VPN Security: Rankings by Feature and How the Score Works

Calling a VPN secure means the traffic stays confined to the tunnel even when things go wrong: a drop, a DNS escape attempt, an IPv6 network. VPNRadarLab turns that into a security sub-score built from eleven published criteria, worth 20% of the total across the main ranking of 377 services and 40% on each page of this section. The section holds 13 topic rankings covering 342 services, each sorted by one specific feature.

Match your concern to a ranking

Start with leaks, since a tunnel failing silently on train Wi-Fi costs more than any missing cryptographic extra. The kill switch ranking is the largest list here: the switch cuts traffic the moment the tunnel drops, so nothing leaves the device outside it and your real IP is not exposed on a failed connection. DNS leak protection keeps resolver queries away from the ISP's resolver. An IPv6 leak occurs when a VPN handles only IPv4 while the network also runs IPv6, and some traffic slips outside; the IPv6 ranking lists the 26 services that publish IPv6 support. Split tunneling is handy, but every app you exclude goes unprotected. If comparing features one by one sounds tedious, the Secure VPNs ranking admits only services that clear three basics: a kill switch, a written no-logs policy, WireGuard or OpenVPN. 142 services pass that gate.

How the security sub-score is calculated

Eleven criteria add up to 14 points, scaled to 0–10. A few need unpacking: a security audit checks apps and servers for vulnerabilities, unlike a no-logs audit that examines logging; RAM-only servers wipe all data on reboot or seizure; perfect forward secrecy caps a stolen key to one session, while post-quantum key exchange defends against traffic recorded today and decrypted later. A provider selling only PPTP loses 2 points because that encryption is broken.

Why unpublished features count as zero

Only documented features score. Since VPNRadarLab runs no speed or leak tests of its own, a capability that is never described earns nothing, and "not stated" means the provider does not publish it rather than that the feature is absent. The field looks thin as a result: the median service sits at 1.8 of 10, just 26 reach 5 or higher, and 68 score zero. Treat a small number as "unproven", then look at the provider's documentation before assuming the feature is missing.

Who scores highest on security

Most leaders leave the same few things undocumented: diskless servers, account 2FA, forward secrecy. The overall table tells a different story for some. X-VPN holds third place overall with 6.05, yet scores 4.6 on security since it discloses neither an audit, nor DNS leak protection, nor open-source apps; its privacy (8.0) and platforms and support (9.0) sub-scores carry the total.

What a VPN cannot protect you from

The tunnel stops at the VPN server, and past it the site sees whatever you send. Malware in a downloaded file, a forged login page, a reused password: none of these concern the tunnel. Phishing works fine over an encrypted link, and the NCSC guidance covers how to spot and report such messages. A bundled antivirus or blocker adds a layer, but it remains a separate tool on the same subscription.

Common security questions

Do I still need antivirus with a VPN?

Yes. Encryption on the way does not touch a harmful file after it reaches your disk.

Is public Wi-Fi safe with a VPN?

Far safer, as long as the switch is active and DNS remains tunnelled. Without that, a single dropped connection exposes you.

Does a no-logs audit raise the security score?

No. Logging sits in the privacy sub-score; security covers apps, servers and protocols.

Which security feature should I check first?

Kill switch, DNS leak protection and a published audit. Those three carry 5.5 of the 14 points.

The short version

Leaks, proof, cryptography and extras: 13 rankings divide the topic accordingly. The sub-score totals 14 points, weighs 20% overall and 40% on these pages, and awards nothing for what stays undocumented. Scores range from 7.1 to 10.0 among the five strongest, while the typical service lands near 1.8. A VPN shields the connection alone: not your files, not your passwords, not your judgment about a suspicious link.