The Best VPN services of 2017

Welcome to the CNET 2017 Directory of VPN providers. In this directory, we're taking a look at a few of the very best commercial VPN service providers on the Internet. Rather than looking at the wide range of free providers, which often have a lot of limits (and dubious loyalties), we are looking at those vendors who charge a few bucks a month, but put your interests first, rather than those of shadowy advertisers and sponsors.

Our VPN rankings are based more than 20 factors including number of server locations, client software, dedicated and dynamic IP, bandwidth caps, security, logging, customer support and price. CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of these products and services offered by our partners. 

Let's look at each of our vendors below in a little more depth.

IPVanish VPN – 4.5/5

Number of IP addresses: 40,000+
Number of servers: 700
Number of server locations: 60
Country/Jurisdiction: United States
A big win for IPVanish is the fact that the company keeps zero logs. Zero. We also like the company's stance towards privacy. They even provide support to EFF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit at the front lines of protecting online privacy.

A unique feature of IPVanish, and one we're very intrigued by, is the VPN's support of Kodi, the open-source media streaming app that was once known as XBMC. Any serious media fan has used or built Kodi or XBMC into a media player, and the integrated IPVanish Kodi plugin provides access to media worldwide.

At $7.50/month and $58.49 for a year, they're obviously trying to move you towards their yearly program. We awarded the company points for Bitcoin support, and their money-back guarantee. We're a little disappointed that they only allow a 7-day trial, rather than a full 30-days. The company is generous, with five simultaneous connections. They also picked up points for their connection kill switch feature, a must for anyone serious about remaining anonymous while surfing.



NordVPN – 5/5

Number of IP addresses: 2,000
Number of servers: 1087
Number of server locations: 61
Country/Jurisdiction: Panama
NordVPN picks up our first five/five rating. In terms of absolute point count, it is one point above the other two five point winners. NordVPN is firing on all cylinders, so we deducted only a few points from a perfect score.

They even offer the most generous simultaneous connection count, with six simultaneous connections through their network, where everyone else offers five or fewer. NordVPN's network isn't as large as some of their competitors, so if you're trying to obfuscate your tracks, you might want a company with more servers. Otherwise, this company is clearly providing a winning offering.

Their best plan is $3.29/month for a 2-year plan. While their monthly price of $11.95 is at the high end of the spectrum (and they did lose a few points for that), their yearly price of $69.00 is lower than most our contenders. And yes, they also have a full 30-day refund policy. NordVPN also offers a dedicated IP option, for those looking for a different level of VPN connection. 



ExpressVPN – 4/5

Number of IP addresses: 15,000
Number of servers: 1,700+
Number of server locations: 145
Country/Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and has impressive protocol support. While few will use PPTP (unless there are specific needs), the added support of SSTP and L2TP/IPSec may be welcome to some users.

We like the quality of their setup guides, and the detailed information in their FAQ. The company gained points from us for their support of Bitcoin as a payment method, and their reliable and easy-to-use connection kill switch feature.

The company has been in business since 2009, and has a substantial network of fast VPN servers spread across 94 countries. Their best plan is priced at just $6.67 per month for an annual package which includes 3 extra months free. ExpressVPN's commitment to privacy is a standout feature. 


Golden Frog VPN Services – 4/5

Number of IP addresses: 200,000+
Number of servers: 700+
Number of server locations: 70+
Country/Jurisdiction: Switzerland
Golden Frog has the largest bank of IP addresses of any of the services we've examined. The company offers a wide range of protocols, including its own high-performance Chameleon connection protocol.

We like that the company offers a connection kill switch feature and, for those who need it, there's an option to get a dedicated IP address. Golden Frog is a standout in their effort to provide privacy, and thwart censorship. When China began its program of deep packet VPN inspection, Golden Frog's VyperVPN service added scrambled OpenVPN packets to keep the traffic flowing.

At $9.95 for a month's service, and $80.04 for a year, the service is a good deal. So why did we only give Golden Frog four out of five? We had to ding them for three things: a lack of Bitcoin support, logging of connection data, and no money-back guarantee.


Hide My Ass – 4/5

Number of IP addresses: 3,106
Number of servers: 830
Number of server locations: 280
Country/Jurisdiction: United Kingdom
We'd give these folks an extra point, if we could, just for the name of their service. The firm has a strong network with a good selection of protocols supported. While they have an extensive (and very clearly written set of policy documents), the company explicitly allows P2P and torrents.

We like how the company offers support on a wide range of devices including game consoles. We gave them extra points for bitcoin support, and their excellent money-back guarantee. We did deduct a couple of points, because they do log connection data. They also offer only five simultaneous connections.

While their monthly pricing of $11.52 is at the high end of the spectrum, their yearly pricing is competitive at $78.66 for a full year.


Private Internet Access – 5/5

Number of IP addresses: N/A
Number of servers: 3,252
Number of server locations: 37
Country/Jurisdiction: United States
Speaking of price, if you want a 5/5 rated VPN provider and you want the lowest yearly price anywhere, Private Internet Access is the place to go. At $6.95 a month, their monthly fee is the second lowest of our picks, but at $39.95 per year, Private Internet Access beats even the second lowest yearly price by a full Jackson (a $20 bill).

The company does not release information on the number of IP addresses available, but at 3,252, their server count is more than any of our other picks.

These folks have been around since 2010, and don't log anything. They provide a generous five connections, a connection kill switch feature, and some good online documentation and security guidance. Our one disappointment is that their refund policy is 7-days instead of 30, but you can certainly get a feel for their excellent performance in the space of a week.