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Topic: List of VPN Service Providers - 2023 (Read 3543 times)

legendary
Activity: 2212
Merit: 7064
December 31, 2024, 03:52:40 PM
It's funny how each VPN has a different speed for all of us. As far as I remember, LoyceV has said that Mullvad is one of the fastest VPN for him while it was one of the slowest for me (especially US servers).
It depends on your location and the load for their server locations.
Maybe for you using one VPN server would be fast, but for someone else in different country this would be slow.
Some VPN services also have different type of connection protocols (WireGuard, IKEv2, TCP, UDP, etc), that can affect quality and internet speed.
Note that fastest is not always the best and the most private.
hero member
Activity: 882
Merit: 792
Watch Bitcoin Documentary - https://t.ly/v0Nim
December 30, 2024, 04:25:35 PM
I believe that IVPN is much safer bet than NordVPN or Surfshark.

Have you heard or had any negative experiences with NordVPN?
Service itself is good and fast, it's useful for gaming and streaming but I wouldn't use it for privacy reasons because there have been issues around this VPN.
There is a data mining company called Tefincom SA that has ties to Tesonet. NordVPN was co-founded by Tesonet co-founder Tomas Okmanas.
In 2022, NordVPN and Surfshark merged under the company Nord Security (the one that owns Nord VPN).
There are so many details to write, it will take me hours but this is a good article that sums everything well: https://windscribe.com/blog/the-vpn-relationship-map/
This is also a good Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/VPNTorrents/comments/9adi37/i_investigated_the_nordvpn_ordeal_here_is_what_i/
hero member
Activity: 560
Merit: 1060
✔️ CoinJoin Wallet
December 28, 2024, 11:49:08 AM
I believe that IVPN is much safer bet than NordVPN or Surfshark.

Have you heard or had any negative experiences with NordVPN?
legendary
Activity: 3290
Merit: 16489
Thick-Skinned Gang Leader and Golden Feather 2021
December 28, 2024, 10:57:17 AM
LoyceV has said that Mullvad is one of the fastest VPN for him while it was one of the slowest for me (especially US servers).
Mullvad is the only VPN I use, so I can't compare. It reaches the maximum my own internet connection can reach, which isn't that fast anyway.
hero member
Activity: 882
Merit: 792
Watch Bitcoin Documentary - https://t.ly/v0Nim
December 28, 2024, 10:32:13 AM
wireguard is the superior protocol over OpenVPN.
much less lines of codebase make it more auditable to find bugs, its also faster and more modern.
I don't know if this is related but some games I played also have slow connection if I choose WireGuard over OpenVPN on my Mullvad. Sometimes failed to connect after multiple retries. Their servers are located in China though, so other factors might be at play here. That being said, I used Proton with WireGuard as of now and I've found no problems at all. From my limited experience, Proton is quite okay for gaming unless you need very low ping (keep in mind that the servers you choose will affect this too). CMIIW.
It's funny how each VPN has a different speed for all of us. As far as I remember, LoyceV has said that Mullvad is one of the fastest VPN for him while it was one of the slowest for me (especially US servers).
From my experience, NordVPN and Surfshark are the best for gaming because they offer me the lowest latency in nearby countries but I also want to say that overall, for high speed and high privacy, my favorite VPN is IVPN. I believe that IVPN is much safer bet than NordVPN or Surfshark.
legendary
Activity: 2170
Merit: 1789
December 27, 2024, 11:30:57 PM
wireguard is the superior protocol over OpenVPN.
much less lines of codebase make it more auditable to find bugs, its also faster and more modern.
I don't know if this is related but some games I played also have slow connection if I choose WireGuard over OpenVPN on my Mullvad. Sometimes failed to connect after multiple retries. Their servers are located in China though, so other factors might be at play here. That being said, I used Proton with WireGuard as of now and I've found no problems at all. From my limited experience, Proton is quite okay for gaming unless you need very low ping (keep in mind that the servers you choose will affect this too). CMIIW.
jr. member
Activity: 64
Merit: 8
December 20, 2024, 06:49:58 AM
For Mullvad users who solely rely on the OpenVPN protocol like me, in a year's time [roughly], WireGuard will be the only protocol on Mullvad: Removing OpenVPN 15th January 2026
- Considering that I have to switch to another provider soon, I wonder if someone could also recommend a good VPN for online gaming (NordVPN was awful while Mullvad is somewhat okay).

wireguard is the superior protocol over OpenVPN.
much less lines of codebase make it more auditable to find bugs, its also faster and more modern.

OpenVPN has a huge codebase, its slow and clunky.
legendary
Activity: 2170
Merit: 1789
December 06, 2024, 06:32:41 AM
Did anyone use the advantage of Black Friday deals? Was my thread and Black Friday deals links beneficial for you? Some websites had done it in a way that it was not possible to get info about Black Friday discount directly from their website.
I decided to try ProtonVPN with their Black Friday deals. A major difference from other providers that I tried is the number of servers available to choose from, though some of them were blocked by the websites that I visited regularly. I might switch back to Mullvad if the advantage isn't as big as I thought tho.

I think this thread is helpful to check out deals available if I'm too lazy to filter from the PR articles.
hero member
Activity: 882
Merit: 792
Watch Bitcoin Documentary - https://t.ly/v0Nim
December 02, 2024, 12:43:42 PM
That's very interesting, 100% cashback? Was it for 1 month or 1 year? 1 month is okay but if there was a cashback on 12 months, then there is definitely something wrong.
It's a year. I know they hope you'll keep paying afterwards, but I don't like it.
That's strange because it's not hard to find good VPN deals. One day Nord offers a free trial, then you use expressvpn, then cyberghost, then surfshark and the list goes on. So, that's strange to me but maybe they are very confident in their product. I can't talk about privacy of NordVPN but their speed is one of the best from my experience.

I must say I like the "no discount" approach. Giving a discount just means you're overcharging without the discount. If a company can give 30-50% discount, that just means they're charging too much without discount. And it means I don't want to buy from them without discount, which makes it an annoying business model. No discounts ever is a very transparent policy.
I agree with you, I like Mullvad's business model. No deals, no black fridays, no cyber mondays, no christmas, no new year, no inflation, 5 Euro is 5 Euro. VPNs are overcharging us and it's sad that there isn't a good competition between them for 1 month plans. There are only a few good companies that are exceptions.

I think your thread and recent post are helpful, but i already subscribe to certain VPN service.
Thank you, that's very nice to hear.


Guys, most of the deals are still active because there is a Cyber Monday. So, don't miss it (there are no affiliates in my link).
legendary
Activity: 2870
Merit: 7490
Crypto Swap Exchange
December 01, 2024, 04:39:48 AM
It's expected Mullvad wouldn't offer Black Friday discount. After all, they always offer flat 5 EUR/month with 10% discount if you pay with cryptocurrency. Deal by Proton VPN isn't half bad either, although it's Proton Unlimited (where you also get email, drive and others) is better choice if you really trust Proton with all kinds of tasks.
I like Mullvad's and IVPN's approach but it would be really nice if there was a small discount during Black Friday, at least for a monthly plan

But on other hand, you don't have to worry whether you could get better deal if you're willing to wait and visit their website regularly.

but there is a thing that I don't like about Mullvad, they are centralizing privacy, i.e. Mullvad VPN, Mullvad Browser, Mullvad Search, maybe it's my wrong intuition but I think this is bad for privacy when you use three products of one provider. That's why I don't use Proton, they have so many services under their Proton hood that I do not find it safe.

I get the point, although you don't have to use all of their services. Besides, Mullvad Browser is just fork of Tor Browser, where they work together with Tor team.

Did anyone use the advantage of Black Friday deals? Was my thread and Black Friday deals links beneficial for you? Some websites had done it in a way that it was not possible to get info about Black Friday discount directly from their website.

I think your thread and recent post are helpful, but i already subscribe to certain VPN service.
legendary
Activity: 3290
Merit: 16489
Thick-Skinned Gang Leader and Golden Feather 2021
December 01, 2024, 04:19:51 AM
That's very interesting, 100% cashback? Was it for 1 month or 1 year? 1 month is okay but if there was a cashback on 12 months, then there is definitely something wrong.
It's a year. I know they hope you'll keep paying afterwards, but I don't like it.

Quote
I like Mullvad's and IVPN's approach but it would be really nice if there was a small discount during Black Friday, at least for a monthly plan
I must say I like the "no discount" approach. Giving a discount just means you're overcharging without the discount. If a company can give 30-50% discount, that just means they're charging too much without discount. And it means I don't want to buy from them without discount, which makes it an annoying business model. No discounts ever is a very transparent policy.

Quote
but there is a thing that I don't like about Mullvad, they are centralizing privacy, i.e. Mullvad VPN, Mullvad Browser, Mullvad Search, maybe it's my wrong intuition but I think this is bad for privacy when you use three products of one provider. That's why I don't use Proton, they have so many services under their Proton hood that I do not find it safe.
That's a bit like saying you don't buy a Honda car because they also make motorcycles and outboord engines. I use Mullvad, I use Proton. But I don't use all their services.
hero member
Activity: 882
Merit: 792
Watch Bitcoin Documentary - https://t.ly/v0Nim
November 30, 2024, 04:46:31 PM
I just saw bitrefill doing 50% cashback for NordVPN gift cards. Or is there a catch to the said cashback?
There's a Dutch (non-crypto) site doing 100% cashback for new NordVPN customers. I've never tried it, because Mullvad's "no discounts" sounds like a much better business model. I remember the Facebook expression: if I'm not paying for it, I'm the product being sold.
That's very interesting, 100% cashback? Was it for 1 month or 1 year? 1 month is okay but if there was a cashback on 12 months, then there is definitely something wrong.

It's expected Mullvad wouldn't offer Black Friday discount. After all, they always offer flat 5 EUR/month with 10% discount if you pay with cryptocurrency. Deal by Proton VPN isn't half bad either, although it's Proton Unlimited (where you also get email, drive and others) is better choice if you really trust Proton with all kinds of tasks.
I like Mullvad's and IVPN's approach but it would be really nice if there was a small discount during Black Friday, at least for a monthly plan but there is a thing that I don't like about Mullvad, they are centralizing privacy, i.e. Mullvad VPN, Mullvad Browser, Mullvad Search, maybe it's my wrong intuition but I think this is bad for privacy when you use three products of one provider. That's why I don't use Proton, they have so many services under their Proton hood that I do not find it safe.


Did anyone use the advantage of Black Friday deals? Was my thread and Black Friday deals links beneficial for you? Some websites had done it in a way that it was not possible to get info about Black Friday discount directly from their website.
legendary
Activity: 2870
Merit: 7490
Crypto Swap Exchange
November 28, 2024, 03:46:20 AM
I think that if there is a black friday deal, it's already there and I don't expect a surprise from any company in 29 November, so it's fair to say that Mullvad and IVPN don't offer any Black Friday discount.

Proton VPN has a good discount, 1 year plan worth $35.88. This is the link of their Black Friday deal: protonvpn.com/blackfriday
Windscribe also has a nice offer, 1 year worth $29. For this Black Friday deal, visit: https://windscribe.com/upgrade?promo=FUCHYEAH

GhostVPN offers 2 years for $60, here is the link to the deal: https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/buy/cyberghost-vpn-3
ExpressVPN gives you additional 6 months free, so, 30 months plan costs 149,70 USD, link to the deal: https://www.expressvpn.com/order-deals-trial
NordVPN also offers you multiple plans, so check  the deal yourself: https://nordvpn.com/pricing/
Surfshark has multiple deals, so it's better to check plans yourself: https://surfshark.com/pricing

It's expected Mullvad wouldn't offer Black Friday discount. After all, they always offer flat 5 EUR/month with 10% discount if you pay with cryptocurrency. Deal by Proton VPN isn't half bad either, although it's Proton Unlimited (where you also get email, drive and others) is better choice if you really trust Proton with all kinds of tasks.
legendary
Activity: 2212
Merit: 7064
November 27, 2024, 04:20:11 PM
I just saw bitrefill doing 50% cashback for NordVPN gift cards. Or is there a catch to the said cashback? I couldn't find anything from self-help articles and ToS, though.
I have seen nordVPN deals before and they should be legit with bitrefill, but I wouldn't trust blindly this vpn, they have been hacked in the past.
Not that I am suggesting anything, but I heard it's not that hard to get 30 days free trialk with the same service.
legendary
Activity: 3290
Merit: 16489
Thick-Skinned Gang Leader and Golden Feather 2021
November 27, 2024, 01:13:47 AM
I just saw bitrefill doing 50% cashback for NordVPN gift cards. Or is there a catch to the said cashback?
There's a Dutch (non-crypto) site doing 100% cashback for new NordVPN customers. I've never tried it, because Mullvad's "no discounts" sounds like a much better business model. I remember the Facebook expression: if I'm not paying for it, I'm the product being sold.
hero member
Activity: 2786
Merit: 902
yesssir! 🫡
November 26, 2024, 10:16:26 PM
I just saw bitrefill doing 50% cashback for NordVPN gift cards. Or is there a catch to the said cashback? I couldn't find anything from self-help articles and ToS, though.

The cashback can only be used to buy off of bitrefill ofc, so, promo takers must have something in mind to buy. I think this gift card is for the basic plan but with the exception of 6 devices instead of 10. For the 1 year plan, it's slightly cheaper at bitrefill but Nord offers an additional 3 months on their website.

Source: https://bitrefill.com/us/en/gift-cards/nordvpn-international/
legendary
Activity: 3262
Merit: 1376
Slava Ukraini!
November 26, 2024, 04:05:23 PM
^^
I have taken NordVPN subscription for 2 years on last Black Friday, can't remember how much I paid for it. But I'm satisfied with itvso far.
VPN services probably is one of few remaining things which still has good deals on Black Friday, not some fake discounts. Though, many VPN providers have various promotions often and it's easy to get decent discount codes.
hero member
Activity: 882
Merit: 792
Watch Bitcoin Documentary - https://t.ly/v0Nim
November 26, 2024, 10:18:20 AM
I think that if there is a black friday deal, it's already there and I don't expect a surprise from any company in 29 November, so it's fair to say that Mullvad and IVPN don't offer any Black Friday discount.

Proton VPN has a good discount, 1 year plan worth $35.88. This is the link of their Black Friday deal: protonvpn.com/blackfriday
Windscribe also has a nice offer, 1 year worth $29. For this Black Friday deal, visit: https://windscribe.com/upgrade?promo=FUCHYEAH

GhostVPN offers 2 years for $60, here is the link to the deal: https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/buy/cyberghost-vpn-3
ExpressVPN gives you additional 6 months free, so, 30 months plan costs 149,70 USD, link to the deal: https://www.expressvpn.com/order-deals-trial
NordVPN also offers you multiple plans, so check  the deal yourself: https://nordvpn.com/pricing/
Surfshark has multiple deals, so it's better to check plans yourself: https://surfshark.com/pricing

As much as I hate to be the product, I tried this route but couldn't activate the free trials for both ExpressVPN & Surfshark since it required adding a payment method and I didn't want to do that... I'd put the gaming performance of Windscribe in between NordVPN and Mullvad while CyberGhost kept crashing for some reason.
You only add payment method in PlayStore and you have to cancel it before the payment time comes. You can try a virtual card or a card that expires in a few days or add a card and then block if you wish. As far as I know, VPN provider doesn't know which card you use before you pay.
legendary
Activity: 2968
Merit: 3406
Crypto Swap Exchange
November 26, 2024, 03:57:48 AM
Was NordVPN really awful for you? From my experience, it's one of the fastest VPN.
It used to be my favorite, but a couple of years back I started experiencing a massive drop in its overall performance... Despite renewing my subscription for two more years at that time, I only used it for less than a month before I decided to go with Mullvad.
- Having said that, you might get away with it for slow-paced games, but that's not the case with FPS games.

A good alternative of Mullvad is IVPN because ... is open-source and also, for me, it's faster than Mullvad.
Thank you... I'll test it when my current subscription ends.

You can get a trial on every Non-Privacy Focused Mainstream VPNs if you want to test them for gaming. Just download them on your smartphone, then it will offer you a 7 day trial, create an account, activate a trial and then login with that account credentials in your PC.
As much as I hate to be the product, I tried this route but couldn't activate the free trials for both ExpressVPN & Surfshark since it required adding a payment method and I didn't want to do that... I'd put the gaming performance of Windscribe in between NordVPN and Mullvad while CyberGhost kept crashing for some reason.
hero member
Activity: 882
Merit: 792
Watch Bitcoin Documentary - https://t.ly/v0Nim
November 23, 2024, 07:29:09 AM
I checked Proton VPN and Nord VPN and it seems like they do have a Black Friday deal.
I'll update the thread on Monday and if there is a BOGO deal, I'll also update it early on Black Friday, 29 November.

You can get a 1-year plan for 40 euros for Proton VPN[1],

BTW, might be a dumb question but does anyone know how does the 1 year stack if there are still months left in your subscription? will the 1 year count start the moment you sub'd or from your previous subscription's end date?
I think you'll get some left months + one year.

I guess prices could be different? perhaps location matters too? In my case, I was seeing 35.88 EUR which I was able to change to 35.88 USD using the currency drop down menu so it's a bit cheaper lol. However, I couldn't find any crypto payment available 🤔
It's confusing and I don't understand why Proton VPN made payment option in such a stupid way. You have to sign up under the Free plan and then upgrade your plan from Dashboard, then you'll be able to pay with Bitcoin.
Here is the guide: https://protonvpn.com/support/vpn-bitcoin-payments


For Mullvad users who solely rely on the OpenVPN protocol like me, in a year's time [roughly], WireGuard will be the only protocol on Mullvad: Removing OpenVPN 15th January 2026
- Considering that I have to switch to another provider soon, I wonder if someone could also recommend a good VPN for online gaming (NordVPN was awful while Mullvad is somewhat okay).
Was NordVPN really awful for you? From my experience, it's one of the fastest VPN. A good alternative of Mullvad is IVPN because they offer Bitcoin, Monero, Cash and some other payment methods, also offer affordable prices, fund BTCPayserver project, is open-source and also, for me, it's faster than Mullvad.

You can get a trial on every Non-Privacy Focused Mainstream VPNs if you want to test them for gaming. Just download them on your smartphone, then it will offer you a 7 day trial, create an account, activate a trial and then login with that account credentials in your PC.
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