VPNs For Digital Nomads

(No affiliate marketing included)

By definition, the best VPN is highly subjective. What’s best for one person is useless, or even detrimental, to another. And although all types of travelers will still have a basic set of needs (such as Netflix streaming to bigger catalogs), some of you digital nomads might have more specific privacy or speed-centric needs.

Because “VPN” is often mentioned in the same breath as “torrenting” I figured I should go ahead and address it. Outside of a few countries (United States, Germany, and England primarily), torrenting isn’t prosecuted, and in some cases, isn’t illegal at all (for personal use).

In fact, in many countries, it can be the only way to see specific movies/TV shows due to the country’s restrictions, or a certain streaming service not having the rights to stream a piece of content in that specific country.

Because torrenting is a popular way to find and watch movies here in Italy (where they block torrenting sites to appease media companies but don’t prosecute), having a VPN on a computer is common. Likewise, to any digital nomads living in China, having a VPN is a must to conduct any business (thus breaching the Great Firewall of China).

If you want to jump straight to the best, or which VPNs I like, then please scroll on down! However, before I jump into them, I’d like to give an incredibly brief overview of what I look for in a VPN.

• Speed
• Privacy

For speed, I look for any VPN that uses the WireGuard Protocol. Without going too in-depth (and truth be told, I can’t go too in-depth without first doing a ton a research), WireGuard is a new[ish] protocol that is replacing the more commonly used OpenVPN protocol. Ideally, it’s more data efficient while being 20–60% faster than the older OpenVPN.

Privacy is a lot harder to define, or look for, in the VPN world. Every VPN can guarantee privacy, but only a handful can actually live up to that promise. So, what is it we can look for?

Is the project actively being developed? Are there steady updates? This means the project is up-to-date with knowledge of the latest exploits and is actively working to defend against them.

How old is the project? Many users will only trust projects that are an absolute minimum of five years old with a clean track record. No hacks, no loss of user data, nothing.

Lastly, for those of you who truly want privacy, you can get a little more particular.

No-logging policy. While most VPNs claim to not keep logs of their users (IP addresses, visited sites, location data, etc.), only a few can back it up through the use of external auditors/journalists, or a court order.

Open source client. This just means anyone can take a look at the programming (if they understand it, which I don’t) and raise any red flags if there are any discrepancies (for instance, a VPN putting a keylogger on your computer).

Anonymous payments. Can you pay with cryptocurrency rather than any kind of payment system that will be traced back to you? This is the least important to me, but I’m also not organizing protests in countries with oppressive regimes.

If you want to…

Torrent: Mullvad

Mullvad is a 10ish-year-old VPN provider with tons to love.

• Anonymous account setup. You don’t need to give any information, even email.
• You can pay with a variety of methods including Paypal, Bitcoin, credit card, and even cash. Just put some cash in an envelope with your account number, and they’ll add time to your VPN. Then, they’ll shred the [non-money] contents of the envelope.
• Externally audited.
• Based in Sweden. (Their location provides a basis for privacy and prevents another country from legally demanding access to user accounts and information.)
• WireGuard (Not only do they use WireGuard, but they were also an early financial supporter of it.)
• Best of all, no paid ads. No affiliate marketing.

Not only does Mullvad set itself apart with all of the above features, but they also charge 5 euros a month. Doesn’t matter if you want to use it for a month, a year, or a lifetime, it’s 5 euros a month and it has been since it launched in 2009.

This is definitely over-the-top if you just want to stream Netflix’s Korean catalog (to catch up on all the latest soaps) while backpacking through Peru. However, if you’re working on something sensitive, or if you’re in a country that really doesn’t want you browsing the Whole Wide World, then this is a great option.

Budget meets Speed: IVPN

Just like Mullvad, IVPN has been in the game for a good while now. They're based out of Gibraltar, another privacy-friendly location.

Just like Mullvad, they:

• Don’t keep logs
• Don’t collect or store personal data (even email)
• Are open-source
• Have independent security audits.
• No affiliate program
• Operate with WireGuard

Starting at $6 a month, IVPN offers discounts depending on how long you sign up for their service.

Streaming shows: NordVPN/Surfshark

To be entirely honest, both of these companies have been a little iffy in the past with their privacy concerns.

However, if you’re just looking to stream and you don’t really care about privacy, both of these VPNs offer a wide range of services perfect for a digital nomad. Plus, if you get one of their discounts, you can bring their monthly price down to a manageable cost.

Both use WireGuard, offer a wide range of countries to choose from (which changes the catalog), and offer fast speeds.

Why aren’t any of these free?

There’s an old adage, especially in the world of online privacy: if you aren’t paying, you’re the product.

So, what about those other ones I keep hearing about?

ExpressVPN: Another oft-shared VPN on the internet due to a lucrative affiliate network. This is owned by Kape Technologies, formerly known as Crossrider, an adware company. Many people have trouble believing that Kape has truly turned over a new leaf and is now more concerned with creating cybersecurity options rather than elaborate adware.

PIA: Another Kape Technologies company.

CyberGhost VPN: Another Kape Technologies company.

At the end of the day, the best VPN is the one that works for you. If you’re based out of a country with more stringent internet surveillance, you might want something with more rigorous privacy protocols. If you’re based out of a privacy-friendly country, going with a cheaper option like NordVPN isn’t a bad idea.

Many VPNs have a free trial and you can get a feel for how they work, how they’re set up, and whether or not they fit your needs.

Nathaniel Mellor is a published short story writer and aspiring travel writer.