You know that eerie feeling you get when, just as you scroll past your fitspiration on Instagram, and an advertisement for a yoga mat appears. Weird coincidence? Not at all. This is your personal data—your browsing history being recorded and sold to third parties who benefit from it. This can be an advertisement on social media or a coupon in the mail. All curated toward what you might like, based on who you are now. As innocuous as this practice seems, imagine the same data about being collected, but this time it is your health information or credit. Do you wonder what can happen then?
Data security is this century’s frontier. As the most important aspects of our lives are communicated in data, such as our financial, health, and even ancestral information, they become much easier to exploit. Naturally, the demand for data protection has given way to multiple solutions. Most of them appear complex and scare off potential users. One of the more simple and effective tools that act as a barrier between your device and outside threats are Virtual Private Networks.
Born from the unstoppable connectivity of the Internet, Virtual Private Networks (or VPNs) have gone from business software solutions to everyday life utilities. Historically, VPNs were created to connect remote servers to a larger network, usually for business purposes. While VPNs still serve this purpose, they have expanded their capabilities past the corporate sector and into the private lives of Internet users.
Sounds vital? They are. Sound expensive? They can be. Inverse wants all their readers to be secure, however, so we’ve compiled a list of the best VPNs you can buy with a $50 budget.
FastestVPN: It’s no surprise FastestVPN is one of the leading software on the market. With military-grade 256-bit aes encryption and the ability to cover up to 10 devices simultaneously, it’s extremely reliable. FastestVPN has approximately 70 servers across the world for ultimate accessibility and is even bundled with anti-virus and zero log features. Its no wonder this is a best-seller.
VPNSecure: Lifetime Subscription— A great beginner VPN, VPNSecure receives high praise for its user-friendly layout for easy navigation, as well as it’s logless policy. They permit P2P sharing and cover approximately 41 countries, as well as work with iOS and Android devices. Bonus: in addition to the low prices, with a $50 option for a 6-month plan and 15-day money back guarantee, you can really try before you buy.
Surfshark VPN Subscriptions (1 Year) – Ranked a ‘Best Value VPN’ by thebestvpn.com, it has fast connectivity speeds and zero logs required. One of the rare VPNs who can access Netflix, it boasts over 500 serves in 50 countries with unlimited bandwidth. Surfshark uses the secure OpenVPN bit encryption to hide your identity and even throws in a 30-day money back guarantee. I’m sold.
RA4W VPN: Lifetime Subscription – Somewhat a disrupter in the market, RA4W VPN has been gradually earning rave reviews for both its torrent capabilities and it’s under $30 subscription plans, as well as it’s uniquely liberal torrenting policy. RA4W places no restrictions on what you can access. Reasonably fast, supports peer-to-peer interaction, and a zero-log policy. Downloading the software requires approximately 1 file, and is relatively simple. Some reviews indicate that it isn’t as secure as other VPNs, but with the price points, it can’t be beaten. Sold.