Best VPN Service Report

With the unprecedented developments in mass surveillance, corporate tracking, and online censorship, more people than ever are looking for the best VPN service to stay safe online. But what if many of the “best VPNs” that claim to protect your privacy are actually leaking your IP address and exposing your identity to third parties?

In my search for the best VPN service I researched over one hundred VPNs and then subjected the top providers to extensive testing – the results were alarming. Here are some of the issues I discovered, which illustrate why many VPNs are not safe:

• VPNs that leak IP addresses and/or DNS requests. IPv6 leaks and DNS leaks are serious problems that affect many popular VPNs.
• VPNs that have broken features. While most VPNs offer a kill switch or some form of leak protection, I’ve found that often these features fail under certain test cases, such as when switching network interfaces.
• VPNs that are located in dangerous privacy jurisdictions. Many VPNs are operating in jurisdictions that are not safe in terms of protecting customer privacy – see the 5/9/14 Eyes guide for more info.
• VPNs that share data with third parties. While many free VPN services share data with third parties, there have also been some paid VPNs that have provided logs to authorities, such as with PureVPN and the logging case.

When you consider all of these important factors, there are surprisingly few VPNs that even make the cut. Consequently, this list only includes seven VPN providers – the top picks that passed all the tests.

The goal of this guide is to help you find the best VPN for your particular needs and situation. All of the VPNs recommended in this guide meet the following criteria:

1. Trustworthy and well-established VPN provider with a good track record and no history of violating user privacy (giving user data to third parties)
2. Located in a good privacy jurisdiction (outside of 5/9/14 Eyes countries)
3. Passed all tests with no leaks found whatsoever (no IP address leaks or DNS leaks)
4. Supports the OpenVPN protocol and strong encryption standards
5. Offers a money-back guarantee (between 7 and 30 days)

If a VPN does not meet all these criteria, it will not be featured in this best VPN service report.

Which VPN is best?

While there is no “one-size-fits-all” best VPN service that will be perfect for everyone, the VPN that performed the best in all categories of testing is ExpressVPN.

Each VPN service was put through extensive testing to check for IP address leaks, DNS leaks, connection issues, app performance, reliability, speed, and whether the features work correctly. Additionally, I also considered company policies, jurisdiction, logging practices, as well as the trustworthiness and history of each VPN provider.

Here are the top 7 best VPN services for 2018 in rank order:

Now we will take a deep dive into the top five best VPN services for 2018, discussing the pros, cons, features, and test results for each provider.

ExpressVPN

In an overcrowded VPN market, ExpressVPN continues to stand out from the rest and remains the top recommendation at Restore Privacy. It is based in the British Virgin Islands and offers secure, user-friendly apps for all devices. Extensive testing for the ExpressVPN review found it to be very secure, with exceptional speeds and reliability throughout the server network.

ExpressVPN also continues to improve their service. In the past year, they have made significant updates to their apps to protect users against rare leak scenarios that plague most VPNs. These efforts culminated in the public release of their leak testing tools, which can be used to test any VPN for flaws and failures (free, open source, and available on GitHub).

ExpressVPN’s no logging policies (no activity or connection logs) have been verified through real-world tests with a server seizure in Turkey. They remain committed to protecting customer data from all third parties – as demonstrated in their policies and practices.

ExpressVPN is also one of the best VPN services available for streaming. Whether you are using a VPN with Kodi or streaming Netflix with a VPN, ExpressVPN offers great apps for streaming devices and high-speed bandwidth for HD videos. Their customer service is also top-notch, with 24/7 live chat support and a 30 day money-back guarantee with all subscription plans. [Learn more >]

ExpressVPN Coupon
Sign up for the 12 month plan, and get 3 months FREE (49% Off)
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(Applied on checkout page)

Perfect Privacy

Perfect Privacy holds the top spot as the best VPN for advanced online anonymity. While it may be overkill for basic users, this is a powerful VPN with advanced online anonymity features you will not find anywhere else. It is a well-regarded service that has earned high praise from the tech community for exposing vulnerabilities and flaws other VPN providers.

Perfect Privacy’s network is composed entirely of dedicated, bare-metal servers that provide you with fast speeds, more security, and plenty of bandwidth at all times (you can see real-time server bandwidth here). Like ExpressVPN, Perfect Privacy has also passed real-world tests that verified their no logging claims, when one of their servers were seized by Dutch authorities (customer data remained safe).

For features, they offer multi-hop VPN cascades, advanced firewall configuration options (DNS and IP leak protection), port forwarding, NeuroRouting, Socks5 and Squid proxies, obfuscation features to defeat VPN blocking (Stealth VPN), and a customizable TrackStop feature to block tracking, malware, advertising and social media domains. They also give you an unlimited number of device connections and offer full IPv6 support across their server network.

The main drawback with Perfect Privacy is the Swiss price tag at about €8.95 ($10.50) per month. Additionally, these advanced features may be overkill for some users, especially if you are new to VPNs. But for those seeking the highest levels of online anonymity and security, Perfect Privacy may be worth the price. [Learn more >]

Visit Perfect Privacy >>

NordVPN

NordVPN is a popular no logs VPN service based in Panama. It performed well in testing for the latest update to the NordVPN review and offers very competitive prices. While the speeds can be somewhat variable, the latest speed test results were good with the servers I tested. To improve speeds, NordVPN has added hundreds of servers to their network, so there is more bandwidth for users.

NordVPN is a great choice for privacy-focused users. Aside from the Panama jurisdiction and no-logs policies, NordVPN also provides advanced online anonymity features. These include double-hop VPN servers, Tor-over-VPN servers, and an ad-blocking feature called CyberSec.

NordVPN’s customer service is also quite good. They provide 24/7 live chat support directly through their website. NordVPN offers a good value with the current 66% discount price for two-year plans. All subscriptions come with a 30 day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service risk free. [Learn more >]

NordVPN Coupon
Get 66% off NordVPN (drops the price down to only $3.99 per month)
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VPNArea

VPNArea is a well-established, privacy-focused VPN service based in Bulgaria that has been operating since 2012. In the past year they have released new, updated VPN apps that are secure (no leaks) and user-friendly, while also improving speeds across their server network.

You can see the latest leak test and speed test results in the VPNArea review. VPNArea’s new apps are also full of features and advanced settings. These include ad-blocking DNS servers, advanced leak protection (two levels for the kill switch), as well as dedicated servers for Netflix and other streaming services.

VPNArea is one of the few providers that offers dedicated IP addresses in various countries around the world, as listed on their website. It also allows account sharing (six simultaneous connections permitted). VPNArea continues to improve and remains an excellent choice for privacy-focused users. Check out their discount pricing for annual plans. [Learn more >]

Visit VPNArea >>

VPN.ac

VPN.ac is a security-focused provider that is based in Romania. It was created by a team of network security professionals with a focus on security, strong encryption, and high-quality applications. Their network is composed entirely of dedicated, bare-metal servers that offer great performance.

If you are looking for performance and security, VPN.ac is another standout option. As shown in the latest speed tests for the VPN.ac review, it offers excellent performance and secure applications. (You can see their real-time bandwidth stats by selecting VPN Nodes Status at the top of the website.)

The main drawback is that VPN.ac maintains connection logs for network security, which they clearly explain on their website. These logs do not include any browsing or activity, but instead, just basic connection data and everything is erased daily. All support inquiries are handled internally by the network security professionals who run the service (no third-party support).

For a lower-priced VPN service, VPN.ac offers an impressive lineup of features: maximum encryption strength, obfuscation features, double-hop VPN servers, and a secure proxy browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera browsers. If you are looking for a security-focused provider with good performance, VPN.ac is worth consider. [Learn more >]

Visit VPN.ac >>

VyprVPN

VyprVPN is a VPN provider based in Switzerland with a long history and a good track record. One unique aspect of VyprVPN is that they physically own every server in their VPN network. This cuts out third parties while also providing excellent security and great performance.

Another unique aspect of VyprVPN is that they offer a powerful obfuscation feature called the Chameleon Protocol. This is a self-developed OpenVPN protocol that obfuscates (hides) VPN traffic to appear like regular HTTPS traffic. The Chameleon Protocol allows you to use the VPN in locations where VPNs are normally blocked, such as in China, schools, libraries, work networks, and with some streaming services like BBC iPlayer.

The main drawback with VyprVPN is their connection log policies. They keep connection logs for 30 days, but usage/activity logs are never kept. Another slight drawback is that they do not permit torrenting on their network. But on a positive note, they are very honest and straightforward about their policies, unlike some VPNs that falsely claim to be “no logs”.

Overall, VyprVPN remains an excellent choice for those wanting a simple, user-friendly VPN service that works well and offers good features. While it does come with a few drawbacks, VyprVPN is an excellent value with this 25% off coupon, which drops the prices down to $3.75 per month (basic plans) or $5.00 per month (premium plans). [Learn more >]

VyprVPN Coupon
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(Coupon is applied on checkout page)

ZorroVPN

ZorroVPN is a lesser-known VPN provider based out of Belize, but it offers some very unique privacy features and it did well in testing for the review. These features include multi-hop VPN chains, strong encryption, and the ability to use self-configurable VPN configurations with proxies and the Tor network.

The main drawback with ZorroVPN is that they do not offer custom VPN applications. This means you will need to use third-party VPN apps, such as Viscosity or Tunnelblick, and that setup will be more complex. Some people, however, prefer open-source applications, but regardless, they are also working on creating their own app for Windows and Linux (still in beta).

Despite some of the drawbacks, ZorroVPN is a very interesting service if you are looking for advanced online anonymity. With their OpenVPN file config generator, you can create unique VPN chains with the Tor network and proxies (up to four hops). Unlike with Perfect Privacy, however, these multi-hop configurations cannot be dynamically changed within the VPN client.

ZorroVPN is also somewhat expensive, but they are offering a discount for Restore Privacy readers. Simply visit the site here and enter the coupon code RESTOREPRIVACY. [Learn more >]

ZorroVPN Coupon
Get 11% off any subscription with ZorroVPN.
First go to ZorroVPN’s website here;
then enter the coupon code: RESTOREPRIVACY

Best VPN considerations

Choosing the best VPN service all boils down to determining which factors you consider the most important and then selecting the best fit for your situation. In other words, it’s a very subjective process, which is why there is no single “best VPN” for everyone.

Here are a few factors to consider when selecting a VPN service:

• Test results – How well does the VPN perform in testing? This includes both performance testing (speed and reliability) and leak testing (IP leaks and DNS leaks).
• Privacy jurisdiction – Where the VPN is legally based affects customer privacy. Many people avoid VPNs based in the US and other surveillance countries for this reason. For more of a discussion on this topic, see the guide on Five Eyes / 14 Eyes and VPNs.
• Server network – Three considerations when examining VPN servers are quality, locations, and bandwidth. Some VPNs prioritize server quality, while others prioritize locations. A few services offer both. You also want your VPN to offer adequate bandwidth without the network being overloaded with users.
• Privacy features – The privacy features you want/need really varies for each person and depends on your threat model. For a higher level of online anonymity, you could use a multi-hop VPN, or possibly chain different VPN providers together. This could be done by using one VPN on a router, and then connecting through a second VPN on your computer. This can also be accomplished using virtual machines.
• Operating system – Be sure to check out if the VPN you are considering supports the operating system and devices you want to use with their service.
• Obfuscation – Obfuscation is a key feature if you are using a VPN in China or anywhere that VPNs may be blocked. However, if you are not in a restricted network situation, obfuscation is generally not necessary and may affect performance.

There are many other factors to consider when selecting the best VPN for your needs – this list is just to help get you started.

Best VPN speed and performance

Many people are wondering how to achieve the best VPN speed and overall performance. If you are using a good VPN service, you really shouldn’t notice a huge reduction in speed. Of course, the extra work that goes into encrypting your traffic across VPN servers will affect speed, but usually it’s not noticeable for regular browsing – especially when using a nearby server.

To optimize your VPN speed and achieve better performance, here are some factors to consider:

• High latency – You can generally expect slower speeds when you connect to servers further from your location. Using multi-hop VPN configurations will also increase latency and slow things down. Solution: Use servers closer to your location. If you utilize a multi-hop VPN chain, select nearby servers to minimize latency.
• Server congestion – Some VPN services oversell their servers, resulting in congestion, low bandwidth, dropped connections, and slow speeds. All of the recommendations on this page performed well in speed testing and offer good bandwidth and performance.
• Antivirus or firewall software – Antivirus and third-party firewall software may interfere with and slow down VPNs. Some software will implement their firewall on top of the default (operating system) firewall, which slows everything down. Solution: Disable the third-party firewall, or add an exception/rule for the VPN software.
• WiFi interference – WiFi interference problems are unrelated to the VPN, but it can make a difference in overall speed. Solution: It may not be convenient, but using a wired (ethernet) connection will improve speed and security.
• Processing power – Many devices don’t do well with the extra processing power that is needed for VPN encryption. This is especially the case with older computers, most routers, and some mobile devices. Solution: Switch devices or upgrade to a faster processor (higher CPU).
• Network setup – Some networks do not work well with certain VPN protocols. Solution: The best solution is to experiment with different VPN protocols and/or ports (OpenVPN UDP / TCP / ECC / XOR, IPSec, etc.). Some VPN providers also allow you to modify MTU size, which may improve speed.
• Internet service provider interference – Although not very common, there are also some ISPs that interfere with and/or throttle VPN connections. Solution: use a VPN with obfuscation features, which will conceal the VPN traffic as regular HTTPS.

To achieve the best VPN speed possible, it’s a good idea to experiment with the different variables to see what works best for your situation.

Assuming the servers are not overloaded with users, the two main ways to optimize performance are choosing a nearby server with low latency and selecting the right protocol. As mentioned above, the best protocol may vary depending on your device and situation.

What is the best VPN for online anonymity?

The best VPN for achieving the highest levels of online anonymity would be Perfect Privacy. It is a secure, no-logs provider that allows you to create multi-hop VPN connections through their VPN apps, or with the server-side NeuroRouting feature, which applies to all devices/connections on your account.

After testing many different providers, Perfect Privacy stands out as one of the best choices for online privacy and security:

• No logs with no restrictions – Perfect Privacy refuses to carry out any kind of logging whatsoever. All servers in their network run in RAM disk mode (no saved data). This ensures customer data is not accessible to any third parties that may tamper with or seize a server.
• Multi-hop cascades + NeuroRouting – Perfect Privacy’s apps give you the ability to create multi-hop VPN cascades across up to four different servers in the network. This protects you against the possibility of a rogue data center logging traffic, targeted monitoring, and other threat scenarios. Additionally, the NeuroRouting feature takes this concept further by dynamically routing all traffic through multiple hops in the server network, corresponding to the location of the site you’re visiting. (No other VPN offers this.)
• TrackStop – Ads are basically advanced tracking to record your browsing, so you can be hit with targeted ads based on your online activity. To protect users against this threat, Perfect Privacy developed TrackStop, which is a powerful filter that blocks advertising, tracking, and malicious domains at the VPN server level. It ranked the best among different VPN ad blockers I tested.
• Advanced leak protection – Perfect Privacy offers very secure apps to ensure you are protected against any and all leaks. In the Perfect Privacy review I discuss the three different levels of the kill switch and DNS leak protection. Users are also protected from IPv6 leaks because Perfect Privacy offers full IPv6 support across their server network (giving you both an IPv4 and IPv6 address for all your devices).

While the price is above average, Perfect Privacy remains the best option for advanced privacy features with a secure, no-logs, Swiss provider. See their website for more information – or the review here.

What is the best VPN for streaming?

Many people who enjoy streaming are turning to VPNs to access content that is blocked or restricted in various countries. Aside from unblocking content, VPNs are also crucial for protecting yourself against ISP snooping and potential copyright issues when streaming or torrenting.

The best all-around VPN for streaming is ExpressVPN because it always works with Netflix, has excellent performance, and offers the best support for different streaming. ExpressVPN has a huge lineup of apps for all types of streaming devices – from Android TV boxes to tablets – and 24/7 live chat support to help with anything.

Using a VPN with Netflix will allow you to access all the content you want wherever you are located in the world. Below I am running a speed test through a US server from my location in Europe (100 Mbps baseline connection speed). Even with long distance servers, ExpressVPN offers excellent performance.

The other thing to keep in mind when streaming content is the potential for copyright violation issues. A VPN can help protect you by anonymizing your online activity, which prevents third parties from snooping your activities or acquiring your IP address. (This is also why it’s important to use a VPN for torrenting.)

ExpressVPN may be a bit more pricey than other options, but it’s consistently the fastest, while also offering stable, secure, and user-friendly applications. Check out ExpressVPN’s coupon for three months free (applied on checkout page).

What is the best VPN protocol?

As discussed in the ‘what is a VPN‘ guide, a VPN protocol is just a method by which a device creates a secure connection to a VPN server. As a general rule, OpenVPN is considered the best all-around VPN protocol, although each has its pros and cons.

Here is a brief overview of the main VPN protocols in use today.

OpenVPN – This is an open-source project that offers a great combination of performance and security. It is widely considered to be the best VPN protocol, although it does require its own software client and can be more CPU-intensive than IPSec.

IPSec – Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) can be utilized with Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) or Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2). While it is not open source, it does do well in the performance category and can be used natively (without apps) on most operating systems. IPSec/IKEv2 may be the best protocol to use with some mobile devices (iOS), which do not work as well with OpenVPN.

PPTP – Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol is a basic, older VPN protocol that is fast, but also has known security vulnerabilities. PPTP should generally be avoided because it is now considered to be breakable.

So the takeaway here is that OpenVPN is arguably the best VPN protocol to be using, although IPSec/IKEv2 may be a good alternative in certain cases.

What is the best FREE VPN service?

In general, the words “best” and “free VPN” do not belong together due to the awful reputation that free VPNs have earned as data collection tools for third parties and advertisers.

Just like with Google and Facebook, free VPN services will give you a free product and then collect your data for profit. Here is a brief overview illustrating why free VPN services are dangerous:

• Malware – Free VPNs make money by collecting user data and selling it to third parties. Malware is often embedded in the VPN code to infect the user’s device and collect their data. One study found malware in 38% of free VPN apps for Android devices – and here is another recent example.
• Tracking – Tracking libraries hidden in the VPN are just another tool for tracking the user, targeting him/her with ads, and collecting data for sale to third parties. Betternet was caught embedding 14 different tracking libraries in its VPN apps.
• Third party access to your data – If you used a free VPN, you should keep in mind that third parties may be getting access to everything you do when using the service. These practices may or may not be disclosed in the VPN’s privacy policy.
• Stolen bandwidth – One free VPN was even busted for stealing user bandwidth and reselling it through its sister company – see HolaVPN.
• Browser hijacking – Some free VPNs have been found to hijack and redirect browsers to e-commerce sites, such as Alibaba and eBay, through partner networks.
• Fraud – When third parties have access to your data and online activities, this makes you susceptible to fraudulent activities, such as identity theft and money fraud.
• Traffic leaks –  This is perhaps the greatest risk for people using a free VPN because it exposes your identity. One study found that 84% of free Android VPN apps leaked user data, thereby rendering the VPN completely useless.

There are also a few VPN services that give users a limited amount of free bandwidth – i.e. the ‘freemium’ business model. One example of this is TunnelBear. As a safer alternative to free VPNs, there are also a few free trial VPN services, which may be worth considering.

If you’re serious about privacy and online freedom…

Start using a VPN whenever you go online. Just set it in the background and go about your business online as usual. Your VPN will protect your privacy and help keep your data safe from third parties, while also unblocking any content that may be restricted in your region.

In just the last few years we’ve seen many unprecedented developments in the areas of corporate and government surveillance:

• Internet service providers in the United States can now legally record online browsing history and sell this data to third parties and advertisers. Government mass surveillance also continues unabated in the land of the free.
• Residents of the United Kingdom are having their online browsing history, calls, and text messages recorded for up to two years (Investigatory Powers Act). This private information is freely available to various government agencies and their global surveillance partners.
• Australia has also recently implemented mandatory data retention laws, which require the collection of text messages, calls, and internet connection data. This data is available to authorities without any warrant.

Large tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, are efficiently collecting as much of your private data as possible through their applications and tracking networks. This data is necessary to bring in advertising revenue – and it’s also provided to governments for mass surveillance (see the PRISM surveillance program).

Free speech and free thought are also increasingly under attack all around the world. While this has traditionally been a problem in China and other Middle Eastern countries, it is now common throughout the West. Here are a few examples of what we see unfolding:

• YouTube videos that are blocked or censored (how to unblock YouTube).
• Social media accounts, tweets, posts, and/or entire platforms that are blocked or censored.
• Websites of all different varieties (torrenting, Wikipedia, news, etc.) are blocked (see how to unblock websites).

What you are seeing is the continual erosion of privacy and online freedom. The point here is not to sound alarmist, but instead to illustrate these trends and how they affect you.

The good news is that there are very effective solutions for these problems. You can protect yourself right now with a good VPN and the other recommended privacy tools, which will put you back in control of your data.

Best VPN service for 2018

As a brief recap, here are the best VPN services for 2018. A VPN is now essential for restoring your online privacy, securing your internet connection, and unblocking content that may be restricted or censored in your country.

And as noted above, all of these VPN services meet the following criteria:

1. Located in a good privacy jurisdiction (outside of 5/9/14 Eyes countries)
2. Passed all tests with no leaks found whatsoever (no IP address leaks or DNS leaks)
3. Established company with a good track record and history (no new/unknown VPN providers)
4. Supports the OpenVPN protocol and strong encryption standards
5. Offers a money-back guarantee (between 7 and 30 days)

If you have any questions or comments about a specific provider, feel free to drop a comment on the respective VPN review. Stay safe!