What VPN.com does

VPN.com is a privately held, founder-led digital media and domain services company headquartered in the Atlanta metropolitan area (Decatur, GA), operating two distinct but related business lines under a single brand. The primary operation is an editorially independent VPN review and comparison platform that publishes monthly speed tests, security audits, and a proprietary 100-point Trust Score across 22 major VPN providers including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and ProtonVPN. Revenue derives primarily from affiliate referral commissions when users convert to paid VPN subscriptions through tracked links, supplemented by educational cybersecurity content covering data protection, public Wi-Fi security, phishing prevention, and identity theft.

The secondary operation is a premium domain brokerage service led by CEO Michael Gargiulo, which handles confidential, high-value domain transactions for Fortune 1000 companies and entrepreneurs, and which also sells owned inventory including VPN.com (acquired for $1 million in 2017) and MarketCap.com (listed at a $1 million minimum offer in October 2025). The brokerage's positioning is reinforced by the CEO's first-hand experience completing seven-figure domain deals and his personal domain acquisition practice (including MichaelGargiulo.com in May 2026), targeting executives and AI/technology startups.

The platform's technical foundation is a content publishing and SEO-optimized web property at vpn.com, with no proprietary VPN infrastructure of its own; testing methodology is conducted via standardized lab conditions. A December 2023 partnership with Liquid Web extends the company into secure hosting services across Europe via Amsterdam data centers. The company employs 1-10 people, was founded in 2017, operates without disclosed venture or private equity backing, and positions itself as a Christian-founded organization whose faith shapes its editorial and business practices.

Name

VPN.com

Legal name

VPN.com

Website

https://vpn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VPN.com is a founder-led VPN review platform and premium domain brokerage serving individual consumers researching VPN services and Fortune 1000 clients executing seven-figure domain transactions, monetizing through affiliate commissions and brokerage fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

VPN Review and Comparison Platform

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

akta.pro primary industry

Network Security Services (Firewall/VPN/ZTNA/SASE Integration) (BPAEAEAG)

Keywords

• VPN review platform
• Domain brokerage services
• Cybersecurity content
• Premium domain sales
• Affiliate marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. VPN Affiliate Commissions: VPN.com earns referral commissions when users click through affiliate links to VPN providers (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, etc.). The editorial content ranks and reviews providers, driving organic traffic that converts to affiliate revenue. Commissions are earned on subscription sign-ups with no influence on review rankings.
2. Premium Domain Brokerage: VPN.com brokers high-value domain transactions for clients including Fortune 1000 companies. Services include confidential acquisition support, negotiation, and transaction structuring for seven-figure domain deals. The company owns premium domains (VPN.com acquired for $1 million, MarketCap.com) and sells inventory while brokering third-party transactions.
3. Domain Sales: Direct sales of premium domain names owned by VPN.com, including MarketCap.com (minimum offer $1 million). Revenue generated from one-time domain transfer transactions rather than recurring subscriptions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

VPN.com is an editorially independent VPN testing and review platform that publishes monthly speed, security, and privacy evaluations of 22+ major VPN providers and earns revenue through affiliate commissions when users subscribe to recommended services. The company also operates a premium domain brokerage service facilitating confidential seven-figure domain acquisitions and sales for Fortune 1000 companies, entrepreneurs, and AI/technology startups. Supporting these are cybersecurity educational content, VPN provider reviews, and secure hosting services delivered through a Liquid Web partnership.

Product overview

VPN.com operates as a multi-service platform comprising three core offerings: (1) Independent VPN testing and review service that evaluates 22+ major VPN providers monthly for speed, security, and reliability without sponsors or bias, covering providers like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, ProtonVPN, and others; (2) Premium domain brokerage service specializing in confidential high-value domain transactions for Fortune 1000 companies, having facilitated seven-figure domain deals and acquired the VPN.com domain for $1 million in 2017; and (3) Educational cybersecurity content providing guidance on data protection, public WiFi security, phishing prevention, and identity theft. The company also offers hosting services through a partnership with Liquid Web. VPN.com positions itself as a Christian-founded company whose faith shapes its business practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VPN Reviews & Testing Service Independent, sponsor-free VPN testing and review service that monthly evaluates 22+ major VPN providers (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, ProtonVPN, and others) across speed, security, privacy, streaming, gaming, and device compatibility. The service publishes standardized lab results, trust score ratings, and editorial provider reviews that consumers and businesses use to compare and select VPN subscriptions.
• Premium Domain Brokerage Service Boutique brokerage service specializing in confidential, high-value (seven-figure) domain name acquisitions and sales for Fortune 1000 companies, entrepreneurs, and AI/technology startups. Services include confidential acquisition support, negotiation, deal structuring, and secure transfer of premium digital assets.
• Cybersecurity Educational Content & Guidance Editorial cybersecurity content and guides covering data protection, public Wi-Fi security, phishing attacks, IP address hiding, identity theft prevention, and security strategies for individuals and businesses. Includes technical guides, threat explainers, and best-practice articles that support the broader VPN review platform and drive organic SEO traffic.
• Secure Hosting Services Secure hosting service offered in partnership with Liquid Web, providing hosting infrastructure for VPN.com users with European availability via Amsterdam data centers as of the December 2023 partnership expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 VPN providers tested monthly with standardized speed, latency, and security metrics
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theofficialvpn

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VPN.com