Unlock the Internet with our Best VPNs of 2019

The short answer is yes – they are 100% legal and fine to use in almost every country.

There are however a handful of places where VPNs are currently banned. These are: Belarus, Iraq, Turkmenistan and North Korea.

There are six more countries where you may only use ‘government approved’ VPN providers: China, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using a non-authorized VPN in these nations is at your own risk.

A VPN is a piece of software that, once installed and running, creates a secure and private connection between two or more devices.

A standard internet connection typically routes traffic from your device, through your internet service provider (ISP), and on to the website or app that you’re accessing. Instead, a VPN uses your ISP’s connection to route traffic to a server in a location of your choice, and then on to your desired website or app.

The result is that your ISP can no longer see and monitor your internet activity, and your connection is far more secure. In other words, a good VPN service will mask your digital footprint, encrypt your data transfers and also unblock restricted content.

The great news is that you can install and run a VPN on most popular devices, from computers to smartphones to TV streamers.

For more information you can read our detailed VPN definition.

We make the process simple for you. You don’t need to be an expert to work it out – you just need to know what you aim to use it for.

Perhaps you want guaranteed access to your favorite streaming services? Or maybe you want to secure your connection when using public WiFi? You could even be looking to sidestep oppressive government censorship. No matter your needs, our tailor-made roundups will help you find your ideal VPN.

Want to jump to the best overall VPN services straight away? Here are our most-highly recommended VPNs.

You may be tempted to use a free VPN but the reality is that the free VPN marketplace is riddled with offerings that are unfit for use.

Some simply won’t keep your data secure or your location private, while the worst offenders will spy on what you do online or sell your personal data to third parties.

We recently tested  the top 150 free VPN Android apps which revealed many had security flaws, performance issues, and over 85% had questionable permissions.

We also looked into the companies operating the top free VPN apps, and some of our findings were disturbing.

Choosing the wrong VPN service can therefore be worse than not using one at all. While there are some decent options out there, they are limited in their use and simply can’t compare to a good paid VPN.

We understand that not everyone can afford or is willing to pay for a VPN so if you’re still eager to use a free service, we have picked out the best ones for you.