- (Christian) Hey guys, my name is Christian Taylor.
Welcome back to Craylor Made, where I like to talk about
all things online branding and marketing.
So, I know this video has nothing to do with online branding
and marketing, but it's a passion project, and a sequel
to something I did months ago, subscribers suggested.
I like tech, I like VPNs, so this is not the normal type of
content I make, but just hang in there, because I wanted to
make this video.
So, anyway, enough rambling on.
But, without further ado, let's get into the second VPN
comparison, where I'm looking at the most highly suggested
VPNs, and the comments of my last VPN comparison, that
absolutely blew up.
Let's get started.
Let's start with the most highly requested VPN: TorGaurd.
I got so many requests to look at TorGaurd,
and when I looked at their website, I was a bit confused
as to why so many people loved TorGaurd.
The pricing section seemed bloated and overwhelming, the app
UI was pretty dry, and I just didn't understand the appeal.
TorGuard comes in at a reasonable $10 per month, or $60 per
year, which is comparable to budget-oriented options like
PIA, TunnelBear, or later options in this comparison.
Unfortunately for TorGuard, the lack of streaming support,
with included IPs, and the bland app client makes it a
boring experience.
Look, TorGuard isn't bad.
I got acceptable speeds in my testing, definitely acceptable
for this price point, their support is responsive
and prompt, and they have a clear commitment to privacy,
accepting Bitcoin, various cryptocurrencies, and clearly
stating in their privacy policy that "TorGuard does not
collect or log any data from its virtual private network
or proxy services."
TorGuard is a boring pick to me personally, but they might
have a worthy trick up their sleeve.
TorGuard doesn't normally support streaming.
With my test account, I was not able to stream Hulu,
Disney Plus, or Netflix.
However, they offer access to a streaming IP for
$8 per month.
They also offer dedicated IPs for $55 per year.
See, TorGuard is boring on is own because it's
a no-frill solution.
But they give you options.
If you know what you want, and if you want a VPN with a
dedicated IP, of you want a VPN that is serious about
letting you stream content, instead of VPNs like
NordVPN or ExpressVPN that claim to support streaming but
sometimes get their IPs blocked, TorGuard could be
a great option for you.
Next is another highly requested VPN, and that's IPVanish.
When I looked at the IPVanish website, I had the same
feelings as the TorGuard website.
It looks solid, but it looks like another boring VPN with
nothing exciting.
IPVanish is definitely on the cheaper side of things,
at $10 per month, or $48 for two years, but there are some
serious drawbacks for the price break.
Streaming isn't supported, and I was unable to stream
Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus.
IPVanish does not accept Bitcoin, and that gives me
some concerns about their commitment to privacy.
I took a look at their privacy policy and everything
checks out, but IPVanish just offers a mediocre experience
in my testing.
The speeds were super slow, maxing out at about 90 megabits
per second down on my 200 megabit per second down
internet speed.
The only great thing I could say about IPVanish
is their support.
They have a 24/7 live chat and, wow!
It's great.
The reps are knowledgeable, respond quickly,
and are friendly.
But just about any VPN on this list has excellent customer
support, and I'm not sure why you would seek out a VPN
with the best customer support, I mean how often are you
gonna need to reach out?
I wouldn't recommend IPVanish unless you really want
to try it, but that's just me.
Next, let's take a look at the underdog on the list,
and the VPN that honestly blew me away.
Mullvad is a pay-as-you-go VPN based in Sweden,
with a no-gimmicks pricing approach.
The VPN costs 5 Euros per month, which is currently about
$5.80 USD per month.
And that's it - no yearly discounts, and you can renew
your account monthly, quarterly, yearly,
however you want to do it.
As soon as I saw this, I started falling in love
with Mullvad.
A VPN that isn't trying to shove a yearly subscription
down your throat is a VPN I can get behind.
As soon as I got started, I immediately discovered Mullvad's
insane commitment to privacy.
I've seen VPNs committed to privacy before, but Mullvad
blew my mind.
You don't have a username or password with Mullvad, and
you never enter an email address.
Instead, you have a randomly-generated account number
given to you when you get started, and that account number
is all you use to log into Mullvad.
You use your account number to log into your account
and connect to the VPN, add time to it - anything you do,
this is basically your password and your key
to using Mullvad.
Mullvad accepts a wide variety of payment options, including
Bitcoin, and they actually encourage you to pay with Bitcoin
by offering a 10% discount.
This setup allows you to remain completely anonymous, with
the only data Mullvad has access to being your IP address.
The speeds from Mullvad are mind-blowing as well.
I saw speeds up to 180 megabits per second down, which is
blazing fast when my baseline test was 212 megabits
per second down.
One annoyance I experience with Mullvad is that their
upload speeds seem to be capped at 9 megabits per second.
This was consistent across multiple devices and servers,
and I'm not sure why Mullvad has this limitation, but it
is an extreme annoyance to me when my upload speed of
20-25 megabits per second up is already painful enough.
Now, the massive downside to Mullvad is that streaming
is not supported, and there's no iOS or Android app.
The Mac client is gorgeous and slick, but for iOS or Android
you'll have to use WireGuard or OpenVPN.
The server works just fine on mobile, once you get it
set up, but it's definitely an inconvenience to set up,
and it takes work.
Overall, Mullvad is the most unique VPN I've ever used,
and it's a refreshing take on a saturated market
that deserves some praise.
If you care intensely about your privacy and are
tech-savvy, Mullvad is a fantastic option for you.
If you care about streaming or having an easy experience
on mobile, I'd hold out for the next option.
Next is Surfshark.
Now this was another highly requested VPN in the comments,
and as soon as I visited the website, I was intrigued.
Two years of VPN service for $48?
I was skeptical at what the quality would really be like,
but as soon as I connected to the VPN, I saw speeds
once again matching Express VPN's performance.
And the upload speed was not throttled like Mullvad.
I saw speeds of up to 238 megabits per second down,
and upload speeds matching my internet connection.
Surfshark really shocked me.
$48 for two years, and it's blazing fast, supports unlimited
devices, has great 24/7 support, and is based in the
British Virgin Islands?
The main drawback I found to Surfshark is streaming.
While they do support streaming, I found some of their
IPs are blocked with streaming services.
And I couldn't get Hulu to work at all,
even after trying multiple servers.
Streaming did work through Netflix and Disney Plus, though,
and if you are looking for an affordable VPN that makes
little compromises, this is it.
In my last video, I recommended PIA as the best
budget option, but due to the recent Kape acquisition,
I'm recommending that you stay away from PIA at all costs.
Surfshark knows and it sees what PIA offers, at a crazy-low
price, so it's a no-brainer, even if you're on a budget.
They even offer a 15% student discount,
on top of the already low prices.
So, what's not to love about Surfshark?
Well, I'll tell you what's not to love: CyberGhost.
You just heard me mention that I wouldn't recommend using
PIA anymore due to the recent Kape acquisition, but what
does this really mean?
Well, Kape is a conglomerate that now owns three major
VPN companies: PIA, CyberGhost, and ZenMate.
My experience with CyberGhost and ZenMate was identical.
I got a bland, mediocre experience that was inconsistent,
full of quirks, and something that I would never, ever
recommend paying for.
I saw some pretty inconsistent speeds all around,
ranging from 60 megabits per second down to 338 megabits
per second down.
I also had big issues on my iPhone, facing frequent
failed connection errors, app crashes, and sluggish
or unresponsive performance from the servers.
Both CyberGhost and ZenMate offer rather unpolished
VPN experiences, and I have serious concerns that Kape is
going to turn PIA into another clone of whatever CyberGhost
and ZenMate are.
So, my advice to you would be to stay far away from all
Kape VPNs - it's just not a good experience.
To give credit where credit is due, they support streaming,
and they also offer dedicated IPs for $5 a month, and these
are features that not every VPN offers, and Kape shows a
clear commitment to privacy with a transparent prompt
that pops up when using the app for the first time.
While I appreciate Kape's commitment to privacy, it's
nowhere near the next level of privacy you'll enjoy with
Mullvad, and when Surfshark is cheaper and just blows it
out of the water in every way, I can't recommend
CyberGhost or ZenMate for any reason.
Alright, closing out the list, I wanted to highlight a
decent free VPN option, and that's Windscribe.
Now, Windscribe gives you two gigabytes of data free,
but you can upgrade that to 10 gigabytes of data by
confirming your email address, and 15 gigabytes of data
by tweeting, just once, about Windscribe.
15 gigabytes of data is obviously not a lot, but Windscribe
is best suited for those who just need a VPN for a quick
thing here or there, and don't need a VPN for full-time use.
The free version is definitely limited speed-wise,
but I like that it's a reputable VPN, and one that gives you
10-15 gigabytes of data free to use however you choose.
Now, Windscribe does offer a pro version for $49 a year
for unlimited devices, and they have a 40% off
student discount.
This will give you unlimited data,
and access to more locations.
If I'm honest, the speeds are lackluster, streaming is only
supported if you pay an additional $8 per month for a
residential IP address, and I experienced high ping times
in my speed tests.
If you're a student on a tight budget, the pro version
might be worth it for you considering
you can get a year for $30.
But aside from that, I would really stick with Surfshark
or other options I've recommended, if you can.
Now, before we end the video, I wanted to say that
ExpressVPN is still by pick for the best
VPN service you can get, period.
If you're on a budget, go for Surfshark.
If privacy is your biggest concern,
go with Mullvad; it's really cool.
If you like the other options in my two comparisons,
then go for it.
But in my personal opinion, if you want the absolute
best VPN you can get, you just can't
go wrong with ExpressVPN.
In my content, it's important for me to share what
product I personally use, and spend my own money on,
and for me, that's Express VPN.
It's the smoothest and best VPN I've tested, and I'm
willing to pay a bit for extra quality.
This video is not sponsored by ExpressVPN, it's just
legitimately my favorite one that I've tested, out of
all of these, from this comparison, and the last comparison.
So, which VPN did you pick? I'd love to know your thoughts
in the comments down below, and if you liked this video,
do be sure to hit that subscribe button and click the bell
so you don't miss when I release new videos.
With that said, I will catch you guys next time.