Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) saw a major boom in India, ever since the country’s government started imposing controls on which websites can be accessed by people, and banned a number of websites and apps that were very popular. In a bid to circumvent such access restrictions, many users of popular apps and services such as PUBG Mobile and TikTok took to adopting VPNs – something that saw VPN services in India grows manifold last year. Furthermore, VPNs are also recognised for their sophisticated encryption standards and for following the most stringent VPN protocols around the world. These enable enhanced security standards that protect users from getting tracked – thus protecting their identities.
VPN for PCs and mobile phones also help you unblock websites or platforms that are officially not yet in the country, and you need back-door entry to access them. For instance, the geo-locked shows on a video streaming site can often be accessed through a VPN. The latter VPN provides you with mirror IP addresses that bounce off different countries for your protection. Below is a list of some of the best VPN apps that can be used on mobile phones and PC, and tell you about their features, benefits, and more.
Also read: PUBG Mobile banned in India: can you still play using VPN?
Table of Contents
What is VPN and how does it work?
VPN is basically the best tool that lets you access the internet without raising any alarm bells. VPN services help you hide your IP address from trackers and advertisers on the website. Your web history is basically a jumbled set of data that could be from anywhere. VPN apps let you select the country from which you want to access a blocked or unavailable website. It also applies to streaming services and content that may not be accessible in India. For example, you can use a VPN to access Netflix content exclusive to a particular region. Banned apps like TikTok and PUBG Mobile were initially accessible through VPN, but the government has applied a blanket ban on these apps. This means if you were thinking of using a VPN to access PUBG Mobile, you’re out of luck.
Best VPN services in India
ProtonVPN
To be clear, ProtonVPN has already expressed its discontent with the Indian VPN laws. However, unlike Nord, Express and Surfshark, have not announced shutting down of their servers from India, and are thus still available in India – at least until the new law comes into effect on June 28.
As a VPN, ProtonVPN is one of the absolute best in the business. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, ProtonVPN has been one of the most reliable providers of free VPN tools – headlined by its allowance of unlimited data quota even through its free tier. Its policy of not logging user data, despite offering the service for free, also made it consistently one of the most reliable and trustworthy VPN services around the world.
The tool was built to support ProtonMail, which is a fully end-to-end encrypted email service with both free and paid tiers. The service uses AES-256 encryption standards, is based on the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocol, and is available across most platforms.
Pros
- Unlimited data bandwidth on free tier
- Good security standard
- No data logging
Cons
- Free tier lets you choose only three locations
PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN is a relatively new VPN provider, which is why it is often regarded as a middle-of-the-table VPN service. Nevertheless, it supports both OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols, but unlike Proton, doesn’t support WireGuard as of now. The service is headquartered in Switzerland and was only started as recently as 2019.
Nevertheless, PrivadoVPN appears to have a very good and reliable privacy policy, which includes no logging of user data even in the free tier, good encryption standards, and a reasonably acceptable interface as well. It is mostly a no-fuss VPN service that you can use for most requirements, which includes video streaming from the popular service providers – alongside web browsing.
Pros
- Good security standards
- Good operating speed
Cons
- Customer support is not very responsive
- Doesn’t work with all streaming services
Windscribe
This Canadian VPN operator supports all prominent VPN protocols, including IKEv2 and WireGuard. It is particularly known for offering a fairly advanced interface for a free VPN service (you can, of course, pay to subscribe to premium tiers). Windscribe has also been ranked as a very reliable service in terms of its encryption standards, and a sophisticated app interface makes using it a good experience as well.
On overall terms, there isn’t much that Windscribe gets wrong. The VPN, which has been in operation for about six years now, does not have an independent third-party security audit process in place, which could raise some eyebrows if it is to back up its overall security reputation. Even though its speeds can be slightly limited at times, Windscribe offers excellent support for most video streaming platforms – thus not leaving users with much to complain about in the free tier.
Pros
- Excellent interface
- Supports all VPN protocols
Cons
- Doesn’t have independent security audit data
IPVanish
IPVanish provides the best of everything, without costing a bomb and that’s primarily why we have included it in our list. The interface gives you tonnes of data and looks really professional like it means business. But it’s not just the looks that we like about IPVanish. It gets two servers in India based in New Delhi and Mumbai which means you get reliable connectivity without any major hiccups. It is widely accessible through apps on PC, Mac, Linux machines, Android phones and iPhones. For streaming buffs, you get Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime among others unlocked. Many local streaming apps also work seamlessly. But the best thing about IPVanish is that you can customise the preference to suit your needs.
Pros
- Easy to customise
- Detailed interface
- Unlimited connections allowed
- Affordable yearly plan
Cons
- Basic security measures adopted
CyberGhost VPN
Demand for VPN services is widespread but if a person needs one just to get high-quality video streaming from platforms across the globe, they have to consider going for CyberGhost VPN. Add to that, you can use the service to download the latest movies and games via torrent all in a secure fashion, with nobody snooping on you. The biggest lure of CyberGhost comes thanks to its large server network of over 6,000 in 111 locations. Out of this, the one server located in India takes care of all your local needs, especially streaming. You can access Netflix US or iPlayer content in India using this VPN service and that too without any lag. And even though torrents work reliably, the limited number of servers in the country means you need to rely on other locations to get fast download speed. Also, CyberGhost will work on 7 devices at the same time.
Pros
- Affordable yearly plan
- Good for video streaming
- Reliable torrent downloads
Cons
- 7 device usage at a time
- P2P support not available on the Indian server
VyprVPN
VyprVPN prides itself on strong security measures and if you go through its feature set, you’ll know why. It adopts a zero-log policy which means none of your web activity is recorded. It supports strong OpenVPN encryption which is recognised as the best in the business. Then you also have a kill-switch option that abandons any session if you feel data might have leaked or passed through the encryption somehow. VyprVPN in India thrives thanks to its wide network of servers in the country. It has servers based out of 70 countries that let you unblock all content services through Netflix US, BBC iPlayer and more. Using its server network helps VyprVPN to deliver fast and lag-free streaming, P2P operations and more.
Pros
- Strong security features
- OpenVPN encryption standard
- Zero-log policy
- Affordable yearly plan
Cons
- Limited network speed
TunnelBear VPN
TunnelBear VPN is probably last on our list because others give you better features, performance and value. But that does not mean you cannot choose TunnelBear out of the lot. Most people might see this VPN service is pretty basic, with not much known about its security protocols and also how it can be one-dimensional in these modern times. It supports 5 devices with a single account. Its biggest limitation also stems from the fewer numbers of countries where it has located its servers. TunnerBear does claim it will never share your data, or sell it to third-party companies but we would have liked it if they adopt a no-log policy instead.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Strong VPN security
- Data not sold to third-party companies
Cons
- Limited features
- Lags behind the competition
- Reach in fewer countries
These were the best VPN services in India. Popular VPNs such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark don’t make it to the list as they are no longer available in the country. The VPNs have shut their servers in India, owing to the laws governing the services.
What are the laws on VPNs in India?
In April this year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) published India’s first set of cyber rules, which sought to regulate a wide range of technologies in the country. As part of these rules, one of the areas that were affected includes VPN services. In a bid to regulate the use of VPNs by users in India, the Indian government said that those offering VPNs in India will be compulsorily required to store identifiable user information, including their internet addresses and usage time stamps, for a period of up to five years.
In the new directive, which has been filed under the jurisdiction of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), VPN providers will be required to store this data in order to improve the cyber security posture of the nation and allow government authorities to track internet usage by those whom they may suspect of unscrupulous activities.
In response to the new laws, numerous popular VPN service providers have expressed dissatisfaction. VPN providers such as ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and Windscribe, some of the world’s top VPN service providers, have said that India’s new laws will mean that no user will be able to maintain their privacy by using VPNs – which is essentially what the point of using it is in the first place.
