The internet is truly a wonderful place: It has the answers to most of our questions, it delivers different kinds of entertainment and provides different types of connections, amongst a myriad of other things. However, like most wonderful things, there’s always a major flaw, and the Internet is not exempt from this rule. Browsing the web without using the proper tools can make you very vulnerable in terms of privacy and online security, something that governments and hackers take advantage from.
Every device with an Internet connection gets assigned an IP address which allows you to browse as you please all over the internet, but at the same time, it gives away your location and through it, your online activity can also be monitored.
Luckily for us, those “proper tools” we mentioned earlier, take the form of a VPN or Virtual Private Network, and with it, you get access to a secure and private connection between computer networks over the Internet. What this means is, while connected to a VPN, you will be able to visit any website without the risk of any third-party online businesses, the government or hackers knowing where you’ve been; it also allows you to access any local network even when you are abroad. Additionally, a VPN’s software is equipped to encrypt your data and thus making it unreadable in transit.
VPNs: What are their services?
VPNs are known to provide a wide variety of services, but among the most popular are:
- To use a particular network as if you were on the same LAN (Local Area Network). This is particularly useful for business travelers that need to stay connected to their business’ network while they’re abroad or on the road; as well as for people who want to access their home’s network when they’re away.
- Because VPNs temporarily give you a different IP address from yours, you are able to keep your browsing history and activity private and hidden from prying eyes, especially when using a public Wi-Fi connection.
- To access geo-restricted content, i.e websites blocked in your country of residence: VPNs also allow users to choose IP addresses from a specific region or country, thus making it possible for said websites to grant you access based on the location provided by that borrowed IP address.
- To stay safe while downloading content using torrenting apps, such as µTorrent or BitTorrent, and if you want to get faster speeds when doing so, VPNs are the only way to go.
Just like any other online service, there are a lot of VPN providers from which you can choose from, depending on your needs, tastes, and budget. Here we give the scoop on our Top 3 VPN apps, in no particular order:
Top 3 VPN apps
- Express VPN.
Although a little bit on the expensive side, at $12.95 per month, this incredible and powerful app makes up for what it’s worth, as it’s listed as the Top Ranking Android VPN App. It features blazing fast servers, unlimited bandwidth, the best-in-class encryption and an user-friendly interface. Moreover, ExpressVPN is available for all devices, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and more.
- TunnelBear VPN.
TunnelBear is a beautiful, extremely user-friendly app, mainly designed with beginners in mind. TunnelBear offers you the opportunity to choose between a free plan with a 500MB limit of traffic per month, and a premium plan for $59.88 a year or $9.99 per month, which offers unlimited data. TunnelBear is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
- SurfEasy VPN.
With this app you get Wi-Fi hotspot security, encryption of all data on traffic, a no logging policy, more than a dozen countries to choose from and an ad-tracker blocking. If you select this app you can also choose from 3 plans: The free version offers 500MB of data; with the $3.99 per month version you get unlimited data, and if you bump that up to $6.49 per month, extra benefits like torrenting features are added to the plan.
Extra: NordVPN
With over 28.000 5 star reviews on Google PlayStore, NordVPN is for sure one of the top VPN apps. Secure browsing, unblocking of geo-restricted websites, unlimited VPN bandwidth, ad blocking functionality… This VPN has it all and it’s free for the first 7 days, so don’t even think about it and give it a try!
Check it right here:
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