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For the technophobe out there, the idea of installing and configuring a VPN correctly can seem like a rather daunting task but, fortunately, a lot of VPNs have made it a very simple process. A young child could install Mullvad, as it simply requires clicking a button. Mullvad also sports a straightforward interface, although what it lacks in flare, it also lacks in usability. IPVanish is a powerful product but, as such, does require a bit of know-how to get it installed and, while offering a smooth user experience, doesn’t lead you through each process step-by-step. Buffered is simple to install, but less proficient users may face some difficulty using its more advanced features. When it comes down to it, power, speed and reliability are what it’s all about and IPVanish has them all in spades. While IPVanish may experience a few issues in the speed department when bypassing content restrictions, they still stand out as one of the most reliable services in China.
Features
8.6
Pricing
6.0
Ease of Use
8.8
Reliability & Support
8.4
Features
9.4
Pricing
9.2
Ease of Use
9.4
Reliability & Support
9.4
Features
7.0
Pricing
6.8
Ease of Use
8.8
Reliability & Support
8.4
Rating
Features
8.6
9.4
7.0
Pricing
6.0
9.2
6.8
Ease of Use
8.8
9.4
8.8
Reliability & Support
8.4
9.4
8.4
Reviews
Review by our expert
Katie Kasunic
Technology Researcher
8.2
Update: Buffered VPN merged with Encrypt.me. We have thoroughly tested Encrypt.me, and you can find everything you need to know in our review.
Buffered VPN has a lot to offer due to its user-friendly interface, fast connection speeds, and reliable security. One thing it can't do is unblock Netflix, you'll need a premium vendor like ExpressVPN for that.
In addition to dedicated apps available f...
I considered a number of VPN's before going with Buffered which I find excellent.No issues in any aspect, On the rare occasions that I required assistance (in the initial set up stage), the Help Desk was outstanding. Would highly recommend Buffered to anyone considering using a VPN
Latest negative user review
Trev
2.0
They are no moreAfter being a customer for more than 2 years and paying a premium price for a good service. THEY DON'T EXIST ANYMORE.. No warning, just logged in one day and my app doesn't work and they have changed their website name. STAY AWAY, sounds dodgy.
IPVanish offers high-speed connections and an impressive list of advanced security features at a budget-friendly price.
For this review, we put IPVanish through its paces. We thoroughly tested its speed, performance, ease of use, and ability to access popular streaming services like Netflix. The short answer? Yes, IPVanish is able to unblock Netflix. It can also unblock popular services like V...
Very, very satisfiedI am into my third year of using IPVanish. I am extremely happy with the speed, reliability, features and reliability. The fact that I have used it for this long without trying the competition speaks volumes. I am never going to try anything else because I am completely happy with what I have. Why risk it?
Latest negative user review
AM
2.0
Unreliable Product, Poor Customer Service, and Unethical Business PracticesCustomer service, and unethical business practices. There were IP leaks through their VPN connection from my Mac PC. The issue persists after their troubleshooting and resulted in repeated exposure of my personal and financial information. I’m a few months into my 2nd annual subscription. Despite the technical issues with their product and my investment in their troubleshooting process, they have repeatedly refused to refund the remainder of my annual subscription. I’m escalating to the BBB. ExpressVPN provides a much reliable product and engages in ethical business practices. BEWARE.
Mullvad VPN has been popular among privacy buffs for some time now, but I’ve always wondered about its other features. Does it offer good value for your money? To find out, I tested its mobile and desktop apps and did some thorough research on its features.
From this, it’s clear that Mullvad VPN offers more than privacy and has strong security features — it isn’t far behind the premium...
Overall very happy with the serviceLongtime Mullvad user. It’s a simple and efficient service. They accept payments in cash. Speeds are 95-100% of my ISP speeds. Technically advanced with port forwarding/routing and multi hops. I like they use WireGuard although my pfsense supports only OpenVPN (the desktop OS client is happy with WireGuard). I like that they were audited, and audit results are publicly available. I also like that they don’t spend money on advertisements but rather put it to future features and improvements (other VPN providers started advertisements even within opensubtitles.org - it makes me wonder: if the company is wasting money on advertisement, how much money is left for the actual service?). Contacted support on a number of occasions and usually received a response within hours, which is fine with me - in 1-2 instances I didn’t quite think My question was answered but maybe I didn’t ask questions as Specifically as I should have. I never needed their service urgently, because everything is well explained on their website. Pfsense set up guide is missing 1-2 steps, but eventually, I figured it out. Maybe they can include a canary notice on their website? Prior to using Mullvad, I used ExpressVPN (excellent but pricey), PIA, and NordVPN (horrified to have learned who owns the latter and how they gather data). Overall, I didn’t find the reason so far not to continue using Mullvad.
Latest negative user review
Anonymously
2.0
Mullvad is great!Why Mullvad rates at 6.2 by reviewer behooves me to an extent that I wonder if the reviewer is huffed up b/ c mullvad failed to pat his back when he had a question. Mullvad is better than Express, etc.
Update: Buffered VPN merged with Encrypt.me. We have thoroughly tested Encrypt.me, and you can find everything you need to know in our review.
Buffered VPN has a lot to offer due to its user-friendly interface, fast connection speeds, and reliable security. One thing it can't do is unblock Netflix, you'll need a premium vendor like ExpressVPN for that.
In addition to dedicated apps available f...
IPVanish offers high-speed connections and an impressive list of advanced security features at a budget-friendly price.
For this review, we put IPVanish through its paces. We thoroughly tested its speed, performance, ease of use, and ability to access popular streaming services like Netflix. The short answer? Yes, IPVanish is able to unblock Netflix. It can also unblock popular services like V...
Mullvad VPN has been popular among privacy buffs for some time now, but I’ve always wondered about its other features. Does it offer good value for your money? To find out, I tested its mobile and desktop apps and did some thorough research on its features.
From this, it’s clear that Mullvad VPN offers more than privacy and has strong security features — it isn’t far behind the premium...
I considered a number of VPN's before going with Buffered which I find excellent.No issues in any aspect, On the rare occasions that I required assistance (in the initial set up stage), the Help Desk was outstanding. Would highly recommend Buffered to anyone considering using a VPN
Stu Taylor
10.0
Very, very satisfiedI am into my third year of using IPVanish. I am extremely happy with the speed, reliability, features and reliability. The fact that I have used it for this long without trying the competition speaks volumes. I am never going to try anything else because I am completely happy with what I have. Why risk it?
AP
10.0
Overall very happy with the serviceLongtime Mullvad user. It’s a simple and efficient service. They accept payments in cash. Speeds are 95-100% of my ISP speeds. Technically advanced with port forwarding/routing and multi hops. I like they use WireGuard although my pfsense supports only OpenVPN (the desktop OS client is happy with WireGuard). I like that they were audited, and audit results are publicly available. I also like that they don’t spend money on advertisements but rather put it to future features and improvements (other VPN providers started advertisements even within opensubtitles.org - it makes me wonder: if the company is wasting money on advertisement, how much money is left for the actual service?). Contacted support on a number of occasions and usually received a response within hours, which is fine with me - in 1-2 instances I didn’t quite think My question was answered but maybe I didn’t ask questions as Specifically as I should have. I never needed their service urgently, because everything is well explained on their website. Pfsense set up guide is missing 1-2 steps, but eventually, I figured it out. Maybe they can include a canary notice on their website? Prior to using Mullvad, I used ExpressVPN (excellent but pricey), PIA, and NordVPN (horrified to have learned who owns the latter and how they gather data). Overall, I didn’t find the reason so far not to continue using Mullvad.
Latest negative user review
Trev
2.0
They are no moreAfter being a customer for more than 2 years and paying a premium price for a good service. THEY DON'T EXIST ANYMORE.. No warning, just logged in one day and my app doesn't work and they have changed their website name. STAY AWAY, sounds dodgy.
AM
2.0
Unreliable Product, Poor Customer Service, and Unethical Business PracticesCustomer service, and unethical business practices. There were IP leaks through their VPN connection from my Mac PC. The issue persists after their troubleshooting and resulted in repeated exposure of my personal and financial information. I’m a few months into my 2nd annual subscription. Despite the technical issues with their product and my investment in their troubleshooting process, they have repeatedly refused to refund the remainder of my annual subscription. I’m escalating to the BBB. ExpressVPN provides a much reliable product and engages in ethical business practices. BEWARE.
Anonymously
2.0
Mullvad is great!Why Mullvad rates at 6.2 by reviewer behooves me to an extent that I wonder if the reviewer is huffed up b/ c mullvad failed to pat his back when he had a question. Mullvad is better than Express, etc.
Mullvad is a tricky entity to assess, as its performance has been inconsistent over the years, with periods of high performance, followed by times of poor connectivity and slow speeds. It has also shrugged its shoulders at the whole Netflix nightmare and pretty much abandoned the site. But the popularity of Netflix means VPN users will turn to alternative services – which is where Buffered VPN is the leader of the pack. IPVanish gave up the fight with Netflix, but its unlimited bandwidth, server switching and anonymous torrenting are sufficient for them to secure victory in this evaluation.
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