Best VPN Services 2024 Review by Top Five Advisor

Get the Best VPN Service for You

A VPN allows you to funnel your Internet usage traffic through a private encrypted network connection which will help you protect your Internet usage from prying eyes. If you frequently use public access WIFI, your entire Internet usage during each session has the potential to be secretly spied on and captured.

When my nephew showed me an example of this using his rooted smart phone, all he had to do was press a couple buttons and set his phone down and it started recording all of the activities on their private home network. When he said “you should consider checking your POP3 mail over SSL, like immediately” I was floored! I made the switch to SSL but the data he could see was a shock, to put it mildly.

I spent the next hour looking up best VPN recommendations, installed their app and setup my account. I then opened the VPN app on my phone and asked him to tell me what I was doing and he could no longer see it and asked if I just encrypted my data. Yes kid, I just loaded a VPN, I just gave your spying eyes the boot!

I’ve tried several VPN solutions since then and put together page to help others find a VPN that is right for them.

VyprVPN Awarded the Best VPN Service Award

VyprVPN Best VPN Service

First Month 50% Off

$9.99 Monthly

$79.99 Per Year

VyprVPN.com

Try VyprVPN for 3 days risk free.

  • ​Save 50% Off Your First Month Exclusively Through T5A.
  • Unlimited data usage with PPTP security on a private security network.
  • Apps included for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
  • 700+ servers to connect to with 200K IP addresses.
  • 10GB online storage space with Dump Truck Storage included.
  • Upgradeable to 3 simultaneous connections.

VyprVPN has made you an exclusive offer to save 50% off your first month of VPN service. Pair this with their free 3-day trial that allows you to try the service and see if it is perfect for your needs and you’ve got yourself a win/win! There’s no coupon code, just use the red button below to claim your discount that is activated once clicked.

What makes VyprVPN stand out is the fact they have built and maintain their own private network that their customers use to connect to the Internet. They engineered their VPN service to have the highest possible speed for broadband Internet users whether you connect to North/South America, Europe, Asia or Oceania.

Speaking of which, we have counted over 57 server locations that can be connected to with a click of a mouse. There are server locations in North/Central/South America, Europe, Asia, and they have just added 4 locations in the Middle East.

Want more features? Upgrade to VyprVPN’s most popular VPN plan called VyprVPN Pro that includes an NAT Firewall, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec and their popular Chameleon™ service. This plan also includes 25GB storage space.

In an area that is blocking the open unrestricted Internet? Use Chameleon™ which will scramble the metadata used to block VPN connections and deep packet inspection (DPI) which helps avoid detection and blocking / throttling. The VyprVPN Pro service is $8.33/mo billed for 12 months or $14.99 monthly which you can upgrade to from the basic plan at any time.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access Best VPN Service

$6.95 Monthly

$39.95 Per Year

PrivateInternetAccess.com

A premium VPN tunnel that accepts BitCoin.

  • Accepts 5 simultaneous connections on the smallest plan.
  • PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec supported.
  • SOCKS5 Proxy included.
  • No traffic logs and instant setup / activation.
  • Full anonymous payments with Bitcoin and 100+ brands of gift cards accepted.

Private Internet Access offers the biggest bang for your buck service that will do what you need with a certain lack of polish that other VPN providers offer. PIA includes coverage of 20+ countries over 2,800+ gateways on a private network. They promise that no data usage logs will be recorded.

The major advantages with PIA include 5 simultaneous connections while most only allow 1-2 and that their service is incredibly simple to install and use. One of the biggest stand-outs with PIA is the fact they allow you to pay with BitCoin or you can go out and buy a Starbucks or Target gift card and use that to pay for your service. We’ve never seen this kind of payment anonymity before and were quite impressed that this is being offered.

Not happy with the service? A quick review of their terms of service reveals that you will have a 7 day period where you can request a refund if you are not satisfied. Although they do not offer a free trial, you can still try their service for that 7 day period and make sure you love it.

PIA has now been updated with apps. You can now access PIA via Android or iOS via an app found in the app store of your device. Just enter your username and password and you’ll be off to the VPN happy land.

The bad? Although PIA offers access to several gateways and servers, you will not be able to pick and choose which server you connect to. This is a huge negative for many advanced users who want to appear from a specific location while browsing the web for specific reasons.

Although the software is very simplistic, there are times when we find it too simple. For instance, features you’ll love from pricier services include bandwidth monitoring and additional configuration and connectivity options.

Overall, PIA is a great service for people that just want to connect to a VPN with little frills. Since they are one of the cheapest VPN solutions available, they are also one of the more popular services people choose to use.

IPVanish

IPVanish Best VPN Service

$10.00 Monthly

$77.99 Per Year

IPVanish.com

One of the best VPNs with 24/7 support.

  • Included IPVanish software works on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
  • Huge VPN servers network including locations in Europe (87), North America (74), Central/South America (4), Oceania (34), Asia (25) and Africa (6).
  • PPTP, L2TP and OpenVPN support with up to 256-bit AES security and zero logging.
  • Desktop and mobile software all allow easy server selection.
  • 25,000+ IPs on 225+ servers in 60+ countries.
  • Allows 2 simultaneous connections with unlimited bandwidth transfer.

One of the standouts of IPVanish VPN service is the server selection feature within the provided software you’ll gain access to after subscribing. Using the “Server Selection” menu, you will be able to select from the fastest server or US, UK or CA media servers. Additionally, you can click the List or Map options and select a specific server out of a list that you want to connect and browse the Internet through.

IPVanish includes unlimited bandwidth on your connection and it allows you to install their software on as many computers and devices as you want, however, they only allow you two simultaneous connections on your account. If you want to use the VPN on multiple devices, only two devices can be connected at a time.

One of the biggest drawbacks is they do not offer multiple plans. If you need to use this service on more than 2 simultaneous connections, you will have to pay for an additional one-size-fits-all account.

NordVPN

NordVPN Best VPN Service

$8 Monthly

$48 per year

NordVPN.com

NordVPN is the best VPN for the security aware.

  • Tightest security VPN that features double data encryption.
  • VPN kill switch. Kill any website or software if your VPN connection drops.
  • 30-day money back guarantee.
  • Bitcoin accepted.
  • Windows, iOS and iPad apps available with your plan.
  • Allows up to 6 simultaneous connections on one plan.

NordVPN includes a strict no logging policy that ensures your data usage is kept safe. They support OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and IPSec protocols with up to 2048-bit SSL encryption.

One of the biggest stand-outs of NordVPN and why they made this best VPN service list is their double data encryption feature. They route your traffic through a two-node server link that locks down your traffic using military-grade AES-256-CBC encryption that is applied to your data not once but twice.

NordVPN also includes access to 80+ worldwide server locations in 27 difference countries. Easily change the location you are connected with a click of a button.

NordVPN software, if on WIndows or iOS, makes the use of this VPN service a breeze. Simply run the quick installer, enter your authentication details and you are ready to use your new VPN with a single click of a button.

One major drawback of NordVPN is the availability of a Mac software or an Android app. They do offer Windows software, iOS and iPad apps that you can use with NordVPN but if you need easy access to this service via Mac or Android, you’ll either need to manually configure your computer/device or go with another provider.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN Best VPN Service

$12.95 Monthly

$99.95 Per Year

ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN is a solid VPN contender worth trying.

  • ​Apps available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
  • 30-day money back guarantee.
  • Choose from 97 cities in 78 countries.
  • OpenVPN, L2TP-IPSec, SSTP and PPTP protocols supported.
  • 1 simultaneous connection on desktop and handheld device.
  • Pay anonymously with bitcoin or use traditional payment methods.

Like other VPN services mentioned above, the software included with ExpressVPN makes using their VPN service a breeze. It is fast to setup, easy to configure and will have you protected online within minutes of signing up.

Your data is SSL secured over a 256-bit encryption with access to nearly 100 VPN locations in 78 countries.

ExpressVPN allows you to make 2 simultaneous connections, one with a desktop computer and one with a handheld device such as an iPhone or Android. All popular devices have apps available including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and iPad. Once connected, you will be able to switch servers with a press of a button, and you’ll be able to switch as many times as you’d like.

ExpressVPN does not limit bandwidth so you’ll be able to use this service with popular video streaming services like NetFlix or YouTube.

Do I Need a VPN?

All VPNs serve a purpose to help you protect your identity and privacy. Any time you access a website or use a service that is on the Internet, you are exposing your IP address and location to the world.

Additionally, the ISP you are using will be able to see the websites you are visiting, the videos you watch, who you email, who you instant message and will be able to see what you are uploading and downloading.

When you subscribe to a VPN and use their software to connect to the Internet, your connection will be encrypted and routed through internal security servers. When you make an Internet connection to a website, that website will only see the VPN IP address and location. All your ISP will see is encrypted traffic and won’t be able to pinpoint what you are doing. Therefore, whether you send emails, watch videos or view websites, your ISP won’t be able to tell what you are doing.

As an example, some popular ISPs in the US are known to throttle Internet connections when viewing videos on YouTube or NetFlix. Hop on a VPN and watch your speed problems magically go away because your ISP won’t be able to use deep packet inspection to throttle your connection to specific services.

Do you use public-access free WIFI at Starbucks or other coffee shops? Your Internet usage while there can be picked up by anyone in the room with special data sniffer devices. If you connect to a VPN before using that free WIFI, your usage on that free WIFI will be encrypted and protected from watching eyes. This means when you log in to your email, they won’t be able to pick up your private information like passwords, emails and browsing activity.

Dealing with frustrating government or corporation Internet restrictions? You can use a VPN to bypass these limitations and restore your Internet freedoms.

Want to see what a site is offering to Europeans while in America? No problem. Connect to your VPN using a Europe location. Now when you connect to a website, it will see a Europe IP address and it will offer you pricing and specials specific to Europe. This holds true for sites that content-lock data for specific countries. Know of a company offering free viewing for something that costs a premium in US? Hop on your trusty new VPN and access it for free!

Limited free trial? Using a site that gives three free searches and then asks for money? Switch your IP address by choosing a different VPN location and you will be able to use that site as many times as you wish!

As you can see, there’s hundreds of benefits that come with owning and using a VPN. Join one above and see how many benefits you’ll have in your personal day-to-day Internet usage.