Top 5 best VPN service 2021

Having a VPN helps to make you more anonymous online, encrypts your internet use and lets you effectively trick your laptop or mobile device into thinking it's in another location entirely.

And it's the versatility of the best VPNs that have made them such a game-changing bit of kit for laptops, desktops, tablets, smartphones, streaming devices, smart TVs - even games consoles.

If you're already in the know about what VPNs are and so, this is the place to discover mini-reviews of the best VPNs in 2021 following our most recent round of in-depth testing. While if you're completely new to the world of VPN, keep reading and you'll find our full guide on what they are, what they do, how they work, and why they're such a handy and affordable tool to equip your devices with.

What is a VPN?

VPN is short for 'virtual private network' and is a piece of software that allows you to use the internet via secure, encrypted tunnels.

For many, getting a VPN service will be all about privacy. You may want to use them to help keep your online life completely anonymous from prying eyes of your ISP (handy for keen torrenters) or even your government.

But because the best VPNs also let you change your IP address to one in a completely different city or country, these services have taken on a much wider use. VPNs are fantastic for streamers, for example, who want to have access to a whole world of shows and films, or want to watch a sporting event somewhere you ordinarily can't.

While if you’re on holiday and find your favorite app is banned (think about some of the internet censorship in Turkey, China - even Canada), an online VPN will let you use the internet in the way you’ve become accustomed.

Below you'll find handy VPN reviews of all the best services on the market - with services like Netflix and states such as Russia getting increasingly aggressive against VPNs, it's imperative to know which provider is strongest. While further down the page there's stacks more information about the software.

2021's top 5 best VPN services:

1 - ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is an ultra-fast VPN server across 94 countries. Unblock the sites and apps you love, instantly! A huge network of 3,000+ global VPN servers optimized for fast connections. Unlimited bandwidth, no throttling. Get set up in minutes on any device. Download, install and connect to Express VPN for PC with the push of a button. Easy-to-use VPN service for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers.

Stream or download anything, from any of the servers, anywhere on Earth, with your IP address hidden from prying eyes. Based in the British Virgin Islands, a tropical oasis without data retention laws. No activity logs. No connection logs. Protect yourself from hacking and surveillance with 256-bit AES encryption, DNS/IPv6 leak protection, kill switch, and split tunneling. Give the ExpressVPN app a test drive. All plans are fully refundable, no questions asked. Get The #1 Best VPN software for Dubai and UAE in 2021!

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2 - Hotspot Shield

With over 500 million downloads, Hotspot Shield is the world's most popular Virtual Private Network (VPN) desktop app that allows you to access blocked websites and services online, secures your browsing session, protects you from hackers and WiFi snoopers on public WiFi networks, makes you anonymous and untraceable on the Web, and detects and blocks malicious websites.

One of the “world’s fastest VPN,” as verified by Ookla’s Speedtest. By connecting to one of 3,200+ VPN servers in 80+ countries — including 35+ cities around the world — your internet traffic is encrypted. This ensures you can browse the web securely and privately, keeping your sensitive data protected.

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3 - ZenMate VPN

ZenMate VPN gives you serious security, straight from your PC. Stay secure every time you start. Peace of mind whenever you connect. Internet security and privacy are at their best! The easy application that hides your IP address, encrypts your traffic and protects your privacy.

Easy-to-install laptop and desktop security client. This Windows VPN is easy to install and launches straight from your taskbar. One click makes your PC and your connection completely secure. The VPN client works automatically whenever you start your PC, and you’ll connect to a worldwide network of highly secure proxy servers. It's with you every time you connect.

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4 - VyprVPN

VyprVPN offers sleek, cutting-edge apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, TV, and Router so you can secure your devices in seconds. Vypr VPN apps are fast, easy-to-use, and stable with time-saving features like one-click connect, one-tap server selection, and a ping test to choose the fastest server. It provides the fastest and most secure VPN accounts for PC!

VyprVPN for Windows offers one-click connect and auto-connect options to make connecting easy. It makes it fast and convenient to switch between all of VyprVPN's 50+ worldwide server locations.

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5 - ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a free High-speed Swiss VPN software that safeguards your privacy. Unlike other VPN services, the app is designed with security as the main focus, drawing upon the lessons It has learned from working with journalists and activists in the field.

The VPN app added 8 Free, 3 Basic, and 5 Plus plan servers in Steenbergen, 3 Basic and 5 Plus plan servers in Madrid, and 3 Basic and 5 Plus plan servers in Paris. This adds up to 1080 servers across 54 countries and 63 locations. All of ProtonVPN’s apps are fully open source and have been independently audited.

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How we test VPN services

VPNs will always give you a new IP address, but some services may have DNS or other leaks which give clues about your identity. 

In terms of the client and interface, we're looking for top VPN server selection tools (by country, region, server, speed, with filters, a Favorites system, perhaps with server load or ping time displayed), with plenty of configuration options, but also a client which stays out of the way until it's needed.

Finally, we weigh up these individual factors, came up with an overall score, and narrow these down to the best VPNs around.