An acronym for Virtual Private Network, VPN is all about privacy. It is meant to ensure that online activities are kept anonymous. It has always stood as a strong shield for internet users against intrusion by undesirable cybercriminals, internet service providers(ISPs), and government authorities.

VPN does this by tunneling your connection through its encrypted servers, thereby hiding your data from your ISP and other intruders, such as cybercriminals and even the government. This means your data is secure and hidden even if you use a public Wi-Fi network.

This function enables you to access restricted sites easily, stream a broader range of shows, watch films and avoid network throttling by ISPs. For instance, what do you do if you suddenly discover that you no longer have access to Facebook or WhatsApp on your device?

It will be pretty depressing if there is no other means of chatting with your friends and loved ones on these platforms. This is where VPN comes in handy. With VPN, you will be able to access these apps even though they have been restricted.

What if you just arrived on holiday in Nigeria, and you were informed that the authority has banned the use of Twitter? Would you pack your load and go home?

Of course not! You would only be stuck if you didn’t have any VPN software. But if you had, you’d instead use your VPN to access Twitter or any other restricted app as if you were in another country. It is a known fact that the works that VPNs do are invaluable. 

There are many VPNs available. But the challenge is to know the most efficient VPNs along with specific criteria such as speed, security, privacy, remote accessibility, price, number of server locations, logging, bandwidth caps, number of IP addresses, number of countries covered, country of origin, customer support and client VPN support.

Having tested some of the VPNs, the main concern here is to determine the best VPN services in 2021. Some of the names that strike whenever the word “VPN” is mentioned are Express VPN, Nord VPN, IPVanish, Proton VPNs, Surfshark, and many others.

This article is meant to review the three best VPNs which I considered to offer the best service in 2021. It is also important to advise that you should go for paid VPN instead of the free one. Free VPNs cannot provide all that you require from a VPN, and as a free offer, you are not entitled to many incentives or claims.

Best VPN Free for 2023

In addition, always look for a no-logs VPN, as the best VPNs are known for keeping little or no logs thereby making it highly anonymous. This means whenever government comes to pry, there will be no data to be found. Now, let’s look at the three best VPNs in the year 2022.

Symlex VPN

It’s already a known fact that any VPN service’s primary concern is to conceal your online activities by shielding your internet protocol. In this regard, Symlex VPN is one of the newbies in the VPN family that offers exquisite services to its customers. 

The core values of Symlex VPN are security, speed, and reliability. These it does not compromise. Symlex VPN comes with 100 plus servers that operate in more than 30 countries. In terms of speed, Symlex VPN can be said to be the fastest VPN with the most secure connection. It ensures both security and fast performance. 

Symlex VPN does not have a bandwidth limit. It produces an unlimited amount of VPN bandwidth to download. There is no limitation to downloading and accessing whatever you need at any time and wherever. Issues like buffering and throttling have become things of the past.

Symlex VPN has over 100 servers that cut across many countries of the world and ensure that anywhere you are, you can connect to any of them to satisfy your internet needs. It offers borderless internet services, which ensure that there is no part of the world where you cannot connect with the Symlex VPN server. No matter where you are, you can enjoy your chosen content.

Trust and integrity are the watchwords of Symlex VPN. The company ensures that its server facilities don’t disappoint. The servers have maximum security to make sure there is no data breach. Symlex VPN operates on the most secure server to minimize the risk of vulnerabilities.

With Symlex VPN, there is no geo-restriction. It provides flawless and unrestricted access to websites, video streaming, live events and more, from any part of the world. Symlex VPN has a server network that provides the fastest experience in browsing, streaming, gaming, and downloading.

Symlex VPN can accommodate up to five devices protected. There is 247 live support for customers and a thunder-speed network connection. Symlex VPN has both paid and free versions. But there is more beneficial to go for paid type than the free one.

For instance, while free Symlex VPNs have 128-bit encryption, the paid versions have 256-bit encryption. Also, free versions have weaker PPTP protocols while the paid versions have stronger and more secure protocols such as Double VPN.

Another advantage of paid type is that they tend to provide bigger data allowances and raging speed. Most importantly, paid Symlex VPN supports multiple protocols, whereas free VPNs cannot afford to use other higher grades of encrypted protocols because of restrictions on server usage.

This brings us to the question of what it would take to get a paid Symlex VPN. Many would think that such an estimable VPN that offers a three-fold value of security, speed, and reliability could come with an inaccessible and humongous cost. But this is not the case.

Symlex VPN streamlined its pricing scheme in a way that its services could be very affordable to her numerous customers. For instance, if you choose to go for a month-by-month payment, it will cost you just $5.99 per month. A three-month package attracts a $12.99 straight payment, which translates to $4.33 a month.

A six-month subscription goes for $19.99 upfront, which is $3.33 per month. For those who desire longer-term subscriptions, a twelve-month package attracts $33.99 which is just $2.79 per month.

The highest package, twenty-four months one-off or auto-renewal, attracts $49.99 which translates to a paltry $2.05 per month. You can see that Symlex VPN enables its customers to pay less when they make higher subscriptions. This is the trademark of a company that really wants its customers to enjoy it.

SymlexVPN has log-in provisions for its customers. However, its reliable connections ensure that no logins can be traced or exposed. It is also important to advise that you should go for paid VPN instead of the free versions. Free VPNs cannot provide all that you require from a VPN.

ExpressVPN

Express VPN is regarded as the best among the lot. It originated from the British Virgin Islands. With about 30,000 IP addresses, more than 3,000 servers spread across 160 locations, and covering more than 94 countries, ExpressVPN is the one to beat.

ExpressVPN has a strong technology powered by Trusted Server technology. It has the reputation of not leaving any trace of logs from users’ activities online. In terms of speed, it has always maintained a high-level speed relatively, although in 2020, it incurred a whooping 52 percent loss of normal internet speed which was a far cry compared to the 2019 loss. 

A unique feature of ExpressVPN is its kill-switch feature which ensures that network data does not leak outside its secured VPN tunnel. Even while traveling, you can still stream, watch and listen to content from censored and blocked websites.

ExpressVPN increases your anonymity. It enables you to hide your IP address and location and IP can be changed through one of the secure servers. Its apps are portable and multidevice-friendly as they can be used on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, games, consoles, and Smart TVs.

ExpressVPN’s concern for its customers is unrivaled. 24-hour live chat support is available where real humans are available to troubleshoot customers’ queries through live chat, email and also help customers with set up. ExpressVPN has the capacity to let you route some traffic through VPN while the rest access the internet directly. This is known as split tunneling. 

As mentioned before, it has the ability to keep your data safe through its network lock killswitch, if your connection drops, thereby blocking all online traffic until protection is restored. To ensure that your connection is safer and faster, ExpressVPN runs its own private DNS on every server.

Talking about encryption which is the core value of VPN, ExpressVPN, has first-of-its-kind encryption. It has the required encryption standard, AES-256, which is the standard trusted by security experts all over the world.

With ExpressVPN, there are no activity or connection logs. It ensures there is no trace of traffic data, DNS queries, or anything that can be used to identify you or what you have done online. With its Trust Centre,  there is every assurance that systems are hard to breach, and attackers cannot stay long. It minimizes every risk and there is a constant test of defenses.

ExpressVPN maintains an active blog where information is relayed regularly to customers on security tips, digital freedom, internet privacy, and happenings around the world. Always stay hooked to the official blog of ExpressVPN and you’ll flow with time.

In terms of speed, ExpressVPN is turbocharged with an inbuilt speed test feature. There is no more wandering about where to get a high-speed server location for your network.

For sports lovers, the time has gone when you’ll start getting frustrated because you’ll miss your favorite sports just because you cannot connect to a TV on that particular day.  With ExpressVPN, you can stream your sports and video online, securely, and privately.

Internet users are vulnerable when using public Wi-Fi.ExpressVPN has what it takes to protect you against cybercriminals and hackers who operate at public Wi-Fi to steal private information. It has a how-to private guide that teaches users step-by-step tutorials on how to delete Goggle history, browse anonymously, and Tor to hide identity online.

Sometimes, ISPs can cause some content to slow down, such as video, This is called throttling. WithExpressVPN, ISP throttling can be defied. ExpressVPN can be installed on all devices and you can connect up to five devices at the same time. Should you need more, you can use its router app to connect more.

It has unlimited bandwidth which can enable you to download as many apps as you want without your ISP or VPN covering certain traffic. ExpressVPN offers flexible payment options. It can accept PayPal, Bitcoin, and a variety of online payment methods. It maintains a risk-free transaction module for customers which offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

If after 30 days, you’re not satisfied with their service, you can contact Support and get a refund. It is as simple as that. You can subscribe to a 12- month unlimited access and get 3 months free offer. This is less than 7 dollars a month and is as good as a 49 percent discount off the regular monthly price. There cannot be a better offer among the competition. With these mouthwatering incentives, ExpressVPN is almost indispensable.

Surfshark

This is another VPN that is making waves. It has 3200+ servers,65 server locations, with a price offer of 2.49 dollars a month which amounts to an 81 percent discount for a two-year plan. Surfshark can be said to have a smaller network relatively, but it makes this shortfall up through high-speed efficiency.

If we begin to talk about the packages which Surfshark comes with, it may be difficult to choose where to start from. However, let’s begin with its speed which happens to be its unique selling point. Surfshark had less than 17 percent average speed loss when speed was tested in 2020, which was faster than its 27percent speed loss in 2019. This made it come ahead of ExpressVPN and gives it the credit of being the fastest in speed comparisons.

It got a high rating when Chrome and Firefox were tested. Like ExpressVPN, it has a solid range of app support which runs on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and routers. Its DNA settings can enable more devices to be configured.

Business users will surely find Surfshark very relevant as certain apps and websites can be whitelisted to automatically bypass the VPN. Surfshark introduced three different modes for those who want to defy restrictions and hide their online activities, namely:

i. Camouflage mode

It hides your VPN activities so that ISP will not know that you are using VPN.

ii. Multihop mode

It pushes your connection through many countries in order to hide your identity.

iii. NoBorders mode

It breaks boundary chains and allows you to use Surfshark successfully in restricted areas. However, the caveat for these regions should be put into consideration because they may attract penalties if breached. Unlike many other VPNs, Surfshark does not offer a one-year plan.

Its two-year plan is spread across 2.49 dollars a month and requires payment of 60 dollars a month while the six-month plan attracts 6.49 dollars a month and requires 39 dollars upfront. Monthly plans are 12.95 dollars. They give a generous offer of a 30-day free trial to decide whether you will like it or not.

Surfshark is relatively new compared to other VPNs.Although it has a small number of servers relative to other VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, this is compensated for by other impressive features and high speed.

Surfshark is especially outstanding because of its speed, unlimited device support, and security and privacy features. Like ExpressVPN, it has its jurisdiction in the British Virgin Islands. This area is especially admired by VPN users because of its high inclination to privacy. It does not have a surveillance-sharing agreement with any country.

Apart from maintaining a VPN- a typical tradition of not keeping logs of user data, Surfshark goes further in the privacy policy by not keeping location-identifying connection logs and enabling users to move out of default-enabled diagnostic crash reports.

Like ExpressVPN, it has a standard AES-256 encryption requirement and supports perfect forward secrecy. This means it changes encryption keys frequently in order to avoid security lapses. To cap it all, Surfshark also offers reliable kill switch features. Kill switch prevents network data from leaking outside their secure VPN tunnel in case the VPN connection fails.

When the test was conducted, it was discovered that no IP address, DNS, or other user-identifying data leaks were detected. Surfshark offers a specific browser plug-in to prevent additional WebRTC leaks.

For those who are concerned with DNS privacy on mobile, Surfshark provides a standard app called TrustDNS from the Google play store. This simply means that it reroutes the website information requests from the browser and sends them to Surfshark instead of the IPS.

When DNS information is rerouted like this, it can help you get past censorship walls and keep your telecoms company out of your business. What makes Surfshark stand out is that it offers a multihop VPN. This means you can send your internet traffic servers to two countries instead of just one in order to ensure more protection.

Its VPNs can prevent your information from being identified if there is a security breach at one of the VPNs’ own data centers. Surfshark has no data limitations. It allows data switching. It is easy to be used to access Netflix. It offers unlimited simultaneous connection which is not common with other VPNs.

All these features are contained in an intriguing easy-to-use interface. There is a lot of optional add-on features which are not usually found in cheap VPNs. It has Cleanweb which is an ad-blocking and anti-tracking feature in all accounts.

For an extra one dollar a month, you can choose to get Blind search which is Surfshark’s non-logging private search engine, and Hacklock, a tool that regularly searches the internet to check whether your address has been affected by a data breach.

As mentioned before, Surfshark has an intuitive pricing scheme. For a two-year plan, the price is 2.49 dollars per month, which is 59.76 dollars in all. It also accepts payment through Paypal, Alipay, or Bitcoin and offers s 30-day money-back guarantee.

Its site offers 24 hours and 7 days of non-stop chatting support and lots of support articles, blogs, and tutorials. What else can be said about the all-encompassing features of Surfshark? In the VPN family, Surfshark is indeed another kid on the block.

NordVPN

If your preference is a VPN known for security and reliability, then you have arrived at your destination with NordVPN.

Its unique characteristics are that it does not compromise attention towards security. This is made possible by the presence of automatic kill switch protection against DNS leaks, ads, and malware, including double VPN servers. NordVPN servers consist of a global network filled with unusual locations, P2P countries, support for Onion over VPN, and so on.

It comes with assorted packages and a one-week free trial with simple apps for all kinds of devices and user types. The features which NordVPN possesses are made to suit both new baes and experienced users.

Unlike most VPNs, NordVPN has settings that are preconfigured and which make it convenient for users because the service can only be accessed through the main page, and filtered by location, speed, or types such as P2P, double VPN, dedicated IP, and others. It is not necessary to set anything beforehand.

However, the curious type users can deploy HTTP  and SOCKS5 proxies or alternatively unlock the advanced settings to change connection protocols, set up custom DNS, and access other features that alter the overall behavior of the VPN. NordVPN’s impressive investment in security made it stand out.

It has been the tradition of all VPNs to have security features most of which comprise features like kill switches and protection against DNS leaks, ads, and malware is very common among them. But having these features integrated with them is not common, neither does it promote efficiency in performance. So it is really amazing to see NordVPN with these features fully preconfigured and still performs hitch-free.

Tests run so far showed that there were no problems experienced with DNS leaks and the kill switch function was powerful. It does not only cut the internet off from the device when the VPN connection fails but also kills any selected apps. This should be a piece of cheering news to anyone using NordVPN for P2P sharing, as it were.

Double data encryption is unique to NordVPN and this is one of its outstanding landmarks. The standard AES-256-CBC protection is applied twice to the data transferred between the servers that support it.  This was supposed to affect speed, but the test results indicated that everything remained the same.

NordVPN does not undermine browser extensions either, as they block WebRTC and also tap from CyberSec, a feature that functions as an ad blocker and protects malware phishing and other threats. NordVPN has a relatively wide network coverage with 5100+ servers in over sixty different countries. It has its continent representative in South Africa, but its country of jurisdiction is Panama in Central America.

Notably, NordVPN has a good record of consistency in speed among different servers in the same region. Tests also revealed that NordVPN’s double servers do not weigh too heavily on the connection. Assurance of privacy is the second major attribute of NordVPN.

In its advanced settings, the truth is that there are not many VPN protocols to choose from, but the available ones: OpenVPN(TCP and UDP)and IKEV2), are the most reliable. It is important to know as aforementioned that NordVPN uses the standard AES-256 encryption and significantly, this is applied twice on double VPN servers.

The climax of its security feature is that NordVPN strictly maintains a no-log policy and more so appears more reliable since it operates from Panama, a country known for no mandatory data retention laws.

In respect of its operating system, NordVPN is a multiplatform solution because the range of supported devices does not only include the world’s renowned operating system but other alternatives too, including the benefit of a whooping maximum of six connections being accommodated simultaneously.

For those using a computer and laptop, Windows will need at least XP to install the VPN app, whereas, on macOS, the minimum version should be 10.12. Linux is supported by OpenVPN or IKEV2IPsec. 

Android and iOS devices have their own neat apps, not forgetting that it also allows manual configuration with provision to extend the protection to smart TVs and some other devices that do not support the use of VPNs by default.

It should not be forgotten that there is also a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. The pricing system of NordVPN is quite flexible and attractive. There are four packages available. Each offers unlimited access and high-level security on multiple platforms. The only difference among these packages is the payment method.

Surprisingly, NordVPN’s long-term plans are cheaper. This makes the basic price of 11.95 dollars on monthly basis look more expensive than the long period plan. The price of its second tier is 88.99 dollars paid once a year and translates to a monthly cost of 6.99 dollars. It may be more cost-effective to its two-year package which further drops the price to 3.99 dollars per month at a total cost of 95.75 dollars.

In all, what could be considered the best plan and very attractive is the three-year package which costs 107.55 dollars? This is equivalent to a 75 percent discount, and when compared to the single monthly payment, it translates to 2.99 dollars a month. Isn’t it incredible, given all the magnificent features of NordVPN?

The only regret is that there are no midway plans between monthly and annual options. As a palliative, NordVPN offers the privilege of allowing its customers to test the service first before purchase. It offers a seven-day free package unconditionally. This means there are no bandwidth cap restrictions, including all P2P, double VPN, and other special servers.

Apart from these, all subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee which may be used as an extra risk-free trial. Like ExpressVPN, payment through credit cards, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, plus alternative options such as PayPal, Alipay, and others, are allowed. NordVPN has its own blog and it is social-media friendly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Private contact is more appropriate using email or through the official website for live chat. There are pages for comprehensive FAQs and tutorials. They provide answers to customers’ questions and also give insight into the most appropriate settings to choose in order to maximize speed, security, or whichever, according to customers’ priorities in using VPN.

Manuals are available which contain tutorials for all kinds of devices. Armed with invaluable assets with assorted devices, first-choice security, and an enviable VPN network, NordVPN is indeed versatile.

There are superior connections even to the most remote servers, supported by an uncompromising no-log policy, reliable protection against DNS leak, plus an impressive kill switch. All these guarantee maximum protection with NordVPN.

In particular, those who go for VPN primarily for self-protection and precaution against online hackers can rely on NordVPN’s double VPN and traffic-concealing servers. If you’re a regular video streamer, you are lucky. You are welcome to a server network with high-level consistency to its connections.

Most importantly, with NordVPN, you’re free to either customize your connection or remain glued to the preconfigured settings. Considering all these, it is no surprise that NordVPN has come this far. NordVPN has made a footprint at the VPNs’ hall of fame as the most appropriate when it comes to security and privacy.

NordVPN is highly recommended to those whose security and privacy are their primary priority. Having studied many VPNs, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN are the ones we consider the best VPN service in 2023.

Final Words

Choosing the right VPN for serving your purposes is crucial and this could confuse you if you don’t identify which one to pick from the crowd. I hope, this article will help you out to make a stable decision in choosing the right VPN for serving your purposes. If you have anything to share about the issue, please feel free to share in the comment box below.