Virtual Private Networks - or VPNs, for short - are clever tools and services that allow you to surf anonymously and visit websites hosted abroad that you typically can’t access from the UK. Rob Beattie rounds up six of the best.
Hola (hola.org)
What we liked
We thought long and hard before giving Hola the Gold Award, because it’s a controversial winner. However, it’s the most effective free way we’ve found to get access to content that isn’t normally available to UK web users, with a free service that rivals the other award-winners’ paid-for options.
The problem is that it uses peer-to-peer networking. This means Hola’s paying customers gain access to your bandwidth to get a better service. Security experts recently accused Hola of not being secure enough, and claimed it allowed hackers to use it to create a botnet that was used to attack at least one website.
For occasional use, the service is very easy to use. You can install the Chrome extension, activate it while you’re using the service and disable it when you’re not. Unlike all the other free services we tested, there are no restrictions on time or data, and it includes presets for accessing popular services including Netflix, Hulu and Comedy Central. You also don’t have to sign up to start using it.
In our tests, it barely impacted on our broadband performance, with download speeds of 73.92Mbps and uploads of 7.74Mbps, compared with our usual 74.92Mbps and 10.42Mbps.
How it can be improved
Accusations against the service have been significant and well researched - the website adios-hola.org lists the potential problems. These are worth reading before you consider using the service. Hola counter-claims that only legitimate businesses can pay to use the bandwidth offered by its network and that it's continually working to improve security (see bit.ly/hola377). However, there’s undoubtedly an element of risk involved and, in a worst-case scenario, your IP address could be linked to activity that you have no control over. The same is true of any peer-to-peer activity so although Hola offers a great service for free, it’s only worth exploiting if you’re prepared to live with the risks.
OUR VERDICT
Compared with how the other free services are hobbled or restricted, Hola is the only VPN we tested that works as well as a paid-for service. However, there are risks involved so if you aren’t comfortable with peer-to-peer sharing, you should steer clear.
TunnelBear (www.tunnelbear.com)
What we liked
TunnelBear brings some playfulness to its VPN, giving it the most character of our three award winners. For example, as it installs, messages about “unboxing the bear” and “brushing fur” appear on the screen. Although its initial free offering of 500MB of downloads a month doesn’t seem very generous - despite being described on the site as a “hearty helping” - a single tweet can increase this to 1.5GB. You can simply repeat the tweet each month to get your maximum free quota.
The software runs on PCs, Macs and iOS and Android devices. It’s also available as a Chrome add-on (though it’s currently still in beta) and has a consistent, clear and attractive woodgrained interface that makes it easy to monitor your current data limit. There are also good visual clues, such as the pop-up of a roaring bear’s head, to alert you when your connection is not secure. At 57.1Mbps download and 15.4Mbps upload, it compares well with Hola.
How it can be improved
TunnelBear doesn't feel as responsive as it used to and takes a while to get going. Worse, Hulu.com spotted it straight away and wouldn't play content. A more generous free allowance would encourage more paid-for subscriptions, and it should use AES encryption, rather than Blowfish.
OUR VERDICT
If you’re worried by Hola’s security, TunnelBear is a safer alternative for occasional use - up to 1.5GB a month. It’s great if you just want to dip a toe in the waters of VPNs.
CyberGhost (www.cyberghostvpn.com)
What we liked
CyberGhost runs on pretty i much anything -I Windows, OS X, Linux, Android and iOS - and offers a versatility only matched by Hola. Unlike TunnelBear, there are no download limits (although the free version will disconnect every three hours, you can just re-connect and carry on) and the adverts (20 seconds when you first log on and then every two hours after that) aren’t too intrusive.
You’re encouraged to set up an account but, unlike with TunnelBear, you don't have to; CyberGhost will connect you straight off the bat. There’s no noticeable drag on the browser and download speed was a respectable 54.12Mbps, while uploads clocked in at 13.03Mbps. It’s easy enough to install and offers 80 proxy servers across 16 different countries. The interface is well designed and it’s always clear what’s going on - we especially like the use of the world map to indicate your simulated geographical position.
How it can be improved
It’s a pain when all the free user slots are taken and you have to wait for one to become free. Also, three hours isn’t very long for a free session and, a couple of times, Hulu spotted we were using an anonymous proxy and blocked us from watching content.
OUR VERDICT
The paid-for service might be great but the free trial is hobbled too much for our liking, and there’s a lot of hanging about waiting for the free servers to become available.
Hotspot Shield (www.hotspotshield.com)
Available for PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices, Hotspot Shield’s website has no information about its free version so you just have to try it for yourself. This automatically activates the Elite trial period whether you want it or not. The free version only has one virtual location (in the US) and displays a payment wall when you try to access popular services such as the BBC and Hulu. Disappointing.
PrivateTunnel (www.privatetunnel.com)
Although it’s beefed up the offering since we last looked, the free version of Private Tunnel still only offers a measly 500MB of data. After this, you have to buy a paid-for data pack, available in 50GB, 100GB and 500GB chunks. There’s no time limit on using them, though, so it may be worth exploring if 500MB is enough data for your needs.
Hideaway (bit.ly/hide377)
The paid-for version of Hideaway provides support for rules that you can tweak to improve its performance with individual websites and services. This may make it seem powerful but the free version requires you to sign up to the service and it then pauses every few minutes, which makes it too frustrating to use and unlikely to persuade you to pay for it.