Welcome to VPN Veteran
Your ultimate source of unbiased VPN reviews and useful security tips!
We’re a team of tech experts who care about internet security and cherish web privacy above all.
And we know how hard you have it when it comes to comparing VPN services. Because there are hundreds of VPN companies on the market. Hotspot Shield and Private Internet Access are famous ones. Maybe you’ve heard of them.
Even for us, it’s hard to keep track of them all: They come and go. But our latest count is well over 300 VPN providers. And they all claim to offer more or less the same features and the same level of service and privacy. Not to mention all these bloggers and pseudo-experts who define their VPN ratings depending on the profit they’ll make from their sales. And not from the facts issued from their reviews. Their VPN service reviews may be misleading, at best.
And that’s where we come in!
VPN ratings and ranking
The table below is a sample of the best VPN services we’re reviewed, sorted by ranking high to low. These providers have earned their spot here with remarkable results during our VPN reviews. Feel free to read each of them to establish which one is definitely the right one for you.
We hope you appreciate the work we’re doing with this website. And we hope you can find here all the useful information to compare VPN services.
We’ve explained below our review process. Because transparency matters when writing VPN service reviews!
Keeping VPN Reviews up to Date
Once our VPN specialists publish our VPN reviews, we don’t get to rest on our laurels. Because we have to keep our VPN ratings relevant all the time. There are always new releases and we need to keep on top of the VPN news. So, we make every effort to keep our data up to date.
When you read our VPN service reviews, you can rest assured that you have the latest information available. As a result, you can compare VPN services with their latest features and plans. Should you have any doubt about this or that VPN, we’d recommend you to do your own research directly on the official websites. And if you want to help other readers in their quest of finding the best VPN, feel free to leave your own review!
Compare VPN Services with VPN Veteran
All our members have a background in web security, and can be considered a VPN specialist and VPN expert. Whether from their studies, their training or their experiences. This also makes them VPN experts and VPN specialists, and they take our mission at heart: “VPN Veteran offers detailed and honest VPN reviews to help users compare VPN services to protect their privacy online.” None of them is paid to recommend a VPN service over another. And they’re free to express their views on the service they’re reviewing.
In addition, we’re testing and reviewing each Virtual Private Network for real. We install the clients on our different testing devices and use them for a while. And we run some standard tests to evaluate their performance in terms of speed and privacy. Speed tests are not always relevant. Because the user’s experience differs widely with the VPN server locations. However, it’s a good indication of the overall performance of a service.
Everyone has the right to online privacy. But we know that some online activities are especially popular among VPN users. Like streaming and torrenting, for example. And we dedicate a full paragraph of our VPN reviews about these, helping you make informed decisions. Indeed, the best free VPN and the best VPN for torrenting may not be the same. Because some providers discourage the use of P2P on their network.
For all our reviews and articles, we follow the KISS principle: Keep It Simple and Straightforward. Because it’s always been working well for tech subjects. While some topics are complicated, we make sure to explain them in simple terms to our readers. All our guides are easy to read, even for non-tech-savvy people.
Finally, the VPN ratings on our website take into consideration both their expert reviews and the reviews from actual users.
The Process to Write our VPN Reviews
Over the years, we’ve defined the optimum process and format to create our VPN service reviews. First, it makes it easier for us to write new reviews and update existing reviews regularly. Second, it allows readers to skim through all reviews easily. Here’s our secret methodology from our VPN experts:
We Use the Same Testing Devices
First of all, we need several testing devices on which to run the VPNs. Because most providers offer native apps on all popular platforms. And as a VPN specialist and VPN expert, we have to try them all to give you full, detailed advice. Therefore, we’ve purchased devices for testing purposes: Computers (Windows, macOS, Linux), smartphones and tablets (Android, iOS), routers (DD-WRT, OpenWRT, Tomato), etc. While PC clients are usually alike, it happens that mobile apps offer fewer features.
We try all the VPNs on the same devices to maintain consistency throughout our reviews. And this allows us to present you with trustworthy and fresh VPN reviews, including our results and screenshots.
We Install and Use the VPN Clients and Apps
Next, for a VPN review, we need a VPN to review. And we can’t use a free trial version. Because it usually comes with limitations (number of server, bandwidth, etc.). And these limitations would not reflect the real quality of the service. Therefore, we need to purchase a plan, like any other user, to get the full package. While we can accept a free testing account, we do not sell reviews. And we don’t accept any compensation in exchange for a review. Not ever.
Our VPN ratings are impartial: They come from the results of our tests and our experience. Nothing else.
We Evaluate the User-Friendliness of the Software
This is a factor that can be subjective to the reviewers. But you can really relate to the experience or other users anyway. When you need to compare VPN services, it makes sense to spend some time on the setup and the interface.
Because we install and use all the VPNs we review, we can give you our informed opinion. Is it easy to set up? The interface: Is it user-friendly? Is it accessible to casual users? We answer these questions in all the VPN reviews.
We Study Privacy and Logging Policies
When we compare VPN services, it’s not only about hardware and software. And we have to allocate some time to read their logging policies too. Because some VPN providers claim to implement a zero log policy on their homepage. And it’s not quite what they mention in their fine prints…
It’s your privacy that’s at stake here. So we’ll let you know exactly what is logged or not. Maybe finding a complete no log service is impossible – these companies need a minimum of data to run their services. But in our VPN service reviews, you can expect to find out which providers don’t store any data that could be used to identify you.
We Investigate VPN Companies
Now that’s a tough row to hoe! Because privacy is second nature to these companies. And they often implement what they preach: Keeping their sensitive data for themselves. Our job here is to identify the companies behind the services. And to check whether they’ve leaked or compromised users’ data in the past.
Also, locating their headquarters is an important task, to know whether they’re based in one of the infamous five eyes countries. Depending on their jurisdiction, companies may have to comply with the authorities. And to hand your browsing data over, when compelled to…
We Run Speed Tests
What can you expect from each provider when streaming videos or downloading torrents? Will your stream lag, buffer or load constantly? Are the download speeds so slow that it will take hours or days to download an episode of your favorite series? Our VPN reviews wouldn’t be complete without a paragraph dedicated to speed. But don’t expect to get the same results: There are too many factors to take into consideration.
However, it’s still a good signal to help you make up your mind before purchasing a VPN. If the VPN speed is great during our test, it should also be great when you use it. And the same is true the other way around.
We Put Servers to the Test with Major Streaming Services
Speed is great. But we need to know a little bit more to compare VPN services, especially when it comes to streaming. We need to check if they can unblock Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer or Amazon Prime. And that’s a recurring and never-ending job. Because streaming platforms always implement new geo-restrictions and bans on IP addresses.
In each of our VPN reviews, you’ll get an up-to-date status for Netflix. And if a VPN provider doesn’t focus on bypassing these restrictions, you’ll know it. So you can find the perfect VPN for your favorite activity.
We Find out If Torrenting and P2P Are Allowed
In addition to their logging policy, we need to check if VPN companies are torrent-friendly or not. Because they all have their own stance on this topic. While some providers openly promote this activity, others restrict it to selected servers, or simply block it.
And you can’t go against their policy. Visiting torrent sites without a torrent VPN would be counterproductive, or even dangerous. So, we state clearly in our VPN service reviews if you can use the services to download torrents.
We Test for the Most Common Leaks
Using a VPN is the best way to protect your privacy. Because it creates a secure tunnel for your data. But an infallible software doesn’t exist. And your IP address could leak, when the VPN connection drops, or even when connected to a VPN server. Most leaks originate from your Operating System (OS) that takes over the VPN to connect to the Internet.
But providers are well aware of this risk. And most of them implement features like DNS leak protection to prevent them. During our VPN service reviews, we test for DNS leaks, IPv4 and IPv6 leaks and WebRTC leaks.
We List the Privacy and Security Features
Have you ever heard of the Internet kill switch feature? Do you know the different VPN protocols? While you don’t need to know them all, you should look for premium features when you compare VPN services. The more simultaneous connections, the better. And the more server locations, the more content you can access. Also, OpenVPN should be your chosen protocol.
In our VPN reviews, we’ll tell you all about the features we recommend to increase your security and protect your online privacy.
We Contact Customer Support
Why is customer service important for our VPN reviews? Because chances are you’ll need support one day or another. It can be about payment with your credit card. Or when you need to know what server is working with US Netflix.
And getting a reply within minutes influence our VPN ratings. Maybe using an FAQ or a forum is enough for your needs. Or you may prefer support by email, telephone, or live chat with a VPN expert. Just read our VPN service reviews to see!
We Compare the Value for Money
While pricing is an essential part of our VPN reviews, it comes last among our criteria. Because when you’re checking VPN ratings on our website, you’re looking for a good service before anything else. A service that will allow you to browse the web anonymously, stream videos, download torrents or anything else that you need.
And then you can check whether or not you’re ready to pay the price tag.
There’s no point in comparing the price of services that would not match your needs. But when you have several providers with similar features and VPN ratings, it makes sense to study their price. Finally, it’s good to know that most providers offer money back guarantees, up to 45 days.