Tested by: Amar Ghafir | Last updated: July 2026 | Contact: info@secureguides.com
SecureGuides is written and maintained by one person, not a lab or a large editorial team. We don’t run a standardized in-house speed-testing lab — a previous version of this page described a specific testing rig (Intel Core i7-13700K, 32GB RAM, a 21-30 day testing window per VPN, specific device lists) that didn’t reflect how our content is actually put together. Here’s an honest description of what we actually do.
What We Actually Do
- We read and cite independent, third-party lab results and audits — AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and independent security audit firms (Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Cure53, Securitum, and others) for the specific claims those firms have actually published, with dates.
- We verify publicly available facts directly — server counts, jurisdiction, pricing, protocol support — from each provider’s own current documentation, and we try to flag when a fact is likely to go stale (like pricing).
- We look for real-world evidence beyond marketing claims — documented court cases, subpoenas, regulatory actions, and other real incidents that test a provider’s privacy claims in practice, not just what the provider says about itself.
- We disclose real, documented weaknesses and controversies — billing complaints, false-positive rates in independent tests, legal restrictions (like Kaspersky’s U.S. sale ban), and similar — rather than only listing positives.
- We correct outdated or wrong information when we find it — including, in several cases, our own previously fabricated claims.
What We Don’t Do (Anymore)
We used to publish specific claims about running our own hands-on speed tests, leak tests, and device compatibility tests across a fixed testing rig and schedule. We don’t have verifiable evidence that this testing occurred as described, and we’ve removed those specific claims from this site rather than continue presenting them as fact. Where a page still cites a specific number (like a speed percentage), we now attribute it to the actual independent source that measured it, not to us.
Editorial Independence
SecureGuides earns affiliate commissions when readers purchase through some of our links. No provider pays for placement or better treatment in what we write about them. Where we’ve found real problems with a product — including ones we have an affiliate relationship with — we’ve disclosed them directly. Questions or corrections: info@secureguides.com