WhitehatVPN

VPN tools have been rising in popularity over the last few years, and considering their prerogatives, that's no surprise. Restrictions caused by geo-blocking and privacy concerns are some of the main reasons to spring for a VPN, but perhaps the most confusing part of all is choosing the right solution for you.

The market has been overflowing with VPN software, and with so many options to choose from, picking the right one for you may seem like a challenge. If a free-to-use VPN solution appeals to you, then WhitehatVPN may make for an enticing proposal.

This service comes with no price tag, but there's an important disclaimer to heed. That disclaimer comes in the form of a message that appears right as you boot up the program: you agree to receive this free VPN service in exchange for allowing its developer to download public network data through your connection. Per this message, only your IP address would be collected in the process.

As such, it can be claimed that the user is the product here. What you stand to gain from this is a VPN that is quite decent and intuitive: the SmartConnect feature will try to connect you to the server that ensures the best speed and latency, but if you want to go your own way, more than 100 servers across multiple countries are available.

Let's get to the part where you actually use the VPN. Surfing the web seems to be no problem at all, and streaming lower-res content shouldn't pose a threat to the stability of the connection either. Connecting to a new server happens with little to no delay, with IP address verification domains corroborating our new location right away.

The speeds are serviceable for some browsing and light streaming. Netflix should recognize your location and adapt the pricing accordingly, so you'll be able to enjoy their brand-new, ad-featured, $6.99 plan that streams at 720P. Though getting under 10MB/s speeds may be cumbersome when it comes to downloading and uploading files, hardly anyone's going to do that with a free solution like this one. Not a fast rabbit by any stretch of the imagination, but it should do the job.

WhitehatVPN works well, insofar as speeds and the general experience are concerned. But it's up to the individual user to decide whether the data collection is a trade-off they can live with.