Everyone in cybersecurity has an opinion on VPNs. Some say they're essential. Some say they're overhyped. The truth is somewhere in the middle — and as a CS student who's tested a bunch of them, I'll give you the honest breakdown.
Bottom line up front: For most beginners, NordVPN is the best paid option and Proton VPN is the best free option. Scroll down for the full breakdown and why.
Before spending money, understand what a VPN actually does. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address. That's useful in specific situations — but it's not a magic shield.
You probably need a VPN if you:
If you're just browsing at home on a trusted network, a VPN is less critical. Read our full VPN explainer if you want to understand the details before picking one.
Reality check: A VPN does NOT make you anonymous. It moves trust from your ISP to your VPN provider. Pick one with a verified no-logs policy.
The most trusted name in consumer VPNs. Fast, reliable, and has passed multiple independent no-logs audits. The app is beginner-friendly and works on every device. This is the one I personally recommend to anyone starting out.
The best value VPN right now. Unlimited simultaneous connections means you can cover every device you own on one subscription. Performance has improved a lot in 2025-2026 and it's now a legitimate alternative to NordVPN at a lower price.
The only free VPN I actually trust. Made by the same team behind ProtonMail, based in Switzerland, open source, and audited. The free tier has no data limits — just limited to 3 server locations and slower speeds. For a free VPN that doesn't sell your data, it's unbeatable.
| VPN | Price | Devices | Free Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | From $3.39/mo | 6 | No | Best overall |
| Surfshark | From $2.19/mo | Unlimited | No | Best budget |
| Proton VPN | Free / $4.99/mo | 1 (free) / 10 | Yes | Free option |
Not all VPNs are created equal. Some free VPNs have been caught selling user data — which defeats the entire purpose.
Rule of thumb: If a VPN is completely free with no paid tier, you are the product. Stick to Proton VPN if you need free — it's the rare exception that's actually trustworthy.
If you're doing CTFs, pentesting labs, or security research, a VPN adds an extra layer of separation between your home IP and your lab traffic. NordVPN's Threat Protection feature also blocks malicious domains automatically — useful when you're poking around sketchy infrastructure for research purposes.
For running a pentest lab on DigitalOcean, pair it with a VPN to keep your personal IP out of server logs entirely.
For most beginners the choice is simple: if you can spend a few dollars a month, go with NordVPN. If you need free, use Proton VPN. Skip everything else until you have a reason to look deeper.
Your next step: If you're not sure whether you even need a VPN yet, read our What is a VPN guide first. It'll help you decide before spending anything.