VPNs are used particularly on computers/laptops to create a secure connection to another network over the internet. While it is less common to use VPN services in smartphones, it is recommended that you do so to ensure anonymity. When on the move, people tend to use the available free Wi-Fi. Because free Wi-Fi services have no encryption, it can be monitored by anyone. You are much safer when using a VPN service in your smartphone to remain safe from prying eyes and Wi-Fi sniffers.
How to choose the best VPN application for smartphones?
Choosing the best VPN application can be a matter of personal preferences and price requirements. There are, however, some basic things you need to look out when choosing the best VPN application for your smartphone:
- Smartphone support
Any VPN application that has a dedicated application for Android/iOS/Windows is preferable over a VPN application that focuses more on offering services for computer/laptops.
- User-friendly
A proper smartphone VPN application should be user-friendly, easy to use, and should have an excellent user interface.
- Features
Features like kill switch are desirable in a VPN application. Look out for a VPN service that offers multiple simultaneous sessions, and more than one supported protocols.
- Security
One of the main reasons to use a VPN in your smartphone is to ensure security. Tight security, support of different protocols, privacy policy, and compliant terms of service are hence essential when looking for the best VPNs for smartphones.
- Pricing
Another important consideration when selecting a good VPN for smartphones is pricing. Some vendors have double pricing than the others but are limited in terms of features. Some, however, have the best value for money. Money back guarantees and longer trial periods also add points to the suitability of VPN applications for smartphones.
Best VPNs for smartphones
NordVPN
Guarantee offered: 30-day money back guarantee.
NordVPN supports a huge number of platforms and has a strict no-logging policy. You can connect up to six devices simultaneously on one account. It also offers a selection of protocols and security features. You can stream content across national boundaries with ease using NordVPN.
This application has a double VPN policy, which means that your connection passes through two separate VPN servers for additional security. The app is basic, easy to use, and has the ability to connect whenever you join a Wi-Fi network. It is reasonably priced, and the 3-year offer is clearly the best choice in terms of value.
Private Internet Access
Guarantee offered: 7-day trial.
Private Internet Access has a low per year price and is a VPN application which does not log any data. It is a perfect combination of performance and economic value. It actively supports open source projects, and you can pay for services anonymously. Another awesome fact that makes this VPN service worth using is that you can utilise a variety of gift cards to pay for the subscription.
PIA app is easy to use and has an abundance of options and settings that can be tweaked. It supports port forwarding, UDP and TCP protocol settings, local and remote port settings, proxy support, and custom encryption mechanisms. It has a favorable privacy policy, and the 2-year plan gives you the best savings with three additional months for free.
TorGuard
Guarantee offered: 30-day money back guarantee, 7-day free trial.
TorGuard uses strong and fast protocols to secure smartphones. It does not keep any logs, and the company offers a wide range of security protocols. TorGuard is a boon for travelers who want to protect their communications fully. It offers support in more than 50 countries, and the company accepts payment in bitcoin.
ExpressVPN
Guarantee offered: 30-day money back guarantee, 7-day free trial.
ExpressVPN is also one of the all-rounder VPNs for smartphones. It has a well designed Android app which is user-friendly and straightforward. It has an excellent location picker and boasts AES 256-bit encryption. The application, however, is devoid of a kill switch. It offers quality apps for a wide range of devices, and its website features an array of content and videos that help you use their apps.
ExpressVPN is not the cheapest VPN out there, but its 24/7 support is well worth the money paid. It has a 30-day money back guarantee and a free 7-day trial. Of the different payment options available, the 12-month plan is the most economical one, as it gives you an additional of three months free.
IPVanish
Guarantee offered: 7-day money back guarantee
IPVanish has to be one of the fastest VPN applications for smartphones. It has some unusual yet great options like split tunneling but is devoid of a kill switch.
This VPN application has impressive download speeds, and it does not log user activity. It offers exceptional 24/7 support and 256-bit AES encryption with OpenVPN protocol. IPVanish is a little pricey, but the 1-year subscription is the best choice available.
VyprVPN
Guarantee offered: No free trials.
VyprVPN is a good mix of speed and security. It offers excellent services for smartphones and is dedicated, well optimised, and has a speedy performance. It supports multiple protocols such as PPTP, Chameleon, L2TP/IPsec, and OpenVPN.
VyprVPN has a clear interface, auto-connect option for untrusted networks, kill switch, protocol switching, DNS options, URL filtering, and fast connectivity. While other VPN applications focus on smartphones as an afterthought, VyprVPN has put its focus on creating a world-class smartphone app. It has both basic and premium payment options.
Buffered VPN
Guarantee offered: 30-day money back guarantee.
Buffered VPN keeps some connection information, but is exceptional when it comes to the generous amount of simultaneous sessions, unlimited bandwidth, and client support it offers. You can try out their application for a 30-day test drive and assess its easy to use interface.
The VPN service is relatively new, but it is committed to providing quality support, and to support Internet freedom. They do not offer the least expensive plan, but it is worth giving them a try.
CyberGhost VPN
Guarantee offered: 30-day money back guarantee.
CyberGhost’s three-year subscription comes with a free McAfee subscription. The application supports IPSec, L2TP, and OpenVPN protocols. It comes with a connection kill switch feature.
CyberGhost has servers located in 115 locations all over the globe. Hence you can use any of the 1400 individual IP addresses when on the road. The company does not log connection data, has custom app protection, and offers IPV5 support. CyberGhost is hence one of the best VPNs that offer great value for money.
GooseVPN
Guarantee offered: 30-day trial.
Unlimited device policy is one of the best features of GooseVPN that makes it stand out in this list of best smartphone VPN’s. The application indicates the servers that are best for media streaming and has one of the lowest per-month prices. It, however, has bandwidth constrained to 50GB or less per month in the basic version. You can amp it up by using the premium version of the app.
The new version of GooseVPN also has a kill switch but only for the Windows version. In the upcoming versions, it is expected that the kill switch feature will be there for other platforms too.
PureVPN
Guarantee offered: 7-day money back guarantee.
PureVPN offers excellent support. It logs some technical information but has a strict no-browsing log policy. The most intriguing part of PureVPN is its advanced protection, antivirus protection, and real-time malware detection. The application also offers all the usual protocols, a kill switch, app filtering, web filtering, and firewall style function.
The price range of PureVPN is not the cheapest, but its support, its security features, and ease of use make it worth the money paid.
