Affiliate Disclosure
BestVPNs earns money when you buy a VPN through some of our links. We belong to affiliate programs run through Impact, CJ and VPN providers’ own programs. We also sell sponsored placements, which are always labeled “Sponsored”. We never sell rankings: no provider can pay to be placed higher in our lists, tables or verdicts.
How does BestVPNs make money?
| Source | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Affiliate commissions | If you buy a VPN after clicking one of our links, the provider pays us a commission. You usually pay nothing extra. |
| Sponsored placements | A provider pays for a placement. It is labeled “Sponsored” wherever it appears. |
| Free accounts from providers | Providers sometimes give us accounts. We say so on any page that uses them. |
| Display ads | We may show ads in the future. They will be clearly marked as ads. |
Which affiliate programs do we use?
We work with affiliate networks, including Impact and CJ, and with the in-house affiliate programs of some VPN providers. Commission rates differ from provider to provider.
Can a VPN provider pay for a better ranking?
No. We do not accept payment for rankings, scores, verdicts or a place in our comparison tables. A higher commission never decides which VPN we recommend.
What is a sponsored placement?
A sponsored placement is space a provider has paid for, such as a highlighted box on a page. Every sponsored placement:
- is labeled “Sponsored” where you can see it;
- sits outside our ranked lists and comparison tables;
- does not change the test results we show or our picks.
How can you tell which links are affiliate links?
Links to VPN providers go through an address on our site that starts with
/go/, for example bestvpns.pro/go/<provider>/. These links are marked
as sponsored in the page code (rel="sponsored nofollow"). Every page with
affiliate links shows a short disclosure at the top.
Does an affiliate link change the price you pay?
Usually not. The provider pays the commission, not you. Some providers offer a different deal through partner links. We show a deal only after an editor has checked it through our own link, and we say how and when.
Do providers give us free accounts?
Sometimes. We buy our own test subscriptions, but providers occasionally offer free accounts. Accepting one never comes with conditions about what we write, and we name any free account on the pages that use it.
Why do we disclose this?
You should know how we are paid before you trust our advice. We follow the US Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on endorsements and the UK’s advertising rules, which require affiliate relationships to be disclosed clearly.
FAQ
Does BestVPNs get paid when I buy a VPN?
Sometimes. If you buy after clicking one of our affiliate links, the provider pays us a commission. You usually pay nothing extra.
Can VPN companies buy a top spot on BestVPNs?
No. We sell labeled sponsored placements, but never rankings, scores or places in our comparison tables.
What does “Sponsored” mean on BestVPNs?
The provider paid for that placement. It is kept apart from our ranked lists and does not affect the test results we show.