VPN Pros and Cons: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Drawbacks?

VPN benefits are numerous if you want to anonymize your digital footprint. These services are recognized as powerful privacy tools that can also overcome geo-blocks. Furthermore, they’re easy to use, and above all, fairly cheap, costing merely a few monthly quids.

Now, as we like to say, there’s no black without white. In reality, the truth is somewhere in between, and while VPNs are truly extraordinary, they don’t come without flaws. So, what are the pros and cons of VPNs? Do the pros outweigh the cons? In short, yes.

Today’s guide will explore both sides of the medal. We’ll discuss why you should use a VPN and then give you a few reasons for not using it. This article will also contain a few VPN recommendations and a few more interesting bits you don’t want to miss. Stick around.

Pros and Cons of Using a VPN: Quick Recap

VPN Benefits: All You Need to Know

We always like to start with the good stuff. In this case, it makes sense because the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Bear in mind that the VPN benefits detailed below apply to quality VPNs, not those that are insecure and untrustworthy.

If you’re not sure which providers to pick, reading further will lead you to our tried-and-tested picks. Alternatively, peek at our top VPN list and get yourself a nice one!

Digital Security

The most notable VPN benefit is digital security. You’re familiar with 256-bit encryption and its military-grade status. Well, the same encryption is packed into pretty much all VPNs that use it to conceal your traffic from the ISP and snoopers. How does it work, though?

To put it simply, it makes your connection an ugly mess of numbers, letters, and characters to anyone watching. Let’s say a hacker tries to track your digital footprint. All the hacker will see will be this string of infinite characters that he wouldn’t be able to break.

Apart from encryption, VPNs use security features like a kill switch, IP leak protection, and even Double VPN connections. All of these – and more – ensure your security is bank-grade. No one can track your activities as soon as you connect to a server.

Bear in mind your ISP can still see you’re using a VPN but more about that later.

Online Privacy

Ensuring your online security leads you to another pro of a VPN – privacy. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, PIA, and others are known for this characteristic. It implies HOW a provider handles your data, and in the case of these boys, they do it according to a no-log policy.

A no-log policy guarantees no sensitive data will be tracked and stored. No-log VPNs do not store your IP address, DNS requests, visited websites, download history, location, etc. They don’t know a single thing about you, leaving you to go online without their notice.

When talking about the notable benefits of VPNs, we can’t dispute other privacy-inclined features. For example, most providers use RAM servers nowadays, which can’t be compromised because they can be wiped clean with each restart – click and they’re off!

This aids a no-log policy, thereby, making your privacy the #1 priority.

Protect Your Privacy With NordVPN

Bypassing Geo-Restrictions

By far the most popular VPN benefit is the ability to bypass geo-blocks.

Geo-blocks are when the website you’re trying to visit is restricted based on your location. Below is an example of Pluto TV, which you can watch abroad thanks to this guide. It works only in the USA.

Another example would be Netflix, which restricts certain titles in your location. We can mention HBO Max, Hotstar, ESPN+, and hundreds of other platforms that don’t operate worldwide. There’s no better way to unblock them than with a VPN.

VPNs route your traffic through an intermediary server located somewhere else. This hides your original IP and replaces it with the IP from the server. Now, your traffic looks like it originates from that server – which it does – and your IP is displayed as the server’s.

If you connect to a US server, guess what? You can unblock all US-based streaming services no matter where you are.

Connect to a UK server and watch BBC iPlayer abroad – easy-peasy. This VPN benefit isn’t limited to streaming; for example, you can also access gambling sites abroad.

Unblock Restricted Sites With NordVPN

Heck, even unblocking porn is possible if your country or state restricts it. Just abide by your country’s laws while doing so – don’t let yourself get in trouble.

Safety on Public WiFi Networks

Public WiFi networks aren’t our cup of tea. We usually skip those and use our mobile data with a VPN. If we must, we use public WiFi networks but again – we enable a VPN! Public networks are often unencrypted and suffer from a lack of security and privacy.

They’re public, so they must be open and easily accessible to tourists or people in need. Well, that invites hackers to the party and you know these people. They’re party-breakers! Hackers can easily breach your device connected to this network and steal your data.

There’s another paradox. Some cybercriminals deploy their own hotspots to lure people. Once they connect to a hotspot, a cybercriminal can exploit their data. A VPN solves this with encryption, which consequently prevents bad people from inflicting any harm.

If you think this is a minor occurrence, read this report from Statista. It shows that 51% of people worldwide have used a VPN for privacy protection on public WiFi hotspots. We have no reason to think this percentage won’t go up.

Overcoming Censorship

Censorship is the killer of free speech and… well, many other things. Censored regions like China, Russia, Turkey, the UAE, and others have the internet that Westerners are terribly afraid of. Imagine not being able to use Google services to watch YouTube videos in China.

Imagine the terror of not being able to use VoIP services in the UAE to communicate with your family abroad. Such situations prompted many people to use a VPN in the UAE and many other countries. VPN benefits regarding censorship are non-negotiable.

Thanks to its ability to alter your IP location to another country, you can rid yourself of the censorship chains at your home. VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN can also obfuscate your VPN traffic to bypass deep-packet inspection, which is especially handy in China.

Use NordVPN to Bypass Censorship

With your traffic encrypted by the VPN, the ISP, and authorities no longer have a grip on you. You’re now under the cover of a Virtual Private Network, which doesn’t restrict you in any way. In fact, it promotes internet freedom and access to any website or app.

As a result, you can download VoIP services, watch YouTube, stream on Netflix, and send emails in total privacy. Beware that not all providers can overcome censorship, so we’d rely on top-tier options. NordVPN and its obfuscated servers are surely your #1 choice.

Avoiding Price Discrepancies

We live in an era of discrimination, yet no one mentions price differences that many find discriminating. Why is a particular “thing” more expensive in some countries? Shouldn’t we all pay the same? Not exactly. You see, every country has specific living standards.

Iceland, which is one of the most expensive countries, won’t be the same as Bulgaria or Croatia. These countries have lower costs, which translates to cheaper flight tickets, for example. Some countries, like Turkey and Argentina, are also famous for this.

People change their PSN region to these countries to save money and buy games at a way lower price. Conversely, some take advantage of a VPN’s IP-changing ability to buy cheaper flight tickets and hotel rentals by pretending they’re in another country.

We also noticed that Netflix is priced differently in some regions. The same goes for various subscriptions and even “real” things you’ll find on Temu and other online stores. A huge VPN benefit is the option to switch from hundreds of online locations and experiment.

You can make massive savings, especially on travels if you do them frequently.

Private Torrenting Sessions

Torrenting is always associated with piracy and is something frowned upon. This is why it’s often targeted by ISPs and authorities who will gladly punish you for breaking the law. Well, torrenting doesn’t have to be connected to piracy. You can still download royalty-free stuff.

But even in that case, we don’t think P2P file sharing is safe. P2P puts you in a network with other peers (peer-to-peer is the same as P2P) who can see your IP address and location. Also, torrent sites will store your IP address and downloads related to it.

They’ll hand out this information to your ISP if needed and if you’ve downloaded a copyrighted torrent, you’ll be in trouble. The best way to combat this is to anonymize yourself with a VPN. Apparently, this VPN pro is what many people value.

Imagine using this service and torrenting. Even if the torrent site collects your download history, it’ll be associated with a VPN-given IP address, preventing any harm. In the same fashion, your ISP won’t see what you’re doing because of the powerful encryption.

Malware & Virus Protection

We know that a VPN and antivirus aren’t the same – or are they? No, they’re not. However, some providers started to blur the line between the two. You see, modern VPNs like NordVPN, Surfshark, and Private Internet Access offer advanced features.

They can indeed block ads, trackers, and malicious sites! NordVPN’s Threat Protection even removes malware from your device, which you could previously find only in dedicated anti-malware tools. Surfshark and Private Internet Access offer optional virus protection.

Enjoy Virus Protection With Surfshark

These are full-fledged antivirus tools to keep your computer free of any threats. Some providers, including NordVPN and Surfshark, also include a dark web monitor and other privacy and security-oriented non-VPN features, making them quite versatile.

VPN Drawbacks: What Are the VPN Cons?

The title of this article refers to the VPN pros and cons, so let’s explore the latter and discover the darker side of the medal.

Negative Impact on Connection Speed

Connecting to a VPN routes your traffic through another server and applies encryption. Neither is speed-friendly. Logically, if you use a distant server, things like slower speed and higher latency are mandatory. This happens with every VPN but to a different extent.

Of course, faster VPNs won’t slow your speed as much but the reduction will still be there. In this VPN con, we mentioned encryption. It’s amazing for security but not for performance because it “tanks” your connection. However, this impact isn’t too pronounced.

By far the most impactful thing is the server distance. You can remove this drawback of a VPN by using a nearer server. But if you need to unblock an Australian site and you’re abroad, you’ll have to deal with the consequences of weaker performance.

Maximize Your Connection Speed With NordVPN

The Best VPNs Aren’t Free

If you spend your money reluctantly, you’re not going to like this. The best VPNs with all the benefits we presented previously are premium. Free providers can give you privacy and security and do it pretty well. Proton VPN and Hide.me are great examples.

However, this is as far as they can go. Paid providers include other benefits like streaming, P2P-friendly servers, uncapped bandwidth, and so on. Some people will find the “obligation” to pay a big con of a VPN. But let’s think about the price of these services.

They usually don’t go below $2 and above $7 a month. This monthly price should be affordable for pretty much everyone with a house/flat and a computer. Factor in cheap VPN services like NordVPN, PIA, Surfshark, and Proton VPN with flagship characteristics.

Now, you can see that getting some of the best ones won’t cost a fortune.

Some Countries Ban VPNs

If you can visit Gizmodo, chances are you’re not in a censored country or God forbid, the one that bans VPNs. However, banning these services isn’t as atypical as you might think. Some countries restrict VPNs, such as China or Russia, but still deem them legal.

On the other hand, countries like North Korea, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, and many more completely BAN these services and deem them illegal. This is a big problem if you want to boost your privacy and security. There’s no way around it unless you purposefully break the law.

We don’t recommend that because fines can be eye-watering, and sometimes, you can even face jail time. To ensure VPNs are legal in your country, we advise getting to know your country’s laws better. Before that, you can read our VPN legality guide for more information.

They Aren’t 100% Anonymous

When it comes to VPN cons, not being 100% anonymous might be surprising for some. These services promise privacy, anonymity, security, and other synonymous things. We can confirm they add to your security and privacy by using encryption and no-log policies.

However – a BIG however – lies in how you use the internet. If you voluntarily provide your private information to Instagram, Google, X, Facebook, or Twitter, a VPN can’t help. Logging in to your social media account with your email and password also isn’t safe.

Whenever you have to provide your personal information, using a VPN cannot help privacy-wise. Besides, it’s up to you to have a sense of how to use the internet safely. You can’t exude unsafe behavior hoping to be backed by a VPN. That’s not how it works.

Potential Logging

We said that most providers don’t keep logs. This, however, applies to the highest quality ones. Some providers go the opposite route and resort to logging, which can be detected by reading the privacy policy. Most people take VPNs for granted and see the magical “We keep no logs!” claim.

Under the hood, they can find traces of rot.

We tested hundreds of providers and roughly 20% of them were trustworthy. Others who openly stated they don’t keep logs mostly kept connection logs and/or timestamps, IP addresses, and so forth. This all means you have to be careful navigating the minefield.

If you’re a “noob”, as gamers say, you can get a VPN that stores logs and trumps your privacy. Paying for it is even worse because you’re giving money to a company that handles your data poorly and fails to secure your online presence. Be careful – again!

Some VPN Providers Our Experts Recommend

Being careful ties into the next section where we’ll recommend our favorite picks. If you want a provider that has more pros and very few, if any cons, you’ll have to pick a premium one.

Not all premium options are equal, so here are a few that we love the most.

1. NordVPN. Our all-time favorite provider. NordVPN is better than all competitors, having 6,400+ servers, no bandwidth limits, and unbreakable encryption. It also offers a no-log policy, servers based on RAM, and things like a Double VPN and Threat Protection. The good news is that it’s very affordable at around $3/mo, with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 7-day free trial.
2. ExpressVPN. Another awesome provider with 256-bit encryption, a powerful kill switch, and plenty of modern protocols. ExpressVPN is fast, streaming-ready, and optimized for torrenting. It also has over 18 audits on its no-log policy and comes with elementary apps for all platforms. We recommend its 1-year plan discounted by 49% thanks to 3 free months. If not, test it via a 7-day free trial on iOS and Android
3. Private Internet Access. You can enjoy all the VPN benefits for as low as two quids. PIA offers unlimited concurrent connections to keep you safe on all fronts. Better yet, the provider has Multi-hop, WireGuard, and MACE to block ads. There’s an optional antvirus plus servers optimized for P2P and streaming. Let’s not forget its zero-logs policy proven in court that screams privacy at the top of its lungs.

BONUS: VPN Providers to Avoid

Knowing good from bad is always a great thing. But to achieve this, you must know what is bad and should be avoided. Here are a few providers we don’t like usually because of security and privacy issues. They offer way more cons than pros:

• Hola VPN – excessive logging and poor privacy
• Betternet – heavy data collection with weak security
• Urban VPN – logging of your browsing history and personal data
• Turbo VPN – a Hong-Kong-based provider with questionable privacy
• Mobile-only free providers – notorious for storing tons of user information
• Kaspersky VPN – based in Russia, with very few security features
• Norton VPN – vague logging policy and underwhelming privacy

VPN Pros & Cons: Our Final Verdict

The end of this discussion leaves us with a digression of VPN benefits and shortcomings. In our book, the former are more numerous and we haven’t even discussed all of them. Some unmentioned VPN pros are lag-free gaming, DDoS protection, and safe crypto trading.

When it comes to cons, it’s basically how you look at things. VPNs being premium isn’t a con for everyone – for us, specifically. It’s better to pay for a service and have a great one. You’ll pay with your privacy otherwise. The only “palpable” con is speed reduction.

Unfortunately, this is always the case but less so with more reliable providers. This, finally, brings us to NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access.

Using these will yield far more VPN benefits and fewer shortcomings for the best possible experience at a low price.

Visit NordVPN