Privacy in the digital age is more important than ever, and using a strong VPN can help keep your internet behavior safe from prying eyes. We write a lot about VPNs, and one provider has been making moves over the past two weeks to expand its global coverage.Â
Proton VPN is the privacy tool in question, and the Swiss-based company's network, which has the best free VPN option on the market, now spans roughly 20,000 servers across 145 countries -- with new server locations in Lebanon, Nicaragua, Gabon, Papua New Guinea, Kyrgyzstan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- making it the top provider on our best VPN list for worldwide coverage.Â
VPNs, or virtual private networks, operate by masking your actual IP address with one from a remote server, allowing you to disguise your location and keep your internet activity secure.
There are a multitude of ways a VPN can enhance your experience, whether you're looking to access streaming titles from another country or get around oppressive government firewalls that can block important information and communication pathways, and impede an open, uncensored internet.
Proton VPN now has the biggest global footprint out of all the VPNs CNET has tested. It has a vastly larger number of servers than NordVPN (9,300), and its reach exceeds NordVPN's (135 countries), ExpressVPN's (105 countries) and Surfshark's (11 countries).Â
There is one caveat in all of this expansion: Proton VPN doesn't have a server presence in all 50 US states, unlike NordVPN. That said, it's still an excellent choice for watching streaming TV shows and movies -- especially if you're traveling internationally.
A Proton VPN spokesperson didn't immediately respond to our request for comment.
