Best VPN provider (In your opinion)? (Strictly no referral allowed)

manyu882

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Just to add, I think it is worth to pay for Shadowrocket under iOS. I myself paid for it before my trip to China last month.

There is also official shadowsock client for Android. I like Shadowrocket more.

Telegram group is popular place to get feed on the free SS server.

For my short trip to China last month, I use free VPN like Turbo VPN and Seed4Me to have access to the following site and then use the free SSR URL from the site.
https://free-ss.site/

The URL usually works, I mainly used US and SG servers. They are short lived so you will have to change every day.

For long term stay in China, it may be worth paying for both a traditional VPN like VPN.ac and an SSR server provider.

Whats the thing that makes shadow rocket worth to pay?

SSR server quite easy to set up actually. I tried Vultr, Alibaba HK,host.us (HK location) and google platform(Taiwan location).

Among them i find it Alibaba HK super soild. Lowest ping to Guangdong and losses.
 

xiaofan

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Whats the thing that makes shadow rocket worth to pay?

SSR server quite easy to set up actually. I tried Vultr, Alibaba HK,host.us (HK location) and google platform(Taiwan location).

Among them i find it Alibaba HK super soild. Lowest ping to Guangdong and losses.

Good to know it is not difficult to set up the SSR server. From what I read it is indeed pretty easy. It is just I do not have the strong need now.

On the iOS client side, I read some review and chose to buy Shadowrocket because it is one of the most popular among those iOS users in China. It is said to be comparable to Potaso 2 which cost similar price.

Potaso Lite and Outline are two good free alternative clients which should be good enough as well. I did try Potaso Lite a bit but it lacks a simple function of QR code importing from saved image (not using camera). It is also ads supported. Shadowrocket and Potaso 2 are not expensive and they seem to have more features than the free Potaso Lite and Outline. I tend to pay for apps under iOS if I find them useful — mainly paying for iPad kids education programs to unlock features or avoid ads for the kids.

On Android I use both the official Shadowsocks client and Outline. I also find the ChinaTunnellVPN client is also an SS client, probably just a clone of the official client. I am not using it but just an interesting finding. When I click the URI link and all three apps pop up.
 
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manyu882

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Good to know it is not difficult to set up the SSR server. From what I read it is indeed pretty easy. It is just I do not have the strong need now.

On the iOS client side, I read some review and chose to buy Shadowrocket because it is one of the most popular among those iOS users in China. It is said to be comparable to Potaso 2 which cost similar price.

Potaso Lite and Outline are two good free alternative clients which should be good enough as well. I did try Potaso Lite a bit but it lacks a simple function of QR code importing from saved image (not using camera). It is also ads supported. Shadowrocket and Potaso 2 are not expensive and they seem to have more features than the free Potaso Lite and Outline. I tend to pay for apps under iOS if I find them useful — mainly paying for iPad kids education programs to unlock features or avoid ads for the kids.

On Android I use both the official Shadowsocks client and Outline. I also find the ChinaTunnellVPN client is also an SS client, probably just a clone of the official client. I am not using it but just an interesting finding. When I click the URI link and all three apps pop up.

Good to know. The latest version of Potatso lite in IOS supports saved image QR code - there is a image icon you can tap which is on the top right corner when you are at the scanning QR code interface.
 

mac_oasis

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Anyone experience intermittent disconnection while using Windscribe VPN connecting to US netflix?

Mine started few days ago
 

zeenit

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Anyone experience intermittent disconnection while using Windscribe VPN connecting to US netflix?

Mine started few days ago

....got a free 50gb windscribe vpn with limited servers...not using for netflix but US servers so far so good.
 

xiaofan

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....got a free 50gb windscribe vpn with limited servers...not using for netflix but US servers so far so good.

Unfortunately that Windscribe 50GB offer is gone. Even with 10GB limit it is still the best free VPN from what I read and I am using it myself.

Tom's Guide Editor's choice for free VPN 2019.

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-free-vpn-services,review-5516.html

VPN Gate project is interesting as well but indeed the OpenVPN compatible servers listed are slow. And probably it is difficult to trust free VPN servers listed there just as the free shadowsocks server listed in various sites (some are pretty fast). I admit I used both VPN Gate servers and free SSR servers but only for testing purposes.

VPN gate server software SoftEther and SS/SSR/Wireguard server are all free and open source but the hosting has cost and efforts associated. So there are pros and cons to use traditional VPN vendor (proven) or new paid SSR server provider ( good for China) or roll your own openvpn/SSR/wireguard server (more control and freedom, more maintenance efforts).
 
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kuti-kuti

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Hi guys.
Got a qns to seek yr advise.
Any time tested vpn company u all experienced personally, in which there is no breaches on the credit card info which they keep for auto renew?

Reason i ask is i suspect my credit card info was compromised over at the vpn company's server. After they auto renewed my subscription, a few days later there was an unauthorised transaction in the states. Prior to this, i did not use my card for about a month. Sometimes it is not the management's fault but their employees are dishonest.
 
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Cirevek67

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Hi guys.
Got a qns to seek yr advise.
Any time tested vpn company u all experienced personally, in which there is no breaches on the credit card info which they keep for auto renew?

Reason i ask is i suspect my credit card info was compromised over at the vpn company's server. After they auto renewed my subscription, a few days later there was an unauthorised transaction in the states. Prior to this, i did not use my card for about a month. Sometimes it is not the management's fault but their employees are dishonest.

I have used a few VPN providers over the years, never experienced such an issue. I hardly doubt that it's the provider's fault.

What is your VPN provider? Did you try talking about this with them?
 

kuti-kuti

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I have used a few VPN providers over the years, never experienced such an issue. I hardly doubt that it's the provider's fault.

What is your VPN provider? Did you try talking about this with them?

No, I did not inform them. Harm done anyway and bank cancelled my card. I don't want to get into any legal issue by saying the vpn company as this vpn is quite popular, i read it in pc magazine and that was why i subscribed to it. May not be management, but employees holding access to data may have done it. I just want to avoid another incident and bank may think i am being careless with my card.

So, i am now hoping to get 1st hand experience from u guys with long years with any reliable vpn.
 
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oric1

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No, I did not inform them. Harm done anyway and bank cancelled my card. I don't want to get into any legal issue by saying the vpn company as this vpn is quite popular, i read it in pc magazine and that was why i subscribed to it. May not be management, but employees holding access to data may have done it. I just want to avoid another incident and bank may think i am being careless with my card.

So, i am now hoping to get 1st hand experience from u guys with long years with any reliable vpn.

I've been with Astrill for 7 years and they don't auto renew my subscription. I will need to renew manually.
 

rrr2015

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it could be compromised when you make other online purchase as well

and for unauthorized payment, you should inform your credit card to investigate further

it will be good that your share which VPN provider you had problem with all
Hi guys.
Got a qns to seek yr advise.
Any time tested vpn company u all experienced personally, in which there is no breaches on the credit card info which they keep for auto renew?

Reason i ask is i suspect my credit card info was compromised over at the vpn company's server. After they auto renewed my subscription, a few days later there was an unauthorised transaction in the states. Prior to this, i did not use my card for about a month. Sometimes it is not the management's fault but their employees are dishonest.
 
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Cirevek67

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I don't want to get into any legal issue by saying the vpn company as this vpn is quite popular, i read it in pc magazine and that was why i subscribed to it.
Don't believe you can get in legal trouble by mentioning a provider.

So, i am now hoping to get 1st hand experience from u guys with long years with any reliable vpn.
I have tried several providers over the years. Every one of them has their pros and cons, so it's hard to state which one is the best overall.

Nevertheless, right now I'm using Surfshark. It's quality stuff and if you have any questions feel free to ask.
 

urbanbootless

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Reason i ask is i suspect my credit card info was compromised over at the vpn company's server. After they auto renewed my subscription, a few days later there was an unauthorised transaction in the states. Prior to this, i did not use my card for about a month.

Would you be so kind sharing the VPN providers name? All no-logs VPNs do have to admit that they need to keep clients information regarding the payment, and if some of them started using this information for shady business it's best knowing sooner than later. For maximum safety try VPNs that accept bitcoins: Surfshark, ExpressVPN, TunnelBear all accept payments in crypto, I think some others do too.
 

kuti-kuti

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Don't believe you can get in legal trouble by mentioning a provider.

I have tried several providers over the years. Every one of them has their pros and cons, so it's hard to state which one is the best overall.

Nevertheless, right now I'm using Surfshark. It's quality stuff and if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Ok. thanks. will try tis vpn out, bro.
 

xiaofan

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Ok. thanks. will try tis vpn out, bro.

There are a lot of good info in this thread.

A quick summary from what I read. Simplified version.

Top VPN which is almost good for anything: Netflix, China GFW, Privacy, etc
Express VPN

Good VPN which can do most things as well like Netflix and GFW
Nord, Astrill

Best new comer
Surfshark

Netflix good value
Surfshark, Windscribe

China GFW good value
VPN.ac

Privacy and good speed, not that good for Netflix
PIA

Best free VPN
Windscribe 10GB or 50GB offer if you get it

Going into China for geo-blocked content only
Transocks, SpeedIn and China Tunnel VPN

Edit to add: maybe you can at least tell us whether the VPN you buy is one of the above or not.
 
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kuti-kuti

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There are a lot of good info in this thread.

A quick summary from what I read. Simplified version.

Top VPN which is almost good for anything: Netflix, China GFW, Privacy, etc
Express VPN

Good VPN which can do most things as well like Netflix and GFW
Nord, Astrill

Best new comer
Surfshark

Netflix good value
Surfshark, Windscribe

China GFW good value
VPN.ac

Privacy and good speed, not that good for Netflix
PIA

Best free VPN
Windscribe 10GB or 50GB offer if you get it

Going into China for geo-blocked content only
Transocks, SpeedIn and China Tunnel VPN

Edit to add: maybe you can at least tell us whether the VPN you buy is one of the above or not.

thanks for the summary!
 
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