Best VPN for Windows 10 in 2021
When Windows 10 was launched, people highlighted issues surrounding the software’s privacy settings. Currently, as a default, Windows will collect all of a user’s browsing data, if not more.
Simply changing the settings on your Windows software is not enough to stop this data collection. To circumvent this problem, a VPN can be used to ensure online security and anonymity. By using a VPN on your Windows PC, all of your data will be encrypted. This means that even if it is sent to Microsoft servers, it will be completely indecipherable.
If you’re looking for our top choice, we think that the best VPN for Windows 10 is ExpressVPN.
How a VPN Works With Windows 10
The first step carried out by a VPN provider is providing users with a new server and IP address, and the second is to encrypt their data. A VPN does this by transmitting data with an encrypted tunnel so that a user’s online activity becomes unreadable. This is how a VPN creates a secure connection to establish a Virtual Private Network.
This is great for Windows 10 users as it means that they can create a secure connection wherever they go, even over free WiFi connections. The result is they can carry out some data sensitive activity, without worrying that prying eyes are viewing what they are up to.
Best VPNs for Windows 10
Here’s a list of the top 4 best VPNs for Windows 10 users:
#1 ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN scores highly on just about every metric. That’s why it’s our top VPN pick for 2021.
- Ease of use: It is incredibly easy to use, with an intuitive user interface, and dedicated apps for different mobile and desktop systems. This means if you use other operating systems than Windows, you can use the same VPN.
- Market leading customer service: If you get stuck, ExpressVPN staff are available 24/7 through live chat and email support, with an average email response time of less than 20 minutes.
- Large Network in Many Locations: With over 145 server locations in 94 countries across the globe, ExpressVPN is blazing fast, and allows you to switch servers as often as you want. So you’re not slowed down if using a VPN for Windows 10.
- Military grade encryption protocols: ExpressVPN allows you to use OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP protocols. So you can be assured of anonymity even when using Windows latest software system.
Pricing
You can get Express VPN for $12.95 for one month, or $9.99 a month for six months. If you sign up for 15 months, you get three months extra – that comes to only $6.67 a month.
If you’d like to try out a free VPN for Windows, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day, risk-free trial.
#2 NordVPN
NordVPN is a slightly cheaper option than ExpressVPN. It’s not quite as fast, but there’s no compromise on security. They have a VPN client for every platform, and their apps work smoothly across mobile and desktop devices which is perfect for multiple Windows device use.
- Many Server locations: The service is extra flexible for travellers, with 360 worldwide server locations in 60 different countries.
- Excellent security measures: NordVPN’s “Double VPN” technology encrypts your data twice over, and their CyberSec feature can help you block suspicious websites. This is fantastic news for Windows 10 users rightly worried about their data.
- Easy to use interface: Their customer service isn’t quite as good as ExpressVPN’s, but their setup is pretty intuitive, so you shouldn’t face any problems.
- Encryption protocols: OpenVPN is used as the default protocol for all of NordVPN’s apps further strengthening online security for Windows 10 uses.
Pricing
One month of NordVPN costs $11.95, six months costs $7.00 a month, and one year is $5.75 a month. If you sign up for a full two years, you get a whopping 72 percent off. That comes out to a measly $3.29 a month for some of the best VPN software for Windows on the market.
Note: On the downside, unlike Express VPN’s generous 30-day offer, NordVPN’s free trial is only for three days, so you will have to decide quickly.
#3 Cyberghost
CyberGhost is a competitively priced option for using a VPN with Windows 10, from anywhere in the world. It has super-fast speeds, very useful features, and 100% zero logging policy. Also, it recently announced that it can even unblock Netflix now.
- Wide network: With more than 1,000 servers available, you an access content through your Windows operating system from almost anywhere around the world, no matter where you happen to be located at the time.
- Watertight privacy settings: If you are concerned about keeping your data private when using Windows 10 software, you can rest assured that Cyberghost encrypts all of your data using a military-strength AES 256-BIT encryption which uses a 2048-BIT RSA Key.
Pricing
If you sign up for a 2-year subscription, Cyberghost charges only $2.90 a month, which is one of the cheapest options available. A monthly subscription costs $10.99, 6-months costs $7.99, and a year subscription costs $4.99. Every plan you sign up for comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
#4 PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN isn’t as well known as the previous providers, but it’s still worth checking out.
- Easy to use: Their dedicated apps for mobile devices, computers and routers are easy to use, and they offer 24/7 customer support if you hit any problems.
- Reliable network size: Private VPN offers servers in 52 worldwide locations – not as many as ExpressVPN or NordVPN, but still excellent, and more than enough for most people. It is perfectly adequate for a Windows 10 VPN.
- Many many simultaneous connections: The service is especially worth considering if you have a big family of Windows 10 users (or if you share a router with roommates) and everyone wants to be online at the same time. PrivateVPN allows you to use six devices on their servers at the same time, and is the only provider to do so.
- Multiple protocols: All protocols are covered, including OpenVPN.
Pricing
PrivateVPN is $10.95 for one month, and $6.75 a month for three months. Like ExpressVPN, you can pay for 15 months and get three months for free. That’s $2.98 a month, just about as cheap as you can get for a high quality VPN.
Also like ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN offers a generous 30-day trial.
What Makes a VPN Good for Windows 10
There are a number of features that it is imperative for a Windows VPN to have to be of any use and worthwhile subscribing to.
Number of servers:
It’s important to pay attention to how many servers your VPN provider is offering. Generally speaking, the more the merrier. The more servers the VPN offers, the better chance you have of avoiding a VPN server that is already overcrowded with thousands of other users.
Number of server locations:
Pay attention, too, to the number of server locations. Using a VPN with multiple server locations means that you have multiple opportunities to spoof your location, and you will be able to find a nearby VPN server wherever your travels take you.
Its security protocols:
The best VPNs for Windows 10 use the OpenVPN protocol. OpenVPN, which is fast, secure, and open source, has become the standard for the industry. Unlike standard protocols like SSTP, L2TP, and PPTP, it doesn’t come built in to Windows 10, so choose a VPN provider that makes it easy to set up OpenVPN with minimal hassle.
Note: There is a built in Windows VPN, but it’s a hassle to set up, requiring multiple steps. The Windows built in VPN also uses the PPTP protocol (Point to Point Tunnelling Protocol) which is not nearly as secure as the OpenVPN protocol.
Why Do I Need A VPN for Windows 10?
Microsoft has outraged users around the world with its latest operating system update. It transpired that the much-praised Windows 10 was terrible in terms of users’ privacy.
This means Windows 10 collects all manner of user data, including contacts, calendar information, browsing activities, and Wifi data. It logs every keyboard stroke, and even monitors location. All this is pretty fundamental information that most of us would like to keep to ourselves.
Furthermore, some Windows 10 services are particularly guilty of collecting private information. Cortana, for example, is Microsoft’s new personal assistant and Siri challenger. It’s also a security threat, sharing every request you make with Microsoft’s servers, from asking for information about the weather, to accessing maps.
There are plenty of guides out there explaining how to protect oneself against Microsoft using data as well as advising how to change various settings on any Windows 10 device. Doing so is important, but disabling certain features is not enough. An Ars Technica analysis found that computers running Windows 10 were sending requests to Cortana and other Microsoft services – even when those services had been turned off. This is why we, amongst others, strongly recommend a VPN for Windows users.
For, while Microsoft claims that it uses the data it collects from you to improve its services, there is plenty of scope for abuse. Microsoft has previously been accused of working closely with the National Security Agency, including helping the NSA get past Microsoft’s own encryption. Using VPN is undoubtedly one of the best ways to protect yourself and your data. Even if you didn’t use a VPN for Windows 7, but you’ve upgraded to Windows 10, thanks to these security breaches, it’s now practically obligatory.
Furthermore, using a Windows VPN also protects you from DNS attacks. By monitoring your DNS requests, hackers can track your movements online. They can also use DNS poisoning techniques to place false information into the caches of the DNS system, rerouting all of your DNS requests to websites that steal your data. When you install a VPN on your computer, your computer will switch to using the VPN’s DNS system rather than its own, which affords you a higher level of protection.
Can I Use Free VPN Software For Windows?
We never recommend a free VPN, especially when your primary reason for installing VPN software for Windows on your devices is to improve your security.
While some options on this list are obviously relatively more expensive than a free VPN, remember that these VPNs are free for a reason. Apart from being slow and unreliable, being free comes with a catch.
A free VPN was recently caught tracking its users’ browsing data, and allowing other users to divert traffic through your connection, which means you could be held liable for anything illegal that they get up to.
For that and many other reasons, we think that a few dollars a month is a worthwhile investment, particularly when in comes to protecting your most important and private data.
Also, most VPN providers offer a free trial, so you don’t need to commit upfront.
The Bottom Line
Without doubt, we wholeheartedly recommend using ExpressVPN as a VPN for Windows 10. It is one of the best because it is consistently reliable in its connection provision as well as being an excellent means of encrypting data for Windows 10 users that are subject to Microsoft’s data breaches.
In a world where our lives take place online and so much of our personal data is stored on our computer, or divulged by us over the Internet, e-security should be just as important to us as any security we install in our homes.