How We Test and Review VPNs

Most test results on BestVPNs come from other sites’ published tests, not from a lab of our own. We name the site, give its date, link to the original and never merge or average results. Now and then an editor or our US-based tester runs a streaming spot check of our own, and we label it as ours. Prices are checked by our editors in the US, in US dollars.

We write for readers worldwide. Where a result or a price holds for one country only, the page says which.

Where our test data comes from

The speed, streaming, torrenting and kill switch results on this site are other sites' published tests: 307 results from 12 sites, each credited by name and linked to the original. Now and then an editor or our US-based tester checks a result on a US server; five minutes of continuous playback counts as a pass, and each check is labeled as ours.

• 12sites on our approved source list
• 307published test results on file, each credited and linked
• 12 monthsis the oldest a result may be before we stop showing it
• 0spot checks of our own so far; No spot check yet

Where do our test results come from?

Speed, streaming, torrenting, kill switch and leak results on this site are published by the sites below. This list is our full source list: a result from any other site does not appear on BestVPNs.

A “result” is one finding from one page, such as one streaming service in one country or one speed test. Some of these sites compete with us for the same readers. We quote them anyway, because a dated test that someone actually ran is worth more to you than a guess of ours.

How do we choose a source?

A site goes on the list only when all of these are true:

• It publishes how it tests. A method page, or a review that describes its own tests in enough detail to see what was done.
• It dates its work. Either the date of the test or the date the article was last updated.
• The result is less than 12 months old. An older result drops off our pages by itself.
• It reports a result, not a score. We take what happened in the test. We never repeat another site’s star rating or ranking.

Independent test labs come first when they publish VPN tests, then review sites. The site owner approves every new source before it is used.

How do we check a result before we publish it?

An editor reads the original page and compares it with our entry, line by line. We then write the result in our own short words. We do not copy another site’s tables, screenshots or long passages.

Each result on our pages shows the site’s name, a link to the original article and its date. We record where the test was run from, the server’s country, the device and the protocol only when the source states them. When it does not, we leave them out and do not guess.

We include unfavorable results as well as favorable ones.

Why do some dates say “tested” and others “article updated”?

Because they are different things, and we do not want to pass one off as the other.

• Tested means the page states when the test was run.
• Article updated means the page only shows when the article was last edited. The test itself may be older than that date.

The 12-month limit counts from whichever date the source gives.

What do we do when two sites disagree?

We show both results side by side, each with its source and date. We do not average them, pick a winner or leave out the one we like less.

Sites disagree often, and for good reasons: they test on different days, from different places and on different servers. Streaming services also block VPN servers all the time, so a VPN that played last month can be blocked today.

How do we report streaming results?

Country by country. For each country we ask one question: were this VPN’s servers in that country blocked by the streaming service there?

That is the question that matters if you live in that country and want to watch the subscription you already pay for with your VPN switched on. We do not write about using a VPN to reach another country’s catalog.

We write up results for the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. A service offered in one country only, such as Hulu in the US, is covered for that country only. When a source does not say which country’s servers it used, we list the result apart and do not count it toward any country.

When do we recommend a VPN for a streaming service?

We apply the same rule to every VPN, separately for each service and each country, using results from the last 12 months only:

One of our own spot checks counts as one source. A recommendation in one country says nothing about another country.

What are our own spot checks?

A spot check is a streaming test we run ourselves, to see whether a published result still holds.

• Who runs it: one of our editors, or our US-based tester. Our three writers do not run them.
• Where: in the US, on the VPN’s US servers only.
• Accounts: our own paid VPN subscription and our own paid streaming account.
• What counts as a pass: the video plays for 5 minutes without stopping.
• What we record: the date, the location, the device, the server and its country, the service, the result and who ran the check.
• How it is labeled: “editor spot check” or “our tester’s spot check”, with the month.

We do not promise how often we run spot checks, and we do not run them outside the US. Results for every other country come from other sites’ published tests only.

Do we pay for the VPNs we check?

Yes. We buy the subscriptions we use for spot checks ourselves. If a provider gives us a free account, we say so on every page that uses a result from that account.

We never charge VPN providers for testing. No provider can pay to be tested, to be tested more often, or to get a better result. We do not sell rankings, and sponsored placements are always labeled “Sponsored” and kept apart from test results.

What don’t we test ourselves?

Being clear about our limits matters as much as the results.

• Speed: we run no speed tests of our own. Speed figures on our pages are other sites’ measurements, credited to them, and they depend on where that site tested from.
• Kill switch and leaks: we run no kill switch, DNS, IPv6 or WebRTC tests of our own. Where a page shows such a result, it names the site that ran it.
• Streaming outside the US: see the spot checks above.
• No-logs claims: we cannot check what a provider stores on its servers. We report independent audits only when the provider or the auditor has published them, with the source and a date.
• Encryption and security: we do not audit a provider’s code or encryption ourselves.

Where do prices and features come from?

Prices on this site are US prices. Our editors check them in the US, in US dollars: on each provider’s own pricing page, on a deal’s offer page or at checkout, without paying (see our editorial policy). Prices and currencies vary by country, so the price you see where you live may differ. Every page that shows a price carries the note “US prices; prices and currencies vary by country”.

An automated check runs on the pricing pages at least once a week, and a person confirms every change before it appears on the site. Introductory and renewal prices are shown separately, and deals are marked as offers with their check date. Every other fact, such as server counts or the refund period, comes from the provider’s own site with its source and a check date.

Do we give scores or star ratings?

Not at the moment. If we add an editorial score, it will rest only on sourced facts about each provider, such as audits, features and refund terms, and we will publish the criteria on this page first. Test results, ours or anyone else’s, will never feed a score.

FAQ

Does BestVPNs run its own VPN tests?

Only streaming spot checks, in the US, with no fixed schedule. Every other test result on the site is another site’s published test, credited by name, dated and linked to the original.

Which sites does BestVPNs quote?

Only the sites on the source list on this page. Each one publishes how it tests and dates its work, and we show a result only while it is less than 12 months old.

What counts as a VPN working with a streaming service?

In our own spot checks, the video has to play for 5 minutes without stopping, on a US server, using our own paid account. For other sites’ tests, we report what that site says happened and link to it.

Why is a VPN listed but not recommended for a streaming service?

Either the published results conflict, or only one site has published a test. We recommend a VPN for a service in a country only when at least two sources from the last 12 months all report that it played.

Are the prices on BestVPNs the same in every country?

No. We check US prices in US dollars. Prices and currencies vary by country, so check the provider’s own page for the price where you live.

Do VPN providers pay to be tested?

No. We never charge VPN providers for testing, and no provider can pay to be tested, to be tested more often, or to get a better result. We do not sell rankings, and sponsored placements are always labeled “Sponsored” and kept apart from test results.