Last Updated: May 26, 2025
This page explains how we test, review, and rank VPN services on allthingsvpn.com, and what we commit never to do. If you read content on this site, this is the framework behind it. We update this policy when our practices change, and the date above reflects the most recent revision.
If anything published on allthingsvpn.com ever contradicts what is written here, this policy takes precedence. Contact us and we will correct the content.
WHO RUNS THIS SITE
allthingsvpn.com is owned and operated by Tech Insider Publishing LLC. Our content is produced by a team with hands-on experience using and testing VPN products. Every VPN we write about has been personally installed and used across real devices, not evaluated once in a controlled environment and forgotten. We do not publish AI-generated filler content, recycled spec sheets, or affiliate pages written without firsthand knowledge of the product.
Our testing is informed by ongoing use of the VPN services we cover. For our flagship recommendations, including Surfshark, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN, testing has spanned well over a year of active use.
Contact: info@allthingsvpn.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@allthingsvpn
HOW WE TEST VPNs
Every VPN covered on this site goes through the same testing process before we publish about it. We do not rank or recommend services we have not personally used.
Testing Period
We require a minimum of 30 days of daily use before any review is published. For services we recommend most frequently, that period has extended to a year or more. VPNs are installed on the devices we actually use, including phones, laptops, streaming sticks, and routers, not temporary test environments created just for the review.
What We Test
Speed: We use Ookla Speedtest across multiple server locations, with a residential connection as our baseline. We publish the actual numbers rather than vague claims about performance.
Streaming: We test Netflix across multiple regions, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Hulu. We report specific servers and specific results.
Leak Testing: We run DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leak tests using dnsleaktest.com and ipleak.net across multiple servers.
Kill Switch: We deliberately trigger disconnections to confirm the kill switch blocks traffic as the provider claims.
Apps: We test on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Fire TV at minimum. Linux and router support are tested where applicable.
Customer Support: We contact support with a real question and record response times. We do not recommend VPNs whose support is unresponsive or unhelpful.
Money-Back Guarantee: We have personally tested the refund process on multiple VPNs to verify that guarantees are honored.
What We Cannot Test
Our testing is conducted from a residential internet connection in the United States. Performance in restrictive countries such as China, the UAE, and Russia is based on publicly available information and user reports rather than direct testing. When we make claims about performance in such regions, we say so clearly.
Enterprise network performance may differ from what our residential testing reflects.
HOW WE RANK VPNs
There is no ranking algorithm or weighted scoring formula. Our rankings reflect honest editorial judgment after testing, informed by the following factors:
- Actual performance across speed, streaming, security, and usability
- Value for money at current pricing, including renewal pricing
- Privacy credentials, including jurisdiction, audit history, logging policy, and corporate ownership
- Which type of user the VPN genuinely serves best, because no single VPN is the right choice for everyone
Rankings change when a VPN’s pricing, features, or performance shifts meaningfully, when an audit reveals a privacy issue, when ownership changes, or when a competitor releases something that materially changes the competitive landscape. When rankings change, affected pages are updated and the revision is noted.
WHAT WE REFUSE TO DO
This section describes the commitments that shape every editorial decision on this site.
We will not let commissions determine rankings
Affiliate programs pay different commission rates. Those differences do not determine which VPNs we rank highly or recommend to readers.
Our top-ranked VPN is not our highest-paying affiliate. Other programs in our portfolio pay more per conversion. Rankings reflect our assessment of which services best serve our readers, not which services pay us the most.
We have declined affiliate partnerships with VPNs we do not trust, even when commissions were competitive. We feature VPNs with below-average commissions when they are the right recommendation for a specific use case. When two VPNs are close in our editorial judgment, we choose based on reader fit, not commission rate.
We will not invent coupon codes or fabricate promotions
Every discount, coupon code, and price published on this site is verified at the VPN’s actual checkout before publication. We do not list codes that do not work, display outdated pricing as current, or manufacture urgency around deals that are available year-round. If a deal changes, the page is updated.
We will not hide flaws
Every review includes a substantive discussion of weaknesses. If a VPN has experienced a breach, audit failure, or controversy, we disclose it and explain what it means for users, even when doing so reduces the likelihood of a conversion.
Examples of disclosures you will find on this site:
Four of the VPN providers we cover, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, and IPVanish, are owned by Kape Technologies, a corporate group that also owns several major VPN review websites. We flag this as a legitimate concern for users who care about corporate concentration in the privacy space.
The 2016 IPVanish incident, in which user logs were provided to a US law enforcement agency under previous ownership, is disclosed on the IPVanish page.
PrivadoVPN and VeePN are identified as lacking independent security audits, unlike more thoroughly audited competitors.
Every plan that auto-renews at a higher price after the promotional period, a standard industry practice, is flagged with instructions on how to avoid the renewal trap.
We will not recommend the wrong VPN for a commission
When a reader’s use case does not match our top recommendation, we say so and direct them to the better fit, even when that means recommending a different affiliate partner or a service for which we have no affiliate relationship at all.
If streaming is your primary use case, we direct you to whichever service performs best for that purpose. If privacy is your top priority, we direct you to Proton VPN or Mullvad, and we specifically note that Mullvad does not participate in affiliate programs and that we earn nothing from recommending them. If you need the longest risk-free trial, we direct you to CyberGhost’s 45-day guarantee. If you are in China or the UAE, we recommend based on documented restrictive-country performance, regardless of which affiliate pays us more.
We will not use manufactured urgency or manipulative tactics
We do not use countdown timers on deals that are available year-round. We do not display artificial scarcity claims. The promotional pricing offered by most VPN providers is typically available on an ongoing basis, and we say so rather than presenting it as a limited-time emergency.
We do not engage in cookie stuffing, forced affiliate cookie drops before a user clicks, or hidden affiliate links. All affiliate links use rel=”sponsored nofollow” in accordance with Google’s guidelines. Affiliate disclosures appear prominently at the top of every page that contains affiliate links.
AFFILIATE RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMISSIONS
allthingsvpn.com earns commissions when readers purchase VPN services through links on this site. This is how the site funds its operation, including testing subscriptions, infrastructure, and the time required to produce original content. Without affiliate revenue, this site would not exist in its current form.
Clicking our links and signing up through them pays us a commission. It does not cost you anything extra. In many cases, our deal links surface promotional pricing that is not displayed on the VPN’s homepage directly.
Affiliate revenue does not buy favorable coverage. We have published critical assessments of VPNs whose affiliate programs we participate in. We have declined partnerships with VPNs we could not recommend in good conscience.
VPN providers we currently have affiliate partnerships with:
NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access (PIA), IPVanish, PrivadoVPN, PrivateVPN, and VeePN.
VPN providers we recommend without an affiliate relationship:
Mullvad is the primary example. We recommend Mullvad in multiple places on this site for users who prioritize maximum privacy. Mullvad does not operate a traditional affiliate program, which is consistent with their privacy-first approach. When we recommend Mullvad, we earn nothing. We disclose this specifically so you can assess whether our recommendation is commercially motivated. It is not.
We will not publish specific commission percentages for each VPN provider. Most affiliate program agreements prohibit disclosure of specific rates, and rates change over time. What we will tell you is that rate differences do not determine rankings, and we have specifically chosen to rank lower-commission VPNs above higher-commission alternatives when the lower-commission service better serves our readers.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH VPN PROVIDERS
What we accept:
- Affiliate partnerships through public programs open to any qualifying affiliate
- Access to PR contacts for factual questions about a product or service
- Press releases and product announcements, used for research only and never reprinted as content
What we do not accept:
- Payment for reviews or for favorable coverage of any kind
- Paid or sponsored placements in any ranking or best-of guide
- Free extended subscriptions in exchange for positive coverage. We pay for our own subscriptions, including test accounts we subsequently refund.
- Pre-publication review or approval from VPN companies. No VPN provider has seen our content before it was published, and none ever will.
If a VPN provider contacts us to dispute our coverage, we evaluate the feedback on its factual merits only. We have made corrections when providers identified factual errors. We have declined to make changes when the dispute involved editorial judgment. In neither case has the existence of an affiliate relationship influenced the outcome.
UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS
Pricing Verification
We regularly verify the promotional pricing, active deals, and coupon codes on every active page. Pages are updated with a verification timestamp. If pricing displayed on this site does not match what you see at checkout, the deal may have changed between our last check and your visit. Contact us and we will investigate and update same-day.
Corrections Policy
We make mistakes. When we do, we fix them.
Pricing errors are corrected within 24 hours of notification or discovery. Factual errors are corrected within 48 hours, with a note explaining what changed. Broken affiliate links are fixed within 48 hours. Significant errors affecting a recommendation result in the content being pulled from rankings pending a re-review.
If you find an error, email us at info@allthingsvpn.com.
Content Updates
Individual VPN reviews are fully re-tested and rewritten on an annual basis at minimum. Reviews are updated more frequently when a VPN launches a significant new feature, an independent audit is published, an incident or controversy occurs, ownership changes, or pricing shifts in a meaningful way. Every major update includes a new revision date on the page.
FTC COMPLIANCE
This site follows Federal Trade Commission guidelines for affiliate disclosures.
Affiliate disclosures appear prominently at the top of every page containing affiliate links, above the fold and visible without scrolling. Every affiliate link uses rel=”sponsored nofollow” in compliance with FTC and Google requirements. Material connections are disclosed whenever relevant. All reviews reflect genuine opinions based on actual use of the products reviewed.
We apply these standards regardless of the reader’s jurisdiction because we believe they represent the correct framework for honest affiliate publishing.
WHAT THIS SITE IS NOT
We are not lawyers. If you need legal advice about VPN use in your jurisdiction, consult a qualified attorney. Laws governing VPN usage vary significantly across countries, and our content reflects our understanding of publicly available information, not legal counsel.
We are not cryptographers or independent security researchers. We report on VPN security features based on provider claims, published independent audit findings, and our own hands-on leak and kill switch testing. We do not audit VPN source code or assess encryption implementations at the protocol level. For in-depth security evaluation, we defer to published independent audits, which are available for NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN.
We do not cover every VPN on the market. We cover the providers we have personally tested in sufficient depth to write about honestly. There are dozens of VPN providers we do not cover, either because we have not tested them, because their practices do not meet our basic standards, or because they do not differ meaningfully from services we already cover. The absence of a VPN from this site is not an endorsement or a condemnation.
CONTACT
Questions, corrections, disagreements, or tips about something you believe is wrong on this site are welcome.
Tech Insider Publishing LLC 8 The Green, Ste A Dover, DE 19901 Email: info@allthingsvpn.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@allthingsvpn
We respond to most direct inquiries within two business days.
