Memorial Day weekend is here. But if you’re traveling, be sure to stay vigilant about the information you put online along the way.
Connecting to public Wi-Fi at a local coffee shop or gas station involves some security compromises. Unsecured networks make it easier for third parties to monitor your online activity or intercept unencrypted data.
Fortunately, a virtual private network stops this. A VPN encrypts the data you send online before it can be intercepted and it remains hidden from your ISP.
One of the best VPNs for this is ExpressVPN. Among US VPNs, it’s one of the few to offer servers in all 50 states. It also offers ultra-secure encryption keys and other useful tools like a password manager depending on the plan.
Plus, it’s cheap. Pricing currently starts at $2.79 per month, almost half of what you would have paid eighteen months ago. This drop places it among the best cheap VPNs, beating NordVPN and Proton in terms of value at the time of writing.
Depending on what you use a VPN for most, some alternatives might suit you better.
For example, while ExpressVPN has some of the best security credentials available, NordVPN is a better streaming VPN overall. We tried it with top services like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, and it barely failed.
Likewise, if you are looking for strict privacy laws to ensure your security, or if you are an avid torrenter, Proton VPN is a great solution. It is based in Switzerland and is one of the few leading VPNs to offer port forwarding support.
However, where ExpressVPN wins over the two is Aircove. Aircove is ExpressVPN’s router, which has VPN security built right into it. While you can set up a VPN router with Proton or NordVPN, this involves a much more involved process than Aircove’s plug-and-play capability.