Poll Which VPN service would you recommend? Why?

[silversurfer]

This Thread will be locked temporary until ALL personal attacks comments are removed/deleted

 

[n8chavez]

I don't us a VPN connection very often, but sometimes I want to search for something personal and private, and I find that Windscribe (Paid $10 per year Putin Deal) and Mega VPN (free with my cloud account) have CAPTCA challenges. Very annoyong.

I'm actually testing the Mega VPN right now too. It's free with my MegaPro. I don't hate it, but it's too early to tell.

 

[Sorrento]

OVPN are a pretty good VPN, I've used them but as they have a single UK server & limited servers elsewhere they don't seem to be going many places fast, I stopped using them when the limited IP's they had didn't work on BBC sites so eventually I gave up with them.

 

[roger_m]

I'm actually testing the Mega VPN right now too. It's free with my MegaPro. I don't hate it, but it's too early to tell.

I just tried it, but I don't like that Reddit blocks access, like they do for many VPNs.

 

[simmerskool]

I do not believe so, no. That would be impossible for ISPs to regulate. I believe the best you can do is get a VPN with a dedicated IP. Read this. There are others, I'm sure. But this will get you started.

I wanted a dedicated vpn ip for something, and "discovered" surfshark, which is listed first in your reference article. the install was somewhat cumbersome for me, as it required two .NET 7 files, and on at least one computer it did not install, although it did install ok on others. I don't use surfshark enough to have an opinion other than it would not be my first choice for vpn, unless you want a dedicated ip.

 

[n8chavez]

I just tried it, but I don't like that Reddit blocks access, like they do for many VPNs.

Odd. Reddit isn't blocked for me using Mega's VPN. Maybe change servers?

 

[roger_m]

Odd. Reddit isn't blocked for me using Mega's VPN. Maybe change servers?

It only gives a choice of one location in Australia. You can access Reddit with a VPN, if you are logged in to your account, but I don't have a Reddit account. I get a webpage similar to the following, when accessing Reddit with most VPNs.

 

[n8chavez]

It only gives a choice of one location in Australia. You can access Reddit with a VPN, if you are logged in to your account, but I don't have a Reddit account. I get a webpage similar to the following, when accessing Reddit with most VPNs.

Yeah, I get that will Mullvad too. Reddit and Youtube are the worst at doing that; detecting VPN users as bots. The only thing I can suggest is to try another server.

 

[roger_m]

Yeah, I get that will Mullvad too. Reddit and Youtube are the worst at doing that; detecting VPN users as bots. The only thing I can suggest is to try another server.

It's easier for me just to use another VPN, as there is only one location to choose from in Australia.

 

[simmerskool]

fwiw running Airvpn with its Eddie frontend GUI, good stuff, I'm following up with chatgpt, which helped me tweak some about:config settings in firefox that don't necessarily behave or correspond according to the standard Settings | Privacy & Security that Eddie helps you visualize when you say to yourself but I had already changed that... We edited about 10 network settings. If I can get chatgpt to produce a compact list I'll post them somewhere - probably under firefox network...

 

[Zero Knowledge]

YouTube is fine with Mullvad and others, only time I need to log in is when there is nudity related stuff in the videos. Reddit though is a bitch, detects most VPNs as bots if your not logged in.

This is how I rate current VPNs = 1# Mullvad, 2# ProtonVPN 3# IVPN 4# AirVPN 5# Perfect Privacy 6# Windscribe

Again this list is fluid and changes over time, IVPN used to be #1 but has slipped a little. Mullvad has always been strong. Any of the 6 I've listed are decent providers IMHO.

 

[n8chavez]

Good list. Here's mine.

1. IVPN (integrated socks5 through VPN 10.1.0.1, and no blocking of Reddit or Youtube on my local server)
2. ProtonVPN (internal local port 10.2.0.2 makes it good for firewall rules, so many servers it's easy to find one that doesn't block)
3. Mullvad (integrated socks5 through VPN 10.64.0.1, but blocks of Reddit on my local server)
4. hide.me ((integrated socks5 through VPN socks.hide.me, but blocks Reddit and Youtube on my local server)
5. AirVPN (they used to be good, still might be. But they fukd up banning me for no reason)
999. MegaVPN (Fast servers and IP/DNS does not leak, but killswitch DOES NOT WORK AT ALL)

 

[rashmi]

I've tried out many VPN services throughout the years. It's your call to consider the privacy, security, and country when choosing a VPN service or vendor. In my experience, ExpressVPN excelled in stability, reliability, speed, and streaming support. I had three years of trouble-free use. I currently use Windscribe for my sensitive data and HideAway for everything else. Windscribe uses a proactive killswitch, unlike most VPNs, which use a reactive one. IVPN's and AirVPN's killswitches function similarly to Windscribe's, I believe. HideAway's operation is unclear to me; I'm not seeing any adapters. It is speedy, unique, and easy to use, instantly connecting or disconnecting.

 

[roger_m]

ExpressVPN and NordVPN, both never give me any issues with Reddit. Although they are both owned by Kape Technologies, they each have their own apps and servers. Also they have fewer issues in general with accessing content, than with some other VPNs that I've used. I've had issues accessing Reddit with other Kape VPNs.

 

[n8chavez]

Kape doesn't own NordVPN or Surfshark. Kape owns ExpressVPN, PIA, Cyberghost, and Zenmate. Nord and Surfshark together are owned by Nord Security.

 

[Sorrento]

I was a very long time user of IVPN, mainly because of first class security, my problems were IP addresses blocked, usually UK ones I need to use on a daily basis - I've used ExpressVPN for about three of weeks now & have yet to have a single noticed issue. I'm always open to try a liked VPN again in the future though.

 

[n8chavez]

I get that. IVPN is amazing. At least for know, the only reason I don't use them is because they only have one server in my area. Other than that, it checks all the boxes. But I'm still very tempted.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

I'm with n8chavez, great VPN just lack of servers is the problem. IVPN is very expensive compared to others though, I had a half priced yearly subscription but let it lapse. Shame.

I think it's good practice to have 1 mainstream VPN like Nord, SurfShark, Express due to the huge amount of users they have and then have a privacy VPN like Mullvad, IVPN, AirVPN.

 

[SerialCart]

As I've always said, there's no such thing as perfect software, services or hardware. Sometimes one service or software can be the best for you, but not for others.

For example, if you asked me personally which VPN I would recommend, I would say Mullvad. Because:

1. It is fast, especially for my location!
2. It has great privacy solutions, such as Data, customizable ports and NextDNS compatibility (see here for details).
3. It supports Netflix and Twitch on some of its servers.
4. The number of locations and servers is enough for me!
5. The Mullvad team has a great reputation and a transparent privacy policy.
6. It has robust security features and integrates with Mullvad browser

However, for someone who wants to use other streaming services in different locations, this could be the worst VPN service. I don't have any experience with AirVPN, but if its features and privacy policy work for you and fulfill your needs, then it's the best option for you.

If you are looking for a new VPN, I would advise you not to check VPN review websites. The majority of them are paid reviews and only write positive reviews for specific brands, such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark VPN, Private Internet Access and CyberGhost (which are all owned by two companies).

I have personally tested Mullvad and IVPN and recommend them because their privacy policies are understandable and transparent. But your experience may vary based on what features you are looking for!

To gather information about VPNs, check different forums (MT.com is the best) and read reviews. Then choose two brands, buy short-term subscriptions and test them to see if they are what you are really looking for. If you encounter an issue, don't dismiss it right away; try to find a solution. If you can't find one, move on to the next option.

Disclaimer:
I work for a company that is the official distributor of Mullvad, but what I have written here is my personal opinion only (as all the other users know me very well here).

 

[nickstar1]

I'm currently using Azire VPN and it's very similar to mullvad i notice no difference in the speeds between the 2 very happy. Malwarebytes seems to be really the only security product with a quality VPN that never really disconnects.