Is a VPN Worth It? Do You Need to Use One in 2024?

Using a VPN is a new fad in the world of technology these days. You will find a lot of people talking about why you should use a VPN and how it can protect your identity on the internet.

If you look at the market, there are two types of VPN services: Paid and Free ones.

In this guide, you will learn if a VPN worth it or not. Along with that, you will also learn if you should use a VPN in 2024.

Is a VPN Worth it in 2024?

In 2024 when the chaos on the internet is dramatically increasing and you do not know the true intentions of people, it is always good to take an extra step in protecting yourself. A good VPN service is definitely worth it in 2024.

What is a VPN?

To explain it in layman’s terms, a VPN allows you to connect your device to the internet by routing you through a server. It helps in increasing web security and privacy.

Think of a VPN as a private tunnel between you and the internet.

When you use a VPN, the VPN service masks your original IP address with the server’s IP address(usually placed in some other region). So whenever you access a site using a VPN, the site receives the IP address of the server you are connected to.

For example, if you are using a VPN service from the USA and connect to a Russian server then your IP address will show that you are accessing the site from somewhere in Russia.

Why is a VPN Important?

The ultimate job of any VPN service is to provide you with privacy and keep your internet activity safe. Since a VPN also allows you to bypass geographical boundaries without traveling anywhere, many people also use VPNs to get their voices out and also access content that might be banned in their region.

All the activities that you do on the internet are data and that data is as valuable as gold. By using a VPN, you can protect your data for your own safety and also for the greater good.

Why is My Data So Important?

Government bodies, your ISP, advertising companies, and hackers are all looking to track all the activities that you do on the internet.

Your internet service providers have access to a lot of data related to your online activities. What they do is sell that data to advertising agencies so that they can send you targeted ads.

Many government agencies also track your online activities for various reasons and they do it secretly.

Now some of you might be okay with sharing your internet activities with your ISP and government agencies. On an individual level, it might not even matter as much but when companies and governments have access to data related to online activities on a global or national scale, they can use it to draw out accurate patterns and make predictions. This can be harmful to people. It is a violation of privacy and can have dangerous consequences.

Why Should I Use a VPN?

If you are really concerned about your online privacy and do not want government agencies, advertisement companies, and your ISP to track your online activity then you should definitely use a VPN.

Also if you are tired of the government censoring things in your region then also you can use a VPN service.

Benefits of a VPN

Get Protection from Public Networks

If you are often connected to public networks then you should definitely use a VPN. Public networks are quite unsafe as you never know who might be intercepting your data. Often these are the favorite spots for hackers to intercept traffic.

When you use a VPN, all of your data goes through an encrypted tunnel which makes it nearly impossible for hackers or any other people to access your data.

Bypass Geographic Boundaries

A VPN allows you to bypass geographic boundaries. Just with one click/tap, you can change your IP address to a different country. A lot of websites and streaming services are banned in certain regions of the world.

By using a VPN, you can easily bypass all of those geographic restrictions and get access to your favorite sites and streaming platforms.

Helps Avoiding Tracking and Monitoring

Your ISP pretty much has access to everything you do on the internet. They sell your data to advertising companies to send you targeted ads. Many government agencies also do the same thing but for their own good. They track and monitor your online activity to make patterns and predictions. If being tracked by your ISP and the government scares you then you should definitely use a VPN.

Get Past Government Censorship

Many authoritarian governments like to impose censorship on their people. This means they can’t access certain sites and get their thoughts out to the public. The internet was designed to connect the whole world together and by putting censorship that can’t be achieved.

So the only way to get past government censorship for many people is by the use of a VPN service.

Paid vs Free VPN

You can easily find tons of free VPNs out in the market. However, there are a few things that you need to know before using the free ones. You know how they say, “If you don’t pay for the product then you are the product.” Well, that is quite true in the case of free VPNs.

The entire goal of using a VPN is to protect your online activity but many free VPNs do just the opposite. They sell your data to third parties just like your ISP.

Some free VPNs also install malware on your device which can be even more dangerous. Also, many free VPNs put a cap on your data usage which means you can only use them for a limited period of time.

That is why it is always recommended to use a paid VPN service. The more you Pay, the better features you will get. Also, if you just want a VPN for a small period of time then you can also use a free VPN from a trusted provider.

Also Read: Does VPN Hide History From Router

How to Select the Right Paid VPN Service?

If you are looking to get the best-paid VPN service then look for some of the following features in that VPN service:

• Provides the Highest Level of Encryption: A good VPN will always provide you with 256-bit AES encryption. Anything less than that is not worthy of being paid for.
• Has a Lot of Servers: When a VPN has a lot of servers, you can access content from a lot of different regions.
• Has No Logging Policy: A good VPN service never keeps any logs of what you do on the internet.
• Fast Speeds: Having speed drops while using a VPN is quite normal. However, your VPN should still provide fast speeds to stream good-quality content.
• Unblocks Sites and Streaming Content: A good VPN should unblock all the major restricted sites and unlock banned streaming content in your region.
• Provides Wide Compatibility: The VPN should be compatible with all the devices you use.
• No Cap on Data Use: There shouldn’t be any limit to how much data you can use while using the VPN service.

Speaking of good VPN services, if you are looking for an affordable and reliable VPN then do check out SurfShark VPN. It has over 3,200+ servers across the globe. The VPN comes with advanced 256-bit AES encryption. It also has additional cool features like Kill Switch, and Split Tunneling. With unlimited simultaneous connections and affordable pricing, it is definitely one of the best VPNs out there.