Using a V on Android can help you access content that’s blocked in your region help maintain your anonymity around the web. There are plenty of apps that offer V services for free as a paid service, but which of them are worth your time?

I tested six of the most popular V all-in-one apps (with Speedtest the speedof.me HTM test) on Android to see how they stack up. You can also go your own way use Android’s built-in V tool. th a few tweaks, you can make it a little easier to use, too.

y use a V?

A V (Virtual ivate Network) is basically a way to funnel all your web traffic through a remote server. This makes it look like you’re in a different location obscures your real Iaddress. Vs encrypt the traffic passing through them, making it harder for anyone else to listen in on your connection, even if you connect to an unsecured -Fi network.

Since your connection appears to be coming from a different area, you can access geo-restricted services like the BBC. Some of the more popular ones like Netflix Hulu have gotten serious about blocking Vs, though. It’s also important to note possible security issues with the V providers. They are getting access to all your traffic, after all. Some providers like Hola V have had security issues, so you should steer clear.

Vs do add another “hop” to your connection, so increased latency is usually part of the deal. A fast V shouldn’t add a perceptible amount of delay, but some free mobile Vs will make it tough to do things like video calls. Speeds also vary dramatically from one service to the next, but that’s one of the things we’re here to test.

TunnelBear

TunnelBear has a cute app a bear for a mascot. The V performance is solid, there are no ads. It’s a much more pleasant app to use than some other freemium Vs out there. It has a good selection of servers across the world too.

The main drawback is limited data on the free tier. You get 500MB per month, can earn more by tweeting about the service. If you want unlimited access, TunnelBear costs $4 per month. Be aware, you also need to set up an account to use TunnelBear.

Opera V

Opera V is well designed with a slick material interface a cool viking mascot. I guess V mascots are a thing? Anyway, Opera V was one of the faster connections I tested, but there were a few connectivity hiccups. The ads are not particularly intrusive, which is good seeing as there’s no paid tier.

There are no limits on Opera V aside from a block on Torrents. However, there are only five server locations available right now. Still, it’s free pretty fast.

Betternet

The Betternet app is good enough, but has some odd design quirks like the full-screen navigation drawer. The ads aren’t too intrusive while the V is on, but there are full-screen popups when you open it. The big issue here is poor speeds in my testing. Both tests reported well under a megabit. You also cannot manually select any server locations in the free version. So, if you get a bad server (like I apparently did) you’re out of luck.

The paid version of Betternet is $12 per month (which is a lot) for faster speeds, no ads, more servers. I’d probably pass on this deal.

Turbo V

The speed of Turbo V isn’t exactly “turbo,” but it’s in-line with most other V apps on Android. The app is clean has a rabbit mascot. I like the rabbit, but it also has plenty of full-screen ads. I don’t like those very much.

There are only five server locations, which isn’t bad for a free V app. The annoying ads make this a less viable option than Opera V, though.

Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is the fastest V I tested in both tests—it wasn’t even close. It has some ads that can get annoying, but not nearly as bad as Turbo V. The app itself is easy to use not too cluttered. Unfortunately, you have very few server locations in the free version.

A premium Hotspot Shield account cost $12 per month. Again, that’s rather steep for a V on Android. This is actually a license that extends to other platforms like ndows Mac, though. If you don’t need that, it’s not really worth the cost.

SuperV

In my testing, SuperV wasn’t particularly fast, the app is in need of some major updates. There are also a ton of ads—more than in any other app I tested. There are only four server locations available in the free version. The paid version that costs $5 per month with no ads faster speeds. However, it requires a separate payment app, which is weird. There are better options.

Manual Vs

The world of Vs is larger than what you can get in the ay Store. There are V providers that offer services on multiple platforms, you can use your account information to set up a native V connection on Android. It takes a little more legwork, but it can be cheaper more powerful. You will often get multiple simultaneous connections, so all your devices can access the V at once.

Some of the popular general V options are ivate Internet Access, NordV, KeepSolid. l will provide you with server account details, which you can add to the Android V menu. That’s usually found under “More” in the Connections area of your system settings. Add the details provided by your V provider as a new V connection; you shouldn’t need to change the default connection type or mess around with the advanced settings.

One annoyance here is that you need to create a new V connection for each server location. That also means digging into the menu each time you want to toggle it on or off. You can alleviate some of that annoyance by creating a custom quick settings shortcut to your Vs with Custom Quick Settings or a similar app.

However you decide to do it, using a V is good common sense when you’re connecting to networks you can’t completely trust. The privacy boost is desirable in this day age. As for accessing content, that’ll work sometimes.