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VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) allows users to mask their connection, using a private network as a proxy, but not all services have encryption. Contrary to the aggressive ads, a VPN is not a one-step solution to privacy as some VPN companies falsely advertise.1)2)

Summary

Most people use VPNs to circumvent geoblocked pages or government censors, hide activities from their ISP or MNO when engaging in piracy, and mitigate MitM attacks on public networks.3) As an aside, streaming services (e.g. Amazon Video, Hulu, Netflix) have obviously wisened up after VPN companies started claiming that they can circumvent geographical restrictions, so be wary of such claims.

If you're meticulous with VPNs, you'd check for services that don't log traffic, isn't in the Fourteen Eyes or countries with key disclosure laws, see if they use WireGuard at all, and check if these provider even acknowledges the DPI issue when traveling to foreign countries. Personally, I have no need for a VPN, but I wanted to provide a semi-useful page on them.

Notable VPNs providers

When you search for VPNs, you'll probably be overloaded with options and find some review site that might be sponsored or written by a VPN company. To alleviate this, I've provided a compact chart of VPNs that actually provides the pricing plans that they had when I accessed them in late 2021, but the caveat is that the prices and server numbers may have changed since then and I'm not interested in updating this chart.

VPN provider Free trial Pricing (cheapest plan) Servers WireGuard Jurisdiction
Monthly Yearly
Highly recommended VPNs
IVPN No $6.00 $60.00/yr
($5.00/mo) 		? Yes 🇬🇮 Gibraltar
Mullvad VPN No €5.00 €60.00/yr
(€5.00/mo) 		760 Yes 🇸🇪 Sweden14E
Njalla No €5.00 €60.00/yr
(€5.00/mo) 		? Yes ?
ProtonVPN Yes → $48.00/yr
($4.00/mo) 		1529 Yes 🇨🇭 Switzerland
Xeovo No €4.99 €35.88/yr
(€2.99/mo) 		31 Yes 🇫🇮 Finland
Somewhat obscure VPNs
AirVPN Paid
(3 days) 		€7.00 €49.00/yr
(€4.08/mo) 		243 Yes 🇮🇹 Italy14E
AzireVPN Paid
(7 days) 		$5.00 $45.00/yr
($3.75/mo) 		65 Yes 🇸🇪 Sweden14E
BlackVPN Paid
(14 days) 		€5.00 €49.00/yr
(€4.08/mo) 		31 No 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR
Cryptostorm Yes $6.00 $52.00/yr
($4.34/mo) 		60 Yes 🇮🇸 Iceland
FrootVPN Paid
(30 days) 		$9.99 $39.96/yr
($3.33/mo) 		41 Yes 🇸🇪 Sweden14E
Hide.me Yes $12.95 $99.95/yr
($8.33/mo) 		2000+ Yes 🇲🇾 Malaysia
OVPN Paid
(10 days) 		$11.00 $59.88/yr
($4.99/mo) 		29? Yes 🇸🇪 Sweden14E
Perfect Privacy No $12.99 $119.99/yr
($10.00/mo) 		58 No 🇨🇭 Switzerland
Trust.Zone Paid
(3 days) 		$8.88 $39.95/yr
($3.33/mo) 		188 Yes 🇸🇨 Seychelles
VPN.ht No $4.99 $39.99/yr
($3.33/mo) 		90 No 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR
VPNArea Paid
(14 days) 		$9.90 $49.56/yr
($4.13/mo) 		88? No 🇧🇬 Bulgaria
VPNTunnel Paid
(7 days) 		$9.99 $39.96/yr
($3.33/mo) 		150+ Yes 🇸🇨 Seychelles
(🇸🇪 Sweden14E)

Key(s): 5E - Five eyes. 14E - Fourteen eyes.

VPNs to avoid

  • CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access (PIA), Zenmate - These VPNs were acquired by British-Israeli company “Kape Technologies” who used to develop adware as “Crossrider”.4)
  • HideMyAss (HMA) - Within the United Kingdom's jurisdiction, a five eyes country, and there was one case of HideMyAss sending logs to the FBI for what was called the “LulzSec Fiasco”.5)6)
  • Hola VPN - In 2015, it was reported that end users can be turned into exit nodes,7)8)9) implicating that end users could be held liable for the activities of potential hackers and other VPN users.
  • HotSpot Shield - Within the United States' jurisdiction, a five eyes country.
  • NordVPN - Despite claiming that their service doesn't keep logs, a data breach from March 2018 was not undisclosed for a whole year.10)11)12)13)
  • Opera Free VPN (Opera VPN) - It's not really a VPN and your data is collected by Opera.

Notes

  • If you want a personal recommendation: I use Mullvad VPN, but only infrequently.
  • Privacy Raccoon - Privacy Raccoon's VPN section. Community-maintained website.
  • VPN Providers - Privacy.do's VPN section.
  • Do I need a VPN? - A quick tool from IPVN, challenging the aggressive marketing for VPNs.
  • DNS Leak Text - This is used to double check your IP, set up a kill switch, etc.

1) , 3)
"Why you don't need a VPN" (March 19, 2020). IVPN.
2)
"VPN Companies Are Lying To You" (May 26, 2020). YouTube.
4)
"Kape Technologies (Formerly Crossrider) Now Owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, Zenmate, and a Collection of VPN “Review” Websites" (September 15, 2021). Restore Privacy.
5)
"LulzSec Fiasco" (September 23, 2011). HideMyAss.
6)
"HideMyAss defends role in LulzSec hack arrest" (September 26, 2011). The Register.
7)
"Why Using the Hola VPN Service Is a Bad Idea" (February 12, 2015). FreeVPN.
8)
"Adios, Hola! Popular privacy-minded browser plug-in has backdoor for hackers - report" (March 29, 2015). RT.
9)
"Do you use Hola VPN? You could be part of a DDoS, content theft – or worse" (June 10, 2015). The Register.
10)
"NordVPN and TorGuard VPN Breaches: What You Need to Know" (October 23, 2019). PCMag.
11)
"After the breach, Nord is asking people to trust its VPN again" (November 1, 2019). CNET.
12)
"NordVPN confirms it was hacked" (October 21, 2019). TechCrunch.
13)
"Hackers steal secret crypto keys for NordVPN. Here’s what we know so far" (October 21, 2019). Ars Technica.
vpn.txt · Last modified: 2022-11-07 19:04:47 by namelessrumia