Astrill VPN is a strong all-around service, and the very best for bypassing internet censorship in countries like China. It’s fast, private, and works with US Netflix, but it’s also more expensive than its competitors. We recommend Astrill for users in heavily censored countries. If you’re a beginner or casual user, consider a cheaper and simpler VPN.

VyprVPN is an unremarkable VPN with a rating of 6.2/10. It secures your data without leaks, is fast, and has a notable network of self-owned servers. However, it falls short in several key areas, including a subpar privacy policy and an inability to unblock streaming services. Overall, VyprVPN’s high price is hard to justify.

PureVPN offers affordable web traffic encryption but lacks standout features. It trails competitors in privacy protections, streaming capabilities, and connection speeds, while bombarding users with upgrade prompts and locking key features behind paywalls. Only the entry-level Standard plan delivers reasonable value.

HideMyAss (HMA) is a safe, user-friendly VPN with servers in 195 countries. Its intuitive apps, seven-day free trial, and fast speeds make it a solid choice for most casual users. However, it struggles to unblock most streaming platforms, including Netflix, and it lacks some advanced features, device support, and customer service found in top-tier VPNs.

Overall, Surfshark is a great VPN that’s rated 8.8 based on our criteria. Its most notable strength is its value: despite its low price, the VPN has excellent security standards, an audited privacy policy, and many extra features. It even unblocks 9 Netflix regions. However, in our tests its speeds were slower than some similar VPNs, and it does not reliably bypass strict censorship.

Hotspot Shield stands out for its remarkably fast speeds and large server network. Its free and premium versions both offer an easy-to-use interface and strong security, but most features are reserved for premium users. In our testing, we also found concerns about the VPN’s logging practices and unblocking performance. Overall, Hotspot Shield earned a rating of 6.5/10.

IVPN is a safe choice if you want an affordable VPN that protects and anonymizes your web traffic, but it’s not recommended if you’re interested in streaming or extra features.

Hide.me is a long-standing independent VPN. It’s built a reputation as a fast, safe, and affordable service that can also unblock a range of streaming platforms. It’s well known for its free plan, Hide.me Free. The free version offers encryption and unlimited data, but its performance is deliberately reduced: speeds are slow and streaming sites are blocked.

TunnelBear has never impressed us compared to other VPNs. We like its design and UX, but the core performance is lacking. It isn’t bad, yet in most areas TunnelBear is only average. We appreciate the free version as a safe, no-cost way to protect your privacy, but its data allowance is very limited.

Let’s be absolutely clear: IPVanish deserves to rank among the very best VPNs. It continues to improve year after year with faster download speeds, an ever-growing server network, and a stronger commitment to privacy. While we have few criticisms, its limited device compatibility is disappointing, and its apps could use some fine-tuning for a smoother user experience.

VPN Unlimited from KeepSolid is a mediocre VPN, scoring 5.5 on our testing methodology. It provides decent local speeds and can bypass censorship in China. It also unblocks US Netflix, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer, and it’s easy to use. However, it’s not the most trustworthy service: it temporarily logs your real IP address and hasn’t been independently audited. We also don’t recommend it for torrenting.

Overall, PrivateVPN is an excellent VPN, scoring 8.2/10 in our tests, especially given its low price ($2.00/month over 36 months). It’s a strong choice for accessing geo-blocked video content, unblocking 10 Netflix regions and services like Hulu and BBC iPlayer. Its apps are also extremely user-friendly and ideal for beginners. However, we did experience server congestion, so long-distance speeds may not always be fast enough for smooth HD streaming.