Why are there so many VPN apps, and how do you avoid the scams?

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Springing up like digital daisies, VPN apps may be more dangerous than you think

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We know a thing or two about the best VPNs here at Tom's Guide. We've spent years covering the latest updates and reviewing the most prominent names in the game. But even we are caught off guard every now and then by a name we've never seen before.

One search of the App Store or Google Play store will reveal that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of VPNs, with new ones popping up almost every day. In a way that's great - more competition means a better product at a better price - but many of these VPNs are unaudited, untested and a massive risk to install. 

Why are there so many VPNs?

It's also cheap and fairly straightforward to set up a substandard VPN service, you just need a website and some inexpensive servers. They don't even have to actually exist in other countries, they can be completely virtual servers. The low overheads of this coupled with the fact you don't need a brick and mortar bulding means you can almost set the network up and forget all about it. 

Shield bearing letters 'VPN' on rendering of circuit board.

(Image credit: Alexander Supertramp/Shutterstock)

We put the same question to some leading VPN providers who had their own explanations:

I spoke with Yegor Sak (Co-Founder of Windscribe VPN) about the rise of dodgy VPNs and he explained that the fault lies in disreputable affiliate marketing sites that recommend VPN services based on who pays the most, rather than who's offering the best service. He explained that "it's very tempting to spin up a fly-by-night VPN service, pay some VPN review sites and start getting customers."

Interestingly, while it may feel to us like the industry is busier than ever, for Jan Jonsson, CEO at Mullvad, the opposite is true. "When I started in 2016, there were at least 600 VPN providers I could find on the net." He said that he believed the industry is getting tougher and there are now actually "maybe only 10 really big providers."

Whatever the case, please take care that you know what you're signing up for when you subscribe to any VPN. There may be a wealth of VPN options, but only a fraction are worth your time. 

Disclaimer

Our VPN team at Tom's Guide are privacy advocates first and journalists second. We have an in-depth VPN testing methodology, and only rank VPNs based on the merits of their service.

How to spot a suspicous VPN

All of the VPNs we recommend, whether they are premium services or the best free VPNs, are legit. On the App Store and Google Play Store, the number of downloads and review scores are a handy initial indicator but not a perfect system. We've seen less reputable apps with millions of users and great review scores. Luckily there are some easy questions you can ask yourself to spot the more unsophisticated scams. 

Visit a VPN's website (if they don't have one that's a red flag) and look through the privacy policy. Does it contradict itself or even openly admit to collecting your data? The leading VPNs feature proven "no logs" policies that have been audited. One of the biggest selling points of a VPN is privacy and if it's collecting your IP address, browser history or any similar information then you should look elsewhere. 

Another question to ask is, how does the VPN business make money? If it's a free VPN does it sell your information, sign your device up to be part of a larger network or even (as users in Dubai recently found out) steal from you? If you do want a free VPN, we suggest going for a service that also has a premium option, because it's clear they make money by selling upgrades, not anything more suspicious. 

Andy Sansom

Andy is a freelance writer with a passion for streaming and VPNs. Based in the U.K., he originally cut his teeth at Tom's Guide as a Trainee Writer before moving to cover all things tech and streaming at T3. Outside of work, his passions are movies, football (soccer) and Formula 1. He is also something of an amateur screenwriter having studied creative writing at university.