With so many VPNs available for travel, we used our years of privacy expertise and many tests to determine the key factors to look for in a VPN. Here are the top features to look for.
Privacy
No matter what you want to use a VPN for, privacy is one of the most important factors. The best VPNs offer security features such as 256-bit encryption with OpenVPN or ChaCha20 on WireGuard, DNS leak protection, a kill switch and a no-logs policy. VPNs can’t guarantee zero logs, so check the privacy policy and any third-party audits to confirm they’re following up on their claims.
Server network
You should have a wide range of server options in each country you visit or visit. That’s why we considered server counts in the US and Australia during our VPN testing. The more Australian servers there are, the better chance you have of finding a fast server connection to access content like local news, restaurant recommendations and the latest events using a VPN. Plus, with more US servers, you can easily access streaming accounts you can’t access while in Australia (Netflix’s US library, Hulu, ESPN, etc.) and geo-restrictions. can log into sensitive websites like bank accounts while avoiding
Streaming capabilities.
If you’re looking for a simple VPN that gives you access to more streaming options, check out the best VPNs for streaming. A VPN that can bypass strong geoblocks will give you access to multiple streaming sites to watch from anywhere.
speed
Every VPN slows down your base speed, especially the further away from your server. For example, if you’re in Australia trying to connect to a US server, you may experience a drop in speed. A VPN with the fastest speeds can help you easily browse the internet, stream shows without buffering, or upload photos and videos from your travels.
Price
We made sure to look at the number of features you get to determine the value of each VPN. Many of the VPNs on this list range in price from $10 to $15 a month and $100 a year, so our top one will offer the most features for that price. Every VPN usually offers deals to save you even more money.