Top 10 Best VPNs for Windows

VPNs enhance your security while enabling access to remote resources i.e. the resources to which you are not connected physically. They let you access any website, web service or an application without anyone else knowing it. No one except you knows that you visited a particular site. Not your ISP, not some hacker, not your government and not the VPN provider itself.

VPNs can help you unblock access to websites & apps such as Neftlix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Facebook, Twitter, etc. They also let you bypass internet censorship, access remote resources without being physically connected, download torrents and securing yourself on a public WiFi network.

1. Privacy & Anonymity

For the privacy cautious, a VPN is a perfect tool allowing access to any website or a web service or application without anyone else knowing it. No one except you knows that you visited a particular site. Not your ISP, not some hacker and not even your government. So if you worry about your privacy and don’t want to be tracked or spied by someone, consider using a VPN.

2. Enhanced Security

If you’re using internet, you may be exposed to eavesdroppers who may have access to everything that you do on that network. They can see the sites that you visit, the data that you share, the files that you download, your personal information (like your credit card number, social security number, etc.) and more. I am sure, no one would want this to happen to them. With a VPN, you can browse safely while assuring yourself that everything that you do over the internet can’t be seen by anyone else.

3. Access All Websites & Applications

Sites like NetFlix, YouTube and BBC iPlayer, are not accessible everywhere in the world. So what do you do if you wish to access them? You use a VPN! A VPN can easily help you to hide your real location and change it to something else. So if NetFlix is available in the USA, but not in Pakistan, you can simply use a VPN to change your location to USA and access NetFlix. Similarly, if BBC iPlayer is available in the United Kingdom, you can change your location to the United Kingdom and access BBC iPlayer from whichever country you belong.

4. Download Torrents

A lot of people use VPN to download torrents and access P2P networks where such sites are blocked either by the government or by the ISP. Several ISPs limit the speed available for torrent downloads. If you download torrents over a VPN, you can easily override the speed cap because the torrents that you download over the VPN will appear like any other regular file available on the web. That should help you download torrents faster if your ISP imposes a speed limit on torrent downloads.

Running and managing a notable VPN service requires a lot of money for robust servers, infrastructure, data transfer, employees, and so much more. If the VPN service is free, then expect that there are limitations in the service or compromises you have to make. Are they keeping a record of activity for their own reasons? Is your data sold to another party? Are they displaying their ads?

Paying for a good VPN is not really something to be bothered about. Due to ever-increasing competition, VPN services these days are reasonably priced and the security & peace of mind you get is more than you have paid for.

Generally speaking, most VPN services are available on more or less every device that you will ever use. All of them have ready support for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android & iOS. Most of them also come with browser extensions for Chrome & Firefox. Some of them also support Android TV, router configuration, PlayStation, Xbox, Amazon Fire & more.

For example, CyberGhost and NordVPN work with most commonly used devices.