Virtual Private Networks (in short – VPNs) are gaining popularity as reliable security and privacy tools. More and more VPN providers are entering the market – so which markers should you look out for if you’re a web developer?

Whether you’re a front-end dev or a web designer, look out for things like these:

• No-logs policy. Privacy is one of the key benefits of a VPN, so selecting a provider who collects information leaves you pretty much at the same spot you started at.
• A good server coverage. You don’t want to get stuck with a provider who doesn’t cover your continent, because that will slow down your browsing quite a bit.
• Fast and secure protocols. You’re looking for protocols such as IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN. These protocols are the fastest and offer what’s best in current VPN security.
• Additional features. While a Kill Switch is a must, getting things like an adblocker on top is simply good value.
• Best price for the value. This might be a bit on the obvious side, but while getting a free VPN is most likely a horrid security choice, you don’t need to pay through the nose to get a really good one.
• 24/7 support. Sometimes you do need a support team member to help you out – and who doesn’t offer 24/7 support these days anyway?
• Netflix availability. While a VPN is great for work, it’s also great for other things – such as accessing country-specific content, especially when you pay the same amount for the service anyway. Not all VPNs can offer Netflix availability, so if you want a versatile service, do your research.

Still not convinced you actually need a VPN?

Let’s take a look at its key benefits:

• It helps freelancers protect sensitive and/or confidential information. The gig economy is growing – and if you’re a web designer or a front-end developer, there’s a good chance you freelance.
• It enables greater privacy online. While being 100% anonymous is not really feasible, getting a VPN is a great start to start protecting your privacy more.
• Better security online. Some VPNs can protect you from phishing, and some have malware-killing features. Plus, leaving less digital traces means less material for potential scammers or hackers.
• VPNs delete internet borders. The internet was meant to be a great archive of knowledge and communication for the entire world – but greed and misdirection is quickly spreading. Net neutrality is in danger and using a VPN can be a quick fix for you as a user.

Let’s take a look at the VPN services that stood out the most.

Surfshark

Surfshark is one of the few VPN providers that guarantees your anonymity everytime you are on the web. Because they are based in the British Virgin Islands, you can rest assured that their strict no-logs policy is actually enforceable.

Currently, its services are available in 50+ countries where their 500+ servers are located. One thing that stands out about this VPN is that they do not limit the number of devices you can protect via one account. On top of that, they also do not limit bandwidth, so you won’t end up with 1 fast and 9 super slow gadgets on your hands.

Although they’re still a new kid on the block, you wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at the features Surfshark offers. They have all the musts, such as a Kill Switch, industry-leading security protocols IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN, and IP masking.

There’s also MultiHop that creates a double VPN chain, CleanWeb™ that gets rids of ads, trackers, and malware, and much more. What’s nice is that you get all of the features in each plan – and their two-year plan is currently only $3.49/mo.

Considering that they have both Netflix coverage and a 24/7 support plus all the shiny new fast protocols, I consider that price a steal. This is a really good deal for a fast-and-safe VPN.

ProtonVPN

You might know this provider from ProtonMail – the world’s largest encrypted email network. It’s no wonder they’ve moved on to create a VPN service.

ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland, which is a cooperating country of the extended eyes security alliance. While this is a better location than some, it can be tricky and the government might force them to cooperate. A good thing here is that ProtonVPN doesn’t keep a lot of customer data on hand.

They do use the OpenVPN protocol, so you can be sure your security is important to this provider. ProtonVPN also has the IKEv2/IPSec protocol that can be amazing for your speed.

However, due to the fact that they only have 303 servers in 27 countries, you should first see whether they have servers near you because no protocol is going to help you if you’re always connecting to a server that’s thousands of miles away.

ProtonVPN support doesn’t operate 24/7, either, although I did hear some pretty good things about it. So depending on your needs, this might be a non-issue for you. On the other hand, when it comes to Netflix, you might be facing some issues. While you can connect to it through certain servers, your options will be limited.

When it comes to features, they have the standard Kill Switch, plus, they offer P2P support. They mainly focus on security features there onwards. When it comes to price, they do have a bare-bones and slow free plan, but their better options are priced at $4 to $24 per month.

$4 plan is probably still going to be rather slow, so if you want a really fast VPN, you’re looking at $8/mo at the minimum.

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the best-known VPN providers in the world – and for a good reason, too. They have 5000+ servers in 62 countries, so you’re going to get pretty good download, streaming, and browsing speeds.

Being on a Panama jurisdiction allows them to be true to their no-logs policy. NordVPN will allow you to watch Netflix, and they have a wide array of features – including a Kill Switch. Their support can be contacted 24/7 which is great!

Of course, they do use all the best protocols in the industry: IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN. Kill Switch is just one of the features that they boast, and with a product this big, you can expect a good package.

However, it’s not all just sunshine and rainbows. If you’re looking to connect a lot of devices, NordVPN may not be the right choice, as they have a 6-device per account limit. Other than that, it’s a really good VPN and it comes in at $6.99/mo for a yearly plan, which is a fair price for the service.

HotspotShield VPN

Now HotspotShield VPN has both the free and the premium version, and they’re both rather different. Their free VPN has limited bandwidth, ads, no tech support AND you can only connect one device, so its only benefit, really, is the $0.00 price tag.

Their premium service offers 2500+ servers in 25 countries. While the server amount is good, you do need to look into which countries they cover because that is by far the lowest amount of the five VPNs we’re talking about today. Although it was noted that this VPN is pretty fast in Europe.

However, there is one really big “but” when it comes to HotspotShield. They do have logs, and although they don’t log everything, they are located in the USA – the member of the Five Eyes alliance. That means the information they do keep on you can be requested by the government.

Another issue is the protocols they use, or rather, don’t use. OpenVPN is the only option they offer, and while that is a solid protocol, it would be great to see IKEv2/IPSec as an option, too.

They only offer ticketed customer support, so if that’s important to you, it’s a big con. On the flip side, you should be able to access Netflix without running into too many problems.

HotSpotShield yearly price comes out at about $8/mo, which to be honest, is a bit steep, especially if we compare it with services such as Surfshark. For a premium price, they certainly slack on premium features. On the other hand, they do have a free option, although it looks to be a very thin version of the product.

Express VPN

This is yet another big name in the VPN industry. ExpressVPN is located in the British Virgin Islands, and this is one of the jurisdictions you want your VPN to be in. Quite naturally, they do not collect any logs.

2000+ servers in 94 countries is a pretty good coverage as it goes (it’s the best amount of countries yet, although when it comes to servers, NordVPN has 5000+ and Hotspot Shield – 2500+).

ExpressVPN, as any good VPN service, have the OpenVPN protocol. However, they don’t have the fast IKEv2/IPSec, you only get L2TP/IPSec – which is turtle-slow compared to IKEv2.

While this VPN does have quite a few features – such as a Kill Switch and split-tunneling, they don’t have a simple adblocker. It might not be a big deal for some, but it is a nice-to-have add-on, especially if the service is pricey.

ExpressVPN is not the cheapest option around, as it comes in at $6.67/mo for a 15-month plan. However, it’s a decent price for this product.

Conclusion

1. Do your research. You never know if the service is really the best because they will all claim that!
2. Sort out your priorities. Different VPNs are best for security, or speed, or privacy, however, you can luck out with an all-rounder.
3. Run test trials. User experience is just as important – you’ll need to see for yourself whether a service is the best fit for you.