Security

The Top 3 VPN Services For Android (2024 Edition)

When it comes to subscription based VPN services, there are a few things to look out for when selecting a quality provider. This guide helps you choose the best option for your specific needs.

Published

4 years ago

June 15, 2021

Joanna Melki

Unsplash

If you’re anything like us, you probably spend a great deal of your time glued to your smartphone or tablet. And with every activity on those devices involving an internet connection, it’s vital that our apps and data are secured from hackers and malicious snooping. In this article, we’re going to give you a brief overview of why you need to protect your online activity with a VPN, and then review three of our favorite VPN services for Android.

So What Exactly Is A VPN?

VPN is the acronym for “Virtual Private Network”. When a VPN is installed on your Android device, instead of connecting to the internet directly, the phone or tablet will first connect to the VPN’s server, which will then connect to the wider internet.

In effect, the VPN acts as a go-between for connecting to the web, creating an encrypted “tunnel” that prevents third parties from snooping on your data. When connected to a VPN, you’ll be able to do all of the normal things you might want to do on the internet, using an external IP address through a server that masks your real location.

Why Use A VPN On Your Android Device?

When you’re out and about in public, you almost certainly use your phone or tablet to connect to free WiFi networks. These public hotspots can be targeted by hackers and fraudsters, who can intercept your data and in some cases, steal confidential information. If you regularly check your banking apps, log in to social media accounts or send emails whilst on a public network, you have a very real risk of having your data intercepted and stolen.

Also Read: Is Your Phone Hacked? How To Find Out & Protect Yourself

With a VPN in place, your data and browsing activity are kept safe, because everything that you send or receive on your device is funneled through an encrypted connection to the VPN’s server.

In addition to WiFi security, a VPN hides your location, IP address and browsing history. That means that your phone carrier or internet service provider are unable to view and log your entire browsing history. It also means that you can spoof being in a different country, giving you access to region specific content on Netflix and other services that isn’t available in your part of the world.

Are VPNs Difficult To Use?

Absolutely not! Most VPNs these days are extremely simple to use. Once you’ve paid for an account, all you’ll need to do is download the accompanying Android app and enter your login details.

There’s little or no technical steps required to get up and running. You’ll simply have to decide upon a server location and whether you want to have the VPN running all the time. After that, your device will work as normal and you shouldn’t even notice that the VPN is there.

How To Choose An Android VPN

These days, there’s a huge selection of VPN providers to choose from. You can test out a free VPN service if simply want to understand how the technology works, but we’d suggest opting for a better quality paid offering, as you’ll almost certainly get faster speeds, and you won’t have to put up with annoying adverts or data limits.

When it comes to subscription based VPN services, there are a few things to look out for when selecting a quality provider:

Check that the speeds and response time are good.
Make sure the service doesn’t limit data.
Check the data logging policy.
Find out what encryption the company uses.
Make sure there are plenty of server locations to choose from.
If you’re concerned about privacy, research where the company is based.
Look for additional features like adblocking and multi-hop services.

The Five, Nine & 14 Eyes

“The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing arrangement between five English-speaking democracies: the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It evolved during the Cold War” – BBC News

The arrangement later added Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway, becoming The Nine Eyes, and eventually Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden to create The 14 Eyes. These countries are known to actively gather information about their citizens and share it with each other when needed, effectively spying on their citizens. If you’re concerned about your online privacy, you should choose a VPN that’s based outside of these jurisdictions.

If that all sounds a little complicated, you’re in luck: We’ve tested a variety of VPN services for Android over the years, and we think we’ve narrowed it down to three subscription based services that each provide fantastic value for money:

ExpressVPN: The Best All Round Android VPN

Decent pricing, a large selection of servers around the world and a base in the British Virgin Islands make this popular VPN service a solid all-round choice. ExpressVPN logs a very minimal amount of data, and doesn’t collect any of your browsing history at all. In addition, the service works well with video streaming sites and even rotates your IP address to deter hackers and tracking.

Why We Like ExpressVPN:

148 locations and a massive 2,000 servers.
Registered in the British Virgin Islands.
Variable IP addresses.
Works well with Netflix.

Things That Aren’t So Great:

Only five devices can use the account at the same time.
Customer support isn’t always easy to access.
Can be slow if you’re a Mac user.
Good value, but not the cheapest option.

Pricing Options

ExpressVPN offers an introductory deal priced at $99.95 for the first 15 months of use, then the same price every 12 months after that. It’s also possible to buy a single month for $12.95 and 6 months for $59.95. There’s a 30 day money back guarantee if you decide that the service isn’t right for you.

NordVPN: The Best Android VPN For The Privacy Conscious

Nord VPN is a very popular service offering a wide range of speedy servers in multiple countries, and is based in Panama, meaning the company has no obligation to hand over your data to your government’s intelligence agency. With that being said, Nord doesn’t actually log your data at all, so there wouldn’t be much to hand over anyway!

Nord allows P2P sharing, works well with video streaming services, and even offered a multi-hop, double encrypted tunnel for extra peace of mind.

Why We Like NordVPN:

A really stable and mature Android app.
Great security.
Strong encryption.
P2P allowed.
Great value.

Things That Aren’t So Great:

Static IP addresses only.
Occasional iOS app connectivity issues.
Throws up more Google ReCapcha requests than others.

Pricing Options

Nord VPN offers tiered pricing just like many other VPN services for Android. There’s a month-to-month option for $11.95, a $6.99 per month option if you pay for a year up front, a $4.99 per month option if you pay for 2 years at once, and a $3.49 option if you’re prepared to shell out $125.64 for a three year plan.

CyberGhost: The Best Android VPN For Casual Users

CyberGhost is a great option for casual VPN users who are looking for a low-cost service for watching the occasional Netflix show in a different county, or browsing the internet in a café or airport.

CyberGhost has top notch security credentials with AES-256 encryption, an automatic kill switch that blocks the internet if connection to the VPN is lost, and really affordable pricing.

What We Like:

Great value.
Solid security and privacy.
Large list of servers.
Awesome customer support.

Things That Aren’t So Great:

Static IP addresses.
No multi-hop or split-tunneling.
More logging than other services.
Can be slow when used on desktop PCs.

Pricing Options

CyberGhost has 4 pricing tiers available: If you buy 3 years of service up front, the VPN works out at just $2.25 per month. This makes CyberGhost one of the cheapest VPN services for Android around. There’s also a 2 year, 1 year and monthly subscription, coming in at $83.76, $47.88 and $12.99 respectively.

A Paid VPN Service is Money Well Spent

With more and more of us connected to the internet 24/7, it’s becoming increasingly prudent to ensure that your cybersecurity is taken care of. Using one of the better VPN services for Android is a highly effective way to keep your online activities private and your data out of the hands off snoopers and thieves. Sign up to one of suggested services today, and stay safe out there!

Security

Be Cautious Of Malicious Apps Even On Trusted App Stores

Most people trust official app stores like Google Play and the App Store for safety — but even these trusted platforms can host malicious apps. Learn why caution is still essential when downloading mobile software.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 27, 2025

ManageEngine

be cautious of malicious apps even on trusted app stores

Most mobile users know to stick to official app stores to download software — and for good reason. Even though legitimate third-party stores exist, the average user can find everything they need on a first-party platform like the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. And while Android — unlike apple — does allow sideloading (downloading installation packages directly off the web) even for regular users, this is usually practiced by people who know what they’re doing and are familiar with the risks.

When publishing an app on the Play Store or App Store, a developer has to pass a robust set of vetting processes, both for themselves and their applications. This vetting process involves both automated and manual testing, making these platforms far safer than third-party app stores and other means of installing software. That being said, users are recommended not to blindly trust even these first-party platforms, as there have been several cases where malicious apps slipped through the cracks in the vetting process. And while both Google and Apple are quick to respond when they detect malicious apps on their stores, the very fact that these malicious apps make it onto these platforms is proof that even their strict vetting processes are not foolproof.

How Do These Apps Make It Onto These Platforms?

No verification system is ever completely airtight, especially when you’re dealing with something as complex as app store vetting. For a malicious actor who knows what they’re doing, slipping past automated checks isn’t particularly difficult. In a lot of cases, it boils down to satisfying a specific list of requirements.

The harder part is clearing a manual review, since that involves human judgment. But even that isn’t impossible. A common tactic is to first publish a legitimate, fully functional app for the specific purpose of passing inspection. Once it’s live and has built some credibility, the app quietly receives an update containing malicious code. This is known as versioning. In other cases, the initial version remains harmless but downloads and executes malicious payloads after installation, either after a specific amount of time or due to certain conditions (like account creation or granting certain permissions) being met. That’s what happened with the Anatsa trojan — a campaign that used innocent-looking document viewer apps to deliver banking malware. Once installed, these apps fetched encrypted malicious code from remote servers, giving attackers access to users’ financial data and even access to their accounts.

It also doesn’t help that human reviewers are under constant pressure. With thousands of apps being submitted daily, there’s only so much attention they can give to each one. And then there’s also the fact that verified developer accounts can be hijacked or sold, allowing attackers to publish apps under legitimate names. Not to mention the cases where malicious software which mimics legitimate and trusted apps also end up being published on these stores. Between automated systems, human fatigue, and social engineering, the cracks in the process are wide enough for malicious apps to slip through.

Knowledge Really Is Power

Just because an application has made it to a first-party app store doesn’t automatically make it a legitimate or safe-to-use app. Like we’ve already discussed, as rigorous as the vetting process is, it’s still possible for malicious apps to end up being published on these platforms. As with any cyberthreat, awareness and good judgment are your strongest defenses. Sticking to well-known apps and developers, keeping your software up to date, and reading reviews (not just on the store) are actions you can take to ensure you don’t end up falling victim to a trojan application that has snuck its way onto the Play Store or App Store.