How We Review VPN Products? The Scoring Factors
At VPN for U, our mission is to empower users with the knowledge and tools to protect their online privacy and security. We Review VPN products with comprehensive, unbiased, and accurate opinions, ensuring that our readers can make informed decisions about the best VPN services for their needs.
Our review process is thorough and transparent so that we don’t receive any sponsorship from any VPN providers. We conduct hands-on testing of each VPN service across multiple devices, evaluating performance indicators like speed, reliability, and security. We also research user feedback from social platforms to address common concerns and expectations. Our goal is to deliver expert insights and detailed comparisons to help you find the most secure, fast, and reliable VPN for you.
Leeoy
Founder & CEO
How We Review VPN and Score Each VPN Product (0-5) | |
|---|---|
Criteria | Description |
Jurisdiction | 0: Assigned to providers based in countries with extensive and actively enforced data retention laws, typically authoritarian regimes. 1-2: Assigned based on the specific country, the nature of its data retention laws, their enforcement, and membership in surveillance alliances such as the Five Eyes or Fourteen Eyes. 3-4: Assigned to providers registered in the USA, where there are no mandatory data retention laws. 5: Assigned to providers registered in offshore jurisdictions or countries with no data retention laws. |
Strict No Log Policy | 0: Assigned to providers that have claimed a no-logs policy but have disclosed data that they should not have. 1: Assigned to providers that do not have, and do not claim to have, a no-logs policy. 2-4: Assigned to providers that claim to have a no-logs policy but lack sufficient evidence or proof to substantiate their claims. 5: Assigned to providers that have undergone and passed an independent audit conducted by a reputable auditing firm. |
Speed | Speed reviews are sourced from various review platforms, with some providers also tested manually. Results can vary based on location, connection, and other factors, so individual experiences may differ. |
Protocols | 5 Points: Awarded to VPN service providers that offer secure protocols and encryption algorithms across all options. 0 Points: Assigned to providers that do not offer safe and secure protocols and encryption algorithms. |
Encryption Technology | 5 Points: Awarded to providers that use secure and up-to-date encryption algorithms. 0 Points: Assigned to providers that utilize weak or outdated encryption standards. |
Data Leak Protection | 5 Points: Awarded to providers that offer comprehensive leak protection, including IP leak protection, DNS leak protection, WebRTC leak protection, and data leak protection, and have never experienced a data leak. 0 Points: Assigned to VPNs that lack any leak protection features and have a history of leaking user data. |
Compatibility | This criterion evaluates the service’s availability across various devices and operating systems, including browser extensions and other device integrations. VPNs that offer broad compatibility with multiple devices and systems receive higher scores. |
Owned Servers | 0 Points: Assigned to providers with a minimal number of servers, poor country coverage, and no ownership of the servers. 1-3 Points: Reflect improvements in the number of servers and global coverage. 4-5 Points: Awarded to companies with a well-developed server network, extensive global coverage, and announcements about collocated servers. |
RAM Servers | 0 Points: Assigned to providers that do not use RAM servers. 3 Points: Given to providers in the process of transitioning to RAM servers. 5 Points: Awarded to providers that use exclusively RAM servers. |
Ownership Disclosure | 0 Points: Assigned to providers with no disclosed ownership information, leaving it completely unclear who owns or runs the product. 5 Points: Awarded to providers with full and transparent ownership disclosure, where the disclosed owner is verifiable and not fictitious. 2-4 Points: Given to providers with disclosed ownership, but with some discrepancies or confirmed inaccuracies in the information provided. |
Bug Bounty Program | 0 Points: Assigned to providers without a bug bounty program. 5 Points: Awarded to providers with a public bug bounty program and transparent disclosure of findings and rewards. 2-4 Points: Given to providers with an established bug bounty program but lacking additional information such as details on bugs found or rewards issued. |
Payment Options | The more payment options are supported, the higher score it wins: 1 Point: Assigned to providers with very limited payment options, such as only accepting credit cards and lacking anonymous payment methods. 5 Points: Awarded to providers offering a wide range of payment options, including gift cards, cash, credit cards, and anonymous methods like cryptocurrencies. |
Pricing & Trial | 0/1 Point: Assigned to providers that are the most expensive, with no free trial or money-back guarantees. 5 Points: Awarded to providers that are among the most affordable, offer various plans (including different lengths and features), and provide a free trial or money-back guarantees. |
Bypassing Restrictive Networks | 5 Points: Awarded to VPN providers that make substantial efforts to bypass restrictive networks, including features such as Shadowsocks support, compatibility with TOR, obfuscated and dedicated IP servers, a variety of protocols, and a robust server network. Lower Scores: Given to providers with fewer features related to bypassing restrictions. |
Customer Support | 0 Points: Assigned to providers with no customer support or non-functional support channels. 3-5 Points: Awarded based on the availability and effectiveness of customer support options (e.g., email, phone, Discord, live chat). The score reflects the number of support options tested and proven to work, with an average rating from 3 to 5 tests. |
Ethics Evaluation | This criterion assesses the provider’s adherence to ethical practices, including: 1. Full affiliate disclosure 2. Respect for copyrights 3. Avoidance of overselling VPN capabilities 4. Social responsibility The higher the number of these ethical practices covered, the higher the score awarded. |
Ad-Blocker | 0 Points: Assigned to providers without an ad-blocker feature. 5 Points: Awarded to providers with a functional and effective ad-blocker feature. |
Additional Features | 0 Points: Assigned to providers lacking any additional features. 5 Points: Awarded to providers that offer a range of features that enhance VPN use, such as quick-connect, SmartDNS streaming technologies, an active blog, split-tunneling, malware blacklists, and phishing protection. The more features that contribute to the service’s overall comfort and functionality, the higher the score. |
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