VPN's need has increased drastically in 2021 as more and more people continue working from home in the COVID-19 pandemic. A VPN, short for virtual private networks, allows one to encrypt internet traffic and remain anonymous.

VPNs help users access blocked websites and improve your security online. They can also help you download torrent movies without inviting trouble at your door, among many more functions. There are many types of VPN services, and you need to know what you need from a VPN before going for one.

We have a lot of VPN reviews on this website, and we have made you a list of the best VPNs on the market right now. Whatever you intend to do, you will find a VPN that will serve you well on this list.

Best VPN Service Overall

Without a doubt, ExpressVPN is the best VPN overall. The VPN comes with high speeds, and you can use it to unblock blocked websites and increase your online privacy and security. Here are the features that make it the best overall:

• Over 30,000 IP addresses
• Over 3,000 VPN servers around the world
• 5 simultaneous connections
• Has browser extensions
• 160 server locations
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Has split tunneling
• Available in 94 countries
• 24/7 live chat customer support

ExpressVPN has proven itself to be the best VPN in the world with its high speed and privacy assurance. Its network is powered by TrustedServer technology, which ensures that there are no online logs activities of users.

The VPN has an excellent track record in the privacy world. Its setup guide is easy to read and understand. Its FAQ section is detailed enough, and you can find answers to almost all your questions.

It has a kill switch feature that ensures your data does not leak outside the ExpressVPN's secure tunnel in case the VPN fails for one reason or another. The VPN supports the Bitcoin payment method, unlike some of our other favorites on this list. Payment through bitcoin adds another layer of privacy.
It has been in the market for more than a decade since 2009 to be exact, and currently, its fast servers are available in 94 countries. Its most favorable plan comes at less than US$7 per month for the annual package, and it includes 3 free months.

The Best for Streaming

Having a VPN for streaming allows one to bypass geo-restrictions and access blocked content. For example, you can watch TV shows that are not available on US Netflix. Again, ExpressVPN reigns here, but we will suggest an alternative if you don't want to use ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN can be used on Android, Windows, Linux, Blackberry, iOS, and Mac. It automatically connects to the best server to ensure you get the fastest VPN speeds while streaming.

Another VPN offering high-quality streaming services like ExpressVPN is NordVPN. (Read our NordVPN review here.) The VPN is excellent when it comes to unlocking blocked websites, and it comes with awesome features such as:

• Over 5,000 IP addresses
• 62 VPN server locations
• Also has browser extensions
• Unlimited bandwidth
• US$3.49 per month if you go for a three-year plan
• Over 5,200 servers
• 24/7 live chat customer support

In the VPN field, NordVPN is one of the most recognizable brands, and it is for the right reasons. It allows a user up to 6 simultaneous connections. It has a kill switch, and you can be assured that there won't be any data leaks with it, plus it is reliably fast.

A month-to-month subscription costs $12, but if you go for a year subscription, it will cost you $7 and cost you $3.49 if you choose the three-year plan. What’s more, NordVPN does not keep logs of users’ activities, so you can be assured of secure streaming.

The Best for Torrenting

Torrenting files without masking your IP address and encrypting your P2P activity with a VPN is a great mistake. You risk getting hacked and facing fines for downloading copyrighted content. Luckily, there are great VPN services that can ensure that it doesn't happen. Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are great for torrenting, and another excellent VPN for this service is Surfshark.

Surfshark comes with these great features which makes your torrenting much easier:

• Automatic kill switch in case the VPN stops working.
• AES 256-bit encryption, which is the best encryption available.
• Works with the best torrents such as BitTorrent and uTorrent.
• Compatible with macOS, Android, Windows, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV.
• Over 1,700 VPN servers
• A Whitelist feature which you can use to enhance your download speeds (aka split tunneling)
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Malware protection to protect your device from hidden viruses that can compromise your security. (Check out Some Website Security Tips in Spanish.
• 24/7 live chat customer support
• Unlimited simultaneous connections!

The VPN is fast and reliable, and you can torrent with speeds of up to 55.7 Mbps for downloading and 11.88 Mbps for uploading. In case your connection is lost while you are downloading, the download will continue from where it stopped once you resume.

The Best for Firestick

Fire TV and Fire TV Stick allow you to stream your favorite media on platforms such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Netflix, among others. Unfortunately, there is a lot of geo-locked content, and that's where a VPN comes in. For this purpose, the best VPN is IPVanish.

• 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not impressed
• Strong encryption, 256 AES encryption
• Over 1,300 servers
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Has split tunneling
• Does not keep users’ log activities
• The app is available on Mac, Android, PC, Linux, and iOS.
• 7-day free trial (if you sign up via the iOS app)
• 24/7 live chat customer support
• Its user interface is perfect for Fire TV.

IPVanish was specifically created as a VPN for Firestick, and it is even available on Amazon's app store. It is very easy to use, and it's fully compatible with your remote control. It comes with impressive streaming speeds and offers a 24/7 live chat if you run into a problem.

Honorable Mentions

Now that we have identified the best VPN service overall and the best VPN services for different functions allow us to give you some alternatives in case you want to try other VPNs. We also have lists for the best VPNs for Nividia Shield and the Tor browser. And then let's proceed to the honorable mentions:

• CyberGhost: This VPN is great for torrenting, and it easy to use even for newbies. It is a VPN worth considering with over 80 P2P servers, DNS leak protection, ad and malware blocker. They also have a 24-hour free trial. Visit their website here.
• Norton: The VPN comes with over 1,500 servers, and it is available in 29 countries. It is also quite affordable. However, it does not support BitTorrent, and it does not come with a kill switch feature. In terms of speeds, it is excellent, and it has 24/7 live support. Plus, it gives you 60-day money-back guarantee.
• Private Internet Access
• FastestVPN
• ProtonVPN
• PureVPN
• VyprVPN
• Hotspot Shield
• TunnelBear
• PrivateVPN

Conclusion

Most people started using VPN services to bypass geolocation restrictions, but as you can see, a VPN can do much more. ExpressVPN is the best VPN overall. (Read our ExpressVPN review here.) But if you are not satisfied with its slightly higher prices, you may try the alternatives, which are also excellent.