VPN, Virtual Private Network, has gained so much attention mainly because of being most secure and private. Online VPNs are very handy in protecting your information, your privacy and in bypassing censorship. But choosing the best VPN is a concern.
So if you want to choose the best VPN service, you have come to the right place. The following article explains a VPN service, what a VPN is, and how to choose the best VPN that can be used without any regret.
What is a VPN, and why does it hold importance?
VPN is quite helpful in protecting your identity and securing your internet connectivity. In today’s time, life without the internet is unimaginable. People tend to use private and public internet connections from any location and are habitual in using the internet on multiple devices.
Private connections are not to be bothered about that much but using a compromised public Wi-Fi connection causes concerns. It can give way to hackers who can hack your personal information, passwords, personal files, credit card history, and personal files, etc.
Hackers are capable of stealing your bank information, installing viruses in your computer, hacking your social media profiles, and much more.
Even private Wi-Fi connections can share your data being transferred from and to your devices, meaning nothing is secure. That’s why you need a VPN which helps in gaining privacy and security while using the internet.
It also enables its users to browse the internet privately from different IP addresses. In this way, you can use country-specific websites such as Netflix, the BBC, and YouTube, etc., efficiently bypassing a country’s content restrictions.
Choosing the best VPN
Choosing the best VPN from multiple options is confusing. The question is, which is the best VPN for you among all the available options? The answer is simple. Look for the properties you want in your VPN, and then choose the one that matches your requirements.
Again how do you know what you want in your VPN network? Going through the list given below is very handy in figuring out what you need in your VPN and how it helps in choosing the best and most secure VPN.
1. What are you looking for in a VPN?
While making a purchase, be very conscious as you can’t buy the first item you see in a store. For each essential purpose, there is a different VPN. For example, if you are looking for a VPN that all your family members can use, go for a router-based VPN or the one that allows multiple connections at one time. If you want to browse movies or series online, try choosing a VPN with unlimited bandwidth, relatively high speed, and reliable connections.
Those who prefer using public Wi-Fi connection should choose that VPN network that provides a high level of security and has servers suited worldwide. Once you are done shortlisting your requirements, start making a list of the essential features to you and the ones that can easily be ignored. That’s what makes it easy for you to choose.
2. A user-friendly interface
Complex Setup is always a headache. Setup and user interface on VPNs are quite complex sometimes that you can’t make sense of. If you are not a technician and don’t want to trouble yourself, try choosing a VPN with simple procedures and a user-friendly interface. In some cases, VPNs offer a virtual setup where nothing is manual, and all is done on its own.
3. Go through each VPN’s quality
Each VPN has its specific qualities in which its company specializes. The company’s priority can be anything, speed, anonymity, encryption, or else. But first, you need to make sure that your priorities match theirs.
If you want to see geographically blocked content, a VPN capable of unblocking content must be your main priority. For example, several VPNs have trouble bypassing Netflix VPN, but problems can be solved easily with CyberGhost and ExpressVPN.
If you value their anonymity and privacy, such as journalists, always choose a VPN with secure encryption and don’t retain logs. Don’t forget to check the security protocol of your chosen VPN, which must be one of your main priorities.
4. Device’s compatibility for the VPN
Most VPNs are compatible with leading platforms such as Linux, Mac, iOS, Windows, and Androids. But sometimes VPNs are not available on all platforms. That’s why you need to check your device’s compatibility with the VPN network.
If you are an iPhone user but have a Windows computer, choose the VPN that is compatible with both devices. It is also essential to check how many devices a single VPN can connect to. The number of connections varies. Sometimes a single VPN allows up to three connections, while in other cases, it allows unlimited devices.
5. Accessing the speed of a VPN
Even though VPNs can encrypt all the traffic, they tend to reduce internet browsing speed somehow. But how much your internet speed is being sacrificed depends upon VPN providers. Well, the best VPNs are those which don’t offer your internet browsing speed that much. VPNs are capable of improving upload and download speed as well.
6. VPN security
The number of servers and locations can be the deciding factor for some VPNs. If you live in a developed or less populated country (or plan on living or traveling there for some time), prioritize that VPN with servers in that area or nearby locations. China is famous for its limited internet connectivity, and that’s why if you plan on living or work there, having a VPN that can easily tackle their restrictions and censorship is the one for you.
7. Reliable customer support
VPNs having reliable customer service are the best ones, but unfortunately, it is one of the most overlooked factors while making a purchase. A VPN providing 24/7 customer service is the best one. VPNs change all the time. That’s why it is satisfactory having someone you can contact in times of crisis. VPNs providing live chat have become trendy as emails and calls may take hours or days to answer.
8. Ensuring a money-back guarantee
Always ensure while making a purchase that your item has a money-back guarantee so that you are not stuck with the product you no longer want to use.
If you have bought a VPN but later realize that it is not the one for you is a waste of money if it is not returnable. That’s why always choose that VPN that ensures a money-back guarantee (within a specific period) so that you are not stuck with it all your life. Usually, VPNs provide a money-back guarantee or a free trial. But this doesn’t happen in all cases because all VPNs don’t offer the same kind of services.
Choosing a VPN based on your required features will make your purchase to the point and relatively easy. If you don’t have time to enlist your essential features of a VPN, use the comparison table on our site. It provides a list of our handpicked VPNs with servers in multiple locations, has attractive customer care service, is compatible with most of the devices, has great payment plans, and has a money-back guarantee.
Conclusion
Choosing the best VPN has become so tiresome mainly because of multiple VPN vendors (the number has reached about 800 as of now). But if you know why you need a VPN and have shortlisted all the essential features you want in your VPN, you can make a good choice.
Don’t hesitate to contact customer support and ask all sorts of questions before using a service. If there is a free VPN service with a money-back guarantee, use it and see if it fulfills all your requirements or not before making the actual purchase.
