6 reasons to use a VPN: explanations for beginners

Currently, more and more Internet users are turning to Virtual Private Networks (VPN). Wondering what are the reasons to use a VPN? It's difficult to summarize this in one sentence as the uses are varied and different depending on the context. Depending on what you need, you will be able to choose this or that supplier in order to have the best possible performance.

In this article, we will therefore review the 6 main reasons to use a VPN in our opinion. For each, we will explain how the software can help you and especially who the best suppliers are for this activity! You will therefore have all the keys in hand to make your choice and perhaps you will even discover features that you did not think of!

The 3 best VPNs of the moment:

1. Be safe on the internet

In 2024, security is more than ever a priority on the internet. When we see the number of threats (viruses, data theft, malware) but also the number of scandals that emerge every week, it's hard not to want to protect yourself when connecting to the internet. For this, the VPN is an unparalleled tool!

How does it work?

You probably know this, but you are identified on the internet by your IP address. Your Internet service provider and all the sites you visit are therefore able to know your geographic location and personal information about you (queries, interests, etc.). It is therefore essential to protect yourself to prevent this type of information from falling into the wrong hands.

With a VPN, your connection will pass through a remote server which will fully encrypt your connection data before reaching the Internet. From then on, no information about you will be visible to others and you will also have a new online identity. By choosing the best providers, your personal data will be encrypted so that no third party can access it. Security will therefore be optimal, whatever your online activities.

Which providers are the most secure?

When choosing your supplier, you must pay attention to the security that is offered. Indeed, too many Internet users wrongly think that any VPN can do the trick, when in reality they do not all guarantee the same level of protection. On the contrary, certain software likefree VPNseven put your personal information at risk.

In order to find a reliable VPN, you need to look at the encryption technique it offers, its features, its log retention policy and its privacy policy.

For example, we advise you to turn toExpressVPN, the most efficient provider in terms of data security. In addition, it offers a free 30-day trial version with a “satisfied or refunded” guarantee on its subscriptions.

Discover ExpressVPN

If you're looking for other alternatives, we can also suggest CyberGhost and NordVPN. These two providers both have effective protocols and state-of-the-art encryption to protect you. Additionally, their privacy policies ensure that no information about you is retained by the company. So you can trust them!

2. Be anonymous during all your connections

There are several reasons why you might want to be anonymous on the internet. Whether to protect your personal data or to prevent it from being traced back to you, using a VPN is more than recommended.

How does it work?

When you go online, you are identified by your IP address which provides information about your device and your physical location. Using a VPN allows you to hide this data so no one knows who you are. You will then have total anonymity online.

To have this guarantee, you mustsubscribe to a VPN. Once done, you will have access to its entire server network. You will be able to connect to one of them: you will automatically receive a new IP address which will correspond to the location of the server in question. From then on, your real IP address will be completely hidden and you will be untraceable.

Which providers should I choose to be anonymous on the internet?

To protect your privacy, you should turn to providers who offer the best anonymity.

At this level, we advise you to opt for ExpressVPN, the market leader. With thousands of IP addresses available, CyberGhost is also a good alternative and its prices are a bit lower than ExpressVPN. Whatever your choice, these two providers are perfectly capable of hiding your IP address on a daily basis.

Discover ExpressVPN

3. Being able to access exclusive streaming content

Streaming is one of the most practiced activities on the internet in 2024. And in a sense, it is logical because there are more and more platforms that allow you to watch content live or in replay. But did you know that using a VPN for streaming is a way to get tons of extra content for free?

Geo-restrictions

Content platforms, whether streaming sites or television channel websites, are very often geo-restricted. This means that when you try to access one of these sites, it is imperative that your location corresponds to that authorized. For example, you must be in France to access the TF1 replay, otherwise you will not have access to the content.

This restriction is linked to broadcasting rights which are purchased by company sites and valid only in a given territory. This can be a real hassle if you're trying to access your programs while you're abroad.

How does it work?

To know where you are located, the site refers to your IP address and the location associated with it. So, suppose you try to access the Netflix US library, the latter will check that your IP address is located on American territory before allowing you access.

If streaming is one of the good reasons to use a VPN, it's because you will be able to change the location associated with your device as much as you want. In fact, you will have access to all of your provider's servers. If you choose to connect to a server in the United States, for example, you will automatically get a US IP address and this works for other countries. From then on, no platform will be able to block your access since you can change country depending on the site you want to unblock.

What sites can be unblocked with a VPN?

In fact, this VPN trick works for all geo-restricted websites. This is the case, of course, of Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and even Netflix. Thanks to the software, you will be able to access all the national catalogs of your choice, in particular Netflix US which is much more extensive than Netflix FR.

But that's not all! All TV channels have sites to watch content live or in replay and you can therefore unblock all this content! For example, you will be able to watch a film normally available exclusively on an English channel or watch a Champions League match which was broadcast free-to-air on a German channel. During your stays abroad, this also allows you to keep one foot in your native country and continue to watch your TV shows.

Which supplier to choose?

As you will have understood, there are many reasons to use a VPN for streaming because this tool is a real daily asset. But which one to choose?

If you're looking for the best speeds, we recommend ExpressVPN. With the powerful speed of its servers and its unlimited bandwidth, you will have no difficulty loading content quickly in HD or watching live television channels.

If you want to access the largest number of servers in the world, CyberGhost and its more than 9000 servers might appeal to you. It will allow you to access a multitude of content.

Discover CyberGhost

Finally, if you are looking for a good balance between security, speeds and servers, you can also turn to NordVPN for a quality solution!

4. Download without taking any risks

If you're in the habit of downloading, you probably know that it's a particularly risky activity. Indeed, whether in France or in other countries around the world, the downloading of non-royalty-free content is prohibited and strongly repressed.

In addition, download platforms are often risky for your security since many hackers and viruses are found there. In this context, using a VPN for downloading is a good solution and this is one of the reasons why you should use one.

How does it work?

When you download torrents from the Internet, your Internet service provider sees everything you do and Hadopi, the regulatory and sanctioning body for illegal downloading on the Internet, can ask for your connection information.

Therefore, it is necessary to protect yourself well. This is in fact one of the main reasons to use a VPN: this tool will allow you to make yourself anonymous, as we saw previously. No one will therefore be able to trace you and know the activities you carried out when you connected to your Virtual Private Network.

How do you know which supplier to turn to?

For downloading, it is imperative that your provider offers you attractive speeds and optimal security.

We therefore advise you to opt for ExpressVPN, the most efficient Virtual Private Network, both in terms of security and speed. You will be able to download without any problem and above all without fear of being spotted.

If you're looking for another cheaper alternative, CyberGhost might be right for you. It offers dedicated servers for downloading optimized for P2P, particularly in terms of download speed and encryption.

5. Circumvent censorship in all affected countries

One of the reasons people use a VPN is to circumvent censorship. Indeed, thanks to this tool, you will be able to unblock all blocked sites and content without any problem.

Every year, many expatriates, vacationers, and even locals opt for this software to facilitate their daily connections. Why not you?

What are the impacts of censorship?

In censored countries, certain sites, pages or even entire platforms are blocked by governments. To take an example and be more concrete, we will focus on China, which has one of the strictest internet censorship policies in the world. This is also the case in other territories such as Iran, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, etc.

Chinese censorship, also called the “Great Firewall” in reference to the Great Wall of China, is very restrictive. Indeed, if you go to the country and try to visit certain sites you may be blocked or the pages will simply not be referenced. For example, it is impossible to access the social network platforms Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, to watch content on streaming sites or even to go to famous media sites such as Le Monde.

If you stay in the country for a long time, this may pose problems for you because you will not be able to communicate with your loved ones or have access to certain information and your online activities will be monitored by the authorities. It is therefore more than advisable to use a VPN application.

How does it work?

By taking out a subscription with your provider, you will access its network of private servers. In addition to the security that we have already talked about and which will be present as soon as your VPN is activated, you will also have the possibility to select the location of the server to which you connect.

By choosing a server located outside China (or the country affected by the censorship), you will be able to obtain an IP address located in this country. We advise you to choose one of the uncensored countries closest to your actual location in order to optimize loading times.

The Internet service provider will therefore no longer be able to know that you are located in China and will automatically allow access to sites that are normally blocked.

The best suppliers

Are you looking for the best provider to unblock content blocked by censorship? Here is our selection:

• ExpressVPNbecause it is the best VPN on the market capable of bypassing all restrictions in place, including the strictest. Optimal security and unrivaled performance will allow you to bypass all censorship in the world.
• Surfshark, the best quality-price ratio on the market. You will particularly appreciate its very easy-to-use application and the number of countries covered by its servers which will allow you to access a multitude of geographical areas.

Discover Surfshark

6. Save money with a few tips

When we think of reasons to use a VPN, we don't often think of this one. However, Virtual Private Networks allow you to make significant savings, especially in areas related to vacations for example. This is what we will see in the rest of this article.

How does it work?

You probably suspect this, but the prices charged by certain sites on the internet vary depending on your location (your country of connection). This is the case, for example, for plane tickets, online reservations or even certain online sales sites.

To know where you are located and thus offer you the price in question, the sites rely on the location of your IP address. As we have seen throughout this article, you will be able to modify your IP address with a VPN and simulate a location in another country.

This process can be slightly time-consuming because it is difficult to know which countries will allow you to have access to the most attractive prices. You will sometimes have to modify your location several times before obtaining a satisfactory result. Despite everything, it can really be worth it and save you several dozen euros on plane tickets for example.

Which supplier to choose to save money?

Once again, it's difficult to make a choice when you see the number of players on the market. But if we had to select our top 3 suppliers to save money, here are the ones we would recommend:

With servers located in more than 90 countries around the world, choosing ExpressVPN ensures that you always have a multitude of nationalities to try and therefore benefit from the best prices.

Discover ExpressVPN

If you are looking for good value for money, it is also possible to turn to CyberGhost, which is a very efficient provider. Its worldwide server network is also very impressive.

Finally, NordVPN offers a quality Virtual Private Network that will allow you to connect to all the sites of your choice!