How we evaluate VPNs
Privacy Tools Hub is an independent comparison site. Recommendations are built from each provider’s currently published facts and a consistent scoring rubric — not from who pays the most. No provider can buy a ranking, a score, or a place on a shortlist.
How we evaluate each provider
- We start from the provider’s own official pages — pricing, server and country counts, device limits, refund terms, protocols, audits, and jurisdiction.
- We verify the figures that drive a decision against those official sources, and link them on every review under “Where these facts came from” so you can check them yourself.
- We re-check the facts when provider pages change, and stamp each page with a “Facts refreshed” date.
- We weigh the trade-offs that matter in everyday use — device coverage, value over the full term, country reach, refund cushion, and privacy posture — rather than just listing spec sheets.
What the scores mean
Each VPN gets editorial scores from 0–10 across four lenses: Overall, Streaming, Gaming, and Privacy. These are an editorial shorthand for how well a service fits a specific job — they are not lab-measured speed benchmarks, and we don’t present invented test numbers.
- Streaming — location coverage, day-to-day consistency, and how often you hit a dead-end server.
- Gaming — nearby routing, connection stability over long sessions, and device allowance.
- Privacy — independent audits, jurisdiction, protocol options, and how verifiable the no-logs position is.
- Overall — the balance of the above for someone who wants one well-rounded pick.
What we keep current
- server and country counts when provider pages change
- device limits, refund terms, and plan basics
- protocol options, anti-blocking features, and notable security tools
- public audits, transparency reports, and jurisdiction notes that add context
How the site stays independent
Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means the site may earn a commission if you buy through them — at no extra cost to you. Those commissions keep the site running, but they do not influence scores, rankings, or which providers make a shortlist, and placement is never for sale. Full details are on the affiliate disclosure page.
Sourcing and corrections
Every provider review and comparison links the official sources used for its key facts. Pricing and promotions can still vary by region, currency, and campaign, so always confirm the current offer on the provider’s own site before you buy. Spotted something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we’ll review it.
Useful next steps
Open the best VPNs page for the current shortlist, browse the comparison hub if you are down to two providers, or jump to the review pages for more detail.