What Is a Double VPN and Who Is It for?

Nikolina Cveticanin

Updated: May 6, 2023

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According to Hootsuite’s research from January 2021, there are 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide, which is 59.9% of the global population.

As the World Wide Web has become an important part of our everyday lives, we need to be able to use it to its full extent while staying safe at all times. Whether you’re browsing the net for business, education, or some other purpose, you’re constantly under threat of cyberattacks designed to try to get a hold of your personal information, your files, or your money.

Now, what is a double VPN, and how can it help you with this? As you probably already know, a VPN is one of the best methods you can use to preserve your privacy and stay safe online. A double VPN is essentially two VPNs chained together. It’s what you need to use if a regular VPN is not enough or you want multiple layers of protection. It’s one of the best commercially available solutions for people who want to make their online activity untraceable.

Improve Your Online Security with a Double VPN

According to VPN statistics, only 31% of internet users worldwide use a VPN. However, even the users that are not that tech-savvy understand the importance of having a virtual private network. Now let’s take a look at the differences between a normal VPN and a double VPN and why, in some cases, you should go with the latter option.

VPN works by redirecting your online traffic through one of its own private servers and hiding your IP address. While doing that, it encrypts all the data your device receives or sends over the internet. Once it hides your IP address, it assigns you a new one so that no one can track your real location.

Even though a regular VPN provides an adequate level of safety, some people need an additional layer of encryption. They usually turn to VPN providers who offer a  double VPN feature in their packages. This is mostly used by:

• Activists – Some governments don’t like being criticized, and activists are under constant threat of being criminally prosecuted. That’s why these protesters, bloggers, and activists in general often use double VPNs to remain under the radar.
• Journalists – Similarly to above, journalists face serious trouble in some parts of the world if they want to do their jobs ethically. As they or their sources can face serious penalties, they need to be able to protect themselves with an added layer of security.
• Whistleblowers – Whistleblowers face incredible risk by revealing sensitive and potentially damaging information to the public. They often have to deal with retaliation, censure, and blacklisting by governmental or private organizations. It’s absolutely imperative that they keep their identities secret unless they’re guaranteed protection by a third party.

Benefits of a Double VPN

As we have already explained what a regular VPN does, let’s see how a double VPN works. The basic principle is the same, but a double VPN sends your data not through one but through two servers. This means that your information will be secured with the double-encryption. This type of encryption is incredibly difficult to break, and nobody will be able to snoop through your personal information. Here’s a breakdown of how it all works:

1. First, you connect to the VPN server.
2. Then your traffic travels through that server which changes your IP address and encrypts your data.
3. The encrypted data goes through another server and gets encrypted for the second time, giving you another IP address.
4. You reach your final destination with twice the security.

As you can see, it’s not that complicated, and it comes with great advantages. Some of the most important benefits are:

Total Privacy

If you decide to create your own double VPN setup you will no longer have to worry about the authorities or anyone else monitoring your online activities. They won’t be able to track your IP address, and the only thing they will be able to confirm is that you’re using a VPN. This is crucial, as nowadays, sniffers can be found even at the most ubiquitous of places. In addition, cybercriminals are placing malware where you’d least expect it, so it pays to be extra careful.

Double-Encryption

This is one of the most important aspects of a double VPN. A regular VPN service protects your data using AES-256 encryption, which makes your personal data almost impenetrable. So why choose a double VPN option, and how does a double VPN work?

A normal VPN will give you great protection; however, a double VPN will make it twice as hard to decrypt as it doubles up on the safety measures.

IP Address Protection

When you connect to a VPN, the server hides your actual IP address and then changes it to match a different location. If you’re using a double VPN, your information gets routed twice, and the second server will have no idea what your real location or IP address is.

The second server also gives you a new IP address, doubling the amount of work required to track it back to you. This is one of the perks of chained VPNs and one of their most appreciable advantages.

Disadvantages of a Double VPN

Of course, a double VPN does have a few downsides. When you connect to any VPN, your internet speed drops a little due to the encryption and routing. The physical distance between you and the routing server plays a significant role in this.

With a double VPN connection, the speed decrease is more significant. If we did our job right and answered the question “What is a double VPN?” you should understand that this happens because the data needs to be encrypted and decrypted twice and has to travel through two servers instead of just one. So it’s a good idea to check if your internet connection is fast enough to handle the slowdown.

Another downside is the cost. Double VPN is usually included only in the most comprehensive, high-level packages, making it a pricey option. So, keep in mind that you’re unlikely to need it on a daily basis and figure out if the expense justifies the benefits.

Best Double VPN Providers

It’s not that hard to find a decent VPN provider, but only a few of them offer double VPN functionality. Therefore, we have decided to present you with the best providers that include this feature in their service packages.

NordVPN

As a well-known name in the cyber-security industry, NordVPN has a lot to offer in terms of privacy and security. Some of the features they pride themselves on the most are the AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy, making NordVPN’s double VPN a particularly reliable option.

The company offers more than 5,000 private servers across 59 countries, allowing you to switch between numerous IP addresses at any moment. Also, their service is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows systems.

SurfShark

This is a relative newcomer to the VPN scene. Despite this, SurfShark is one of the top VPN providers; it includes 3,200 servers in 65 countries all over the world.

With SurfShark, you can enjoy safe browsing and untroubled streaming. In addition to its regular service package, SurfShark also offers a double VPN option also known as multi-hop VPN connectivity. The service supports Windows, Android, and iOS systems.

Final Thoughts on Double VPNs

Cyberattacks have become a fact of life in the digital world. No matter if they’re large-scale corporate espionage, phishing attacks meant to steal your credit card information, it’s more important than ever to make certain to know how to stay protected.

To answer the question “What is a double VPN?”, we can say that it is one of the best ways to stay safe while browsing the internet. Of course, we would advise you to weigh the pros and cons before rushing into buying it. Check if your default internet connection is fast enough to be able to sustain a double VPN connection and consider the cost. If you want maximum privacy, an occasional slowdown might be something you’ll have to learn to live with when browsing anything sensitive.