Updated March 2024
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Considerations
- Price
- Privacy
- Speed
- Exit Points
What you need to know
A VPN is a virtual private network, or a tunnel that lets you move your internet traffic to a different location. Here’s we look for in a VPN:
Price
Most VPNs charge about $5 a month. While you can get free ones, don’t bother, as they won’t help much. So either count on the $5 charge or set up your own. Here’s DigitalOcean’s guide to setting up your own. You can choose to run through the cloud, like amazon, for $3.50 a month, or from your house.
Privacy
When you use a VPN, the provider can see all your internet traffic, so choosing a trusted provider is important. It’s difficult to audit yourself, so you want to choose someone who has a good reputation. Just because they have a big advertising budget, doesn’t mean they won’t sell your data. Look for transparent companies with a background in cyber security. Check the VPN home countries privacy laws, as VPNs are required to follow them.
Speed
All your internet traffic will go through the VPN. Your internet speed will be limited by your connection and the speed of the VPN. Try and find a VPN that matches your internet speed.
Exit Points
You want to make sure you choose a VPN with multiple exit points around the world. You don’t want to be locked in to a few exit points that can get clogged up and marked as SPAM by websites. Make sure your VPN is rotating and monitoring their exit points to keep them fresh.
CritiPicks
Note from CritiPicks:
We recommend Mozilla VPN, the non-profit behind Netscape and Firefox web browsers, which has a reputation for security and privacy that is nearly as old as the internet itself. Mozilla has partnered with Mullvad, another trusted VPN provider, which lends accountability to Mullvad’s product.
Listed prices are accurate at time of review.
| Our Pick | Link | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mozilla VPN | Mozilla | $4.99/Month |
| Mullvad VPN | Mullvad | $5.40/Month |
