Some VPNs may slow your connection speed and you could experience connection drops. You could be blocked from using particular services or websites, like Netflix. VPNs are illegal in a few countries and could give you a false sense of (legal) impunity. Some VPNs don’t offer sufficient protection and privacy. Some VPNs — particularly free VPNs — may log and sell your browsing activity to third parties.
Fortunately, choosing the right VPN will resolve most of these issues with ease. That’s why we recommend using a trustworthy VPN with reliable connections, good speeds, and solid unblocking measures, such as NordVPN. We’ve tested dozens of VPNs for our reviews, so we know these VPN apps inside out. So, before you hit the purchase button on that VPN, let’s look at the main disadvantages of a VPN!
Overview: Pros and Cons of VPNs
Need the short version? Here’s a handy table of the pros and cons of a VPN. Broadly speaking, VPNs can help increase your privacy and security. They also give you access to restricted content like international Netflix catalogs or YouTube videos that are unavailable in your country. However, as with all software, there are disreputable apps that fail to perform as advertised. These low-tier VPNs fail at unblocking restricted content and can significantly slow down your VPN connection. Now, let’s take a closer look at these VPN disadvantages.
The 10 Main Disadvantages of Using a VPN
Like any other software, there are VPNs that disappoint. These low-tier VPNs can cause problems for their users, such as slowing down your internet connection or getting you blocked by your favorite streaming site. Keep reading below to see these VPN disadvantages discussed in detail.
1. Low-tier VPNs will decrease your speed
Because a VPN reroutes and encrypts your internet connection through a VPN server, your connection speed might drop slightly. This is why it’s important to test your VPN speed when trying out a new provider. Most premium VPN services such as NordVPN won’t slow down your internet too much. Some of the fastest VPNs, according to our speed comparison, include the following: With a fast premium VPN, most internet users won’t notice significant speed drops when browsing the web and using social media. That’s because these activities don’t require huge amounts of data. However, during activities that use lots of data, such as streaming and downloading, you could definitely notice some speed differences. For instance, gamers who want to play online multiplayer games should look into the best VPNs for gaming to make sure they don’t experience any lag.
2. Low-tier VPNs can get you blocked by streaming services
There’s a lot of content online that you can only access from within a certain region. This includes streaming services like Netflix. These services lock out internet users from countries where they aren’t allowed to broadcast content. These geo-restrictions are due to contracts with movie distributors that only allow content to be shown in specific regions. In addition to Netflix, some other services that use region blocking include BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and Shudder. Netflix simply blocks IP addresses that access their service with a large number of simultaneous connections. Since VPN users share a server — and therefore an IP address — Netflix can accurately guess when you’re using a VPN. Luckily, some VPN providers offer great countermeasures against VPN blocks. Premium VPNs such as NordVPN offer dedicated IP addresses and obfuscated servers, both of which help disguise the fact that you’re using a VPN.
3. Most VPNs can’t bypass censorship and streaming blocks
Streaming services have become very aggressive and effective in enforcing their geo-blocks over the years. This means they also block many VPNs and VPN servers. As a result, only a few VPNs can unblock popular streaming services these days. As such, it’s important to choose your VPN wisely if you want to use it for streaming. We recommend you check out our overview of the best VPN providers. All of these providers are able to unblock various streaming services, such as Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer.
4. Some countries restrict or ban VPNs
The use of a VPN is legal in most countries. However, some governments want complete control over what their citizens get to see on the internet. Since a VPN can be used to bypass government censorship, the tool has been made illegal in some totalitarian countries, such as North Korea, Belarus, Oman, Iraq, and Turkmenistan. In certain countries, like China and Egypt, you can only use government-approved VPNs. The use of a VPN isn’t necessarily illegal there, but VPN use is restricted. Some quality VPN providers, such as NordVPN, have developed special “obfuscated servers,” which should still be usable in countries like China. These servers mask the fact you’re using a VPN because they don’t show any metadata associated with VPN use.
5. Some free VPNs don’t offer secure protocols or encryption
Many free VPN services don’t actually care about protecting your privacy and anonymity online. They just want to make money. A prime example is Hola VPN, a VPN service you should think twice about using. Hola might be “free,” but the service has still found “creative” ways to get paid in the past. Several years ago, Hola has been found to sell users’ bandwidth. They sold this resource to a party that used it to launch a DDoS attack against a controversial web forum (8chan). Another reason to avoid Hola is that it’s known to log an enormous amount of user data. Another example is TuxlerVPN, which mentions it offers “military-grade encryption.” This implies high security standards. However, it completely fails to explain which protocols it uses or any of its encryption characteristics. Typically, predatory VPNs like these don’t offer trusted VPN protocols, such as OpenVPN or Wireguard, and are not transparent regarding their encryption. They may also have spyware or malware hidden away in the download file. In this case, your antivirus program should flag the VPN app as soon as you download it.
6. Free VPNs might sell your data to third parties
When you connect to a VPN provider, your internet traffic is routed through its servers. The VPN encrypts your data and hides your IP address, replacing it with a different one. This offers greater security and anonymity. However, it also means that you need to trust that your VPN won’t manipulate or abuse your data. Many VPN providers hold up their end of the bargain: these “no-logs” or “zero logs” VPNs neither log your actions nor store your data. Most premium VPNs like NordVPN have proven to be zero logs VPNs. However, some low-tier VPN providers do log data, including your real IP address and your browsing activity. Some even claim not to log any data — but have been later found to do so. In June 2021, the free VPN service DoubleVPN had its servers, data, and customer logs seized as a result of an international sting by the National Crime Agency (UK), Polisen (Sweden), Europol (the EU’s law enforcement agency), and others. The sting was organized due to suspicion of illegal activities on the dark web. DoubleVPN’s website has since been taken down.
7. You may experience connection drops with low-tier VPNs
Many VPN providers include a so-called kill switch in their software. If your connection to a VPN server drops, the kill switch will prevent your data from leaking by severing your entire connection to the internet. Your connection will only get restored once the VPN is back up and running. While a kill switch ensures that your data or connection is never exposed, it can also disrupt your daily activities. Thankfully, quality VPN providers have ways to combat this issue. For one, they often have a vast server network. This means you can usually find a server that’s not too far away from you. Secondly, a large server network prevents overcrowding on a single server. Both of these features increase the strength of your connection and reduce the probability of connection drops.
8. Using a VPN increases mobile data usage
VPN connections generally use up more bandwidth or data than unprotected internet connections. After all, your data traffic will no longer travel straight from your device to the website you’re visiting or vice versa. It now has to take a detour and pass the VPN server, as well. When you’re using a WiFi network or an ethernet connection, this increased data usage doesn’t really change anything. However, if you’re using a mobile data plan, you will burn through your data allowance more quickly. The above could mean you’re left without any mobile data before the end of the month. Alternatively, you could face an unexpectedly high phone bill. This is something important to keep in mind. Generally, it’s better to stick to WiFi or ethernet connections if you’re using a VPN.
9. Quality VPNs cost money
Just like with anything in life, in the world of VPNs, you get what you pay for. This means that premium VPNs cost money because you’re paying for encryption, server use, and more security features. The extreme market competition has caused many VPNs to offer very affordable packages, so you have plenty of cheap subscription options. However, at the end of the day, it’s still an investment. Only you can decide if it’s a worthwhile one. The good news is you can try premium VPNs for free if you take advantage of their 30-day money-back guarantee. All you need to do is subscribe to any of the available plans, then file for a refund before your 30 days is up.
10. VPNs can’t protect against other threats
VPNs can only do so much to protect you from cyber threats. The protection and privacy good VPNs offer come from the fact they mask your real IP and encrypt your traffic. However, a VPN can’t protect you from malware such as Trojan horses, keyloggers, and spyware. If you’re looking to protect your devices, you’ll have to invest in solid antivirus software. This software has device scanning capabilities, unlike VPNs, which you need to protect your device from malware. VPNs also can’t protect you against cookies and other trackers. Cookies are little text files that nestle themselves in your browser and contain information about you. Since they are stored by your browser, they follow you around and are able to show you annoying ads wherever you go. A VPN doesn’t influence what your browser stores or how it behaves in general. For this purpose, you’ll need a browser extension that blocks trackers. On top of this, if you log into your Google account, a VPN will no longer protect your identity. A VPN only hides your real IP. It doesn’t magically delete all of the information you provided to different websites. In other words, when you log into an online account, you are voluntarily giving away your anonymity and a VPN can’t change this in any way.
What are the Advantages of a VPN?
Most of the disadvantages of a VPN are canceled out when you choose a fast, reliable, and trustworthy provider. And while some of the disadvantages above might give you cause for concern, the truth is that there are more pros than cons to using a VPN. These are just some of the advantages of a good VPN:
Access to geo-blocked content. VPNs let you spoof your location so you can access international Netflix catalogs or restricted YouTube videos. Data encryption. Your browsing activity is usually visible to your internet service provider (ISP) or your university or company’s network administrator. Using a VPN keeps your traffic hidden so no one can see what you do. Freedom from bandwidth throttling. Some ISPs limit your connection speed when they see that you’ve been streaming or downloading too often. VPNs hide your online activity, so these ISPs can no longer observe you. Safe access to public Wi-Fi. Using public Wi-Fi without a VPN provides an opportunity for hackers to try and hijack your internet connection.
Essentially, VPNs are the perfect tool for increasing your personal freedom, privacy, and security online. For more information, check out this full article on the advantages of using a VPN.
What is the Best VPN?
If you’re simply looking for a high quality VPN and want to avoid many of the potential disadvantages, it’s worth investing in a VPN service like NordVPN. NordVPN is a highly affordable provider that provides great service, a huge server network, great speeds, and useful features if you find yourself to be the victim of a VPN block, such as obfuscated servers and dedicated IP addresses. What’s more, if you’re not completely sold on its benefits in the first 30 days, there’s a reliable money-back guarantee. If you want to download NordVPN, simply head over to its official website and follow the simple steps below to download its software: If you’re interested in checking out some other highly-praised VPNs, check out our up-to-date list of the best VPNs. Alternatively, to weigh up the pros and cons of each VPN provider, read some of our reviews on the best VPN providers. We’ve done all the legwork for you so you can quickly and easily see the advantages and disadvantages of each VPN. In fact, we’ve gone even further: we have a section of extensive VPN comparison articles. These will tell you how the best VPNs stack up against one another. Below you’ll find all of our VPN comparison articles:
NordVPN vs Surfshark NordVPN vs CyberGhost CyberGhost vs Surfshark
Final Thoughts: VPN Pros Outweigh the Cons
The main disadvantages of a VPN can be frustrating to deal with. However, most problems are encountered when using free or low-quality VPN services. For example, while VPNs can result in slower connections, it’s possible that your connection speed could increase after connecting to a VPN provider. This can happen when your ISP throttles your connection due to overuse, which a VPN prevents. Also, while some websites and services block VPN connections, they can’t and don’t block all VPN servers. So, while some VPNs won’t work with Netflix, for instance, others offer access to the streaming service from anywhere. In summary, while there are definitely some potential VPN disadvantages, many of these likely won’t affect you if you’re using a quality provider, such as NordVPN. This is why it’s so important to compare VPN providers and take into account all of the advantages and disadvantages of using a VPN.
With some VPNs, your connection could be slower and you could experience connection drops. Certain websites block VPN users. Some (free) VPNs log and sell browsing data to third parties. For laymen, it’s hard to verify how well a VPN encrypts and protects your data. VPNs are illegal in some countries.
For more information on each of these drawbacks and some others, see our full article on the disadvantages of a VPN.
VPNs encrypt your data, making it illegible to third parties. They allow you to bypass censorship and geo-restrictions. They increase anonymity by hiding your real IP address.
For a more detailed breakdown, take a look at our full article on the advantages of a VPN.
