With all the recent news stories concerning Internet security and, in particular, Net Neutrality in the US, you’ve probably already heard the word “VPN”. But what exactly is it? In this article, we will introduce you to our definition of a VPN and explain what it is.
Even if you are not a computer expert at all, you will find that it is very easy to understand and also very easy to use. Understanding VPNs is not that difficult, and whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you’ll be able to use one in no time.
- NordVPN: Editor Choice – Good Speed & No logs
- Surfshark VPN: Budget choice – The cheapest VPN service
- ExpressVPN: Best All-Around except for the price
- IPVanish: Reliability and Fast Speed
- CyberGhost VPN: High performance-price ratio VPN
Our comparison criteria
To assess the providers, all services must be evaluated according to the same criteria. For this reason, our rating is based on 10 criteria, which we will discuss in more detail shortly. The best VPN provider is the one that meets as many of our 10 criteria as possible.
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Security
This is certainly the most important aspect to keep in mind when trying to discern the best VPN service from more than 300 providers.
Some provide a complete level of security by protecting your data with the most advanced VPN protocols. These include OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP / IPSec, etc.
Only the best VPN providers can guarantee you the highest level of security. This of course also includes the renunciation of the storage of log data and the kill-switch function.
For your safety, we recommend that you do not choose free VPN services, because these offer an insufficient level of protection. One thing is for sure: the best VPN in 2024 is not free.
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Speed
Choosing a Virtual Private Network is usually about finding the best compromise between security and speed. The higher the desired level of security, the more you have to sacrifice speed.
However, the best VPN can balance high speed and a first-class security level. This shows the difference between high-quality, larger providers compared to smaller providers. The latter usually lack the funds for the development of quality networks.
So if you choose the best VPN in 2024, you should be benefitting from both high transmission rates and the highest level of security and anonymity. You can also improve transfer speeds by selecting a protocol that best suits your needs.
For example, if you want to use the VPN for streaming, the level of security need not be as high as when publishing highly confidential content, such as political information.
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Customer Support
This point is neglected by many, but for us, it is one of the most important criteria when choosing a VPN provider.
The best VPN provider has 24/7/365 live customer service. Some services, such as CyberGhost, even offer a German-speaking customer service (which is rarely the case with other providers).
Receptive and efficient customer service is one of the most important criteria when choosing your VPN provider. If you have a problem at 3 in the morning, for example, you will not want to wait until the next day to find a solution.
When you visit 2023’s best VPN service page and open the online chat, you should receive a response within a few seconds.
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Pricing
Of course, when choosing the best VPN service we also pay attention to its cost. Here it is crucial not to jump at the cheapest offer. Everything costs money for a reason.
It’s like going to the supermarket and buying chicken. There are good ones for which you have to pay 2-3 times more. Some prefer quality and choose the most expensive VPN, while others sacrifice quality for a cheaper rate.
One should, however, employ this principle with caution, because a high price does not always equate to quality and better performance. This is the case with the best VPN 2023, ExpressVPN, but not with IPVanish, although it is not very different in terms of cost from ExpressVPN.
As you have probably already realized, you need to pay attention not only to the price but also to what is behind it. The best VPN should offer quality at a great price.
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Money back guarantee
The offerings of the largest Virtual Private Network services always aim to keep you a customer for as long as possible. For this reason, as with many other web services, you will get a better rate if you choose a longer duration (1, 2, 3 … years).
You probably will not want to commit yourself long term unless you are convinced of the quality of the service. Therefore, an unconditional money-back guarantee is a necessity when choosing the best VPN provider.
ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, NordVPN, or HideMyAss allow you to test the offer for 30 days.
In our eyes, this plays an extremely important role and we can only recommend that you test and compare the different providers before making any decisions. You will get an overview of the services of different providers in our VPN comparison.
If you are not 100% satisfied, you can have your money refunded unconditionally.
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Number of devices per account
Most of us today have more than just one device that needs protecting. Almost all users have at least two, a PC and a smartphone. However, it is not uncommon to own more than two devices.
In our assessment to identify the best VPN 2023, we have therefore also checked the number of possible devices per account. What does that mean? For example, with a provider like CyberGhost, you can install your VPN on 7 devices at the same time.
So, if you have multiple devices that you want to protect, or if you want to share the access with your family and friends, this provider is perfect for you! We think this criterion is very important, as we are sure that you will appreciate having a high number of secure connections per account.
The best VPN should be able to protect all your devices at the same time.
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Number of countries
The number of countries covered is a point that should be considered in your search for the best VPN 2023.
Even the largest providers on the market differ greatly in this respect. For the best VPN providers, you can usually choose between 50 and 190 countries.
Others have a much more disappointing record of just 20 countries covered, which in our opinion is not very much.
With a large country selection, you can access much more content. For example, if you want to watch Côte d’Ivoire TV channels, the number of Virtual Private Network services that let you do that is probably very low.
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Number of servers
If you care about performance, you need a VPN with a large selection of servers around the world. The best VPN service should have at least 1000 servers.
The more servers it has, the less heavily each one will be used and the more difficult it becomes for Netflix or the authorities to block IP addresses.
As far as the number of servers is concerned, NordVPN is the leader in the best VPN 2023, as it currently has more than 4,300 servers worldwide.
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Allowing to download torrent files
Nearly 40% of VPN users need a private network for downloading torrent files via P2P. If you are among them, make sure your provider allows you to download and share torrent files via P2P.
This is the case for the best VPN providers in our 2023 ranking. All of them let you download torrents without spying on you. In this way, you are optimally protected and your anonymity is guaranteed.
Play it safe and check this point again before choosing the provider. Contrary to what many believe, not all providers allow file sharing and may block your BitTorrent.
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Streaming
Last but not least, we must consider, in identifying the best VPN 2023, the streaming capabilities. This refers to the manufacturer’s ability to access TV channels and streaming applications around the world. For example, very few providers can unlock Netflix US.
Only the best VPN vendors manage to unlock Netflix in every country in the world. So if you like streaming, be sure to take a closer look at this point in your selection.
With ExpressVPN, the best VPN 2023, you can unlock Netflix and any other streaming service around the world.
1. NordVPN
Prices
The first point to make in this review of NordVPN 2023 is about the price. And for good reason, because it’s the point on which this VPN provider is very strong, as you’ll see below.
NordVPN offers its services with 4 subscription options:
- 1-month subscription: €10.50 per month with no commitments, renewable from month to month
- 1-year subscription: €6.14 per month
- 2-year subscription: € 3.50 per month
- 3-year subscription: € 2.62 per month, that is € 94.54 in total.
It is really this last offer that makes this provider so strong and it is a particularly big plus in our review of NordVPN.
It is very important to also note that a money-back guarantee is granted for up to 30 days. This will give you enough time to test this high-quality offer without any risks.
Payment Methods
Now let’s continue this assessment of NordVPN with an equally important point, namely the method of payment.
Once you have selected from the choices above, you will, of course, have to pay for your subscription. The accepted payment methods are numerous here too.
This provider accepts the classic payment methods, such as credit cards and Paypal, but also Bitcoin (as well as Ripple and Ethereum) to make your payments completely anonymous.
We like this wide range of payment methods, which is why it is a very important point in this review of NordVPN 2023. You will definitely like this wide selection too, especially as regards our favorite: PayPal.
Desktop Software
Another major point in this review of NordVPN, which may catch your attention, is that this VPN supports a lot of devices.
This provider allows you to install its software on all of the major operating systems. As far as mobile operating systems are concerned, iOS and Android are also compatible with NordVPN. It is also possible to use this VPN on different router systems, game consoles, etc.
As for the software, we should also mention in this part of our NordVPN 2023 review that you can have up to 6 connections per license.
This means that you can protect many devices with a single subscription, such as computers, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, routers, etc.
As we see this in this NordVPN review, this provider sets the bar very high with 6 connections at the same time, which is nothing to be sneezed at.
We ran the test on Windows 10 and downloaded the Windows-compatible NordVPN software. The application is very easy to install and provides the essentials of what you may expect from a VPN. However, it is only available in English, which is a small weakness.
Another noteworthy point in our review of NordVPN is the ability to access a VPN on the TOR network or a dual VPN to make users completely anonymous.
You get it: as far as security goes, you’re going to be safe, right?
As far as privacy and anonymity is concerned, NordVPN has a clear declaration of confidentiality, stating that it does not keep log files (no activity logs and no connection logs).
This is very important if you use a VPN. You really cannot afford to have a provider that keeps those log files, because this would be a significant breach to your privacy.
Furthermore, here is another point in the area of safety in our detailed assessment of NordVPN: it has the Kill Switch feature (emergency stop switch). This feature is essential to be able to surf the Internet with complete peace-of-mind.
In short, all the ingredients are there to give you the best experience with your Virtual Private Network.
This is indeed a point that stands as a strength in our review of NordVPN. Customer service is something very important that you should not neglect when choosing a VPN provider.
With 24/7 customer service, our review of NordVPN for 2024 can only be positive. Test it yourself by visiting their site and you will see!
Speed test
Now we come to the end of our detailed evaluation of NordVPN.
To perform this speed test, we used an SDSL connection from Orange or a computer with Windows 7 Pro. First, we tested our connection without a VPN, then with the VPN from Paris, which was geographically closest to us, and finally, with the VPN from Hong Kong, which was the farthest away.
And here are the results:
As you can see in this review of NordVPN 2023, this provider is not the fastest on the market. Their results aren’t terrible, but they stay well behind ExpressVPN.
It’s important to note that this speed test should be treated with caution as NordVPN is endeavoring to improve the speed of its servers.
Undoubtedly, NordVPN is one of our most popular VPN providers because of its qualities, which are summarized below.
Why We Recommend It:
- No storage of log files
- Dual VPN or VPN on the TOR network
- P2P allowed
- Streaming of Netflix US
- Customer service around the clock
- Not subject to the Patriot Act
You need to pay attention to It:
- Connection speed for Australia disappointing
2. Surfshark VPN
Prices
So let’s start our detailed review of Surfshark by discussing the pricing.
Like most VPNs in 2024, this provider offers 3 different plans with 3 different prices, the amount of which depends on the duration of the subscription. In other words, the longer the commitment period, the less you pay per month.
- One-month subscription: For a one-month offer with no commitments, the price is $ 11.95 a month.
- One-year subscription: For a one-year offer, the price offered is $ 5.99 a month, which is $ 71.88 for 12 months.
- 2-year subscription: For the 2-year offer, the service is offered for just $ 3.49 a month, which is $ 83.76 for 24 months.
As you can see, the prices offered by this provider are standard on the market. They are neither very expensive nor extremely cheap. Everything depends on the quality of the services.
However, you should know that Surfshark regularly has interesting discount offers. As you can see below, there was an interesting discount on the 2-year plan during our test. And we think that is a very good tactic to win more customers.
In our opinion, the prices offered by Surfshark are attractive. But you also have to know if the quality of the services meets the level of the offered prices.
Payment Methods
The second point we will look at in this detailed review of Surfshark is the payment methods.
This provider, which comes directly from the British Virgin Islands, allows you to pay with a bank card, PayPal, as well as with cryptocurrencies. And this last payment method is in our opinion the most interesting.
By paying with cryptocurrencies you can anonymously do transactions. Thus, you can use a VPN service incognito. This is a big plus for our provider.
Our rating of Surfshark’s payment methods is very positive. In addition to being able to pay with Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies, other common payment options are available so that everyone can find what suits their needs best.
Desktop Software
Let’s continue our review and testing of Surfshark by talking about the software and graphical user interface offered by this provider.
Surfshark is available for all computers running Microsoft Windows, MacOS or Linux. Linux is less common, so we could not run a test on this platform. But in any case, we could test the user interface for Windows and MacOS.
The first thing we noticed right after installation was the simplicity of the user interface. This makes it very easy to handle. There are only two buttons on the main page: one to select the server and the other to connect or disconnect, which is a plus in our review of Surfshark.
You could say that the software is one of the most simple-to-use among VPNs. However, this simplicity does not necessarily appeal to everyone and especially not to those who put a lot of emphasis on design, which is the case here.
As a result, we think Surfshark‘s software is very attractive in terms of ease of use, but the design is a little disappointing. If this provider wants to stand out more in the VPN market for Android, MacOS or Windows, then they must remember to improve this aspect.
Mobile app
As far as the mobile application of Surfshark is concerned, our rating is not very different from the previous one.
This is because the interface offered for small screens is the same as the one offered for the computer. To remind you, as we can see in the picture and as we have seen before, this VPN is available for Android and iOS. Both versions are completely identical.
As you might expect, we also have the same impression of the software available here. It has the same simplicity, which is a big advantage for handling. So the application is very easy to use, regardless of whether you’re using it on Android or iOS.
However, we did not like the design. The simplicity of the interface does not necessarily appeal to everyone.
As a result, our full assessment of Surfshark’s software and mobile application is rather mixed. The handling is tremendously straightforward, but we would have preferred to have seen a tasteful, modern design as seen in 2024 on ExpressVPN or CyberGhost.
Security and privacy
Because security is a very important issue when choosing a VPN, we couldn’t provide a complete review of Surfshark without mentioning it.
Like most large VPNs such as CyberGhost or ExpressVPN, this provider uses a protection system based on AES 256-bit encryption. It is the best system for protection against hackers.
To further protect its users, this provider also uses a kill switch system. If for one reason or another, you lose connectivity with the server, your Internet connection will be automatically interrupted. In our opinion, this detail should not be taken lightly, as it guarantees your anonymity online, especially if you want to protect yourself from the authorities.
As far as privacy is concerned, you do not have to worry about Surfshark here either. As the provider is located in the British Virgin Islands, it is under no obligation to keep information concerning you and your activities on the Internet. So your private data cannot be seen by anyone.
Our assessment of the safety and privacy of Surfshark is therefore positive. In addition to offering a very high level of security, it also guarantees the protection of your private data.
Customer service
We also tested Surfshark’s customer service to give them our full evaluation of this VPN service. And in our opinion, the service is quite efficient.
First, Surfshark offers a customer service that is available 24/7/365. Every time we needed to get in contact, someone was available on the spot. But it would be interesting to know if this is the case in the long run.
In any case, you can contact customer service in different ways. In our opinion, it is most convenient to use the chat window. This way, you get an answer directly. For this reason, it must be said, Surfshark’s customer service is very responsive.
It is also possible to contact customer service by e-mail. In this case, you should know that the answers may take a few minutes or even hours to arrive.
So we liked the customer service of this provider very much when testing and evaluating Surfshark. The only disadvantage is that it is only available in English and does not cover any other languages, which may be an obstacle for some.
Speed test
As you can tell in this review of Surfshark, it seems to be good in all aspects. But to complete this detailed assessment of the provider, it is important to perform a speed test. The speed itself can change everything.
And this is exactly where we feel obliged to say that we were disappointed in this test. The speed reduction is too big for our liking, compared to the speed you get without using a VPN. Thus, this is the only weak point we could find in this provider.
This changes a lot, unfortunately, because it will be very difficult to unlock Netflix‘s German catalog abroad, for example, or vice versa (accessing the US catalog from Germany).
Conclusion
We have to say that we have great difficulty in concluding this article on our complete review of Surfshark. The provider has many strengths, but its speed did not convince us. It follows that it is difficult for us to recommend this provider as we do not want to risk disappointing you.
However, it is important to know that you will be offered a 30-day money-back guarantee on non-satisfaction with Surfshark‘s service. However, if you are looking for tested providers of which we approve, we recommend ExpressVPN or CyberGhost. They are in our opinion the best VPNs in 2024.
So here is our summary, which allows you to see the strengths and weaknesses of the provider, the content of our test and our evaluation of Surfshark.
Why We Recommend It:
- Good prices
- Possibility to pay in cryptocurrencies
- Software easy to use
- Good level of security
- Protection of privacy
- Excellent customer service
You need to pay attention to It:
- Too simple design
- Relatively low speed
3. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a British Virgin Islands based VPN provider. Due to the offshore legislation of the British Virgin Islands, it is not obliged to keep the log files. As you will see in this ExpressVPN 2023 review, it has numerous servers that accept P2P and are distributed in more than 94 locations around the world.
Due to its numerous strengths, it takes an excellent position in our comparison of the best VPN providers.
- Prices
- Payment Methods
- Desktop software
- Mobile application
- Security and privacy
- Customer service
- Speed
- Conclusion
Prices
Let’s start our ExpressVPN rating by discussing the pricing. This provider offers a single plan with three subscription formulas. The one-month subscription is offered for $ 12.95 a month, with no minimum term requirement, renewable every month.
The 6-month subscription is offered for $ 9.99 per month for a 6-month term.
Finally, the annual subscription costs $ 6.67 a month. With the latter, you get a discount of 49% and three additional months are given free of charge. In other words, you pay $ 99.95 for 15 months, which is very interesting.
All three formulas give you three simultaneous connections to protect your computer, as well as your tablet and smartphone.
A money-back guarantee of up to 30 days is also offered, allowing you to try this offer without any risk. This is very important for our ExpressVPN rating in 2024. If you subscribe to this VPN provider, you take absolutely no risk.
Payment Methods
Before deciding on a VPN provider, it is important to look at the different accepted payment methods. This aspect was therefore also analyzed very closely in this review of ExpressVPN.
The payment methods accepted by ExpressVPN are numerous.
They accept quite standard payments with credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Delta), Paypal, Bitcoin to pay anonymously, but also payments via Webmoney, PaymentWall, iDeal, Giropay, Mint, Oncard …
Below is a list of the different payment methods accepted by this provider for our detailed evaluation of ExpressVPN.
Desktop Software
Let’s continue our ExpressVPN review with the various software supported by this VPN provider.
ExpressVPN has software for all major operating systems, including of course Windows and MacOS, but also Amazon Kindle Fire.
As for mobile devices, ExpressVPN is also available on iOS and Android. Furthermore, it is also possible to use this VPN provider on different OpenVPN router systems or the SmartDNS service on video game consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox.
In other words, our review of ExpressVPN could hardly be more positive as the provider covers absolutely all devices that you might own.
Also, as we saw above in our ExpressVPN 2023 review, you will have up to 3 concurrent connections with your subscription, so you can protect all of your devices.
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ExpressVPN software
To test the application with Mac OS, we downloaded the Mac-compatible software from ExpressVPN. The application is very easy to install and provides the most important features you might expect from a VPN.
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iOS Express VPN
The version for Mac is very clear and simple-to-use. You will appreciate their intuitive handling, which was very important in our detailed evaluation of ExpressVPN.
All you have to do is select your location, click on the big button in the middle, and you’re set. You can also select the Smart Location mode to access the most suitable server for your location.
Mobile app
In 2023, it is not recommended to choose a VPN provider that does not have a quality mobile application. Of course, it is not the case here, so our review of ExpressVPN is very positive in this respect.
And for good reason, because it offers a diverse range of compatible mobile platforms, from iOS to Android. So we tested the application on iOS.
The mobile application is pretty elegant and easy to use. It will easily tell you what you need to know during your subscription: the state of protection, the server you are accessing, etc.
Security and privacy
This is perhaps the most important point in our ExpressVPN rating.
From a technical standpoint, ExpressVPN offers the most important protocols: VPN, OpenVPN, L2TP and PPTP with 256-bit and 128-bit encryption. This provider also offers the possibility to use a SmartDNS service at no extra cost, which, among other features, allows you to watch Netflix on an AppleTV.
This will be of particular interest to anyone who needs a VPN for streaming. As we will see further on in our review of ExpressVPN, this VPN is the fastest on the market.
As far as privacy and anonymity are concerned, ExpressVPN is very clear in its confidentiality statement: no log files are kept (no activity logs and no connection logs). We think that this is a must if you want to have a quality VPN. To opt for a provider who keeps the log files means going into the lion’s den. If it keeps the log files, get out of there!
Finally, for your safety, there’s one more point that was very important to our ExpressVPN rating: this VPN features the kill switch function, which can be a lifesaver.
We have dedicated a special article to the topic of Kill Switch, where you can find out how it works or what you need to know about it!
Our review ExpressVPN is so positive because it’s the safest VPN provider on the market and the most stable. You will be able to trust it completely!
Customer service
For some people, customer service is unimportant. For us, it may be one of the most important things in our review of ExpressVPN.
You will not be disappointed in this regard. And indeed the customer service is offered via email or online chat 24/7/365. Unfortunately, the consultants can answer you only in English.
However, in terms of efficiency and responsiveness, it is by far the best customer service we have ever tested. We highly recommend it for the representatives‘ friendliness and efficiency.
We can not find any criticisms that we could put to the customer service in our ExpressVPN review 2023.
Speed
As the last point of this review of ExpressVPN, the speed is simply the fastest on the market. We were impressed by the services this provider offers.
You will not experience any difference if your protection is activated or not. By the way, that’s why it occupies such a prominent place in our comparison of the best VPNs.
Conclusion
Our review of ExpressVPN is extremely positive and we highly recommend this excellent VPN provider.
Its 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to test it without any risks, be it downloading torrents, streaming, surfing anonymously, or anything else!
All you have to do is go to the official site of ExpressVPN to subscribe.
Below is a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of this VPN provider, which we were able to present to you through this detailed evaluation of ExpressVPN 2023.
Why We Recommend It:
- No storage of log files
- Fastest VPN in the world
- Perfect for streaming with Netflix
- Customer service 24/7/365
- P2P allowed
- SmartDNS included
You need to pay attention to It:
- Prices slightly higher than the competition.
4. IPVanish
The VPN provider IPVanish is located in the United States, in Florida to be exact. It is one of the big names among providers worldwide. It already has over 1,200 servers distributed in 60 countries globally and also allows P2P.
IPVanish is the only Tier 1 provider using its network to provide its users with a high-quality connection from front to back around the world. We will start here directly with our review of IPVanish 2023.
- Prices
- Payment Methods
- Desktop software
- Mobile application
- Security and privacy
- Customer service
- Speed
- Conclusion
Prices
We will start this review of IPVanish with a complete overview of the current prices. As with many other providers, there are also 3 offers for 1, 3 and 12 months. The monthly prices here are $ 10.00, $ 8.99 and $ 6.49. These subscriptions give you 5 simultaneous connections, allowing you to connect your work computer, smartphone, and more, or simply share your subscription with others.
This is a good technique to lower the bill in the end. To be honest, altogether we found the prices offered by IPVanish to be too expensive. We could forgive the 1-month offer since all providers have high prices for this subscription, but $ 6.49 for the 1-year offer seems too pricey for the service that you get.
The first part of our review of IPVanish starts rather badly. This is even more true when you compare these prices with those from providers such as CyberGhost or NordVPN.
These two are almost 3 times cheaper than IPVanish. And there’s nothing that justifies those high prices with this American provider.
Payment Methods
The second important point in our review of IPVanish 2023 is the payment methods provided. This is an aspect that often goes unnoticed but deserves attention so that you can pay for your subscription the way you want.
The payment methods offered by IPVanish are numerous. You can pay with classic bank cards like VISA, MasterCard or American Express. As for the virtual payment methods, there is the much appreciated PayPal.
But also numerous payment options such as iDeal, Paysafecard or Bitcoins for completely anonymous payment are available. So we were pleasantly surprised by this variety of offers in our review of IPVanish.
Desktop Software
If you choose to use a Virtual Private Network, then it’s important to focus on application quality and compatibility with the major platforms. For this reason, we have to dedicate a full section to this point in our review of IPVanish 2023.
The software of the American provider is also accessible on a wide range of operating systems and devices. It is available on classic operating systems such as Windows and MacOS but also on other systems such as Ubuntu and Chromebook. Of course, we do not want to leave out the mobile platforms: it covers Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
It will also be possible to use the service on routers equipped with DD-WRT or Tomato as well as on Fire TV from Amazon. The selection is great here and of course, can only play a positive role in our rating and test of IPVanish.
Mobile app
The following point in this review of IPVanish 2023 is about mobile applications. More and more people use only their smartphone for Internet access, so this point is of great relevance.
IPVanish offers an application for iOS, Android and Windows Phone, all of which are of good quality. Even for those whose English is not so good, it will be easy to change the location immediately.
Our test of IPVanish‘s mobile application has proven to be a true success and we think no matter which platform you use, you will be satisfied.
Security and privacy
If you decide to use a Virtual Private Network you are looking for security and anonymity. It has never been as dangerous to surf the Internet as in 2024 and this tendency does not seem to be likely to change in the years to come.
For this reason, we‘re dedicating a full paragraph of our assessment of IPVanish in 2024 to security.
From a technical point of view, IPVanish offers the various VPN protocols OpenVPN, L2TP, and PPTP, using 256-bit encryption for the first two and 128-bit encryption for PPTP.
As far as privacy and anonymity are concerned, IPVanish does not record logs concerning users and their activities. Nevertheless, we would like to advise you to be cautious here and we ourselves are a little skeptical, as this provider is based in the United States.
For this reason, you can’t be sure whether or not organizations like the NSA are snooping on the provider’s servers. Our team, therefore, recommends you opt for a provider like ExpressVPN, which is located in Hong Kong and is therefore immune to this type of problem.
Customer service
Another point in our review of IPVanish is customer service. You always have to make sure that it is both readily available and of high quality. If there are problems with the operation, you certainly do not want to wait several hours or days for the answer to an inquiry.
For this reason, we have tested all the customer service offered by IPVanish. There is a well-trained team who will respond courteously by email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Customer service is only available in English, which makes sense, since it is based in the United States.
Testing IPVanish makes us miss the availability of an online chat because the time between the inquiry and the answer from the provider is much longer. It is a far cry from being able to obtain them in a few seconds or minutes, as is the case with ExpressVPN, CyberGhost or NordVPN.
Speed
If you want to use your Virtual Private Network to perform downloads or stream Netflix, you need to make sure you have good speed. Each provider will reduce its bandwidth slightly (due to the encryption process), so it’s important to know by what percentage the connection will be slowing down.
Unfortunately, the cold shower comes when you use a server based several thousand kilometers from your location. Bandwidth is reduced by over 15% when using a server in Sydney.
The rating of IPVanish ends here with a negative point since the speed is not entirely satisfactory. We have shown this with the example of Sydney, but the problem is the same if you want to connect to an American server to stream Netflix US from within the EU.
Conclusion
Nevertheless, our rating of IPVanish in 2024 is rather positive. Still, we do not recommend it for most purposes.
To form your own opinion, we recommend that you use the 7-day money-back guarantee to test it without any commitment. So you can easily try out how it works for downloading torrents, streaming, surfing the web, and so on.
All you have to do is go to the official website of IPVanish to sign up for a subscription. With all offers, you get the money-back guarantee.
Below you can see an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of this VPN provider, which we analyzed in our in-depth review of IPVanish in 2024.
Why We Recommend It:
- Quality of a Tier 1 network
- Wide range of compatible devices
- No log files
- P2P allowed for all locations
You need to pay attention to It:
- Higher prices than the competition
- Disappointing speed
5. CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost is a Romania-based VPN provider. They are very much dedicated to the field of protection and offer a service “without log files” with 61 VPN locations all over the world and more than 3,700 servers that allow P2P and several streaming applications, including Netflix US from Germany. Discover everything you need to know in our detailed CyberGhost 2023 assessment.
- Prices
- Payment Methods
- Desktop software
- Mobile application
- Security and privacy
- Customer service
- Speed
- Conclusion
Prices
Let’s start this CyberGhost 2023 review with the point that may interest you most: the price.
This provider differs from its competitors in the VPN market by offering highly competitive pricing. Here you can find an excellent compromise between low prices and excellent service. It is therefore no coincidence that our CyberGhost rating is so positive.
And indeed, as you can see below, there are various offers, with the price changing according to the duration of the plan. As usual, the longer the term of your subscription, the lower the price per month.
Note that in the time between us writing this review on CyberGhost and you reading it, the prices may have risen. Therefore, we encourage you to look at the provider’s official website to get an accurate sense of the prices.
As you’ll see with our CyberGhost review, this provider currently offers the following rates:
- 1 month: € 11.99
- 1 year: € 63.48 speak € 5.29 per month
- 2 years: € 78.96 say € 3.29 per month
- 3 years: € 88,00 say € 2,45 per month
CyberGhost very regularly offers discounts. Sometimes a 3-year subscription, with an even more attractive price per month, is available. Once again we would like to encourage you to check the official website of the provider yourself after reading our CyberGhost review to see the current prices.
A 45-day money-back guarantee is also offered. This gives you the time you need to test this offer yourself, without any risks.
Payment Methods
Now let’s continue our CyberGhost 2023 review with the payment methods. Once you have selected one, all you have to do is pay.
There are several solutions offered. We particularly appreciate that this VPN provider also accepts payment in Bitcoins. Of course, payments through PayPal or with credit cards are also accepted.
In other words, you will definitely find the payment method that meets your needs. Our rating on CyberGhost is, therefore, more than positive. If you want to be perfectly anonymous from start to finish, you can choose to pay with Bitcoins.
But if you want something simple, fast and efficient, then you can pay with PayPal.
Desktop Software
If you need a VPN provider for multiple devices, then you should opt for a provider that supports all of them. Thus, it is necessary to make sure that the VPN supports as many devices as possible.
As you will find in our CyberGhost review, this provider offers its users the ability to install software on all major operating systems: Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android.
You can even install this VPN on Linux or on routers to secure all devices accessing the network. Our rating on CyberGhost is positive in this area, and we especially appreciate that it’s possible to install this VPN on 5 devices with a single subscription.
That way you can protect all your devices!
Since we did our CyberGhost 2023 test on a MacBook too, we downloaded the Mac OS-compatible software. The application is very easy to install. The latest version has been worked out well and is also extremely easy to use.
We liked its design. However, compared to using it in Windows, it remains somewhat limited. However, our rating of CyberGhost is still very positive!
Mobile app
Our review of CyberGhost would not be complete if we did not also discuss the applications for mobile devices, because this point is getting more and more important from year to year. And for good reason, because more and more users surf the Internet with their smartphone or tablet.
Thus, it is simply vital that a good VPN provides high-quality applications for these devices. As we mentioned earlier in our CyberGhost 2023 review, we are not disappointed by this provider in that area, as it offers a satisfying application.
For this CyberGhost test, we tested the application on iOS.
Security and privacy
Security and privacy are the priority of VPN providers. If you value your security, you must opt for a provider that does not keep the logfiles and offers a kill switch feature.
As we mention in our CyberGhost review, this provider offers the most popular VPN protocols: OpenVPN, L2TP, and PPTP with 256-bit encryption for the first two and 128-bit encryption for PPTP. This is good, as you can be sure that your data will not be read by any strangers.
Logs CyberGhost
As far as privacy and anonymity are concerned, CyberGhost is clear in its confidentiality statement, stating that it does not keep log files (no activity logs and no connection logs). Again, you can rest easy, because Romania does not require VPN providers to keep any log files. This is in contrast, by the way, to some Western European countries, who require the retention of surfing data for at least one year.
Our review of CyberGhost is extremely positive in terms of security and privacy. It has the kill switch (emergency stop button), does not store log files and offers the best encryption protocols. You are safe with them.
Customer service
Now we come to a very important point in our detailed evaluation of the VPN provider CyberGhost: the customer service.
You will not be disappointed in this area, especially if you do not speak English. This provider has customer service in French, English and German.
Representatives are available to answer your queries 24/7/365 via online chat.
The quality and friendliness of the customer service didn’t go unappreciated and therefore in this area, our rating of CyberGhost 2023 is very positive.
Speed
Conclusion
Now we come to the end of our detailed evaluation of CyberGhost. As you can see, this VPN provider has more than a few tricks up its sleeve that you’ll love.
Although it is not perfect, it is certainly difficult to fault it. However, we could still make the criticism that it poses some obstacles to those in certain countries and using certain internet access providers.
This is the case in the United Kingdom with the providers Virgin and Sky, for example. Nevertheless, our CyberGhost rating continues to be extremely positive and we are confident that you will not regret choosing this provider.
Why We Recommend It:
- No log files
- Excellent connection speed
- Excellent for streaming (Netflix, HBO)
- P2P allowed
You need to pay attention to It:
- Difficulties in some countries
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