We put these VPNs to the test to find out which is the best!
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
ExpressVPN is consistently one of the best VPNs that we’ve tested. It's not surprising that Vypr VPN was thoroughly outperformed when we subjected both VPNs to the same tests.
For a free VPN TunnelBear does a decent job, but it’s not in the same league as ExpressVPN when it comes to overall performance. It was really no surprise that Express was faster, more secure, and included more features.
When it comes to speeds, it’s hard for any VPN to beat ExpressVPN. They have a huge network of servers located all over the world and offer unlimited bandwidth – both important elements for providing users with a smooth experience while streaming online content.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Download speed reduction | 11% (UK) | 11% (UK) |
| Upload speed reduction | 16% (FRA) | 19% (FRA) |
| Ping time to google.com | 24ms | 11ms |
| Average time to connect (sec.) | 11ms | 1.17ms |
| Unblock successful for |
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| Visit Site | Visit Site |
Speed determines how fast content uploads, so if you're torrenting or streaming, you want the speed to be somewhat identical to your regular internet speed. Since a VPN encrypts your data, it usually takes a bit longer to send your data back and forth, which can slow down your connection. However, if your ISP deliberately slows down your connection (also known as throttling) a VPN might increase your internet speed. Testing a VPN is somewhat pointless because new servers pop up and affect speed. Your speed can also differ according to your location, so your speed test might not match ours. Having said that, we tested the speed in numerous locations to provide you with the average.
The precise number of servers Tunnelbear operates is unknown, but they’re only located in 20 countries. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, has a massive network of 2,000 servers in 94 countries spread out around the globe.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Server Locations | 3,300 | 20 |
| Server Countries | 105 | 20 |
| IP Addresses | 1,500+ | 20 |
| Dynamic Server Switching | ||
| Visit Site | Visit Site |
The ratio of servers to countries is an important factor to look at when choosing a VPN. Only paying attention to location or number of servers can get you in trouble. More servers generally means faster speeds, but if VPN X has a few more servers than VPN Y but twice as many users, VPN X will typically have slower speeds. Ideally, you want a VPN that has a lot of servers in every location. This way you won’t have to worry that server/country that you want will be overburdened and running slow.
ExpressVPN is the clear winner when it comes to customer support. Although Tunnelbear provides lots of answers on their website, if you want to get in touch with them your only option is a ticketing system, which can take up to 24 hours to respond. In contrast, ExpressVPN has multiple channels for customer support, including a 24/7 live chat, that has proven really responsive and helpful.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Email Response Time | 0.3 | 6 |
| 24/7 Support | ||
| Live Chat | ||
| Knowledge Base | ||
| Video Tutorials | ||
| Visit Site | Visit Site |
We personally test the customer support team of every VPN we review. This means asking technical question through the live chat feature (where applicable) and measuring the response time for email questions. Whether you need to connect to a specific server, change your security protocol, or configure a VPN on your router, finding a VPN with quality customer support should be important to you.
Tunnelbear is really easy to install and provides users with an intuitive, and seriously adorable interface. (Check out their bear motif.) Their security features are top-notch, and they even brought in a third party auditor to assess them – something not a lot of other VPNs have done. For many, their most attractive feature will be their free version, which provides almost all the benefits of the paid one, except your data is limited to 500MB a month.
That said, they don’t allow P2P, so Tunnelbear isn’t a great option for torrenting. Plus, they keep partial logs, and they’re based in Canada, which doesn’t have the best record when it comes to internet privacy.
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market today. It’s super simple to install and use, and with their strict no logs policy, it doesn’t compromise when it comes to security or privacy. The speeds are lightning fast, and connections are incredibly stable, making it a perfect option for streaming and torrenting.
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