best vpn for windows

In today’s world, a VPN is essential. With governments, trackers, and prying eyes, everything done online is tracked and recorded. Corporations, government agencies, advertisers, and foreign interests can see everything done online and trace anything to anyone. VPN’s are an essential piece of software, especially in the post-Snowden era. With records of everything done online, corporate agencies selling data to the FBI, and the unknown prying on the web, privacy is essential.

Windows is a popular operating system that was first introduced to the market in 1985. Windows swiftly took over the market becoming the most widely used commercial operating system, and continues to be. Windows has since grown from the initial release in 1985, and is coming up on the release of Windows 9. With such a powerful operating system, VPN providers have appealed to the commercial market.

On our “How to choose the right VPN provider” page we provide a great depth of information repository on how to choose a VPN that’s right for you. Here we will give a small summary of what’s recommended from a cybersecurity expert’s point of view along with general VPN ‘musts’.

OpenVPN is the general and recommended protocol to use. VPN providers should offer three separate layers of possible protocol choices, such include PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, and OpenVPN. PPTP and L2TP are no better than plain text and should be considered insecure. OpenVPN is recommended and very powerful, OpenVPN accompanied by strong ciphers is a huge blockade to the NSA. OpenVPN technology is not only secure, but it is also extremely rigorous in its tasks. The setup is simple with what should be one click and OpenVPN takes the task upon itself.

OpenVPN can also harness the power of provider implementations which means providers can modify and tweak the services to coincide with their infrastructure. Some providers can implement features to make sure no data leaks in or out without going through the VPN. In short, OpenVPN is rigorous and has far more features than just encrypting the connection.

OpenVPN is a strong technology that can withstand attacks from corporate agencies, government entities, and withstand long term stability.

Enough with the security mumbo jumbo, lets get to the best VPNs for Windows.

Best VPNs for Windows

Private Internet Access

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Private Internet Access (PIA) is a United States operated VPN provider who takes advantage of the fact that the United States doesn’t have mandatory data retention laws. PIA offers by far the best windows client of any provider we have seen to date (June 2014). With regard to the encryption protocol being used, encryption standards, different modes, and leak protection, all built into the Windows client, PIA offers a unique service no other company offers.  After trying the service on 4 different occasions throughout the years, the service has remained consistent in speed, and upped its security.

Pros:

  • Great Windows Client, that Ensures Security
  • Non-logging Provider
  • Blatant regard to encryption being used
  • Large amount of locations and countries to connect too
  • Secure DNS server
  • Offers leak protection
  • Offers VPN kill switch
  • Free proxy with the service

Cons:

  • Operates under the jurisdiction of the United States of America
  • During peak hours some servers may be a bit slower

Visit the Private Internet Access Website!

VyprVPN

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VyprVPN (Vypr) offers a unique service and has an advantage no other VPN provider in the industry has. VyprVPN operated by GoldenFrog, operates its own datacenter. GoldenFrog does indeed own every server, and works right where the servers are. Why is this an advantage even though other providers claim to be non-logging? Third-party data centers may log themselves or be threatened by the government agencies to turn over logs. Such agencies could come in and start logging on a ‘non-logging’ VPN server. This may be no issue as the agency is receiving encrypted traffic. What if the agency can crack that crypto in the next five years and has all the packets and starts to decrypt them? GoldenFrog offers something no one else can, full piece of mind. VyprVPN is one of the top providers in the industry. With no BS, Vypr operates not only a VPN service but, a data center network, website hosting, dedicated business hosting, business operations, along with complimentary cloud storage. VyprVPN is a professional top tier VPN provider anyone can feel comfortable using. Along with their amazing Windows client, the service is the all in one.

Pros:

  • 40+ countries to connect to
  • Great Windows client
  • Non-logging encrypted DNS
  • Proprietary encryption algorithm Chameleon comes complementarity
  • Owns and physically operates all servers

Cons:

  • Controversial policies
  • Can send DMCA’s to users
  • Keeps general logs for 90 days (not optimal for extreme privacy)
  • Operates under the jurisdiction of the United States of America

Visit the VyprVPN Website!

AirVPN

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AirVPN is a cut to the chase type of VPN. If you are looking for an overseas knowledgeable company, AirVPN has your back. AirVPN is was built by hackers for hackers, privacy enthusiast, security knowledgeable, and the general public. AirVPN has to be one of the most honest and rigorous companies we have seen. Companies above are great, but Air operates on a smaller business platform. AirVPN is in the business of realistic honest security, at the expense of your knowledge. AirVPN has to offer some of the most unique website features that still astonish us!

Pros:

  • Blatant regard to encryption being used
  • One of a kind config generator, we urge you to read our full review to understand the magnitude this amazing unique feature
  • Operates under the jurisdiction of Italy
  • Decent amount of countries and locations to connect too
  • Great non logging secure DNS
  • Great Windows client
  • Allows extreme privacy to be implemented
  • Very active with their community

Cons:

  • Can be very tech based
  • May be far to cut to the chase for some, as in here is the security features, choose what you want

Visit the AirVPN Website!

LiquidVPN

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LiquidVPN is a bit of a smaller United States-based VPN provider. LiquidVPN offers many unique features no other provider offers to date. LiquidVPN offers IP modulation which is almost unique to the service itself. IP modulation is the ultimate privacy tool. IP modulation will load all websites and resources from a different set of IP addresses. A normal VPN will load a website from one certain IP, and keeps using that IP address over and over. That is fine as the IP is shared, but LiquidVPN offers a new way to eliminate tracking in total. LiquidVPN will exchange through hundreds of IP addresses during use. This means your IP address is virtually untraceable as it is constantly changing to leave no IP footprint. LiquidVPN has other network features to help prevent ongoing threats and bad packets from being intercepted into the network. This offers peace of mind making sure no malicious requests are accepted, or filters into your network. The hardened firewall can ensure your connection runs safe and steady throughout the day. Among the many other features we could note, the last notable feature we will review is the transparency reports and warrant canary. LiquidVPN will update pages with all the legal threats they receive and exactly how they respond to them. LiquidVPN is very transparent and goes the extra mile to provide a bit more on how transparent they actually are.

Pros:

  • Great non-logging service
  • Transparent throughout the whole company and shows how they take action to legal requests
  • Offers IP Modulation
  • Offers extra network protection

Cons:

  • Smaller amount of servers
  • Operates under the jurisdiction of the United States of America

Visit the LiquidVPN Website!

CyberGhost

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CyberGhost is a great Romanian based VPN provider. CyberGhost is a large commercial VPN provider who operates over 320+ servers, and a small free VPN. CyberGhost is a real advocate for privacy and the whole company operates to provide a great service while helping the net remain neutral. The team behind CyberGhost often speaks at conferences, provides free tips, and performs in many security-based projects to help keep the internet free. The team behind CyberGhost is one part of what makes CyberGhost a great provider, along with their easy to use Windows client and extra privacy tools, CyberGhost is a great offshore host.

Pros:

  • Vast amount of servers to connect to
  • Great easy to use Windows client
  • Extra privacy tool implementation with inside CyberGhost 5 Windows Client
  • Team urges to keep the internet free and regularly helps the internet at their own expense
  • Operates under the jurisdiction of Romania

Cons:

  • Policies are a bit bland and don’t give to much information
  • CyberGhost can seem a bit gimmicky and flashy when in action (graphics, logos, etc don’t really add to the service, more atheistically pleasing than useful)

Visit the CyberGhost Website!

Windows icon picture credit: Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com