Best VPN Services in 2021

A VPN - or Virtual Private Network - is a piece of software that you can download to your computer, phone and other devices to help you stay more private online. By encrypting all the data that you send and receive on the internet, VPN services are the ideal tool to ensure that no prying eyes can track what you’re doing on the web.

It adds an extra layer of security to whichever network you are trying to connect to, be it your home broadband, public Wi-Fi, or your mobile connection. It allows you to send and receive data privately while connecting to that network.

1. ExpressVPN (from $6.67/mo)

   Fast, reliable, considered best VPN service by many. 160 server locations in 94 countries. Unblocks Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube. Multiplatform. ExpressVPN offers industrial-grade encryption (including IKEv2, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec), P2P support, DNS leak protection, a kill switch, no-logging policy, and much more. It’s now also certified by the ioXt Alliance. Pricier than most of the competition.

2. NordVPN (from $3.71/mo)

   NordVPN offers an insane amount of servers(~ 5400) that you can pick from and is one of the best services for unblocking streaming services. They also provide 2048 - bit encryption instead of 256 - bit that most others are using. NordVPN undertakes multiple audits, including an annual no - logging audit, and its entire network now runs on diskless RAM servers. It also allows for Bitcoin payments.

3. Surfshark (from $2.49/mo)

   It offers a ton of great features that you ’d expect from a VPN provider, and is super simple to use. Over 3,000 different servers throughout 65 different locations. Not fastest, but has all the basic VPN requirements in place, including AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and an extra security measure in place via its Double Hop capabilities.

4. Hotspot Shield (from $2.99/mo)

   The service checks a lot of the key boxes for what most VPN users will care about and want. Unlimited bandwidth and full access to all of its 1,800+ servers across 115 different locations. You can connect up to 5 devices at the same time. The service has fast speeds that are consistent. It also unblocks Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+.

5. IPVanish (from $2.62/mo)

   Offers 1,400 servers spread across 75 different locations, allows for up to 10 devices to be connected at the same time. A network expansion in early 2021 saw some servers updated to better hardware and 25Gbps network cards. Not the best choice for unblocking streaming services. Good customer support that you can get any time since the company offers 24/7 coverage.

6. PIA - Private Internet Access (from $2.69/mo)

   The only area where the service stands out is in servers count — it boasts over 32,000 servers across almost 80 countries which is by far and away the most of any provider. PIA provides a mix of strong encryption, ad and malware blocking, IP cloaking, and a reliable kill switch. You can also pay in Bitcoin and P2P is supported with port forwarding. US based company.

7. CyberGhost (from $2.25/mo)

   CyberGhost is based out of Romania and Germany. It has more than 6,900 different servers that span more than 110 locations, which is quite impressive. Service can block ads, trackers, and malicious sites. It automatically sends you to the HTTPS version of each site to ensure you are viewing the most secure option you can. On mobile, you can enable data compression to help save you some MBs while on the go. The pricing is quite competitive, and by signing up for longer-term plans you can help reduce the per-month cost of the service as well.

8. TunnelBear (from $3.33/mo)

   The company goes for a much more simplistic approach, which may not be the best option of this list for those looking for granular control. There are only 26 server locations with about 1000 servers. TunnelBear scores some extra points for its hiring of independent specialists to run a security audit on its servers.

9. PureVPN ($0.99 trial)

   Middle of the pack VPN choice, it has a solid amount of servers with over 6,500 in 140 countries. Speeds are good, if not great, and there are lots of features like a selection of protocols, strong encryption, and a smarter than average kill switch. Two separate independent auditors have assessed PureVPN’s No-Log policy.

10. StrongVPN (from $2.33/mo)

    Best VPN for gamers & streamers. StrongVPN really excels when it comes to those looking to stream a game while connected to a VPN. You can hook up twelve devices simultaneously which is on the higher side compared to the competition. There is zero-logging policy which means that StrongVPN collects no data on your sessions, what pages you look at, your location, or any of that. But StrongVPN hasn’t undergone an independent security audit so you have to believe their words on that.

11. ProtonVPN (free)

    ProtonVPN is designed to ensure that no one can eavesdrop on your connection, and it does so by routing your connection through fully encrypted tunnels. The company is based in Switzerland, which means that it benefits from additional strong legal protection. Switzerland offers some of the world’s strongest privacy laws, and remains outside of the EU and U.S. jurisdiction.

12. Windscribe (free)

    With paid plans you get an unlimited VPN data to use each month and can connect an unlimited number of devices at the same time. It has more than 400 different servers that span across 60 different locations, which is about average. Windscribe speeds can be a little bit slow and there is no 24/7 support.

This concludes our list of VPN services that deserve your attention in 2021. Of course, it is not complete, so I’ll be gradually adding other services and updated this info later. Come back for fresh updates!