Do You Need One? · Which Type? · Best Match
| VPN | Best For | Price/mo | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Overall best, streaming | $3-4 | Fast |
| ExpressVPN | Speed, travel, ease of use | $6-8 | Fastest |
| Surfshark | Budget, unlimited devices | $2-3 | Good |
| ProtonVPN | Privacy-focused, open source | $0-10 | Good |
| Mullvad | Maximum anonymity | $5 flat | Good |
| CyberGhost | Streaming, beginner friendly | $2-3 | Average |
| Situation | Why VPN Isn't Needed |
|---|---|
| Banking on home WiFi | HTTPS already encrypts. VPN adds minimal benefit. |
| General browsing at home | ISP sees domains only (not content) with HTTPS. |
| Speed is critical | VPN always adds some latency. Skip if speed is priority. |
| "Complete anonymity" | VPN alone doesn't make you anonymous (cookies, fingerprint, etc.) |