Science 7 min read

Top 5 Best VPN Proxy Choices for Everyday Computing

Image by Jakub Krechowicz | Shutterstock

Image by Jakub Krechowicz | Shutterstock

A VPN proxy is a great tool to keep your data secure and prevent data logging. In this article, we break down the top five VPN proxy options.

Virtual private networks create a private network on top of the public internet network. Connecting to a VPN allows you to send data across the public network as a part of the private network. In practice, most people use a VPN proxy to change their location and IP in order to access information that’s restricted in their location.

There are various types of virtual private networks. They include PPTP,  IPsec, site-to-site, SSL, and more. There are also hybrid VPNs that merge various encryption protocols for added security.

But based on your needs, you might not need a top of the line VPN proxy. If you are a heavy Netflix streamer, you might want a different VPN than a power user. The same goes for frequent travelers or those on a budget. It all comes down to intent.

As someone who frequently has to Google controversial phrases for my job, I very much enjoy VPNs. Call me paranoid, but I’m not ending up on a watch-list because I had to search “how ransomware is made”.

Speaking of hackers, users with ill intent can employ VPNs for nefarious means, as well. For this article, we will cover top-rated VPNs with respect to general user actions.

Which VPN proxy on this list will work best for your cybersecurity concerns?

Best for General Users: IPVanish VPN

Several outlets have lauded IPVanish as good for general users due to its versatility.

It supports ChromeOS, Linux, iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows and doesn’t keep traffic logs. IPVanish bills itself as the “world fastest VPN” with more than 40,000 shared IPs.

It features up to five simultaneous connections, 256-bit AES encryption, and unlimited bandwidth. It also allows OpenVPN and L2TP/IPsec VPN protocols and unlimited server switching. However, be mindful of the fact that it allows anonymous torrenting.

It also offers a 7-day money back guarantee and claims to circumvent privacy filters. For Netflix bingers, don’t worry: it also works with Netflix according to PCMag.

You can choose from three payment plans as listed below:

  • $10 per month billed monthly ($120 per year)
  • $8.99 per month billed every 3-months ($107.96 per year)
  • $6.49 per month billed annually ($77.99 per year)

TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read)

One of the few downsides is that there is no free trial. However, the platform does come with a 7-day money-back window. This is a solid choice for general users who do an average amount of computing.

image of pricing at Tunnelbear.com for article Top 5 Best VPN Proxy Choices for Everyday Computing
Tunnelbear.com

Best for First-Time Users: TunnelBear VPN

If you don’t want to dive into a paid service just yet, consider the Tunnelbear VPN. You get the benefit of a free plan and some bodacious (if a little unbearable) branding.

With the free version, you get 500mb of free data at the AES 256-bit encryption for your device. They also feature a Mac-specific version that is “simple and handsome”.

Tunnelbear features a network of 20 countries including the U.S., Hong Kong, and much of Europe. Use “vigilant” mode to block unsecured traffic during connection disruption. Use “Ghostbear” to obscure your data from businesses, ISPs, and other trackers.

Like IPVanish, you can connect up to 5 devices using Tunnelbear and they don’t log customer activity. Also, like IPVanish, Tunnelbear offers discounts if you pay yearly instead of monthly.

Tunnelbear is compatible with Opera, Android, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Chrome. As pictured above, you can get this VPN for as little as $4.16 monthly or $49.99 yearly.

TL;DR

One of the downsides is that long-distance connections can be slower. Tunnelbear is Canadian based, but its ease-of-use and free option make it ideal for first-time users.

image of Private Internet Access VPN for article Top 5 Best VPN Proxy Choices for Everyday Computing
Private Internet Access via Kinja Deals

Best for a Budget: Private Internet Access

Kinja Deals always posts about the best online deals every day across various sites.

For a short time, Kinja visitors can get a deep discount on the VPN Private Internet Access. Under normal circumstances, this is still a great deal. But with the Kinja discount, you can get a VPN proxy service for as little as $2.91 a month.

image of Private Internet Access pricing for article Top 5 Best VPN Proxy Choices for Everyday Computing
Private Internet Access

While there is no free version available, this is pretty darn close. You also get all of the aforementioned features of Tunnelbear and IPVanish like:

  • Allowance for 5+ simultaneous connections
  • 500+ servers
  • Servers in 28+ countries
  • Ad-blocking
  • P2P, PPTP, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, and BitTorrent allowances
  • Compatible with Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Chrome, and Android
  • Encrypted WiFi
  • Unlimited bandwidth

On top of all that, you also get a 7-day money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied.

TL;DR

This Kinja discount makes this one of the best options on this list. It has all the features of its competitors with 3,252 servers in 37 locations for high speeds.

image of Windscribe interface for article Top 5 Best VPN Proxy Choices for Everyday Computing
Windscribe via Chrome Web store

Best VPN for Unlimited Connections: Windscribe

Windscribe has one of the best free options available from established VPN providers.

It gives you a free plan with 10GB of monthly data and unlimited connections for one device. The free plan comes with 11 server locations, adblock, and P2P, but no OpenVPN configurations.

The two Pro plans feature 52 server locations as well as OpenVPN configurations. However, they only provide 348 servers. This means that speeds won’t be as fast compared to some of the other options on this list.

It serves Opera, Linux, Android, Firefox, Windows, Mac, and Chrome products. The encryption cipher is also AES-256 with SHA512 authorization and a 4096-bit RSA key.

Like other VPNs on this list, Windscribe doesn’t keep any permanent logs. It also allows Netflix streaming regardless of location, according to the website.

TL;DR

Windscribe has the best free plan for one device if you are based in the U.S. The Pro plans work for unlimited connections, but suffer slower speeds than competitors.

image of NordVPN via IGN for article Top 5 Best VPN Proxy Choices for Everyday Computing
NordVPN via IGN

Top Pick Overall: NordVPN

NordVPN also featured in this article for mobile tech recently.

It offers service to mobile and desktop devices with more than 3600 global servers. You can also connect up to 6 devices simultaneously (the most of any VPN on this list).

It also seems to offer some things that some of you might find extra useful like:

  • No logs policy
  • P2P allowed
  • Features a kill switch
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Double encryption
  • DNS leak protection
  • Onion Over VPN (pairs The Onion Router with VPN)
  • Browser Proxy Extensions for secure browsing

You can also still stream and utilize SmartPlay technology with NordVPN. It offers a dedicated IP address feature and a 30-day money back guarantee, as well.

TL;DR

With an all-time low offer right now, you can get NordVPN for $3.29 monthly on the 2-year plan. The downside is that you have to pay the 2-year cost now ($79.00).

For those who just can’t pass up a good deal, you can also opt for the 3-year plan. This knocks the monthly price down to $2.75 monthly for $99.00 every 3-years.

The dangers of using a VPN proxy
For most users doing everyday tasks, VPNs are pretty safe | Igor Stefanovich | Shutterstock

Things to be Aware and Wary of

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, VPNs can be leveraged for illegal means. But you should also be aware that even a VPN isn’t fully secure.

ZDNet just reported about malicious mining apps, some of which posed as VPN apps.

While the main culprits seem localized to Ukraine and Russia, keep yourself informed. It also pays to invest in established and customer reviewed products. That’s why we selected our favorite VPNs for everyday computer use to share with our readers.

Which VPN proxy do you use or which one do you recommend most?

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Juliet Childers

Content Specialist and EDGY OG with a (mostly) healthy obsession with video games. She covers Industry buzz including VR/AR, content marketing, cybersecurity, AI, and many more.

Comments (5)
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  1. Ars April 11 at 7:21 am GMT

    There are at least 3 other VPN extensions that you may take into consideration: ibVPN, ZenMate, and Betternet.

    • Juliet Childers May 08 at 6:28 pm GMT

      I’ll add these to my short list for my next, more comprehensive VPN article. Thanks for the input!!

  2. Thomas Green April 12 at 3:13 am GMT

    ExpressVPN’s a good choice too. Faster than Tunnelbear and the same privacy settings as Nord.

    • Juliet Childers May 08 at 6:27 pm GMT

      Good to know. I think I’m going to run some test cases and put another article out over the summer to get a more comprehensive list with actionable data. I’ll keep ExpressVPN on the short list!

  3. Erikinthemoon August 03 at 8:25 am GMT

    My hobby is to test different software, and recently I tested some vpn services, looked through, tested speeds and apparently the nw guy surfshark is the best. I think Edgy labs should test it.

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