The best VPNs for remaining anonymous online

It's time to go under cover.

By Joseph Green

Oct. 15, 2024

The best VPNs for remaining anonymous online

Credit: Pexels

NordVPN

Best For Security

You can't go wrong with Nord. It's a well-known and reliable VPN that has over 5,000 servers worldwide and doesn't track your activity.

Pros & Cons

Private Internet Access

Best For Server Network

Installs quickly and comes with loads of premium features for all types of users.

Pros & Cons

PureVPN

Best For Customisation

Android users can profit from the customisable modes used to optimise their connection.

Pros & Cons

Tunnelbear

Best For Beginners

This VPN offers a simple and fun user-interface that'll show your connection through cute animations.

Pros & Cons

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

If you're totally unfamiliar with virtual private networks, or VPNs, this is probably a good time to get to know the increasingly popular cybersecurity services.

There are a number of reasons why you might want to use a VPN, including but not limited to masking all of your internet traffic or accessing services that may be blocked in a particular location. If you want to get the most out of the internet these days, a VPN is absolutely essential.

What is a VPN?

VPNs provide protection for your data and identity when you're online. They offer this online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network that hides your real IP address, meaning that all of your activity is untraceable and secure.

VPNs act like encrypted tunnels through which all of your online traffic passes through. Nobody can see into the tunnel, and everything inside the tunnel is protected against online threats like viruses, hackers, and malware.

Should you use free VPNs?

There are plenty of free versions of popular VPNs, plus free trials of VPNs with full access to everything you get with a premium plan. However, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for with VPNs.

There tends to always be a catch with free versions, and it's normally in the form of limited data usage. If you're just an occasional user, these plans will work fine. But if you're going to be streaming or downloading, this isn't going to work. Free trials are a little bit different: they come with everything you get in a paid plan, but obviously they don't tend to last very long. Trials are great for testing out a service before committing, but this isn't a long-term solution.

The best option for streaming securely and accessing the online world without restrictions is with a paid subscription to a VPN. To gain access to advanced security features without limitations on usage, you need to pay up.

What is the best VPN for privacy and anonymity?

Deciding that you need a VPN is the easy part, but which VPN should you pick, and which ones can you trust? Search for a VPN online and dozens of results appear, so choosing the best service can be tricky. It requires a lot of research, and you should absolutely do your homework before committing to anything.

The good news is that we have done a lot of the hard work to help you in your search for a VPN, and tracked down examples of great services that secure your data, hide your activity, and bypass online restrictions. You can pick from leading services like PureVPN, NordVPN, TunnelBear, and more.

These are the best VPNs for online privacy in 2024.

NordVPN

Best For Security

The good

One of the sturdiest, most reliable VPNs Fast servers Can connect six devices Doesn't log activities

The Bad

It's expensive

The Bottomline

If you want a VPN that has a fast service and allows you to connect to multiple phones at once, try out NordVPN.

Specs

Monthly: £10.39/month
One-year plan: £3.99/month
Two-year plan: £3.19/month

Read our full review of NordVPN.

NordVPN has a reputation for being amongst the sturdiest, most reliable VPNs out there. NordVPN has fast servers that are also not on any blacklists. You should be able to stream Hulu or Netlfix shows in several European countries without any issues.

NordVPN says it offers over 5,000 servers worldwide. It lets you connect six devices at the same time, and it claims to keep no logs of your activities. INordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs, with a wide range of advanced security features that combine to protect your data and identity.

Private Internet Access

Best For Server Network

The good

Encrypted WiFi Kill switch Number and spread of servers Range of apps

The Bad

Interface is dated Not the fastest

The Bottomline

List of features that should suit beginners and advanced users.

Specs

Monthly: £10.99/month
Six-month plan: £5.39/month
Two-year plan: £1.69/month

Private Internet Access (PIA) installs quickly and comes with loads of impressive features for all types of users, no matter if you're a beginner or an advanced user who likes fiddling around with settings.

You get your standard secure VPN account, encrypted WiFi, P2P, IPv6 leak protection, kill switch, plus a whole lot more. PIA isn't a particularly sexy app, but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for with a long list of features. It also has a solid backbone, with thousands of servers in countries all around the world.

It's also relatively speedy. We noticed our "naked" download and upload speeds dropped by only about a half or two-thirds (common for most VPNs). It may not be the fastest VPN around, but it's definitely not the slowest, either.

PIA has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and an extension for Chrome.

PureVPN

Best For Customisation

The good

Customisable modes Private connection possibilities Protection against viruses and ads

The Bad

The modes can actually be limiting

The Bottomline

Android users should love the customisable modes that can be used to optimise connection.

Specs

Monthly: £8.37/month
One-year plan: £2.86/month
Two-year plan: £1.75/month

PureVPN is different to other virtual private network services, due to its customisable nature.

Your connection is based on what 'mode' you select. Some of the options include streaming, 'internet freedom', privacy, file-sharing, and dedicated IP modes.

Some Android users might actually find this a bit limiting, but all your activity is kept private no matter what mode you're in, and that's the most important thing. The dedicated IP mode helps deal with some of the speed issues VPNs frequently face, too.

PureVPN also has many of the other features you expect to get from a VPN, such as the ability to change your location, and in-built protections against malware, viruses, and ads.

Tunnelbear

Best For Beginners

The good

Simple Fun animation Friendly user-interface

The Bad

Only get 500MB for free

The Bottomline

TunnelBear makes using a VPN less intimidating through its animated user-interface.

Specs

Monthly: £7.78/month
One-year plan: £3.89/month
Three-year plan: £2.59/month

Read our full review of TunnelBear.

TunnelBear's main selling point is simplicity and ease of use, and it delivers. After downloading the app, all you need to do is create an account (only your email address and password is needed), confirm the registration via email, and you're good to go. The animation of a bear actually tunneling from one place to another is pretty great, too.

The app is free, but it only gets you a monthly 500MB, which will be enough for a little bit of work but definitely won't do for video streaming. If you want more, you can get a paid account with unlimited data.

Topics: Tech, Cars, VPN (Virtual Private Networks), ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, Tunnelbear, PureVPN