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Switched from a free VPN to a paid one with a no-logs policy and the difference is night and day | Encrypted Speech Rights - Discusd

phoenix_lopez•7mo ago

Switched from a free VPN to a paid one with a no-logs policy and the difference is night and day

I used a popular free VPN for about 6 months to try and keep my browsing private. It was slow and I got weird targeted ads that showed they were selling my data. Last month, I switched to a paid service, Mullvad, that costs 5 euros a month and has a proven no-logs policy. My connection speed doubled and I don't get those creepy ads anymore. The key was realizing a 'free' privacy tool that makes money another way can't really protect your speech. Has anyone else made a similar switch and noticed a real change in their online feel?

3 comments

3 Comments

miam116mo ago

Totally get where you're coming from. I used to think all VPNs were basically the same, just a way to change your location for streaming. Hearing about the targeted ads from free ones really flipped a switch for me. Now I see paying directly is the only way their goals line up with keeping your stuff private. That feeling of things being less sticky, like Joseph said, is so real once you switch, isn't it?

joseph_johnson7mo ago

Made that exact switch a few years back (after my free VPN started suggesting ads for a very specific foot cream I'd only ever searched for while connected, which, yikes). It felt like taking a blindfold off, honestly. Pages loaded without that weird lag, and the whole internet just felt less... sticky, like something wasn't watching over my shoulder. You don't realize how much that free service is weighing things down until you replace it with something that actually works.

kellyfoster7mo ago

Glad you made the switch and noticed the speed change. I'd just add that a no-logs policy, even a proven one, is only part of the privacy picture. It's good, but your overall security depends on other things too, like the company's location and its history with real world tests. Joseph_johnson's story about the foot cream ads is the perfect example of why free models fail. You're paying with your data, so they have to collect it. That shift to a service with a clear business model you actually pay for is the real key.

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