Virtual private networks (VPNs) are experiencing a boom thanks to huge marketing budgets and influencer partnerships. It’s a challenge to navigate the growing VPN market, and many of the assertions made about its features and benefits might not be accurate. Consumer Reports online security expert Yael Grüner recommends looking for open source software, reproducible builds and up-to date support for industry standard protocols.

CyberGhost’s zero-logs policy is an excellent selling feature. It claims that it will not record your online activity or IP address. The apps are compatible with the majority of major operating systems and come with 256-bit encryption, a kill button, leak protection, and the option of connecting via a random port. It also scored higher than the majority of VPNs in our speed test, though this could be due to traffic shaping by your ISP. It also provides additional tools such as Threat Protection, Onion Over VPN and Double VPN.

Nord is another alternative that scored highly in our tests, with a strong showing in our geoblocking and streaming testing. The apps are powerful and fairly pleasant to use, but a map-based interface may be a bit cumbersome on smaller screens. It’s compatible with a variety of routers and Kodi TV set-top boxes and is one of the most extensive geographical reach vpn services reviews of our selections. It’s also a great option for watching overseas Netflix and has dedicated servers called ‘Windflix’ to serve this use. It recently added a feature called Perfect Forward Secrecy, which protects your data with a new key each session which makes it more difficult for hackers to crack past activities.