If you’re on the hunt for a VPN, you’ll no doubt have noticed that there are lots of providers to choose from. Unfortunately, they’re not all developed with your digital privacy in mind, and some services simply claim to protect your personal data and browsing sessions from snoopers without actually, y’know, doing so.
So, with that in mind, which services can you trust to boost your security? I’ve highlighted seven of the best VPNs to help you out.
Each of my picks comes with handy tools to add extra layers of privacy to your day-to-day browsing and a proven no-logs policy, so you can rest assured that what you get up to online stays under wraps. No two VPNs are the same, however, so keep reading to see which provider suits you best (depending on what you get up to).
1. NordVPN
NordVPN sits at the top of our overall VPN rankings – and its stellar security package is a huge part of the reason why. Right off the bat, NordVPN makes it clear via its privacy policy that none of your identifiable details are logged while you use the service. This includes session details like your IP address, traffic logs, and connection time stamps.
The provider even invited Deloitte, a well-respected auditing firm, to run a fine tooth comb through its logging policy. This occurred in November 2022 and, in January 2023, the results came out – and Deloitte declared that there were no red flags to report. Full stop.
“We do not store used bandwidth, traffic logs, IP addresses, or browsing data.”
NordVPN
NordVPN did poke the bear back in 2018, however, by claiming that hackers would never be able to access its servers. You can guess what happened next – the data center breach that followed was unfortunate, but no user information was involved and NordVPN re-secured the data center immediately. The good news is that NordVPN has since reevaluated its approach to user security – because we all live and learn, right?
In terms of tools, NordVPN has a stacked kit you can check out at your leisure. I especially like its Threat Protection suite which gets rid of ads, malware, and even scans your downloads for you (in case something nasty is hidden inside). Plus, because NordVPN uses its very own private DNS, your online adventures are kept private from nosy third parties.
▶ Try NordVPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark
Surfshark is another industry-leading provider, and my personal favorite cheap VPN, that offers a lot of functionality in exchange for a minuscule price. The no-logs policy makes it clear that Surfshark just isn’t interested in keeping hold of identifiable information – including the sites you visit or your network traffic. While the service does collect user IDs and connection timestamps, this is only temporary, and the info is deleted within 15 minutes of the user disconnecting from the server.
Over the years, Surfshark has undergone three independent audits, which is exactly what I like to see. Cure53 vetted the service twice, put its browser extensions under the microscope, and picked out a few vulnerabilities that were fixed in a flash. Then, more recently, Deloitte’s auditors examined the service (and chatted with Surfshark staff), and determined that its policy is squeaky clean.
“We do not collect any information about what you do online (your visited IP addresses, browsing history, session information, used bandwidth, connection time stamps, network traffic or any other similar information).”
Surfshark
On the subject of vulnerabilities, Surfshark’s kill switch had its issues in the past. We saw these during our testing, too, where the Windows version of the kill switch would fail in extreme circumstances. When we approached Surfshark with our concerns, the provider responded quickly, implementing a fix.
Surfshark goes out of its way to offer a bevy of privacy-enhancing tools, too. For a start, the handing rotating IPs ensure that you stay one step ahead of correlation attacks by swapping your IP address every 5 to 10 minutes. The Camouflage Mode obfuscated servers can mask your VPN traffic (making it look like regular traffic) to help evade bans, too, and a handy CleanWeb tool makes short work of ads, trackers, and malware, to make the internet a nicer place to be.
▶ Try Surfshark with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA) has carved a niche for itself in the industry as a battle-tested service that really, seriously, has your security in mind. Its logging policy spells it out in black and white. PIA won’t log your IP address or browsing history, which VPN server you use, or session information. It sounds great on paper – and it gets even better when you realize you don’t have to take the company at its word.
PIA’s logging policy has been audited twice by Deloitte, and the auditing firm performed a thorough investigation of PIA’s VPN and server network, and interviewed its staff, too. The results were positive, and PIA got a gold star, but it’s also worth noting that PIA is the only VPN to be taken to court, twice, and prove its no logs policy, twice. It simply didn’t have any user data to fork over – even when prompted by a judge.
“We DO NOT collect or store browsing history, connected content, user IPs, connection time stamps, bandwidth logs, DNS queries, or anything like that.”
Private Internet Access
If you’re interested in doing your own evaluation, you can – because PIA’s apps are open source. You can take a look through the source code for vulnerabilities, if you want, and PIA even has a Bug Bounty you can take advantage of if you happen to find anything untoward.
Like NordVPN and Surfshark, PIA has its very own ad and malware-busting tool called PIA Mace. Obfuscated servers allow you to mask your VPN usage, in case you’re in a location where they’re banned, and multi-hop connections let you route your traffic through twice servers (instead of one) for an extra boost of security.
▶ Try Private Internet Access on unlimited devices.
4. Windscribe
Windscribe is a free VPN that breaks the mold. A lot of free services are… well, dodgy, designed to steal your data and make a profit. Windscribe doesn’t do anything nefarious, fortunately, and outlines its stance on user privacy in a short and sweet logging policy. The VPN won’t collect your IP or browsing history, and while it does collect some temporary data (like which server you’ve connected to, when, and how much bandwidth you’ve used), this information is stored in the VPN’s RAM servers and deleted as soon as the session ends.
“The following data is NOT stored:
Historical record of VPN sessions
Source IP
Sites you visited
We are firm believer that one’s browsing history should be taken to one’s grave.”Windscribe
The logging policy is clear, concise, and trustworthy – but I’d like to see Windscribe follow in the footsteps of NordVPN, Surfshark, and PIA, and invest in an independent audit. It’d mean that users don’t have to take the provider at its word, and add some much-needed transparency to an already impressive service.
Overall, Windscribe is a lightweight service that’s particularly good at preventing data leaks, and we didn’t encounter any DNS or IP leaks during our testing. The ROBERT DNS filter is pretty nifty, too, and promises to block trackers as you go about your browsing. I also like that ROBERT warns users away from malicious sites – seeing as they’re not always easy to spot.
▶ Put Windscribe to the test for free
5. Proton VPN
Proton VPN has made user privacy its thing – and comes from the same team of developers behind ProtonMail. The VPN’s privacy policy states that it doesn’t keep track of your internet activity and, as a result, can’t pass on any juicy personal details to nosy third parties. I’m also glad to see that Proton VPN’s session logging is minimal – and any timestamps the service stores are overwritten when you next log in.
“Account activity: Proton VPN is a no-logs VPN service. When you use the Service, we do NOT do any of the following:
Log users’ traffic or the content of any communications”Proton VPN
In 2020, Proton VPN invited SEC Consult to perform an independent audit of its apps. The results were great – but 2020 (in tech years) was a long time ago, and I’d like to see Proton VPN undergo another audit to reaffirm its position as a privacy-focused provider.
Proton VPN doesn’t just pay lip service to user privacy, either. For a start, the VPN is based in Switzerland, which is beyond the reach of the notorious 14 Eyes data-sharing alliance. You can also sign up for a Proton VPN account without forking over a ton of personal information – you can use any email you like, you don’t have to provide payment details, and you can even pay for your Proton VPN plan with cash (though its free plan is one of the best around).
▶ Try Proton VPN’s unlimited free plan.
6. Mullvad
Mullvad’s overall offering is simpler than the likes of NordVPN and Surfshark, but it’s a sturdy service with an awesome reputation for boosting digital anonymity – which might be exactly what you’re looking for. Mullvad’s logging policy is clear and clean – it won’t hold on to your IP address, traffic, or connection times, meaning there’s nothing stored within the VPN database to link you to your online activities.
“It is therefore our policy to never store any activity logs or metadata and to have as minimal data retention as possible.”
Mullvad
It’s hard to think of another VPN service that’s undergone more independent audits than Mullvad. The provider’s 2021 infrastructure audit confirmed its privacy claims, a 2022 server audit didn’t spot any leaks or logging, and there was even a spotless audit of its very own DNS servers. Basically, Mullvad gets full marks for transparency and security.
There aren’t a ton of nifty Mullvad features to shout about from the rooftops. However, the tools that the VPN does offer are reliable and effective. Its ad-blocking functionality works like a charm – and you can even separately block ads, trackers, and malware, as well as block access to gambling sites.
▶ Want to try Mullvad? Check out the website here.
7. AirVPN
AirVPN is the wildcard in my list – and it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you like the sound of a VPN “operated by activists and hacktivists in defense of net neutrality, privacy and against censorship”, then it might be worth checking out.
“Activity traffic and/or traffic content and/or IP addresses of the customers or users are not inspected, logged or stored into any mass storage device.”
AirVPN
In terms of logging, AirVPN’s policy outlines its stance, stating that it doesn’t monitor anything you get up to online. It’s boilerplate stuff, so I’d like to see AirVPN invite an independent auditor to comb through the policy, and the AirVPN Eddie app, to give prospective users some extra reassurance that their personal data is in good hands. However, like PIA, AirVPN’s clients are open source, meaning you can read through the source code at your leisure and do a bit of bug hunting (if that’s your thing).
I should point out that the AirVPN is seriously complex. Picking a server isn’t as intuitive as most other VPNs have made it, for example. Still, the sheer amount of customizability in its settings menu will appeal to advanced VPN users who want to tweak literally every aspect of their experience. You can get into the nitty-gritty of the kill switch, block incoming or outgoing traffic separately, and configure support for proxies and the Tor network.
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river.hart@futurenet.com (River Hart)
