How I Test VPNs

No need to spend hours testing VPNs — I’ve already done the hard work for you. Every VPN goes through the same detailed testing process, and I summarize the results so you can quickly decide if it’s the right one for you.

I focus on real-world testing — the kind of things you actually care about when using a VPN day-to-day. Each VPN is reviewed in four key areas: Speed, Security, Privacy, and Usability.

A VPN isn’t much use if it slows you to a crawl. I measure how each VPN affects your connection so you’ll know what to expect for streaming, gaming, video calls, and everyday browsing.

I test on a 100 Mbps fiber connection - a realistic broadband speed for a modern home, so results reflect what many people actually get. To check global performance, I connect to servers in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia and run multiple tests for each.

I measure three things:

• Download speed – how fast you can pull data from the internet (important for streaming and downloads).
• Upload speed – how fast you can send data (important for video calls and sharing large files).
• Latency (ping) – how long it takes for data to start moving (important for gaming and responsiveness).

A VPN’s main job is to protect your data and hide your location — so I make sure it does both.

• IP leak tests – I check for DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks that could expose your real location even when the VPN is on.
• Encryption check – I confirm the VPN uses secure protocols like WireGuard with strong AES-256 encryption to keep your connection private.

A VPN should protect you - and that means proving it can be trusted and being in a position to protect your privacy. To check this, I look at:

• Privacy policy - I read each provider’s privacy policy in detail to understand exactly what data they collect and how it’s handled.
• No-logs policy (Audited!) - I meticulously analyze each provider's privacy policy and legal jurisdiction. Crucially, I verify if their "no-logs" claims have been confirmed by a reputable, independent third-party audit. The highest marks are given to providers who publish the full audit report publicly and commit to regular re-testing. A claim without an audit is just a promise; I look for proof.
• Encryption check – I confirm the VPN uses secure protocols like WireGuard and OpenVPN and strong AES-256 encryption to keep your connection private.
• Kill switch – I test whether the VPN has a reliable kill switch — a feature that automatically blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, preventing accidental exposure of your real IP address.
• Jurisdiction – I check where the VPN is based and what laws it operates under. Being in a privacy-friendly country like Panama or the British Virgin Islands can make a big difference to how well your privacy is protected.

A VPN should be easy to use and work where you need it. I check:

• • Streaming access – can it unlock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and other popular platforms from different regions?
  • App quality – I test the VPN on multiple devices to see how easy, stable, and reliable it is.
  • Customer support – I contact support with real questions to see how quickly and helpfully they respond.

Have a question or correction? Use the contact form.