Advertiser Disclosure
BestVPNs ("we," "us," or "our") is an independent comparison and review website. We are not a VPN service provider and we do not sell VPN subscriptions, software, or any related products directly to consumers.
How We Make Money
BestVPNs earns revenue through affiliate marketing partnerships. When you click on a link to a VPN provider on our website and subsequently make a purchase or subscribe to a service, we may receive a commission from that provider. This commission is paid by the VPN company — not by you. You never pay more by clicking through our site; in many cases, our affiliate arrangements allow us to secure exclusive discounts for our readers.
We currently have affiliate relationships with some or all of the VPN services listed on this website, including but not limited to: NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ProtonVPN, IPVanish, Atlas VPN, VyprVPN, and Mullvad VPN.
How Affiliate Relationships Affect Our Content
We are committed to editorial independence. Our rankings, scores, and written assessments are based on real-world testing conducted by our cybersecurity team. Affiliate compensation does not determine a VPN's position in our rankings. We have ranked services lower than competitors despite higher commission rates when our testing indicated inferior performance. We have also ranked services that offer no affiliate compensation when our testing supported their inclusion.
That said, we acknowledge a practical reality: VPN services that do not have affiliate programs are less likely to appear in our listings, simply because we have no commercial relationship with them. This is a limitation we are transparent about. Users seeking a comprehensive view of the market should supplement our rankings with additional research.
Our Testing Methodology
Our rankings are based on the following independently-applied criteria:
- Connection speed benchmarks (download, upload, and latency), tested across multiple server locations
- Security protocol analysis, including encryption standards, leak protection, and kill switch functionality
- Privacy policy review and verification of no-logs claims through independent audits where available
- Streaming compatibility testing across major platforms (Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, etc.)
- Ease of use across desktop, mobile, and router platforms
- Customer support responsiveness and quality
- Value for money relative to features offered
- Jurisdiction and legal exposure to data requests
No Paid Placements
BestVPNs does not accept payment in exchange for favorable reviews, higher rankings, or editorial coverage. Our "Editor's Picks," "Best for" labels, and numerical rankings are not for sale. If a VPN provider requests changes to our editorial content as a condition of an affiliate relationship, we decline and terminate the relationship.
Third-Party Links
Our website contains links to external websites operated by VPN providers and other third parties. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of service of those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of service of any service before subscribing.
Accuracy of Information
We make every effort to keep pricing, feature information, and rankings current. VPN service terms, pricing, and features change frequently. Pricing displayed on BestVPNs may not reflect real-time promotions or changes by the provider. Always verify current pricing and terms on the provider's official website before purchasing.
Contact Us
If you have questions about our affiliate relationships, testing methodology, or editorial policies, please contact us at editorial@bestvpns.io.