People searching for a VPN online usually mean one of two things: something that works in the browser without installing anything, or simply a VPN service bought online. The first is a real category with real limits, and the second is the ordinary product this index prices. Both are worth separating because the limits of the first are frequently discovered too late.
What runs in a browser, and what it covers
A browser extension routes that browser's traffic through the provider's server and leaves the rest of the device alone. It is genuinely convenient and it is not a VPN in the sense most people mean: your email client, your phone apps, your operating system's own connections and every other browser all continue on the ordinary connection. Several providers in this index ship an extension alongside the full app, and the extension is the lesser tool by design.
The leak that catches browser tools specifically
WebRTC, the technology behind in-browser calling, can reveal your real address from inside the browser even when traffic is routed elsewhere. Full VPN apps generally handle this at the device level; extensions have to block it explicitly, and not all do by default. It is worth checking on any leak-test page after installing an extension, because it is invisible otherwise.
Why the installed app is still the answer for most people
It covers everything on the device, it survives the browser being closed, it can enforce a kill switch at the network layer, and it works on the phone where most browsing now happens. That is a considerable list, and none of it is available to a browser extension. The extension's advantage is that it can be turned on for one tab, which is a narrow but real convenience.
What buying one online actually involves
The whole market is bought online, and the thing to read is not the sign-up flow but the pricing page: the entry figure, the prepaid term it requires and the renewal. This index quotes all three from each provider's own page, dated, because the first is what the advert carries and the third is what you will actually pay.
Questions people ask about vpn online
Is a browser VPN a real VPN?
It routes that browser's traffic and nothing else. Every other application on the device continues on the ordinary connection.
Can I use a VPN without installing anything?
In a browser, through an extension or a web proxy. Both cover only that browser and neither covers your phone apps or email client.
What is WebRTC leak protection?
A setting that stops the browser's calling technology revealing your real address from inside the page. Full apps usually handle it; extensions must block it explicitly.