10 Best (Anonymous) No-Log VPNs in 2022 | Proven & Verified

Unfortunately, many VPNs falsely claim to have strict no-logging policies when they’re actually storing information that can be used to track your online activities. Even worse, it’s not easy to figure out which VPNs are actually trustworthy.

That’s why I did a deep dive into the privacy policies and histories of 45+ top VPNs. The best no-log VPNs won’t store any of your identifiable information and have policies proven with independent audits, real-life cases, or both.

My top pick is ExpressVPN because its privacy policy has been verified by a top auditing firm. Plus, one government seized ExpressVPN servers in 2017 only to find that they held zero data, further proving it stores no logs. On top of this, it offers top security features, its own unique security protocol, and is one of the fastest VPNs available. If you want to protect your privacy, you can always try ExpressVPN out risk-free since it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like it, claiming a refund is hassle-free.

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The 10 Best No-Log VPNs – Full Analysis (Updated February 2022)

1. ExpressVPN – A Proven No-Logs Policy With RAM-Based Servers for Added Privacy

ExpressVPN has a clear privacy policy that states it will never store any of your identifiable information. Its privacy policy has been proven too. In 2017, the Turkish government seized an ExpressVPN server, but they didn’t find anything because nothing was stored. On top of that, ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer technology means its servers are RAM-based, ensuring your data is wiped clean at the flick of a switch.

It also promises to never store timestamps that record when you used the VPN or for how long

Independent Audits have been performed that further verify ExpressVPN’s privacy policy and technology. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) examined code and interviewed team members to put the VPN’s no-logs policy and TrustedServer technology to the test. PwC confirmed that ExpressVPN’s claims were all true. In addition, Cure53 audited its open-source browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. It helped the company patch up a few minor issues, increasing its security.

Being located in the British Virgin Islands shows that ExpressVPN is dedicated to upholding your privacy. It’s a country outside of the 14 Eyes Alliance, which is an agreement between governments to share information about their citizens' online activities. The BVI also doesn’t have any data retention laws, so ExpressVPN can’t be forced to store or log your data.

Of course, all VPNs need to store a little data to keep the technology running smoothly. ExpressVPN keeps track of the day (but not the time) the VPN was used, server locations accessed (no IP addresses), and how much data was transferred in a session — all of this is anonymized. This means none of it is ever associated with a particular account, so it can’t be linked to you.

Plus, ExpressVPN passed all of my leak tests, so your data won’t be exposed. I tested 25 of its 3,000 servers and had zero leaks. Its entire network supports P2P, so it’s also a solid choice for safe torrenting. Plus, the VPN is compatible with TOR and you can download it from ExpressVPN’s official.onion website for added privacy.

I was in a completely different state, but every site I visited could only see the Chicago IP I was connected to

Some VPNs reduce speeds because of advanced encryption, but that won’t happen to you with ExpressVPN. Its own Lightway protocol was the fastest in my tests, only dropping my speeds by 1.5%, which is really impressive. Lightway is super secure too (it passed all my leak tests). The automatic kill switch also protects your data if the VPN is ever disconnected. I tested this by keeping a browser open while I switched servers. In every instance, the page was unavailable while the VPN was disconnected, so I knew it was working.

For added privacy, you can pay for ExpressVPN with cryptocurrency. However, the downside is it’s a bit pricier than some other VPNs. The cheapest plans are $6.67/month. But, ExpressVPN usually has some substantial discounts. I got my subscription for 49% off when I signed up. Each plan has the same features, so I recommend the 12-month option for the best value.

You can also try ExpressVPN risk-free since it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If it’s not what you want, you can get all your money back. I tested out whether they would stand by this guarantee and they did. The representative I reached out to over 24/7 live chat only asked a few troubleshooting questions. In 3 days, I had all my money back.

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2. CyberGhost – Located in Privacy-Friendly Romania With a Verified No-Logs Policy

CyberGhost is headquartered in privacy-friendly Romania. It’s outside of the 14 Eyes Alliance, and it rejected a Data Retention Directive from the EU. It has no laws requiring VPNs to store identifiable information on its customers, so you won’t have to worry about government interference when you use CyberGhost.

The VPN’s privacy policy has been independently audited, so you can trust it doesn’t keep logs. Plus, it releases transparency reports every 3 months. These show the number of times legal requests for user data have been made by police, websites, government officials, and lawyers. None of the requests for customer information have ever been fulfilled, which shows CyberGhost has a great track record for upholding your privacy.

Many VPNs only have yearly transparency reports, so I'm impressed that CyberGhost does so much to keep its customers informed

Its no-logs policy was also proven in 2019 when a company it works with for customer surveys (Typeform) was compromised and 14 account names were leaked. However, no passwords were stolen and no one’s online activities or locations were discovered because CyberGhost doesn’t store that information.

CyberGhost’s NoSpy servers can be used to improve your security, too. This is a multi-hop feature that sends your information through 2 servers. The first is always one of CyberGhost’s extra secure servers located in Romania, which only CyberGhost staff have access to. These did reduce my speeds a little, but it’s understandable since the data has to travel farther. Plus, CyberGhost passed all of my leak tests on 20 different servers, and it also has a kill switch and a malware blocker.

One small drawback is it does store some anonymized data that VPNs like ExpressVPN don’t. This includes which devices you use CyberGhost with, connection attempts and successes, and the country where the attempt was made. However, it’s still nothing that can be used to track or identify you since it’s not linked to your account.

You can get a subscription to CyberGhost for as little as $2.15/month. I recommend any of the yearly options over its monthly subscription. The month-to-month plan is the most expensive and doesn’t come with NoSpy servers or Boxcryptor (encrypted cloud storage). Monthly plans also only have a 14-day money-back guarantee while yearly subscriptions have a 45-day guarantee.

I found out its refund guarantee is solid when I tested it myself. After 5 weeks with the service, I asked for my money back with its 24/7 live chat service. The agent only asked me why I wanted to cancel and approved the request. In 5 days, I received my full refund.

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3. Private Internet Access – Solid Privacy Policy That’s Been Proven Multiple Times

Private Internet Access promises to never retain any of your identifiable logs, and its claims have been proven. In 2016, the FBI asked for data on one of its subscribers, but it had nothing to share. In another instance, the Russian government seized some of PIA’s servers, only to find absolutely nothing.

I appreciated that PIA made it clear in the statement on its website that Russian users can still access the service

You’re in good hands with PIA because it owns all 29,650 of its servers and each one is RAM-based. Many VPNs rent a portion of their servers, but owning them all eliminates any middleman from potentially compromising a server. Plus, RAM-based servers make deleting all anonymized data as easy as flicking a switch. On top of that, PIA never revealed my IP during my tests on 20 separate servers thanks to its IP/DNS leak protection.

It also has several nice features that will help you torrent safely like port forwarding and access to SOCKS5 and Shadowsocks proxies. These can help you connect with more seeders and download faster (although without encryption).

One minor issue is that it’s based in the US, a country that’s known for having pretty invasive privacy laws and being part of the 14 Eyes Alliance. However, the company has been around for years, and its privacy policy has always held up, so I still recommend it for privacy.

PIA is pretty affordable – prices start at $2.03/month, and I got 3 free months added in when I signed up. The 1-year and 3-year plans both come with Boxcryptor Cloud Security and are much cheaper than monthly subscriptions. So, I recommend the 1-year plan since it’s a great price with a little less commitment time.

You can also try PIA out for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Just ask for a refund if it’s not for you. It did take about 10 minutes to access the live chat, but once I did, my request was approved quickly after a few questions. I received all the money back in my account in 5 business days.

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4. PrivateVPN – Keeps the Bare Minimum Amount of Data

PrivateVPN doesn’t even keep anonymized logs of your usage. It retains only the bare minimum amount of information it needs, which is email addresses and payment details to process your purchase. You can pay with cryptocurrency and make a new email for almost complete anonymity.

Stealth VPN is its obfuscation technology that hides your VPN use for added privacy. This can help you use PrivateVPN on restricted networks. I reached out to the chat, and the support agent said it works in China, but recommends the SSL protocol.

You can also use PrivateVPN for safe torrenting and streaming geoblocked content. I was able to download even faster using its port forwarding option. PrivateVPN passed all of my leak tests as well, across 20 different servers using all 6 protocols. This is important when torrenting because hackers on a shared network can access your data, but with solid leak protection, it’s close to impossible. It even lets you protect up to 10 devices all at once, so you’ll be able to encrypt the data on all your tech.

One minor issue is the service hasn’t gone through an independent audit yet. It’s also located in Sweden, a country within the 14 Eyes Alliance. Luckily, Sweden has no current laws requiring VPNs to keep logs. This, along with its great privacy policy, makes me confident it won’t have anything to share even if 14 Eyes countries ask for your data.

You can get a pretty good deal with prices starting at $2/month. You can purchase 3-month, 1-month, and 3-year plans. Every plan has the same features, so I recommend the 3-year one for the best value.

You can try it for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Refunds are only processed through email, which takes a little longer than using live chat. Still, I was able to get my full refund in 6 days.

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5. IPVanish – Owns All of Its Servers For Extra Security

IPVanish owns all of its servers which gives you added privacy because there’s no middleman to worry about. The VPN has a large network of 2,000 servers in 70 countries. Many VPNs rent servers, but IPVanish operates all of these servers, so there’s one less threat to your data.

My leak tests proved IPVanish will always keep your location hidden. I tested this out on my Windows laptop and on my phone. Across 20 different servers, my real IP was never revealed. So your data is well protected from any prying eyes looking to spy on you.

IPVanish has a strict no-logs policy and doesn’t store any of your identifiable data. It only keeps anonymized logs that help the VPN run smoothly. This includes session lengths, server usage, protocols used, and more, but none of this data is ever linked to your account.

Under previous ownership, IPVanish did provide US authorities with information about a user suspected of a crime in 2016, even though it claimed to be “no-logs”. However, IPVanish was acquired by Stackpath in 2017 and immediately underwent an independent audit, which hadn’t been done in the past. The auditors verified the new policy was trustworthy. IPVanish is now owned by Ziff Davis, and there have been no incidents like this since.

With its lowest price, you can subscribe to IPVanish for $3.75/month. It’s a pretty good deal, especially since you get unlimited device connections. I recommend the long-term commitment since they all have the same features. Unfortunately, you can’t pay with cryptocurrency.

It’s free to test out the VPN because it has a 30-day money-back guarantee. I was happy to find out how easy it is to request a refund. You don’t even need to use the live chat; it can all be processed through your account settings. All my money was returned in only 4 days.

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6. ProtonVPN – Solid No-Logs VPN With a History of Upholding Internet Privacy

The company has a strict no-logging policy, so you can trust it with your data. Plus, ProtonVPN is located in Switzerland, a country outside of the 14 Eyes Alliance. It won’t log any information about your online activities.

ProtonVPN was developed by the same team of people who created ProtonMail, the world’s safest encrypted email service. The company is dedicated to online freedom and even gathered 70,000 signatures to fight back against a Swiss data retention law it found invasive. ProtonVPN’s history shows it's dedicated to protecting your privacy.

In addition, every app ProtonVPN has is open-source to provide you with added security. The open-source apps are constantly checked for vulnerabilities. It’s undergone independent audits by SEC Consult and offers the Secure Core feature that protects your data by sending your traffic to one of its super-safe servers in fortified locations. However, this extra step will slow your connection a little. I performed leak tests on 18 Secure Core and normal servers and never found any leaks.

Unfortunately, ProtonVPN has only released 1 transparency report, which didn’t provide much information. CyberGhost releases quarterly reports with more details (like who made the request). However, ProtonVPN still has a proven no-logs policy, so it’s not a huge issue.

You can get a Plus plan for $6.63/month. It’s the plan I recommend because, compared to the basic plan, you get way more features, like a bigger server list, secure core servers, and more.

There’s no live chat, so you have to request a refund through email, and its 30-day money-back guarantee is prorated. This means you’re only refunded for the days you didn’t use it. But, you can test many features with its free version. It took 3 days for the refund to be confirmed and 10 days to receive my money back.

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7. hide.me – Independently Audited No-Logs Policy

With an independently audited no-logs policy, hide.me shows you how confident it is that your privacy is protected. The VPN’s policy was audited by Leon Juranic of Defense Code LTD. He’s an encryption expert that once helped NASA patch up its security risks, and he verified that hide.me stores no identifiable logs.

It won’t be forced to store logs or share your data since it’s located in Malaysia. That’s because this is a privacy-friendly country outside the 14 Eyes Alliance. In addition, it has annual transparency reports that let you know when it receives requests for data, and hide.me has never had anything to share.

You also get several advanced features. The VPN supports torrenting and has a kill switch (just remember to activate it). I tested its split tunneling feature by watching a foreign Netflix library while I searched the local news, and it worked great. Plus, it passed my leak tests on 12 different servers.

The company will share data with authorities if there’s a court order from its government, but it only retains the information you use to purchase. This means you can protect yourself by signing up with a new email address and paying with cryptocurrency.

Plans start at $3.99/month. I recommend the 2-year plan since it comes with 2 months free. It’s also much cheaper than the 1-month and 6-month plans.

In addition, you can test out hide.me free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. I requested my refund through email, and I was approved after 1 day with no questions asked. The refund showed up in my account after a week.

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8. TunnelBear – Yearly Transparency Reports to Back Up Its No-Logs Policy

TunnelBear releases yearly transparency reports that show it upholds its no-logs policy. Any time government authorities, police, or legal teams request data on customers, TunnelBear lets you know. Since it doesn’t keep logs, it never has any data on timestamps, online activities, or IP addresses to share.

It does not store DNS queries or any information about your online activities. The company does record your data usage (only to manage its free accounts), browser, and OS. However, the data is anonymized, and nothing is stored that can be used to track you. On top of that, it’s been independently audited 4 times, so it stands by its privacy protocols.

Strong leak protection keeps your data hidden from hackers, governments, your ISP, or any other prying eyes. I completed leak tests on 10 different servers, and TunnelBear never revealed my actual location. Plus, it has an automatic kill switch that cuts off my internet connection anytime the servers are disconnected (for any reason). I verified it worked by keeping a browser open while I switched servers; the page was unavailable every time the connection dropped.

It’s too bad it's headquartered in Canada, which is part of the 14 Eyes Alliance. But, its independent audits and transparency reports prove it doesn’t store any vital information.

You can get TunnelBear for $3.33/month. There are also yearly and monthly plans that are more expensive. If you’re not getting the team plan ($5.75/month per user), I’d recommend yearly since they all have the same features. Currently, it doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee for premium plans, although refunds are given on a case-by-case basis.

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9. ZenMate – No-Logs Policy With Unlimited Simultaneous Device Connections

ZenMate lets you protect all your devices with the assurance of its strict no-logging policy. I tested this on my Windows laptop, a roommate’s MacBook, both of our phones, and a tablet. There wasn’t any dip in performance when every device was streaming.

Its privacy policy promises to never voluntarily share or sell your identifiable information. So, it won’t store your online activities, location, or timestamps. Plus, it owns all of its servers. This increases your security because you know only ZenMate employees have access to its infrastructure. ZenMate also passed my leak tests across 14 different servers.

Unfortunately, it’s located in Germany (a member of the 14 Eyes Alliance), and its policy states it will share some data with law enforcement agencies if requested by law. It also hasn’t had an independent audit. At first, this worried me, but the only data it says it will share is when you signed up and on what device. In addition, its privacy policy is transparent and none of its customers’ data has ever been leaked or shared.

You can get a subscription for only $2.22/month, which is a great value. I recommend the 3-year plan over the 1-year and monthly plans; they cost more (for the same features).

A 30-day money-back guarantee is available to you with every plan as well. It’s a bit shorter than some others, but you can easily cancel through its website. I did so after 12 days and got all my money back in a week.

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10. VyprVPN – First Publicly Audited No-Logs VPN

VyprVPN went through an audit you can trust because it’s available for anyone to read. It was the first commercial VPN service to be publicly audited after changing its logging policies to be more privacy-friendly. Making the entire process open to the public is a great show of transparency. Leviathan (the auditors) only reported some minor problems that were immediately fixed.

Since it’s located in Switzerland, the VPN isn’t obligated to store any of your data. That’s because this is a country outside of the 14 Eyes Alliance. There are 700 servers in 70 countries, and it owns all of its servers. Plus, its Chameleon protocol (obfuscation technology) hides your VPN use. I also verified with the support staff that this can be used in China. On top of that, it passed all of my leak tests.

It’s too bad that the service is pretty expensive; the cheapest plan is $8.33/month. The monthly plan is almost twice as much too, and you can’t pay with cryptocurrency. However, every plan does come with a money-back guarantee. I recommend the 1-year plan since the only difference between the 2 tiers is the price.

You can test out VyprVPN for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. I used the live chat to request a cancellation after 28 days. After a few questions, it was approved, and I had my money back in 7 business days.

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Quick Comparison Table: No-Log VPN Features

Every VPN in my list has a strict no-logs policy and can be trusted to handle your data. However, some anonymized information about your VPN use is necessary to keep things running smoothly. Many services also keep their headquarters in a privacy-friendly country, and independent audits verify its privacy policy is being upheld. Below is a table that shows you how each no-log VPN in this list stacks up.

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Tips on How to Choose The Best No-Log VPN

I ranked the VPNs in my list based on these criteria. You can use this as a checklist on your own search for the best VPN for privacy:

• A proven no-logs policy. The best way to find out if a privacy policy is trustworthy is to find real-world examples where it's been proven (in court cases or investigations, for example). From my list, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ProtonVPN, and TunnelBear all have policies that have been proven in real-life situations.
• Independent audits. These prove a VPN stands by its policies and that its apps are as secure as the VPN claims. Plus, if any vulnerabilities are found, they’ll be fixed right away, ensuring your privacy is well protected.
• Based in a privacy-friendly country. It’s best if a VPN has headquarters in a privacy-friendly country, especially one outside of the 14 Eyes Alliance. Being outside of these jurisdictions means the VPN doesn’t have to comply with government requests for data or requirements to store it.
• Strong security features. Having IP/DNS leak protection, AES-256 bit encryption, and a kill switch ensures it’s nearly impossible to access your data.
• Secure servers. This is one more layer of protection against attacks, and RAM-based servers ensure the data on a server is erased with every reboot.
• Anonymous payment options. Paying with cryptocurrency means you don’t have to give up your credit card information or personal details.
• Fast speeds. All VPNs slow your connection a little, but with the best ones, it’s so slight you won’t notice at all. All the VPNs in this list have fast speeds so you can protect your privacy without compromising speed.
• P2P and streaming capabilities. If you plan on torrenting or streaming, you’ll want to know the VPN can unblock your favorite platforms and works with P2P sites and apps.

Warning! These VPNs Keep Logs

These VPNs have been known to store user logs and should be avoided.

• Hola: Admits to storing browsing activity, IP addresses, and even information linked to social media accounts.
• PureVPN: Revealed information about a users’ IP address.
• BolehVPN: Admitted it may turn on logs to identify suspicious customers.
• VPNBook: Stores your IP address and connection timestamps for a week.
• ThunderVPN: Logs your IP address.
• AVG: Was caught storing user data not mentioned in its privacy policy.
• Betternet: Caught collecting user data to sell to third parties.

Types of VPN Logs (and Which Ones You Should be Concerned About)

A great no-logs VPN keeps no information that can be used to identify you or your activities. However, some logs are necessary to keep a VPN running smoothly. Here’s a breakdown of the most important categories and whether they should be of concern:

• Usage logs: This is information about your online activities, like what websites you’ve visited. None of the VPNs on my list store any usage logs, and, from a privacy standpoint, I can’t recommend VPNs that do.
• Metadata logs: This is data about your VPN session. This category includes the server IP, your IP address, timestamps, how much data was used, and when you connected. Most VPNs do store some of this information to maintain their service. It’s not a big issue if the data is anonymized (so it can’t be traced to a user), but I don’t recommend VPNs that store your IP, since it can identify you. Most VPNs will ask for an email and receive your payment information. If the logs are anonymized, then nothing will be linked to your account. However, you can be extra safe by creating a new email and paying with cryptocurrency.

FAQs on the Best No-Log VPNs

How can I know if my VPN keeps logs or not?

A VPN can prove it doesn’t keep logs by verifying its no-logs policies with independent audits or in real-life situations. It’s also important to find VPNs with accessible, transparent privacy policies that clearly list what they do and do not store (and whether it’s anonymous).

Several VPNs have had their servers seized or had governments force them to hand over data. You can know whether they truly don’t store logs when nothing is shared or compromised in these situations.

It’s also best if the VPN is headquartered in a country with privacy-friendly data-retention laws. RAM-based servers are a plus since they store any data for a shorter amount of time and are easier to update with the latest security software.

What does no-log VPN actually mean?

A no-logs VPN will not store any data that can be used to identify you. It may still store some anonymized data that’s used to troubleshoot issues with the VPN (like data usage). However, this isn’t an issue because anonymized data can’t be linked to your account. None of the VPNs in this list record your IP address or any of your online activities.

Can you use a no-log VPN based in the US or the UK?

Yes. But it’s best to use a VPN located in a more privacy-friendly country. However, if a VPN really doesn’t store any logs, this isn’t much of an issue since it wouldn’t have anything to share even if it were asked to do so.

The UK and the US are both part of the 14 Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between several governments to share information on their citizens’ internet usage. The US also has a huge surveillance infrastructure it uses to spy on its people. However, even if the government asks for data from a VPN company, if they don’t store logs, they won’t have anything to share anyway.

Will a no-logs VPN keep me anonymous?

It helps keep you anonymous online, but it can’t guarantee complete anonymity. A VPN service could, potentially, choose to look at or keep your data at any time, which is why it’s so important to choose a service that’s transparent about its privacy practices and can be trusted. The VPNs in this list have strict no-logging policies and most have been proven in court, with transparency reports, or with independent audits.

Can I get a no-log VPN for free?

Technically yes, but I can’t recommend them. Many free VPNs make money in other ways, sometimes by selling your data, so a lot of their privacy policies can’t be trusted. Free VPNs always come with severe limitations, like data caps, limited servers, and weaker security features. There are premium VPNs with free options, but the paid subscription is always far superior. Plus, the top no-log VPNs all have money-back guarantees, so you can get a refund if they’re not for you.

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Get the Best No-Log VPN Today

If a VPN keeps identifiable logs, there’s no reason to use it. The main purpose of a VPN is to protect your online privacy, and if it can’t be responsible with your data, you need to find one that’s trustworthy.

All of the VPNs in this list are safe to use and won’t store any information that can be used to identify you. ExpressVPN is my top choice because it has a verified and audited strict no-logging policy. Plus, it’s located in the privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands, comes with top-notch security features, and has its own superfast Lightway protocol. You can try ExpressVPN out risk-free. Since it has a 30-day money-back guarantee, if you’re not happy with it, you can claim a full refund.

To summarize, the best no-log VPNs in %currentdate% are…