VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN provides privacy while surfing the internet by hiding your IP address and encrypting your internet traffic. VPNs can also be useful for accessing region-restricted content, such as videos on YouTube or series on Netflix that may only be available in certain countries. By connecting to the servers of the VPN provider, your true location and IP are hidden, so these services will treat you as if you surf the internet from the country of the respective server’s location.
The usage of a VPN is entirely legal. Given the increase of region-restricted content as well as many privacy breach scandals in recent years, the rising popularity of VPNs does therefore not come as a surprise. There are now many VPN providers on the market which can make the selection process difficult. The best VPN should always work reliably, fast, and be easy to use. It should hide the user’s identity while browsing the internet and bypass region-based restrictions without any problems.
The following ranking lists the Top 10 best VPN providers in the world by the cumulated average rating they received by nine reputable sources which reviewed them: TechRadar, Trustpilot, Forbes, PC World, PC Mag, ProPrivacy, Trusted Reviews, Cybernews & Security.org. The ratings are based on different aspects such as connection speed, reliability, dashboard layout, privacy level, user experience, and other factors. Only VPNs that have been reviewed by at least three of these sources are eligible for the Top 10 best VPN ranking. Companies that are not primarily VPN providers, but may provide one as a special service are also excluded from the ranking.
The 10 Best VPN Providers 2022
1. PrivateVPN
Average Rating: 9.33/10
Launched in: 2009
Based in: Sollentuna, Stockholm County, Sweden
Owned by: PrivateVPN Global AB
2. NordVPN
3. ExpressVPN
Average Rating: 8.98/10
Launched in: 2009
Based in: Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Owned by: Kape Technologies PLC
4. Surfshark
Average Rating: 8.85/10
Launched in: 2018
Based in: Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Owned by: Surfshark B.V.
5. Private Internet Access
Average Rating: 8.84/10
Launched in: 2009
Based in: Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA
Owned by: Kape Technologies PLC
6. CyberGhost
Average Rating: 8.69/10
Launched in: 2011
Based in: Bucharest, Romania
Owned by: Kape Technologies PLC
7. IPVanish
Average Rating: 8.54/10
Launched in: 2012
Based in: Winter Park, Florida, USA
Owned by: Ziff Davis, Inc.
8. AtlasVPN
Average Rating: 8.50/10
Launched in: 2019
Based in: New York City, New York, USA
Owned by: Tesonet, UAB
9. ProtonVPN
Average Rating: 8.49/10
Launched in: 2021
Based in: Geneva, Switzerland
Owned by: Proton Technologies AG
10. Ivacy
Average Rating: 8.47/10
Launched in: 2007
Based in: Downtown Core, Central Singapore, Singapore
Owned by: Hakuhodo, Inc.
The 10 Best VPN Providers 2022
(at a glance)
| Top 10 Best VPN Providers 2022: |
|---|
| 1. PRIVATEVPN Cumulated Average Rating: 9.33/10 |
| 2. NORDVPN Cumulated Average Rating: 9.00/10 |
| 3. EXPRESSVPN Cumulated Average Rating: 8.98/10 |
| 4. SURFSHARK Cumulated Average Rating: 8.85/10 |
| 5. PRIVATE INTERNET ACCESS Cumulated Average Rating: 8.84/10 |
| 6. CYBERGHOST Cumulated Average Rating: 8.69/10 |
| 7. IPVANISH Cumulated Average Rating: 8.54/10 |
| 8. ATLASVPN Cumulated Average Rating: 8.50/10 |
| 9. PROTONVPN Cumulated Average Rating: 8.49/10 |
| 10. IVACY Cumulated Average Rating: 8.47/10 |
Top 10 best VPN providers based on the cumulated average rating from TechRadar, Trustpilot, Forbes, PC World, PC Mag, ProPrivacy, Trusted Reviews, Cybernews & Security.org. Only true VPN providers that have been reviewed by at least three of these sites within the last year are considered for the ranking. In total, 31 VPNs met these requirements, of which the Top 10 is shown above.