The word VPN itself takes many Zimbabweans back to late January 2019 when the government was playing with the internet switch. For days many people failed to use social media as it was blocked whereas other parts of the internet were working. For those who desperately needed to keep in touch with their loved ones during that time, they resorted to using VPN services which bypassed the social media block.
Since social media is disproportionately accessed via mobile phones, we used VPNs services through mobile apps. As much as there is a countless number of mobile app VPN services, so is there a countless number of software VPN services for laptops or desktops. You may ask why you still need a VPN when social media isn’t blocked anymore, read this article: 5 More Things You Didn’t Know You Can Do With A VPN. Anyways, below I have compiled my 5 best software VPN services that you can use on your laptop/desktop.
Psiphon
For a completely free service, Psiphon is surprisingly quite good. Psiphon functions, in principle, like any other VPN. It creates a connection between your computer and Psiphon’s servers, then using that link to give you an anonymous, ‘snooper-free connection’. You will bump into adverts that pop up in your browser when you connect to Psiphon. Fortunately the ads are not obtrusive. As it happens, Psiphon is what I use for both my laptop and phone. It’s completely free.
Betternet
This is perhaps one of the easy to use VPN services. You can activate the services in just one click so its ideal for clueless beginners. Betternet allows you to browse the web in anonymous mode by constantly changing your IP address. However, Betternet doesn’t allow you to choose the server to connect to. It’s available in both free and premium versions. The free version is good enough for privacy and security. Even so, upgrading for privacy reasons is really not necessary as it randomly hides IP addresses.
Spotflux
It’s a free VPN service that’s ad-supported. It is especially good for those who are into heavy downloading or regular video streaming. Spotflux encrypts your connection and enables you to access the web, browse, and transfer data anonymously. What’s good about this service is that it not just keeps your data safe from the hacker’s claws, but also blocks ISP’s from snooping on your data or keeping a track of all your online activities.
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN has all the right ingredients to be included in the list of best free VPN. You can use the service from any country of your choice to overcome online restrictions hassle-free. By doing so, you can access to your desired sites or content straightaway.
What’s more? The software also allows you to fake your IP address thus, making sure that your data is safe. It’s available in both free and premium versions and connects the users to its servers located in different countries across the globe.
HotSpot Shield
HotSpot Shield has been around for many years now. Your data and identity are completely safe even in public networks when you use HotSpot Shield. It comes in both free and premium versions. The free version offers only US-based servers but considering that you can still hide your identity and your data is encrypted, HotSpot Shield is a very good option.
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Thank you sir/ma’am