The best VPNs for SMBs and businesses in 2017

Using one of the best VPN services is a crucial consideration for any modern business which has a flexible and mobile workforce, in terms of maintaining high levels of privacy and security. When it comes to precious business data, there’s clearly a vital need to keep the company network and internet connection secure, and to allow for secure remote access facilities, too.

This is especially true in the world of small businesses, which usually have limited resources to devote to managing security. Fortunately, there are business VPN services out there which are a breeze to set up and manage, plus they can be scaled to fit the organisation’s needs as it grows.

How to choose the best VPN service for business

Obviously, protecting sensitive business data is the main priority here, so you need a VPN with the beefiest levels of security. Since you’ll be handling multiple accounts at once, for multiple staff members, quality management software or a dedicated account manager are important considerations.

Having access to plenty of server locations is always a good thing, particularly when it comes to a mobile workforce, and nippy performance is handy for transferring large files or perhaps partaking of HD videoconferencing. Another important factor is the number of connections available and supported devices, which must suit the size of your firm and the hardware your employees use.

Now that we’ve outlined the basics of what we’re looking for, read on to discover our top five picks for the best business VPN service.

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VyprVPN manages all of its own servers which definitely shows when it comes to performance levels. In our tests, we found our download speeds more than doubled compared to our normal rates with the VPN turned off – it doesn’t come any better than that.

The service provides you with easy-to-use and intuitive software for overall account management, as well as apps for all major platforms. In addition to OpenVPN, PPTP and L2TP/IPsec protocols, VyprVPN offers additional security features like a NAT Firewall and its own Chameleon technology for preventing deep packet inspection (DPI), VPN blocking and throttling. 24/7 live chat support is in place for when you need assistance.

Interestingly, there isn't much information listed on the website regarding the business plans. To find out more about them, and discover the exact pricing, you have to apply for a free trial or contact customer support. There are two of these plans pitched pretty closely together, starting from $299 and $349 respectively. The packages available are:

Hotspot Shield delivers a consistently fast service with competitive pricing for consumers, and its business offering is no different. In performance terms, our tests showed a significant increase in download speeds with a slight increase in upload speeds compared to our normal rates, and barely any change in latency.

On the downside, the number of server locations is rather low, while the service doesn’t offer any management software so you only have native apps at your disposal.

The privacy policy is favourable, not keeping any logs, and on the security front you get all the usual protocols. Additional features include private browsing and virtual locations, among others. There’s dedicated customer support in case you run into any hiccups.

You can choose from three monthly-based pricing plans, the difference being the number of supported devices. The plans are quite affordable with the lower-end plan being a laudably cheap option for small businesses. The packages available are:

SaferVPN offers a great business VPN experience for users who work across multiple devices and switch from one to another frequently. It has well-designed clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, and while there’s no management program, a dedicated account manager and a Chrome extension are also part of the package.

While the server coverage may be slightly limited, it didn’t bother us as we got above-average speeds in our performance tests. The service upholds a no-logging policy, but it does record a good deal of session data (more than most VPNs). SaferVPN supports IKEv2, OpenVPN, L2TP and PPTP security protocols, and business clients enjoy priority support around the clock.

SaferVPN has a 7-day trial and two business plans to choose from, depending on the number of users needed – including a custom plan if required. The packages available are:

Corporate users benefit from the same sterling levels of security and reliability NordVPN is known to provide consumers with, alongside the added bonus of getting a dedicated account manager for business account holders. Companies also get a dedicated business VPN server for internal use, and each VPN account is assigned a dedicated IP address.

With the number of servers constantly growing, NordVPN is one of the better VPN providers when it comes to server numbers. It’s not the fastest network out there, but it’s fast enough – and more importantly, this service is consistent in terms of its performance.

This provider offers lots of security features, including double data encryption, a kill switch, and much more. NordVPN is privacy-focused, keeping no logs of user activity and requiring no company details to purchase.

Do note that there is no dedicated management software, although you’ll get VPN clients for all major operating systems. Another caveat comes on the pricing front, as there’s no pricing scheme laid out on the website, and you have to fill in a form to get a quote. Depending on your needs, you can select between (up to) 5 and 100+ users.

Pricing only available as an individual quote

TorGuard certainly has a huge selection of servers, meaning you should never have a problem finding a reliable connection. That said, our testing revealed only average levels of performance, with some spikes in latency. Still, the speed trade-off might well be worth it as you get tons of options to set up your VPN experience on any OS.

Every TorGuard business VPN account comes with a 24/7 dedicated account manager and access to a dedicated VPN management portal. Security-wise, TorGuard takes care of business (ahem) with all the regular protocols, 256-bit AES encryption, and a ‘Stealth VPN’ service that avoids deep packet inspection.

There are three business price plans plus a custom option. Each gets you unlimited access and support, the only difference being the number of users covered, and dedicated IP and email addresses. The packages available are:

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