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For each of us, there always comes a moment when you need to become invisible online. There are several options to stay out of reach: use Tor, a web anonymizer, or a browser VPN. In this article, we'll talk about the latest browser VPN solution, discuss its advantages over others, and select the options that best suit you.
Content:
1. Introduction
2. Benefits of a VPN for the browser
2.1. Description of web anonymizers
2.2. Tor Browser Description
2.3. Description of built-in and installed VPN for browsers
2.4. The main advantages of VPN for browsers over Tor and web anonymizers Popular free VPNs for browsers
3.1. VPN extensions for Chrome, Yandex and Firefox browsers
3.1.1. Browsec
3.1.2. Hoxx 3.1.3. Touch VPN
3.1.4. Hola
3.1.5. uVPN 3.1.6. VPN Hotspot Shield 3.1.7. Windscribe
3.1.8. ZenMate VPN 3.2. VPN extensions only for Yandex Browser
3.2.1. Yandex Access 3.3. VPN extensions for Opera browser only
3.3.1. Opera Free VPN 3.4. Location of extensions in browsers
3.4.1. Find a VPN Chrome Extension
3.4.2. Search for a VPN extension for Yandex.Browser
3.4.3. Finding a VPN extension for Mozilla Firefox
3.4.4. Find extensions for Opera
4. Conclusions
Introduction
Information in our time is a very expensive resource. Back in the 19th century, Nathan Rothschild said: "Whoever owns information owns the world." Every day we have to deal with the fact that someone is trying to get information about us or our business. Most often, this does not harm a person. Someone collects them for research, someone - for more convenient interaction with us. But there is another side to the coin when this data works against us. One of such cases is the control of our activities on the Internet by obtaining an IP address. It can be used to track both a person and his location, as well as his requests to connect to web resources through DNS servers. There are also situations when you not only want to, but also have to remain invisible - for example, when researching dangerous sites. The popular Tor browser, web anonymizers and VPN extensions for Internet browsers offer us a solution to this problem. These services allow you to maintain privacy on the Internet, but each of them offers its own technologies and methods of ensuring complete or partial anonymity. Let's consider the features of each service, highlight the advantages of VPN extensions for browsers, and dwell on the installed and built-in extensions in detail.
Benefits of a VPN for the browser
Before we move on to the comparative part and identifying the advantages of some anonymizers over others, let's clarify the concept itself. Anonymizer is a tool designed to hide information about the user's computer, his IP-address while surfing the network. It actually acts as an intermediary between the user and the requested resource. The principle of its operation is that it uploads the desired page to its server, from which it is subsequently viewed. This spoofs the data about the browser and the IP address, thereby hiding the user. Both a website and a special program can act as such a tool. The first type is a web anonymizer, the last is Tor and various VPN extensions. Proxy servers can be separated into a separate branch, since in their case masking occurs not through the provided service, but through a small browser setting. What is the essence of each type of work?
Description of web anonymizers
The web anonymizer is the easiest service to use. It spoofs the user's IP address, thereby ensuring his privacy. The user does not need to install anything or delve into the browser settings, since in front of him is a regular site with a line for entering the address of the desired page. It should be noted, however, that this option is optimal for simple sites without multimedia content. If the site is complex and interactive, then such anonymizers often cannot cope with its transmission to the user or violate the visual integrity of the page. To prevent this from happening, you will need to resort to other types of disguises.
Tor Browser Description
Tor is a dedicated free browser based on Mozilla Firefox. He has a slightly different principle of data protection. Anonymity is achieved through the so-called "onion routing". Its essence is that there is encryption from the proxy server to the proxy server, of which the Tor distributed network consists of. The data is then transferred over virtual channels. They are subjected to the same actions upon receipt by the requested party. Tor is considered one of the most reliable services for safe surfing, as it hides not only information about the user, but also his movements on the network, thereby ensuring complete confidentiality. However, sometimes privacy can still be violated . Also, comprehensive onion encryption leads to slow service performance, which affects the quality of your online experience. With all the advantages, there is also a disadvantage that is dangerous for the user - close attention from government agencies: after all, you can conduct illegal activities through Tor. Therefore, when working with this browser, you should remember: despite its good ability to hide the user from everyone, the entrance to Tor will not go unnoticed by the Internet provider, and this, in turn, can lead to spying on the user when he goes online using other means that do not use data hiding. It is also worth noting that the Tor browser does not require additional settings, but it is still a separate software application that itself needs to be installed, which is not always convenient and not always necessary. So we come to another type of anonymizers - VPN.
Description of built-in and installed VPN for browsers
A VPN is a virtual private network capable of replacing the user's IP address and encrypting data to stealthily visit websites. VPN can either be a separate application or work in conjunction with browsers as an installed extension or built-in service. The most common third-party browser extensions, as they are more convenient, easier to install and do not require additional computer resources and administration skills.
The main advantages of VPN for browsers over Tor and web anonymizers
As we found out, among the options available, Internet users tend to choose VPN extensions. Let's outline the main advantages of this method of anonymization:
1. Unlike a web anonymizer, VPN services cope with sites of any complexity, completely hide the user's personal data and actions on the network.
2. A browser with a built-in VPN is less convenient, since it must be installed separately and used in parallel with the existing one (or abandon the usual Internet browser in favor of it).
3. The Tor browser has a noticeably slower speed and problems with deanonymization, for example, by intercepting the traffic of the nodes of the "onion network". > Even the Tor browser could not resist the new fingerprint method.
Popular free VPNs for browsers
Having determined which type of anonymizer suits us, let's move on to choosing the extension itself. Developers offer paid, shareware, and completely free solutions. In a shareware scenario, the service may be provided with restrictions: for example, registration is required, the amount of transmitted data is limited, advertising is broadcast. Paid services, as a rule, provide a trial period for the opportunity to evaluate their service and track the volume of traffic used, which is worth using when choosing. Of course, one cannot fail to say that free VPNs are inferior in quality to paid ones due to lower speed, the presence of ads, and the likelihood that user data will be compromised. Despite this, there are a number of publicly available services that are in high demand. We analyzed them and listed them below.
VPN extensions for Chrome, Yandex and Firefox browsers
Among the proven VPN-extensions for Chrome, Yandex Browser and Firefox there are those that are on everyone's lips and those that have not yet acquired a multi-million audience of fans. Nevertheless, they already have a large number of third-party analyst reviews and are in the top of extension stores in terms of aggregate user ratings.
Browsec
This VPN extension is relevant for both Chrome, Yandex Browser and Firefox, and Opera. Paid and free versions are available to the user. The latter offers access to servers of 4 countries with a limited speed of 1 Mbps with an unlimited amount of data. Slow connection speeds are often noted in reviews. A one-time temporary account is created for each user. This VPN extension can be called a completely reliable service for ensuring anonymity.
Hoxx
Signing up for the free version of the extension will open up access to 19 countries, unlimited traffic, but with ads shown and, according to some users, periods with too long server searches. There is also a paid version with connecting more servers, unlimited speed and access to servers in 40 countries.
Touch VPN
Completely free extension. There are several countries to choose your virtual location. Along with manual selection, there is a smart location setting, when the service itself chooses the least loaded server. There are no bandwidth restrictions, but remember that the speed may be reduced due to the large number of users connected to the selected server. As with many free extensions, there are ads.
Hola
The free version has many countries to choose from, the connection is high-speed, but there is a time limit for use. It should also be remembered that this is not an entirely ordinary service, here other participants in the system act as routers (roughly speaking, you access the Internet through the computer of another user of this extension and yourself become a window of access to the Network for someone), which can affect security of personal data.
uVPN
The extension provides high cyber security with good connection speed. A trial is given seven days of using a premium subscription, after which a small list of servers in four countries remains. However, the common man does not need more.
VPN Hotspot Shield
This high-speed extension is available in both paid and free versions. You can get a 7-day trial of the paid option. The plugin perfectly copes with the role of a cloakroom, which is confirmed by millions of downloads and installations. Registration is not required to use it. However, in the free mode there is a limitation on the amount of transmitted information, which may not be convenient for everyone. In addition, the free version allows you to use the server from only one country, while subscribers of the paid version can choose from a much larger number of geographic locations.
Windscribe
The extension offers a choice of two versions: paid and free. In order to use it, registration is required. For this, the user in the free version receives a reliable service with autosearch for a server in 13 available countries and an ad blocker, but with limited traffic - 2 GB per month.
ZenMate
VPN An extension that has a good reputation is available in the free version. In the first seven days, the user will become the happy owner of unlimited traffic and unlimited speed, only registration is required. After the expiration of this period, you will have to work at a fixed speed, and at times of high server load - and very low. Paid version advertisements will also appear periodically. The choice of countries in the free version is limited to four options, but for most users, these are often enough. ZenMate has a useful feature: when entering certain sites, the service is automatically launched, which saves the user's time.
VPN extensions only for Yandex Browser
In addition to the ones mentioned above, one more add-on popular among users can be distinguished, which was developed specifically for Yandex.Browser.
Yandex Access
The extension is free, high-speed, no ads. We found only a couple of shortcomings that may be significant for someone: you cannot temporarily disable the plugin, since it is not present in the browser extensions panel, and there is no way to change the location.
VPN extensions for Opera browser only
Opera has its own unique solution, just like Yandex Browser.
Opera Free VPN
It ranks as one of the best free VPNs for the Opera browser. He does not need registration, he has auto-selection and manual selection of the optimal location from three countries. There are no speed and data restrictions. To activate it, you need to go to "Settings" → "Security" → "VPN". At the moment, the provision of this service in Russia has been officially terminated due to the requirements of Roskomnadzor, but, according to some users, there are options to bypass this blocking.
Location of extensions in browsers
It won't take long to find and install extensions, but we'll leave the breadcrumbs for this article.
Find a VPN Chrome Extension
The extension store can be accessed through the list of Chrome plugins. To do this, open the general settings (three dots in the right corner of the browser) → “Additional tools” → “Extensions” → “Main menu” → at the bottom of the window there is a link to the Chrome web store. You can search by the word "VPN" or by the name of the extension.
Search for a VPN extension for Yandex.Browser
To install the plug-in, you need to go to the menu and select "Add-ons", then at the end of the page, click on the "Directory of extensions for Yandex Browser" button. Add-ons can be found by the word "VPN" or by name.
Finding a VPN extension for Mozilla Firefox
The choice of extensions available for installation in Firefox is carried out according to the following algorithm. You need to go through the settings menu in the upper right corner of the browser to the "Add-ons" tab (there is also quick access through the "Ctrl + Shift + A" key combination). Then at the end of the open tab you will need to click on "See more add-ons". You can search for extensions by the word "VPN" or by name.
Find extensions for Opera
Through the "Menu" item, go to "Extensions". Clicking the "Add extensions" button will go to the Opera extension store. By entering the word "VPN" or the name into the search box, we will get the desired one. The choice, as you can see, is quite extensive. Top extensions are available for many well-known browsers. The selection criteria for all users are different. Someone cares about speed, someone - the volume of traffic (in this case, you can get by with a free extension), but someone needs everything at once, so it would be better to get a premium version. Paid extensions almost always have trial versions, after which you can decide whether to continue using the free VPN or pay for a more functional one. However, keep in mind that any VPN service can be blocked in Russia at any time; in such a situation, the money paid for it will be wasted.
Conclusions
Security is becoming an increasingly important aspect of web surfing every year, as more and more ways of tracking users and their movements are revealed. It remains to believe that the protection of confidential data will not stand still, will offer new ways to solve this problem. At the moment, we have several effective options for circumventing this total surveillance. The most reliable and understandable methods in its implementation are built-in or installed VPNs for browsers. They have a number of advantages over other anonymizers. They do not affect the speed, provide complete anonymity, are not a separate application like Tor, and are presented in free variations. We've highlighted the most downloaded free VPN extensions: Hotspot Shield, ZenMate, Hola Free VPN, Windscribe, Touch VPN, uVPN, Hoxx. Separately, we have identified special add-ons for Yandex Browser and Opera. However, do not forget that everything has its own price. Likewise, a free VPN extension often has its drawbacks, as we saw above, so a commercial, but better quality plugin can still be an alternative solution. As for the Tor browser, it is undoubtedly an excellent tool for achieving our goal (anonymization), but with all its advantages, its disadvantages still warn us against using it all the time. Therefore, we leave it as a last resort, when other anonymizers cannot provide the privacy we need.
Content:
1. Introduction
2. Benefits of a VPN for the browser
2.1. Description of web anonymizers
2.2. Tor Browser Description
2.3. Description of built-in and installed VPN for browsers
2.4. The main advantages of VPN for browsers over Tor and web anonymizers Popular free VPNs for browsers
3.1. VPN extensions for Chrome, Yandex and Firefox browsers
3.1.1. Browsec
3.1.2. Hoxx 3.1.3. Touch VPN
3.1.4. Hola
3.1.5. uVPN 3.1.6. VPN Hotspot Shield 3.1.7. Windscribe
3.1.8. ZenMate VPN 3.2. VPN extensions only for Yandex Browser
3.2.1. Yandex Access 3.3. VPN extensions for Opera browser only
3.3.1. Opera Free VPN 3.4. Location of extensions in browsers
3.4.1. Find a VPN Chrome Extension
3.4.2. Search for a VPN extension for Yandex.Browser
3.4.3. Finding a VPN extension for Mozilla Firefox
3.4.4. Find extensions for Opera
4. Conclusions
Introduction
Information in our time is a very expensive resource. Back in the 19th century, Nathan Rothschild said: "Whoever owns information owns the world." Every day we have to deal with the fact that someone is trying to get information about us or our business. Most often, this does not harm a person. Someone collects them for research, someone - for more convenient interaction with us. But there is another side to the coin when this data works against us. One of such cases is the control of our activities on the Internet by obtaining an IP address. It can be used to track both a person and his location, as well as his requests to connect to web resources through DNS servers. There are also situations when you not only want to, but also have to remain invisible - for example, when researching dangerous sites. The popular Tor browser, web anonymizers and VPN extensions for Internet browsers offer us a solution to this problem. These services allow you to maintain privacy on the Internet, but each of them offers its own technologies and methods of ensuring complete or partial anonymity. Let's consider the features of each service, highlight the advantages of VPN extensions for browsers, and dwell on the installed and built-in extensions in detail.
Benefits of a VPN for the browser
Before we move on to the comparative part and identifying the advantages of some anonymizers over others, let's clarify the concept itself. Anonymizer is a tool designed to hide information about the user's computer, his IP-address while surfing the network. It actually acts as an intermediary between the user and the requested resource. The principle of its operation is that it uploads the desired page to its server, from which it is subsequently viewed. This spoofs the data about the browser and the IP address, thereby hiding the user. Both a website and a special program can act as such a tool. The first type is a web anonymizer, the last is Tor and various VPN extensions. Proxy servers can be separated into a separate branch, since in their case masking occurs not through the provided service, but through a small browser setting. What is the essence of each type of work?
Description of web anonymizers
The web anonymizer is the easiest service to use. It spoofs the user's IP address, thereby ensuring his privacy. The user does not need to install anything or delve into the browser settings, since in front of him is a regular site with a line for entering the address of the desired page. It should be noted, however, that this option is optimal for simple sites without multimedia content. If the site is complex and interactive, then such anonymizers often cannot cope with its transmission to the user or violate the visual integrity of the page. To prevent this from happening, you will need to resort to other types of disguises.
Tor Browser Description
Tor is a dedicated free browser based on Mozilla Firefox. He has a slightly different principle of data protection. Anonymity is achieved through the so-called "onion routing". Its essence is that there is encryption from the proxy server to the proxy server, of which the Tor distributed network consists of. The data is then transferred over virtual channels. They are subjected to the same actions upon receipt by the requested party. Tor is considered one of the most reliable services for safe surfing, as it hides not only information about the user, but also his movements on the network, thereby ensuring complete confidentiality. However, sometimes privacy can still be violated . Also, comprehensive onion encryption leads to slow service performance, which affects the quality of your online experience. With all the advantages, there is also a disadvantage that is dangerous for the user - close attention from government agencies: after all, you can conduct illegal activities through Tor. Therefore, when working with this browser, you should remember: despite its good ability to hide the user from everyone, the entrance to Tor will not go unnoticed by the Internet provider, and this, in turn, can lead to spying on the user when he goes online using other means that do not use data hiding. It is also worth noting that the Tor browser does not require additional settings, but it is still a separate software application that itself needs to be installed, which is not always convenient and not always necessary. So we come to another type of anonymizers - VPN.
Description of built-in and installed VPN for browsers
A VPN is a virtual private network capable of replacing the user's IP address and encrypting data to stealthily visit websites. VPN can either be a separate application or work in conjunction with browsers as an installed extension or built-in service. The most common third-party browser extensions, as they are more convenient, easier to install and do not require additional computer resources and administration skills.
The main advantages of VPN for browsers over Tor and web anonymizers
As we found out, among the options available, Internet users tend to choose VPN extensions. Let's outline the main advantages of this method of anonymization:
1. Unlike a web anonymizer, VPN services cope with sites of any complexity, completely hide the user's personal data and actions on the network.
2. A browser with a built-in VPN is less convenient, since it must be installed separately and used in parallel with the existing one (or abandon the usual Internet browser in favor of it).
3. The Tor browser has a noticeably slower speed and problems with deanonymization, for example, by intercepting the traffic of the nodes of the "onion network". > Even the Tor browser could not resist the new fingerprint method.
Popular free VPNs for browsers
Having determined which type of anonymizer suits us, let's move on to choosing the extension itself. Developers offer paid, shareware, and completely free solutions. In a shareware scenario, the service may be provided with restrictions: for example, registration is required, the amount of transmitted data is limited, advertising is broadcast. Paid services, as a rule, provide a trial period for the opportunity to evaluate their service and track the volume of traffic used, which is worth using when choosing. Of course, one cannot fail to say that free VPNs are inferior in quality to paid ones due to lower speed, the presence of ads, and the likelihood that user data will be compromised. Despite this, there are a number of publicly available services that are in high demand. We analyzed them and listed them below.
VPN extensions for Chrome, Yandex and Firefox browsers
Among the proven VPN-extensions for Chrome, Yandex Browser and Firefox there are those that are on everyone's lips and those that have not yet acquired a multi-million audience of fans. Nevertheless, they already have a large number of third-party analyst reviews and are in the top of extension stores in terms of aggregate user ratings.
Browsec
This VPN extension is relevant for both Chrome, Yandex Browser and Firefox, and Opera. Paid and free versions are available to the user. The latter offers access to servers of 4 countries with a limited speed of 1 Mbps with an unlimited amount of data. Slow connection speeds are often noted in reviews. A one-time temporary account is created for each user. This VPN extension can be called a completely reliable service for ensuring anonymity.
Hoxx
Signing up for the free version of the extension will open up access to 19 countries, unlimited traffic, but with ads shown and, according to some users, periods with too long server searches. There is also a paid version with connecting more servers, unlimited speed and access to servers in 40 countries.
Touch VPN
Completely free extension. There are several countries to choose your virtual location. Along with manual selection, there is a smart location setting, when the service itself chooses the least loaded server. There are no bandwidth restrictions, but remember that the speed may be reduced due to the large number of users connected to the selected server. As with many free extensions, there are ads.
Hola
The free version has many countries to choose from, the connection is high-speed, but there is a time limit for use. It should also be remembered that this is not an entirely ordinary service, here other participants in the system act as routers (roughly speaking, you access the Internet through the computer of another user of this extension and yourself become a window of access to the Network for someone), which can affect security of personal data.
uVPN
The extension provides high cyber security with good connection speed. A trial is given seven days of using a premium subscription, after which a small list of servers in four countries remains. However, the common man does not need more.
VPN Hotspot Shield
This high-speed extension is available in both paid and free versions. You can get a 7-day trial of the paid option. The plugin perfectly copes with the role of a cloakroom, which is confirmed by millions of downloads and installations. Registration is not required to use it. However, in the free mode there is a limitation on the amount of transmitted information, which may not be convenient for everyone. In addition, the free version allows you to use the server from only one country, while subscribers of the paid version can choose from a much larger number of geographic locations.
Windscribe
The extension offers a choice of two versions: paid and free. In order to use it, registration is required. For this, the user in the free version receives a reliable service with autosearch for a server in 13 available countries and an ad blocker, but with limited traffic - 2 GB per month.
ZenMate
VPN An extension that has a good reputation is available in the free version. In the first seven days, the user will become the happy owner of unlimited traffic and unlimited speed, only registration is required. After the expiration of this period, you will have to work at a fixed speed, and at times of high server load - and very low. Paid version advertisements will also appear periodically. The choice of countries in the free version is limited to four options, but for most users, these are often enough. ZenMate has a useful feature: when entering certain sites, the service is automatically launched, which saves the user's time.
VPN extensions only for Yandex Browser
In addition to the ones mentioned above, one more add-on popular among users can be distinguished, which was developed specifically for Yandex.Browser.
Yandex Access
The extension is free, high-speed, no ads. We found only a couple of shortcomings that may be significant for someone: you cannot temporarily disable the plugin, since it is not present in the browser extensions panel, and there is no way to change the location.
VPN extensions for Opera browser only
Opera has its own unique solution, just like Yandex Browser.
Opera Free VPN
It ranks as one of the best free VPNs for the Opera browser. He does not need registration, he has auto-selection and manual selection of the optimal location from three countries. There are no speed and data restrictions. To activate it, you need to go to "Settings" → "Security" → "VPN". At the moment, the provision of this service in Russia has been officially terminated due to the requirements of Roskomnadzor, but, according to some users, there are options to bypass this blocking.
Location of extensions in browsers
It won't take long to find and install extensions, but we'll leave the breadcrumbs for this article.
Find a VPN Chrome Extension
The extension store can be accessed through the list of Chrome plugins. To do this, open the general settings (three dots in the right corner of the browser) → “Additional tools” → “Extensions” → “Main menu” → at the bottom of the window there is a link to the Chrome web store. You can search by the word "VPN" or by the name of the extension.
Search for a VPN extension for Yandex.Browser
To install the plug-in, you need to go to the menu and select "Add-ons", then at the end of the page, click on the "Directory of extensions for Yandex Browser" button. Add-ons can be found by the word "VPN" or by name.
Finding a VPN extension for Mozilla Firefox
The choice of extensions available for installation in Firefox is carried out according to the following algorithm. You need to go through the settings menu in the upper right corner of the browser to the "Add-ons" tab (there is also quick access through the "Ctrl + Shift + A" key combination). Then at the end of the open tab you will need to click on "See more add-ons". You can search for extensions by the word "VPN" or by name.
Find extensions for Opera
Through the "Menu" item, go to "Extensions". Clicking the "Add extensions" button will go to the Opera extension store. By entering the word "VPN" or the name into the search box, we will get the desired one. The choice, as you can see, is quite extensive. Top extensions are available for many well-known browsers. The selection criteria for all users are different. Someone cares about speed, someone - the volume of traffic (in this case, you can get by with a free extension), but someone needs everything at once, so it would be better to get a premium version. Paid extensions almost always have trial versions, after which you can decide whether to continue using the free VPN or pay for a more functional one. However, keep in mind that any VPN service can be blocked in Russia at any time; in such a situation, the money paid for it will be wasted.
Conclusions
Security is becoming an increasingly important aspect of web surfing every year, as more and more ways of tracking users and their movements are revealed. It remains to believe that the protection of confidential data will not stand still, will offer new ways to solve this problem. At the moment, we have several effective options for circumventing this total surveillance. The most reliable and understandable methods in its implementation are built-in or installed VPNs for browsers. They have a number of advantages over other anonymizers. They do not affect the speed, provide complete anonymity, are not a separate application like Tor, and are presented in free variations. We've highlighted the most downloaded free VPN extensions: Hotspot Shield, ZenMate, Hola Free VPN, Windscribe, Touch VPN, uVPN, Hoxx. Separately, we have identified special add-ons for Yandex Browser and Opera. However, do not forget that everything has its own price. Likewise, a free VPN extension often has its drawbacks, as we saw above, so a commercial, but better quality plugin can still be an alternative solution. As for the Tor browser, it is undoubtedly an excellent tool for achieving our goal (anonymization), but with all its advantages, its disadvantages still warn us against using it all the time. Therefore, we leave it as a last resort, when other anonymizers cannot provide the privacy we need.