Thursday, February 9th
2023 VPN Service Provider Reviews
Private Internet Access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Supported on all major operating systems and devices
- Kill switch
- Automation rules
- IP-based split tunneling
- Dedicated IP address
- Ad-blocking software
- 24/7 support via live chat and email
Private Internet Access is a VPN company with servers in 78 countries providing lightning-fast connectivity and 24/7 customer support. With 10 years of experience serving 15 million users worldwide, they have a solid and stable network with which to serve you.
Lowest Cost VPN Service
The cost to you for Private Internet Access is $11.95 per month if paying monthly. If you opt-in for a full year, you only pay $3.33 per month. And for 3 full years, your cost is $2.03 per month plus 3 free months. This is a really great price compared to other VPN company offerings. Plus, you get a 30 day money-back guarantee.
Open Source Software
Private Internet Access has made its software 100% open source. That means that anyone who doubts whether their connection is fully secure, and who has the understanding of the source code necessary to do so, can inspect all the software and know for sure that they're protected.
Versatile access
In addition to open-source code, Private Internet Access doesn't keep usage logs, gives you unlimited bandwidth, has a high-speed global server network, and dedicated apps for Windows, iOS, Linux, and Android. It even runs on Android TV, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and routers. They also have powerful encryption and ad blocking software.
Advanced Features
Private Internet Access has a variety of advanced features. These include a kill switch, automation rules, IP-based split tunneling, firewall-based leak protection, and other advanced technical settings. Plus, you can connect up to ten devices simultaneously, or even more if you install it on your router.
Tokenized Dedicated IP Address Available for an Extra Fee
One of the problems of using a VPN is the fact that websites can sometimes see any foreign or regularly changing IP address as a reason for a security warning or a problem for filling out forms. Private Internet Access helps solve this problem with an optional tokenized dedicated IP address that only you can access and which will keep from triggering "captcha" challenges when filling out forms. This option will cost you an extra $5 per month on top of your subscription.
Helpful and Available Support
If you need support for Private Internet Access, they have live chat, email, and a knowledge base you can search. If it turns out that you don't like Private Internet Access, you can get a refund within 30 days of your purchase. There is also a free trial period of 7 days for the iOS and Android apps.
Some Possible Privacy Concerns
Normally, a company being headquartered in the United States is a benefit. In the case of Private Internet Access, and VPNs in general, it can be a problem given that the U.S. has gained an unfortunate reputation for being heavy on surveillance against the world and its own citizens. Their site does state that they don't log usage of their service and that they can even prove it using court records. But, if you're still concerned about privacy, you'll want to read the fine print to see what exposure you may have with the company possibly revealing your identity through legal action.
The Majority of Users are Happy
Private Internet Access has been reviewed as trusted and recommended by Forbes, The New York Times, Gizmodo, PCMag, Wired, and LifeHacker. The majority of customers reviewing the service find it to be excellent. They like the price, reliability, customer service, and ease of use. Those with negative reviews said they were upset about customer service, issues connecting to geo-restricted sites, problems with it not running correctly on Mac devices, and not getting refunds. At the time of this review, the Better Business Bureau had Private Internet Access rated this VPN service with an "F" grade, with almost 30 complaints closed in the last three years. That's not good, but the company does seem to respond quickly to negative feedback.
Best Budget-Friendly VPN Service
With the low price, and in spite of the U.S. location, you can likely get good value from Private Internet Access. We recommend taking advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee if you have any problems within your first few weeks of service.
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Who Has the Best VPN Service?
A VPN is a virtual private network that allows you to browse the Internet securely. It makes a private network for you that is encrypted (scrambled) so that all the data coming to or leaving your computer is unreadable to anyone trying to peek at your browsing habits. But if you have nothing to hide, why would you want to use a VPN?
The reality is that there are plenty of people in the world who would love to access your private information such as passwords and bank account numbers. For example, a hacker might want to steal your password as you submit it from your computer to your email provider to log in. There are also people who want to know what you're looking for on the Internet. Marketers want to see your exposed data about what you like to shop for. Governments desire to know at every moment what their citizens are discussing, searching, and browsing.
VPN Service Provider FAQ
Continued from above...
Your credit card information is particularly important to protect. Most websites these days have end-to-end encryption to protect sensitive purchase information. But for the ones that don't, or for when that technology fails, a VPN adds a layer of protection to keep hackers from "sniffing" out your credit card information.
Another bonus? If you want access to streaming media that is only available in certain countries, a VPN can make it look to the streaming services in those countries as if you're a resident, and therefore you'll have no restrictions on accessing your favorite TV shows and movies.
Do you browse the Internet from public Wi-Fi connections in places such as airports, coffee shops, or shopping malls? If you do this without a VPN, your data is openly exposed to hackers who make a habit of monitoring unsecured Wi-Fi signals for data to steal.
You can't even trust your own internet service provider (ISP) with sensitive information about your browsing habits. They are often looking for additional revenue streams, including selling information about which websites your IP address has been accessing. A VPN hides that information from your ISP.
For people living in countries where the government has little or no respect for the right to privacy, a VPN is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, government bureaus, agencies, and leaders could have full access to everything you say or do online, including planning protests, criticizing laws and policies, or donating money to political organizations.
Therefore, it's critically important that you research the features, reputation, security, performance, customer service, and cost of various VPN services before you decide which one to subscribe to. Here are some factors to consider.
- Features: What does the VPN offer that makes it better than any other VPN service? What is the purpose of those features?
- Cost: How much does the VPN subscription cost? Is there a free trial? What about a money-back guarantee? Does the VPN service offer a lower cost per month if you pay annually?
- Reputation: Does the VPN company enjoy a good reputation among its customers? If not, why not, and can you live with that? If others had a bad experience, how long had they been customers, and what was done, if anything, to resolve their concerns?
- Security: What features does the VPN system include to keep you protected at all times from people snooping into your data stream? Do they log your activities? Do they have enough IP addresses for you to connect through so that it's harder for government officials, marketers, and hackers to deduce a pattern around your browsing? What's in place in terms of automatic cutoff in case the VPN service fails without your knowledge?
- Performance: How fast is the VPN connection while you browse? Does it connect and disconnect quickly?
- Customer Service: What are the options for contacting support if needed? Do they have live chat, email, and telephone support? Are they courteous and quick when answering questions?
TopConsumerReviews.com has compiled a report of the best VPN services available and ranked them in the order of quality and reliability. We hope these reviews will help you find the right VPN service to make browsing the Web 100% secure!
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