Reviewed by: Amar Ghafir | Last updated: September 2026 | Contact: info@secureguides.com
SecureGuides is written and maintained by one person. This page explains how we evaluate VPN and antivirus products, what sources we rely on, and how we build rankings and recommendations.
What We Actually Do
- We read and cite independent third-party lab results — AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, Cure53, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Securitum for specific published claims with dates.
- We verify publicly available facts directly — server counts, jurisdiction, pricing, protocol support — from each provider’s own documentation, and flag when facts are likely to go stale.
- We look for real-world evidence beyond marketing claims — court cases, subpoenas, regulatory actions, and documented incidents that test privacy claims in practice.
- We disclose real, documented weaknesses — billing complaints, false-positive rates, legal restrictions like Kaspersky’s U.S. sale ban, and similar.
- We correct outdated or wrong information — including our own previously fabricated claims, removed from this site.
How We Evaluate VPN Products
When researching a VPN provider, we look at the following criteria:
Privacy and Jurisdiction
We examine the provider’s jurisdiction and what that means for legal data requests. We look for documented cases where the provider was served with a subpoena or law enforcement request — and whether their no-logs policy held up in practice. Where an independent privacy audit has been published by a credible firm (Deloitte, KPMG, Cure53), we cite its findings directly, including its date and scope.
Protocol and Encryption Support
We verify which protocols a VPN supports (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Lightway, NordLynx), based on the provider’s own technical documentation. Where independent researchers have published analyses of a provider’s implementation (for example, academic papers or security researchers’ blog posts), we cite those. We don’t run our own cryptographic analysis.
Pricing and Value
Pricing is checked directly from the provider’s checkout page at the time of writing. We note promotional pricing separately from standard rates, since most VPN pricing changes frequently. We flag when a quoted price requires a long-term commitment (e.g. 2-year plan) that raises the effective cost of early cancellation.
Feature Set and Usability
We check which features a provider advertises — kill switch, split tunneling, multi-hop, obfuscation, dedicated IP — and note whether these are available on all platforms or only some. We also note any features listed in marketing that are not available in the standard plan, or only available as add-ons.
Streaming Compatibility
Streaming platform compatibility (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer) is checked based on recent user reports, support documentation from the provider, and third-party streaming tests where published. Streaming unblocking is highly volatile — providers that worked last month may be blocked today, and vice versa. We note the date of our last check and recommend re-verifying before subscribing for this purpose.
How We Evaluate Antivirus Products
Antivirus evaluations rely primarily on independent lab test results:
- Detection rates — from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, with dates. We cite the specific test cycle, not a generic claim.
- False positive rates — under-discussed but important for usability. A product that blocks legitimate software creates real problems for users.
- Performance impact — system slowdown during scans and real-time protection, from AV-TEST benchmark results.
- Pricing transparency — introductory vs. renewal pricing, and which features are included vs. gated behind higher tiers.
- Ownership and trust history — relevant for brands with known controversies (e.g., Kaspersky, Avast/AVG data practices).
What We Stopped Claiming
A previous version of this page stated that every product was tested for a minimum of 30 days on real hardware, with 240+ speed and privacy checks per product. We removed those claims because we could not verify them as described. Where a page still cites a specific speed or test number, it is attributed to the actual source that measured it — not to us. We believe this transparency serves readers better than presenting unverifiable claims as methodology.
How Often We Update
We update pages when we find outdated information or when a product changes significantly — a major pricing change, a new audit, a new controversy, or a change in ownership. The “last updated” date on every page reflects a genuine content review. We aim to review top-performing pages at least every six months, and to correct factual errors within 30 days of being notified.
Editorial Independence
SecureGuides earns affiliate commissions when readers purchase through some links. No provider pays for placement or better treatment. Where we found real problems with a product — including ones we earn commissions from — we’ve disclosed them. Affiliate relationships are listed in our Affiliate Disclosure. Questions or corrections: info@secureguides.com