Taking a Closer Look at Some Industry-Leading VPN Providers to Help You Keep Google Chrome Safe and Secure.
In many ways, the internet has made the world an objectively better place. It’s universalized information, connected people regardless of distance, created countless jobs, built communities, and given the voiceless a voice. But it’s not all smiles and rainbows. The internet has also bred an entirely new form of criminal.
Cybercriminals are capable of accessing our personal information and using it in nefarious ways to benefit themselves. It’s not really the internet’s fault. The web is based on various forms of collected data after all, but we still need to protect ourselves when we’re online, and Chrome’s built-in security features simply aren’t enough to keep our information safe.
Don’t worry, though, friend. After weeks of research, testing out tons of VPNs, I’ve curated this list of the ten best you can pair with chrome to bring some much-needed security to your web surfing situation.
10 Best VPN for Chrome - Reviews
The longer we sit about chit-chatting, the longer your personal details are at risk, so let’s jump straight into the VPN reviews, shall we?
OUR TOP PICK
Express is the correct word for this lightning-fast VPN. Despite the depth of its features, you won’t notice any significant slowing of your browser speed, and the dedicated Chrome extension makes it incredibly easy to use.
With 3000 VPN locations situated in 94 countries, you’ll rarely if ever come across adequate VPN blocks, even when you’re abroad or accessing other countries’ websites.
Split tunneling allows you to choose which apps use the VPN, ensures an internet connection even after the kill switch is triggered (automatic disconnection in the event of VPN outage), and grants access to local and foreign sites at the same time.
Putting the cherry on top of the VPN cake, it offers insanely robust encryption, ensuring all your personal details remain just that...personal!
Pros
- Feature-Rich - Kill switch, split tunneling, high-grade encryption, and DNS leak protection keep you safe online.
- Dedicated Chrome Extension - Chrome-optimized and user-friendly.
- Device Coverage - Protects up to five devices.
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee - Not happy? No worries.
- Unlimited Data - Keep on browsin’.
Cons
- App Client Required - Must download the app before you can use the extension.
EDITORS CHOICE
If you’re on the lookout for an incredibly detailed, free VPN to test the waters before investing in a premium option, Windscribe is the only way to go. It’s a proxy service but unlike our top pick, you don’t need to download the client in order to install the dedicated Chrome extension — hurray!
The security features it brings to the table are truly impressive for a free service, including location spoofing and numerous blocking utilities to stop trackers, WebRTC, and Malware. It even offers advanced cookie control to keep 3rd-party marketing at bay.
Windscribe relies on over 400 servers in 60 different countries, but unfortunately, for the free version, you can only use 10 countries to circumnavigate geo-blocking. You’ll also be struck with a 10GB data limit, but seeing as you’re not paying a dime, that’s to be expected.
Pros
- Feature-Rich - Advanced features you’d normally only find in a premium service.
- Dedicated Chrome Extension - No client required.
- Unlimited Device Support - Protects as many devices as you have.
- Free - No hidden costs...all completely free.
Cons
- 10GB Data Limit - Runs out quicker than you’d think.
BEST VALUE
PIA is all about providing high-level online security in an incredibly user-friendly package, making it a great option for the technophobes and first-time VPN users out there.
Via their dedicated Chrome extension, you can block 3rd-party cookies and hyperlink auditing, avoid Flash blocking and disabling, prevent WebRTC leaks, and much, much more.
You can also enjoy the peace of mind that comes with microphone and camera blocking, meaning no one can hack into your devices and spy on you. Then, of course, you can change your IP location in order to crack geo-blocked sites such as Netflix and Hulu. Although, it did struggle with iPlayer.
While PIA uses tons of servers, server locations are fairly limited, but download speeds remain almost unaffected while this VPN is running, which is a huge bonus.
Pros
- Feature-Rich - Offers comprehensive protection.
- Dedicated Chrome Extension - Optimized for Chrome.
- User-Friendly - Great for beginners.
- Price - Great value for money.
Cons
- Customer Support - Lackluster support.
- Limited Server Locations - Limits potential.
RUNNER UP
Cyber Ghost offers a premium service, but it’s their free variant that I want to shine a light on today.
With their dedicated Chrome extension heading straight to your browser, you don’t have to worry about downloading any desktop client, which makes using it a breeze, and saves your precious memory for other applications.
The free service may only utilize 8 servers in four countries, but it’s enough to help you worm your way into geo-blocked sites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer, giving you access to whole new libraries of content - woohoo!
Features are a little limited, but you can choose to upgrade to the reasonably priced premium version at any point to snag such luxuries as a kill switch to prevent exposure during VPN drops, Flash access, excellent customer support, and tons more servers.
Pros
- Dedicated Chrome Extension - Quick and easy to use.
- Unlimited Data - Very rare in a free VPN.
- Great for Streaming - Works surprisingly well.
Cons
- Customer Support - Paying customers only.
- No Kill Switch - If there's a drop, you’re exposed.
RUNNER UP
Hotspot Shield is a fantastic, albeit, dear VPN provider, but if you don’t fancy forking out for the premium version, you can use their free service.
Featuring a simple interface and 256-bit encryption, you can enjoy surfing the web in relative privacy, although it’s worth noting that they do log certain details such as connection times and bandwidth used.
What shocked me about this VPN is its sheer pace. Using a proprietary data compression technique, it optimizes your browser speed as it protects you — nice!
The bad news is this low latency protocol is offset by the free service’s lack of servers outside the U.S., and the high traffic can really hit the brakes on your browsing.
I appreciated the IP/DNS leak protection as well as the kill switch, as they’re pretty advanced security features for a nothing-a-month service, but the 500MB per day data limit is really only suitable for general web browsing.
Pros
- 256-Bit Encryption - Secures your details.
- Advanced Features - Kill switch and leak protection are great features.
- Data Compression - Speeds up connection.
- Dedicated Chrome Extension - Optimized for Chrome use.
Cons
- Limited Server Locations - Slows things down.
- Data Mining - Free version shares data (not browsing history) with Google to create targeted ads within the app.
- No Streaming - Can only be used for general browsing.
