Head-to-head comparisons
Same kind only - a free app is never ranked against a commercial VPN. Each page compares logging evidence, ownership, the renewal-price trap and the verdict, with sources.
NordVPN vs ExpressVPN
Commercial VPNs
A strong everyday VPN with a huge live-verifiable network (7,287 servers in 150 countries counted in the offic
NordVPN vs Surfshark
Commercial VPNs
A strong everyday VPN with a huge live-verifiable network (7,287 servers in 150 countries counted in the offic
Proton VPN vs Mullvad VPN
Commercial VPNs
The most honest mainstream deal in 2026: open-source apps, real audits, a genuinely usable free tier with no d
ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN
Commercial VPNs
The most expensive VPN in the room wearing the most auditing laurels: $8.33/mo forever after a $2.99 teaser, o
Mullvad VPN vs IVPN
Commercial VPNs
The most honest VPN on the internet, and in 2026 still the one this industry is measured against: numbered acc
Windscribe vs Proton VPN
Commercial VPNs
The freemium that actually respects you: a 10 GB free tier, transparent $9/$69 pricing with no renewal rug-pul
Private Internet Access vs Mullvad VPN
Commercial VPNs
The best-evidenced no-logs claim in the business - twice tested in US courts (2016, 2018) and twice found to h
CyberGhost vs NordVPN
Commercial VPNs
Cheap ($2.19/mo intro on 26 months, renews at $56.94/yr = ~2.2x), Romanian-based, and one of few Kape brands w
hide.me vs Mullvad VPN
Commercial VPNs
A rare genuinely usable free plan (no card, P2P allowed on the 10 GB free tier) plus audited no-logs claims tw
hide.me vs IVPN
Commercial VPNs
A rare genuinely usable free plan (no card, P2P allowed on the 10 GB free tier) plus audited no-logs claims tw
hide.me vs Proton VPN
Commercial VPNs
A rare genuinely usable free plan (no card, P2P allowed on the 10 GB free tier) plus audited no-logs claims tw
hide.me vs Obscura VPN
Commercial VPNs
A rare genuinely usable free plan (no card, P2P allowed on the 10 GB free tier) plus audited no-logs claims tw
Mullvad VPN vs Obscura VPN
Commercial VPNs
The most honest VPN on the internet, and in 2026 still the one this industry is measured against: numbered acc
IVPN vs Proton VPN
Commercial VPNs
The anti-affiliate champion candidate holds up: no affiliate program (stated out loud on the homepage), flat h
IVPN vs Obscura VPN
Commercial VPNs
The anti-affiliate champion candidate holds up: no affiliate program (stated out loud on the homepage), flat h
Obscura VPN vs Proton VPN
Commercial VPNs
The most interesting new VPN architecture since multi-hop: a two-party relay where Obscura (US) only ever sees
CactusVPN Smart DNS vs Unlocator
Smart DNS
CactusVPN is the bundle case in the Smart DNS vertical: a 2011 Moldovan three-friends shop that once sold Smar
CactusVPN Smart DNS vs Getflix
Smart DNS
CactusVPN is the bundle case in the Smart DNS vertical: a 2011 Moldovan three-friends shop that once sold Smar
CactusVPN Smart DNS vs StrongDNS
Smart DNS
CactusVPN is the bundle case in the Smart DNS vertical: a 2011 Moldovan three-friends shop that once sold Smar
Getflix vs Unlocator
Smart DNS
A Smart DNS, not a privacy product - and the honest scoping rule applies with full force: Smart DNS provides z
StrongDNS vs Unlocator
Smart DNS
A relic that still technically works, sold by a corporate family with the worst possible privacy pedigree - an
Getflix vs StrongDNS
Smart DNS
A Smart DNS, not a privacy product - and the honest scoping rule applies with full force: Smart DNS provides z
Amnezia VPN vs Tailscale
Self-hosted
The most credible self-hosting on-ramp in the VPN space, built by and for people inside the censorship: the ap
Amnezia VPN vs OpenVPN Access Server
Self-hosted
The most credible self-hosting on-ramp in the VPN space, built by and for people inside the censorship: the ap
Amnezia VPN vs Outline VPN
Self-hosted
The most credible self-hosting on-ramp in the VPN space, built by and for people inside the censorship: the ap
Amnezia VPN vs ZeroTier
Self-hosted
The most credible self-hosting on-ramp in the VPN space, built by and for people inside the censorship: the ap
OpenVPN Access Server vs Tailscale
Self-hosted
The incumbent of self-hosted business VPNs, and still a safe pick in 2026 - with one honest fork in the road.
Outline VPN vs Tailscale
Self-hosted
The most polished way to hand censorship-resistant access to people who cannot configure a VPN: a few clicks i
Tailscale vs ZeroTier
Self-hosted
The gold standard for connecting your OWN devices, and a poor substitute for a consumer VPN - which is exactly
OpenVPN Access Server vs Outline VPN
Self-hosted
The incumbent of self-hosted business VPNs, and still a safe pick in 2026 - with one honest fork in the road.
OpenVPN Access Server vs ZeroTier
Self-hosted
The incumbent of self-hosted business VPNs, and still a safe pick in 2026 - with one honest fork in the road.
Outline VPN vs ZeroTier
Self-hosted
The most polished way to hand censorship-resistant access to people who cannot configure a VPN: a few clicks i
Riseup VPN vs X-VPN
Free VPNs
The most trustworthy free VPN on structural grounds: an anarchist Seattle collective that has run since 1999,
VPN Gate vs X-VPN
Free VPNs
VPN Gate is a legitimate, transparently-run academic experiment that is genuinely free forever and genuinely u
Calyx VPN vs X-VPN
Free VPNs
CalyxVPN is one of the very few genuinely free, genuinely anonymous VPNs - no account, no email, open-source c
Cloudflare WARP vs X-VPN
Free VPNs
A free, fast, one-tap encryption tool that is deliberately NOT an anonymity VPN - judge it as such. Cloudflare
Riseup VPN vs VPN Gate
Free VPNs
The most trustworthy free VPN on structural grounds: an anarchist Seattle collective that has run since 1999,
Calyx VPN vs Riseup VPN
Free VPNs
CalyxVPN is one of the very few genuinely free, genuinely anonymous VPNs - no account, no email, open-source c
Cloudflare WARP vs Riseup VPN
Free VPNs
A free, fast, one-tap encryption tool that is deliberately NOT an anonymity VPN - judge it as such. Cloudflare
Calyx VPN vs VPN Gate
Free VPNs
CalyxVPN is one of the very few genuinely free, genuinely anonymous VPNs - no account, no email, open-source c