VPN choices for 2021?
 

paging @SkinnyPupp

Hey guys so once upon a time around 2015 I think, SkinnyPupp suggested to sign up for private internet access (PIA) and I thought it was a great option at the time so I got an account with them and have been using it for many years since then.

My yearly subscription at the moment is $29 usd per month and my subscription is due to expire at the end of this month. What made me stay with PIA is that the connection is truly private where they do not log any activity all, however there are a few downsides such as it does not work with netflix streaming (to watch region exclusive contents) and the connection could be slow at times.

I'm hoping you guys can chime in on suggestions for other providers out there before I re-evaluate to see if it's worth renewing my subscription with PIA. As mentioned earlier, it would definitely be nice to see if there's anyone else out there that does not log connections, great on budget, and can work with netflix/etc streaming

Cheers!:woot2:

PIA is still the best option for privacy and security.

If you just need to switch Netflix regions, you'll have to look for something else. Netflix will block any VPN that is big enough for them to notice; it's very easy for them to do.

Depends on what you need it for. I use to bypass China firewall.

I find the absolute best to be ExpressVPN. Never an issue even in China. I can watch YouTube in 4K with lil to none delay.

Every other provider I tried simply don’t work or very slow when it comes to China.

I think ExpressVPN team is very competitive in terms of updating with vpn blocks. And haven’t encounter any service that effectively blocked ExpressVPN.

I've been using Nord but thinking about switching. My internet when connected is hella slow but im not sure if that's normal for other VPNs?

I use PIA and have had no issues (of course no netflix but i'm fine with netflix canada's content)

The only thing I don't like is they've been losing some servers in more obscure countries like Mexico and Brazil. Generally I like to connect through any country that is far-removed from any RIAA, FCC, CCI influence.

For those that use VPN, has anyone encountered a situation where they're higher internet speeds on VPN than without?

Maybe just speedtest going wonky, but with my WFH VPN, I get way faster speeds through the VPN than my actual internet connection... which I am skeptical of? A google search came up inconclusive...

Ive used ipvanish but it didn't work for things like the bbciplayer or well with Netflix, but it was fast

Now I'm using express vpn, works great with Netflix and bbciplayer, you may need to try an alternate server tho for bbc, haven't had issues with Netflix regions

I know ppl say express vpn is fast af, but I've found it to be slow, and it buffers YouTube at times

Total guess based on no technical knowledge but I am guessing it's reporting the speed between the test server and the VPN server, not truly the speed to your PC

Yes, I used to get faster speeds through Singapore PIA for streaming services, but it seems fine now so there's no real need for it.

I'm been on Nord for awhile, although my use case is pretty minimal (P2P and Regional Netflix/other Streaming Services). Never had an issue with speeds that was noticeable.

I was on PIA for many years but since they blocked Netflix VPNs, I had to change. But PIA was good for all the rest.

Windscribe PRO works for Netflix. They had a student discount previously, for $29 USD, but it doesn't seem like they offer it anymore.