Currently there are many VPN services to protect our connections from different devices. There are VPNs that are totally free , where we generally have many limitations and few options, and if you are not very careful, it is possible that the product is you and they end up selling certain information about your Internet traffic. In the case of paid VPNs, there are some that are very cheap, and others that are somewhat more expensive. Is it worth paying more for a VPN that is more expensive than another? Or do I better choose the cheapest of all?
What should I look for when choosing a VPN
Most VPN services provide us with the same options and possibilities , the main difference between a very cheap VPN and a more expensive one, is the number of servers spread across different countries. In this way, the cheapest services usually have a smaller number of servers and a smaller number of countries where they have a presence , although in the vast majority of cases they will serve us perfectly, for certain very specific uses or for “advanced” users, it is possible that It is worth choosing the best possible even if it is somewhat more expensive than other competitors.
Before choosing a service of this type, our recommendation is that you compare the following aspects:
- Number of active servers for each country . It is very important that, within the same country, we have servers in several cities, to choose which one interests us the most, and even to verify the download and upload speed.
- Number of countries where they have a presence , and in which countries they are exactly. We may have servers in various US cities, but then if we want to connect to a server in Japan we don’t have servers.
- Number of devices where we can use the service simultaneously. There are services that limit you to 5 or 7 devices simultaneously, but there are other services that have unlimited devices. If we have unlimited devices, we could buy an account and share it with family and friends, so that the monthly or annual subscription will be much cheaper.
- Integrated ad blocker: There are services that integrate an ad and malware blocker, with the aim of adding an additional layer of privacy and security. We could disable this option at any time, but we must take it into account.
Other characteristics that we consider very important when purchasing a service of these, are the following:
- VPN without logs : to protect our privacy as much as possible, it would be recommended that the service does not store our data, so that they cannot be provided to the competent authorities.
- Compatibility with operating systems and app options : all services have a program or app for the different operating systems. It is very important that the service has compatibility for the devices that we have, and it would be advisable to check if the app works well.
- Possibility of connecting manually via OpenVPN or WireGuard , without the official program or app.
- A totally free trial time . Some services have a totally free trial service, you pay the annual subscription and you have a totally free 1-month trial. If after this test you are not satisfied, you can request a full refund of the service.
For example, one of the most expensive VPN services is ExpressVPN, and the usual price for this service is €8.79 per month, paying for the entire year. However, SurfShark, which is one of the cheapest, is worth only €4 paying for the entire year, and NordVPN is worth about €4.5 per month paying for the entire year.
The difference between these last two services with respect to ExpressVPN varies quite a bit, does this mean that NordVPN or Surfshark are not reliable? No, they work really well. Depending on the use that we are going to give it, we should try different services to see if they meet our needs.