Virtual Private Networks, more commonly known as VPNs, have been around for quite a while. They used to be the domain mostly of telecommuters, often run by large corporations for their employees to login and access confidential and important data and services remotely in a secure way. In the last decade or so, however, the growth of third-party VPN services aimed at consumers has been massive. With growing concern over surveillance, privacy, and identity theft, more and more consumers are turning to VPNs to help keep them safer online. But how can you know where to start with choosing the best VPN? To help, we’ve put together a guide to the best VPNs from Reddit recommendations, detailing the best options in the world of VPN services.
VPNs offer a number of features that are beneficial to consumers, including some that are critical for those living in countries or regions with heavy restrictions on Internet access. VPNs allow for users to connect to the VPN’s servers, and create a secure tunnel between their computer or phone and the VPN server. From there, they use the VPN server, often with some additional hops, as an outbound point for browsing or doing whatever else they might do online. This obscures the true destination and content of a user’s Internet traffic, even from their ISP, as well as any kind of government, corporate, educational, or other censors that might exist.
Based on that same method of how VPNs work, they can help users to bypass geographic restrictions on content, such as streaming services like Netflix. They can help provide a secure, anonymous way to utilize file sharing and Torrenting, without worrying about being sued by the RIAA or other groups. They can help to wipe your digital fingerprints from the Internet, allowing you to browse in relative security and anonymity. VPNs can also help to keep you safe from bad actors out there, providing added layers of protection from those who might seek to hack your system, steal your information, and so on.
This is, of course, just a rudimentary explanation of how VPNs work and what they offer to consumers. The important takeaway is that every user, no matter what they do online, can benefit to some degree or another from using a VPN service. Most modern VPN services that are focused on consumer services offer an array of features in their service that varies considerably from provider to provider. In almost all cases, they offer a subscription-based access to their services, and often have different pricing plans depending upon your needs. There’s a lot to consider when you’re shopping for a VPN service, and we’ll do our best to keep things as low-tech and consumer-friendly as possible in our review of the best VPNs from Reddit recommendations below. But first, let’s talk a bit more about those VPN service features.
As with any purchase, there are several factors you want to consider when you are reviewing potential VPNs. Things like customer service, reputation, online reviews, cost/value for money, and so on are all important. But when it comes to something fairly technical like a VPN, there are additional features that you must consider in order to be able to compare different services. Below, we highlight some of the key features and considerations when you are looking at VPNs and VPN reviews, and why each feature is important. These will form the lion’s share of our VPN feature/specification tables for each of the VPNs Reddit recommends that are detailed in the body of our guide. They aren’t the only things to consider, of course, but are extremely important technical aspects of what a given VPN offers to consumers.
Number of Servers/Country Locations
The number of servers gives a rough indication of the kind of size and scope of the VPN’s network. There are no universal standards, however, so take these numbers with a grain of salt. A single server at one company may have the bandwidth of 10 servers at another, so it’s not a fool-proof metric. However, unless otherwise indicated, the number of servers does reflect the number of potential “outbound points” from which you can access content when you are connected to the VPN. Typically, there is a pool of IP addresses associated with each server, but the numbers there also vary considerably.
Perhaps most important is the country locations of the servers, since these will be your source “location” for accessing content. As bypassing geo-restrictions on content is one of the primary purposes of a VPN, it’s important to make sure the countries in which a VPN has servers match the markets you are trying to access for content – either bypassing censorship and firewalls, or accessing alternative markets’ games, Netflix, and so on. Again, don’t rely too heavily on the raw number, but look at the countries specifically if you are considering that VPN. Having servers in every EU country, for instance, doesn’t get you much if you are trying to access American content from abroad.
Privacy/Records/Logging Policies
Most VPNs have minimal logging policies, and keep bare-bones records only to comply with local laws. The reason for this is that VPNs provide a service that counts anonymity among its chief benefits. By only recording very minimal information, and in most cases divorcing that information from anything identifiable to you, your account, true IP address, or similar, they cannot be compelled to turn over records to lawyers, lobbyists, or industry groups. Depending on what you intend to do during your VPN sessions, this may be a very low or very high priority factor in deciding on the best VPN service for you. Do bear in mind, however, that even doing things online like file sharing or using a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions on content often are violations of various terms of service for many service providers, if not outright “illegal” in the classic sense of the word. Therefore, the fewer records and logs kept about your activities by the VPN, the better, at least in most users’ eyes.
Country of Jurisdiction
Similar to our discussion of logging and records above, the country of jurisdiction for the particular VPN can play a role in what they may or may not be forced to turn over to law enforcement. It also often governs what logs and records they must keep. Many people worry that VPNs based in intelligence-heavy countries, such as the US, UK, or other members of the Five Eyes, are more susceptible to surreptitious eavesdropping or interception of online communications as well. For those who are heavily concerned with privacy and anonymity – especially those using VPNs to bypass local political or governmental bans on sites or critical discourse – choosing a VPN based in a less-regulated, more stove-piped country with regards to intelligence and surveillance often makes the most sense.
Technologies
There are numerous different types of technologies in use by various VPN service providers, including the actual protocols that are used, as well as the encryption technology utilized. These are factors to consider, especially if you are an advanced user or have a particular concern about compatibility with various devices you tend to use with the VPN service. For most users, however, knowing that they offer several protocols, a kill switch (so your IP isn’t disclosed if the connection drops suddenly), and at least 256-bit encryption should be more than sufficient. For specific considerations or concerns, there’s usually quite a bit of technical data available from the better VPNs in their Support and/or FAQs sections, but these details are beyond the scope of what most newbies to VPNs are going to need to concern themselves with, and therefore not focused on too heavily in our review of the best VPNs from Reddit recommendations.
Torrenting/File Sharing
A major decision factor when choosing a VPN is whether or not you intend to use file sharing or Torrenting software while connected through the VPN. This is typically bandwidth-intensive, though also one of the primary appeals of a VPN – being able to file share and Torrent with greater anonymity and less worry about being tracked down by the RIAA and other lawsuit-happy industry trade groups. Many VPN services offer a subset of their servers specifically optimized for file sharing, while others allow it on all of their servers. Still others discourage it, but don’t outright prevent it, while some flatly ban it. As there is such a range of differences on this point, and the ability to use a VPN with Torrenting or file sharing is a critical detail for many people considering a VPN, this criteria deserves thorough investigation before selecting the VPN that’s best for you.
Netflix/Video Streaming
Another popular use for VPNs is to access Netflix and other online streaming services, even Youtube and free services, while bypassing the geo-restrictions placed on content. A lot of content providers have contractual license agreements and territorial restrictions on the content they offer through their streaming services. As a result, those travelling abroad cannot often access their home content, and those living in one country may be prohibited from accessing shows from another. At the same time, streaming service providers have to try to prevent this kind of bypassing, at the very least as a show of good faith toward the content owners who license content to them in the first place. VPNs are in a constant battle with these services to avoid having IP addresses banned, and to ensure that they work to access the content. Some are more successful than others, and some VPNs discourage their use in this manner. Again, depending on your intended use for a VPN service, this feature may play a large role in your decision-making.
Connections/Devices
Like most tech services these days, most of the best VPNs in our reviews below offer subscription or service-plan style pricing. Some have pre-defined plans with a set limit of devices or connections you can have active at one time, whereas others offer modular plans depending on how many devices or connections you want. In many cases, this refers simply to active connections to the VPN – so a single connection is fine if you intend to sometimes use it on your laptop and sometimes on your phone, but never at the same time. As with all the decision criteria and VPN features, it’s important to have a sense of how you want to use the VPN, and make sure that the plan you choose accommodates those intended uses, including the number of devices and connections they allow.
Speed
By their nature, VPNs introduce several additional hops into any Internet connection. Depending on the distance, servers, and equipment along the way and at those hops, this can introduce significant latency to your connection through a VPN. It can also introduce bandwidth limitations that can be significant in some cases. While the overall speed of any given connection is almost always going to vary based on your origin point, server connection, and ISP, we’ll try to quantify the speed “hit” or penalty that your connection will take with a given VPN service, based on the Reddit comments and third-party testing data and reviews. For those intending to do things like file sharing or gaming over a VPN, the ping and bandwidth hit can be a major deciding factor in choosing a VPN.
VPNs touch on a lot of different topics, from gaming to general computer use, travel, Torrenting, and much more. As a result, you’ll find some information about good VPNs in a lot of general sub-Reddits, as well as some on specific topics that may be of interest or relevant (depending on your intended use of the VPN). There are sub-Reddits and information available for people of all technology skill levels, with deep dives on a lot of the features and aspects of the different VPNs we highlight in our best VPN Reddit recommendations guide. We used the following sub-Reddits as primary sources for our VPN research and recommendations, as well as sources of comments and feedback that we’ve included with each entry in our list.
As mentioned above, and in some of our other Reddit reviews, you may also find more specialized help in dedicated sub-Reddits for your particular hobby, use, or purpose. If you mostly need a VPN for international business travel, then sub-Reddits about that topic would be a good place to search for VPN information. You’re likely to find more specific details about VPNs that will help you decide what the best choice is for your needs within that context. However, our guides are designed for general audiences, and so the above sub-Reddits are primarily the best places for most people to start learning more about VPNs – after reading our best VPN Reddit recommendations, of course!
Many of the above sub-Reddits encompass a wide range of topics, though some are clearly very VPN-oriented. You’ll find people on many of these sub-Reddits with significant technical expertise and experience with a wide variety of VPN services (there are several hundred providers globally). You can definitely ask questions and get good answers on a lot of these sub-Reddits, often faster and more thorough and unbiased than the official support or help forums for the various VPNs. As always, just be sure you read the sub-Reddit’s rules before you start posting. That way, you’ll have the best chance of getting helpful advice and answers to any questions you may have.
Consistent with all of our reviews, we’ve listed the top VPNs from Reddit recommendations below in alphabetical order, based on the name of the service provider. The order of their listing doesn’t imply any ranking or that one is better than the other based on their place in the list. Instead, we’ve captured and included the best VPN services that are available today, big and small, with diverse sets of features. Whether you’re looking for the best paid VPN, best free VPN, best VPN for Torrenting, best VPN for streaming, or best all-around VPN service, we’ve got you covered.
As with all of our product and service category reviews, we’ve selected one entry from our list to receive our “Redditor’s Choice” award, based on positive feedback and comments, value, recommendations from Reddit, user reviews, and other factors. This is almost always a good place to start if you are new to a particular product or service category, and it’s no different with our guide to the best VPNs from Reddit recommendations.
As a standard disclaimer, all specifications, images, and other information are accurate as of the time of publication, and subject to change based on service provider updates. Always be sure to review the exact specifications and options listed for the service you are considering before confirming your purchase or subscription sign-up.
Now, let’s take a look at the top Reddit VPNs recommended by the numerous sub-Reddits related to this category.
NordVPN is perhaps the best-known VPN provider today, thanks in large part to their extensive marketing efforts. This has led many to cast aspersions at NordVPN as being about style more than substance, marketing over performance or real security. However, they also have a robust user base that is highly satisfied with their services. Like any VPN, they have their pros and cons, as we’ll address in our review below. But, there’s no doubt that NordVPN is one of the most frequently mentioned VPNs from Reddit recommendations, and effectively the “Microsoft”, “Google”, “Starbucks”, etc. of the VPN world in terms of market share.
The server network at NordVPN is unquestionably the biggest of any company, with over 5600 servers in 60 countries. The company is based in Panama, which does not have mandatory data retention laws, and is outside the scope of most intelligence agency presence (e.g. the 5 Eyes Alliance). NordVPN maintains a no logging policy that, to our knowledge, has not been breached in any court to date. They encourage file sharing via dedicated P2P servers, and offer geo-unblocking of streaming services including Netflix. Their unblocking can be spotty, like all VPNs, though tends to be more reliable – perhaps due to sheer size – than many of the other VPN services on our list. They use standard AES-256 encryption, and offer both OpenVPN and IKEv2-IPSec protocols, along with TLS 1.2 for their web proxy. They offer a double-encryption option, static IP option, and many other features that put them on par with or above most other VPN service offerings.
That’s not to say that NordVPN doesn’t have some negatives against it, too. This is not a sponsored review, and although we may make a commission from purchases generated from our site, we are in no way bound in our editorial decisions and review conclusions. NordVPN, for many users, has a significant speed hit and ping increase. It greatly depends on the server you are connected to, time of day, network load, and even your device, but there can be moderate and sometimes significant variability. While the overall network is quite speedy, it’s not the fastest VPN service out there for most users. It’s by no means the slow crawl of many others, either, but a 25-50% speed hit is common for many users/locations/server connection combinations, with larger hits possible and reported by many as well. It is hard to judge if this is merely a function of the much larger network and user base, meaning there’s more potential for issues and more, naturally, rise to be reported online, of if it’s a matter of an underlying problem, such as overselling capacity as many detractors have claimed.
For the most part, however, NordVPN is designed to be easy-to-use, secure, and relatively fast. It offers most users privacy and security, at a good speed, and for a reasonable price, especially if you choose the 2 or 3 year subscription term. It’s not perfect, and definitely has some faults and detractors. You can find both good and bad reviews, as with many VPNs, and probably more in Nord’s case due to market share. But for our money, it’s still one of the better choices for balancing privacy, security, anonymity, ease-of-use, speed, and features for the vast majority of users, and many Reddit users agree with that sentiment.
VPN Cost/Subscription Plans:
Each NordVPN account allows you to have up to 6 devices connected simultaneously through the VPN. As with most services, there is only one subscription plan, with cost decreasing on longer-term subscription durations.
They accept Credit Cards, Amazon Pay, various cryptocurrencies through CoinPayments, Alipay, and Unionpay.
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | 5668 |
| Number of Countries: | 60 |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | Panama |
| Logging Policy: | No Logs |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES, Dedicated Servers |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | Yes |
| Kill Switch: | YES |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | OpenVPN, IKEv2-IPsec, TLS 1.2 |
| Devices/Connections: | 6 Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 20ms to 50ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 25%-65% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | Moderate |
Windscribe is not always the most well-reviewed VPN on a lot of other VPN review sites, but it deserves a look by any user seeking their first or a new VPN provider. Of course, it has some negatives, but then every VPN service does. It also has a lot of positives going for it, and consequently is one of the best VPNs from Reddit recommendations that we’ve found consistently over time. They don’t disclose their server count any longer, though it used to be listed on their site and numbered over 450. This doesn’t mean their network is small, however – a “server” in a count is a fairly ambiguous metric, and one company’s single server could be equivalent to dozens of another’s. They operate in over 60 countries, with over 100 data centers across those countries, and have a robust “no logging” policy and appear to take privacy very seriously.
Perhaps the best thing about Windscribe is that it’s ideal for Torrenting and P2P file sharing, and is often the most-recommended VPN in sub-Reddits on that topic. They allow file sharing on most of their servers (with a few, clearly listed exceptions), and have port forwarding available as well. That’s essential for achieving good Torrent speed and availability, since it means you can be “discoverable”, and makes all the difference depending on the peer and seed counts on a particular Torrent. They also check all the standard boxes for encryption, protocols, and so on.
Netflix unblocking, another primary consideration for a lot of people looking at a VPN, is also quite good at Windscribe as well. They have dedicated Windflix servers specifically meant for Netflix unblocking, and most users report good, fairly consistent results in their success. Other streaming services and geo-restricted content can also be unblocked fairly reliably.
Another key selling point is that Windscribe offers both a free VPN (with restricted server counts and bandwidth caps), as well as the paid subscription plan. Both offer unlimited devices/connections, clearly outdoing all other VPNs on the list. Their software is fairly minimalist, and meant to be lean, nimble, and user-friendly, but packs a lot of features. Their ROBERT function allows you to blacklist or whitelist IP ranges and domains, and automatically blocks known malware and virus-related IPs. They not only have a standard kill switch in their VPN, but an integrated firewall as well, along with some other helpful features.
There are negatives, too, of course. First, they are based in Canada, which is better than the US in terms of intelligence/security, but still a negative for a lot of people who worry about any country in the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances. For the vast majority of users doing nothing more “illegal” or insidious than unblocking Netflix or Torrenting, it’s probably a moot point. The ping increases and bandwidth hits that you may take are moderately variable, with a lot of users reporting Windscribe as the fastest VPN they’ve tried, whereas others rank it on the slower side. Many third-party sites, some reputable, others questionable, have highly variable results on speed testing as well. These results also seem to change over time, and greatly depend on your location and the server you connect through. However, in the grand scheme of things, these are fairly minor – especially since you can try the free version, sign up for a monthly plan, or even build your own plan based on the servers you want to connect to, and save significantly.
Windscribe may not be the big-name player in the pond like NordVPN, but we believe it deserves an honorable mention as one of the best VPNs Reddit recommends, especially for Torrenting and Netflix unblocking, and is an excellent and affordable choice that performs fairly well across the board. Their team is also very active on social media, including Reddit, and well-schooled in memes and jokes, in addition to being helpful and practical. If you’ve tried the big names and weren’t satisfied, then perhaps it’s time to give Windscribe a try!
VPN Cost/Subscription Plans:
Windscribe offers both a free VPN plan, and a paid subscription plan. The free plan is limited in the servers that can be accessed, and is capped at 10 GB/month of bandwidth. Both free and subscription plans offer unlimited devices/simultaneous connections, which makes them the clear winner in that regard among all the VPNs we’ve reviewed. The standard paid plan has various durations, which, like most services, get cheaper the longer duration you choose. There are also some add-ons available (such as a static IP). You can also build a custom plan based on the locations you intend to connect to or through, at $1 per location per month. Student discounts are also available. The standard subscription plan prices are:
They accept Paypal, Credit Cards, Bitcoin, and Paymentwall for a subscription plan purchase.
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | Approx. 450 |
| Number of Countries: | 60+ |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | Canada |
| Logging Policy: | No Logs |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES, Most Servers, Port Forwarding |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | YES, via Windflix Servers |
| Kill Switch: | YES, plus Firewall |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | OpenVPN, IKEv2-IPSec, TLS 1.2 |
| Devices/Connections: | Unlimited Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 30ms to 70ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 30%-80% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | Moderate |
Cyberghost was founded in Germany, and currently operates out of Romania. They’re considered a budget VPN, with relatively low-cost subscription plans. The Cyberghost software works on PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and several other systems as well, and is designed to be easy to use and straightforward. Advanced users, however, can rest assured there are plenty of settings and options to tweak and adjust, and Cyberghost supports the full standard range of connection protocols. For a budget VPN, they have an impressive number of servers in their network, unmatched by all but a few other top-tier VPNs. They also offer all the typical VPN features, including allowing file sharing (on a subset of servers optimized for it), streaming, and Netflix unblocking, along with unblocking of many other popular streaming services.
At the same time, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. There’s a significant ping increase and bandwidth hit for many connections, well above the expected impact based on distance between you and the outbound server. The bandwidth hit is also highly variable, with some local servers offering 40% or less bandwidth hit, which is impressively low, whereas others the same distance and with comparable user count/load showing 90% or higher bandwidth hits. Streaming services unblocking, including and particularly Netflix, are spotty, and the number of servers available that will work for you can vary significantly over time, from as few as 0 at some times to a dozen or more at others.
It may not be the absolute best VPN Reddit recommends, but it’s a solid choice if you’re hard up for cash, and a definite step up from free VPNs that are often quite limited in features, data usage, servers, and security protection. The biggest flaw is simply the speed hit – but if you’re just browsing, emailing, or using online forums or the like, then that’s not a real concern. Gaming, file sharing, and streaming, however, can be impacted by a serious bandwidth hit, and it’s a bit of a crap shoot depending on what servers you connect to and the user load at the time.
VPN Cost/Subscription Plans:
Each account allows you to have up to 7 devices connected simultaneously, so a single account/subscription should be sufficient for almost all users. There is only one subscription plan, though like most services, the cost decreases depending on how long a subscription term you choose.
They accept Paypal, Credit Cards, and BitPay, allowing you to pay with cryptocurrencies for significantly increased anonymity.
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | 4962 |
| Number of Countries: | 60 |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | Romania |
| Logging Policy: | No Logs |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES, Subset of Servers |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES, Plus Dedicated Servers |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | YES, Plus Dedicated Servers |
| Kill Switch: | YES |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec, PPTP |
| Devices/Connections: | 7 Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 30ms to 50ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 50%-95% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | High |
ExpressVPN is one of the larger and more popular VPN service providers, with a considerable server network located in 94 countries around the world. Based in the British Virgin Islands, they maintain a fairly standard “no logging” policy, and are considered to be in a good jurisdiction for keeping user information confidential and secure. They support all the standard protocols and use 256-bit encryption like most other VPNs today. Streaming and unblocking Netflix, as well as several dozen other streaming services, is fully supported and works fairly well (with the usual caveat that servers and IPs can get blacklisted by the streaming services and are not 100% reliable, as with any VPN). Torrenting is not explicitly discussed in their documentation, but it is not discouraged, either, and many users report decent speeds and bandwidth when Torrenting or using other P2P file sharing protocols.
ExpressVPN is often cited among Reddit VPN comments as being one of the faster, speedier choices, and indeed, most of its servers tend to be of high quality. There’s very little variability, meaning no matter what server you choose, you’ll usually get similar performance. The ping time increases are typical for a VPN, at 30 to 40ms or so added per 1,000 miles distance between you and the server. The bandwidth hits, however, are significantly lower than many other VPNs we’ve reviewed. Bandwidth decrease can be as low as 15% with nearby servers, and doesn’t seem to exceed 40% or so even with servers halfway around the world. That’s leaps and bounds better than the performance you’ll find from many of the other top VPN choices.
On the downside, like many of the VPN services on our list, port forwarding is not supported, which can limit speed and seed availability for Torrents. Additionally, the higher speeds come at a cost, with the price of ExpressVPN being somewhat higher than many of the other top-tier VPN services. On the flipside, most people have positive comments about the customer service and continue to remain loyal to ExpressVPN over several years’ time, so it’s likely a case of “you get what you pay for”, with ExpressVPN being worth the slightly higher cost for many users.
VPN Cost/Subscription Plans:
Each subscription account offers support for up to 5 devices to be connected simultaneously, which is typically more than enough for most users. Like many VPN services, there is a single subscription plan, with different subscription terms (and a lower cost for a longer term commitment).
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | 3000+ |
| Number of Countries: | 94 |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | British Virgin Islands |
| Logging Policy: | No Logs |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | YES |
| Kill Switch: | YES |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec, PPTP |
| Devices/Connections: | 5 Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 30ms to 40ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 15%-40% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | Low |
Hotspot Shield is a mid-range VPN service that has a lot going for it, but also has some notable drawbacks that are worth mentioning. There’s no question that with over 650 million users, a free VPN as well as paid subscription plan, and a lot of standard VPN features, they’re worth considering. They have a fairly large server network with a presence in 70 countries. Hotspot Shield uses a proprietary protocol called Catapult Hydra, which means you can’t independently configure your devices with OpenVPN or similar. This protocol, however, has been built for speed, and that shows in the performance, with fairly standard ping increases, but relatively high speed with pretty low bandwidth decreases. They fully support and endorse file sharing/Torrenting over their VPN, as well as unblock Netflix and other streaming sites and services.
At the same time, there are some red flags here for those who are serious about privacy. The company is based in the US, which, along with the EU and UK, is considered one of the worst jurisdictions for potential surveillance by intelligence agencies, and compelled data release to law enforcement. They also have a questionable logging policy. Hotspot Shield claims not to keep logs or personally-identifiable information, though their policy is a bit ambiguous, and an FTC investigation has been previously opened regarding the parent company’s ad-related businesses. For most users, neither of these things are going to necessarily be major concerns, but for those who are primarily choosing a VPN based on privacy and anonymity, this may give them pause. The same holds true for those looking for a VPN that will let them use OpenVPN to configure devices directly, rather than forcing them to use the software or apps provided by the VPN service themselves.
Still, HotSpot Shield offers speeds you’ll appreciate, thanks in part to its proprietary protocol. Pricing is about in line with other mid-to-higher end VPN services, especially given the minimal bandwidth/speed hit on most servers. It may not be the first choice among the best VPNs Reddit recommends, but 650 million users worldwide give it some pretty positive credibility, too.
VPN Cost/Subscription Plans:
Hotspot Shield offers both a highly-limited free VPN account, as well as a paid, premium account. The free account is more akin to a free proxy, with significant limitations to bandwidth, the servers you can access, and the features you can use. Most people looking for a VPN for anything other than very occasional secure web browsing will want to choose the premium option.
With a premium account, you can register up to 5 devices across any of the supported platforms. The subscription plan for premium accounts is similar to those offered by other VPN services, in that you can choose from several different subscription terms, with the longer terms offering reduced costs.
They accept Paypal, Credit Cards, various retailer gift cards, and some pre-paid cards and other more niche payment methods like Mint and Alipay.
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | 3200+ |
| Number of Countries: | 70+ |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | United States |
| Logging Policy: | Questionable |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | YES |
| Kill Switch: | YES |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | Catapult Hydra |
| Devices/Connections: | 5 Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 40ms to 60ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 20%-30% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | Moderate |
IPVanish is a US-based, mid-sized VPN service that scores highly for low ping increases and low bandwidth hits from most of its servers for a vast majority of users. They offer a range of protocols, including a free SOCKS5 proxy, which many other VPNs do not offer. File sharing is allowed and even encouraged, with several guides for using different P2P software with their VPN available on their support site. Streaming is also allowed, though Netflix unblocking is no longer officially supported, and performance is spotty at best. Like most services, they use standard 256-bit encryption, have a kill switch for most major platforms, and offer the full range of typical VPN protocols, making their service highly compatible with many devices and platforms.
One of the more generous aspects of IPVanish’s subscription plans is that they allow up to 10 simultaneous device connections per account. This is among the most of any VPN provider we’re aware of today, along with PIA, both only outshined by Windscribe that offers unlimited. They have 1,300+ servers in over 50 countries and 75+ locations, predominately (though not exclusively) in the EU and US. Service is fairly reliable and speedy, which are major plusses for IPVanish.
Unfortunately, there are downsides as well. Their logging policy, despite being “no logs” like most of the best VPNs Reddit recommends, may not be so clear-cut. Past allegations of logging and cooperation with US law enforcement have been made against them and several other VPNs. There is also some variability in speed, with most servers and distance-related ping increases/bandwidth decreases being predictable, but occasional peaks and valleys that can be frustrating, even on local connections. They are also based in the US, notorious for surveillance, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies, so true protection and anonymity are an open question.
Still, IPVanish offers a relatively affordable subscription plan with generous device limits, fairly high speeds, one of the lowest ping time increases of any VPN we’ve seen, and a range of pretty standard features for their VPN. They’re highly compatible with more devices and platforms than most VPNs, and can be a useful option for many seeking a VPN service, depending on their needs and concerns.
Each account allows you a generous 10 simultaneous connections, which should cover most people’s full range of home electronics. IPVanish offers a single subscription plan, like most services, and the cost gets lower the longer a subscription term you choose.
They accept Paypal and all major Credit Cards.
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | 1300+ |
| Number of Countries: | 51+ |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | United States |
| Logging Policy: | Questionable |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | Questionable |
| Kill Switch: | YES (macOS, Android, Windows) |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec, PPTP |
| Devices/Connections: | 10 Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 0ms to 30ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 5%-40% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | Moderate |
Private Internet Access, or PIA, offers a VPN service that’s been around for nearly a decade now. As one of the more stable and well-established VPN providers, they have a decently-sized network of servers (though the number of countries those are located in is a bit smaller than you’ll find with some other providers). Their service offers most of the standard VPN features, protocols, and so on, as well as some additional perks including a SOCKS5 proxy with your subscription. They also have port forwarding-enabled servers for Torrenting, which is a big plus in our book. On top of all of that, you get 10 simultaneous connections per account – tied with IPVanish as the most generous enumerated limit of any VPN, beaten out only by Windscribe with the theoretically infinite or unlimited connections they offer.
There’s a lot to love about PIA, and its proponents are fairly vocal in forums reviewing and discussing the best VPNs from Reddit recommendations and user experience. There are also detractors, and some known issues. Most often, the lack of Netflix unblocking or geo-unblocking support is cited as a major reason to consider another VPN. While many services have spotty records in this regard, PIA generally has been very poor in unblocking Netflix. At the same time, their technical and customer support has received some fairly unkind reviews from a lot of users, who found them slow, with limited availability, and not super helpful.
With that said, for most users, they offer one of the faster VPN experiences out there. Ping increases are among some of the lowest, and bandwidth hits also on the lower end of the spectrum for most users. Despite being based in the US, their “no logging” policy has been tried a few times in court by law enforcement seeking records, and it has held up well, which is definitely a feather in their cap. Of course, this won’t dissuade those who are truly obsessed with privacy and anonymity that “any VPN based in the US is a bad idea”, but for the average user, it should be reassuring that the company stands behind its claims, and has proven that they can defend their users in court accordingly.
PIA also offers one of the lower-cost VPN services around. The software may not be as flashy and fancy as some of the other providers, but considering the speed and features you do get, the prices seem more than fair. If geo-unblocking Netflix and similar services are your main reason for getting a VPN, you might want to look elsewhere. But for almost everything else, PIA is an affordable, functional, and stable choice.
VPN Cost/Subscription Plans:
At PIA, each subscription account can have up to 10 devices connected simultaneously. This is tied with IPVanish as the highest specified number of devices or connections, though outshined by Windscribe which offers an unlimited number. Also, like most other services, there is a single subscription plan, with varying terms, that reduce the price the longer you commit.
They accept Paypal, Credit Cards, various cryptocurrencies, Amazon Pay, major retailer gift cards, their own pre-paid gift cards, and other more security-focused and exotic payment methods for the subscriptions to PIA.
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | 3394 |
| Number of Countries: | 32 |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | United States |
| Logging Policy: | No Logs |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES, Port Forwarding Offered |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | Questionable |
| Kill Switch: | YES |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec, PPTP |
| Devices/Connections: | 10 Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 10ms to 30ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 20%-50% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | Low |
TorGuard offers several paid services, including their Anonymous VPN. It’s not affiliated with TOR (The Onion Router) – the Tor in the name stands for Torrent, as the service was originally designed to help with P2P file sharing via Torrents anonymously, and has grown from there. Today, they have over 3000 servers in over 50 countries, offering a full-fledged VPN service. File sharing is not only allowed, but encouraged – in fact, it’s pretty much baked into TorGuard’s DNA. They maintain a strict “no logging” policy like most modern VPNs, and offer one of the most expansive ranges of connection protocols we’ve seen, including all the standards of other VPNs and several additional ones. With their commitment to file sharing, it’s no surprise that port forwarding is fully supported on TorGuard. Up to 8 device connections are allowed simultaneously per account, increased from only 5 not too long ago.
With that said, there are some downsides to TorGuard. It doesn’t directly support Netflix unblocking, and instead requires a dedicated IP purchased as an add-on for Netflix and similar geo-restricted services. However, that does provide a more reliable option than with many other VPN providers, albeit at an increased monthly cost (effectively doubling or tripling the base monthly cost in many cases). Speeds are also hit or miss, and by no means the fastest of the VPNs we’ve reviewed – but by no means the slowest, either. Ping increase is particularly high, and bandwidth hit is variable, from 30 to 60% in many cases, aside from the usual decline based on distance.
It should be noted, however, that for file sharing at least, it is one of the top VPN services available. With 5 different subscription durations, and accepting almost every payment system imaginable, they definitely go out of their way to make it easy to sign up for their services. Their customer service is also highly regarded by most users, too. The software could be a bit sleeker and user-friendly, speeds can be variable, and Netflix unblocking isn’t a function of the base VPN plan. But for file sharing and general VPN use, it’s definitely worth considering.
VPN Cost/Subscription Plans:
A subscription used to provide only 5 devices/connections, but now provides 8 simultaneous connections, a definite step up. That should be sufficient for most customers. As with all the other VPN services we’ve reviewed, they have a single subscription plan (though with add-ons for various flavors and locations of dedicated IP, for example), and the price for that subscription decreases the longer the duration you commit to upfront.
They accept Paypal, Credit Cards, Cryptocurrencies, Paymentwall, and Paygarden, meaning retailer gift cards are also accepted.
| VPN Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Servers: | 3000+ |
| Number of Countries: | 50+ |
| Country of Jurisdiction: | United States |
| Logging Policy: | No Logs |
| File Sharing Allowed: | YES |
| Streaming Allowed: | YES |
| Bypasses Netflix Restrictions: | Possible with Dedicated IP (Extra Cost) |
| Kill Switch: | YES |
| Encryption: | AES-256 |
| Protocols: | OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec, PPTP, SSTP, WG |
| Devices/Connections: | 8 Per Account |
| PC Compatible: | YES |
| MAC Compatible: | YES |
| iOS Compatible: | YES |
| Android Compatible: | YES |
| Typical Ping Increase: | 40ms to 70ms Per 1,000 Miles |
| Typical Bandwidth Hit: | 30%-60% |
| Bandwidth Variability: | Moderate |
Any of the above choices for best VPN from Reddit recommendations could serve you well. Like many things in life, the decision of which service is best for you will depend largely on your primary motivations and intended use for the VPN. Some are better-suited for Torrenting and other P2P file sharing activities, whereas others are optimal for Netflix unblocking or more focused on security and general purpose use. Cost, features, speed, and your intended use all come together to form a nexus of what you consider important in your VPN service, and should guide your choices accordingly. However, our Redditor’s Choice award-winner and honorable mention winner above both great options, and extremely sound choices. You can always try the monthly subscription option with any VPN to see how it performs for you, specifically, and your needs before you make a longer-term (and cheaper) commitment. More importantly, these two options are among the most-frequently recommended VPNs from Reddit users, with the user feedback, reviews, and technical specs to back up those recommendations.
Whichever VPN you choose, we can’t stress enough that it’s worth the expense. Staying safe, secure, and private online, when sharing files, accessing content, bypassing local censorship, using public Wifi, and similar activities are incredibly important – now more than ever before. Keep your digital persona and digital life safe with a VPN – it’s an investment in your security and peace of mind, and it’s hard to put a price on that.
