We may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase from our links (at no extra cost to you!)

Best VPN Services for 2021

The goal of this is to provide the most detailed and reliable guide that will help you find the best VPN service for your needs.

We aren’t sponsored by any VPN companies, so all our reviews are genuine.

A VPN (or Virtual Private Network) is a software that does many things such as changes your IP address to a different one, makes you more secure online, routes your VPN traffic through secure servers. During this guide, we will help you decide which VPN is good for your needs.

Overtime personal VPN services are becoming more popular but some are quite dangerous and put your online security and privacy at risk. For this guide, the VPNs mentioned will all have of the following requirements to ensure it’s safe and high-quality:

Good reputation, with a good history
No Leaks Found (no IP address leaks, and no DNS leaks)
Excellent speeds and reliability throughout the server network.
Responsive VPN app on many platforms
Supports the OpenVPN protocol and supports strong encryption standards
Positioned in a safe privacy jurisdiction to ensure your data is protected
Has a free trial with a money-back guarantee (between 7 – 30 days)

All the VPNs we included inside the guide will meet all of the criteria above to ensure you get the best VPN with high levels of security and performance. All the VPNs are of high quality, just choose the one that’s best fits your needs.

The top 10 best VPN services for 2021 are:

1. ExpressVPN - high speed, secure and anonymous

Get A Three Month Free Coupon

Pros

Superfast VPN speeds
No log policy
No IP address leaks
Works with Neflix, and other streaming services
Easy to use apps
VPN browser extensions
Over 3,000 VPN servers in 94 countries
Torrenting

Cons

Superfast VPN speeds – ExpressVPN is reliable meaning their speeds are consistent no matter where you go. It’s well known to perform well and it hasn’t proven wrong.
No log policy – ExpresVPN is one of the only VPN services to have verified no logs. It’s been audited by a third-party to validate ExpressVPN’s no-logs and privacy standards.
No IP address leaks – When you use ExpressVPN you will be confident that no important data such as your IP address will be shared with third-parties that can potentially harm your online privacy.
Works with Netflix – ExpressVPN offers users 24/7 streaming in many different Netflix regions. They also include a high-performance network made for HD streaming.
Easy to use apps – User-friendly applications are available to all major operating systems, devices, and even routers. (The VPN will work with Linux, Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, smart TVs.)
VPN browser extension – Browser extensions are available for major browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. They are open source and use HTTPS everywhere from EFF.
Secure network – During April of 2019, ExpressVPN started to run all servers in RAM-disk mode, meaning no hard drives. This is the reason why it’s impossible for ExpressVPN to store any logs or data on their servers. This also improves security. (see more here)
Torrenting – If you’re looking for a VPN that’s fast and secure for torrenting, with no restrictions on torrent traffic and bandwidth look no further, ExpressVPN is here!

ExpressVPN stands out from many VPN services and still remains the top recommendation on JustPrivacy. ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, no problem.

One main issue with ExpressVPN is that their prices are fairly expensive compared to other VPN services (here is a 49% off discount)

(see our review of ExpressVPN for a full analysis.)

2. NordVPN - Best all-round VPN (best value)

Pros

Superfast same-country speeds
No logs & no IP, DNS leaks
Works with Netflix, Disney+, etc
Large server network (5,300+ servers in 58 countries)
Apps for many devices such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Andriod, etc
Torrenting P2P allowed

Cons

Superfast same-country speeds – NordVPN is known for having excellent speeds, and they continue to make performance improvements for 2020, my speeds without NordVPN were almost the same with NordVPN.
No logs – NordVPN has been verified by a third-party PWC AG in Zurich Switzerland, to ensure that NordVPN doesn’t store logs / your private information.
DNS and IP leak prevention – NordVPN applications offer amazing features that prevent IPv4, IPv6, and DNS leaks. The kill switch feature is a great solution to keep your data secure.
Works with Netflix, Disney+, and more – NordVPN allows you to access different Netflix regions all over the world 24/7.
Large server network – NordVPN has one of the largest VPN networks in the market, with over 5,300 servers in 59 countries. NordVPN doesn’t use virtual server locations.
Apps for many devices – NordVPN has a large selection of user-friendly applications for all major devices and operating systems (iOS, Andriod, Windows, Linux, macOS).
Torrenting P2P allowed – NordVPN allows unrestricted torrenting, they also offer P2P servers.

Although there is one main drawback:

Big discounts (70%) only available for three-year plans (see this for 70% coupon)

NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to all of their plans.

(see our review of NordVPN for a full analysis.)

3. Surfshark - A Good, affordable VPN

Pros

No logs policy
Unlimited connections
Torrenting allowed
Works with Netflix
Safe and secure
Multi-hop
Adblocker

Cons

No logs policy – Surfshark is a fully log-free VPN service.
Unlimited connections – Surfshark offers users unlimited connections. Meaning everyone connected is safe and protected.
Torrenting allowed – Surfshark allows users to torrent through its VPN service. It even encourages users to try their service for torrent downloads. They claim that they are a “torrent-friendly VPN that has everything you need“.
Works with Netflix – Surfshark allows users to unlock 15 different Netflix libraries across the world (including US Netflix).
Safe and secure – Surfshark is one of the most secure VPNs in the industry. It offers unbreakable AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, kill switch, and secure VPN protocols.
MultiHop – Surfshark offers a multi-hop (double VPN). It routes your traffic between two different VPN servers, the servers are located in different countries. This makes your connection extremely secure.
Adblocker – They offer a feature called CleanWeb, it protects you from malware and phishing attempts.

There was one we didn’t like while testing Surfshark was that sometimes the Android app was unstable.

Surfshark offers a straightforward 30-day money-back guarantee to its subscribers. (read our full Surfshark review here)

4. ProtonVPN - Secure, based in Switzerland

Pros

Strong encryption
Safe jurisdiction (Switzerland)
Honest company
Good reputation
Secure network
Works with Netflix
Secure apps
Offer a secure email

Cons

Strong encryption – ProtonVPN uses AES-256 cipher with a 4,096-bit key exchange which encrypts your traffic. In addition, users can select different VPN protocols like OpenVPN, and IPSec/IKEv2 protocols.
Safe jurisdiction – ProtonVPN is based ion Switzerland which means it receives the benefits from data protection laws.
Honest – ProtonVPN is an honest company that is transparent.
Good reputation – ProtonVPN and ProtonMail have been offering privacy services as early as 2014, they have created a good reputation for themselves since then.
Secure network – ProtonVPN is running on dedicated bare-metal servers. Additionally, they have a Secure Core network that routes traffic in high-security servers in safe physical locations around the world. They also offer the double-hop feature by routing your traffic between two locations.
Works with Netflix – ProtonVPN currently works in multiple Netflix regions; US, UK, and Germany.
Secure apps – ProtonVPN’s client protects against IP address and DNS leaks, they also offer a good kill switch.
Offers a secure email – ProtonVPN offers a secure email service (ProtonMail), you can signup for the Visionary subscription to combine the VPN with the mail service.

Some things we didn’t like while researching ProtonVPN were that it’s slightly more expensive than other VPN services, and the performance on some servers is slow (depends on where you’re connecting from).

ProtonVPN offers its customers with a 7-day free trial!

5. PerfectPrivacy - Unlimited Connections

Pros

Unlimited connections
Secure applications
Ad blocker
No logs policy
Secure servers
Multi-hop VPN servers
Strong encryption
Safe jurisdiction

Cons

Unlimited connections – When using Perfect Privacy you are allowed to have unlimited connections and bandwidth.
Secure Applications – Secure apps are available for Windows and macOS. Perfect Privacy offers a GUI client for Linux (Ubuntu) and Android. You can customize the DNS and leak protection as well.
Adblocker – Perfect Privacy offers a service called TrackStop and it blocks thousands of ads, malware, tracking, and phishing domains.
No logs policy – Perfect Privacy has been known to have no logs and an excellent reputation.
Secure servers – Perfect Privacy’s whole server network is made up of dedicated servers that are running in RAM-disk mode (meaning they have no hard drives) – you can even see the real-time server bandwidth!
Multi-hop VPN servers – Perfect Privacy offers you to send your traffic through multiple VPN servers (the max is four). This creates a much higher level of protection for those who want it. In addition, they offer a feature called NeuroRouting which is supported on all devices and dynamically sends traffic across numerous VPN servers (this is similar to Tor)
Strong encryption – Perfect Privacy encrypts data using an AES-256 cipher. You can choose between IPSec-IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols.
Safe jurisdiction – Based in Switzerland (good privacy and data protection laws).

The things we didn’t like when researching was:

Expensive subscription plans
Less user-friendly than competitors
May not work with Netflix

Perfect Privacy offers a 7-day money-back with all plans. (read our Perfect Privacy review here)

If you’re interested you could get 31% off Perfect Privacy here.

6. TorGuard - Torrenting allowed

Pros

Cons

No Leaks – TorGuard is known to have a no-logs policy but beware it is located in the US.
Works with Netflix – TorGuard may work with Netflix but you may need to purchase a dedicated IP, this will cost an additional $7.99/month.
Torrenting Allowed – TorGuard definitely allows torrenting on their servers. They state that their servers are “optimized for the best possible performance when downloading torrents.”
Live Support 24/7 – TorGuard offers users 24/7 support whether it’s through a call center, live chat, or even support tickets. The responses are usually fairly quick and effective.
Secure and Reliable – They offer multiple different VPN protocols and tons of servers to choose from (over 3000+ servers). The encryption used for VPN connections is AES-256 encryption which is the industry standard.
Kill Switch – TorGuard is packed with cool and useful features, the kill switch one of them. It blocks traffic if the VPN connection suddenly stops.

TorGuard is an overall great VPN service. They’ve definitely done a lot of work trying to perfect their service. There were some things that we didn’t like while reviewing TorGuard though. The first thing is that it’s located in the United States which is part of the Five-Eyes countries (share information between countries). Second, if you want to use TorGuard on a mobile device you will have to download a third-party application in order for TorGuard to work. Third, TorGuard isn’t a very “speedy” VPN service but it does get everything done. If you’re looking for a VPN with speed I’d recommend going with Surfshark.

TorGuard offers users a full refund if they aren’t satisfied with the service within 7 days of purchasing.

If you’re interested, you can get TorGuard for 50% off here.

7. IPVanish - Fast & Secure

Pros

Cons

No logs policy – IPVanish is a no-logs VPN service provider, which means that they don’t keep records of your connection, traffic, or activity data.
Good performance – IPVanish is pretty good with upload and download speeds, it also works fairly consistently.
Allows Torrenting – IPVanish allows P2P (peer to peer) activity on their servers. They are known to advertise themselves as the world’s fastest VPN for torrenting VPN.
Supports many devices – IPVanish is compatible with many devices like; Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS!
10 connections – A cool feature that IPVanish offers is users can use up to 10 devices simultaneously. Most VPN services limit simultaneous connections to 3.

Things we didn’t like about IPVanish:

They don’t have live support meaning it takes a much longer time to contact their support
They’re pricing is slightly higher than it’s competitors as they range from $6.49 to $10/per month.
They are located in a Five Eyes jurisdiction, this mean authorities can request your information and share it between the U.S, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

To brighten things up IPVanish does offer a 7-day free trial with a money-back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of using a VPN?

VPNs hide your IP address, encrypt your traffic and allow you to remain anonymous online. You might already know that, but how do they do it?

Firstly, VPNs mask your IP address to cover up your location, it’s not easy, many VPNs don’t do a good job. This leads to your IP address or DNS being leaked.

VPN’s put your online traffic through a secure tunnel (by mostly using OpenVPN which is a tunnelling protocol), it doesn’t only protect your browser, but it also protects your app activity aswell. VPNs mostly use 256-bit AES encryption, this makes it impossible for third-parties such as your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to track your online activity.

VPN makes you appear somewhere else, which would allow you to bypass geo-blocked content or gain access to websites (such as Netflix). It is beneficial to journalists and pro-privacy activists to avoid backlash, jail time, or much worse.

Using a VPN means your personal data stays protected (all of the VPNs listed above).

Are VPNs Legal?

In most countries, VPN are fully legal (and common) to use. VPN’s are used daily by individuals and businesses all around the world for privacy and security. Businesses use VPN encryption and technology for security purposes. However, there are a handful of countries that restrict VPN use (only “government approved” VPN are supposed to be used in the following countries).

China
Iran
Oman
Russia
Turkey
UAE (United Arab Emirates)

Currently, China has banned non-approved VPN services that don’t meet the censorship requirements. The United Arab Emirates has laws against the use of VPNs because people were using them to evade state censorship.

Are VPNs safe to use?

VPNs are safe if you are using a high-quality, trustworthy VPN service that secures your traffic, then certainly, a VPN is safe to use. However, there are many unsafe VPNs on the current market, the most notorious are the free VPN services, which are the most unsafe.

Do VPNs work with Netflix and other streaming services?

Yes, some VPN do work very well with Netflix. Every VPN service we reviewed will say if the VPN worked or didn’t with Netflix. Not every VPN works with Netflix.

Now, whats the “best” VPN for Netflix?

ExpressVPN
NordVPN

All of the VPNs above work with unblocking American Netflix, some even unblock different Netflix regions all over the world. If you’re into streaming and wanted support for streaming devices as well as Smart TVs, I would highly recommend using ExpressVPN, it also has the best performance.

Besides unblocking content from throughout the world, VPNs are extremely important for protecting yourself from ISP snooping and potentially even copyright issues if you’re streaming from third-party sites.

Are VPNs safe for torrenting?

The short answer is yes, VPN’s will keep your P2P activity anonymous, but a big issue is some VPN’s won’t allow torrenting on their servers. We’ve searched for the best VPN’s to torrent with and here are our results:

NordVPN
Surfshark
ExpressVPN

All of the VPN’s above will fall into one of the following categories

Allowed unlimited, unrestricted torrenting
Allowed limited torrenting on specific servers
Allowed but not encouraged

Torrenting lets you download massive files at lightning speeds via peer to pair (P2P) file sharing. Without using a VPN, you make yourself exposed to the other people. Torrenting is well known for illegally downloading content and bypassing copyright laws. Many VPN companies don’t want to get potentially involved with the authorities

Do VPN companies keep logs?

It depends, some VPN services store your logs.

Most VPNs say they “don’t log” but most of them do. The real truth is revealed in their privacy policies and terms of services. Most of them will track aggregate bandwidth usage (they’re monitoring their own server performance, it’s not harmful to the user).

It becomes complicated when VPN services track when you log in or out. You’ll want to ditch the VPN if they track what websites you visit. A lot of them use complicated legal words to confuse you, they’ll make it sound innocent, but they’ll track everything you do.

What is the best free VPN service?

The thing with free VPNs is that they will offer a free product (VPN service) that will collect your data for their own profit. Here are a few reasons why “free” VPNs are risky:

Traffic leaks – The greatest risk for people using free VPNs are that they reveal your personal data. A study found that 84% of “free” Andriod VPN applications leaked their user’s data.
Tracking – There are tracking libraries hidden within free VPNs to collect data.
Malware – Malware is hidden within free VPN services to collect users’ data. A study found that 38% of free VPN Android apps have malware.
Browser redirects – Some “free” VPN services have been seen redirecting browsers to e-commerce sites, like eBay and Alibaba.
Third-Party access – Anything you do while using a free VPN could be seen by third-parties (many of them state this in the privacy policy). A popular free VPN, Hotspot Shield was called out for doing exactly this.

An alternative for free VPN services is to use a free trial version of a premium VPN service.

Do VPNs affect speed?

VPN slightly affect speed, expect a slight speed drop (~30%).

It depends on the VPN, if you think about it VPNs are adding a layer of security, which means they’re adding more “hoops” for your online traffic to go through. These hoops mean you can expect a slight slowdown.

How do you optimize VPN speed and performance?

If you’re already using a good, reputable VPN service you shouldn’t have a huge gap in speed. The gap in speed is the extra work that goes into encrypting your traffic.

Some tips for optimizing VPNs for speed and performance:

Connect to the closest server to your physical location. Doing this should reduce latency and greatly improve performance.
Choosing the least occupied server (recommended server). Some VPNs even help you select the best server by displaying the bandwidth.
Test out different VPN protocols. The best protocol for security and speed is OpenVPN UDP. You should test out different VPN protocols options to find out which best suits you.
Keep in mind that some antivirus software different wifi networks may affect VPN speeds.
Try using a wired connection (ethernet). Using a wired connection is much faster and more consistent than using Wifi, they are also much more safe to use.

There are many factors that go into VPN speed and performance. Spend some time experimenting to find what fits for you.

How much does a VPN cost?

The average good VPN can cost around $2 – $8 per month!

We’ve found that month-to-month subscriptions will be the most expensive. If you’re willing to prepay for a VPN service, you can expect to pay around $2-$8 per month.

If you’re uncertain on which VPN suits your needs you can always use a free trial, as many VPNs do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Can a VPN help with ISP Throttling?

In most cases, a VPN can help.

ISP (Internet Service Provider) will “throttle” your internet connection to purposely slow it. It’s insane, If you’re using up a lot of bandwidth, by streaming Netflix (and other streaming services), ISP might intentionally slow down your connection causing you to stop using bandwidth.

Most often your ISP will use complex methods such as “peering” to essentially spy on your online traffic. The issue is that it’s not always possible to escape…

Using a VPN can help you out. VPN will encrypt your device, and shield it from peering-type actions. Unfortunately, it’s not fail-safe, but it can help obfuscate your data packets hidden underneath which would identify you.

Are there risks with using a VPN?

There are only risks if you’re doing something really illegal.

Using a VPN is almost always safe, and legal. You shouldn’t experience any issues or problems unless you’re doing one of the following.

Using a VPN that isn’t endorsed by the government in a country that needs it.
Downloading copyrighted info through a VPN.
Doing other illegal activities while connected to a VPN.

It’s pretty clear that doing any of the above will get you in some sort of trouble, no matter the type of connection.

The biggest risk that applies to almost anyone is whether you’re risking your time and your money. If you get a bad performance VPN you waste a lot of money because you won’t use it, and you will not get your money back.

There are also risks associated with using “free” VPNs, there is more information above.