network of servers may be smaller than some of its competitors, but this service is tall on speed and features. Its most obvious win, particularly if you have a penchant for connected smart home devices, is its support for unlimited devices. That means you can install Surfshark on your Fire TV Stick without sacrificing one of a limited number of connection choices, as you would with either of the two providers below. 

With more than 3,200 servers in 65 countries, I lost less than 17% of average internet speeds during my . That’s faster than the 27% speed loss I saw — can handle it without breaking a sweat. 

In terms of security, Surfshark received generally high marks when its Chrome and Firefox extensions were by German security firm Cure 53 (), and its encryption options are on par with its peers. While its Fire TV Stick app offers multiple protocol options, its general encryption default is IKEv2 — not the strongest, but the one you’d expect to see used by most VPNs to ensure platform compatibility on your smart TV. You can also enable its kill switch on your Fire TV device, which prevents network data from leaking outside of its secure VPN tunnel in the event the VPN connection fails.

Surfshark’s ability to hop over g you can buy. 

Unlike many of the other VPN providers, Surfshark doesn’t offer a one-year plan. Its best offer is , for its two-year plan (you pay about $60 up front). A six-month plan is $6.49 a month (about $39 up front), and month-by-month plans are $13 a month. Definitely take advantage of its generous 30-day trial to decide if you like this service (and if you choose the two-year plan, maybe set a reminder in 23 months to see if you can talk it into a continued discount rate).

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is like the final boss you have to fight if you’re a VPN industry newcomer. Why? Because it’s got an answer to every advantage you might bring to the table. Your VPN is faster this year? Watch how fast Nord can get when it expands its fleet again. You’ve beefed up your VPN’s security? That’s great, but Nord’s gone 100% RAM-disk and offers co-located and bare metal servers . Even if you’re an established contender like ExpressVPN, you’ve still got to constantly deal with NordVPN’s advertising war chest and willingness to slash prices at the drop of a hat to dominate the market. 

In CNET’s list of overall best VPNs, ExpressVPN currently outranks NordVPN. The key here that puts NordVPN ahead of ExpressVPN for Fire TV Stick is Nord’s consistency. I found NordVPN’s speeds were reliable. There were never any sudden dips or service interruptions, and where I expected the VPN to underperform, it proved itself up to the task. That reliability is what you’re going to need most when it comes to streaming data-heavy media content from providers like .

NordVPN offers a generous simultaneous connection count, with six simultaneous connections through its network, where nearly all other providers offer five or fewer. It also offers a dedicated IP binary option brokers based in usa, for those looking for a different level of VPN connection. NordVPN offers a kill switch fea, NordVPN’s performance was on par with many of its competitors, reducing my speeds by 53% on average (which is slower than the 32% loss measured in previous speed tests). Like ExpressVPN however, NordVPN has been prepping for its next round of races and aiming for the trophy. 

The company’s ($90 billed at once). That price is lower than most contenders, but creeps up for the one-year plan ($4.92 a month or $59 total) and the monthly plan ($12 a month). But it does have a full 30-day refund policy. 

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Although it was the fastest VPN I measured in 2019, ExpressVPN saw a tough year during its . Despite consistently going toe-to-toe with the industry’s heaviest hitters, my tests saw the VPN provider create a 52% overall loss of my normal internet speeds, representing a significant slowdown compared to its 2019 score (an unbelievably fast 2% speed loss). Since then, however, ExpressVPN has bolstered its VPN server fleet and moved to a new that may help it take back the title belt in a tight competition. 

In the privacy world, ExpressVPN has a strong track record, having experienced a VPN server seizure by authorities that proved its zero-log policy true at the time. Since then, ExpressVPN has moved to all RAM-disk servers for even stronger privacy protection. I also like the quality of the VPN’s setup guides and the . 

Like the rest of the top five VPN services CNET’s reviewed, ExpressVPN offers a useful kill switch feature. Unlike the others, though, gained points for its support of bitcoin as a payment method — something not all of the best VPN services offer, but which adds an additional layer of privacy during checkout.

Yes, ExpressVPN is definitely going to cost you more than Surfshark. And more than most other VPNs for that matter. But that’s the price you pay for a VPN that’s paid its reputational dues, even when it meant getting its servers seized during the investigation of an international assassination. The VPN service has been in business since 2009, and has a substantial network of fast VPN servers spread across 94 countries. a month for an annual package, which includes three months free. 

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