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VirtualDJ If being pressed into service as part of a botnet isn't enough to slow you down, free VPN services also usually pay for fewer VPN server options. That means your traffic is generally bouncing around longer between distant, overcrowded servers, or even waiting behind the traffic of paid users.

To top it off, subscription streaming sites are savvy to those who try to sneak into their video services for free. These services routinely block large numbers of IP addresses they've identified as belonging to turnstile-jumping freeloaders.

That means you may not even be able to log into a streaming platform you've paid for if your free VPN is using a stale batch of IPs. If you subscribe to only one CNET newsletter, this is it. Get editors' top picks of the day's most interesting reviews, news stories and videos. The good news is that there are a lot of solid VPNs on the market that offer a range of features, depending on your needs and budget.

You can browse our ratings and reviews to find the right VPN software for you. If you're looking for something mobile-specific, we've rounded up our favorites for If you'd like a primer before deciding which service to drop the cash on, we have a VPN buyer's guide to help you get a handle on the basics of VPNs and what to look for when choosing a VPN service. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read.

Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Rae Hodge. When it comes to free VPNs, there's always a price to pay.

Here are the top contenders we've found: NordVPN offers a risk-free day trial period. It is one of the best free VPN to use for 30 days. Express also currently offers three months of free service when you sign up for a one-year plan. That's 15 months of service for the price of However, there is an exception: If you sign up for ExpressVPN by downloading the app on an iOS or Android device, you'll be offered a seven-day free trial there.

But this only works in certain countries, including the US. ProtonVPN offers a limited free version of its product one device only, limited download speeds as a way for users to get a fee-free test drive of the service.

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Speaking of price, if you want one of the less expensive providers, Private Internet Access is the place to go. The company does not release information on the number of IP addresses available, though it does offer a dedicated IP option. The company claims to have an extraordinarily high number of servers -- more than 31, It is crucial to note: Proxy servers are not VPNs.

Operating since , PIA now offers simultaneous connections, a kill-switch feature and a day refund period. Since we're living in a connected world, security and privacy are critical to ensure our personal safety from nefarious hacks.

From online banking to communicating with co-workers on a daily basis, we're now frequently transferring data on our computers and smartphones.

It's extremely important to find ways of securing our digital life and for this reason, VPNs have become increasingly common. Picking a VPN requires knowing two things to start with: what you want to use it for and what you're willing to pay.

There is a vast number of VPNs available to choose from that range widely in what they offer, but with those two answers, you can start hunting for a VPN that has the right blend of speed, security and cost. Below, you'll find specific FAQ sections on picking a VPN based on the most common needs: gaming, streaming media, working from home and privacy-sensitive professions. For a deeper dive, check our detailed walk-through of how we evaluate and review VPNs. If you're looking for some quick pointers, here are universally applicable advice guides for beginners.

None of them. While there are plenty of excellent free security and privacy apps online, VPNs sadly aren't among them. Safe VPNs cost companies a lot of money to operate and keep secure, and a free VPN service is almost always malware-laden data snoops. Check out our quick list of budget-savvy VPNs to find one in your price range. If your goal is to protect your personal data from prying eyes, you want a VPN on whatever you are using.

If your goal is to use a VPN to gain access to streaming services which have been made unavailable in your country for whatever reason, you want a VPN on whatever you are using to access those streaming services.

Whatever your reason for wanting a VPN, it's usually a good idea to have it set up on as many of your web-connected things as possible. Use a mobile-friendly VPN to avoid slower speeds and ensure greater data privacy for your whole device. Mobile VPNs generally have a smaller memory footprint, and require less processing power than desktop VPNs, so they run faster and save more battery.

Our top three VPN picks all have excellent, easy-to-use mobile app options for their services. Some VPNs will only work with one type of platform -- like Apple or Android -- and some are universally compatible. We routinely update them with our retesting information, so check back often. If you're working from home, you may be sharing your internet connection with multiple devices and family members or roommates.

That's a lot of simultaneous connections to a VPN and a lot of drag on a network. Pick a VPN that lets you use one subscription on as many devices as possible and has excellent speeds so your Wi-Fi isn't bogged down. If your job involves handling sensitive information like financial or medical records, however, your priority VPN criteria is security.

Our top three VPN picks are the most secure we've found, and each has a different number of connections they'll allow for a base-level subscription. There are a few other factors worth considering for a home-office VPN, though, so check out our guide to picking the right VPN now that you're working at home. Most VPNs are chosen based on having a good balance of speed, security and cost. But if you want a VPN specifically to connect to game servers in another country, speed is everything.

Free VPNs won't be fast enough, but, fortunately, high-end security won't be a cost driver, which gives you more options at modest prices. Since all VPNs reduce speed -- most by half or more -- that means picking one from the set that performed best in our speed tests. In tests, Surfshark managed to win our speed race while still being one of the least expensive VPNs we've seen. If you're a journalist, a lawyer or a professional in any other privacy-sensitive field, forget about speed and price when choosing a VPN.

Focus, instead, entirely on security. Your VPN may be somewhat slower but, for both VPNs and presidential motorcades, speed is always the trade-off for privacy. You may find our primer on VPN evaluations useful. Although speed does play a factor in our rankings, our top three VPNs were all selected by veteran journalists, scrutinized and reviewed with complete editorial independence, with the most privacy-sensitive professions in mind.

If you live in a country that censors its media or are traveling to one, geo-restricted content is a pain. You can use a VPN to circumvent censorship or access your home country's normal media content for online streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Pick a VPN that lets you manually select which country you want to connect through and has something called obfuscation.

Our top three picks offer this. If you're looking to try out other VPNs, choose one with a large number of IP addresses, preferably 10, or more. Once you have your VPN installed, connect to the country whose content you wish to view, restart your browser and go to the streaming site. If your VPN is working, the site should treat you as a resident of your selected country and serve you content assigned to that audience. A remote-access VPN uses public infrastructure like the internet to provide remote users secure access to their network.

This is particularly important for organizations and their corporate networks. It's crucial when employees connect to a public hotspot and use the internet for sending work-related emails. This gateway will typically require the device to authenticate its identity. It will then create a network link back to the device that allows it to reach internal network resources such as file servers, printers and intranets, as if it were on the same local network.