Proton for me for a couple of years after PIA got sold to a huge Israeli conglomerate.
Experience has been good in every way.
Some time ago I switched from NordVPN to PIA because thatās what Joe Kissell had recommended, and Iām very happy with it. I was not happy with NordVPN
I understand that he is updating his recommendation in the new edition of his book about Online Privacy. I would consult that book first.
Did you see this article about VPN in the NYT?
The article is paywalled, but from the headline, it sounds like (at least in the authorās opinion), paid VPN services have outlived their usefulness. I must admit I have a nagging doubt about it too, but I canāt really articulate it.
I only use a VPN when Iām on the road, and then only because of a vague notion of āuntrustworthyā WiFi networks being able to compromise my privacy or identity without it. I donāt personally use a VPN to circumvent location-based restrictions on web-provided services (Netflix, etc.).
Do we still need to pay for a VPN? Are they outdated? Is Appleās Private Relay enough?
VPNs are used for more than security. For example, you may wish to get a localized version of a site for a location other than where you are. For example, if you are in US, you will see a different version of the BBC website than if you pretend to be in the UK.
by the way, I use IVPN Pro which comes highly recommended by The Wirecutter. The ordinary version runs $60/year for 2 devices at a time. The Pro version at $100/year allows 7 devices and also has multi-hop and port forwarding capabilities. Several years ago, I was able to subscribe to the Pro version at $40/year via a website deal. Iāve been happy with it. My only need for support came when my initial attempt to set up 2-factor authentication got stuck. I emailed support who quickly got me unstuck.
I have been using ExpressVPN for years. I use it to stream entertainment services I pay for that are geo-fenced outside the US.
As a frequent international traveler, I should be able to access my subscription from anywhere. It should be licensed to my eyeballs and not where I am sitting.
ExpressVPN along with browser geospoofing works great, even with the most aggressive blocking from streamers like Hulu.
The Mac VPN software is outstanding and easy to use.
Their support went south during COVID with only e-mail support with responses very delayed but they got that fixed and are back to live chat support.
You can always get the new customer deal just use a new throw-away e-mail address.
Iāve tried pretty much every VPN and ultimately decided to drop them all and switch to 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) Warp+. Itās not exactly a full VPN but does everything I need including encryption. Mindless to install and operate and easy to set up trusted networks so that you donāt run it at home or on cellular (which is encrypted by definition). Or you can just change your DNS settings on your Mac to 1.1.1.1 - that works (almost) the same way.
If you are determined to protect your surfing habits you can add the new iCloud Private Relay. I did that and then turned it off because itās not quite Apple-like-perfected yet. Also, itās only my ISP thatās seeing the sites as I stay signed out of Google for searches.
If you are among the truly concerned (some would say paranoid but everyone has different reasons) then a VPN may be worthwhile. After years of trying them all, wrestling with settings, speeds, apps, exceptions, etc., Iāve switched to this methodology and it seems to work for me. YMMV.
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For those of you advocating for ExpressVPN, note that they have been purchased by Kape Technologies, a security firm in London. Kape was previously named Crossrider, a company that has been called out by researchers at Google and the University of California for developing malware. Also note that Kape is behind several shill VPN comparison Web sites. These folks are really shady.
Let me suggest you check out ProtonVPN. They use open source (and audited) code, and they are backed by Swiss law. They donāt log user activity or share data with third parties. Have a look at their Web site and bona fides:
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Thank you for this information. I have been suspicious about ExpressVPN and your post confirms it. I have also read, without verification, that Surfshark is now owned by the parent company of NordVPN that also seems to have a shady history. While currently pleased with Surfshark it is something I plan to explore during my trial period. Frankly I have found it very challenging to locate a fast, reliable, affordable, VPN product with a broad spectrum of sites, good support and a good GUI that is accountable and does not have a shady background. I did look into ProtonVPN but some of its metrics were not as desirable as its competitors.
If you are that concerned, the obvious solution is to forgo any of the commercial VPN services and to create your own in the cloud using Algo:
The VPN industry is a really weird one.
Some of the blog articles of this Canadian VPN company were real eye openers to me. Namely these two articles, but there are more worth a look:
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David Strom, who has been in the tech industry forever, just did a review of 11 VPNs for CNN.
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@ace Good read, he also confirms the not so clean advertising practices in the industry:
āā¦ be aware of the specialist VPN review sites themselves. Many are owned by the VPN vendors themselvesā
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Still happy with my choice of Mullvad VPN, glad to see Strom agrees.
For streaming out of the US, we rarely use a VPN, itās always for privacy and joining on open networks etc. To get streaming we use Playmo.tv, a DNS redirect service.
What do people think of ClearVPN, thatās included with Setapp?