How we review VPNs: what we check, and where we find it
Every number or claim in our reviews has a source you can open. Here is what we check for each VPN, where we take it from, and what we do not do.
On this page
We read each company's pages ourselves: terms of service, privacy policy, pricing and server pages, audit reports and transparency reports. We record every fact with its link and the date we read it, and we do not publish what the company's official pages do not confirm.
What we check for every VPN
The operating company and its legal base from the terms of service, and the group it belongs to. The base decides which laws apply.
The firm that reviewed the no-logs policy and the year of each audit, with the report when public. "Audited" means a named, dated independent audit, not a marketing promise.
What the privacy policy actually says, including what free versions collect for advertising.
Whether it publishes government requests, how often, and its latest figures.
Servers in Arab countries, and an obfuscation mode for networks that block VPNs.
The price of the longest plan and its renewal price, the number of devices, and the money-back terms.
What we do, and what we don't
- Give the source of every fact and the date we checked it.
- Write "about" when we cannot confirm a price in a given currency, and let the link show the current price.
- Use the lower figure when a company's own pages contradict each other.
- Publish speed or streaming tests of our own, because we do not run them in a lab. When we discuss speed, we rely on the provider's published protocols and infrastructure and on independent published reviews, and we say so.
- Invent personal experiences or user testimonials.
- Change a VPN's ranking or score for a commission.
How we score
Four criteria. We compare the VPNs against each other on each one.
Named, dated no-logs audits, ownership, jurisdiction and transparency reports. The first reason people in this region use a VPN.
Weighted highestAs the published protocols and infrastructure reflect it, and as independent reviews report it.
What the provider supports, checked against independent reviews.
First-term and renewal prices, devices and refund terms.
We earn a referral commission from some VPNs when you sign up through our links. Details in our affiliate disclosure. It does not change what we write: for example, we state that Hotspot Shield has no published independent no-logs audit, and we show who owns every VPN in who owns which VPN.
Updates and corrections
We re-read each provider's pages and update the review and its date. Last full check: 2 November 2026.
Found an outdated or wrong fact? Write from our contact page and we correct it, with the source.
How we review: frequently asked questions
Short answers to what readers ask most. Question not here? Write to us.
No. We do not run a lab, so we do not publish speed or streaming tests of our own. When we discuss speed we rely on the protocols and infrastructure each provider publishes and on independent published reviews, and we say so.
An independent audit with a named auditor and a date, with the report linked when it is public. A promise on a marketing page is not an audit.
We re-read every provider's pages at least once a month and update the review and its date. The last full check was on 2 November 2026.