Home Featured With the advancement of technology and the importance that it has gained over the years, being connected to the Internet has become a priority. However, in this, there are a lot of dangers, such as information theft. It is because of this that VPNs began to be used, a great solution for all those problems. Stay with us to know about the 5 best VPNs of 2023! What's Inside ToggleWhat Is A VPN? How Do We Rank VPNs? 1) WireGuard Protocol (performance) 2) Port-forwarding Support (connectivity) 3) Excellent Reputation And Track Record (Anonymity/Privacy)4) Platform Availability 5) Ease of Use The 5 Best VPNs of 2023- Recommended List 1) Mullvad2) Atlas VPN3) IVPN4) OVPN5) AirVPNWhy Not Other VPNs On The List? What Is A VPN? A VPN, also known as a Virtual Private Network, is a technology specially created so that a person can connect to a public network, creating and maintaining a secure connection. This happens because, when using a VPN, it is responsible for encrypting the traffic on the Internet, creating an “identity” different from the real one. It can be achieved since the technology hides your actual IP address by allowing the network to redirect it through a particular remote server, being able to hide the real information in a certain way. Using this technology comes with a couple of points in its favor: It will be possible to protect information or personal data, this being the most crucial point. If necessary, it will make it difficult for third parties to monitor activities, which may be a potential danger. As it is in charge of hiding the IP address of the device, it will have a chance to access content that is not always accessible in a certain area or region. How Do We Rank VPNs? Although there are many factors by which VPNs can be qualified, our selection is going to be based on the following aspects: 1) WireGuard Protocol (performance) To function properly, VPNs must work hand in hand with certain regulations, to ensure their reliability, and this is taken care of by the WireGuard Protocol. This is a relatively new protocol, which uses state-of-the-art cryptography to overcome existing protocols, where errors have been seen. It is extremely secure and can be up to 60% faster than the competition. 2) Port-forwarding Support (connectivity) Port-forwarding is a way of redirecting connections using a router: It works by allowing a remote device to connect directly to the router itself, all through redirection with specific connections. Basically, this results in allowing quick access of an external person or device to one or more addresses, without having much trouble. 3) Excellent Reputation And Track Record (Anonymity/Privacy) Clearly, the reputation of any service is one of the most important factors, and VPNs are no slouch. In addition to that, and being a tool to hide a real identity, the privacy and anonymity they provide must be a point to consider. In general, a really reliable, anonymous, and good-quality VPN should have three specific points: Evidence of no logging policy (court-proven or audit). Open-source client and/or server configurations. Anonymous subscription and payments. Having these three factors is very important to corroborate the reputation of the VPN, as well as the general security. 4) Platform Availability Although VPNs are created to be used on the internet in general, not all of them allow certain platforms. Ideally, they can be used anytime, anywhere they are needed, so availability is of utmost importance. 5) Ease of Use This point is a bit self-explanatory. The easier any page or product is to use; the more users will prefer it. Not only can better results be obtained, but also a better understanding of the service. The 5 Best VPNs of 2023- Recommended List VPNNLEOSASPrice MullvadYesYesYesAround 5.50 USD a month IVPNYesYesYesAround 6 USD a month OVPNYesNoYesAround 4.99 USD a month AirVPNNoYesYesAround 7 USD a month Atlas VPNYesYesYesAround 10 USD a month (NLE: No Logging Evidence / OS: Open-source Apps/Configs / AS: Anonymous Subscriptions) 1) Mullvad First of all, we have Mullvad, a fan favorite. Not only has a trajectory of more than 10 years without problems or leaks, but also comes with port-forwarding and no logging evidence features, both important to torrenting. Likewise, it was a pioneer in the use of the WireGuard Protocol, being one of the VPNs that has contributed the most to its development and perfection. In addition to that, it has features such as not needing any information to create an account, server transparency, and open-source. Without a doubt, a highly recommended VPN. Pros: 10 years on the market without problems or leaks. Has port-forwarding support. Has a no-logging evidence policy. Works alongside the WireGuard Protocol. Cons: Has no video streaming support. The website can be too simple. 2) Atlas VPN Second, on this list is Atlas VPN. This is an extremely beginner-friendly service, plus it features no logging evidence, computer, TV, and smartphone support, and totally anonymous subscriptions, as well as WireGuard Protocol. Furthermore, it does not limit simultaneous connections, meaning you can download VPN apps on as many devices as you like. It is also a budget-friendly option, with many campaigns and special offers. For instance, Atlas VPN offers student discounts, too. Pros: Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. WireGuard Protocol support. Unblocks most streaming services. Has 3 free server locations. Has anonymous subscription support. Cons: It has a smaller server network. No browser extensions yet. 3) IVPN Being a solid contender stands IVPN. Not only does it have the port-forwarding, no logging evidence, and WireGuard Protocol, but it also has a top-quality performance overall, surprising users who use it. Pros: Has anonymous subscription and payments. Comes at really good prices. Has no longing evidence. Has a strong stance on transparency. Cons: Offers a small number of servers & IP addresses. Doesn’t work with many streaming services. 4) OVPN Finding itself in the middle of this top is OVPN. Although it is not in the first place, it must be clarified that this is the only VPN (to date) to have 100% self-owned servers and is court-proven, so there can be no doubt that it is one of the best options. Likewise, it has no logging evidence and anonymous subscription features. Pros: Comes at amazing prices. Has no longing evidence. Has 100% self-owned servers. Comes with video streaming support. Cons: Doesn’t have open-source support. Has a smaller network than larger VPN providers. 5) AirVPN Nearing the end, we have AirVPN. While being open-source, it has many options and flexibility on the services, plus it also works hand in hand with the WireGuard Protocol, even though it is relatively new to it. Pros: Supports the WireGuard Protocol. Can connect securely to 22 countries. Comes with setup guides. Has fast same-country speeds. Cons: Has longing evidence. It has limited customer support. Why Not Other VPNs On The List? Yes, it is true that anyone can choose any VPN they want, however, not all of them are of such good quality, due to various factors. For example, problems have been seen with the following services: Nord: It lacks the port-forwarding aspect, plus it’s not an independent service and there have been various issues around its work ethic. Surfshark: Although this is a very popular VPN, the same problems can be seen. Lacks port-forwarding, has questionable ethics and the independency factor. Private Internet Access (PIA): It also has ethical problems and the factor of independence, in addition to the fact that the port-forwarding aspect is extremely limited. ExpressVPN: There are three factors that every VPN should have, this service is missing two: Port-forwarding and the WireGuard protocol. Cyberghost: While having the service, it has a poor track record, plus it lacks port-forwarding, and it’s not independent. Windscribe: It also has a poor track record, and the port-forwarding aspect is almost non-existent. ProtonVPN: Not a bad service, but the missing port-forwarding is a huge negative aspect. Cryptostorm: While having good quality, this service seems to have been inactive for a while. What did you think of this list of the 5 best VPNs of 2023? Did we leave any other VPN that deserves to be in the top 5? Let us know in the comments.
