Is a VPN worth it? Benefits and use cases for 2024

Benefits of using a VPN

There are six main benefits of getting a VPN in 2024.

1. Protect yourself on public Wi-Fi

Our mobile devices let us stay connected on the move, quite often via free public Wi-Fi hotspots. However, that’s where the danger lies.

Public Wi-Fi hotspots can be compromised in several ways. The administrator might skim data going through the hotspot, or one of the employees could secretly subvert it. A hacker can clone a hotspot to trick your device into connecting automatically to their spot. They can also just set up their fake hotspots. 

Their efforts will be futile if you have a VPN client on your phone or laptop, though. Any internet connection going through a VPN is encrypted and unreadable to anyone who steals it. And luckily, downloading and installing a VPN app on your smartphone or laptop is incredibly easy.

2. Escape online price discrimination

Not many of us have unlimited money, so we all want the best deal online. Unfortunately, online shops are smart — they can detect what part of the world you’re connecting from and adjust prices accordingly. Your actual financial situation doesn’t matter — if the owners decide that people from your end of the world can afford to pay more, you will also have to pay more. 

But that’s where the magic of using a VPN service for online shopping comes in. When you connect to a VPN server, the server’s IP address replaces your IP address. Then, you can check what prices a website gives you based on different server locations. This trick comes especially handy when booking hotels and flight tickets!

3. Cut through online censorship

Not all state actors are happy about their citizens accessing the entire World Wide Web of information. Whatever their reasoning — protecting the people from bad influences, stopping terrorism, or just feeling like it — it still constrains the citizens’ freedom. It’s also mildly annoying to tourists and travelers.

However, a VPN can get past all but the most sophisticated firewalls. Firewalls can’t block websites based on IP addresses, as a VPN user connects to a VPN server, not the site. They can’t block it based on DNS (Domain Name Service) requests either since VPNs use their own. Even with deep packet inspection, an encrypted VPN connection stops all attempts to read your internet traffic.

4. Protect your privacy

AKA “keep your IP address to yourself.” Your IP address, in essence, is your home address on the internet and gets attached to every move you make online. As such, whoever keeps records of who connects to their website or service can start building a profile of that person’s behaviors. 

At the higher end of this data collection are your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and data brokers. ISPs are in a privileged position to see everything you do online. Data brokers buy data from sources, including ISPs, and then sell it to marketers and other interested parties. But if your real IP is hidden, creating a full profile that interests marketers becomes much more difficult.

Using a VPN is the fastest, easiest, and most reliable way to mask your actual IP address. Since your router assigns the same IP address to all devices connected to your network, you may want to consider setting a VPN on your router instead of doing it separately on each device. Basically, kill all birds with one stone.

5. Dodge bandwidth throttling 

Bandwidth throttling is a somewhat obscure practice where an ISP slows down your internet speed during peak hours, especially if you’re streaming, gaming, or doing other high-intensity activities. For an ISP, it’s a way to provide internet services to more users without investing in expanding the infrastructure.

But when your connection is encrypted by a VPN, bandwidth throttling becomes almost impossible. The ISP can’t see what you’re doing even by looking at your data traffic or checking what you’re connecting to — it will only see the IP number of the VPN server.

6. Enhance your gaming experience

Online gaming has more to fear than just cheaters and ping. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks could become a real issue if the stakes are high enough. But to carry them out, the attacker must have your IP address. When you’re connected via a VPN, however, that attack will hit the VPN server instead. You will simply need to reconnect, and you’ll avoid most of the effects. 

A VPN will help you reach games even if the local firewall bars them. If a bus operator or a local cafe restricts connecting to RuneCraft Classic on their firewall, they’ll stop any requests to the game server’s IP. But when using a VPN, you connect to the VPN server first — something the firewall isn’t trained to stop!

Are VPNs worth it?

Having a VPN is worth it no matter what you do:

• If you travel, you’ll need security when connecting to free Wi-Fi hotspots and the ability to cruise right past all sorts of censorship. Online price discrimination is also a big issue when it comes to planning trips; 
• If you’re a gamer, you may benefit from DDoS protection, avoiding bandwidth throttling and, in some rare cases, even improving your ping; 
• If you’re just using it day-to-day, the added privacy will help you avoid ads while also overcoming local firewalls to reach any website you want. 

What’s better is that modern VPNs are both effective and efficient:

• Modern VPN protocols like Wireguard work quickly and smoothly;
• Industry-standard AES-256 encryption is practically unbreakable;
• VPN apps are supported by various devices, from computers to smartphones to even some smart TVs;
• Surfshark servers come with ports with up to 10Gbps in bandwidth, increasing accessibility and speed;
• RAM-only servers mean that any data passing through them is deleted if the servers are seized and disconnected; 
• With 3,200+ servers in 100 countries around the world, Surfshark is bound to have one near you; 
• VPNs have a negligible impact on your phone’s battery life and internet speed.

However, when choosing a VPN, it’s crucial to consider which one is right for you.

How to choose a VPN provider

To find the right VPN provider for you, you should consider several factors:

• Security features: what protocols is the VPN using? What is its track record regarding security? Do they offer features like a kill switch? 
• Connection speeds: does the VPN offer servers near you? Is their server infrastructure prepared to handle fast connections?
• Server count: a large number of servers is always a good feature, enabling more flexibility and lessening the odds of server congestion. 
• Ease of use: how easy is the app to install and run? Is it supported on the devices on which you want to use a VPN? Those are some important features to consider. 
• Customer support: you want 24/7 live support so that you can, if needed, get help at any hour, regardless of your time zone.
• Additional features: check for features like split-tunneling (which allows you to exempt certain apps/pages from using a VPN), obfuscated servers (which hide VPN use), and others.

Of course, one of the most important questions to consider is whether you want to pay for the VPN. 

Free vs. paid VPN services: is it worth paying?

There are significant differences between what free vs. paid VPNs provide — and the free ones aren’t stacking up well against the competition: 

• Free VPNs don’t have the funding to keep up with the constantly evolving demands of cybersecurity. Paid VPNs have the benefit of a stable revenue stream; 
• Free VPNs can’t dedicate as much money to improving the usability of their apps. Once again, paid VPN services can;
• Free VPNs don’t have as many servers in as many countries as paid VPNs since physical infrastructure costs a lot of money; 
• Free VPNs will often lack additional features like a kill switch and split tunneling. Paid VPNs offer more features; 
• The free VPN monetization model could tempt providers to sell their users’ browsing data. Paid VPNs are already compensated and rely on their reputation; 
• Free VPNs will likely impose speed and bandwidth caps to entice you to buy their subscriptions. Paid VPNs already have your money, so their services aren’t limited.

Under all circumstances, it’s better to choose a paid VPN. 

In conclusion: It’s absolutely worth getting a VPN

Considering the daily challenges you may face online, owning a VPN is definitely worth it. From increased privacy to improved security, there are many benefits — and now that you know them, you should choose the best VPN for you.

FAQ

Is it really necessary to have a VPN?

Whether a VPN is actually necessary will depend on your specific situation. However, having one is definitely beneficial for your privacy and security online.

Is it worth spending money on a VPN?

Yes, it’s worth spending money on a VPN. Free VPNs are less functional and trustworthy; some are downright scammy and dangerous.

What should you be careful about when using a VPN?

First of all, you should carefully choose a reliable VPN service. Then, make sure that it works by masking your IP address. For added privacy, don’t disclose personal information about yourself — even a VPN can’t protect you from doing it.

Should I leave my VPN on my phone all the time?

If security and privacy are your top priorities, you should always leave a VPN on your phone — especially if you’re connecting to public networks. What’s great is VPNs have a minimal impact on battery use, so you can stay secure without completely draining your battery.

Do VPNs really hide your IP?

A good VPN really hides your actual IP address when you connect to a VPN server. Only bad VPNs (usually free VPNs) could potentially leak your IP address. 

Is a VPN good for gaming?

A VPN for gaming may protect you from DDoS attacks and, in some cases, decrease multiplayer lag. It’s also a tool that allows you to breeze through any local firewalls and connect to the game.

Is a VPN worth getting for home use?

A VPN can be very beneficial for security, privacy, and content access, even for home use. However, if you’re not concerned about geoblocking or ISP throttling, don’t care about your IP address being visible, and generally use encrypted connections, a VPN may not be a top-priority investment.