10 Best VPN Services in 2024 | Part 1

Among modern VPN services, there are 10 standout options that are the safest, most secure, and fastest for both browser plugins and PC/smartphone apps. With these VPNs, you can access blocked sites, keep your personal data private, and increase your online protection. Each of the top 10 VPN services has its unique features and set of advantages. In this article, we will review each VPN individually and compare them in a summary spreadsheet to help you choose the best option for your needs.
Rating of the best VPN services - TOP 10
Comparison of the TOP 10 Best VPN services
How to choose the right VPN service

Rating of the best VPN services - TOP 10

The top 10 VPN services include:

Surfshark - World's best-selling paid VPN

Surfshark is the world's best-selling VPN service, allowing you to work through secure channels and avoid the collection of personal data. All traffic is protected with military-grade encryption, and the service automatically selects the fastest server for your computer or smartphone. You can also set the desired location manually. Surfshark only collects emails from users to inform them about their payment status. All other personal data is kept confidential. This service is available on platforms such as Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, Xbox, SMART TV (including Apple TV), PlayStation, Chrome, and Firefox.

Pros of Surfshark

• Hides the fact that you're using a VPN from your Internet provider;

• Notifies the user if law enforcement or other organizations try to find out your personal data;

• Allows you to connect an unlimited number of devices to the account;

• Does not log your data;

• Supports P2P networks with unlimited file size.

Cons of Surfshark

• Auto-selected servers can perform poorly;

Price

Surfshark for smartphones comes with a 7-day free trial. Basic rates are as follows:

• Monthly payment - $11.95;

• Payment for the year - $71.88 ($5.99 per month);

• Payment for 2 years - $47.76 ($1.99 per month).

Additionally, Surfshark offers extra services such as ad-blocking, the removal of recommended links from search results, and email compromise avoidance, which cost $0.99 when connected together. Refunds can be made within 30 days.

Hotspot Shield - №1 in performance

Hotspot Shield is a VPN with unique traffic encryption technology, and its protocol is used in 70% of the largest companies in the world operating in the online security segment. The Hotspot Shield team claims that their service does not collect or store personal data of customers, but the license agreement states that some information, such as the browser cache, may be saved when their product is connected. Hotspot Shield is available on platforms such as Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Chrome, and Router.

Pros of Hotspot Shield

• There is a free version;

• Servers are available from 70 countries;

• The service automatically selects the server with the optimal location;

• Protection against viruses, spam, and phishing sites;

• One account can be used for 5 devices.

Cons of Hotspot Shield

• Not available in Russia (can be used through a proxy server);

• Relatively high subscription cost;

• The free version contains many ads;

• The license agreement allows the collection and storage of data from the user's cache.

Price

Hotspot Shield is free to use; to use the premium version, simply download the desired version for your operating system or browser from their website. The premium version gives you access to the fastest servers from around the world, and prices are as follows:

• Monthly payment - $12.99;

• Payment for a year in advance - $95.88 ($7.99 per month).

Hotspot Shield offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN - The most secure VPN in the world

NordVPN is a VPN that places a strong emphasis on the reliability of its product. The company uses advanced technologies, such as double encryption and spam and ad blocker, to ensure a secure and private connection. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will only be able to know that you are using a VPN, and all visited sites will remain confidential. NordVPN already has over 12,000,000 users and is available on platforms such as Android, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox. One account can be used for 6 devices.

Pros of NordVPN

• No logs are kept, and personal information about users is not stored;

• The independent status of the company based in Panama, where there is no government control and internet censorship;

• High performance;

• 6000 servers from 60 countries;

• The ability to use one account for six devices;

• Acceptance of bitcoins as payment.

Cons of NordVPN

• Relatively high subscription cost;

• There is no free version.

Price

NordVPN does not offer long-term free use, but a seven-day trial period is available to Android users. Paid subscription costs are as follows:

• Monthly payment - $11.95;

• Payment for a year - $83.88 ($6.99 per month);

• Payment for two years - $119.76 ($4.99 per month);

• Payment for three years - $125.64 ($3.49 per month).

NordVPN allows refunds within a month of purchase.

TunnelBear - Advanced personal data protection

TunnelBear is a Canadian VPN service that offers enhanced user privacy protection. It is available in both free and paid versions. One feature of the service is that it does not collect IP addresses, activity history, or other customer data. Another advantage of TunnelBear is that it provides insurance in case the connection is lost. If this happens, traffic is blocked until the connection is restored, ensuring maximum anonymity when working online. TunnelBear is available on platforms such as iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Opera, Chrome, and Firefox.

Pros of TunnelBear

• Availability of a free version, but limited to 500 Mb of traffic per month;

• The possibility of non-stop operation (auto-on at system startup);

• Cross-platform;

• A set of technologies for high internet security, such as AES 256-bit encryption, VigilantBear, and GhostBear;

• The ability to connect up to five devices, even on the free version;

• Auto power on at system startup (can be disabled).

Cons of TunnelBear

• Cannot connect to torrent.

Price

TunnelBear offers three possible tariffs:

• Free - $0;

• Unlimited - $9.99 per month, $59.88 per year, $120 for three years;

• Team - starting from $5.75 per month.

There is no refund policy.

Speedify - The fastest VPN

Speedify is an American VPN service that offers the fastest connection speeds among its competitors. It also has the ability to connect to Wi-Fi, mobile data, and Bluetooth to get even faster speeds. If one of the connections is broken, the others will keep the connection. The main feature of the service is the Channel Bonding function, which allows you to simultaneously use an unlimited number of devices based on one account. Speedify works on platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Pros of Speedify

• A 30-day free trial period;

• Advanced encryption technologies, including 256-bit AES, ChaCha20, and identity theft protection;

• Favorable conditions for corporate and family subscriptions;

• High connection speed.

Cons of Speedify

• Does not provide access to inaccessible content on some resources like Netflix;

• Only one security protocol is available, so ISPs can block access.

Price

Speedify offers plans for individual, family, and corporate subscriptions. The conditions for a single user are as follows:

• Monthly payment - $9.99;

• Annual plan - $71.88 ($5.99 per month);

• Payment for two years - $95.76 ($3.99 per month);

• Payment for three years - $107.64 ($2.99 per month).

Refunds are available within the 30-day warranty period.

Hola VPN - IP Exchange system

Hola VPN is a P2P network that operates without servers. Instead, it uses a system for redirecting traffic through the devices of other users, mostly inactive computers. This reduces the load and masks the actual actions from your device. However, Hola VPN is risky to use because you voluntarily give your IP for use by other people, just as they give you theirs. If your IP address is used for illegal actions, your traces will remain in those deeds. You can avoid this by purchasing a paid subscription. Hola VPN is available on platforms such as Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, SMART TV, ad blockers, and other platforms with a built-in VPN connection.

Pros of Hola VPN

• There is a free version for PC;

• Provides a different IP address;

• Performance does not depend on the “health” of the servers;

• A ban on the use of your IP by other users on the paid version;

• The ability to use foreign IPs to bypass regional blocks;

• Hashes data on the computers of other users, which accelerates the loading of some web pages;

• On the paid version, the connection goes through one account from different devices (up to 10).

Cons of Hola VPN

• Regularly pop-up notifications about security problems;

• Transfer of your IP address to other users;

• A subscription is needed to use Hola on a smartphone.

Price

On PC, you can use the free version of Hola or upgrade to Hola VPN Plus. To use this service on mobile devices, you need a paid subscription. The rates are as follows:

• Monthly - $11.95;

• Annual - $83.88 ($6.99 per month);

• Payment for two years - $95.75 ($3.99 per month);

• Payment for three years - $107.55 ($2.99 per month).

Hola provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN - Best for IOS

ExpressVPN is a top-tier paid service for IOS that boasts high connection speeds, achieved through its vast network of servers located across the globe, along with optimization and no bandwidth restrictions. The service is also available on platforms such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Nintendo, Firefox, Xbox, Samsung SMART TV, Nvidia, Roku, and Chromecast, and can be connected to routers and e-books.

Pros of ExpressVPN

• 256-bit AES traffic encryption;

• Emergency shutdown function;

• No logging of user activity;

• Split tunneling function;

• 3000 servers in 94 countries and 160 locations;

• Built-in speed test to evaluate connection speed and select optimal geolocation of the server.

Cons of ExpressVPN

• Relatively high cost.

Price

ExpressVPN offers one package for all platforms, with discounts for long-term payments:

• Monthly - $12.95;

• 6-month payment - $59.95 ($9.99 per month);

• 12-month payment - $99.95 ($8.32 per month).

A 30-day money-back guarantee is provided.

Windscribe - Best free VPN

Windscribe is a free VPN that is one of the best for anonymous internet browsing in the world. The free version allows for unlimited use but with restrictions of only 2 GB of free traffic and servers in 10 countries. Windscribe offers traffic encryption, spam, and ad blocking, and many other security technologies, and the VPN provider claims on its website that it does not collect or store data about the user and their history of visiting sites on the Internet. Windscribe is available on platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome, Amazon FireTV, Nvidia Shield, and Kodi, and can also be connected to routers and many other platforms.

Pros of Windscribe

• 110 server locations in 63 countries;

• Built-in firewall;

• The ads, trackers, and spam blocking;

• Manual selection of the security protocol;

• One of the lowest prices for monthly payments;

• Option to create individual plan conditions.

Cons of Windscribe

• Only 2 GB of traffic in the free version;

• Ads in the free version;

• Access will be blocked if logging in from one account on 50 devices simultaneously.

Price

Windscribe allows free use with restrictions, but to use all the features of the service, users can switch to the Pro plan, with a paid subscription cost of:

• Monthly payment - $9;

• Payment for a year - $49 ($4.08 per month).

Users can also create an individual plan with a price that depends on the set parameters.

CyberGhost - Anonymity for all devices and platforms

CyberGhost is a Romanian VPN service that offers 7 days of free anonymous connection through a secure channel, providing complete privacy on the Internet. It is a universal solution for any platform, including Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Amazon FireStick, AndroidTV, routers, and more.

Pros of CyberGhost

• Powerful security system: OpenVPN, L2TP\IPsec, IKEv2, P2P;

• The ads, malware, and trackers blocking;

• Data compression;

• Auto-redirect to HTTPS;

• 5800 servers in 89 countries;

• 7-day trial period;

• Universal compatibility with most platforms and operating systems.

Cons of CyberGhost

• CyberGhost performance tests periodically show different results, indicating the instability of the connection speed.

Price

CyberGhost offers one package that can be paid for from 30 days to 3 years, and users can test paid services for one day. Subscription prices are:

• Monthly - 11.99 euros;

• Yearly - 71.88 euros;

• 2 Years - 88.56 euros;

• 3 Years - 95 euros.

A 45-day money-back guarantee is provided for unused services.

ZenMate VPN - Best choice for anonymous web surfing

ZenMate VPN is arguably the best VPN for secure web surfing, with a server selection from 74 countries around the world, allowing users to change geolocation at any time. It is compatible with popular browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, and can be installed on major operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, and can also connect to Open VPN, Firestick TV, and Apple TV.

Pros of ZenMate VPN

• Stable connection without failures;

• 74 countries, 3600 servers;

• A high degree of security;

• Compatibility with popular browsers.

Cons of ZenMate VPN:

• Periodic failures in the operation of the mobile application;

• Speed drops when downloading files and watching videos;

• High technical requirements, which may cause slow operation on older PCs and smartphones.

Price

ZenMate comes in two versions, free and paid. The free version provides 100% anonymity, but users can only connect to servers from 4 geolocations, and the maximum speed when working on the Internet will be 2Mbps. In the ZenMate Premium version, users can access 3600 servers from 74 countries with no ads or speed limits, and a large number of useful options such as privacy protection, optimization, and personal support. ZenMate Premium prices are:

• Monthly - 10.99 euros;

• Half a year - 32.32 euros (5.39 euros per month);

• Yearly - 39.96 euros (2.22 euros per month).

A 30-day refund policy is provided upon the first request.

Comparison of the TOP 10 Best VPN services

In order to select the best VPN for your needs, it is important to consider factors of all services in a comparative spreadsheet.

* The "Best Price" column shows the cost per month, assuming payment for the longest allowed period of service use by the company, which can range from 1 to 3 years. All VPN services, except for Speedify, have browser extensions.

How to choose the right VPN service

To choose the right VPN service, you need to determine the purpose of connecting it. Here are some recommendations based on the purpose.

Best free VPN service

If you're looking for a free VPN, you can consider the following VPNs: 

• Windscribe - offers limited traffic (2GB);

• TunnelBear - has slightly more servers than Windscribe but offers limited traffic (500MB);

• ZenMate - provides reduced speed compared to the paid version.

Fastest VPN

For fast work on the Internet, you can choose between: 

• Speedify

• ExpressVPN

Cheapest VPN

For an inexpensive yet reliable and fast VPN: 

• Windscribe - $9

• Tunnel Bear - $9,99

• Speedify - $9,99

For long-term use, consider: 

• Surfshark - $1,99 (when paid for 2 years); 

• ZenMate - 2,22€ (when paid for a year).

Most secure and anonymous VPN

If security and anonymity are your top priorities, consider:

• Surfshark;

• NordVPN

• ExpressVPN

VPN with the largest variety of geolocations

For the widest choice of servers and countries for connection:

• NordVPN - 6000 / 60

• CyberGhost - 5800 / 89

All VPN services in this top 10 are similar in functionality but differ in some narrow areas to stand out. You can hide your data, bypass blocked sites, and increase Internet security using any VPN from this list. The key is to determine what additional parameters are most important to you and how much you are willing to pay for it. Good luck with your choice!