard:

• Different protocols supported — OpenVPN/SSTP/L2TP/IPsec
• OpenSSL-based VPN
• TorGuard Stealth Proxy
• Tons of add-on option
• Ad-blocking
• 24×7 Live chat support

TorGuard supported platforms and pricing:

Apart from lots of options to choose, what makes TorGuard one of the best VPN services is its availability on numerous devices and services. You can use it on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and other. Here are the pricing plans:

• Monthly plan: $9.99/month
• Yearly plan: $4.99/month
• 2 Years plan: $4.17/month

 Get TorGuard VPN

6. VyprVPN by Golden Frog

VyprVPN comes from Golden Frog, whose founders are internet veterans and have been working to provide secure services to the users since 1994. VyprVPN calls itself the world’s most powerful VPN and offers more than 700 servers spread across 70 countries. The impressive technology that sets them apart from this VPN comparison is their homegrown technology named Chameleon, which promises to defeat VPN blocking and throttling. It makes Vypr a great VPN for China as well.

VyprVPN biggest features are here:

• Large number of servers, 200,000+ IP addresses
• Golden Frog owns 100% of hardware, software, and network for complete privacy
• Kill switch option available
• Torrent downloading allowed
• Netflix US accessible using this VPN

Supported platforms and VyperVPN pricing:

Golden Frog’s VyperVPN is available for Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, routers, Anonabox, Blackphone, QNAP, Blackberry, and more. The pricing model is as follows:

• VyprVPN (3 connections): Yearly plan $5.00/month, monthly plan$9.95/month
• VyperVPN Premium (5 connections, Chameleon, VyprVPN Cloud): Yearly plan $6.67/month, monthly plan$12.95/month

 Get VyprVPN

7. HideMyAss VPN

In terms of the number of countries where its servers are installed, HideMyAss could be the best VPN service around. Many of you might not be knowing that Privax, the parent company of HideMyAss, is now a part the Avast Group. It has more than 760+ servers spread in 190+ country locations. HideMyAss has three modes to suit your need: Instant, Location, and Freedom.

HideMyAss VPN features:

• Run VPN on 5 devices simultaneously with 1 license
• Allows BitTorrent downloading
• Live chat support for all
• Simple interface
• Variety of VPN protocols — OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP

HideMyAss supported platforms and pricing:

This top VPN provider provides support for all popular platforms like Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, etc. Their plans come with a 30-day money back guarantee; let’s take a look at them:

• Monthly plan: $9.99/month
• Yearly plan: $4.99/month
• 2 Years plan: $4.17/month

 Get HideMyAss VPN

8. Buffered VPN

If you’re a fan of software that doesn’t have many options and lets you go private in seconds, Buffered VPN is a recommended option. This Gibraltar-based VPN lets you connect to 5 devices simultaneously. This service is also recommended for users who wish to go for BitTorrent downloading as any server can be used for the same. Another plus point that you should notice is you can unblock Netflix as well, which makes it one of the best VPN services for movies and TV shows lovers. However, it’s costly as compared to other good VPN options that deliver same value.

It’s biggest features are:

• Unblocks Netflix US from outside the country
• All servers allow P2P connections
• Live chat support available
• Servers in more than 35 countries
• Apart from VPN, other services offered as well

Buffered VPN supported platforms and pricing:

Just like others on this list of best VPN services, Buffered VPN too offers apps for Windows, Linux, and Mac. The service also offers a 30-day money back guarantee as well. Take a look at the plans:

• Monthly plan: $12.99/month
• Yearly plan: $8.25/month
• 2 Years plan: $9.99/month

 Get HideMyAss VPN

9. TunnelBear

TunnerBear is one of the most user-friendly VPNs around that knows how to do its job. It also has a free and popular option that comes with a bandwidth cap of 500MB per month. However, if you choose to tweet about them, they’ll raise the limit to 1GB. They have more than 900 servers, which aren’t as much as those of PIA or NordVPN but still a good deal. However, the number of countries where servers are located is just limited to 20 countries. One should also note that TunnerBear doesn’t support P2P file sharing and BitTorrent downloading. If that’s your need, go for TorGuard or ExpressVPN.

Best features of TunnerBear VPN?

• Performance of free plan is as good as paid plan
• Connect up to 5 devices at once
• Kill Switch and other advanced features
• Pleasing design
• Unblocks Netflix as well

TunnerBear VPN supported platforms and pricing:

Following the footsteps of other best VPN providers, TunnerBear also provides its app for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Browser extensions for Chrome and Opera are also available. It’s prices are:

• Monthly plan: $9.99/month
• Yearly plan: $4.16/month

 Get TunnerBear VPN

10. StrongVPN

StrongVPN, which is a California-based service, is the last entry in this list of best VPN providers of 2018. With its 750+ servers located in 140+ nations, StrongVPN tries to cover most areas. They offer support for different protocols, including PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, or OpenVPN. StrongVPN is chiefly popular in China and good for unblocking Netflix, Hulu, and other services.

Major StrongVPN features:

• Best VPN for China
• Unblocks streaming services
• Allows torrent downloading
• Supports PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, or OpenVPN protocols

StrongVPN supported platforms and pricing:

StrongVPN provides apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. There’s Chrome extension as well. Let’s take a look at pricing:

• Monthly plan: $10/month
• Yearly plan: $5.83/month
• 3 Months plan: $8/month

 Get StrongVPN

Useful VPN FAQs:

What is a VPN? How does it work?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network; it’s a personal network created over the internet for encrypted communication and privacy. Using it, the website you visit will only see the IP address of your VPN rather than your actual one. Find more details and working here.

I’m not doing anything illegal. Should I use a VPN?

This is a common myth. VPN lets you secure your digital life from notorious players, bypass restrictions put by your ISP or network owner, and a lot more. Here are different reasons why you should consider using a top-class VPN like IPVanish or PIA.

Can’t I just use a proxy server and remain protected?

While both are a little similar, they have differences as well. Unlike a VPN, a proxy server doesn’t guarantee complete safety as it doesn’t use encryption techniques.

What’s so special about a paid VPN service?

Paid VPN service providers ensure that you get unlimited data bandwidth, premium features, and get the advantage of a no-logs policy. Free VPNs are sometimes useful but you can’t be dependent on it for complete privacy.

Should I use VPN for torrenting?

Yes. Even if you aren’t using BitTorrent to grab some illegal content, you can get red-flagged for using P2P filesharing. Using the best VPN services unblocks torrent sites, and let you hide your activity.

Can a VPN bypass net neutrality rollback and throttling?

Using a VPN, you can bypass restrictions and throttling put by your ISP. In a way, it can be used to defeat Net Neutrality rollback. However, if your ISP decides to block the VPN traffic itself, you won’t be able to find it useful.

I’ve tons of VPN myths! Where are the answers?

I know. There are tons of confusing myths. Here are their answers.