VPN EXPLAINED: WHAT IS A VPN?
What do you need to know before you sign up for a VPN service?
So what even is a VPN? VPN stands for 'virtual private network' and it acts like a private, encrypted tunnel between you and the internet. In practice, it's like a private filter which completely anonymises you online - so no one can see who you are or what you're doing.
Even your internet service provider cannot see what you're doing, what you're downloading or where you're browsing to. So a VPN not only makes your connection completely private, it also makes it completely secure. The encryption that VPN services use is foolproof which means no one can hack into your device and steal your data.
The practical uses for a VPN service are plentiful. Want to access a website that your ISP has blocked? A VPN puts that website just one click away. Want to access the US version of Netflix from the UK? Just set your VPN to a US location and you're there. Want to access porn without your ISP or your business knowing about it? Want to download torrents without being blocked by your ISP? It's easy.
Most VPN services are available as apps for any and all of your devices - whether that's a Windows laptop, a Apple Mac, iPhone or iPad, Android device, Amazon Fire TV Stick or even Smart TV. And many allow you to log on from as many as 5 devices at once, so with one account you can secure and anonymise all of your gadgets.
You simply install the app, open it and tell it what you want your location to be. All the encryption is done in the background so simply by switching it on, it'll do all of the hard work for you.
THE BEST VPN FOR MOST PEOPLE:
1. EXPRESSVPN
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of servers: 2000+
Server locations: 148 in 94 countries
IP addresses: 30,000
Maximum devices supported: 3
Apps: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Routers, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Smart TV and more
Offers: 30-money back guarantee and exclusive deal for T3 readers
REASONS TO BUY
+Available on any and all of your devices+Amazing customer support 24/7+Dial in to services in 94 countries
ExpressVPN has 148 locations in 94 different countries which means you can dial your IP address into 148 locations around the world. ExpressVPN delivers great performance - and it’s put the effort into its software too, with dedicated apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and BlackBerry as well as some Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV Sticks, Apple TV, PS4 and Xbox and even your router. Not only that but there are solid online tutorials too, so even if VPNs are dark magic to you they’ll have you up and running in no time. P2P is fully supported and it's super speedy so you can torrent using the maximum bandwidth of your broadband connection and there’s a kill switch that keeps your IP address hidden if anything goes wrong with the VPN or with your internet connection. ExpressVPN is reasonably priced, delivers a good service and has support for three simultaneous connections. There’s no free trial available but there is a no-fuss 30-day money back guarantee if the service doesn’t meet your requirements so that's a good way to test it out if you're unsure. We have used the 24/7 customer service a number of times and can vouch for its effectiveness - we had a couple of issues with using the service on a PC and were able to sort it within a few minutes using the instant online chat support.
Exclusive offer - save 49%: T3 readers also get 3 months free with all annual ExpressVPN plans - 15 months for the price of 12!
2. IPVANISH
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of servers: 950+
Server locations: 60+
IP addresses: 40000+
Maximum devices supported: 5
REASONS TO BUY
+Brilliant speeds+Great apps for all devices+Reliable brand+Use 5 devices at once
IPVanish is one of the most recognisable names among all the VPN services out there. They've been going for years and if you've read about VPNs in the past you've probably seen some of their ads! IPVanish certainly isn’t going after the budget market here but it's still a bit cheaper than ExpressVPN. Like Express, IPVanish doesn’t offer a free trial (although there is a seven day money back guarantee if the service doesn’t live up to your expectations). It promises to be the world’s fastest VPN, with more than 40,000 IP addresses, 850 servers in 60 countries, unlimited peer to peer sharing and up to five simultaneous connections. That's certainly a bonus over ExpressVPN which only offers three connections at a time - IPVanish could be the better option for you if you want to get the whole family on one plan, for example. There’s a no logging policy, too, which means the service isn’t gathering stacks of data about what you’re doing.
3. VYPRVPN
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of servers: 700+
Server locations: 73
IP addresses: 200,000+
Maximum devices supported: 3-5
REASONS TO BUY
+Great speeds+Good value VPN options+Free trial+Use 3/5 devices at once
Switzerland is famed for its privacy-friendly legislation, and that’s where VyprVPN operates from - although its servers operate in 72 other countries to deliver unlimited data. If you’re used to VPN services absolutely killing your data speeds you’ll be positively surprised by VyprVPN: we found that our data speeds actually increased when we enabled the VPN! Not only that but there are plenty of useful options including auto-connect, a kill-switch and enhanced security via the service’s proprietary Chameleon protocol and its own DNS. VyprVPN has a free trial too so you can try it our and see what you think before you commit!
4. NORDVPN
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of servers: 3500+
Server locations: 60+
IP addresses: N/A
Maximum devices supported: 6
REASONS TO BUY
+Great apps+Use 6 devices at once+Good speeds+Reliable brand
Central America isn’t the first place you’d think of when it comes to cutting edge technology, but NordVPN is up there with the best VPN services in 2019. It has 1015 servers in 59 countries, supports up to six devices simultaneously, runs 2048-bit encryption and has a feature list including an automatic kill switch, dedicated IP addresses, strong DNS leak protection and the ability to pay in Bitcoin. For relatively short connections performance was superb, although we did notice a little latency creeping in from time to time for very long distance connections. However, browsing remained snappy and performance wasn’t degraded significantly. We’d recommend hunting the site for its free trial and if you like it, signing up for the 3-year plan which is currently going for just $99!
(Image: © Tunnelbear)
5. TUNNELBEAR
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of servers: ~1,000
Server locations: 20+
IP addresses: N/A
Maximum devices supported: 5
REASONS TO BUY
+Extremely user-friendly+Wide range of client software+Transparent privacy policy
REASONS TO AVOID
-Long-distance connections can be slower
TunnelBear is designed for a very specific group of people: people who want a VPN service but don’t want to mess around with configuration or become IT experts to make their connections more secure. And it caters brilliantly for that market, with a very straightforward interface and jargon-free writing. In truth, all of the VPN services these days do this but TunnelBear tries very hard to stand out. It’s not for power users - there isn’t much you can change - but with up to five simultaneous connections, servers across 20 countries and decent performance on US and Canadian websites. Longer connections can be slower, though: it’s when the relatively small number of server locations makes itself obvious. There’s a free version that limits you to 500MB of monthly traffic, and if you pay annually the price of the full version drops from $9.99 to $4.99 per month.
6. WINDSCRIBE
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of servers: 348
Server locations: 50
IP addresses: N/A
Maximum devices supported: Unlimited
REASONS TO BUY
+Unlimited device connections+10GB of monthly data+Free plan available
REASONS TO AVOID
-Average speeds
Windscribe offers unlimited device connections. Yes you heard that right! The reason is that unlike the others above on this list, it doesn't offer unlimited data. So you're limited by bandwidth and data, not by devices. You get 10GB every month, and there's a free plan also but that only allows one device. There are apps for Windows, Mac and iOS but not Android, and the service also offers browser add-ons with useful features such as ad-blocking. Short range performance (to US sites) is good, but we noticed lag with transatlantic connections. However, if you’re looking to protect the data from a whole bunch of devices - an office, perhaps, or just a smart home - the support for unlimited connections is a real stand-out feature.
7. HOTSPOT SHIELD
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of servers: 2000
Server locations: 20
IP addresses: N/A
Maximum devices supported: 5
REASONS TO BUY
+Low price+Great download speeds+7-day trial
REASONS TO AVOID
-Few server locations
How much should a VPN cost? Hotspot Shield can be as little as £119.99 for a lifetime or £5.99 a month if you'd rather sign up for a year. For your money you get a decent range of features including up to five devices, private browsing, virtual locations and good if not stellar performance: we did notice a slight increase in latency when Hotspot Shield was enabled, although it wasn’t too dramatic. There’s a seven-day trial that gives you more than enough time to put it through its paces.
