The best ones keep as few logs as possible, and aren't interested in what you do while you're connected at all. Some don't even track when you're logged in or out, and even if they do have to keep some logs, they purge them periodically in order to protect your privacy. After all, the reason you pay for a VPN is for…

I think that the most important question to ask VPN companies like these is also the most difficult to properly answer:

If you haven't yet downloaded GTA: San Andreas from Amazon, they're still giving away $20 in coins with your purchase, so you could use your $10 credit to buy the game, and end up with $23 and six new apps in your pocket without spending a penny. [$10 in Free Amazon Coins]

I don't think self hosting is a good idea for anyone who is not an advanced user. Installing these programs often requires a person to be familiar with creating firewall exceptions, configuring port forwarding, keeping track of changes to their public IP, and having a reliable backup system in place.

When it comes to editing and proofreading, I've been under the impression that grammarly is the current gold standard. I think they're also the most expensive at $30/month. It would be nice to see something similar to grammarly except with some sort of peer review.

Let's face it: some people don't have an option other than Microsoft Word ($80). Whether you're writing a novel, putting together some short stories, or just drafting up a memo for the office, Microsoft Word is the most powerful tool around.