10 Best VPNs according to Reddit (2020): Rating of 5 Paid and 5 Free Services

This article discusses two topics:

1. The analysis of Reddit comments about VPNs. This review of 10 VPN services (5 paid ones and 5 free ones) for different tasks is based on the most recent Reddit comments.
2. Selecting the best VPN to unblock Reddit. Unfortunately, Reddit is inaccessible in China. There also was a case of its partial blocking in India in March 2019. Some countries also block certain discussions and topics. In this article, we’ll tell you how to unblock Reddit safely and effortlessly.

Additionally, you will learn:

• why we only take recent comments (not older than 1 year) into consideration,
• what VPNs should not be used despite their positive reviews and why,
• how we excluded biased Reddit comments.

You can use the quick navigation to access any section you want:

1. The Analysis of the Reddit Reviews of a VPN

• The Best VPN in 2021 according to Reddit
• The Best VPN for Netflix according to  Reddit
• The Best VPN for Android according to  Reddit
• The Best VPN for Torrent users according to  Reddit
• The Best Free VPN according to Reddit

2. How Can You Unblock Reddit?

• The Best VPN to Unblock Reddit
• FAQ
• Conclusion

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1. The analysis of Reddit comments about VPNs

Here on CoolTechZone.com, we have dozens of articles, reviews, and ratings based on our experts’ evaluations. These articles take user reviews into consideration as well.

But what if we do it vice versa?

So we decided to write this review of VPNs, which is based, first of all, on Reddit comments and only secondly on the opinions of our experts.

To make this review more captivating, we divided it into five parts. Each of them describes a definite aspect of the use of VPNs.

Let’s start with the most general section that is dedicated to finding the best all-round VPN service.

The best VPN in 2021 according to Reddit

On Reddit, there are a lot of VPNs that are discussed. We, however, selected only those that were heavily discussed within one year. There aren’t enough reviews of obsolete and tiny VPN providers to judge them objectively. This is why we did not include them in our review.

Out of the VPN services that remained, we chose those that besides having enough positive reviews also

• have apps for many platforms,
• do not have any serious software issues,
• do not keep user activity logs,
• have other important features that Redditors may not know about.

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And so I present to you the Top 5 VPNs according to Reddit:

1. ExpressVPN (Express VPN, Express)

ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPN services with the biggest number of positive reviews.

The provider shows up due to the number of positive posts and comments almost in all investigated subreddits and reviews. I think it works less stable than its competitors only in China. And that only in some provinces.

What do Reddit users mean when they recommend using ExpressVPN?

Positive reviews:

Traditionally, Reddit users spend a lot of time discussing Netflix:

The high score of ExpressVPN speed for torrenting:

ExpressVPN is used in China:

Negative reviews:

ExpressVPN does not support all Netflix countries:

• Update (March 2020): We’ve tested all the locations mentioned by the author and didn’t detect any bugs in Netflix unblocking. It’s likely to be a one-time problem that was fixed quickly.

Complaints about the work of Split Tunneling (the choice of applications for which a VPN is disabled) – it does not work on PC:

You may use it for other purposes without worries. And we agree with users that there are the same reliable and cheaper VPN providers.

Read more about ExpressVPN in our review

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2. NordVPN (Nord, Nord VPN)

NordVPN is the leader of the popularity on Reddit. It is good for everything. And you can hardly find a topic about a VPN where NordVPN isn’t mentioned.

There is a vast majority of positive reviews but there are also negative reviews.

I’ll give you some examples.

Positive reviews:

The use of NordVPN allows unblocking Netflix:

The user karmakoma1980 received two responses to the question about NordVPN: ‘’What VPN is to choose to replace PIA for Netflix?’’

The user UncleMyers concerns about the NordVPN speed having become bad. But the user was given the answer about the necessity to change a server:

This response also claimed that there were not any problems with NordVPN:

The user yanno88 is looking for a VPN for using crypto. NordVPN was recommended to the user:

Negative reviews

NordVPN is cheap only with a 3-year plan:

There are problems with iPadOS:

You can find a lot of different comments, both positive and negative, about NordVPN. The same is true for any other VPN service. While some people have been using this provider for years and have no intention of looking for a different one, others aren’t satisfied with the speed on certain servers. You can always find differing opinions.

Then why is NordVPN rated #1?

That’s because the number of positive reviews and recommendations is significantly larger than that of the negative opinions about the provider. Besides, there are recent comments about NordVPN in regard to almost every sphere of application of the VPN technology. For many other providers, you can only find information on the most popular topics or read 6 to 12 months old comments.

I should point out that NordVPN is also #1 according to the CoolTechZone experts. You can find an honest report about our 6-month long study of the provider on our site.

Read more about NordVPN in our review

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3. Private Internet Access (PIA, Private)

Private Internet Access (PIA) is known for its high speed and the highest security standards. It is perfect for hiding IP, allows torrenting but will be especially interesting for advanced users because it offers many VPN connection settings.

How do Reddit users assess PIA?

Positive reviews:

The users discuss VPNs speed. According to @SonicIPTV, NordVPN is slower than PIA:

PIA “No-Logging” policy was confirmed once again:

And you may find the attached link that confirms this information.

Negative reviews:

Is PIA good for Netflix? No, it isn’t:

As any service, PIA has failures:

Private Internet Access is not so good for Netflix and it is more expensive as NordVPN but the proven high speed and extended connection settings make it attractive for any other destinations. Therefore, PIA has so many fans and few opponents. In general, after analyzing the topics of the Reddit posts with the mention of Private Internet Access, I believe that it’s a very serious company that even concerns politics and sponsorship.

There are many posts about cooperation with large IT companies

It sharply highlights PIA among competitors which have 70-80% of posts about support Netflix.

Read more about PIA VPN in our review

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4. Surfshark (Surfshark VPN, Surf)

As of early 2019, almost nobody has heard about Surfshark. But now, Redditors recommend it as one of the best VPNs.

It combines one of the lowest prices with a high level of technical capabilities. The rates of its popularity growth on Reddit matches the rates of its technical development. Our experts agree that Surfshark has become one of the best VPNs in 1 year.

So what is the word about Surfshark?

Positive reviews:

Redditors praise Surfshark for its stability, ability to manage difficult tasks and even bypass the Great Firewall of China.

Here are some posts from a thread about anonymous Internet access:

And here’s a recent post saying that Surfshark unblocks Disney+:

And another one about its successful use in China:

Negative reviews:

It seems that Surfshark doesn’t work with Dreamlink set-top boxes:

Having analyzed dozens of comments about Surfshark, we concluded that it is regarded as one of the best VPNs on Reddit. There were so many positive reviews that we struggled to find at least one negative.

Besides, opinions of the Reddit users match those of our experts who have placed Surfshark on the second spot in our rating of  the best VPN providers.

Read more about Surfshark in our review

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5. Mullvad (Mullvad VPN)

Mullvad is a quite popular VPN that we found Redditors use for torrenting and anonymity. Many customers who have been using Mullvad for a year or more still keep using it.

The best thing Mullvad has to offer is the support of the promising new WireGuard protocol. This protocol allows reaching top speed while minimizing the CPU load.

At the same time, some Reddit posts that we’ve seen complained about Mullvad’s Windows app working poorly as well as about the lack of mobile apps.

Positive reviews:

Mullvad reviews often mention its good level of privacy, high speed, and the WireGuard protocol.

Privacy:

Speed:

WireGuard:

Negative reviews:

Redditors are unhappy with Mullvad’s customer support. They also complain about the lack of Android and iOS apps.

We on CoolTechZone.com do not consider Mullvad VPN to be one of the best services and have to agree with negative reviews. On the other hand, we must reckon with so many opinions of satisfied customers. Thus, we give this service the fifth spot on our best VPNs according to Reddit list.

Read more about Mullvad in our review

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The Best VPN for Netflix according to Reddit

Unblocking Netflix is the most popular topic on Reddit connected with the use of a VPN. It was not difficult for us to analyze the opinions of users and come to a clear conclusion which VPNs are better with unblocking Netflix.

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1. ExpressVPN

A hands-down winner according to Netflix support is ExpressVPN. Our test results, as well as Redditors’ reviews, prove it.

When conducting our latest tests in March 2020, the provider has managed to unlock all the regions (DE not with the second shot).

The reviews are generally positive. Also, ExpressVPN is recommended for other streaming services including Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and so on.

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2. NordVPN (Nord, Nord VPN)

NordVPN unblocks Netflix almost at the same level. The difference lies in a lower speed when connecting to the US locations. But it’s enough for high-quality video. Despite the fact that it doesn’t have special servers for streaming, it copes well with geo-restrictions. But there is one remark. Users report that sometimes it is necessary to look for a suitable server in unpopular locations. But everything works well for the US, CA, UK. Some users complain about the speed. But as practice shows, it is a matter of choosing a server.

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3. Surfshark (Surfshark VPN, Surf)

Surfshark is a new VPN in this review. It is a ‘’young’’ VPN service that has become a professional in a year. This is confirmed by our research and user reviews.

Surfshark, as well as NordVPN, doesn’t have special servers for streaming but it also copes with unblocking Netflix, Hulu, and others.

There are some Reddit reviews:

The user NetflixViaVPN asked if it was possible to change NordVPN for Netflix to Surfshark. And here’s the answer:

Another user likes Surfshark:

We did not analyze the reviews of 2018 when Surfshark began to develop. We could not find negative posts or reviews of the work of this provider with streaming in 2020.    

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The Best VPN for Android according to Reddit

What is the difference between a good Android VPN and just a VPN? The difference is in application operation. Indeed, the comfort and safety of the user depend on the application operation. It develops a VPN channel, blocks leaks and is responsible for all additional functions. So, according to Reddit, we know about the three leaders of VPNs. Are they in line with the three leaders of Android VPN? Yes, they are ☺

The user SRT47 asks others what is the best VPN for Android? Here’s the answer:

This is not the only opinion were the main VPNs are listed. We constantly analyze Reddit updating our reviews of VPN services and have seen many other VPNs that are successfully used on Android devices. However, it seems that other providers don’t have as many positive reviews as NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access have.

Also, you may find ProtonVPN (read the review of ProtonVPN). But it’s difficult to find anything about  IPVanish and VyprVPN. But they were among the leaders in the reviews 2 years ago. All these providers offer constantly updated applications for Android. They do not require additional settings, are easy to use and not different from the desktop versions in functionality.

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The Best VPN for Torrent Users according to Reddit

Millions of users around the world actively use torrents - video content, music, software, books, tutorials. But it is also well known that torrenting is illegal in many countries. Reddit users have repeatedly complained that they were fined for downloading completely harmless files. But it would not have happened if they used a good VPN that does not keep logs and has a Kill Switch. What VPN services for torrent do people recommend on Reddit?

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1. ExpressVPN

The users entrust sensible tasks like torrenting to ExpressVPN. They say about its spotless reputation, no-logging policy, and safe BVI jurisdiction outside “5/9/14 Eyes”.

I also want to mention that ExpressVPN doesn’t conceal the fact that it protects its torrent users and updated its server park with diskless servers last year. It guarantees the absence of user activity logs.

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2. NordVPN (Nord, Nord VPN)

It is expected that the VPN leader will also be in the top three VPNs for torrent. NordVPN does allow torrenting, does not keep logs, has high speed and provides well-protected applications. We won't quote from Reddit. Believe me that there are a lot of positive reviews.

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3. Private Internet Access (PIA, Private)

PIA is advised by users because it doesn’t keep logs. If other VPNs only claimed their “No-logging” policy, but PIA proved it in 2016 and 2018.

Here’re some reviews about PIA:

 

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The best free VPN according to Reddit

The majority of so-called free VPNs are, in fact, paid VPN services that have a limited free plan. Those limits can affect speed, the choice of countries, functionality, the amount of traffic, or all of the above. There are no 100% free VPNs with easy-to-use apps.

That’s why it’s harder to choose a free VPN than a regular service based on Reddit posts. Some users praise them but most customers criticize them.

The field of application of free VPNs is not as wide as that of paid services. Judging by the comments, they work poorly with Netflix and have slow speeds. Besides, they can collect their users’ personal data and impose a lot of limitations on them.

A separate category of posts and reviews consists of free VPNs. Some people like them but others criticize them. And it’s hard to choose a free VPN than ordinary paid VPNs because the field of using free VPNs is worse than paid VPNs offer. According to the reviews, they do not work well with Netflix and they have low torrent speeds.

For example, some reviews of a free VPN and Netflix:

And this is the answer to the user thinkpad who is looking for a free VPN:

Another user doesn’t recommend using a free VPN:

We will analyze the example of the three most popular free VPNs among users of Reddit to know more about their nuances.

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1. ProtonVPN (Proton VPN, Proton)

ProtonVPN is discussed on Reddit pretty frequently. It is quite natural since it is the best free VPN as of this day.

ProtonVPN is a very capable service and what it does, it does for free, although with a caveat. Its features include:

• unblocking Netflix,
• the use of torrents,
• high speed,
• great country choice.

But only for the first 7 days. This is how long the “Plus” plan free trial lasts.

After that period is over, ProtonVPN’s users can’t access torrenting websites and Netflix. The speed is capped, the number of locations and device connections goes down. However, using ProtonVPN for simple tasks such as unblocking websites and anonymous Web-surfing with an average speed is still possible.

Positive reviews:

The review of ProtonVPN application operation:

There are two messages about ProtonVPN good speed:

Negative reviews:

There is a post with a warning about the danger of using Free VPN:

The user YellaDef (ProtonVPN customer support pointed out his error) tried to unblock Netflix with a free server on a paid plan by mistake and it did not work:

Read our review of ProtonVPN.

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2. Windscribe

Windscribe VPN is popular on Reddit. Its free plan is limited to 10 Gb of traffic per month – more than other similar VPNs provide. Besides, it hosts special offers on Reddit from time to time. One such special offer allowed increasing one’s bandwidth to 50 Gb per month.

Windscribe’s paid plan is often used, for example, to access the VPN in China.

The free version of Windscribe, however, has severe issues with speed. This fact is confirmed by our tests.

Positive reviews:

The user 420BAXTER is looking for a good free VPN and here’re the responses:

Windscribe was recommended for Firestick:

Negative reviews:

There are complaints about the speed. For example:

Connection problems are on Android:

Keep on reading more in our review of Windscribe.

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3. TunnelBear

TunnelBear is not as frequently recommended as other services. The reason for that is its free version’s 500 Mb per month traffic limit. It can be upgraded to 1 Gb. However, TunnelBear offers a great selection of countries and well-made apps for all platforms, making it a good enough option for the infrequent use of a VPN.

TunnelBear is very convenient to use, provides great functionality, doesn’t contain ads and is, generally, a good-tier VPN.

Redditors do not recommend TunnelBear very often now. Apparently, its popularity has sharply decreased over the past few years.

Positive reviews:

Negative reviews:

On Reddit, there is a huge Reddit post talking about the flaws of TunnelBear. In it, a user speaks about their bad experience with the paid version of this VPN. Since the paid and the free version have the same functionality and software, that post may be of use to you.

Opinions have also been voiced that TunnelBear is not to be trusted after its acquisition by McAfee in 2018:

You can also read our full TunnelBear review.

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4. VPN Gate (VPNgate)

VPN Gate is the network of VPN servers owned by volunteers. It does not have an application only for PC, and users of other platforms can use it with OpenVPN client or by setting up a VPN manually. It is not as easy as using shrink-wrap applications but it is quite effective.

The experience of the successful use of VPN Gate on iOS:

But there are some negative reviews. For example, in this review, it was called “sketch”

Keep on reading more in the review of VPN Gate.

So, Reddit can offer a lot of useful information. But some messages aren’t similar to the truth. We have seen a lot of posts where users expressed their dissatisfaction with the quality of VPN services but their problems were only the result of their inexperience or high expectations.

Therefore, you should not choose a VPN only by reviews. I recommend you to take into account the opinions of professionals and compare information from Reddit with the reviews created by experts. It will allow you to save time and money.

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5. Opera VPN

It was no mean feat to find the fifth free VPN recommended by Reddit. Most often, Redditors advise against using free providers at all or endorse ProtonVPN or Windscribe. Other VPNs are mentioned nowhere near as frequently.

In our opinion, Opera VPN is number 5.

Redditors use Opera VPN to unblock and anonymously visit websites through the Opera browser. This service is not really a VPN but a proxy so Opera VPN doesn’t protect other apps’ traffic. Redditors know about it and often frown upon the use of proxies.

Positive reviews:

Negative reviews:

We recommend against using a proxy. There are many full-fledged VPN services that support proven and reliable VPN protocols and allow data protection as well as hiding one’s real location.

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2. How Can You Unblock Reddit?

If for some reason you can’t open Reddit, then your ISP or network administrator blocked it. The first thing you may try is to change your DNS in the configurations of your IPv4 connection.

The list of public DNS servers which are affordable for free:

• 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google)
• 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare)
• 199.85.126.10 and 199.85.127.10 (Norton)
• 8.26.56.26 and 8.20.247.20 (Comodo)

If it didn’t work, you have Virtual Private Network (VPN) to bypass Reddit blocking.

The Best VPN to Unblock Reddit

All providers presented here have the technical feature to bypass blocks of private networks and blocks made by any country.

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1. NordVPN

NordVPN is good for unblocking Reddit because it offers:

• a huge number of servers (more than 5000),
• excellent protection of personal data on the user's location,
• “No Logging” policy,
• VPN protocol obfuscation.

It really works in China, Iran and other countries with strict censorship. To start using, you only need to subscribe anonymously on the NordVPN website. The service costs $3.49 per month but there are two ways to use NordVPN for free:

• a 7-day trial period for mobile devices,
• a 30-day money-back guarantee.

We highlight that you may subscribe anonymously. NordVPN accepts both credit cards and other personalized payment methods and cryptocurrencies. Visit the NordVPN website or read more in our review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is less popular than NordVPN but it is also effective for unblocking Reddit.

There are Surfshark necessary characteristics to bypass blocking:

• 800+ servers
• User IP protection, reliable traffic encryption,
• “No Logging” policy,
• VPN protocol obfuscation,
• Double VPN.

We tested the apps for all devices and found that No Borders mode (obfuscation) is only available for the desktop version. It means that mobile applications may not help to use Reddit in China, Iran, etc.

But Surfshark is cheaper than NordVPN and costs $1.99 per month.

You additionally may get:

• a 7-day trial period for Android and iOS,
• a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Surfshark is available anonymously with cryptocurrencies as a payment method. Visit the Surfshark website or read more in our review of Surfshark.

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3. AstrillVPN

AstrillVPN is popular among the citizens of the Asia region. It is connected with the fact that it has many servers in the region, is adapted for use in China, and offers two VPN protocols with obfuscation.

• servers in 155 cities in 64 countries,
• user IP protection, reliable traffic encryption,
• “No Logging” policy,
• obfuscation of two VPN protocols,
• Dedicated IP,
• Double VPN.

AstrillVPN will easy help to unblock Reddit in any country but it costs higher than competitors’ offer. You may pay more than $8.33 per month.

However, AstrillVPN is affordable for free with a limited choice of countries:

• a 7-day trial period for all platforms with phone verification.

You can pay for the service by card, UnionPay, PayPal, Alipay, Perfect Money and bitcoins.

Visit AstrillVPN

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FAQ

? What is the best VPN Reddit?

According to most Reddit users, ExpressVPN is the best VPN service. It is often used to reach confidentiality, access geo-restricted content, bypass censorship, protect public networks and others.  

ExpressVPN is also recommended in the posts dedicated to the search of the proper or best VPN service.

⚠ Why are Redditors against a free VPN?

Take a look:

“Don’t use free VPNs.” There are a lot of similar posts on Reddit. Users often warn against opting for free VPN services.

Why, though?

Having analyzed dozens of comments criticizing free VPNs, we have come up with this list of the main reasons for disliking them:

1. Instability
2. Low speeds
3. Many restrictions and limitations (Netflix, torrenting)
4. The general quality of service is poorer than that of paid VPNs
5. Log keeping
6. Private data can be sold to third parties
7. Too many ads

We should add that not all free VPNs have these drawbacks. However, we have to agree that they have a lot of serious limitations, and require being very careful to be used.

? How not to get confused by Reddit comments?

The VPN industry is a dynamically developing market where key changes can happen within a month. Some providers can support Netflix today but they won’t do it tomorrow. Others have a free trial today but they won’t offer it tomorrow. And we can say the same thing about user complaints. Good VPN services quickly correct defects and then the relevance of complaints is lost.

Reviews of VPN services should be analyzed from the latest to the oldest. However, these reviews should be posted within a year. Otherwise, their objectivity is completely lost which was confirmed by us. Another feature of the choice of VPN on Reddit is a large number of paid reviews and advertising. It is connected with high competition and low prices in the VPN market. Companies actively use marketing and manipulate potential users. You need to distinguish objective posts and recommendations from advertising.

But even a good intuition and search experience do not guarantee that a chosen VPN will be the best for you. There are some technical features that few ordinary users can understand: nuances of encryption protocols, authentication, application protection, and others. It may cause unpleasant surprises and danger. Thus, we suggest combining professional studies with the analysis of the experience of Reddit users.

❔ Why is a VPN the best way to unblock?

We choose a VPN technology to bypass blocking and have anonymous Internet access because it is both the most efficient and the most multifunctional way. There are other methods (TOR and proxy) but they have many limitations (although their use in combination with VPN is desirable in particularly complex tasks).

The most important advantage of a modern VPN for users is VPN services in the market that provide both a free VPN and a paid VPN. They make the use of VPN easier and more efficient than other ways do.

But you can’t call any VPN service as an excellent VPN, especially if it is a free one. That's business. And like any business, there are honest players in the VPN industry and those who want to make money with only a beautiful wrapper. VPNs have very different infrastructure and capabilities. You can choose a good VPN only with the help of technical tests and practical use, taking into account the accumulated opinions of users. We've been doing this for you for four years.

In the next chapter, you will read about the best VPN providers presented by CoolTechZone unblocking sites that can cope with The Great Firewall of China. 

? Is It Safe to Use a VPN?

The high efficiency of a VPN technology is often puzzling. Is it legal?

The answer is clear: it is absolutely legal in ALL countries of the world.

Technically, this is only a feature of the TCP/IP Protocol which is used by absolutely everyone who is connected to the Internet.

Many companies and government agencies could not work without a VPN. However, in some countries, the use of foreign and not approved VPN services by a government is limited or prohibited. First of all, it’s connected to political reasons. The authorities detect and block illegal VPN connections with the help of technological tools. Is it safe? Perhaps, it isn’t. But millions of people try to gain access to blocked resources, including Reddit. The prosecutions are extremely rare but it is much safer to use VPN services adapted to strict censorship we have told you.

You can find more information about adapted VPNs in our review of VPN providers for China.

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Conclusion

We have discussed two large topics related to VPNs and Reddit in this review: analyzing Reddit posts and the ways to unblock reddit.com.

What are our conclusions?

• best VPNs have a lot of positive reviews and comments in several categories at once;
• there aren’t many truly good VPN services;
• free VPNs are worse than paid ones;
• gaining access to reddit.com is easy with a VPN.

The opinions of the regular users and the experts generally match. It bears reminding, though, that regular users may not know everything about a VPN’s obscure app features or about its policy. A service can work perfectly on one platform while having huge issues on another. This is why we recommend that you do not take only the popular cry into account but also listen to the opinions of the professionals.

On our site, we have professional reviews and ratings of every provider listed in this article. These reviews also have sections dedicated to consumers’ comments.

Reddit holds insanely valuable knowledge of millions of netizens.  Not everyone has access to that information but it can be easily and safely remedied with a VPN.

It’s curious that it is from Reddit that we know how to reliably unblock it :)

We hope you find this review useful. Discover many more articles and reviews on CoolTechZone.com.