VPN Comparison Tool and Chart 2021

In the VPN industry, the list of VPN providers claiming to be the best is constantly increasing. But, how do you know which one to choose?

When every VPN sounds the same, it can be extremely confusing to pick the right VPN. And you know what the worst part is, most of the online reviews are fabricated and totally biased, making it impossible to know which VPN you can trust with your privacy.

That being said, at VPNRanks, we took a different approach and performed a VPN comparison based on multiple different factors.

That’s right! We assess VPNs on twenty (20) different factors. This includes jurisdictions, Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes Alliance, logging policy, servers, speeds, and so much more, which you can find in our comparison chart.

Compare VPN Providers

VPN Comparison Chart 2021 (Examined on 20 Key Factors)

The colors in the chart represent the following:

Green – Generally good

Yellow – Something negative

Pink – Something bad that is of major concern

Blue – Undefined

So here is the best VPN services comparison chart you’ve been waiting for. Check it out:

This VPN comparison table consists of what we believe to be the most critical parameters that determine the level of privacy and security a VPN can offer to you.

If you don’t see a factor that you think we should be considering or want us to include a specific VPN brand which we may have overlooked, please feel free to mention it in the comments section below.

This blog culminated all the hard work and research we performed over two weeks, generating the chart shown above.

But this article won’t analyze each specific VPN in detail. For an in-depth evaluation of VPNs, have a look at our page on VPN reviews of 2021.

VPNRank’s VPN Provider’s Comparison Criteria

Comparing products is a painstaking process. You have to make sure your unconscious biases don’t influence your judgment. After all, meeting consumer expectations is what separates a good product from a poor one.

We use a variety of factors to compare VPNs. However, we mainly consider factors related to privacy, focusing on the jurisdiction and logging. Below is a list of some of the most important factors we consider in our comparisons.

Don’t worry. You can find a glossary of all the terms you might find difficult to understand in this blog.

VPV vs. VPN: Comparison of 10 Different VPN Services by VPNRanks

So now you know the factors we have taken into consideration to compare 10 different VPN services. Let’s check these VPNs out in detail.

• ExpressVPN – The best overall VPN provider with excellent security, ultra-fast speeds, and a great user experience.
• Surfshark – VPN provider that offers a lot more than security at a budget-friendly cost.
• NordVPN – VPN provider with the most advanced and secure encryption for your online activity.
• PureVPN – VPN provider with a balanced relationship between security and streaming needs.
• CyberGhost – VPN provider with super enriched security, streaming, and torrenting features.
• Private Internet Access – VPN provider with the largest server network that offers a great user experience.
• PrivateVPN – VPN provider focused on providing simple but high-performing service.
• VyprVPN – VPN provider concentrated for fast, versatile, and perfect for small businesses.
• IPVanish – VPN provider serving as a solid solution for streaming and especially for VOIP purposes.
• Ivacy – VPN provider that is easy-to-use, affordable, and quite exceptional for multiple online purposes.

1. ExpressVPN Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $6.67/mo
• TrustScore: 4.6/5

ExpressVPN is one of the top-rated VPN in the industry with high-end security features. It even has a high Trustpilot rating of 4.6/5. ExpressVPN is the most admired service on Reddit. Seriously, there’s no contest when it comes to this VPN and what Redditors think about it. The provider is widely considered the best VPN outside 14 eyes states than other providers on the VPN ranking list.

ExpressVPN offers more than 3000+ servers across 94 countries. It provides fast speed and obfuscation to help you access restricted content, including geo-restricted sites from across the world. Some of its other features include AES-256 bit encryption, kill switch, split tunneling, zero-knowledge DNS, and more.

ExpressVPN also uses RAM volatile servers and a built-in speed-test tool to provide you with the most optimized server for maximum speed. Only a handful of VPN providers are currently using these two advanced technologies, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that ExpressVPN was the pioneer who introduced them to the world.

While some providers excel in any one particular aspect of the network or purpose, the great thing about ExpressVPN, which separates it from the rest of the providers, is that “this provider will never let you down regardless of the nature of user purpose.” ExpressVPN has always come out top for its users throughout its history, and that alone places it in a league of its own.

ExpressVPN also offers fast connection speeds as compared to other VPN. The only negative is that as compared to Surfshark, PureVPN, or other VPNs, ExpressVPN only supports 5 simultaneous connections with one subscription. However, it makes up for it with its feature-rich apps and high-end security protocols.

Let’s take a quick look at the ExpressVPN comparison table with other VPN providers: 

Still not convinced? Check out our in-depth ExpressVPN review for 2021.

2. Surfshark Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $2.49/mo
• TrustScore: 4.3/5

Unlike most VPN services, Surfshark has achieved the right balance between price and features. At a low price of just $2.49/mo, you get access to premium features. Surfshark has a 4.3/5 star Trustpilot rating. Surfshark provides 3200+ servers in 65+ countries, and it even works in highly censored countries like China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Some of the premium features offered by Surfshark include DNS leak protection, kill switch, Multi-hop, CleanWeb, WhiteLister (split tunneling), and 256-bit encryption. It is one of the few VPNs that come with an in-built ad blocker, so your dont have to worry about annoying and intrusive ads when surfing the web.

While this provider may be new to the industry, its budget-friendly subscription prices have caught everyone’s attention. Most of the VPN providers from our list couldn’t match Surfshark ability to maintain such affordable prices and provide an easy-to-use and comfortable user experience. You can also check our detailed VPN price comparison to see how Surfshark performs against other budget-friendly VPN services.

The most promising feature that sets Surfshark apart from other VPN providers from this list is its ability to support unlimited simultaneous connections with one subscription. Meaning, with Surfshark, you can protect all your devices at the same time. Not even the top-tier VPN providers can match this astonishing feature.

Let’s take a quick look at Surfshark comparison with other VPN providers: 

It’s also a perfect option for gaming on PC, Xbox & PS4. To know more about this VPN in detail, check out our Surfshark review for 2021.

3. NordVPN Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $3.30/mo
• TrustScore: 4.1/5

NordVPN is one of the most popular VPNs globally and is highly recommended for users concerned about their online privacy. NordVPN offers around 5400+ servers across 59 locations. NordVPN also follows a strict no-logs policy.

NordVPN offers tons of features, including strong encryption, kill switch, CyberSec, Onion Over VPN, Obfuscation, dedicated IP address, and more. It also supports tons of major platforms and devices. With one NordVPN subscription, you can secure up to 6 devices at the same time.

Only the 6 devices simultaneous connection feature is enough to keep NordVPN at the top because about 70% of the VPN providers only offer 5 or less than 5 simultaneous connections.

What really makes NordVPN stand out from the rest of the VPN providers on this list is its ability to takes basic VPN services to the next level with extra layers of functionality, additional web security services, and outstanding usability. Its advanced security features such as a double encryption option and a DNS leak resolver are not available with any other provider in this list.

NordVPN is a powerhouse. However, it gets mixed reviews on Reddit. Although many people commend the VPN performance, some users have developed trust issues with the VPN. Why? Because it is highly rated everywhere except Trustpilot.

Let’s take a quick look at the NordVPN comparison table with other VPN providers: 

Find out more about this VPN in our detailed NordVPN review.

4. PureVPN Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $3.33/mo
• TrustScore: 4.7/5

PureVPN is another top-ranking VPN in the industry with a huge server network in the world. It boasts around 6500+ servers across 140+ locations. It also follows a strict no-logs policy. It is also quite cheap considering the many features it offers. You can get an idea about how affordable PureVPN really is when studying our VPN cost comparison table. 

Some of the features you get with PureVPN include 256-bit encryption, kill switch, port forwarding, split tunneling, DDoS protection, DNS leak protection, and the list goes on.

It also comes with excellent unblocking capabilities and works with major streaming platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and more.

Few features that give an extra advantage to PureVPN over other providers include “DDOS protected IP addresses, On-Demand feature on iOS – that allows the VPN to stay connected even if the device is in idle mode, 10 simultaneous devices connection, and add-on plugin for complicated devices such as Kodi and Raspberry Pi for smooth and straightforward VPN connection”.

Let’s take a quick look at the PureVPN comparison chart with other VPN providers: 

To know more about this VPN, you can also check out our PureVPN review.

5. CyberGhost Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $1.99/mo
• TrustScore: 4.8/5

CyberGhost is a recognized brand in the VPN industry. It offers 7055 servers across 91 countries. Aside from the massive server network, Cyberghost has excellent online reviews owing to its industry-best features.

Some of its features include 256-bit encryption, automatic kill switch, adblocker, malware blocker, optimized servers for streaming, torrenting, gaming, and more. It also follows a strict no-logs policy, so you are safe with this VPN. It is also quite affordable and lets you connect 7 devices at the same time.

Unlike many providers on this list, the CyberGhost application gives a clean and organized look for all the features it has to offer. What makes CyberGhost unique from everyone else is “the customized modes for streaming, torrenting, and dedicated IP connection.”

CyberGhost also allows you to have complete control over the apps and browser’s behavior in conjunction with the VPN connection. These features really make CyberGhost stand out and compels users to give it a chance over the others.

Despite all these amazing features, there have been some complaints from reddit users about poor customer service. However, our experience hasn’t been that bad with CyberGhost. Reddit users have also complained that CyberGhost is facing issues unblocking some streaming sites like Netflix US.

Let’s take a quick look at CyberGhost comparison with other VPN providers: 

To know more about its features and plans, you can also check out our CyberGhost review.

6. Private Internet Access (PIA) Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $2.08/mo
• TrustScore: 4.2/5

PIA has one of the largest server networks among all the other VPN providers, with more than 35,550+ servers across 77 locations. With so many servers across the world, you will certainly have no issues unblocking geo-restricted content from anywhere in the world. This US-based VPN service is one of the most popular VPNs in the Five Eyes jurisdiction.

Some of the features offered by PIA include ad and malware blocker, automatic kill switch, split tunneling, SOCKS5 Proxy, Multiple VPN Gateway, and more. It is one of the best VPN for torrenting. You get all these features at a low price, and it also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and allows 10 simultaneous connections.

It should come as no surprise that PIA takes an edge over 90% of VPN providers in the industry simply because it has a server network that comprises 35,000+ servers. That is not all; the reason it has continued to surpass many top VPN providers is due to its ability to offer a robust VPN service, an excellent new app interface, and overall a solid VPN service at an affordable price.

If you’re looking for a trustworthy provider that values user privacy and offers strong security, adblocking, and anonymous torrenting, PIA is a good option for you.

PIA is a VPN service with as many fans on Reddit as there are haters. Literally, any thread on reddit you can find on this service is sharply divided between the naysayers and those with a positive experience.

Let’s take a quick look at the PIA VPN compare list with other VPN providers: 

To know more about this VPN, check out our latest PIA VPN review.

7. PrivateVPN Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $2.07/mo 
• TrustScore: 4.8/5

Compared to other VPN providers on this list, this Swedish-based VPN service offers only 200+ servers across 68 countries. As compared to other VPNs on this list, this number is quite low. However, it sure does make up for it with its high speeds and security features. Owing to these features, it has a high Trustpilot rating of 4.8/5 stars.

PrivateVPN comes with 2048-bit encryption, kill switch, port forwarding, IPv6 leak protection, application guard, obfuscation, and more. With one PrivateVPN subscription, you can connect up to 6 devices at the same time. It also offers apps for various devices and can be manually configured on routers, Smart TVs, and more.

While this provider seems pretty much average from above, when you take a close look, you’d realized what makes it superior to everyone else. Even though PrivateVPN doesn’t offer anything special, its ability to utilize the available features to offer a high-performing service for its client definitely deserves recognition and praise. 

PrivateVPN is quite popular among reddit users, and there are hardly any complaints against this provider if you search through VPN-related subreddits. In fact, it is one of the top VPN recommendations in the community.

Let’s take a quick look at the Private VPN compare list with other VPN providers: 

To know more about this VPN in detail, you can also check out our PrivateVPN review.

8. VyprVPN Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $2.50/mo
• TrustScore: 2.3/5

Next up, we have VyprVPN, which offers some pretty cool features despite its low Trustpilot ratings. Compared to other VPNs like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and PIA, this VPN offers few servers, approximately 700+ servers across North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. It is also quite affordable as compared to other VPNs on this list.

Some of its dedicated features include high-end encryption, kill switch, NAT firewall, and VyprVPN Cloud. It also has an audited no-logs policy, and it doesn’t keep any user logs whatsoever.

Two features that definitely have a deep impact on VyperVPN reputation and dominance over other providers include 30 simultaneous connections on a single VyperVPN subscription and VyprVPN Cloud – a user-friendly VPN server-deployment solution that gives you an added layer of security whenever you’re accessing your cloud servers. It is available for DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and VirtualBox.

Redditors seem to have many issues with VyprVPN, but its security and simplicity of user interface are well-appreciated by some users. Some users have companied about VyprVPN not being able to unblock Netflix US from abroad.

Let’s take a quick look at VyperVPN comparison with other VPN providers: 

Learn about this VPN in our VyprVPN review.

9. IPVanish Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $2.67/mo
• TrustScore: 4.7/5

IPVanish is another renowned and most trusted VPN service. It offers its users around 1600+ servers worldwide, which is quite low compared to other VPNs on this list. Some of its other premium features include 256-bit AES encryption, kill switch, zero log policy, and SOCKS5 web proxy. It also uses a Scramble feature for obfuscation.

What’s impressive is that IPVanish also provides its users with a powerful password generator feature for maximum privacy and security. It also comes with IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leak protection.

IPVanish is one of those 5% VPN providers that offer data storage with their subscription as well. While it does cost you a little bit extra, this feature lets you sync & secure 500 GB of data to access important files from any device, paired with VPN protection.

Also, what makes it superior to others is a feature called “Remote Device Wiping” – an ability to delete any sensitive data from your synced device should it ever be comprised by loss or theft.

It also allows 30 simultaneous connections and also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. The trend of mixed user reviews continues with IPVanish, as reddit users report varying all the way from poor to excellent.

Let’s take a quick look at IPVanish comparison with other VPN providers: 

To know about this VPN in detail, read our in-depth IPVanish review.

10. Ivacy Compared to Other VPNs

• Price: $1/mo
• TrustScore: 4.8/5

This Singapore-based VPN offers the best value for money. Ivacy VPN has over 3500+ servers across 100+ locations and offers excellent security features. Some of its features include a kill switch, split tunneling, OpenVPN, port forwarding, and more. Aside from these excellent features, Ivacy also offers Dedicated IP Addresses in 7 countries.

With one Ivacy subscription, you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, and it also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It does not keep any activity logs or meta logs, so you are safe with this VPN. You can also check our detailed VPN price comparison to choose a budget-friendly VPN service with adequate features.

While Ivacy pretty much seems like any other general VPN provider, it does have a feature that makes it stand out from the rest. While most VPN providers have a separate set of credentials for their application and online account, Ivacy continues to keep the same set of credentials for applications and online accounts.

It may not seem a very impressive or distinct feature to most, but many users actually prefer to have the same credentials for both areas and opt for Ivacy solely because of this reason.

Ivacy has a lot of criticism on reddit. Several users have reported issues with bad servers, resulting in frequent disconnections. But, we have never experienced any connectivity issues with Ivacy.

Let’s take a quick look at Ivacy comparison with other VPN providers: 

Find out more about this VPN in our Ivacy review.

Comparison Criteria

Following are the criteria on which we compared the VPN providers available in the spreadsheet above. Some of the words below may not be easy to understand by someone fairly new to the VPN concept. Therefore, we recommend reading our VPN Glossary – All the VPN terms you must know! For a clear understanding of those terms.

Speed

It basically explains how fast a VPN is. All VPN services in this chart are qualified as either “Fast,” “Average,” or “Slow.” You can also check the VPN speed test comparison table above to see which VPN service outperforms. Below is a criterion for grading the speeds of any particular VPN:

• Fast – VPNs with less than or equal to 30% drop in the base connection speed
• Average – VPNs with higher than 30% but less than 50% drop in the base connection speed
• Slow – VPNs with a higher than 50% drop in base connection speed

ExpressVPN UK server Speed Test

Privacy and Security

VPNs are used for protecting online privacy and security. Here are some of the factors we took into consideration when comparing VPNs for privacy and security.

Jurisdiction

jurisdiction refers to the laws of a country that a VPN is obligated to follow. Generally, this is the country where a VPN’s headquarter is registered. So, for instance, if a VPN is headquartered in the US, it will have to keep some logs and comply with the local laws. However, a VPN headquartered in Panama or the British Virgin Islands is not obligated to keep logs.

Five Eyes Alliance

The Five Eyes Alliance includes the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The Snowden documents disclosed these Five Eyes countries, highlighting their involvement in conducting mass surveillance programs on the citizens of each other’s countries.

The implications of such alliances are dangerous and antagonistic to the privacy of citizens. As such, if you use a VPN service located in these Five Eyes countries, then your activities on the web can be easily traced and your data acquired by agencies.

Nine Eyes Alliance

The Nine Eyes is an extension of Five Eyes and includes four more countries and the five countries. The 9 Eyes countries include France, Norway, Netherlands, and Denmark, collaborating with the Five Eyes in intelligence-sharing and gathering.

Fourteen Eyes

The Fourteen Eyfurther expands this growing list of nosy countries interested in collecting citizens’ data. The 14 Eyes countries include all the nine eyes and Sweden, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Belgium.

To learn more about the role of these countries in performing invasive surveillance on people, you can read our detailed article on Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes.

Privacy Policy

We have read the privacy policy of each VPN in detail to see what kind of user data they log. It is essential to choose a VPN that doesn’t log any user information. In fact, most of the premium VPN services on this list only keep necessary user information like an email address to manage the account and billing. Therefore, VPNs that keep timestamps, traffic logs, IP addresses, and more are ranked lower in the best VPN comparison chart. You can find more detail about such providers in our VPN privacy comparison table.

• Traffic logging

Traffic logging means keeping a log of your browsing and other activities on the web. These are the most intrusive kind of VPN logs. If someone wishes to track what you’re doing online, they can easily do that with the help of traffic logs or activity logs. That’s why VPNs that do keep traffic logs often sell them to third parties. Check the above VPN privacy comparison table to see which VPN is the most secure in user data logging.

• Bandwidth logging

Keeping a record of download and upload bandwidth you have consumed over a given period. These types of logs are less intrusive. Bandwidth logs are mainly kept to ensure the quality of service and fair usage. However, some VPN keep bandwidth logs for throttling purposes. Speaking of throttling, you may find our bypass ISP throttling guide useful.

• Timestamp logging

Keeping a log of the time and date of your connection, disconnection, and any other event that you performed while using the VPN service. This, along with IP address logging, seriously poses a threat to your privacy, as it facilitates a hacker or agency to trace your identity and even your physical location.

• IP address logging

Keeping a log of your original IP address and/or the VPN IP address longer than your session duration. These logs can be used to trace a user. Think of an IP address as your home address. It is unique and can easily identify where you’re actually located in the world.

DNS, IP, and WebRTC Leak Tests

DNS logging refers to storing logs of DNS requests made from a user’s computers/device. This information can reveal your location. DNS logs can also allow someone to launch attacks against you through methods like data theft, denial-of-service, and command-and-control.

IP leaks refer to an incident when your IP address starts leaking despite being connected to a VPN. This is why renowned VPNs come with built-in leak protection to prevent IP, DNS, and WebRTC from leaking. The ability of a VPN to prevent IP addresses and DNS of the user (client) from leaking to the web. This is tested via ipleak.net.

IPv6 and WebRTC leak test results of ExpressVPN

Features

We have checked VPNs to ensure they have all the essential features to offer you maximum privacy and security.

Kill Switch

Kill switch is an essential security feature built into VPNs that can cut off your internet if your VPN connection experiences a temporary loss. This ensures your security is kept intact and your IP doesn’t leak on the web. Top tier VPNs offer different levels of this technology ranging from system-wide kill switch to application kill switch.

ExpressVPNs Kill Switch called “Network Lock.”

Torrenting

Most people use VPNs for torrenting safely. However, not all VPNs allow users to access various file-sharing sites like The Pirate Bay. Therefore, we test these VPNs to see which ones allow torrenting.

Netflix

Just with Torrenting, not all VPNs work with Netflix because Netflix blocks most VPN services. Meaning, you will not be able to unblock any Netflix library with those VPNs. Therefore, we have tested which VPNs unblock Netflix, as discussed in the VPN comparison list above.

Split Tunneling

We prefer VPNs that reroute some online traffic through public Wi-Fi and some through the VPN server for faster speeds. However, not all VPNs have a split tunneling feature.

Encryption

The current industry standard is 256-bit AES encryption that encrypts online traffic for maximum security and anonymity. VPNs using 128-bit encryption are not the best choice for privacy and security. You cal also check the VPN protocol comparison table above to see which VPN is more secure.

Multi-Hop

The multi-hop feature encrypts online traffic through multiple server locations for the ultimate level of privacy and anonymity. It definitely gives VPNs an edge over the others. Sadly not all VPN providers offer this cool feature.

Surfshark’s Multihop feature 

IP Addresses

VPNs that refresh their IP addresses are preferred over the ones that use old IP addresses, usually blocked by most websites. Some VPNs also offer dedicated IP addresses like NordVPN.

Pricing

This criterion will help users make a better-informed decision about the provider after knowing whether the service seems equally valuable for the price they are asking and are there any budget-friendly subscription plans available with the service.

Server Network

One of the core features of any VPN service provider. The number of servers and the locations they are available in helps you decide on the purchase. Usually, the more number of servers in different countries is ideal, but we have often seen providers with a comparatively low number of servers gaining more trust.

Customer Support

A necessary post-purchase requisite. It gives peace of mind knowing that someone is available to help you out whenever you are in trouble regarding the service. It also heavily impact the user’s decision to purchase the service.

Simultaneous Connections

The number of devices a VPN can simultaneously support. If you can secure multiple devices with just one subscription, then your VPN supports simultaneous connections. Renowned VPNs offer anywhere between ten (10) to unlimited simultaneous connections.

Wrapping up

As you can tell from our hefty VPN comparisons guide, choosing VPNs is not an easy task. Just check out our comparison spreadsheet. It took us so much time to compile it. But you have to admit it; it’s beneficial when deciding which VPN to go for.

So there you have it, guys. We hope you now have a little more respect for reviewing different VPNs for you guys meticulously. If you have any suggestions or questions, let us know in the comments.