Compare · VPNs, hosting & security
Who reviews vpns, hosting & security, and can you trust them?
VPNs, web hosting and antivirus, the most affiliate-driven tech reviews there are. Here is every review site we track in this category, graded head to head.
| Grade | Review site | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A+ | Grades: its lab security-product certifications A hands-on, independent antivirus testing lab where vendors can't buy a ranking; the only catch is that the same labs sell logo licensing and paid commissioned single-product tests on the side. |
| 2 | A- | Grades: its multi-week hands-on VPN test scores Real hands-on lab testing and a published method, but it earns affiliate commissions from the very VPNs it ranks — independence rests on a firewall the reader has to take on trust. |
| 3 | B+ | Grades: its hands-on reviews and buying guides for tech Hands-on consumer-tech reviews from in-house labs that earn affiliate commissions on what they recommend, not placement fees from the brands they rank. |
| 4 | B+ | Grades: its lab malware-protection scores and 'Certified' seal A real lab that runs antivirus through hands-on malware tests, but the vendors it certifies are also its paying customers, and critics have questioned how easy its seal became. |
| 5 | B | Grades: its hands-on hosting and website-builder rankings Hands-on hosting and website-builder testing with up-front disclosures, but by its own admission listicle rankings can factor in "commercial agreements with providers." |
| 6 | B- | Grades: its hands-on 'best web hosting' rankings Hands-on hosting reviews with a clear methodology and visible affiliate disclosure, but it earns commissions on many of the very providers it ranks. |
| 7 | C+ | Grades: its ranked 'best VPN' lists A high-traffic VPN review site whose parent, Kape Technologies, also owns several of the VPNs it ranks — a conflict it now discloses, after reporting noted its top picks shifted toward Kape-owned products post-acquisition. |
| 8 | C+ | Grades: its hands-on antivirus and VPN 'best of' rankings Hands-on antivirus and VPN testing, but its own disclosure says rankings may weigh affiliate commissions and products it shares an owner with — including ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and PIA. |
| 9 | C+ | Grades: its hands-on web-hosting reviews and rankings Real hands-on hosting tests sit alongside affiliate payouts, and by its own disclosure, compensation can affect which hosts appear and in what order. |
| 10 | C+ | Grades: its lab-tested VPN and privacy-tool rankings Hands-on VPN and privacy-tool reviews funded by affiliate commissions; by its own disclosure its corporate parent owns a VPN it reviews, so weigh the "100% impartial" promise accordingly. |
| 11 | C+ | Grades: its in-house VPN and antivirus test rankings Hands-on VPN and antivirus testing wrapped in real security journalism, but by its own ownership structure the site's parent and the market-leading products it ranks (NordVPN, Surfshark) trace to the same founders. |
Columns are the five rubric dimensions, scored 0-5, with each column's weight shown in its header; independence and evidence carry the most, 30% each. See the full methodology. Each row also shows a scoring-confidence chip (how sure we are of that grade) and a type tag; hover any chip for what it means.