What Top10VPN does

Top10VPN, operated by PrivacyCo Ltd., is an independent consumer VPN review and research platform headquartered in London, UK, founded in 2016 by Antonio Argiolas. The company is not a VPN provider; it produces hands-on reviews, editorial rankings, and bespoke diagnostic tools that help consumers select a VPN service. Its core asset is a proprietary testing methodology developed over 30,000+ hours of evaluation, covering 59 paid VPN services across nine categories (privacy, streaming, speed, security, server locations, user experience, torrenting, device compatibility, and additional features) and 150 free VPNs. The platform is supported by a suite of self-serve tools including a VPN Comparison Tool (up to 59 services side-by-side), an IP Leak Test, a Kill Switch Test, a Speed Comparison Tool (8 countries / 6 continents), a "Blocked in China" checker, an IP Lookup/Reverse DNS tool, a "What Is My IP" tool, a DNS Server Checker, and a "Who Is My ISP" utility. Top10VPN also publishes an extensive guides library and an original research program on internet censorship, free VPN safety, and digital rights that has been cited by the UN, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the U.S. Senate.

The company monetizes exclusively through affiliate commissions: free editorial rankings and tools drive organic discovery, and embedded referral links to providers such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Private Internet Access, IPVanish, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Hide.me, Windscribe, and PrivateVPN generate commissions on referred subscriptions. The site is free to consumers and is editorially independent of any VPN provider. Go-to-market is product-led/content-led: SEO-driven top-of-funnel traffic, a YouTube channel (@top10vpn), a Substack newsletter, and Twitter/X and LinkedIn presence handle discovery and audience building, while advocacy partnerships with EFF, AccessNow, Open Rights Group, Fight for the Future, Internet Society, Let's Encrypt, Electronic Frontiers Australia, and CyberSecurity Alliance reinforce mission-driven brand positioning and earned media. Content is localized into 10 languages, supporting a global audience with no disclosed geographic restrictions. The team (11-50 employees) is led by Founder Antonio Argiolas, Head of Research Simon Migliano, and CTO JP Jones, both of whom are recognized VPN experts personally involved in the testing methodology.

Name

Top10VPN

Legal name

PrivacyCo Ltd.

Website

https://top10vpn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Top10VPN is an independent, London-based consumer VPN review and research platform that operates top10vpn.com (via PrivacyCo Ltd.), publishing hands-on reviews, rankings, and diagnostic tools covering 59 paid and 150 free VPN services and monetizing through affiliate referral commissions to VPN providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

VPN Review and Cybersecurity Research

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• VPN reviews
• VPN comparison tools
• Internet privacy research
• VPN leak testing
• Cybersecurity guides

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Affiliate commissions from VPN referrals: Top10VPN earns revenue through affiliate/referral commissions when users click through to VPN provider websites and purchase subscriptions. The site discloses it is editorially independent and that purchasing a VPN through their links supports their work. This is the primary monetization mechanism for a free-to-consumer review and information service.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Top10VPN is an independent VPN review and research platform providing unbiased, hands-on reviews of 59 VPN services based on 30,000+ hours of testing, alongside bespoke diagnostic tools (IP leak test, VPN kill switch test, speed comparison, DNS checker, China block checker) and original investigative research on internet censorship and cybersecurity. The entire offering is free to consumers, with revenue generated exclusively through affiliate commissions from VPN provider referrals.

Product overview

Top10VPN is an independent VPN review platform—not a VPN provider itself—offering unbiased rankings, hands-on reviews, and diagnostic tools to help consumers choose VPN services. The core product consists of curated VPN rankings (Best VPNs, Best Free VPNs) based on 30,000+ hours of testing 59 services, alongside detailed individual reviews with ratings across nine categories. Supporting the reviews are bespoke diagnostic tools including a VPN Comparison Tool, VPN Speed Comparison Tool, IP Leak Test, VPN Kill Switch Test, and network diagnostic utilities (What Is My IP?, What's My DNS Server?, Who Is My ISP?). The platform also publishes original investigative research on VPN safety, internet censorship, and cybersecurity issues. The entire offering is content and tooling driven—driven by independent expert analysis rather than AI automation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VPN Comparison Tool A bespoke side-by-side comparison tool that enables users to compare up to 59 popular VPNs across speeds, logging policies, streaming capabilities, pricing, and other key details. Targeted at consumers comparing VPN services.
• VPN Speed Comparison Tool A purpose-built tool that compares VPN download speeds, upload speeds, and ping across eight countries on six continents. Designed for consumers evaluating VPN performance.
• IP Leak Test Tool A bespoke leak testing tool that checks whether a VPN is exposing the user's public IP address, DNS address, and other identifying information. Free consumer diagnostic tool.
• What Is My IP Tool A simple tool that reveals the user's public IP address and verifies whether their VPN is functioning correctly. Free consumer utility.
• DNS Server Checker Tool A DNS server inspection tool that reveals which DNS servers a device is using and which company is processing DNS requests. Free consumer diagnostic utility.
• Who Is My ISP Tool A tool that identifies the user's ISP and reveals publicly available information that could be used to identify them. Free consumer diagnostic utility.
• IP Lookup & Reverse DNS A tool to find location and DNS PTR record information for any IP address. Free consumer diagnostic utility.
• Website Blocked in China Tester A real-time checker that determines whether a URL is blocked or banned by the Great Firewall of China. Targeted at users in or traveling to high-censorship regions.
• VPN Kill Switch Test A unique tool to verify if a VPN's kill switch properly prevents real IP leaks during server disconnections or server switches. Free consumer security diagnostic.
• VPN Reviews (59 Services) Detailed hands-on reviews of 59 VPN services providing ratings across nine categories including privacy, streaming, speed, security, server locations, user experience, torrenting, device compatibility, and additional features. Targeted at consumers evaluating VPN subscriptions.
• Best VPNs Ranking A curated top-10 ranking of the best VPN services based on 30,000+ hours of hands-on testing, evaluating ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Private Internet Access, IPVanish, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Hide.me, Windscribe, and PrivateVPN. Targeted at consumers seeking the top VPN recommendation.
• Best Free VPNs Ranking Rankings and reviews of free VPN services (including Proton VPN, Windscribe, Hotspot Shield Basic, PrivadoVPN, Hide.me, ZoogVPN, TunnelBear) evaluated against the same testing standards as paid VPNs across 150 investigated free VPNs. Targeted at consumers seeking free VPN options.
• VPN Guides & Resources Library An extensive library of educational guides covering VPN features and troubleshooting, privacy and anonymity, security and networking, streaming and unblocking, torrenting, free trials and discounts, and gaming. Targeted at consumers learning about VPN technology.
• Original Research & Investigations Original investigative research into VPN software safety, internet censorship, digital rights, and cybersecurity — including studies on internet shutdown costs, free VPN security flaws, surveillance technologies, and WiFi vulnerabilities. Targeted at researchers, journalists, and digital rights advocates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 90% of free VPNs tested by Top10VPN were found to leak user data, demonstrating the critical need for independent VPN testing.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Open Rights GroupminorOthersTop10VPN partnered with Open Rights Group to investigate the impact of aggressive web content filters in the UK, supporting the organization's digital rights advocacy work.
• Internet Without Borders (Internet Sans Frontieres)minorOthersTop10VPN provided resources and secure VPN services to activists in Chad through partnership with Internet Without Borders.
• Electronic Frontiers AustraliaminorOthersTop10VPN is a proud supporter of Electronic Frontiers Australia, an organization defending digital rights in Australia.
• Fight for the FutureminorOthersTop10VPN is a proud supporter of Fight for the Future, an organization fighting for digital rights and an open internet.
• AccessNowminorOthersTop10VPN is a proud supporter of AccessNow, a global organization defending digital rights and fighting internet shutdowns.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)minorOthersTop10VPN is a proud supporter of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a leading nonprofit defending civil liberties in the digital world.
• Internet SocietyminorOthersTop10VPN is a proud supporter of the Internet Society, an organization working to ensure the internet stays open, global, and secure.
• Let's EncryptminorOthersTop10VPN is a proud supporter of Let's Encrypt, a nonprofit certificate authority providing free TLS certificates to enable HTTPS on the web.
• CyberSecurity AllianceminorOthersTop10VPN is a proud supporter of CyberSecurity Alliance, an organization working to advance cybersecurity awareness and education.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VPNMentor: Direct peer — affiliate-driven VPN review and comparison site covering consumer VPN services, with hands-on testing and editorial rankings. Operates the same content-to-affiliate funnel as Top10VPN.
• Comparitech: Direct peer — VPN review and broader privacy/comparison content site, monetized through affiliate links. Comparable in content depth, editorial testing approach, and SEO-led acquisition strategy.
• RestorePrivacy: Direct peer — independent VPN and privacy review site with hands-on testing methodology and affiliate monetization, focused heavily on consumer privacy education.
• ProPrivacy: Direct peer — long-standing VPN review and privacy research site producing independent VPN testing, guides, and news content, monetized through affiliate referrals.
• SafetyDetectives: Direct peer — cybersecurity-focused editorial site with VPN reviews, security tool comparisons, and investigative research, using affiliate-driven content monetization.
• CyberNews: Direct peer — VPN review, security research, and cybersecurity news site with hands-on VPN testing and affiliate monetization, overlapping heavily with Top10VPN's content and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Tom's Guide: Broad incumbent — large generalist tech publication (Future plc) with a dedicated VPN review vertical and affiliate revenue from VPN provider referrals, but VPN is one of many coverage areas.
• TechRadar: Broad incumbent — major global tech publication (Future plc) running VPN reviews, comparisons, and buying guides with affiliate links; competes with Top10VPN on the same informational keywords.
• CNET: Broad incumbent — large generalist technology media outlet (Red Ventures) with a dedicated VPN reviews section, using affiliate monetization across multiple product categories including VPNs.
• PCMag: Broad incumbent — established technology review publication (Ziff Davis) with VPN reviews and affiliate referrals, covering privacy/security among many other technology categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/top10vpn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@top10vpn?sub_confirmation=1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/top10vpn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Top10VPN