Ever connected to a public Wi-Fi, maybe while sitting in a cafe or while staying in a hotel room? Well, most people have used them, haven’t they?
But how many of them do you think to realize the risk that comes with public Wi-Fi? Not many, right?
Well, when you connect to public Wi-Fi, you basically let the service provider record your search data. It includes details of emails you send/receive, your social media activities, browser history, and much more.
It is not always harmful as most service providers use the data to personalize their services and get market insights. But it undermines the privacy factors.
Moreover, the large amount of data being recorded always attracts hackers. It’s an easy pick for them. All they have to do is to get inside the Public Wi-Fi network, and they can use it to access your devices.
What is the solution to this, you ask? The simplest answer is VPN, and here’s a list of the top 10 VPN Services you can try this year.
ExpressVPN was one of the best VPN services of 2021 and received quite a reputation due to its high-end encryption. The application uses AES-256Bit encryption technology to ensure every bit of data transmitted over it is completely secure. Its parent company ExpressVPN International LTD has also included IKEv2, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec for added security. Not to mention a kill switch feature to prevent data leaks if the VPN connection fails.
And ExpressVPN doesn’t just secure data; it also unlocks all the websites that you cannot browse directly. It provides you with more than 3000 services and 160 locations that you can select. We tested the app to remove the Geo restriction of Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, and more; it worked like a charm. It’s also the best VPN for Netflix users and gamers.
The application is available for Mac, Windows, tablets, smartphones, and even your Wi-Fi router. And all that starts at a price of just $12.95 per month. The 6 months packs cost $59.95, while the yearly plan is $99.95, which means $9.99 per month with quarterly and $6.67 per month with the yearly plan.
Nord VPN
If there is something that a gamer can absolutely never withstand, it’s throttling. The sudden drop in the network bandwidth leads to lags, slow loading, and poor performance in the games. NodeVPN can help you deal with it.
It’s the best gaming VPN that comes with 5000 servers in 60 countries. Nord also uses a custom connectivity protocol known as the NordLynx that stabilizes its connection and enhances networking speed. It also includes a kill switch protocol in the VPN that prevents data leaks. And the VPN’s parent company is from Panama, so no government can force it to reveal its data.
The application is available for all major platforms, including Android, iOS, macOS, Linus, and chrome. You can also integrate it directly into your browser using its extension. However, you will need to create an account and pick a paid plan for access to the VPN. There are three main paid plans that you can try are 1-month plan, 1-year plan, and 2 years plan. The first plan will cost you 11.95/month, while the second and third will work at $4.92/month and $3.29/month.
Compared to Nord and ExpressVPN, the SurfShark VPN is quite new and small scale. But make no mistake, the VPN is one of the top VPNs in the market, and for good reasons. The program offers unlimited devices per account, which means one account is sufficient for a whole office.
SurfShark is also much more cost-friendly than most of the other VPN services. It cost $9.99/month for the monthly plan and around $6.49/month for the quarterly plan. There’s also a 24-month plan that will cost you nothing more than $2.21 per month.
And the feature that makes this VPN even better is its number of servers. It provides you with 3200 servers in 65 countries and also offers you a new IP address every time you connect to one of these servers. Plus, the VPN is liable for Windows or Mac devices and FireTV, Android devices, and iOS.
When looking for a VPN that provides all the required features without costing a cent, ProtonVPn is the right pick. The Switzerland-based VPN supports P2P encryption, and innovative Wireguard technology and even a kill switch to prevent a data leak.
You can freely use the application on your windows, Android, iOS, and Linux devices to unblock blocked websites. It’s also applicable for regional content on Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming applications.
The only limitation here is the number of servers. The free version of ProtonVPN offers just 24 servers in 23 countries. It will allow unlimited usage, but you cannot use the free version on multiple devices. To unlock more servers, you have to go for a paid plan starting from $5 per month.
PIA or the Private Internet Access VPN is not the most recognized or the fastest VPN service, but it does have a fair share of pros. For instance, the VPN service offers approximately 10000 global servers with SmartDNS to help you with region-restricted content. PIA has also introduced the WireGuard technology to encrypt every bit of data that you transfer. Plus, it allows 10 simultaneous connections using the same account, which is more than most VPN.
Coming to the cost, the VPN offers three plan-monthly years and 3 years plans. The first one will cost $11.95/month, while the other two will cost $3.33 per month and $2.03 Per month simultaneously.
The name HotSpot shield is not that unheard of. The VPN has been in the market for quite some time and has left its mark. Its premium version of the application offers you 1800+ servers in over 80 countries with P2P support for high privacy. The VPN also brings forth the Catapult Hydra Protocol that is identical to NordLynx but with much more reliability. It minimizes the speed loss while using VPN and also enhances consistency.
Another feature that makes it a great application is its compatibility. You can use the Hotspot shield for any device, including Windows, ios, Linux, or more. And you can get access to all its features at just $9.99 per month. The cost further drops to $7.99 per month for the yearly subscription and $2.49 for a 3 years pack.
If you are new to the VPN world, then IpVanish is the right pick for you. The VPN application offers an impressive number of servers with excellent P2P features. It has more than 40,000 shared IPs and around 1900 VPN servers working in over 70 locations.
Coming to its safety, the application uses AES-256 encryption with DNS and IPv6 leak protection protocol. It also includes a kill switch to prevent data leakage if the connection is unstable or fails. So, privacy is definitely not a concern while using it.
And if that doesn’t impress you, check out its paid plans. The VPN is available for as low as $2.92 per month with its 2 years plans. Even its monthly plan costs just $10.99. And you get a 30-days money-back guarantee with each of these plans.
If you are into computers and technology, then the name Norton is quite familiar to you. The company develops some of the best cyber security software, including antiVirus and anti-malware. Needless to say, its applications are high performance, reliable, and always up to the mark. Its VPN is no exception.
This private networking offers you a selection of 200 locations in 73 cities. It has 1500 total servers, out of which 1200 are completely virtual and untraceable. Once you connect with Norton VPN, it creates a P2P network where you can unlock regional content on streaming applications, use torrent and even unblock blocked sites. And all this without leaving a single detail about you, making it nearly impossible to track you.
The best part, it offers three flexible plans for all users, starting at the cost of just $17.61
Tunnel Bear is a rather new VPN service, but it has gotten quite a hope in the last couple of years, and for good reasons. The VPN application offers you 1800 servers in over 23 countries with an average speed loss of just 63%. Its parent company also holds a transparency competition among VPN and shares the result independently.
Moreover, the VPN uses AES-256 encryption with IP masking, making it effective against any potential user identification data leaks. Plus, it’s available at a low cost of $4.17 per month with its 2-year pack and $4.99 per month with its yearly subscription.
If you need a high-end VPN service and have no problem using a static IP address, Cyberghost will work great for you. It will offer you locations from 91 countries. It has over 7500 servers to ensure the speed and security you need. Plus, its parent company is in Romania, which is a non-member of five eyes, nine eyes, and fourteen eyes. So, no government holds the right or can force its parent company to reveal any confidential data.
The VPN has faced some controversies on the ground that it reveals your VPN use to ISP, but there is no such issue right now. Its company has enhanced both its servers and security protocols to make sure of it. So, you can consider using it without any worry.
Each of the VPN on this list has been in the market for quite some time and has proven its value in terms of speed, stability, and reliability. They are the best in class and can offer you excellent security.
Download one of these, and you won’t have to think twice about privacy while using public Wi-Fi. The application will take care of it.
