The better choice depends on how often you connect, how much data you use, and what information you’re willing to share. For occasional browsing, consider a free plan with clear terms and a known provider. For regular video streaming, remote work, or large file transfers, focus on paid plans’ routes and service terms—not just the price.
This guide compares speed, data limits, privacy, and ads, and explains how to test each for yourself. We don’t have verifiable speed-test results from matching networks, so we’re not ranking speeds or claiming that one type of service is always faster or safer.
Free vs. paid: compare the limits first
“Free” might mean a limited tier of a paid product, a time-limited trial, or a service funded by ads or other business activities. Paid plans may charge monthly or sell data packages. These models show who bears the cost, but they don’t tell you how the provider handles your data.
| What to compare | What to check with free plans | What to check with paid plans |
|---|---|---|
| Speed and congestion | Check for explicit speed caps, queues, or limits on available routes | Check availability at peak times and whether you can switch routes if problems arise |
| Data limits and validity | Check when your allowance resets and whether speeds drop or service stops when you run out | Check how monthly data resets and whether data packages expire |
| Privacy and permissions | Check who operates the service, how it uses data, ad components, and permissions | Check logging scope, retention policies, and disclosures about third-party processing |
| App experience | Check where ads appear and whether the app runs reliably in the background | Check platform support, split tunneling settings, and maintenance information |
| Support and cancellation | Check whether you can delete your account and how to contact support | Check refund terms, renewal rules, and how to report a problem |
Rule out products with unclear origins or missing terms before comparing the experience. A free tier with clearly stated limits may still work for light use. Even if a paid product advertises a dedicated route, test it on your own network.
How to test speed limits without mistaking congestion for a plan cap
Slow-loading pages don’t necessarily mean the service is throttling you. Local Wi-Fi, your ISP’s connection, remote server load, and the destination website can all affect results. A speed test measures throughput on one route; it doesn’t predict performance for video, calls, or file downloads.
- Use the same device and local network, and pause background downloads and cloud sync. Record the test time, app version, server region, and connection mode.
- First, visit a site that works without the service to check that your local connection is behaving normally. Don’t use a site you can’t access directly as your local baseline.
- Test the same destination by loading a page, streaming video, or transferring a file. Note buffering and interruptions instead of focusing only on peak speed-test results.
- Repeat the checks during your usual usage hours and at peak times. Alternate between free and paid plans to reduce the chance that changes over time skew the comparison.
- When something goes wrong, change one variable at a time—for example, switch to a server in the same region. Keep records of failed attempts, not just successful ones.
If throughput consistently stays near a fixed ceiling and the service terms mention a speed cap, check whether that applies to your plan. If speeds drop only at peak times, shared resources or route congestion may be factors. A single test can’t establish the cause.
Direct connections, relay routes, and IEPL: what’s the difference?
A direct connection usually means the client connects straight to an overseas server. A relay adds an entry point and a forwarding route, which may improve performance for some ISPs but can also add overhead. IEPL is an international Ethernet private line, but how a product connects, shares, and forwards traffic depends on its actual deployment.
These terms describe route design; they don’t guarantee that a destination will be reachable. The exit route, destination site, and local network can still be bottlenecks. When choosing a plan, consider the route details and test it locally rather than treating a route label as a speed-test result.
Check data limits and billing against your usage
Free plans may limit data or available regions; paid plans can have data caps too. Video, software updates, and cloud sync can all use proxy data. Check your account usage and which apps are routed through the service before choosing a larger plan based on guesswork.
Also distinguish a monthly subscription from a data package. The former typically resets its allowance on a set date; the latter may deduct from a fixed balance as you use it. Check the terms for validity, usage multipliers, and what happens when you run out—don’t infer them from the product name.
For example, VPNNH monthly plans are ¥9.9 / 60GB, ¥18 / 250GB, and ¥28 / 500GB, with monthly data resetting on the activation date. Data packages are ¥158 / 300GB, ¥358 / 1000GB, and ¥658 / 3000GB; they last until used and never expire. Check the available options on the plans and pricing page.
Split tunneling can route traffic that doesn’t need the proxy over your local network, but not every client does this by default. If system updates or domestic cloud storage traffic go through the proxy, usage may be much higher than expected. Recheck the apps you use after changing the rules.
How to read a privacy policy: paid doesn’t mean unchecked
A VPN or proxy changes who you trust: your local network may see less information, while the service operator sits on the connection path. HTTPS usually protects content between your browser and the destination site, but relevant parties may still observe connection times, data volumes, and some destination information.
A “no-logs” claim should refer to a specific policy. Check whether it covers browsing activity, connection records, or data beyond account and billing information. A service may retain necessary account details; that’s separate from whether it stores browsing history.
- ✅ Identify the operator and locate its privacy policy. Confirm that it covers the client and service you use.
- ✅ Check the data collected, why it’s processed, how long it’s retained, and how to delete your account or request your data.
- ✅ Distinguish official policies, independent audits, and user reviews. If there’s no verification, reserve judgment rather than drawing conclusions.
- ✅ Check whether app permissions make sense for its network features. Ask why any additional permissions are needed.
- ❌ Don’t treat a paid plan, open-source code, or app-store listing as a privacy guarantee on its own—and don’t judge by promotional images.
Registration requirements are worth comparing too. VPNNH doesn’t require an email address; you can create an account with a username and password. Providing fewer fields can limit the information linked to an account, but payment platforms may still process transaction records under their own policies. This doesn’t mean your identity can’t be linked to a transaction.
Check DNS leaks separately from browser data
DNS translates domain names into IP addresses. If requests that you expect to go through a proxy still reach your local network’s resolver, lookup information may be exposed. Before testing, clarify which route DNS requests should take, then review the results. Seeing multiple resolvers doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a leak.
Secure DNS in your browser, system settings, and client DNS policies can interact. WebRTC exposure in a browser is a separate issue. Changing your exit IP won’t clear your login status, cookies, or browser fingerprint, so an IP change doesn’t prove that every privacy risk is resolved.
Check ads and the client’s actual connection scope
Ads may appear in the client interface or come from the websites you visit; these are different things. During testing, note where ads appear, how they can be dismissed, and what triggers them. Check whether the privacy policy describes related components. Not seeing ads doesn’t prove that no other data is being processed.
Download clients from the service’s official site or a trusted project source, and verify the publisher and update source. VPNNH’s client downloads are available in the user panel. Check the panel for platform-specific requirements; don’t assume iOS works exactly like other platforms.
Several types of proxy services are often loosely called VPNs, but their underlying technologies differ. Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, VLESS, Hysteria2, and TUIC are not interchangeable configuration formats. A client with VPN in its name may not support these protocols.
A subscription link lets a compatible client retrieve servers or configuration; it isn’t a regular website address. Before importing one, check that the client supports the protocols and subscription format. After import, confirm that the rules work as expected. The link may contain account credentials, so don’t share it with an unfamiliar online conversion tool.
System proxy settings on Windows, macOS, and Linux may not cover every app. If a virtual network interface routes all traffic, check the routing and DNS settings too. On Android, traffic routing depends on the app and system settings; on iOS, it requires the relevant network extension capabilities. A successful browser test doesn’t mean other apps use the same route.
When is a paid plan worth it?
If you only browse occasionally, a free tier from a known provider with clear terms and enough data may be worth considering. For frequent calls, file transfers, or access to international tools, route reliability, how data allowances reset, and support options often matter more than the price of a single plan.
Don’t buy a long-term plan just to test reliability. Read the refund and renewal terms first, then test the destinations you use on your own devices. VPNNH offers a 14-day no-questions-asked refund and allows unlimited devices to be connected at the same time. Unlimited devices doesn’t mean each device has a separate data allowance.
Bottom line: For light, occasional use, consider a reputable free plan. For ongoing use and higher data needs, compare paid plans with clear terms. Base your decision on your own connection records, data needs, and privacy preferences—not on assumptions that free always means risky or paid always means faster.
Start with the websites you use most: check whether they connect, then review the destination region, DNS route, and app routing. Finally, monitor your regular data use. If you run into an issue, note the client version, server region, and error message, then look for troubleshooting steps on the support page. Before sharing a screenshot, hide your subscription link and account credentials.