Whenever we talk about VPNs, the topic of privacy pretty much always comes to mind. Besides, a Virtual Private Network has the word “private” in it, which implies that this is one of its key factors. As much as it sounds logical, believe me when I say that not all providers value this characteristic.
In fact, many providers – especially free ones – will gladly violate your privacy and expose your data to malicious companies for revenue. Therefore, it’s sometimes pretty hard to find the best VPN for privacy with hundreds of providers on the market promising the same.
If you’re in dire need of the best VPN to protect your privacy in 2024, what can you do? Well, for the start, you can keep reading this article, as we compiled a list of the three providers that will help you stay anonymous online. These are the best providers on the market, so you don’t have to be afraid.
6300 servers
111 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.8 /10
3000 servers
105 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
8 simultaneous connections
9.4 /10
12000 servers
100 covered countries
45 days money-back guarantee
7 simultaneous connections
9.2 /10
Besides, we’ll analyze each entry and talk about everything that makes it great, allowing you to choose your favorite pick easily.
Best VPN for Privacy: The Top 3 Choices for 2024
Before unwrapping my list, I should point out that I won’t be talking about free providers here. That’s because free providers aren’t known for their security, which is always lacking in many departments – including privacy.
Although there are some safe and secure free providers that I’ll swiftly mention later, I’ll talk about paid providers that come with pretty much no compromises in performance. Let’s check them out and see what they’re about.
1. NordVPN
Pros
- Three security audits from PricewaterhouseCoopers & Deloitte
- Includes an automatic kill switch
- Double VPN and obfuscated servers
- Full support for Tor over VPN connections
- Malware protection and antivirus
- Private DNS
Cons
- Value-added taxes in some countries
- Minor security breach in 2018
NordVPN is the most popular VPN and much like the next two providers, its focus on privacy and security is unbeatable. As the best VPN in terms of privacy, NordVPN comes with a no-logging policy that has two audits from PwC, implying just how safe and secure it is.
Storing absolutely no logs of any activities or IP addresses, you can be sure that everything you do while using it remains private and known only to you. Security-wise, NordVPN has everything you need. Aside from 256-bit encryption, it sports a kill switch to prevent any unwanted leaks.
Additionally, it offers Double VPN servers for doubling your encryption and making you untraceable by your ISP or hackers, which also makes your privacy stronger. NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol based on WireGuard is great as well, allowing for fast speeds while making sure you’re anonymous online.
This provider offers a bundle of security features called Threat Protection. Here, you’ll find not only an ad blocker but also malware protection and antivirus, which prevents keyloggers and ransomware from entering your computer and stealing your data and key presses.
NordVPN even comes with something called Meshnet, allowing you to host and join private LAN parties for 100% anonymous gaming or remote access to up to 60 devices. P2P servers are on the list too, and you get obfuscated servers for bypassing DPI in censored countries like China or Turkey.
Similarly to ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, NordVPN has RAM-based servers and its own private DNS, which is vital if privacy is your main concern. Truth be told, it suffered a security breach in 2018 but only on one server, which was, either way, fixed quickly and never repeated after that.
NordVPN is pretty affordable too, although VAT might increase the price in certain countries. Still, its 2-year plan is the cheapest deal that, along with other plans, comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click the button below and check out the #1 VPN for privacy!
Stay Private and Anonymous With NordVPN
2. ExpressVPN
Pros
- TrustedServer technology
- Certified no-logging policy (audited by KPMG)
- AES-256 encryption
- Servers for anonymous torrenting
- Streaming capabilities are top-notch
- Lightway VPN protocol for security and speed
Cons
- It’s not the most affordable provider
- Could benefit from Multi-hop support
You’ve most likely heard of ExpressVPN if you searched the word “VPN” on Google. For us, this is the best VPN for privacy next to NordVPN. What makes it great, you may ask? Well, there are tons of things really, starting with its wide array of security features.
256-bit encryption is here and is backed by an automatic kill switch, split tunneling, IPv6/DNS leak protection, and the Lightway VPN protocol. This protocol not only ensures blazing-fast performance but also your privacy, given its strong and up-to-date encryption protocols.
When talking about privacy, we should also mention the privacy policy. You see, ExpressVPN follows a strict no-logging model where it won’t store data like your IP address, DNS requests, geolocation, browsing history, and timestamps, which is further audited and verified by KPMG.
In addition, ExpressVPN has something called TrustedServer technology. It’s a fancy name for RAM-based servers that lose their data upon each restart, which prevents any information from remaining on the server for too long. No doubt, it’s one of the most vital features for privacy.
I have used this provider for nearly a decade and so far, I had zero issues with leaks. Thanks to the aforementioned security features, ExpressVPN will never leak your IP or DNS address, which ensures your privacy all the time and prevents anyone from snooping around your back.
This is especially important when torrenting or visiting the dark web. In both cases, ExpressVPN will ensure an anonymous experience, letting you torrent safely or browse the depths of the internet by using your Tor browser in conjunction with the VPN.
Other features include the ability to unblock Netflix, 3,000+ servers in 105 countries, and 8 simultaneous connections. Having practically no downsides, ExpressVPN isn’t the most affordable but it offers a 48% discount and 3 free months for its annual plan that you can claim below.
Oh, and don’t forget a 30-day money-back guarantee that makes using this provider risk-free!
Enjoy Complete Privacy With ExpressVPN
3. CyberGhost
Pros
- It’s based in Romania (zero logging)
- Transparency reports are published every 3 months
- OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols
- IPv6 and DNS leak protection
- NoSpy servers based in Romania
- Very affordable prices (2-year plan)
Cons
- It will not work in China
- Slightly unintuitive desktop app
- OpenVPN speeds can be slower
Can a cheap provider be the best VPN for privacy? Absolutely. CyberGhost is the most affordable choice on this list, yet, it’s all but less secure than NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Being a provider based in Romania, CyberGhost is renowned for its privacy-friendly jurisdiction which makes it extremely safe.
It stores absolutely no logs of your activities, IP address, and other compromising bits of information. Besides, CyberGhost’s no-logging policy has an external audit from Deloitte, and this is excellent for privacy given the presence of transparency reports that other VPNs on this list don’t have.
CyberGhost publishes them 4 times a year and here, it outlines every DMCA request and data request from authorities in general, where it always shows up with empty hands due to the fact that it stores nothing. Security features of CyberGhost are one of the most important factors as well.
Much like NordVPN, it offers military-grade encryption with the addition of an automatic kill switch, ad blocker, DNS and IP leak protection, and split tunneling. The protocol selection is decent as well, and you get WireGuard plus OpenVPN for balancing things out.
As one of my daily drivers, CyberGhost never had any issues with leaks, which I’m really proud of. Also, I would add its NoSpy servers to the list of awesome features. These servers are based in Romania and independently operated by CyberGhost for the highest level of privacy.
Moreover, the provider offers P2P servers for anonymous torrenting, as well as the ability to get CyberGhost Antivirus if you pay a dollar or so a month additionally. Now that I touched on pricing, let me mention its extremely cheap 2-year subscription plan as the highlight.
People often go for it because it turns out to be less than $2.3 a month and comes with a whopping 45-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t mind CyberGhost’s slightly unintuitive desktop client and inability to work in China, I think this is the best cheap provider for privacy.
Get CyberGhost and Ensure Online Privacy
What Makes the Best VPN for Privacy?
When choosing the best VPN to protect your privacy, you must know that numerous features contribute to this status. Let me explain to you the criteria we used for selecting the providers you see above.
No-Logging Policy
Having a no-logging policy is the single most important factor of a VPN for privacy. Besides, staying private means exposing no personal information to malicious entities, which many times include even VPN companies themselves.
We made sure to choose the providers that have a STRICT no-logs policy, as a result. This means that they won’t store logs of your IP or DNS address, DNS queries, geolocation, browsing history, timestamps, connection info, etc, etc.
All providers, including CyberGhost (audited by Deloitte), have certified zero-logging policies. CyberGhost also has transparency reports which are also very important, as transparency is always valued by VPN users.
All the services presented here are part of our ranking of the best no-log VPNs.
Strong Encryption
Strong encryption protocols are extremely important for your privacy. Encryption is here to prevent your ISP or anyone else from tracking your connection and reading its content. In addition, encryption will conceal your IP address from prying eyes and make you anonymous online.
As such, it makes your connection a garbled mess to anyone trying to read it. Currently, the strongest encryption is AES-256 also known as 256-bit AES encryption, which all the providers from the list use. This type of encryption is impenetrable.
Even the most skilled hacker can’t penetrate this encryption because it’s impossible to breach it using brute-force attacks or any other advanced technique. As it’s 256-bit encryption, it means it has 2^256 combinations, which will take thousands of years for a hacker to go through.
Bonus Security Features
Security features like a kill switch, advanced protocols, ad-blocker, antivirus, and malware protection are also important. Although ExpressVPN doesn’t have a great deal of them, it’s still one of the safest and most secure providers on the list.
However, that’s not to say that we don’t value NordVPN’s Threat Protection, Double VPN, and obfuscated servers – we value these features more, as said. Or perhaps, CyberGhost’s NoSpy servers and antivirus that you can get as a bonus feature on top of your subscription.
No IP or DNS Leaks
The best VPN for privacy must not have any IP and DNS leaks. Some low-quality VPNs are known for suffering from this issue, especially those with weaker encryption protocols and a lack of a kill switch. When this happens, your true IP or DNS address will be shown to your ISP despite you using a VPN.
Leaking any of these addresses is dangerous because it ruins your privacy and exposes your activities to your ISP. It basically violates the purpose of using a VPN, and if you’re torrenting, browsing the web, or the dark web, yet, your IP is leaking, you could end up being suspicious by your ISP without even knowing it.
Thankfully, neither of the three providers has any leaks, making them 100% safe and secure in this regard.
Good Reputation
A good reputation is hard to earn, especially with demanding customers who look for every way to find a weakness in a product. I’m not gonna lie – I’m one of them since I do VPN reviews and tests, so me saying that a particular provider is good guarantees its quality.
NordVPN, in particular, has an excellent reputation online as being the best VPN around. It never leaked any information to the authorities like the FBI or CIA because it had nothing to hand out! The same could be said about ExpressVPN and its full transparency.
Although NordVPN had a security breach, it was minor and no one was affected, which didn’t reduce its trustworthiness. Compare that to PureVPN which leaked user information to the FBI or even HideMyAss which did the same, and you can see why these three providers are so much better.
Excellent Track Record
When I chose the best VPN for privacy, I made sure that all providers have an excellent track record in my book. Simply put, I took into account my personal experience with all of them. If a VPN ended up being consistent throughout the years, it earned a place on this list.
Any inconsistency and it’s game over. As you can guess, these three had no issues and I enjoyed using them, which made my decision easy when making the list.
Some Good Free VPNs for Privacy
Free providers are notorious for their lack of privacy and security. But let me be honest, not ALL free providers are bad and some of them are surprisingly secure, even though they’re limited in terms of performance and bandwidth.
As much as I used paid providers, I also tested dozens of free VPNs and I think these three are worth a shot if you’re looking strictly for privacy – because they’re not great for anything else.
Proton VPN
Proton VPN represents Swiss security at its finest. It’s a premium provider but it offers a free plan with unlimited bandwidth and pretty much all the security features of its paid plan, with the exception of Secure Core, NetShield, and a few more.
Regardless, Proton VPN comes with RAM-based servers, bank-grade encryption, WireGuard support, an automatic kill switch, and other amazing features. Even though it’s free, its IP/DNS leak protection works flawlessly, so I never had any issues with it.
Try the free version of Proton VPN
With unlimited bandwidth, it’s great for browsing endlessly, and knowing that it stores zero logs even in the free plan makes its security unquestionable. Sadly, this provider is very slow, it doesn’t have P2P/streaming support, and gives you just 5 server locations.
This, along with only one connection per account, no 24/7 support, and mediocre device compatibility, makes Proton VPN an inferior choice to any paid provider.
Hide.me
Hide.me sports a certified no-logging policy and is based in Malaysia, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction. Along with servers based on RAM, it offers the strongest encryption, leak protection, and OpenVPN support, alas, with no WireGuard in the free version.
Needless to say, Hide.me is one of the safest providers out there and it respects your privacy in both free and paid versions. While reasonably fast and with unlimited bandwidth, Hide.me’s free version doesn’t allow for streaming or torrenting.
Furthermore, it lacks many premium features that the provider is known for, which I found crippling in some cases. Albeit, I must admit that its 24/7 live chat support is excellent and its 10 Gbps servers work well, with an average performance at best.
Just be aware that you get 8 server locations here, so don’t expect a huge server network akin to the three providers I mentioned before.
Free VPNs for Privacy to Avoid
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the worst VPNs for privacy:
- Hola VPN. This service is notorious for using a P2P network to provide its services. Its security is very weak and its privacy policy is open about storing all types of logs. Not only that but the company shares your private data with third parties to earn money, which jeopardizes your privacy undoubtedly.
- Urban VPN. A similar story. This service is completely free, with unlimited bandwidth and many servers. Yet, it has no security features, plus, it stores plenty of logs, such as your browsing history, IP address, and even geolocation. Your private info is also sold by Urban VPN, which means it can’t be used to boost your privacy.
- Hotspot Shield. A US-based company with a bad track record of preserving user privacy. While not as heavy on logging as the previous two services, Hotspot Shield stores more than it should, and on top of that, it sells free users’ information to other companies.
Summary
To summarize, I think we all know what the most privacy-friendly VPN really is. Simply put, it’s a provider that will take care of your privacy through security features in the app but also through a no-logging policy, which ensures that your personal information never leaks to the public eye.
We chose NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost as the best providers, and for them, we can guarantee that you’ll get the level of privacy you want. Free providers that can be considered include Proton VPN and Hide.me if you don’t mind their severe limitations.
So what’s it going to be? Which VPN for privacy will you choose? If you choose one, make sure you do so through our site to get their cheapest deals and biggest discounts. That way, you can remain anonymous online for merely a few dollars a month.
