While the latter ensures that all your activity and transactions are encrypted (and can not be traced back to you), the former ensures that you get seamless speeds. After all, you wouldn’t want to witness a connection timed out error while you stream your favorite show on Netflix, right? So if you are planning to switch from your regular VPN app or getting one for your Android phone, here are some of the best fast and secure VPN apps that you should check out.
1. ExpressVPN
Additional platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, and Windows.Simultaneous connections: 5.
ExpressVPN is touted as one of the best VPN services in the world. It provides over 3,000+ servers around the world and that too, without compromising on the speed. It secures the data flowing out of your phone through the 256-bit AES encryption. On top of that, it has quite a few features to protect and improve your privacy. For instance, you can enable Kill Switch to disconnect from the internet immediately when the VPN connection drops. The ExpressVPN app is incredibly easy to use and navigate. Tap on the server card to connect, and the VPN service will pick up the fastest server nearest to you automatically. Alternatively, you can pick the server from the list of recommended servers or pick one from around the globe. Yep, it’s as easy as that. By default, the service picks up an Automatic VPN protocol, however, you are free to switch to UDP and TCP protocols. What’s more, it bundles a feature named Split Tunneling, using which you can bar some apps from using the VPN service. ExpressVPN is not the cheapest VPN service around. That said, you get a good connection speed and it doesn’t compromise on your privacy. None of your activities and connection details are logged. On top of that, it allows simultaneous connection of up to five devices and even lets you tie your Fire TV Stick to the service. It offers three price plans. We’d recommend the yearly-plan since it offers the biggest savings. And if you are not happy with the service, you can opt for the nifty 30-day money-back guarantee. Guiding Tech Exclusive: Grab the 49% discount on the 15-months ExpressVPN plan when you signup using the link below. Get ExpressVPN
2. NordVPN
Additional platforms: macOS, iOS, AndroidTV, Linux, Windows, Chrome, and Firefox.Simultaneous connections: 6.
Another secure VPN service that provides good speeds is NordVPN. Like its counterpart above, it also offers a huge network of servers across the world, has a clear no-logging policy, and supports up to six devices at a time. What makes NordVPN stand out is its unique feature set. For example, you can keep your phone safe from malware and phishing scams via the CyberSec feature. Secondly, the Android app lets you access NordLynx, through which you can access higher speeds without jeopardizing your privacy. And there’s a Kill Switch feature as well. Navigating around the Android app is easy and simple. There’s a quick connection feature for going online quickly and connecting to a fast server automatically. Alternatively, to access the servers of a particular location, just swipe up. And connecting to a new server is easy as tapping on one. The NordVPN app also lets you access P2P servers and obfuscated servers in case you’re feeling a bit festive about torrenting or masking your identity strictly. Furthermore, if you are based outside the United States, you can also access US Netflix via this VPN (ExpressVPN also allows that). A 12-month NordVPN plan will cost you around $6.99 per month, and the monthly plan will set you back by $11.95 per month. Note: Grab a 70% discount on a 3-year NordVPN plan when you sign up using the link below. Get NordVPN
3. SurfShark
Additional platforms: iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, Fire TV.Simultaneous connections: Unlimited.
SurfShark may come across as a new service but it is rapidly gaining its credibility. This new VPN service has servers in over 800 countries and supports IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols and has a handy Kill Switch feature. Well, those are the standard features. So what makes it stand out? For one, SurfShark offers a new GPS spoofing feature for Android, which ensures that any apps requesting your location won’t get your actual location. Instead, they will get the location of the VPN server to which you are connected. For instance, browsing on (cough) Tinder or Bumble. Secondly, it bundles two interesting features called CleanWeb and No Borders. You can use CleanWeb to block all the ad trackers and malware, while No Borders will get access to sites and services that are region-restricted. And yeah, you can access Netflix as well. The app interface is intuitive and easy-to-understand. All the features are laid out in front so neatly that exploring them is quite a delight. Unfortunately, SurfShark doesn’t offer any free trial. However, you do get a 30-day money-back guarantee. The monthly plan starts at $11.95, but if you opt for the 24-months plan, you save around 83%. Get SurfShark
4. ProtonVPN
Additional platforms: iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and Routers.Simultaneous connections: Up to 10 devices.
Unlike a lot of VPN apps, ProtonVPN provides a modern and intuitive interface, which makes it incredibly intuitive. Even this service encrypts the user connections with 256-bit AES encryption for security. The connection button is not located far up the screen. Instead, it is at the lower-right corner, thus making the process of connecting & disconnecting an easy affair, especially on phones with bigger displays. The app has some unusually great options. Hop into the settings, and you will find options to enable/disable Secure Core, DNS leak Switch, Kill Switch, and Alternative Routing. The latter is usable for bypassing firewalls or network issues. Proton VPN has about 800 servers worldwide. The best part about connecting to these servers is that you can see the load on them before you connect. The highlight of ProtonVPN is that you can try out the free plan before you invest in one of the paid plans. The free plan stitches a few limitations. For instance, you can only have one connection and can access servers only in three countries. On top of that, you will get medium speeds, and access to Secure Core VPN and TOR over VPN are restricted. You can remove those limitations by upgrading to a paid plan, which starts at $4 per month. ProtonVPN is a No-Logs VPN service. In ProtonVPN’s words, “We do not log users’ traffic or content of any communications.” All the apps are open source and are audited. Guiding Tech Exclusive: Grab a 34% discount on a two-year plan when you sign up using this link. Get ProtonVPN
5. TunnelBear
Additional platforms: iOS, macOS, Windows, and Chrome.Simultaneous connections: 5
Why should you try out TunnelBear? For starters, it offers an easy-to-understand interface, which makes it easy for first-timers to operate the app. All you need to do is to tap on the Connect button to connect to the fastest server near you. A simple swipe up gesture will reveal all the available servers. Secondly, you can try out the free version before you upgrade to the paid version. The free version is only limited to one device and provides 500MB of data. As opposed to it, the paid plans allow you to connect up to 5 devices and gives you unlimited data to browse. From the privacy point of view, TunnelBear encrypts your device’s incoming and outgoing data using the 256-bit AES encryption, which makes your device difficult to be tracked. It offers a transparent no-logging policy, and the apps are audited independently. The Android app bundles several nifty features like GhostBear, VigilantBear, and SplitBear. The former comes in handy in countries where VPN services are banned, while the latter two are fancy names (wink wink) for Kill Switch and Split Tunneling. Unlike the Android VPN apps above, TunnelBear doesn’t have a wide server network. For now, you get to select servers from 23 countries, including Europe, Japan, India, North America. Note: You can save 58% with a 2-Year TunnelBear plan when you sign up using the link below. Get TunnelBear
Tap the Leak
Premium VPN services do not come cheap, and if you do not want government agencies or your ISP to track your every move, signing up on one of these services is the best way to go forward. Here’s a video on top Fast and Secure VPN Apps for Android in action from our Guiding Tech YouTube (English) Channel: While free VPNs may seem lucrative, they have their own sets of disadvantages. For one, you never know how your logging data is used. Plus, there’s no option to connect to a server manually. Next up: Are you tired of search engines and websites collecting your data? If yes, it’s time you switched to a more privacy-oriented browser like Brave Browser and Tor. Read on to find which browser will suit you better.
