VPN Services
Kape Technologies owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, PIA, and several VPN review sites that recommend them. Nord Security owns both NordVPN and Surfshark. Most “top 10” lists rank by affiliate commission, not privacy. Free VPNs sell your data to ad networks. I use both Mullvad (privacy) and NordVPN (speed/streaming) because one company can’t do everything well. Check jurisdiction, audit history, and parent company before trusting any VPN with your traffic.
NordVPN
Fastest speeds, most audits (5+), and RAM-only servers across 129 countries. Had a single server breach in 2018, responded by moving to colocated hardware. Owned by Nord Security, which also owns Surfshark.
Mullvad
No email, no name, no password. Pay with cash or Monero. Swedish police raided their office in 2023 and found nothing. Flat $5/mo forever. Won't unblock Netflix, only 700 servers, no live chat. Privacy over everything.
IVPN
Gibraltar jurisdiction, open-source apps, independently audited, no email required to sign up. Accepts cash and Monero. Only 41 countries and not built for streaming. Standard plan at $6/mo gets you WireGuard only, Pro at $10/mo adds multi-hop and port forwarding. Expensive next to Mullvad's flat €5/mo with everything included.
Surfshark
Best budget pick at $24/yr with unlimited devices. Owned by Nord Security (same parent as NordVPN). Based in the Netherlands (14 Eyes). Solid for families, not for maximum privacy.
ExpressVPN
Polished apps and 23+ audits, but acquired by Kape Technologies in 2021. Kape previously operated as Crossrider, a company tied to adware/malware distribution. They also own CyberGhost, PIA, and multiple VPN review sites.
CyberGhost
Logs anonymized connection data including timestamps and device info despite marketing "no logs." Owned by Kape Technologies. No multi-hop feature. Split tunneling only works on Android.
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Open-source apps and court-tested no-logs (twice), but both cases were before Kape acquired them. US-based (Five Eyes). WireGuard speeds have been disappointing in recent tests.
IPVanish
Provided user logs to the FBI in 2018 while advertising a zero-logs policy. Changed ownership since (now Ziff Davis/J2 Global), but once you're caught lying about logging, that trust doesn't come back.
Hotspot Shield
Fastest raw speeds (Hydra protocol), but the free tier shares data with eight ad networks including Meta. 2017 FTC complaint for undisclosed data practices. If your VPN feeds data to Meta, it's not a VPN.
Windscribe
Decent 10GB/mo free tier with no ads, but paid plan can't compete. Only 480 servers, 3-day money-back guarantee, Canada (Five Eyes), and zero independent audits.
TunnelBear
Cute bear mascot, 2GB/mo free tier that's useless for anything real. Owned by McAfee. $120/yr renewal after the intro price. No port forwarding, no multi-hop, no obfuscation.
PureVPN
Past logging allegations (handed IP data to the FBI in 2017 despite "no-logs" claims). Has since passed a KPMG audit and claims to have changed. Based in the BVI, which is good. History isn't.
hide.me
Malaysian jurisdiction (outside alliances), 10GB/mo free tier, decent features. Zero independent audits. You're trusting marketing claims with no third-party verification.
Norton VPN
Checkbox feature bundled with Norton 360. No multi-hop, no obfuscation, no OpenVPN, no browser extensions, doesn't unblock streaming. To VPNs what Internet Explorer was to browsers.