You may use open-source VPN clients for your Linux, but they are not always safe and don’t have as many features and protection options as those native apps from prominent and reputable providers. Furthermore, high-quality VPNs for Linux are problematic because most developers do not consider Linux users a potentially rewarding target audience. That is why we have attempted to analyze different VPN clients for Linux that deserve attention and can strongly recommend three of them.
What Should You Expect from an Excellent VPN for Linux?
We have taken into account several essential criteria to pick the best VPNs for Linux. They involve:
- entire availability;
- the minimal need for manual configuration;
- reliable online security features;
- no logs for Internet activities and IP addresses;
- unblocking geo-restricted streaming services, websites, and software.
Therefore, a good-quality VPN (Virtual Private Network) should encrypt all the traffic from and to your device and direct it to the location of your choice via an intermediary server. Its most vital benefit is improving your online privacy, ensuring security while using public wi-fi, and giving access to any site or app irrelated to your geolocation.
Ensuring Privacy Is Mandatory
A VPN is designed to ensure privacy from hackers, Internet service providers, governments, or anybody interested in your online activities. The encryption of all the data that comes to or leaves your device ensures the entire privacy. The most common encryptions used by most reliable VPNs are 128-bit and 256-bit AES. If a stranger wants to get the information from your computer, they will receive an indecipherable set of signs.
Moreover, no hacker can see where your traffic is going or coming from. The only thing that is available to track is that some data is moving to and fro between your device and the VPN server. Your IP address is reliably hidden, too, so no adware can penetrate your system and bother you anymore, and no identity thief can use your data to create their own profiles. The reliable VPNs for Linux we describe here do not use logs to store your traffic and activities.
Full Security Is Vital
If your Linux VPN can ensure privacy effectively, it also ensures the security of all your accounts. No online threats can penetrate your device anymore, even if you stream from a public wi-fi. These unsecured wi-fi systems with unprotected routers are great prey for hackers who create fake accounts and hotspots to damage devices connected to them.
You may not feel secure even if you are not using public wi-fi. Some threats can penetrate your Linux device even when working online from home. But, again, a VPN masks your IP address, so hackers cannot target you anymore. The VPNs we are speaking about also have built-in filters against any malware.
Access to Your Favorite Websites When Abroad
Some websites cannot be available to residents of some countries. If you go there, you may not be able to visit them. Your Linux VPN helps regain this access, including video streaming on such popular platforms as Amazon Prime Video of Hulu. Using banking or shopping websites from abroad is also safe with a VPN because it hides your location.
However, many governments and authorities strongly oppose using VPs on Linux computers. So, they try to block the content unavailable from other countries even if you use a VPN.
Great Help for Bypassing Censorship
Live or go to an authoritarian country or visit a company whose office building is strictly protected from using information online. A VPN can help you route the traffic around the firewall and bypass this censorship. First, however, you need a specific VPN for Linux that can unblock the censorship.
Torrenting Is Available
Your ISP will oppose torrenting because you can download something from there illegally and punish your account for that. The most unpleasant penalty is restricting the bandwidth. In addition, torrents can be hazardous to use sometimes because some can collect IP addresses and send them for blackmailing via the ISP.
Therefore, a VPN is essential when you are torrenting from a Linux computer because your IP address is covered. In addition, the VPN clients described below do not log IPs, so copyright blackmailers cannot track you.
Thus, let’s consider the top 3 VPNs for Linux we have tested and can responsively recommend to you.
ExpressVPN
Users highly appreciate this VPN due to its fast speed, complete security, and unique app. It was released in April 2016, and since then, it has become one of the most popular VPNs. It uses a command-line interface, updates the server list, and allows switching between TCP and UDP via the OpenVPN protocol. Its cost is a bit higher than other VPNs, but the developer provides a 30-day money-back guarantee if you need a different choice. In addition, ExpressVPN can work on Kali, Fedora, Ubuntu, and other platforms.
The VPN ensures complete privacy, high speed, total security, and professional customer support. It can work perfectly with HBO, Netflix, and Hulu. It protects up to five devices simultaneously and has recently introduced a kill switch.
The VPN has a comprehensive server network of more than three thousand servers in 94 countries. It’s only drawback is that it is expensive and may need to provide complete control to those who want to use it for professional purposes.
Surfshark
This VPN is also pretty reliable, featuring a command-line app applicable to Debian and Ubuntu. You can opt for any server location and get a high-speed connection with it. It works perfectly if you travel a lot and want to stream continuously while on the go. It can provide secure access to BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. It does not keep any logs and allows torrenting.
Surfshark can support an unlimited number of connections per account run simultaneously. So if you want to travel with family or friends, it is priceless. In addition, you can connect the technical support via live chat 24/7, which is a great benefit. The app is also available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. However, it can be occasionally slow, and some users find it is its most essential drawback.
NordVPN
The former is your best option if you need to choose between NordVPN and OpenVPN. NordVPN is an inexpensive command-line app for Linux that was launched in August 2018. The app does not have a graphical user interface (GUI), so it is very fast to set up and does not need any manual configuration. The app has such excellent characteristics as an automated kill switch, anti-malware filters, and an ad blocker.
You can find a great base of tutorials like the Linux setup instructions for various protocols, such as (PPTP, OpenVPN, and IKEv2). NordVPN is based in Panama. It allows for six simultaneous connections, does not use logs, and ash specialized streaming servers for more convenience. It supports Hulu, Netflix, and BBC iPlayer perfectly well. Its network includes more than 5,200 servers in over 60 countries. The connections are double-secured with AES 256-bit encryption and kept secret by the cutting-edge IKEv2 protocol. However, the complicated desktop app may be difficult to use for beginners. You can also try the VPN risk-free for 30 days with a money-back guarantee.
Final Thoughts
Therefore, you have three excellent options for VPNs for Linux here. You need to consider what you want the VPN for and choose the most appropriate variant. Or you can look for some other brand-new options on the Net. First, remember that these VPNs have a lot of positive customer reviews and are immensely popular among Linux users. Trying something new is often attractive, but never get tempted by the open-source and free variants because you may come across scams and fraud.