VPN features and buying guides.
Investigations and buying guides for UK readers. Follow the money behind a VPN deal, the data behind an age check and the rules behind regional prices.
Adult privacy
Who keeps your selfie or ID after an online age check?
An age check can create three records with different lifetimes. Follow a UK example from the camera image to the result the adult site can keep, then see how to ask about your own data.
How to spot a fake age-verification page before sharing ID
A convincing logo and an encrypted connection tell you very little about who is asking for your documents. Check the journey, the permission and the address before continuing.
Buying a VPN
Free VPN or cheap paid VPN? Decide what is worth paying for
Proton and Windscribe both offer a lasting free plan, but they ration different things. Match their limits to an ordinary week of use before paying for an upgrade.
When is a one-month VPN cheaper than an annual deal?
Six trips need not mean six VPN payments. Put the dates on a calendar, count the billing windows they fit into and see where paying annually starts to save money.
Why VPN monthly prices look so low
A small monthly figure can conceal a sizeable first payment. Three numbers reveal the real cost of a long VPN deal.
Money & travel
Can changing your location make online shopping cheaper?
Compare two regional shopfronts using the same delivery address, product code and checkout currency. Work out the real saving after fees and returns.
Can you get cheaper subscriptions by changing country?
Spotify, Google Play and Apple handle country changes differently. Check eligibility, credit balances and renewal prices before acting on an overseas deal.
VPN guides
Before sharing a browser exposure report, choose what to leave out
Choose the minimum useful browser-report fields for a support question, and understand what a share link reveals.
Does Proton VPN include email at your own domain?
Separate a VPN subscription, paid Mail features and domain registration before comparing the cost of a Proton bundle.
VPN split tunnelling: choose an exception and check its limits
Understand which traffic leaves the VPN, why platform and DNS behaviour matter, and how to record a narrow check without assuming complete privacy.