Review Methodology
A full explanation of how VPN services are tested, scored, and reviewed on this site – so readers can assess the quality and limitations of our findings.
📋 Editorial Policy
This site operates as an independent review publication. No payment is received from VPN providers for positive coverage. Affiliate relationships are disclosed openly in our legal pages. All scoring and analysis is conducted independently of any commercial arrangement, and findings are reported regardless of their commercial implications.
How Each VPN Is Evaluated
A standardized evaluation process is applied to every VPN reviewed on this site. The process was developed over three years and refined based on emerging security research.
Privacy Architecture Review
Evaluation begins with the provider's privacy policy, corporate jurisdiction, ownership structure, and available third-party audit reports. A VPN based in a 14 Eyes country without an independent audit is flagged immediately in the assessment.
Speed Testing
Speed tests are run across a minimum of 8 server locations, across multiple protocols, at different times of day. Baseline connection speed is always measured first without any VPN active to establish a reference point.
Leak Testing
DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests are performed using independent tools. A VPN that leaks the real IP address or DNS server to any third party fails the security assessment automatically, regardless of other performance metrics.
Feature Verification
Every advertised feature is tested for functionality: kill switch behavior under forced disconnection, split tunneling across multiple app configurations, protocol switching, and ad-blocking efficacy. Features that are advertised but do not perform as described are flagged in the review.
Platform Testing
Each major platform (Windows, Android, iOS, macOS) is evaluated separately. Mobile applications are tested on both current and older OS versions where the provider claims support.
Streaming & Specialized Testing
Geo-restricted content access and P2P performance are tested where relevant. Streaming results are not guaranteed to persist – VPN detection by streaming services is an ongoing process and access may change without notice.
Score Calculation
| Category | Weight | Evaluation Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy & Security | 30% | Jurisdiction, audit status, open-source code, encryption strength, kill switch reliability |
| Speed & Performance | 25% | Download/upload throughput, latency, consistency across server locations and protocols |
| Ease of Use | 20% | Interface design, setup complexity, connection reliability, customer support quality |
| Server Network | 15% | Total server count, country coverage, availability of specialty server types |
| Value | 10% | Price relative to comparable services, free tier quality, refund policy |
🔬 Methodology Notes
This methodology is reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes in the threat landscape and VPN industry. All findings are cross-validated by at least two independent reviewers before scores are finalized. For readers evaluating VPN services independently, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's VPN selection guide offers a complementary framework. Readers who wish to challenge a finding or identify an error can do so via the FAQ page.