How we rate platforms

The criteria

We compare every platform on the same points, in this order of importance:

  1. No-logs, tested. Independent audits of the no-logs claim (who, when, what scope, point-in-time or over a period), and real-world tests: server seizures, police searches and court cases where logs were or weren't there.
  2. Track record. Breaches and how fast they were disclosed, ownership changes and who the owner is, and features removed under pressure, such as port forwarding.
  3. Jurisdiction & owner. The legal entity and country you are trusting, and its parent company. Several big brands share an owner, which matters if you're trying to spread your risk.
  4. Protocols & tools. WireGuard or the provider's own protocol, obfuscation for networks that block VPNs, port forwarding, open-source apps, and whether there's a usable free plan.
  5. Real price & refund. The price on the provider's own site on the date we checked, the plan length it needs, what it renews at, and the real conditions of the money-back guarantee.

We don't give star ratings or name a single "best" site. Which platform suits you depends on what you want, so each review says who it's good for and who should skip it.

Where the facts come from

Regulators and courts (the FTC, the CFPB, state regulators and attorneys general), company filings, each company's own published prices, fee schedules, terms and disclosures, independent audits and established news outlets. Every fact that rests on a source links to it. Some facts are our own finding that nothing was published (for example "we found no regulator action" or "no audited user numbers"); those are marked "no published source found" so you can tell the difference. Where only a review site or press report gives a price, we say "reported". Where we could not confirm something, we leave it out instead of guessing. Facts were last checked in November 2026. Apps change prices and features often, so check the platform before you pay.

What we will never publish

How we make money

Some links to platforms are, or will become, affiliate links: if you sign up or pay after clicking one, the platform or its affiliate network may pay us a commission. That never changes your price. We apply the same criteria whether or not a platform pays commissions, and we list platforms that pay us nothing. Platforms cannot pay to be included, to be placed higher or to change what we write. Links to platforms are marked as sponsored for search engines.

Some pages may also carry ads, always labelled "Sponsored" and kept apart from our verdicts, facts and comparison table. An advertiser is not endorsed by appearing in an ad slot, and ads never change what we write.

Corrections

Found something wrong or out of date? Email editor@getvpn.now with a source and we'll fix it.