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Is It Worth Paying For A VPN?

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Here, we answer the question – is it worth paying for a VPN?

Over the years, the use of VPN (Virtual Private Network) has been growing steadily. The number of people using VPN has increased massively in recent times.

The global VPN adoption index as reported by Atlas VPN revealed that people from 87 selected countries downloaded VPN applications over 277 million times in 2020. In H1 2021, the number reached 616 million.

Is a VPN worth paying for? Yes, your VPN is worth every dime you pay for it. The benefits of using a VPN significantly outweigh the affordable subscription fee – which will not break the bank. Using a paid VPN is better than using no VPN or a free VPN.

READ ALSO: Best VPN Deals For Christmas 2022

In this article, you will learn why paying for a VPN is worth it and why settling for a free VPN may be worse than not using one at all. Grab a cup of coffee, let’s dive right into it!

Why Is A VPN Worth Paying For?

Why Is A VPN Worth Paying For

A VPN is worth paying for because of the things you stand to gain when you use it. The benefits of using a paid VPN include:

  • Online Security
  • Access Geo-Blocked Content
  • Bypass Censorship
  • Avoid Price Discrimination
  • Affordability

Online Security

Given the threat landscape of the internet, securing your internet activities and covering your online trails should be a priority. The sensitive information you share online – like passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information – can be stolen if you fail to take steps to secure them. This is where VPNs come in!

A VPN encrypts your web traffic, thereby making it difficult for malicious cyber actors to incept it. When using a VPN, no one can see what you are doing online – even if you are using unsafe Wi-Fi. A VPN enables you to keep your online activities out of the reach of prying eyes, trackers, hackers, ISPs, and so on.

Access Geo-Blocked Content

A VPN service helps you enjoy your favorite content when you are in a country where the content is not accessible. A lot of websites and streaming services make their content unavailable in some regions – geoblocking. A VPN helps you get around geoblocking, allowing you to log into servers in other countries. 

For instance, you can connect to a server in the U.S. while in South Korea. When you do this, you will get a new IP address, making it look like you are in the U.S. The implication is that you can have access to U.S. content that is not available in South Korea. A VPN helps you access geo-blocked content with a few clicks.

Bypass Government Censorship

Some countries censor the internet and restrict their citizens' access to websites and streaming services. If you live or currently traveling in such a nation, a VPN can help you overcome censorship. China is leading when it comes to internet restriction – popular platforms like Google, Whatsapp, YouTube, Facebook, etc., are not accessible from within China.

However, with a good VPN, you can bypass censorship and enjoy platforms or services of your choice. An average VPN may not be useful because some government censorship – like that of China – can be difficult to overcome. As a result, it requires the use of a VPN with advanced features like obfuscation technologies to bypass restrictions and make ISPs think you are not using a VPN.

Avoid Price Discrimination

Many international brands offer prices of goods and services based on region. This is done to make products affordable in some regions or countries, irrespective of the state of their economies. Some regions are economically better than others. Consequently, prices of goods and services can be higher in such regions than in low-income areas. 

For example, flight tickets on many occasions have been found to vary based on location. If you notice a price variation when shopping online, you can get the best deals with a VPN. All you need to do is connect to a server in the region where the best deal is available and check out as though you are shopping from there.

Affordability

In addition to being highly beneficial, VPNs are affordable. If you can get all the benefits outlined above for a few dollars, why not pay for it? For yearly or multi-year subscriptions, the price of a good is about $4. It can be as high as $11 when paying monthly. The value you get from a VPN is worth more than the subscription fees. VPNs are highly beneficial and worth paying for!

Why A Free VPN May Not Be The Best For You?

Why A Free VPN May Not Be The Best For YouYou may have considered settling for a free VPN in order to save money. It sounds like a smart approach. However, it is an option you may likely regret in the long term. The following are the reasons you should avoid free VPNs.

Reliability 

If you are not paying for it, the provider does not owe you a reliable service. Using a free VPN may actually defeat the main purpose of VPNs since the security of your internet activities is not assured. As expected, companies will not go out of their way to spend a lot of money to ensure the maximum privacy and security of free users. In a nutshell, free VPNs are not reliable – ranging from security to other best practices.

Data Logging and Selling

There is a popular saying in Africa that, “Nothing is free even in Freetown.” There is no free lunch anywhere. A provider offering free access to their product may have other ways of making money from free users. One of such ways is by collecting and selling data of users. They can monetize your data by monitoring your internet activities and selling them to third parties – mainly for marketing purposes.

Free VPNs Will Not Give You What You Want

The demerits of using a free VPN are many and the key takeaway here is that a free VPN can not offer premium protection. Ugly experiences you may encounter with free VPNs range from adverts, traffic manipulation to poor performance. With a free VPN service, you are likely to experience a limited number of servers, slow speeds, low-quality apps, poor support, etc.

Conclusion 

A premium VPN is worth paying for. You get great value for your money. On the other hand, you stand to lose a lot when you settle for a free VPN. Paid VPNs come with industry-standard features that offer maximum security and privacy, enabling you to overcome blockades, censorships, and price discriminations. Paying for a VPN will not break the bank!

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Anyalebechi Elisha
Anyalebechi Elisha
Anyalebechi Elisha is a cyber security blogger and freelance SEO Copywriter. He loves SEO and has a knack for SEO copywriting. His hobbies? He delights in in-door games and reading self-help books.

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