NeutralPickHow to choose the best VPN for you: what to check before you sign up
There is no single best VPN. The best one is the one that is legal where you use it, run by a company whose privacy promises have been checked, and fast enough for what you do. This guide lists what to look up for each VPN you are considering, before you pay, so you can compare them in the same way.
In this guide, a VPN (virtual private network) is a service that sends your internet traffic through the VPN company's servers. Websites see the VPN's address instead of yours. Your internet provider or Wi-Fi owner can see that you use a VPN and how much data you send, but not which sites you visit. The VPN company can, which is why who runs it matters so much.
First: check whether you need one, and whether it's allowed
- Do you need one? Most websites already use encryption (web addresses that start with https). A VPN helps on public Wi-Fi you don't trust, when you don't want your internet provider to see which sites you visit, or to appear to be in another country. It doesn't make you anonymous, and it doesn't protect you from fake websites or harmful downloads.
- Is it allowed where you are? Some countries restrict or ban VPNs, and some services don't allow them in their terms. Check the rules where you live and where you travel.
Why the adverts and the review sites are not enough
VPN adverts show the best result a product can reach. The detailed terms often say something different. For example:
- "No logs" is a promise. What matters is whether it has been checked by an independent company.
- A very low monthly price usually means paying for two or three years in advance, with a higher price at renewal.
- Many VPN review websites earn money when readers sign up through their links.
Before you look at any VPN
Write down your answers to these four points. They decide which checks in the list matter most to you.
- Why you want one. Public Wi-Fi, privacy from your internet provider, travel, or watching services from another country (check the service's own terms).
- Your devices. Phones, computers, tablets, TV devices or your router, and how many at once.
- Where you are. The country you live in and the countries you travel to.
- Your budget after the first term. The price you will pay when the introductory term ends.
The checklist
The checks are in three groups. Must have means a problem here can expose your data, break the law where you are, or cost more than expected. Nice to have means it makes a real difference for many people. Optional means it only matters to some people. When you open the checklist in NeutralPick, you can move any check to a different group to match your answers above.
- Must have
- Legal where you use itIs using a VPN legal in the countries where I would use it, and does this VPN work there?Rules differ by country. Check your own government's guidance and the VPN's help pages for each country you will be in.
- You know who runs itWhich company runs it, in which country is it based, and is that clearly stated on its website?The VPN company can see the sites you visit. A VPN that hides who runs it is asking for trust it hasn't earned.
- No-logs promise checked independentlyHas an independent company audited its no-logs promise recently, and is the report or a summary published?A published, recent audit is stronger evidence than a promise on the home page. An audit only checks one point in time, so look for repeated audits.
- A price you know for the next termWhat will I pay at renewal, how long is the term I'd pay for in advance, and is there a refund period?Low prices often need years paid in advance. A refund period lets you test it on your own connection.
- Doesn't leak when the connection dropsDoes it block internet traffic if the VPN connection drops (often called a kill switch), and do independent tests show no traffic leaking around the VPN?A leak is when some traffic, such as the names of sites you look up, goes around the VPN. Without blocking, traffic can go out unprotected without you noticing.
- Nice to have
- Fast enough for what you doHow much does it slow down my connection in independent tests, and on my own connection during the refund period?All VPNs slow things down a little. Test on your own connection, at the times you use it most.
- Works on all your devicesDoes it have apps for all my devices, and how many devices can be connected at once?Some devices, such as TVs or games consoles, may need setting up on your router (the box that provides your home internet) instead.
- Server locations you needDoes it have servers in the countries I need, and does it say which are physically there and which only appear to be?Some locations are 'virtual': the server is in another country. That matters if you need your traffic to really pass through a particular country.
- Is honest about how it makes moneyIf it is free or very cheap, how does the company make money, and does its privacy policy allow selling data or showing adverts?Running servers costs money. A free VPN that sells data or shows adverts defeats the point of using one.
- Help when it doesn't connectHow can I get help (chat or email), and is it available when I would need it?Connections can fail on some networks. Quick help matters when travelling.
- Optional
- Extras you will actually useWhich extras are included, such as blocking adverts and trackers, and do they work well in independent tests?Extras are nice, but they shouldn't decide your choice over the must-haves.
The button opens this checklist in NeutralPick. There you can:
- Remove the checks that don't matter to you, add your own, and move checks between groups.
- Add each VPN you are considering.
- For each VPN, fill in what you found on its website, its privacy policy, its published audit reports and its price and refund pages.
- See every VPN side by side.
Want to see what a finished comparison looks like first? See an example comparison with three made-up VPNs.
Claims to look at carefully
Adverts and product pages often describe the points below in vague terms. When you see one, look for the specific information shown here. If you cannot find it, assume the answer is "no" or "only partly".
- "No logs". Look for a recent, published independent audit.
- "Military-grade encryption" or "total anonymity". A VPN hides which sites you visit from your provider, not from the VPN company, and doesn't make you anonymous.
- A very low monthly price. Look for how many years you must pay in advance and the renewal price.
- The price. Compare what you will pay over the next two or three years, including renewal.
What to do with what you found
- Put all the VPNs side by side.
- Look at the Must have checks first. If one gets a No on one of your must-haves, remove it, however good the rest looks. Look closely at any Partial.
- Test the one left at the top within its refund period, on your own connection and devices. Refunds bought through an app store follow the store's rules.
- Note the renewal date and price, and keep your devices and apps updated: a VPN doesn't replace updates.
Why use NeutralPick to compare VPNs
- The same checks for every VPN. You fill in the same checklist for each VPN you are considering, so you compare them in the same way.
- Everything in one table. You see every VPN side by side, check by check, instead of switching between shop pages and notes.
- Nobody can pay to influence it. There are no adverts, no paid placements and no "featured" products. No maker or shop can pay to be shown to you or placed higher.
- Free, with no account. You don't need to sign up or pay anything.