It may not be so easy to choose the right VPN, with millions of VPN services out there claiming to be the most secure and most private. You just cannot go by their claims to be the most trustworthy VPN as most of their claims are not true. Almost all VPN services claim to follow a strict no-log policy, but when you dig deeper into their privacy policy you will find that they do retain logs. Many who go by such false claims are left vulnerable.
Why Does VPN Trust Matter?
It is important to know the company behind the VPN service you choose as all your data is going to pass through the VPN’s servers. Malicious VPNs could be operated by intelligence agencies or other untrustworthy sources that can put users who use those VPNs at a greater risk.
Internet privacy rules in certain countries allow ISPs to sell their users’ data. This is one reason why many use VPNs. But there are a lot of VPN services that are found to be selling their customers’ data without their knowledge. So it is important to find a VPN service that is trustworthy and that will keep your data safe.
Some VPN services log IP addresses, connection times, and the traffic you send and receive when you are connected to the VPN. Though most VPNs claim to do so because they want to ensure that their users are not involved in illegal activities, this shows that you cannot remain completely anonymous online with such a VPN.
According to us, the best VPNs are the ones that don’t keep logs of any kind or the VPN services that keep just a few logs. Here are a few tips that will help you find one such best VPN service worth paying for.
Tips to Find a Trustworthy VPN
When you research for a trustworthy VPN online, you will definitely come across many VPN services that claim to be the most trustworthy VPN service. So finding the right VPN is going to be overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be so if you understand what you need to look for in a VPN and what trustworthiness really means. Here are a few tips that will help you figure out whether the VPN you chose is legitimate or not.
- Stay away from free VPNs. VPN services need money to run and the software is expensive. Likewise, VPN services need investment to keep updated in the ever-changing world of technology. If the VPN service claims to be free and does not require its users to pay for the service, it must definitely be funded by some other source. In return for the funding, the free VPN service that you thought is trustworthy might be selling your personal data to the other source which could be an online advertiser or some other business. This is something that is least expected of a VPN. This is one reason why free VPNs must be avoided. Likewise, free VPNs may not offer fast speeds and may not have a good server network, resulting in slowing down your connection.
- You can visit https://ip.voidsec.com/ or https://ipleak.net/ to check if the VPN service you are using is leaking your information like your original IP address. Just click on one of the above-mentioned links and you will see your IP info. Login to the VPN and click on this link, if you see your real IP address, you must understand that the VPN service you are using is leaking your information. In this case, you have to start looking for another VPN service that offers IP leak protection.
- Tech-savvy individuals can try creating their own VPNs but it comes with certain drawbacks. You may not be able to unblock websites from across the globe and you may face few other issues too.
- If you are looking for a VPN service to avoid censorship, you can go for a VPN service that supports anonymous payment methods like cryptocurrency. This will help if you do not want to use a credit card that has your name to pay for your subscription. Gift cards from Walmart, Target, etc are also accepted by some VPN services. When you use such cards, you can pay for your service anonymously.
- Finally, we recommend going for a paid feature-rich VPN service that follows a strict no-log policy and that comes packed with all the other features that will keep you anonymous while browsing the web.
How to Find a Trusted VPN Service?
Where Is the VPN Service Based In?
People generally use VPNs to stay anonymous online and keep their data safe from snoopers and other cybersecurity threats. But complete anonymity cannot be achieved with VPNs based in certain jurisdictions. VPN companies are obliged to follow the Internet security laws of the country where they are located. Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes alliances are a collection of countries across the globe that participate in international intelligence-sharing. They have agreements with respect to sharing information of their citizens with other countries that are a part of those alliances.
This also includes information collected through VPNs. Countries that are part of these alliances include the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Sweden, and Spain.
So the location where the VPN service is operated from matters a lot and it is wise to avoid a VPN service that is based in a country that does not have VPN friendly laws. Likewise, for similar reasons, we also do not recommend VPNs based in Russia, Turkey, and China.
Who Owns the VPN Service?
It is important to know who operates the VPN service you chose. You will have to know the company behind the VPN service and their intentions as there are many VPN services run by scammers. Such malicious VPN apps are more likely to contain malware. VPN users must be aware of such phony VPNs. Go for a VPN service that has detailed information on its ownership. Do your research and check if those running the VPN service have the required technical expertise and make sure the VPN you choose is not a shell company. If you find anything suspicious about the VPN company’s ownership or if you find that the VPN’s website does not have enough information on the individuals operating the VPN service, it is wise to avoid such a VPN. Such VPNs are more likely to be insecure or could be a scam.
What Is the Level of Encryption and What Are the Supported Protocols?
It is important to know the level of encryption the VPN of your choice offers. It is recommended to go for a VPN service that offers 256-bit end to end encryption, considered to the strongest level of encryption. While we come across services that offer 128-bit encryption which is also good, for a VPN to be considered trustworthy, it has to offer 256-bit encryption.
We would recommend VPNs that support the OpenVPN protocol. Currently, this is the most secure VPN protocol. Most VPNs support the PPTP and L2TP/IPSec protocols. But PPTP is quite an outdated VPN protocol with vulnerabilities and L2TP could slow down your internet connection.
Here’re the Trustworthy VPN Services
Hundreds of VPN services are available in the market. If you do not have the time to research and find the best VPN, check out our recommendation. We have listed the top VPN services that have taken part in CDT’s (Center for Democracy and Technology) Trustworthy VPN initiative and provided answers to important questions that address issues around the privacy policy, business models, and security protocols of VPNs and few other VPN services we found to be trustworthy based on our research.
- ExpressVPN
- NordVPN
- VyprVPN
- SurfShark VPN
- Hide.me
1. ExpressVPN
Based on our research, ExpressVPN is one of the best and trustworthy VPN providers. It offers lightning-fast speeds and apps for all devices. It is a feature-rich VPN service that offers excellent customer support. It can help you get around geo-blocks and browse the web anonymously.
Fast speeds, military-grade encryption, automatic kill switch, and DNS leak protection are ExpressVPN’s top features. If you are looking for a trustworthy VPN service that is also torrent-friendly, ExpressVPN is the one for you. This VPN will help you to stream shows and torrent files anonymously.
Likewise, it is the perfect choice for unblocking Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more streaming services unavailable in your location. ExpressVPN worked with the CDT and has answered their questions to signal its trustworthiness. ExpressVPN believes that this will help users make a wise choice. Read our full ExpressVPN review to understand why we recommend it.
- 160 server locations
- Network Lock kill switch
- Zero-knowledge DNS
- VPN split tunneling
- Stream Sports online
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is one of our favorite VPN services based in Panama, outside the intelligence alliances. Based on our research, we found NordVPN to be trustworthy. NordVPN, one of the well-known VPN services, comes packed with all the features including user-friendly apps for different devices.
NordVPN is a lightning-fast VPN service that does not retain any activity logs. You can quickly and easily bypass geo-blocks and stay secure online. It offers IP/DNS leak protection and makes sure your data never leaks with its automatic kill switch.
NordVPN is one of our top recommendations when it comes to online streaming and torrenting. While you access streaming services and torrent files, you can be assured that your data is safe and secure. Read our NordVPN review to get to know more about the services it offers.
- 5200+ servers in 62 countries
- Use up to 6 devices
- Next-generation Encryption
- Double VPN Feature
- Strict no-logs policy
3. VyprVPN
By taking part in the CDT’s initiative, VyprVPN has taken a step forward in building its users’ trust. It has answered CDT’s questions that will help users’ understand what questions they will need to ask to make an informed decision
VyprVPN is the only VPN service that owns all its servers and does not rely on any hosting companies for its servers. Also, VyprVPN is based in a non-14 Eyes country, Switzerland that has VPN friendly laws. VyprVPN takes its users’ privacy and online security seriously and it features a no-log policy. This makes VyprVPN one of the most trustworthy VPN services.
In addition to encrypting your data with strong 256-bit encryption, VyprVPN will protect your data against malware with its NAT Firewall. You can bypass censorships of all kinds with its Chameleon technology. Read our VyprVPN review to know more.
- 160 server locations
- Network Lock Kill switch
- Zero-knowledge DNS
- VPN split tunneling
- Stream Sports online
4. Surfshark VPN
Though SurfShark VPN is a newly established VPN service, its speeds are generally good and it offers military-grade encryption strength. It is registered in the British Virgin Islands which is not a part of the intelligence alliances. SurfShark VPN does not keep logs and it prioritizes its users’ security and safety.
It comes with an automatic kill switch and DNS and IP leak protection so that you can be assured that your data will remain safe with Surfshark VPN. You can watch your favorite series and movies back to back with no restrictions at any time from anywhere as there is unlimited bandwidth. Likewise, there is no restriction on torrenting, as well.
Surfshark VPN has over 1000 servers in 60 locations and comes with strong unblocking capabilities so that you can connect to a server of your choice and unblock any streaming service unavailable in your location. Check out our comprehensive SurfShark VPN review before you make your decision.
- Connect unlimited Devices
- AES-256-GCM encryption
- IP & DNS leak protection
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Free Browser Extensions
- Strict no-logs policy
5. Hide.me
Hide.me, based in Malaysia, is a zero-log VPN service. It offers strong encryption and will help you stay anonymous and secure online. Hide.me VPN does not keep logs and is well-known for its transparency and speed.
Hide.me has 1400 ultra-fast servers in 56+ locations. It encrypts its users’ data with strong AES 256-bit encryption and is a great option for people looking for a VPN for torrenting. Hide.me is a great choice if you want a VPN that can bypass internet censorship and restrictions in certain countries.
Hide.me is a trustworthy VPN service that follows a strict no-logs policy and comes with a kill switch that will protect your data and prevent accidental data leaks when the VPN connection seems to drop. Read our detailed Hide.me VPN review to know more about its features.
- 1800+ servers in 72 locations
- Zero activity logs
- Unlimited data transfer
- Up to 10 Connections
- Unlimited server switching
- 24/7 customer support
Summary
With a plethora of VPN services available in the market, it may not be easy to choose the best VPN service. Likewise, it is not hard to choose a trustworthy VPN service if you are aware of what you will need to look for in a VPN. You just have to follow the tips we have listed in this article to make sure you are choosing the right VPN service that is trustworthy and that will keep your data safe. We hope this article will help you make an informed decision. In addition to that, you can also do your own research on Google on the VPN service you would like to use. When you type in the name of the service or the name of the company, you are more likely to see reviews posted by users who have used those VPNs. You might also see complaints. This would help you choose the right VPN service.
