We at VPNSociety constantly work to add the best tools to our website to improve users’ online security.
Every aspect of your life, including passwords and internet traffic, should be protected as a free internet user. As a result, we make every effort to test all software before allowing it to be on our website.
Our team thoroughly reviews every tool, including web browsers, ad blockers, password managers, antivirus programs, and virtual private network (VPN) services.
We make sure to recommend the best privacy tools to you in this way.
Below, we go into more detail about our review policy and methodology to give you an idea of how we test these security tools.
Creating unbiased reviews
We never accept reviews that are paid, biased, opinionated, or promotional. Our only procedure for evaluating software is to have it independently assessed in order to produce an objective review.
We don’t take vendor offers to review their products for this. Instead, we conduct our own analysis by testing dozens of apps and software in a particular niche.
Based on our experience, we then honestly review the product in writing.
To help our readers make a better decision, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each tool separately.
Self-testing security tools
We never test a product using free services or user accounts that the vendor creates.
Rather, our team tests every product.
We purchase a product by completing all subscription processes, including paying service fees, just like a typical consumer would. This aids us in determining whether the tool is appropriate for our readers.
Furthermore, we never restrict ourselves to using just one tool for testing. Rather, we evaluate dozens of comparable tools to choose only the best apps and software.
Therefore, you can be sure that any products we recommend at VPNSociety will satisfy your needs.
Our criteria to assess the quality
Below, we provide a brief summary of the crucial parameters for our analysis to help you understand how we choose a tool.
1. Product accessibility
If a product is not easily accessible, there will be no point in recommending it to others.
We define accessibility as how simple it is to sign up for a service.
We evaluate the ease of downloading a product, the length of time it takes to create an account, and the kind of users who can download free software.
For paid products, however, we evaluate the payment methods in addition to all of these features. The ideal paid VPN, password manager, or other tool should accept several different payment methods. However, cryptocurrency payments should also be supported by security tools like VPNs.
For paid tools, we also examine the availability of free trials and a money-back guarantee.
According to VPNSociety, a product loses points if it doesn’t provide free trials, has limited subscription plans, requires a certain payment method, or has difficult sign-up processes.
2. Installation process
How would you feel if you spent hours trying to figure out how to install a product on your device after downloading it?
We are aware that this irritates you. Because of this, we think the best apps and software are those that install quickly on a device with little to no user input.
We do not, however, favor the covert installation that is typically used by malicious products. In our opinion, the best products are those that require few clicks from the user, have easy-to-follow installation instructions, and are quickly set up on the device.
We never suggest a tool that doesn’t have these features, like taking centuries to install, having unclear instructions, or installing covertly.
We test each product on our software testing devices to ensure this step is accurate.
3. User Interface (ease of use)
A user is initially drawn to or turned off by the user interface. Therefore, a dull interface is never found in the best tools and apps. Rather, they feature clear labels for settings, control options that are easy to find, and precise labels for options.
For example, a perfect VPN should show the user servers that are available right away. Additionally, it ought to provide the choice of selecting a particular VPN protocol.
Similarly, settings for fast and thorough scans and real-time protection should be easily accessible in an antivirus program.
Because of this, the VPNSociety’s top apps are those that have an easy-to-use and engaging user interface. We are never impressed by apps with flat designs, intricate or highly technical interfaces, and difficult navigation.
4. Features offered
Every application or tool that offers a particular function does have the necessary core features. For instance, storing passwords would always be an option in a password manager. There is always at least one server available for IP address changes with a VPN.
But when writing our reviews, we take into account the additional features that, in essence, set an app apart.
For instance, the perfect password manager should support the creation of strong, one-of-a-kind passwords. A reliable VPN needs to have a kill switch to prevent accidental exposure to the internet, a large list of servers to switch locations, and strong encryption protocols to ensure anonymity.
So, to put it briefly, one of the main scoring factors is the scope of features that a tool offers. Apps with out-of-date features or without basic settings are never recommended by us.
5. Product Security
Attacks using malware and spyware frequently occur when threat actors either infect a legitimate app or make their own apps that look like the real ones. Before being discovered, these apps frequently continue to operate online and prey on millions of users worldwide.
Threat actors also compromise the security of widely used tools for a variety of illicit purposes.
As privacy advocates, we are aware of how cybercriminals never stop searching. As a result, when testing a tool, we evaluate its security features, vendor security policies, history of data and security breaches, and the companies’ response to those breaches.
A tool does not make it to our review list if it has a history of poor security or dubious security practices.
6. Customer data security
The majority of web users who are concerned about privacy are concerned about data logging and retention. Indeed, it is the primary cause of the rise in popularity of apps like adblockers and VPNs.
However, what if those products begin to gather your data as well?
We at VPNSociety strongly support the idea that every internet user should protect their data. Thus, we only consider and suggest services that share our commitment to protecting your privacy. The data retention policies of the tools we review are also specifically mentioned.
7. Speed and performance
The majority of security tools, including web proxies, secure browsers, VPNs, and antimalware programs, frequently have speed lags. If these services are true to their capabilities, they frequently operate at slowed speeds, which is undesirable to most end users.
We are aware of how difficult this can be. Thus, a key component of our scoring methodology is the apps’ overall performance and speed.
To test each tool’s performance under stress, we run a variety of load tests on our own devices. Only those that perform exceptionally well in our tests are then suggested.
8. Support for web services
Web services are at the heart of the functionality of tools like VPNs.
VPNs, for example, circumvent site blockages by rerouting internet traffic. Here, their main purpose is to avoid being detected by website tracking.
Similarly, antivirus programs keep an eye out for any harmful content on websites.
Therefore, the services become worthless if VPNs are unable to provide access to blocked content or if antimalware programs are unable to identify phishing websites due to their inability to support certain web services.
As a result, at VPNSociety, we evaluate a tool’s level of web service support. We only include software and apps that perform well in our reviews.
9. Cross-platform compatibility
Every internet user today owns multiple devices running various operating systems. Therefore, these users must have the security tool installed on all of their devices before they can download it. That’s what the best VPNs, password managers, adblockers, antivirus software, and other security tools handle.
We also test the same thing when writing our reviews.
In the end, we only recommend tools that are compatible with the main operating systems, such as Windows, iOS, macOS, and Android.
10. Customer support
Customer service is the final important component in our tool review criterion.
Whether it is a password manager, VPN, proxy, or something else entirely, it should ideally provide excellent customer service.
Customers are drawn to features like round-the-clock live chat, support tickets, and quick email responses. Vigilant customer service would actually draw more users to a tool that would otherwise be challenging to use.
We understand how frustrating it is to be unable to continue working because your software malfunctioned and you had no one to call. Therefore, we always prioritize the tools that provide timely support.
However, if we specifically address the important aspects we consider when evaluating any tool, the list may be longer. However, we went into further detail about the important factors here to make things easier to understand.
Please see our archives for information on the top privacy tools we recommend.
