CHOOSING YOUR VPN: WHAT TO CHECK
Paid-for vs Free
As the saying goes, if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product. If you’re using a VPN for free, the developer will be making money in other ways, possibly by selling your data to some very unscrupulous companies. That said, there are reputable free services around – our personal favourite is Tunnelbear (see page 53).
A paid-for VPN will typically offer faster speeds, more effective access to restricted websites, and a greater choice of countries you can connect to. Of course, don’t assume a VPN can be trusted simply because it’s charging for the service. We provide a round-up of our favourites below, but if you’re researching online forums and review sites, be wary of fake reviews.
More servers, more speed
The more servers a VPN has in the country you want to connect to, the faster their service is likely to be. Those with fewer servers will usually be slower due to more people connecting to each at the same time. Check on the VPN’S website how many servers it has. NORDVPN, for example, has 4,654 servers in 62 countries – 1,834 in the US alone (see screenshot above).
Find out which sites it unblocks
Most VPNS will list popular websites they can unblock, but the information might be outdated. Contact the VPN before signing up to check the latest status of sites and check forums to see what success other users are having.
Check the number of devices supported
Almost all VPNS offer tablet and phone apps, letting you access blocked content on the move. However, they’ll restrict how many devices you can connect simultaneously (usually between three and six).
Check the small print
When you use a VPN, everything you do online is routed through its servers. It will know your ‘real’ IP address when you access its servers and the IP address it assigns to you. Known as connection data, this can be used to help track your activity. It pays to read your VPN’S small print.
If something is unclear or concerns you, ask the VPN to clarify. If you can’t get a straight answer, go elsewhere. And if anonymity is your top priority, choose a VPN that doesn’t log and store any data (such as NORDVPN, see below).
Try before you buy
Trying before you buy is good advice for all software, but particularly for VPNS, some of which can make false promises. While most providers offer money-back guarantees (see table on page 53), they may only apply if you haven’t gone over your data limit. For example, Anonymous VPN will only issue a refund it you’ve used under 500MB of data ( www. anonymousvpn.org/refund.html). To avoid this, look for a VPN that offers a genuine free trial without requesting payment details.