The most private VPN services 2024

We recommend Private Internet Access as the most private VPN because the regular independent privacy audits that it is subject to confirm that it strictly adheres to internal privacy policies that reflect the values it exposes on its site.

On top of that, it features all the privacy features that any VPN worth its salt should have in its repertoire. There’s a kill switch that severs the connection if the VPN drops so that your private data won’t be exposed even fractionally. It should go without saying that there is a no-logs policy in place too which (as you might guess) means that it’s not keeping logs on what you’re doing while the VPN is on.

If you’re planning on using it on a mobile device, then you’ll be pleased to hear that you can take it for a spin with its week-long free trial. Unfortunately, there is no such trial for desktop devices. You can get around this to some extent by getting it on your phone, then connecting your PC to the internet by using your phone as a hotspot – unfortunately, this won’t give you the same performance as if you had it natively on the device though.

We also admire Private Internet Access for continuously improving its service. Even in just the last couple of years, we’ve seen it expand the range of countries that it covers and remove the cap on simultaneous connections (one plan can now protect a whole household). It is admittedly a little slower than big names like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, but that’s a small price to pay for more rigorous privacy – and who knows? Its speeds might be bolstered in a future update.

Ivacy VPN carries a very slow price tag and is probably the cheapest VPN you can get without going with a sub-par service. Despite it working out as just a little over a dollar per month, you’re still getting military-grade 256-bit encryption and connection points across more than 100 countries.

However, by going for the cheaper option you are making yourself susceptible to a small crack in your privacy armor. Admittedly, this isn’t so much of a problem for Windows users, but if you plan on using it with a Mac or Linux device, then you’ll find that the kill switch doesn’t work, so if something causes a VPN outage, your data will then immediately be exposed. Mac devices also don’t have compatibility with split-tunneling (where the VPN runs on one program but not another), which doesn’t affect your privacy but is a pity to lose.

Both of these features work absolutely fine on Windows devices, which is nice. Having said that, Windows gamers should be conscious of the fact they’ll struggle to play action-packed, processing-intensive games online with Ivacy VPN switched on.

Nonetheless, these few small issues are understandable when you remember its exceedingly low price. Regardless of its flaws, this is a secure VPN that performs well and provides an enormous number of connection points making it the definitive choice for anyone without a huge budget.

Internet privacy enthusiasts will be pleased to know that this is another provider that submits itself to regular privacy audits. It’s not the case that they just get everything looking good on audit day either, as the audits are unscheduled and can occur at any time throughout the year, ensuring that it really does respect the privacy of its users.

Several years ago, there was some controversy after PureVPN provided information to the FBI which led to the arrest of one of their customers for cyberstalking. While some complained that this proves that PureVPN’s “no logs” policy is meaningless, I don’t think there’s cause for alarm here. They’re not actively collecting data on you, but have the means to do so should they wish to support law enforcement agencies (which is mentioned in their terms and conditions). Assuming you don’t want a VPN to cover your tracks while you try to harm someone, there essentially are no logs on you.

This is another provider with a free trial limited to mobile devices. Most internet browsing is now done on mobile devices, so I’m sure that this will be fine for most people, but if you want to test it on a desktop, you’re required to go via the hotspot route (which isn’t the same as using it on your PC directly). It’s a pity that standard desktop trials are now such a rarity, but PureVPN isn’t unique in not having one.

If you enjoy gaming or streaming, you’ll be pleased to hear that it is broadly compatible with most major games and services, which is a definite plus. An allowance of 10 simultaneous connections is also pretty good, and while it’s not unlimited, it’s still ahead of a lot of other providers. It’s still probably enough to protect the privacy of your whole household.

PureVPN has also seen a number of enhancements over the years – just recently this has included the addition of expanded support for Linux, broader compatibility with routers, and improved download speeds. If you want infinite connections, or a broader range of countries than PureVPN has to offer, then something like Private Internet Access will be better, but there’s a lot to love about it.

IPVanish is another long-standing, well-established VPN that’s been protecting the privacy of users for well over a decade. In that time, it has never been involved with any serious controversy (unlike something like ExpressVPN) or major breach of customer data. This track record alone is a good reason to trust them.

If that’s not enough, it also regularly has independent third-party audits (though notably, not as frequently as others, like PureVPN), and a clear no-logs policy that shows it’s not keeping tabs on you. Historically, they have occasionally provided information to law enforcement agencies in order to catch criminals, but it’s only been in cases where anyone would have a hard time saying they were wrong to do so.

This is one of the more expensive providers on this list, but it builds on top of a strongly reinforced infrastructure that sees it running smoothly without any nasty surprises. Additionally, it’s one of a few providers that have started to offer an unlimited allowance for simultaneous connections, so you can easily protect all of the devices in your household with just one plan (even if you live with loads of people).

It’s great for gaming and encompasses a decent range of countries. It may not be as cheap as some other VPNs, but it’s certainly not unfairly priced either. All things considered, IPVanish is a fine choice of VPN provider.