How to choose a VPN: a 5-minute checklist

There are hundreds of VPNs, and most “best VPN” lists are affiliate pages. Here’s a short, honest checklist you can run in five minutes.

1. No‑logs, and ideally audited

A VPN that keeps connection logs can hand your activity to anyone who asks. Look for a clear no‑logs policy — bonus points if it’s been through an independent audit.

2. Modern protocol

You want WireGuard (fast, lean, modern crypto) with OpenVPN as a fallback. Anything still pushing only PPTP or L2TP in 2026 is a red flag.

3. The basics that prevent leaks

A kill switch that blocks traffic if the tunnel drops.
DNS leak protection so your lookups don’t bypass the tunnel.
IPv6 handling (leak‑proof or disabled).

4. Jurisdiction and ownership

Who runs it, and where? Transparency about the operating company matters more than a flag on a map.

5. Price that matches the value

Free VPNs have to make money somehow — often by selling the very data you’re trying to protect. Paid doesn’t automatically mean private, but “free” deserves extra scrutiny.

Run those five checks and you’ll filter out the vast majority of weak options. Want the deep dive on any of them? Tell us at ollavpn.com.