Search “best vpn” on Google right now and you’ll probably see the same names over and over: NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, maybe Proton VPN. Page after page, different “vpn reviews” recommend the same handful of services. Are those really the only good VPNs out of hundreds of options? Or is something else going on behind the curtain?
It turns out the “best vpn” lists dominating your search results are rarely neutral. They’re built on a dense network of affiliate deals, shared ownership structures, and undisclosed relationships between VPN brands and the very review sites ranking them. This means that what appears to be an independent guide to privacy tools is often a finely tuned marketing funnel.
How the Same VPNs Dominate “Best VPN” Lists
According to SafePaper, a cybersecurity tips and research site focused on independent testing, many of the same VPN brands appear repeatedly across top search results not because of performance alone, but due to deep-rooted affiliate relationships and shared ownership across the industry.
A quick incognito search for “best vpn” on July 11, 2025, revealed that the first four Google results were “Sponsored.” The review sites on that first page – Cybernews, Forbes, TechRadar, CNET, PCMag, Cloudwards, Top10VPN, VPNCenter – overwhelmingly promoted the same products. NordVPN appeared in almost every article. ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN followed closely behind. Beyond that top four, the list gets patchy. Services like IPVanish, TotalVPN, Norton VPN, Mullvad, CyberGhost, Hide.me, or PrivadoVPN appear a few times each. Independent or lesser-known VPNs like Astrill, UrbanVPN, X-VPN, or UFO VPN rarely appear at all.
On paper, this looks like consensus. In reality, it reflects ownership and affiliate networks. NordVPN and Surfshark, for example, both emerged from Tesonet’s incubator in Lithuania and officially merged under Nord Security in 2022. Atlas VPN was also acquired by Nord Security before being folded into NordVPN in 2024. ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, ZenMate, and Private Internet Access all belong to Kape Technologies – a company that not only owns VPNs but also operates media brands like WizCase and vpnMentor that publish VPN reviews. Ziff Davis, the parent company behind CNET and PCMag, owns IPVanish, StrongVPN, and WLVPN. Gaditek (rebranded as Disrupt.com) runs PureVPN and IvacyVPN while also owning vpnranks.com, another review site.
What looks like a crowded marketplace of independent competitors is, in practice, a small number of conglomerates controlling both products and the information environment about those products.
The Review Sites Shaping VPN Trends
It’s not just the VPN companies. Review platforms themselves are part of the ecosystem. Cybernews is owned by Mediatech but has been linked to Tesonet, which initially supported NordVPN and Surfshark. CNET and PCMag are both under Ziff Davis, which sells and operates VPNs. VPNCenter belongs to Kape Technologies, the owner of ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. Top10VPN openly discloses that it earns commissions from the services it lists.
Even sites without direct ownership ties rely heavily on affiliate links. Forbes, TechRadar, and Cloudwards all include affiliate disclaimers, meaning they earn money when readers sign up for the VPNs they recommend. This doesn’t automatically mean the reviews are fraudulent, but it does mean there’s a financial incentive to promote the most lucrative partners – usually the biggest VPN brands.
From the outside, it’s difficult for an ordinary user to tell which “vpn reviews” are genuinely based on testing and which are driven by affiliate deals. Sponsored placements and opaque ranking criteria make it almost impossible to know how much weight to give a “Top 10 Best VPN” list.
Why This Matters for Users
VPNs market themselves as privacy tools. But when the “best vpn” rankings are influenced by undisclosed relationships, your decision about which VPN to trust is itself being shaped by interests you’re not aware of. A review site owned by a VPN company is, in effect, reviewing its own product. A “vpn reviews” article full of affiliate links is a form of advertising disguised as journalism.
That doesn’t mean every large VPN is bad or every affiliate model is unethical. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN all offer technically solid services. The problem is that the playing field isn’t transparent. Smaller or independent VPNs – like Mullvad, Windscribe, PrivadoVPN, or TunnelBear – may be more privacy-focused or simply a better fit for your needs but never get visibility because they don’t pay for the placement.
How to See Through “Best VPN” Lists
If you’re serious about privacy and security, treat “vpn reviews” the same way you’d treat any marketing material: with skepticism and verification. When you see a “best vpn” list, check whether the site discloses affiliate links or has a parent company with VPN interests. Read the methodology. Look for reviews that include failures and downsides, not just glowing praise.
Most importantly, test the VPN yourself. Read the privacy policy. Run DNS and IP leak tests. Install it on all your devices. Use it under real conditions – video calls, file transfers, public Wi-Fi – and see how it behaves. These steps take more time than clicking a “best vpn” link, but they’re the only way to know if a service truly works for you.
The Bottom Line
The phrase “best vpn” has become less about objective comparison and more about a handful of companies dominating search results through affiliate money and media ownership. “VPN reviews” that appear impartial are often part of this system.
To make an informed choice, don’t rely solely on top-10 lists. Dig into ownership, look for independent audits, and run your own tests. Transparency, encryption standards, no-logs policies, and real-world performance matter far more than a company’s marketing budget or its position on a search result page.
In the end, the best VPN for you won’t be determined by who pays the most for placement — it will be the one you’ve verified yourself.
