It’s the start of the holiday season and VPN provider’s are hard at work bringing you the latest and greatest.  The team at ExpressVPN just rolled out a huge update to their iOS app.  It requires iOS 8 or higher.  ExpressVPN 4.0 for iOS is a leap forward.  In the past you would use a VPN app to create a profile on iOS for a VPN connection.  The new ExpressVPN 4.0 for iOS let’s you connect and disconnect directly from the app with one click.

The new ExpressVPN 4.0 for iOS opens access to every server location.  You can easily select any location and connect with a single click.  Have a favorite location you like to connect to on a regular basis?  If so hit the star next to it and it will move to the top of the list for easy access in the future.

Here’s a quick view of the new ExpressVPN 4.0 for iOS:

As you can see ExpressVPN’s iOS app has a nice user interface.  You can easily select a server from the list and see the server locations on a map.  You no longer need to set up a profile and go through system settings to connect to the VPN.  The app will let you easily connect and disconnect to any server location with a single click.  The ability for one-click connect is a huge upgrade and welcome addition for iOS users.

If you haven’t had the chance to try ExpressVPN I highly recommend their service.  All new members are covered by their 30 day money back guarantee.  That will give you plenty of time to test out the service.  Right now they are offering unlimited VPN from $8.32 a month.  As a member you’ll have access to the new iOS app along with Windows and Mac clients and their Android app.  ExpressVPN has a great reputation and is one of our favorites.

You can visit vpnsp.com to learn more about VPN services.  Follow @VPNSP for the latest news and deals.

PureVPN recently released an updated version of their custom VPN client for Mac.  The latest version includes the popular “Purpose Selection Tool” which helps you choose a server location based on the purpose for using the service.  This is the first time Mac users have had access to the feature.  New and existing members can download the new client update from the PureVPN site.  If you’re not already a member I highly recommend the service.  During their current promotion you can enjoy unlimited VPN access from just $4.16 a month.

The new PureVPN Mac client version 1.99.5 is the first to support Mac OS X Yosemite.  That’s great news for those of us who have already upgraded.  In addition you’ll have access to the new “Purpose Selection Tool” which will help you connect to the fastest server to meet your needs.  PureVPN understand that your needs vary depending on the purpose for using the service at any given time.

Here are some of the most common Purpose Selection Tool options as listed in PureVPN’s blog post:

• Optimum Anonymity/Security/Privacy
• Maximum Anonymity/Security/Privacy
• File Sharing
• VoIP services
• TV Watching USA/UK/Canada
• Online streaming for Hulu/Netflix/WWE Network/ESPN/BBC/iTV/Zatto/RTE Player
• Sports Streaming Germany/Hong Kong /Ireland/Italy/Netherlands/Romania/Russia/ Sweden/Turkey
• Poker
• Unblock websites

The new v.1.99.5 release of PureVPN’s Mac client also includes an auto-reconnect option which will automatically connect you back to the VPN server anytime your connection drops.  PureVPN has added a lot of benefits to their service this year.  Starting with network growth.  They now have over 450 servers in 87 countries.  They also added Smart DNS which is available for all VPN members free of charge.  In addition they have dropped the price.  You can enjoy unlimited VPN and Smart DNS access from just $4.16 a month.

You can read our PureVPN review to learn more about the service or visit PureVPN.com to sign up.

PureVPN is on a roll this year.  They continue to expand their large and ever growing VPN network.  This time around they are introducing an update to the PureVPN Android app.  The v2.3 update introduces a purpose selection tool, beginner’s guide and new subscriptions that include free and premium plans.  New and exiting members of PureVPN can visit Google Play to download the latest v2.3 release of their Android app.

We’ll touch on the new purpose selection tool in a moment.  First let’s take a look at the new free subscription.  As you might expect there are some limits to the free service.  Both in terms of total bandwidth use and server access.  Even so new members will appreciate PureVPN offering a free option.  It should help new users test the service and app features before signing up for a paid plan.  Here’s a list of the free VPN account features:

• 500 MB of bandwidth a month
• Access to servers in 3 countries
• Auto server selection tool
• 24/7/365 customer support

You can also earn an extra 200 MB of use the first month by liking PureVPN’s social media pages.  Paid subscriptions include unlimited bandwidth and access to their full network of 400+ VPN servers in over 74 countries.  You can join PureVPN and enjoy unlimited VPN from just $4.16 a month during their promotion.

Anytime a company offers something free it’s bound to draw attention.  That’s not the only attention drawing addition to PureVPN’s Android app.  They also added a “Purpose Selection Tool” to the app.  If you’ve ever used the PureVPN Windows client then you’re already familiar with the purpose selection tool.  In short it helps you connect to the best server to meet your needs.  Whether you want to play poker, stream videos or game online.  The PureVPN purpose selection tool also includes options for those who want higher security and anonymity.

Whether you’re looking for a little free VPN access on your Android device or want to use the new “Purpose Selection Tool” I suggest you download the new PureVPN app for Android and let us know what you think.

You can visit vpnsp.com to learn more about VPN.  Follow us @VPNSP for the latest VPN news and deals.

IPVanish continues to add new features to their popular VPN software.  The latest release of their iOS app adds new functionality.  When Apple released iOS 8 it broke a lot of VPN apps.  The same has happened with major relases of iOS in the past.  VPN providers have been modifying apps to work with iOS 8.  When I first saw that IPVanish released an iOS 8 app I assumed it was just a fix.  To my surprise the app adds new functionality.

In addition to being fully compatible with the latest Apple iOS 8 release, the IPVanish iOS app adds a number of new features.  Here’s a look at some of the new enhancements for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices:

• Single-Swipe VPN Connection – You now have the ability within the app to toggle your VPN connection off/on with ease.
• Visible IP Address and Server Connection – View your publicly viewable IP address before connecting to IPVanish as well as the server location and IP address used once you are connected.
• Automatic Connection – Using multiple wireless networks on your iOS devices? Using the advanced settings, automatically connect to the IPVanish VPN service while accessing public WiFi or similar networks.
• Persistent Connection – Stay connected to IPVanish even if your device is in standby or locked screen mode. This feature is also found in the advanced settings.

If you’re not already using IPVanish then I suggest you give them a try.  They are currently offering our readers a special discount on the service.  You can enjoy unlimited VPN access with up to two connections from just $4.87 a month.  That gives you access to their full network of VPN servers across 60 countries and growing.  IPvanish offers free client software for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.  You can read our IPVanish review to learn more about the service.  IPvanish has ranked #1 on our site for the last 18 months and continues to impress.

You can visit vpnsp.com to compare hundreds of VPN services and follow us @VPNSP for the latest deals.

Hide My Ass Pro VPN recently released a new Android app.  Along with updates to their Windows and Mac clients.  I had a chance to test out the new Android app on my Note II this afternoon and it works great.  The user interface let’s you select between over 600 servers in 75 countries.  You can download the app free from Google Play.  If you don’t have an HMA Pro VPN account they are offering unlimited access from just $6.55 a month.

The new Android app is very simple to use.  First you’ll want to visit Google Play to download and install.  Then you’ll be asked for your Hide My Ass VPN account info.  This is the same information you use in the HMA client and to access the VPN control panel on their site.  Once signed in the app will recommend a server location.  You can go ahead and connect or tap to the right of the location to bring up a full list of servers as shown above.

As you can see the app recommended that I connect to a server in St. Louis, Missouri.  That would have been fine but since I live closer to Atlanta I went ahead and selected my own server.  At first I wasn’t sure the interface would allow me to select a specific city.  When I selected the United States it picked a city for me.  Then I noticed the search option in the upper right hand corner.  From there you can choose any server location.

I went ahead and search for Atlanta as you can see above.  The client immediately let me choose from the list of HMA’s servers in that location.  The interface is really clean.  I simply selected one of the Atlanta servers and connected to HMA’s network.  From there I checked my IP address through the app.  It opened a browser window with my IP address and location information.  As expected my IP location was shown as Atlanta.

I look forward to testing the new app and using it while on vacation in the weeks to come.  In the meantime you should check it out.  If you’re already a member the app is free.  You can download it directly from Google Play.  If you aren’t an HMA member yet this is a great time to check out their service and save a few bucks.  You can enjoy unlimited access to their network of over 600 VPN servers in 75 countries from just $6.55 a month.  All new customers are covered by a 30 day money back guarantee which is plenty of time to test the new app.

You can read our HMA VPN review to learn more about the service.  Follow @VPNSP for the latest VPN deals.

The IPVanish team continues to add value to their tier-1 VPN service.  Along with new server locations in several countries they recently announced new versions of the IPVanish iOS and Android apps.  If you’re using either one then you’ll want to upgrade.  Otherwise I suggest you try them out.  Members can download the mobile apps along with Windows and Mac clients.  You can enjoy unlimited VPN access from just $5.20 a month.

In the last month IPVanish has been steadily growing their network.  In the last few weeks they’ve added VPN servers in Croatia, Costa Rica, Greece and Saudi Arabia.  Their network now consists of over 115 servers in 52 countries and growing.  Making IPVanish one of the largest VPN networks in the world.  Along with the fastest VPN service in several locations.  Users can depend on a good connection for streaming sites like Netflix.

Let’s take a look at the latest mobile app updates.  We’ll start with the IPvanish iOS v1.3.11 app:

• Resolved issue with delay in service initialization
• Additional minor bug fixes
• Download version 1.3.11 from Apple iTunes.

Now let’s see what has changed in the IPVanish Android v1.0.13 app update:

• Full KitKat support
• Updated OpenVPN version
• Resolved issue with delay in account validation
• Download version 1.0.13 from Google Play.

If you haven’t had a chance to try IPVanish this is a great time to test the service.  They offer our guests a special 20% off discount.  You can enjoy unlimited VPN from just $5.20 a month.  IPVanish understands that you need time to test so they offer a 7 day money back guarantee.  If you’re unhappy for any reason they make it easy to cancel.  That’s always nice to know though I doubt you’ll need it as IPVanish provides an excellent service.

You can read our IPVanish review to learn more about the service.  Follow @VPNSP for the latest VPN deals.

AirVPN client 2.0 (codenamed Eddie) is ready for public beta testing.  Members of the VPN service are welcome to download the new sotware directly from their site to test it out.  You can learn more about it on the AirVPN beta test page.  AirVPN 2.0 is available for Linux and Windows.  The AirVPN team has made a point of sharing the code for anyone to analyze.  The software is open source under GPL3 and the code is available on GitHub.

We’re sharing the information released by AirVPN to help promote their new beta.  I know how hard it can be to get feedback so I’m sure they would appreciate yours after testing the new client.  Here are some notes they are providing to give beta testers an idea of what to expect from the current release:

• Some advanced options are still disabled by default. As far as it concerns new features, we want to be sure that Eddie works at least like the current client. Soon, based also on community feedback, we will release a new version with some advanced options enabled by default.
• Please report exactly what version you installed (operating system, 32 or 64 bit, and file format) if/when you report an issue.
• Network Leak Protection Locking feature will be available in a next beta version, probably the next week.

If you aren’t currently an AirVPN member and want to check out their new client they have a really cheap plan for testing.  If you’d like a free trial for testing they ask that you contact an administrator.  The contact page includes a “Trial Request” under the department dropdown.  lf you want immediate access they also offer a 3 day account for 1 €.  That’s enough time to test out the new AirVPN 2.0 client (Eddie – think Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) beta.  Don’t forget to share your feedback and any suggestions with the AirVPN team after testing.

You can visit VPNSP.com to learn about 340+ VPN services.  Follow us @VPNSP for the latest news and deals.

The StrongVPN team recently announced the addition of an iOS app.  The new mobile app uses Cisco IPSec in OpenVPN mode to help secure your connection to their network.  The app is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.  You will need to be running iOS 7.0 or later.  You can download the new app directly from the Apple App Store.  StrongVPN offers OpenVPN iOS access with prices starting from just $85 a year.

StrongVPN released the new app without mention a few weeks ago and quietly pulled it to finalize the client before announcing it to new and existing members.  Now it’s ready for prime time.  I’ll be interested to see how the reviews look after more people try the app.  Right now there is only one review and it is from a user in China who is having time out issues when trying to sign in.  That could be unrelated to the app itself.

We’ve seen a number of leading VPN services add mobile apps over the last year.  Some of our favorites include IPVanish, Hide My Ass, PureVPN and Private Internet Access.  All of which offer apps for iOS and/or Android devices.  You’ll find that in general the Android apps provide more functionality that their iOS counterparts.  That’s due to limitations set forth in iOS.  Providers are getting better at working around it.

StrongVPN has several VPN plans to choose from.  The differences are based on the protocols you desire (OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP) along with network locations.  Most of their accounts require a minimum 3 month sign up.  Prices range from $7 to $30 a month.  In addition to the regular plans StrongVPN is offering a Euro-American special.  You can access servers in the US, UK, Canada and Netherlands from $85 a year.

NordVPN recently released a custom VPN client for Windows.  The app let’s you easily connect to any of their VPN servers in 14 countries.  It also has some nice advanced features including a kill switch to terminate programs anytime the VPN disconnects.  That will come in quite handy for some users I’m sure.  The new Windows client beta is open to the public.  NordVPN offers unlimited VPN for €8 a month or €48 a year.

After you sign up and receive a welcome email you can head on over to the NordVPN site and download the client.  From there you don’t have to bother with an install.  Simply run the executable file and log into the client.  That will bring up the screen shown above.  As you can see the client lists all the NordVPN server locations along with the option of TCP or UDP connection.  We like UDP for streaming and otherwise use TCP.

The second image to the right above shows the NordVPN software settings.  You can set the application to start with Windows, start minimized and show the latest NordVPN news.  You can also have the client auto connect to a specific server location.  Below that is a section called the process kill list.  Think of this as the internet kill switch.  If you have any programs that you’d  like to terminate if the VPN drops add them to the list.

NordVPN has been hard at work adding premium features to their service.  In addition to the new Windows client NordVPN recently announced the addition of Double VPN and Tor over VPN.  Both are accessible from within the client.  You can see them listed at the top of the list of servers above.  If you want maximum protection on their network we suggest Double VPN.  Tor users can use Tor over VPN for an extra layer of security.

We enjoyed checking out the new NordVPN software.  Remember that it’s currently in beta so you might experience some bugs along the way.  We look forward to seeing what the NordVPN team has in store for the year to come.  They’ve certainly gotten off to a quick start with the addition of Double VPN, Tor over VPN and nice Windows client software.  You can visit NordVPN.com to learn more about the service and to test it out.