A virtual private network (VPN) safeguards your identity and data on the internet. VPN services utilize different types of protocols to encrypt and transport your data securely. These services are cost-effective and at the same time provide the same level of security offered by private networks. Your information is not safe while accessing the internet using public Wi-Fi hotspots. Show more Plus, many internet service providers analyze stats from your online browsing for marketing purposes. Also, social networking sites such as Facebook and search engines like Google store data on your online surfing behaviors indefinitely. You can utilize a VPN service to protect your data on public Wi-Fi hotspots as well as from internet service providers, social sites, search engines, and hackers. Start by checking our leader NordVPN, and other recommended solutions in this category. Show less
To develop this ranking of best VPN Services we have checked 247 various applications currently available on the market, analyzing their features, ease of implementation, client service, offered integrations as well as mobile device support using our unique SmartScoreTM rating system. This ranking has been created by Louie Andre, our software authority responsible for the VPN Services category.
CloudRank™ system is a unique algorithm that our research team uses to evaluate VPN Services solutions in a detailed and accurate way. The Summer 2022 edition of the ranking was prepared by Louie Andre, our leading expert in the field of VPN Services, who has authored 1380+ product reviews in this category. The goal of CloudRank™ is to present an unbiased, multi-layered perspective on VPN Services, considering a wide range of metrics and factors, and educating potentiala customers about both opportunities and challenges associated with each piece of software.
In order to achieve full objectivity the position in our CloudRank™ is based on:
We’ve calculated a score for each product based on the average experience shared by our users in their product reviews and arranged the list in three tiers. You can see the methodology below on how the calculations were made.
Regardless of their tier, all products included in our CloudRank™ are popular, quality products considered top-performers by our team of experts. Make sure you read a more detailed review of each solution to find one that will work best for your specific needs and budget.
Show lessMARKET POSITION
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
TOTAL score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
Market Position
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
Total Score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
CloudRank™ tier
Based on product's total score.
Rising Star
Contender
Front Runners
Here is a list of all 22 VPN Services solutions evaluated with our CloudRank™ analysis. We have compared their features, user satisfaction, market presence and other key factors in an in-depth analysis you can find below:
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Our report covered 22 most popular products from the VPN Services category. We’ve analyzed their features, performance, integration, customer support, pricing, and several other key buying factors and combined it with feedback from user reviews to come up with the current list of best solutions:
NordVPN bests Norton WiFi Priacy and Hide.me, both recognized names in the VPN software market, for the top spot in VPN CloudRank 2022. An underdog when it comes to years on the market in contrast to its nearest competitors, NordVPN is no slouch when it comes to features and performance. The Panama-based VPN has been collecting awards and recognition since its launch. Its latest awards include Best Privacy, Best Value, Best Overall, and Best Customer Service in the 2019 ProPrivacy Awards and more recently, the best VPN service — for reliability and security for 2020 from CNet.
Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, has noted the proliferation of hate speech and false information on the internet, and an increase in the loss of internet freedom. NordVPN is a strong advocate of social justice and an internet free of censorship and surveillance. The VPN provider promotes these beliefs with their social responsibility-aligned projects such as providing reduced subscription rates for eligible non-profits and free, emergency VPN access to extreme cases of censorship or online privacy violations. These small acts help NordVPN fulfill its promise of making Tim Berners-Lee’s vision of a truly open internet a reality.
Most users of VPN Services solutions confirm that in most cases these tools allow them to reach the following business goals:
The Summer 2022 version of the report includes a total of 22 VPN Services products that were compared and analyzed by our team. We selected them based on the following factors:
Sixty-seven percent of employees use personal devices—phones and laptops—at work. The numbers will continue to increase as the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) model overtakes the traditional practice of company-issued hardware. BYOD brings with it many positives; an increase in employee productivity and lowers the financial costs of tech outlay and maintenance for companies.
The market for BYOD is projected to reach $366.95 billion by 2022. Although positive, this also brings a whole new set of connectivity and security problems. Network protocols must secure device connections and employee logs to make sure company data is not compromised. This is where Zero Trust and other AI-led protocols in VPNs will mitigate security risks connected with BYOD.
Source: Cisco
Remote work setups have long been part of corporate life but are now getting more exposure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Telecommuting, digital nomadism, work-from-home, off-site work, however it’s called, the system has its benefits for the worker and the business but it also places the worker far from on-premise networks, protocols, and protections. Remote work is not just a trend due to existing conditions but is here to stay. Ninety-nine percent of respondents in the State of Remote Work survey say they would work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers because it affords schedule flexibility. The perk for businesses is an increase in worker productivity. A study found 24% of remote workers believe they outperform office-based workers. Productivity would be further ensured if the remote worker has full access to office files, apps, and full protection against malware, hacking, and blocking with a VPN.
Source: Buffer State of Remote Work 2019
Virtual private networks on Cloud data is a lower-cost solution for small businesses and startups in growth phases—booming but not quite ready, financial or otherwise, to manage their own servers. Cloud VPNs offer more scalability and customization solutions compared to traditional on-premise VPNs. The market for Cloud VPN is estimated to reach $18.5 billion by 2025 with North America as the biggest market. A Flexera study found 94% of enterprises use cloud or are in the process of migrating to it. The need for decreasing vulnerabilities against cyber attacks and mitigating security risks have pushed the growth of Cloud VPN. Some areas for concern are the lack of technical knowledge of end-users about Cloud infrastructure and how it works, in general, impede implementation.
Public cloud Hybrid cloud Public and private are equal priority On-premise private cloud Hosted private cloud Source: Flexera - RightScale 2019Top Cloud Priority For Enterprise
Public cloud: 31
Hybrid cloud: 28
Public and private are equal priority: 17
On-premise private cloud: 9
Hosted private cloud: 6
A VPN service helps you to protect your online surfing habits from prying eyes. There are many good VPN service tools in the market. So, how do you do informed comparisons to select the best VPN service tool for your browsing needs? We help you in your quest by detailing the top features to look for in VPN service tool providers.
A good way to start is to sign up for the free trial offered by the best VPN service providers. This will allow you to test drive each provider’s features without investing any money and also do a comparison of different VPN tools. We recommend you visit the websites of the following VPN service tools to learn if they offer a free trial or demo: IPVanish VPN, NordVPN, PureVPN, KeepSolid VPN Unlimited, and TunnelBear VPN. These tools have received impressive rankings in our VPN services reviews.
VPN tools are typically utilized by the following internet users:
There are two main types of VPN technology:
Mainstreaming of VPNs
Previously, VPN services were used by those with technical knowledge as this technology was considered too complicated for average internet users. However, today most internet users have learned that it is important to protect their online privacy and data. In addition, most VPN services offer an easy-to-use interface that anyone can understand. Therefore, it has become essential for VPN providers to make their interface user-friendly to keep up with trends and the competition.
New Technology and Protocols
VPN services use protocols to encrypt a user’s internet connection. Hackers, as well as prying entities, are constantly developing new methods and technologies to get their hands on internet users’ private information. VPN services are rising to the challenge by developing their own new protocols to combat the threats. This can be compared to what is happening in the antivirus software industry which is constantly updating its programs to combat new viruses and malware that are created every day.
Surge in BYOD
The number of companies that support a bring-your-own-device policy are steadily increasing, and the savings passed along by such policies are too good to resist. VPNs are an excellent way to ensure secure connectivity of devices to the office network.
Businesses need to be wary of the following challenges that can arise while using a VPN service:
VPN needs a good understanding of network security problems as well as careful installation and configuration to ensure your internet connection is fully protected.
Organizations cannot directly control the performance and reliability of a VPN as these depend on the quality of technology and service offered by the VPN provider.
Another issue is that VPN tools from different providers may not be compatible due to the different technologies they may be using. This may cause technical issues when you try to mix and match equipment delivered by different vendors.
In addition, VPN access is not always a sure thing. Countries that have very tight controls over content will continue to impose restrictions or ban VPNs altogether, while streaming companies and game developers would like to maintain separated regions to make things easier for them.
As all VPNs are not created equal, it takes some evaluation of your particular needs before you should settle down to your chosen software. Here are some features to consider before deciding:
A VPN service provider’s reputation has completely transformed from stealth software for bypassing security used by shady persons to a widely-accepted tool that helps protect identities and establish secure connections worldwide.
In the matter of bypassing restrictions and locations, VPN, like any other software, will always be as good as the user’s intentions. There are no good or bad software solutions, but there are VPN service providers that perform better than others. It’s a matter of finding out which product can best address your unique requirements.
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There are lots of cloud-based SaaS solutions available in the market and this makes it hard for a company to select a suitable tool for their needs. The first element to consider is usability. Be sure about the changes needed for your team’s procedures and workflow when you implement the software. Buy a solution that adapts to your workflows and not the other way around.
The second functionality to consider is the user interface. It should be simple and easy to use so that your employees get the hang of it quickly. Get them involved in the selection and usage process, and analyze their daily requirements to find a good fit. Make the users look at the demos and try out the free trials and obtain their feedback.
The third important element is scalability. Select a solution that can grow with your organization. Though many SaaS providers offer enterprise plans, these are costly for a lot of businesses. So, check if the platform allows you to export your data and move on to another system if required. In fact, select a provider that allows you to export your data as you can trust their honesty and they are the proper type of SaaS brands you should look to associate with.
The best VPN in overall terms is NordVPN, which scored highest among the VPN services software reviewed. It features an easy-to-use and intuitive interface that lets you connect in seconds, and has a budget-friendly pricing scheme that lets you connect up to six devices.
NordVPN offers the highest number of servers (5,000 plus) and keeps your device secure even when connecting to public Wifi. It also prevents logging activity of any kind while connected.
The easiest to use is NordVPN, which provides instant VPN connections and access to the most number of servers. You can have your connection set up and secure in a matter of minutes. It’s available for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android and you can install it as extensions in Firefox and Chrome.
If you want more options, the following providers are also intuitive to first-time VPN users:
Hide.me has one of the better usability and reliability feedback among VPN software, and it gets the job done securing your connections.
Norton Wifi Privacy works great especially in public Wifi places, and users have reported easy times in setting up and using the product.
Hide.me offers a free, though limited version, which lets you access three locations, get best-effort bandwidth, and 2GB of data. Additional data or next-level connections are available if you upgrade to the paid plans.
ZenMate provides a free 7-day trial featuring a fully-functional version.
Meanwhile, CyberGhost offers a single day full trial.
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