What Is a VPN? Here's Everything You Need to Know for 2024

Disclaimer: When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

In the age where internet access is everywhere, VPNs are a common tool. But, even if you've heard of someone using one, you may wonder what a VPN is. These virtual private networks allow you to access the internet privately so that your internet service provider (ISP), third-party websites, or any other users can't track you, your location, or your activity.

VPNs are legal in most countries, and they're useful for maintaining privacy, especially when browsing the internet in public. However, there are some limitations to how you can use them.

Below, we'll explore more about how VPNs work, when you might want to use them, and any problems or limitations you might face. We'll also recommend four of our favorites.

How Does a VPN Work?

Most people connect to the internet through their local ISP. This can be a cable provider, like Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox, Frontier, or CenturyLink. You can also connect to the internet through a fiber network provider, like AT&T Fiber, Google Fiber, or Verizon Fios. Furthermore, you can even connect via satellite provider, like HughesNet or Viasat.

When you go online, you get assigned an internet protocol (IP) address. With this IP address, your ISP can track your online activity across every website you visit. These websites can also identify your location in the world.

However, when you go online through a VPN, your information becomes encrypted, making it impossible for your ISP or others on the internet to see your personal IP address. That's because your VPN reroutes you through its servers, which could be anywhere in the world, before sending you to any particular websites you visit.

Thus, when you go online through a VPN, your ISP and third-party websites will see the IP address of the VPN service you're using instead of your personal IP address. This prevents them from identifying you or tracking your activity.

What Are VPNs Used For?

There are many use cases for VPNs, but specifically, why should you use one? Here are some of the most common reasons somebody would need one.

Privacy

Probably the most common use of a VPN is to protect your privacy online. With a VPN, your ISP and third-party websites won't be able to track your activity.

For example, without a VPN, if you're shopping for a new TV online, you'll soon begin to see ads for other types of TVs or projectors. This happens because your IP address has shown up in searches for TVs.

These sites may see that, besides TVs, you searched for sound bars, streaming devices, and TV mounts. With that information, they may determine you're thinking about a new home entertainment set up and start sending you discounts for media consoles or streaming services, even if you never searched for those items.

However, if you complete that same search through a VPN, those same sites won't be able to see that the search came from you. This allows you to keep your searches private so brands can't dive into your personal life.

Security

Another primary feature of a VPN is the security it provides when you're using a public Wi-Fi connection. If you connect to the internet through the public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, mall, grocery store, airport, or most any other public location, your connection is not secure.

On an unsecured network, it's much easier for hackers to attack your computer, phone, or tablet and compromise your personal data. However, if you connect to your VPN before opening your browser, the encryption provided by the VPN makes it harder for hackers to access your data.

Location Blocking

When you use a VPN, websites can't determine where you're located. Since your activity is funneled through your VPN, which could be in London, New York, or anywhere in the world, there's no way for the sites you visit to track your true physical location.

This could be helpful when you're shopping. For example, if you live in New York, but want to send a gift to a friend or relative in London, you may find a completely different set of prices for the gifts, not to mention different shipping costs. You may find it's cheaper to shop from the London VPN as opposed to the New York VPN.

The same is true when traveling and booking flights and hotel accommodations. You may find vastly different rates if you log in from different locations.

Streaming Services

The titles or live programming offered on streaming platforms like Hulu, Disney+, and others may vary greatly depending on where you're located. As in the previous example, shows that are available in the U.S. may not be available in the UK and vice versa. With a VPN, you can access titles from around the world no matter where you live.

Keep in mind that this violates the terms of service for some streaming services. That said, it's important to review a service's terms of service before changing your location.

Are There Disadvantages to Using a VPN?

One of the biggest potential disadvantages to using a VPN is that it may slow down your internet speed. This is because the data is being re-routed through additional servers.

This is where your choice of the VPN comes into play. There are free VPNs, but you get what you pay for. VPNs with a monthly cost have been able to minimize this issue for their subscribers.

Are VPNs Legal?

In most countries, including the United States, it's legal to use a VPN.

As mentioned, the use of a VPN may go against the terms of service of some providers, like streaming networks and streaming services. There are some streaming service providers, such as MLB.TV, and regional sports networks, like Bally Sports, that block some titles based on your geographic location.

For example, if you live in Baltimore, MLB.TV may not show Baltimore Orioles games in the Baltimore market. This is because they want you to watch the games on the local network that has the contract to show them.

For most regional sports networks, you must live in the area to watch those teams. Take Detroit, for example. Viewers must live in the Detroit metro area to see Bally Sports Detroit, which will show games for MLB's Detroit Tigers, the NBA's Detroit Pistons, and the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. Before you attempt to use a VPN as a workaround for these types of situations, read the terms of service for your provider.

While using a VPN is legal, this use does not allow you to conduct illegal activities online, such as downloading copyrighted material or hacking. In that case, though, it's those specific activities that are illegal, not the use of a VPN.

Our Recommendation

The safety, security, and privacy provided by VPNs make them an important tool for anyone who uses the internet. You might then wonder, what is the best VPN? Four services we recommend are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, and Surfshark.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers three plans, and each comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. With the monthly plan, you'll be billed at a rate of $13/month, or you can purchase a six-month plan — which bills you $60 every six months. This comes out to $10/month, which is a discount of 23% off the monthly plan.

ExpressVPN's most popular plan is its annual plan, which costs $100/year. This monthly rate of $8/month is a 35% savings over the monthly rate.

NordVPN

NordVPN also offers three plans — a one-month plan, an annual plan, and a plan that lasts two years. Billed monthly, the one-month plan is $13/month, while the annual plan is billed at a rate of $69/year for the first year and $125/year afterwards. This is under $5/month for the first year, or a savings of more than 60%.

NordVPN's best value is the two-year plan, which costs $83 for the first two years, then $225 for each subsequent two-year period. This $3/month for the first two years is a saving of 76% over the monthly plan.

Private Internet Access (PIA)

Much like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access offers three plans. PIA's options include a monthly plan at $12/month, an annual plan at $40/year and a three-year plan at $79, with an additional three months. All three plans offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access' best deal is undeniably the three-year plan, which offers an 83% discount off the monthly rate, in addition to an additional free three months of usage. This comes out to $2/month, versus $3.33/month for the yearly plan.

Surfshark

Like NordVPN, Surfshark offers monthly, annual, and two-year plans. Surfshark's monthly plan is $15.45/month. The annual plan is $42/year for the first year and three months and $60/year after the first. This gives it a monthly rate of under $3/month for the first year, a savings of 82% over the monthly plan.

If you're willing to pay for two years up front, you'll get Surfshark's best rate. It costs $60 for the first two years, which is about $2/month — a savings of more than 80% compared to the monthly plan. Note that after the first two years, you'll pay $60/year rather than $60 per two years.