Public WiFi is one of the more genuinely risky environments for unprotected internet use, since anyone else on that same network — an airport lounge, a hotel, a coffee shop—could potentially intercept unencrypted traffic passing through it. This is also one of the clearest, least controversial cases where a VPN provides a real, tangible security…
A VPN can’t make a slow internet connection fast, and it definitely can’t lower your ping below what your network naturally allows. What it can do is add a layer of protection against IP-targeted attacks, help you access region-locked game releases earlier, and in some cases reduce ISP throttling that quietly degrades performance during peak…
Streaming is one of the most demanding use cases for a VPN and also one of the least forgiving. It’s not enough for a VPN to be secure — it has to consistently reach the right servers, dodge platform detection, and hold up enough speed for smooth 4K playback. Providers vary considerably here, since streaming…
Windows remains the platform where most VPN providers ship their most complete feature set first, which makes sense given how many users still do serious work, gaming, and streaming on a PC. That also means the differences between providers show up more clearly on Windows than on more restricted platforms — protocol options, advanced configuration,…
Android’s open ecosystem is part of what makes it flexible, but that same openness means the Play Store is crowded with VPN apps that range from genuinely solid to actively harmful to your privacy. Picking the right one matters more on Android than it might on a locked-down platform, since Android-specific features like per-app split…
Most VPNs ask for an email address before you can even see a pricing page. Mullvad doesn’t ask for anything at all — no email, no name, no password. It generates a random account number and lets you fund it however you like, including with cash mailed to a Swedish office. That single design choice…
ExpressVPN has spent well over a decade positioning itself as the premium choice in a crowded VPN market, and its pricing reflects that positioning directly. Launched in 2009, it’s one of the older names still actively competing at the top of the category, which raises a fair question: does its reputation still hold up against…
Proton VPN occupies a slightly different lane than most consumer VPNs. It was built by the same team behind Proton Mail, a company whose entire identity is built around privacy engineering rather than general-purpose software, and that heritage shows up in how the VPN is designed, marketed, and audited. The question worth asking isn’t whether…
Surfshark built its reputation on undercutting premium VPN pricing while still packing in a competitive feature list, and that combination has made it one of the more frequently recommended budget options in the market. The question worth answering isn’t whether Surfshark is cheap — it clearly is — but whether that lower price comes with…
NordVPN has been a fixture in VPN recommendation lists for years, which makes it easy to wonder whether its reputation is earned or simply the product of aggressive marketing and affiliate partnerships. After digging into its technical specifications, audit history, and independently reported testing, the picture that emerges is a service with genuine strengths, a…