By James Gardner
- 3 minutes read - 518 wordsIn this day and age it makes no sense to roam around the Internet with no privacy protection. In the last couple of years the masses have come to realize that data is the new currency, and you just shouldn't give yours for free, let the corporation and nation states control and monitor you.
To protect our online privacy there are several methods and services, with the most common one being a VPN. A Virtual Private Network, an encrypted connection tunnel between you and the Internet, that makes monitoring you and eavesdropping on your traffic impossible.
There are currently 3 leading players in this field. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and PIA (Private Internet Access). We set out today to compare and review those 3, to help you make the decision which one to choose in your battle to protect your privacy and security.
The Gist
 NordVPN |
 ExpressVPN |
 PIA |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | US: ~50Mbps Europe: ~80Mbps General: Fast |
US: ~130Mbps Europe: ~120Mbps General: Fastest |
US: ~60Mbps Europe: ~60Mbps General: Slower |
| Connections | 6 | 5 | 10 |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | British Virgin Islands | USA |
| Streaming (Netflix etc.) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Security and Extras |
|
|
|
| Verdict | Best combination of value for money, security, features, speed and reliability. | More expensive, but better at higher bandwidths of traffic. | Very minimal, not recommended. |
| Price |
Free Trial available, Refund no questions asked. |
No Free Trial. |
7-day refund window. |
Key Observations
Secuirty and Privacy
There is a lot in common between those VPN services. They all provide a rather high level of privacy and security, with no logging policy (which was proven in the past in some cases). But digging a little deeper, with security and privacy being the main motivations for using a VPN, NordVPN and ExpressVPN provide even more security features than PIA.
We mostly appreciate NordVPN's options to use double-hop servers and the ability to exit from the VPN directly to the private TOR network. We would recommend against PIA mainly because of jurisdiction issues (the US is not known as the most privacy respecting nation) and because of missing security features.
Speed, reliability, connections
While for connection number PIA is the winner, if you do not need tons of devices connected, NordVPN and ExpressVPN offers of 6 and 5 connections respectively are quite enough. ExpressVPN has currently the best speed offering, which comes into play if your main use is streaming video or gaming. NordVPN has also more than reasonable speeds, and has better all around infrastructure and friendlier support for devices.
Conclusion
Whatever service you choose, using a VPN is the right move in these days online.
After reviewing the 3 main options the market has to offer, we recommend using NordVPN for the best combination of security, features, and value for money. ExpressVPN comes at a close second, and could be you first choice if your main use is streaming video or other high bandwidth needs. From the other services, stay away for now.
