There are literally hundreds of commercial virtual private networks (VPNs) out there, which can make it difficult to choose one, as they all seem to offer almost identical features. Every customer has their own opinion on which VPN capabilities are most important to them. So, what actually are the best virtual private networks you can use in 2024?
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In the rest of the article, we provide a brief description of some that definitely belong to the group of the best VPNs for the year that just began!
ExpressVPN
- Platforms: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Smart TV, and consoles
- Price: $6.67 per month for a 1-year plan, +3 months free, by which you save 49%
When it comes to blazing-fast speeds and guaranteed user satisfaction, ExpressVPN has no competition. With a fast and simple connection, you get superior network speeds that are a shade higher than others. The service has been proven to work without any issues in countries that restrict VPNs, such as China and the UAE. These nations are notorious for restricting numerous web activities with severe penalties imposed on those not obeying the ban. For instance, it’s strictly forbidden to gamble in these countries, so ExpressVPN can help you with that by connecting to a server in a location where gambling and sports betting are allowed so that you can freely enjoy games on your favorite Maestro online casino you found on TopCasinoExpert. This is just a vivid example of how ExpressVPN can benefit you. Its highlight, however, is the precision with which it unblocks content streaming for those services that are the most restricted in terms of geo-connectivity.
With 3,000+ remote servers in 90+ countries, ExpressVPN delivers consistent performance in any location. More than 80% of its global bandwidth is routed through 10Gbps servers, which is in most cases on par with what your ISP (Internet service provider) offers. It doesn’t currently support WireGuard, which many virtual private network providers use for faster speed on a lighter code base. However, it relies on its own proprietary Lightway protocol, which is also open source, lightweight, and faster.
ExpressVPN has taken privacy and anonymity to the next level with what it calls TrustedServer security. Instead of storing user data on VPN hard drives, it runs on volatile RAM (Random-access memory). Every time the server is restarted, all user data is deleted. Also, ExpressVPN rarely cuts you off your online session: when it does, the kill switch will ensure that none of your ISP’s data is exposed. In addition, ExpressVPN supports Bitcoin payments for complete anonymity.
NordVPN
- Platforms: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire Stick, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Raspberry Pi, Chrome OS, and Oculus
- Price: $3.39 per month for a 2-year plan, +3 months free, by which you save 59%
A subscription to a popular virtual private network brand, especially one with great privacy protection and streaming options, is never cheap. But there’s an exception, which this time is reflected in the form of NordVPN. It, however, offers a 24-month plan for a very low monthly price. It supports multiple VPN protocols, server types, and almost every virtual private network security feature, making it the best value-for-money VPN provider. NordVPN’s biggest feature is its support for the largest server network based in the US, numbering nearly 2,000 servers.
NordVPN takes user security very seriously, so it supports 4096-RSA, the strongest encryption standard. It also supports double virtual private networks, onion over VPN, obfuscated servers, and P2P servers. In addition to OpenVPN, NordVPN offers its WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol to provide reliable speeds. Located in Panama, as a virtual private network, NordVPN is a great choice if you’re looking for a no-log VPN service provider. You can then create your own trusted Wi-Fi networks in your home or office to bypass virtual private network restrictions.
With an anonymity feature called “Stay Invisible” on LAN, NordVPN lets you keep your device invisible on local or public Wi-Fi networks. Based on our tests, we found that NordVPN is almost as good as ExpressVPN at unblocking content in different geographies.
Surfshark
- Platforms: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Fire TV
- Price: $2.99 per month for a 14-month plan, +2 months free, by which you save 73%
Thanks to a wide range of features that emphasize anonymity and performance, as well as an incredibly low price, Surfshark definitely belongs to the group of high-quality and affordable VPNs that you can use in 2024. That being said, its best value is that it allows you to connect to an unlimited number of devices at the same time.
In contrast, most virtual private network services place a limit on the number of devices you can connect simultaneously. With Surfshark, you can freely share your subscription with family members. Surfshark delivers excellent performance with its supplied static IP servers. It can also be ranked among the best VPNs in terms of speed, with at least a 1Gbps port plus WireGuard and AES-256-GCM capabilities. Users can benefit from split tunneling: the virtual private network provider whitelists your favorite apps using a feature called “Bypasser”.
For example, while doing financial transactions, you don’t need to disconnect from the VPN. Located in the British Virgin Islands, Surfshark is thus additionally protected from stalking and attempts to breach protection. In addition, it uses a very good no-login policy that doesn’t require your identity. A virtual private network service provider can help you achieve maximum anonymity by not requiring any personal information when you register.
IPVanish
- Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Smart TV, Console, and NVIDIA Shield
- Price: $3.25 per month for a 2-year plan, by which you save 75%
Many countries and ISPs try to restrict or block torrent networks, which means you need the best P2P VPN to unblock their content. First off, not all virtual private network servers do a good job of downloading torrents. This is not the case with IPVanish, as every single server on this provider is designed to handle the massive bandwidth demands of P2P websites. This VPN provider comes with a unique SOCKS5 backend server, which is designed to work well with torrent sites.
Thanks to the capabilities of this virtual private network, you have more space to download any torrent you want. The service comes with support for AES-256 encryption and WireGuard for faster download speeds. However, many P2P sites are harmful, and IPVanish uses its zero-log policy and kill switch to block malicious adware links. In addition, IPVanish also uses multi-hop capabilities to protect you as a user from the possibility of phishing and other forms of potential attacks while trying to download your torrent file from your favorite torrent sites.
PIA VPN
- Platforms: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Smart TV, and console
- Price: $1.98 per month for a 3-year plan, + 4 month free, by which you save 83%
Nothing ruins a player’s gaming experience like geo-restrictions. If you want to play your games safely at high speeds, you need a dedicated VPN that provides the lowest latency and a high degree of security and anonymity on gaming sites. To enjoy safe gaming, there’s PIA VPN (Private Internet Access VPN), one of the best virtual private networks dedicated to safe gaming, whether you play games through consoles or mobile devices.
The VPN was tested on Asphalt 9: Legends on an Android device. Surprisingly, it started with a barely perceptible 35ms latency, which is incredibly fast for a racing game. PIA supports OpenVPN and WireGuard and is the only virtual private network that allows you to change the MTU (maximum transmission unit). You can change it to “small” or “large” packages. For example, for something like Farmville 2, you can quickly increase the MTU to accommodate large screen elements that will fill quickly. PIA protects you from the boring underworld of the gaming world, with hackers and identity thieves everywhere.
Using a feature called “PIA Mace”, you can instantly block all domains used for ads, trackers, and malware. It also supports multi-jumping and masking. You can further enhance your privacy by using recording email accounts and phone numbers, which PIA supports. It also offers a split tunnel VPN option to add your favorite apps, browsers, and IP addresses to navigate through the secured tunnel.
CyberGhost
- Platforms: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and consoles
- Price: $2.19 per month for a 2-year plan, +2 months free, by which you save 83%
With more than 9,000 robust servers in more than 90 countries, CyberGhost definitely enters the group of virtual private networks that have the most servers in the world. This VPN ticks all the boxes for unlimited bandwidth, and no buffering, with a free trial of course, though it’s limited to just 24 hours. To make matters better, every server in any location is built around WireGuard, OpenVPN, or IKEv2 protocols. Many of them unblock torrents and streaming websites and are regularly maintained.
In terms of speeds, we found that CyberGhost almost rivals top virtual private network providers such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN. The service has a built-in Wi-Fi protection feature to prevent spying in public places. As the icing on the cake, CyberGhost is one of the most affordable VPN services available on the Internet.
ProtonVPN
- Platforms: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS
- Price: $4.99 per month for a 2-year plan, by which you save 50%
A virtual private network protected by Swiss privacy laws sounds very good for any user who wants to take maximum care of their privacy. While there are other Swiss VPN providers, ProtonVPN is definitely worth considering. With over 3,000 servers, it brings simultaneous connections to up to 10 devices. Despite its premium status, ProtonVPN is an affordable virtual private network service.
Although Internet speeds aren’t always as fast as, say, ExpressVPN or SurfShark, ProtonVPN offers dedicated bandwidth. It supports a large number of servers based in the US and EU. Depending on whether you are in the Western Hemisphere or Eurasia, your connection speeds are faster for a location close to you. Additionally, ProtonVPN connects to Tor for a double VPN.
Also, the virtual private network supports WireGuard and other advanced authentication protocols for optimal speeds. As Swiss privacy standards would imply, ProtonMail guarantees your anonymity by not logging user activity or sharing data with third parties. This is achieved by using the “secure core” feature of the network, which consists of alternative routing, stealth, and smart protocol.
