The best VPN service in 2022 Tom s Guide
The best VPN service in 2022 Tom's Guide Skip to main content Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us.
We think ExpressVPN is the best VPN in 2022, with great performance in just about every area. Its 30-day money-back guarantee lets you trial the service risk-free, and Tom's Guide readers can claim 3 months free – plus 1 year free of backup software Backblaze.View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)2 NordVPN – Big name offers serious security (opens in new tab)
Arguably the biggest name in the VPN industry, it's quite likely you'll have heard of NordVPN. Thankfully it's not all hot air, as Nord delivers a premium service that's hugely secure and great for streaming – and at just $2.99/mo including 3 months FREE, it's excellent value, too.View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)3 Surfshark – The best-value VPN on the market (opens in new tab)
For those looking for a premium VPN on a budget, Surfshark is well worth considering. With top-tier privacy and connection speeds alongside excellent streaming performance, it can compete with pricier rivals – all for just $2.30/mo, including 2 months FREE.View Deal (opens in new tab)
Tom's Guide readers can claim both 1 year of Backblaze and 3 months free on a 12 month plan with ExpressVPN – that's 15 months for the price of 12. But if you want to try before you buy, you'll be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee to make sure it's the right VPN for you.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
(opens in new tab)If you want to save some money when signing up to Nord, you're best off going for its longest two-year plan. You'll get the best price on offer, plus the standard 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to test the service before you commit.View Deal (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Surfshark) (opens in new tab)
Surfshark is a great option for those who want a simple VPN to set and forget. It's perfect for streaming almost any service, the apps are powerful and simple, and you'll get a 30-day money-back guarantee as standard so you can test-drive the VPN before you commit.View Deal (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Private Internet Access) (opens in new tab)
"guaranteed anonymity". Rather, it leads by example by never taking any personal details, accepting cash payments sent through snail mail, and offering simple, effective and open-source apps. New additions include the ability to purchase account numbers through Amazon – an anonymity plus point – and a fresh DNS server audit. It also avoids the incredible complexity of other 'expert' VPNs, and while a very small selection of users will want to tweak countless DNS settings, many will simply appreciate the no-nonsense approach to online privacy. As we said, though, Mullvad does lack in some important areas that many users won't want to compromise on. While connection speeds are very impressive, in line with IPVanish, CyberGhost, and the like, it's not able to unblock any streaming services – and likely never will. The apps also lack some fairly commonplace usability features like automatic selection of the nearest/fastest location, and no favorites list. Plus, if you run into any issues you'll have to rely on email support or the bare-bones support site rather than live chat. Overall, though, if you're looking for a transparent, privacy-focused VPN, you could do a lot worse than Mullvad. Sign up now on the Mullvad website (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Hide.me) (opens in new tab)
The best VPN service in 2022
By Mo Harber-Lamond published 25 October 2022 Our complete guide to the very best VPN services (Image credit: ExpressVPN) It's no surprise that the best VPN services are becoming more and more popular. With surveillance and online censorship increasing globally, staying protected and anonymous online is more important than ever – and a quality Virtual Private Network is the perfect way of doing so. VPNs make what you're doing online invisible to anyone trying to snoop, and can also make you appear to be in a different physical location. That's perfect for accessing websites your government, school, or workplace blocks, as well as watching streaming content that's only available in certain countries. While VPNs might sound techy, they're now incredibly easy to use. They almost all offer simple, attractive apps for many different devices, and you can get connected in a single click. So, don't be intimidated – if you managed to install Facebook from the app store, you can install a VPN as well. If you just want quick access to the the three best VPNs of 2022, simply pick from ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark below – they're our best-reviewed providers, and offer a range of price points and features. If you want more in-depth info, simply keep scrolling for our rundown of the 15 top VPNs available today, and a detailed FAQ section at the bottom of the page. (opens in new tab)1 ExpressVPN – Get 3 months FREE with the very best VPN (opens in new tab)We think ExpressVPN is the best VPN in 2022, with great performance in just about every area. Its 30-day money-back guarantee lets you trial the service risk-free, and Tom's Guide readers can claim 3 months free – plus 1 year free of backup software Backblaze.View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)2 NordVPN – Big name offers serious security (opens in new tab)
Arguably the biggest name in the VPN industry, it's quite likely you'll have heard of NordVPN. Thankfully it's not all hot air, as Nord delivers a premium service that's hugely secure and great for streaming – and at just $2.99/mo including 3 months FREE, it's excellent value, too.View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)3 Surfshark – The best-value VPN on the market (opens in new tab)
For those looking for a premium VPN on a budget, Surfshark is well worth considering. With top-tier privacy and connection speeds alongside excellent streaming performance, it can compete with pricier rivals – all for just $2.30/mo, including 2 months FREE.View Deal (opens in new tab)
What is a VPN
In short, a VPN is an application installed on your device that redirects your internet connection through its own servers around the world. This allows you to virtually change your location online, making you more anonymous and tricking sites like Netflix into showing you content that's blocked in your country. A VPN also encrypts your traffic, which means that if it's intercepted, your activity can't be seen. That goes for hackers, your government, and even your internet service provider – a VPN lets you browse in total secrecy. This in turn allows you to access sites that might be banned by your ISP – perhaps that's YouTube or TikTok at school, or Western news and social media if you're in Russia or China. In short, the best VPN makes the internet a freer place, and allows you to do what you want, when you want to do it.What s the best VPN
The competition between the best VPN providers becomes stiffer every time we re-review VPNs – and with new features and usability tweaks coming regularly from the developers, change is always on the horizon. However, in our latest round of testing, only one provider earned five stars out of five: ExpressVPN. The simple reason for this is because for the vast majority of users, it offers the best combination of rock-solid privacy, excellent apps on a huge range of devices, some very interesting additional features, plus great streaming performance with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN Plus, and even more. To top it off, you'll be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee which means you can effectively test out the service and its 3,000+ servers for a whole month risk-free before you buy – you can find out all the details in our in-depth ExpressVPN review.Get an in-depth look at the best VPNs of 2022
(Image credit: ExpressVPN) (opens in new tab)1 ExpressVPN
The best VPN on the market Number of servers: 3,000+ Speed: Up to 560Mbps VPN locations: 160 in 94 countries Maximum devices supported: 5 24/7 live chat: Yes 30 day money back guarantee: Yes+3 MONTHS FREEExpressVPN 12 month (opens in new tab)$6.67/mth (opens in new tab)ExpressVPN 6 month (opens in new tab)$9.99/mth (opens in new tab)ExpressVPN 1 month (opens in new tab)$12.95/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at ExpressVPN (opens in new tab)Rock-solid privacy featuresApps for just about everythingSuperb for torrentingClass-leading 24/7 supportSlightly more expensive, but well worth it It's a big accolade to hand out, but from our extensive user testing and independent review process we can once again confidently say that ExpressVPN is the very best VPN you can buy today. On paper, ExpressVPN already impresses: over 3,000 servers in 160 locations spread across 94 countries around the world, a kill switch, split tunneling and obfuscated servers. While some providers have more servers in total, very few have such a wide spread – meaning that wherever you're based, you'll get swift, reliable connections. It has an especially impressive range in Asia, which is often neglected by other providers. All apps use super-secure, industry-standard AES-256 encryption, paired with OpenVPN and Lightway protocols. Lightway is the standout here, and the in-house, open-source protocol delivers excellent speeds – although in truth, some other providers deliver higher peak speeds when using WireGuard. Unless you're using a 1Gbps+ connection, though, you won't notice a difference. ExpressVPN also uses its own TrustedServer technology, which ensures its RAM-only DNS servers retain no information about you or your activity. In short, ExpressVPN is fast and secure – and a recent update has added a well-needed kill switch to iOS. Good stuff. When everything is tallied up, it all comes together to make a near-unbeatable package that's well suited to experts and newbies alike – and we think that premium price is well worth what you get. ExpressVPN's apps are a pleasure to use and almost identical across the board – once you've used one, you've used them all – and the range of devices is huge. Not only can you cover your PC, Mac, iPhone or Android, but your router, Chromebook, Linux PC, Fire TV Stick and a ton more can also enjoy the same protection. One of the most common reasons to download a VPN is to access geo-blocked streaming content. Here, ExpressVPN really delivers. In our testing, it reliably unblocked a number of Netflix locations, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and works impeccably for regional TV channels around the world. Only a few other providers like NordVPN and Surfshark can match this – and Express is still our #1 streaming VPN. Of course, improvements can be made with any service, and the same is true here. For example, if you need a dedicated IP or port forwarding, a provider like PIA might be a better fit. Plus, ExpressVPN's five-device policy is a little limiting – although not hard to get around by logging in and out. Finally, a word on customer support. If anything doesn't work as it should – perhaps you're having issues unblocking UK Netflix from the US, for example – the 24/7 live chat support is always on hand. In our experience they have been quick and knowledgeable, and in general much better than most other VPN providers' live chat teams. Plus, the on-site help articles are excellent, too. When everything is tallied up, it all comes together to make a near-unbeatable package that's well suited to experts and newbies alike – and we think that premium price is well worth what you get. (opens in new tab)Get 3 months FREE of the very best VPN (opens in new tab)Tom's Guide readers can claim both 1 year of Backblaze and 3 months free on a 12 month plan with ExpressVPN – that's 15 months for the price of 12. But if you want to try before you buy, you'll be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee to make sure it's the right VPN for you.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
2 NordVPN
The big-name VPN is one of the very best Number of servers: 5,500+ Server locations: 80+ in 59 countries Maximum devices supported: 6 24/7 live chat: Yes 30 day money back guarantee: Yes+3 months freeNordVPN 2 Year (opens in new tab)$3.09/mth (opens in new tab)NordVPN 1 Year (opens in new tab)$4.99/mth (opens in new tab)NordVPN 1 Month (opens in new tab)$11.99/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at NordVPN (opens in new tab)Excellent focus on securityImpeccable streaming performanceNordLynx delivers incredible speedsTons of serversRenewal prices are high Back again at #2 is NordVPN, and in our full NordVPN review we found that arguably the biggest name in VPN is still one of the very best. With over 5,500 servers in a generous 59 countries, NordVPN practically guarantees a speedy server wherever you are – and while it's not present in as many locations as ExpressVPN, you'll still be very well served. You'll likely be connecting to those servers with Nord's own NordLynx protocol, which is a reworked version of WireGuard. In short, it's stable, and delivered searing connection speeds of around 820Mbps in our testing. You'll get split tunneling, an effective kill switch, AES-256 encryption, and you'll even get some unusual options like Onion over VPN and Double VPN which are designed to keep you even safer when browsing the web. Another interesting feature is Threat Protection – but while it's a nice addition, dedicated tracker blockers do work more effectively. Nord's apps are powerful and fairly pleasant to use, but while the map-based interface works well on larger screen such as PCs and tablets, on smartphones it can be more of a hinderance than a benefit. An odd recent update also means the PC client can't be resized, and there are inconsistencies between platforms – but despite that, the apps are very capable, and you'll be able to install it on a huge range of devices. You'll get split tunneling, an effective kill switch, AES-256 encryption, and you'll even get some unusual options like Onion over VPN and Double VPN which are designed to keep you even safer when browsing the web. Nord's most interesting new feature, however, is Meshnet. This allows users to link devices anywhere around the world via encrypted NordVPN connections, creating its own secure network. This has real power, and while Nord hasn't quite worked out how to make the feature clear to users yet, we're very excited to see where it goes. When it comes to streaming, however, NordVPN really impresses. You'll be able to unblock Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime and more – and in recent months Nord has proved to be a little more reliable with Netflix than our top choice overall ExpressVPN. That's why you'll see it sitting pretty at the top of our Netflix VPN guide. With a 30-day money-back guarantee and some attractive deals running throughout the year, NordVPN is a quality service that only misses out on the top spot thanks to some small UI quirks and, frankly, the sheer quality of the competition.. (opens in new tab)Save big on NordVPN's longest plan(opens in new tab)If you want to save some money when signing up to Nord, you're best off going for its longest two-year plan. You'll get the best price on offer, plus the standard 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to test the service before you commit.View Deal (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Surfshark) (opens in new tab)
3 Surfshark
Well outperforms its bargain price-tag Number of servers: 3,200+ Server locations: 160+ in 100+ countries Maximum devices supported: Unlimited 24/7 live chat: Yes 30 day money back guarantee: Yes+2 months freeSurfshark 24 Months (opens in new tab)$2.30/mth (opens in new tab)Surfshark 12 Months (opens in new tab)$3.99/mth (opens in new tab)Surfshark 1 Month (opens in new tab)$12.95/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at Surfshark (opens in new tab)Unlimited devices supportedRecent update to over 100 countriesLonger plans are great valueGreat for streamingSteep price hikes after first termSupport is slightly lacking If you're looking for a cheap VPN that outperforms products twice its price, look no further than Surfshark. The services in this guide are ranked by quality, not price, so to see a VPN that costs well under $2.50 a month at #3 is seriously impressive. In our Surfshark review, we found its apps great to use, and offer all the privacy and security essentials such as AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, split tunneling, and the superfast WireGuard protocol. Surfshark's been hard at work on extra features like MultiHop, and Nexus – the latter of which is not currently fully formed, but looks promising. If you're a hardware hoarder, Surfshark's unlimited simultaneous connections policy will be very attractive. Essentially, you can install one plan on any number of devices – great for complete protection, or even sharing with those in your home. And, as a Linux VPN, Surfshark is one of the few providers to offer a full GUI – most others are only command line. In the most recent testing, connection speeds rose considerably, and on our 1Gbps connection it maxed out at a staggering 950Mbps. That makes Surfshark one of, if not the fastest VPN we've ever tested. Plus, it's currently proving to be very reliable for streaming. We've had some issues before, but almost every provider has at some point. However, when we put Surfshark's kill switch through our rigorous testing procedure, we did manage to catch it out and get it to reveal us very briefly. However, the situation in which this happened is unlikely to happen in the real world. And, unfortunately, Surfshark's support isn't quite as good as ExpressVPN's or NordVPN's. Overall, Surfshark is an excellent budget option, and when you consider its incredibly low price, any small issues it has seem to fade away! (opens in new tab)A thoroughly premium service at a bargain price (opens in new tab)Surfshark is a great option for those who want a simple VPN to set and forget. It's perfect for streaming almost any service, the apps are powerful and simple, and you'll get a 30-day money-back guarantee as standard so you can test-drive the VPN before you commit.View Deal (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Private Internet Access) (opens in new tab)
4 Private Internet Access
Excellent value, and very useful for torrenting Number of servers: 10,000+ Server locations: 84 countries Maximum devices supported: 10 24/7 live chat: Yes 30 day money back guarantee: Yes+2 MONTHS FREEPrivate Internet Access 2 Years (opens in new tab)$2.19/mth (opens in new tab)Private Internet Access 6 Month (opens in new tab)$7.50/mth (opens in new tab)Private Internet Access 1 Month (opens in new tab)$11.99/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at Private Internet Access (opens in new tab)Excellent valueUnblocks US NetflixReliable apps and kill switchPassed no-log auditApps are powerful, but complexFull app audit still in the works Private Internet Access has been around for a long, long time, but unlike other dinosaurs of the VPN game, it's stayed on an upward trajectory rather than falling to the new guard. In fact, it's risen another place to #4 since our last Private Internet Access review. While PIA doesn't disclose its server network size, we believe it to sit at around 10,000 servers, which makes it by far the most server-rich provider on the market. Combine that with 84 available countries and you've got yourself quite the spread. PIA really stands out when you get under the surface a little. Its desktop apps offer port forwarding – a relative rarity – and its kill switch is super reliable. Also, its proxy browser extensions are also very good, with updated tech that allows for faster browsing. For newbies and those looking for a simpler experience, though, this could very well be a little annoying or intimidating. It's great for streaming, with access to Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and BBC iPlayer. We expanded our streaming testing even further this time round, and the only service stopping PIA from scoring a clean sweep was Aussie streamer 10Play. We're also still waiting for PIA to complete a full independent security audit, but the good news is that it's started the process. The zero-logging policy has been audited and confirmed as true, so now we're just waiting on the full shebang. For those looking for a highly featured, reliable service that's keenly priced, we'd recommend giving PIA a go – it has a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test it out risk-free. Sign up now on the PIA website (opens in new tab) (Image credit: ProtonVPN) (opens in new tab)5 Proton VPN
Privacy favorite keeps getting better Number of servers: 1,700+ Server locations: 64 countries Maximum devices supported: 10 live chat support: Yes 30 day money back guarantee: YesProton VPN 2 year (opens in new tab)$4.99/mth (opens in new tab)Proton VPN 1 year (opens in new tab)$5.99/mth (opens in new tab)Proton VPN 1 Month (opens in new tab)$9.99/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at Proton VPN (opens in new tab)Privacy-focusedGreat connection speedsExcellent for streamingApps are stable and powerful on all platformsSupport site is complexCan take a while to connect The Swiss-based Proton brand has had quite makeover recently, and its star product Proton VPN has been given a well-earned bit of zing. Now that the fresh new look matches its stellar performance, it's even easier to recommend. With good connection speeds when using both WireGuard (510Mbps) and OpenVPN (the latter assisted by Proton's proprietary VPN Accelerator tech), alongside a comprehensive zero-logging policy and string encryption, Proton VPN will certainly appeal to those looking to use their VPN for absolute online privacy. What's more, Proton VPN also offers its Secure Core servers, which are located in physically secure locations in privacy-friendly countries. You can choose to use these, and then route to a destination of your choice for added anonymity. Proton Unlimited also adds the entire privacy suite of Proton Mail, Proton Drive, and Proton Calendar for a fairly reasonable price. However, it's not all work and no play for Proton – in our testing for the full Proton VPN review it proved to be a real standout when it comes to unblocking Netflix, reliably accessing a number of useful locations, as well as BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. However, just like PIA, it couldn't crack 10Play when we tried. It's getting trickier by the day to pick faults with Proton, but there are still a couple of sticking points. Firstly, while some servers do support P2P traffic, there are relatively few compared to the competition – although if Proton detects P2P activity, it'll seamlessly redirect you to a compatible server. Prices have recently dropped across the board, but it's still not cheap. However, sign up for 2 years and you'll get a decent deal, with a generous 10 simultaneous connections to boot. Overall, Proton VPN is very much on the up, and it's evident the developers are putting in some hard work rather than resting on their laurels. Thanks to that, Proton VPN is a service we can wholeheartedly recommend. Sign up now on the Proton VPN website (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Windscribe) (opens in new tab)6 Windscribe
Tons of features and an excellent Chrome extension Number of servers: 400+ Server locations: 110 in 62 countries Maximum devices supported: Unlimited 24/7 live chat: No 30 day money back guarantee: NoWindscribe 1 month (opens in new tab)$9/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at Windscribe (opens in new tab)WireGuard speeds are much improvedFeature-packed appsDecent value with flexible plansBest built-in tracker blocker of any VPNApps aren't the simplest to useNo 24/7 live chat or audit Our Windscribe review found the provider's free VPN that gives users 10GB of data a month very useful, but it also offers a fairly-priced paid service that delivers unlimited data and lets you connect as many devices at once as you like. Most other VPN services permit only five to 10 at a time. Windscribe is compatible with many platforms – including routers and Amazon Fire and Kodi TV set-top boxes. The service offers a great variety of connection options, has a wide geographic reach with hundreds of servers, and presents an appealing, if minimal, user interface. It's also good for watching overseas Netflix, and has dedicated 'Windflix servers' to enable this – although we couldn't tap into Netflix Japan this time round. The service's Chrome VPN extension is a standout feature. As one of the best on the market, it offers tons of features and can be used without installing the desktop client – great for work computers of other devices you can't install software on. For those that do install the desktop client, you'll notice the brand-spanking Windscribe 2.0 software has tidied up the interface and offers a ton of nifty features – although newbies may be overwhelmed. One such feature is Decoy Mode on Android which, although very niche, could be invaluable to dissidents in truly extreme situations. Once of our previous complaints was that Windscribe simply wasn't very fast compared to others, but since then it's upped the ante, topping out at a respectable 700Mbps. You can pay for a Windscribe subscription with Bitcoin, you don't even have to provide an email address, and the service is based in Canada, which may appeal to users wary of US authorities. Overall, for those looking to test out a VPN with a free service and then sign up once you know it works, Windscribe is an excellent option. Sign up on the Windscribe website (opens in new tab) (Image credit: CyberGhost) (opens in new tab)7 CyberGhost
Excellent for torrenting and streaming Number of servers: 8,900+ Server locations: 91 countries Maximum devices supported: 7 24/7 live chat: Yes 45 day money back guarantee: Yes2 months freeCyberGhost 2 Years (opens in new tab)$2.19/mth (opens in new tab)CyberGhost 1 Year (opens in new tab)$4.29/mth (opens in new tab)CyberGhost 1 Month (opens in new tab)$12.99/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at CyberGhost (opens in new tab)Tons of serversFeature-heavy appsGreat WireGuard speedsSome useful streaming featuresInfrequent app updatesUK Netflix and Disney+ unavailable CyberGhost is another long-standing name in the world of the best VPNs, and in that time it's developed a reputation for privacy, streaming performance, and torrent-friendly servers. With over 8,900 servers, CyberGhost has one of the largest server networks in the industry, and with a spread of 91 countries, there's plenty of variety when it comes to picking which to connect to. In our most recent CyberGhost VPN review, the Romanian provider delivered great connection speeds of up to 730Mbps (although this is down since our last test), and while few users will have base connections capable of such heady heights, it's still quite an accolade. CyberGhost's apps had an overhaul last year, and with the introduction of Version 8, the experience is much more modern and sleek. However, you'll only be able to install CyberGhost on 7 devices – and after that, you'll need to unregister a device to use another, rather than simply logging out on one device like almost all other providers allow. CyberGhost's apps offer some very useful dedicated streaming features like Netflix and iPlayer-optimized servers. It's fairly capable when it comes to unblocking, and in our last testing we saw it unblock some Netflix libraries (not the UK), iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video. Disney+, however, was unavailable. One of our biggest issues with CyberGhost in our last review was that it hadn't undertaken a security audit of any kind. This time round it's still not perfect, but it has had its no-log policy audited by Deloitte. Let's hope a full server and app audit is in the works Sign up now on the the CyberGhost website (opens in new tab) (Image credit: IPVanish) (opens in new tab)8 IPVanish
Feature-packed, but not a perfect streamer Number of servers: 2,000+ Server locations: 75+ in 52 countries Maximum devices supported: Unlimited 24 live chat: Yes 30 day money back guarantee: YesIPVanish 1 Year (opens in new tab)$3.33/mth (opens in new tab)IPVanish 1 Month (opens in new tab)$10.99/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at IPVanish (opens in new tab)Verified as no-loggingUnlimited simultaneous devicesTons of featuresA number of Netflix locations unavailableApps are complicated IPVanish is a US VPN that's been in the game for a long time, and it's widely regarded as a safe, reliable, and trustworthy provider. It's designed for the more techy user, it boasts a bunch of useful additions and powerful apps that display all the data you could wish for. In our testing for the IPVanish review, we saw the provider deliver respectable speeds of around 720Mbps when using WireGuard, which is comparable to close rivals CyberGhost and Windscribe. Its OpenVPN speeds are poor, at just 120Mbps in our testing, but most users will be using the new protocol anyway. 'Scramble' is an interesting feature that allows VPN use in countries like China, and while it's not quite as robust as other specialized China VPN services, it's still very useful. When it comes to streaming, it's also a mixed bag. We got access to US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime (which is an improvement from last time we checked), but unlike providers further up this list, we couldn't tap into any other Netflix locations like Australia or Canada. One of our biggest criticisms in our last review was that IPVanish rarely updated its apps – and it looks like the devs were listening. The brand new interface looks great, retains many of the in-depth features we loved, while integrating a favorites function as well as in-app support. However, on the flip side, it's a shame that some niche features have been removed, rather than tucked away more neatly. Overall, though, while it's lost a little ground on the top services, IPVanish is still well worth considering, especially if you're a fan of in-depth, techy software. Sign up now on the IPVanish website (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Future) (opens in new tab)9 Mullvad
Privacy extraordinaire lives up to expectations Number of servers: 820 Server locations: 68 in 38 countries Maximum devices supported: 5 24/7 live support: No 30 day money back guarantee: YesMullvad VPN (opens in new tab)$6/mth (opens in new tab)Visit Site (opens in new tab)at Mullvad (opens in new tab)Excellent speedsOpen-source appsGood kill switch and leak protectionNot designed for streamingNo live chat Mullvad is a very interesting proposition – it eschews 'gimmicks' for true privacy performance. However, while this certainly endears the Swedish provider with techies and old-school VPN veterans, the crowd-pleasing likes of ExpressVPN and NordVPN arguably offer a better proposition for the casual user.With no tricks and a very transparent website, Mullvad's one of the few providers that avoids making disputable claims of "unblocking anything" or"guaranteed anonymity". Rather, it leads by example by never taking any personal details, accepting cash payments sent through snail mail, and offering simple, effective and open-source apps. New additions include the ability to purchase account numbers through Amazon – an anonymity plus point – and a fresh DNS server audit. It also avoids the incredible complexity of other 'expert' VPNs, and while a very small selection of users will want to tweak countless DNS settings, many will simply appreciate the no-nonsense approach to online privacy. As we said, though, Mullvad does lack in some important areas that many users won't want to compromise on. While connection speeds are very impressive, in line with IPVanish, CyberGhost, and the like, it's not able to unblock any streaming services – and likely never will. The apps also lack some fairly commonplace usability features like automatic selection of the nearest/fastest location, and no favorites list. Plus, if you run into any issues you'll have to rely on email support or the bare-bones support site rather than live chat. Overall, though, if you're looking for a transparent, privacy-focused VPN, you could do a lot worse than Mullvad. Sign up now on the Mullvad website (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Hide.me) (opens in new tab)