Choosing the Perfect VPN: Money-Saving Tips and Tricks

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A virtual private network (VPN) is an ever-more important piece of software for our home and work computers. They help provide security and stability when surfing the internet while protecting our personal data. They do this through a variety of methods including masking IP addresses and other clever tricks – we’ll discuss more and how a VPN works shortly. So, they are extremely important and something that all internet users should consider. 

Like anything these days, there are a huge variety of providers offering VPN software and services. With such a wide market and differing prices, it can be hard to know if you’ve chosen the right product for yourself. In this article we will discuss some of the important things a VPN does, why it’s important, and how to compare prices and providers. We hope this will put you in the best position to choose and commit to a VPN provider for the long term. Read on to find out everything we’ve learned about VPN.

What Does a VPN Do?

Firstly, let’s discuss exactly what a VPN does and how it works. Essentially, a VPN creates a data tunnel between your local network and another exit node. This could be in another part of the country or in a completely different part of the world. It makes your device’s local data unreadable, transports it to another location, and then re-shares from there. This can make it seem like you’re browsing from another location while encrypting all of your data, releasing nothing to your internet service provider (ISP) or anyone else on your network. 

VPN also hides your browsing history. Normally, your internet service provider can see absolutely everything you do online. With a quality VPN installed, no one – not even your ISP – will be able to see your browsing history. Alongside this it also encrypts device data, meaning no one could tell whether you’re browsing on a PC, Mac, iPad, or another device. So, you can hide your online data, browse from anywhere in the world, and protect the identity of every device you use. Pretty good, right?

There are a huge amount of VPN providers online who offer varied services for differing prices. We checked out discount code sites like https://www.swagbucks.com/shop/nordvpn-coupons for some money-saving deals on top quality VPN software. There are always deals to be found and this is one of the best ways to get started. Now, let’s get into more detail about VPNs and other ways of getting set up for a good price.

Why Is It Important?

All this encryption, location, and privacy stuff seems very impressive, doesn’t it? But, why is this so important? Why do people want to hide their location and browser information? Well, firstly, a lot of Wi-Fi isn’t as protected as we’d like to think. When using public Wi-Fi you are often at risk of having data stolen. Identity theft is a huge problem and can take months or years to sort, so protecting your data is vital. It also means that no one can ever ask your ISP for your internet browsing history – though only the government can do that, and we’d hope you weren’t being followed by them! 

Do I Need One?

There are a few reasons you might decide to purchase a VPN plan. Firstly, you care about your data being stolen. If you are worried about this when using public Wi-Fi or any other internet connection, get a VPN. Secondly, you want to be able to surf the web anonymously without anyone being able to see where you’ve been. Thirdly, you may want to be able to browse from another chosen country, giving you access to country-specific content such as streaming or news pages. If any of these three questions sounds like you’d answer with a “Yes!” then it’s time to consider a VPN.

Free Trials

So, on to saving some money! VPNs can cost a fair amount, usually via a monthly subscription, especially for those that offer multi-device and high-security. However, one of the most simple tricks to do is to sign up for free trials. Usually ranging from 1 week to 1 month, almost all VPN software offers a free trial. If you play your cards right – and don’t mind putting in the effort – you could spend quite a long time jumping from one free trial to the next. This could also give you time to analyse each provider, see how you like the software, and see how each works.

Length Of Contract

As we have mentioned, most VPN companies work on the subscription model. This means you will not pay a one-off software fee but instead be paying a rolling monthly fee for their services. Usually, the longer you commit to them, the less you will pay per month. For example, a one-month rolling contract could cost $11.99 USD but a 24-month contract might only be $3.99 USD per month. So, if you have tested the software and are happy with it, committing to a long-term deal is a great way to save some money.

Price and Performance

Of course, if you are getting a free trial or a one-month tester, you need to assess the product’s performance. As with everything, it’s not always the most expensive product that’s the best or the cheapest that’s the worst. Some companies will brag about the highest connection speed and best security features and will be lying. Test a few providers at different price points, seeing which you think is actually a better product for you and what you need. Then, compare the prices vs the benefits and workability of the software.

Comparing Providers

Of course, you can also compare providers without having to take out a free trial of every single one. There are numerous unbiased review websites where you can check out other people’s views on different VPN providers. Just be sure to check that they really are unbiased, as many companies will pay to have good reviews placed all over the internet. It’s also worth checking out online forums to see some genuine discussion from other users. Comparing these comments and reviews against the price and proposed features of each software will help you make a more informed decision about where to place your money.

Hopefully, you now have a basic understanding of how VPNs work, why they are important, and why you may want one! Also, you will be able to know what you’re looking for in a VPN and how much you could be paying for it. We hope this information is useful to you as you move forward with purchasing a VPN to protect your online privacy.