Reliable VPN services can effectively hide your IP address so that your original location and IP information cannot be detected. If you go to any website with an IP address checker, you can see what information about you and your IP is available to anyone on the Internet. Your ISP has even more information than this, including your name, bandwidth usage, and sites you visit. They can get information on the way your computer is set up and even fingerprint your browser. They can even see who you email, chat with, and what you download and upload. Only a VPN can secure that information so no one knows what you do online.
You can use a proxy service to hide your IP, but these are not secure and can get complicated. Several configurations and settings are possible on your computer. Any mistakes with these and you have a hole in your anonymity. You can do periodic checks with IP checker tools, but this can get annoying. Also, if you fail to check, you won’t know how long you have been visible. Many proxy services also have connection problems because of the number of people using certain IPs. Their IPs also get blocked often by security systems. Proxy exit nodes are also notorious for being riddled with malicious code.
VPN services are more reliable in the sense that they will absolutely maintain your IP privacy as long as you are connected. There is no way for your original IP address to be visible as long as your traffic is being routed through one of their VPN servers. VPNs protect your data and identity as well by encrypting your data and routing all your encrypted traffic through a private tunnel. Privacy and security is what VPNs were made for, so they do the job best. All anyone will see if they catch your traffic is a bunch of indecipherable code.
The original commercial VPNs can be costly because they allow remote access to many users on the same network. But today there are several personal VPN providers like ExpressVPN and IPVanish who give individual Internet users the same high levels of privacy and security that commercial VPNs can give.
These personal VPN services also give users access to blocked content worldwide with their varied server locations. By connecting to a server in a certain country, all content from there that was blocked in your real location becomes accessible. This is because the VPN service will give you an IP address from that host country when you connect to that server. The websites will see the IP address of the VPN service, not your real IP address.Your client web browser will request information from the VPN server, and that server will show your destination website as being accesses from their IP address.
Some VPN services are blocked by websites and even entire countries. Visit our Top VPN page to see the best providers that can get you wider access.You can take advantage of their trials and money-back guarantees to test the services. One thing to do first is to go back to your favorite IP checker website and see what IP information shows up after you have connected to a server. Then try getting into some censored or blocked content and watch the VPN magically get you access.
| Rank | Provider |
Starting Price | MoneyBack |
Visit Website |
 |
ExpressVPN | $6.67/month | 30 Days |  |
| 2 | VyprVPN | $14.95/month | 7 Days | |
| 3 | IPVanish | $10.00/month | 7 Days | |
| 4 | Hidemyass | $6.55/month | 30 Days | |
| 5 | StrongVPN | $21/ 3 Months | 7 Days | |