The Best VPN Services for India in 2021

A VPN is the best way to freely access the Internet.

VPN, or virtual private network, creates a secure encrypted connection between your device and the Internet. Using this service, your identity and internet usage are protected from being accessed by any government agency, service provider or any other unauthorised entity. With more and more services and websites getting blocked in India, a VPN is the best way to freely access the Internet. However, which VPN service should you choose, and is there a free option that actually works? We list down the best VPN services to consider in 2021

NordVPN

NordVPN is our favourite VPN service, thanks to its fantastic service and pricing. It offers a VPN connection that does not sacrifice your speed while giving top-notch encryption to your data.

We especially like its feature of offering dedicated servers for P2P (peer to peer) connections, as well as the option to have your IP changed twice for enhanced security. We like that you can choose from over 5,000 servers across 54 countries, and you can even get a dedicated IP address.

Another great feature is that it has a kill switch that blocks your device or the app from accessing the internet if the VPN connection drops.

Last but not least, it also has an ad blocker and malware protection. You can get it for $11.95 per month if you take a monthly plan, but if you opt for a two-year plan, it comes to only $3.71 per month, making it one of the most affordable VPN options available today. One account lets you use the VPN with 6 devices.

Available for: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android TV, Amazon Fire devices, Chrome and Firefox browser.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is highly recommended if you plan to use it on various smart devices as it has support for almost all devices. You get all the standard VPN features, including secure encrypted browsing, hide IP addresses, unlock blocked websites and streaming services.

ExpressVPN also offers the option to create private DNS on every server, which means that there will be no activity logging, no blocking or filtering, and it also makes your internetwork faster via faster DNS requests.

ExpressVPN offers over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, and it also comes with a built-in speed test to connect to the location that offers the fastest download speeds to you. There is also a Network Lock feature that keeps your information secure by blocking all traffic if your VPN connection drops. Pricing is where ExpressVPN loses a point, in our opinion – it costs $12.95 per month if you take a monthly plan, but you can lower it down to $ 8.32 per month if you go for the 12-month plan. One account lets you use the VPN with 5 devices.

Available for: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple TV, FireTV, smart TVs, Roku, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, select routers, Chrome, Firefox, Edge

SurfShark

SurfShark is the one that gives you support for a majority of platforms like ExpressVPN and also works out great for pricing if you take a two-year plan like NordVPN.

SurfShark does not monitor or log your activity and offers private DNS on each server for a secure connection. You can hide your IP address, and there is also a built-in ad-blocker.

SurfShark offers a unique Camouflage mode that ensures that even your internet service provider cannot identify that a VPN is being used – great for service providers that block VPN services.

One of the features we like on SurfShark is the option to connect via multiple countries for superior protection and masking your activity. The function that sets SurfShark apart is its built-in Whitelister – using this, you can allow specific apps and websites to skip the VPN connection, which means you can continue to use local services such as banking and shopping without having to disconnect from the VPN.

SurfShark costs $16.41 per month on a monthly plan which goes down to $ 3.15 per month with a two-year plan. One account lets you use VPN with unlimited devices.

Available for:  macOS, Windows, Linux, FireTV, Apple TV, Smart TV, IOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Chrome and Firefox

If you want a FREE VPN:

ProtonVPN 

If you do not want to pay for VPN services, but still want to use one, then the only one we would recommend is ProtonVPN. The free plan for Proton VPN is limited to just one device and gives you the option to connect to servers in just three countries (US, Japan and The Netherlands).

The good thing is that there is no bandwidth cap – you can use the VPN as much as you want. The bad thing is that you might not get the best possible connection speed. It will work well if you want to do secure internet browsing and unblock websites that have been blocked by your Internet service provider.

However, you will not be able to use the free plan to watch streaming content from services like Hulu, BBC iPlayer etc., as that is supported only with paid plans. Nonetheless, for a free service, it works well, is reliable and gets the job done for users who just want to access the Internet without any restrictions.

Available for: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux and select routers