Paychex is one of the best payroll software platforms available for small and medium-sized businesses. With this platform, you can easily manage payroll for dozens of employees and integrate benefits like healthcare and retirement into your payroll process. Plus, all Paychex plans include tax documentation and accounting software integration. The biggest downside is that the software is surprisingly expensive.
In our Paychex review, we’ll help you decide whether this payroll software is right for your business.
Paychex used to operate on a three-tier system: Go, Flex Select and Flex Enterprise. As a guide, Paychex Go started at $59 per month plus $4 per employee, with higher plans coming at an undisclosed cost via a customized quote.
Unfortunately, Paychex has decided to apply this method across the whole platform now, so exact pricing is illusive.
On the website, it describes four different sizes of business: self-employed (1), 1-19, 20-49 and 50-100+, suggesting four tiers of membership may be available.
Pricing options for Paychex (Image credit: Paychex)
Paychex: Features
Because Paychex comes with a couple of different subscription levels, what you get depends on how much you pay, but as a guide you can expect full payroll processing with W-2 and 1099 support, tax calculations and filing, and new hire reporting.
To pay your employees, Paychex enables you to make direct deposits or print your own paper checks. You have some flexibility, as you can set up multiple payment accounts for each employee.
You can also request prepaid debit cards for each employee and set up Paychex so that payments are automatically transferred onto these cards.
Onboarding tools are also available to help reduce the burden on HR teams, with workers gaining access via their own portal.
Employees can track their hours through Paychex’s dashboard (Image credit: Paychex)
Employee dashboards have a built-in time tracker, which enables commenting, making it easy to see what your employees were spending time on throughout the pay period. They can also check their scheduling from here, too.
Importantly, Paychex can also integrate with most popular accounting software, including QuickBooks and Xero, to make calculating quarterly and annual tax payments much simpler.
One of our favorite things about Paychex is that the software also enables you to keep track of healthcare, retirement, along with other key benefits right alongside payroll.
You can set up a 401(k) for your business through Paychex Retirement Services or enroll employees in an HSA or FSA. When you enter payroll, Paychex will automatically calculate your employer contributions to these accounts and transfer the funds at the same time that checks go out to employees.
Beyond basic payroll and human capital management tools, Paychex also helps HR teams monitor performance and job costing/labor distribution, supporting growth strategies and summarizing figures to help predict the impact of growth.
Paychex: Ease of use
Paychex offers a simple online dashboard that’s fairly easy to navigate. You can see at a glance how much cash you need to have on hand to cover your last payroll period, as well as on what date the current period’s payroll needs to be approved.
To enter employee hours, Paychex uses a simple grid layout that saves a significant amount of time compared to the series of drop-down menus that some other payroll platforms use.
Another nice thing about Paychex is that it includes detailed analytics about your payroll. You can generate reports sorted by employee, office location, position, or any number of custom filters. In all, Paychex has more than 160 built-in standard reports for Go and Flex Select customers - and Flex Enterprise customers can set up even more.
On the whole, the interface is fairly intuitive for core tasks, but there does appear to be somewhat of a learning curve for some features and modules, which users occasionally report to be overwhelming.
We were happy to see that Paychex offers a mobile app, although we wish it were available to subscribers on the Go plan. The mobile app is particularly nice for employees, since they can use it to check their pay stubs, change their payment account details, or manage their 401(k) plan and health benefits.
Paychex uses a grid layout to make entering employee hours and pay faster (Image credit: Paychex)
Paychex: Support
Paychex provides multiple support channels including phone, email and online help, with employers getting 24/7 phone support and employees also able to access 24/7 support (but chat, not phone).
Employees can still phone Paychex, but they’ll only be granted support within office hours (from one of the 100+ US-based offices).
Support broadly feels better for higher-tier plans, which is often the case, but it would be nice to see companies offer strong support across all tiers.
There’s also a large library of HR and legal documentation as well as policy templates that can be useful for compliance, but some users note varying availability for other resources like tech support for integrations or less common modules.
For these, you’re probably better off getting in touch with a human, rather than using self-service options.
Paychex offers 24/7 phone support and walk-ins at over 100 US offices (Image credit: Paychex)
Paychex: Final verdict
Paychex is a feature-rich payroll software with a lot to like. If you want to integrate healthcare, retirement, or other benefits into your payroll, there are few better options for your business.
However, if you don’t need these integrations, it can be hard to justify Paychex’s price tag. The platform is very capable, but its main features are matched by Gusto at a more accessible price.
Paychex has a lot of features, but this platform can be prohibitively expensive for some small businesses. For a cheaper option, consider SurePayroll.
Regardless, we think Paychex offers a strong comprehensive solution with support spanning payroll, HR, compliance and other benefits. It has good regulatory compliance, particularly for US customers, and isn’t as hard as some other systems to use.
Gusto is payroll software that covers everything a business needs to maintain a happy workforce. This includes organizing payments, insurance, support and initial onboarding.
It’s a comprehensive approach that sees Gusto rank among the best payroll software providers on the market. And, in this Gusto review, we help you decide whether it would be right for your business as we examine its pricing, features, support and overall ease of use.
Gusto is best suited to medium-sized businesses in the US, with smaller companies priced out with recent price rises and larger organizations uncatered-for in terms of some features and more advanced support.
Prices for Gusto have risen quite significantly in recent years. Back in 2023, we noted it had a $19/month base price, which has now climbed to $49.
That’s for the Simple package, which each person commanding a $6 monthly fee (something that hasn’t changed in those two years).
Plus ($80/month) and Premium ($180/month) unsurprisingly pack bigger punches, but unfortunately, you’ll be paying more per person as well as for the core functionalities.
Instead of $6/head, it’s $12 or $22 per person per month.
The Contractor Only packge, for companies who don’t have W-2 hires, is $35/month with a $6 monthly fee per person. At the time of writing in September 2025, this is free, so keep an eye out for discounts because Gusto clearly isn’t averse to them.
Solopreneurs can also use the platform for $49/month plus the $6 person fee, but that becomes a rather expensive way for filings returns.
(Image credit: Gusto)
Gusto: Features
More than just payroll software, Gusto gives you a full set of tools for effectively managing your workforce. These include full-service payroll, employee benefits, time tracking as well as HR tools for hiring and onboarding.
Think of it as an all-in-one solution for anything to do with people – be that time or money.
Gusto’s features include full-service payroll, like calculating taxes, filing federal/state/local returns and handling W-2s/1099s.
Really crucial to Gusto’s success is the fact that you can perform unlimited payroll runs (including off-cycle runs) without extra fees. Payment methods include direct debit, paper checks, payroll cards, the ability to split pay checks or deposit into multiple accounts, so most scenarios an HR team will ever encounter are covered.
Where its real strengths are, though, is in its combination of finance and human capital management solutions.
With Gusto, you can set up your payroll to run with just a few clicks; it can even be set to run automatically on the schedule you choose. The software can handle employees and contractors, multiple rates of pay along with payments in multiple states.
(Image credit: Gusto)
Gusto has a number of benefits features, including the Gusto Wallet app, which employees can use to manage their pay checks and access emergency cash.
Then there is workers’ compensation, health reimbursement (QSEHRA) - an alternative to traditional health insurance - and commuter benefits. Health insurance administration is also built into the platform at no extra cost (apart from the actual insurance premiums).
With Gusto, employees track their time for you to review and approve. You can also customize paid time off (PTO) policies with all liabilities automatically calculated. And accounting integrations exist for mainstream platforms like Quickbooks Online and Xero.
These tools from Gusto are designed to help you save time when introducing new team members. You’ll be able to send offer letters, work through an onboarding checklist, have all your documents signed and stored online, and set up your new hires with online tools like G Suite and Microsoft 365 with a single click.
Gusto has several measures in place to protect its customers’ data. It has its own on-site security team, actively tests its software, and all data is AES-256 encrypted between your browser and AWS servers.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO) options are also available.
The Gusto application is kept secure with internal and third-party penetration testing, vulnerability scanning and a bug bounty program. Better still, all Gusto employees have specific security training.
Gusto: Ease of use
When you first log in to Gusto, you’ll begin the process of setting up all your company information, including your accountant, benefits, state and federal taxes, employees, pay schedule and workers’ compensation.
When you add an employee, they’ll be sent a welcome email, which will enable them to create their own account.
The onboarding process is simple and workers can self-onboard to free up some valuable time for HR teams.
Once setup is complete, you’ll be able to view all of your company’s employees, including ones who have been dismissed, and invite new hires to join the system.
Gusto’s platform has been praised for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, so it should be relatively easy to get your head around even if all of this comes new to you.
The dashboard design is clean, and things like tasks and to-do lists are highlighted easy to see, but there’s no real deep customization if you want to configure it to show precise metrics.
(Image credit: Gusto)
Gusto: Support
If you want to speak to Gusto sales, their website lists a number. But to get access to Gusto support, you need to be signed in to your account.
Once logged in, you’ll see a different phone number to call for support; or you can visit your account dashboard’s support page, where there is a multi-stage form that eventually provides a recommended resource.
If that doesn’t help, you can fill in another form to send Gusto an email.
Premium plans get more premium support, which includes a dedicated advisor, faster response time and more HR expert access – lower plans can add some of this at a cost.
While this might not be a huge problem for most companies, support is not around-the-clock – phone and email are only there during working hours.
(Image credit: Gusto)
Gusto: Final verdict
If you’re a small business owner who’s new to payroll, you’ll love Gusto because it’s so easy to use; you can finish important tasks with just a few clicks.
Once praised for its attractive pricing, costs have risen in recent years so it may be out of reach for more businesses. Its lack of some advanced features also means it may not be the perfect solution for the biggest businesses, so its appeal has tightened somewhat.
An alternative for larger businesses is OnPay, which has a very similar feature set, combining payroll and HR, but a simpler pricing structure.
Gusto is primarily a payroll platform with HR add-ons. Another alternative is Zenefits, which is the opposite: a complete HR solution with features like org charts and performance reviews and a payroll add-on.
If your workforce is small enough and the pricing is not an issue, Gusto provides first-class solutions for most of the important administrative areas of running a business.
• Original review date: September 2022
• Fourth-gen MFT camera from Olympus (now OM System) for beginners
• Launch price: $699 / £699.99 / AU$1,299 (body only)
• Official price now: $699 / £699.99 / around AU$939 (body only)
Update: February 2024. After the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV launch, Olympus was purchased by OM Digital Solutions and new cameras are consequently branded OM System instead. So far though, there's been little change in newly branded models besides firmware-level improvements, and the E-M10 Mark IV is still yet to be replaced. That makes it an excellent value camera system for beginners; lightweight, small, feature packed and with a superb selection of lenses for all budgets and photography genres. It doesn't have the latest autofocus or video specs when compared to newer rivals, while it's dated micro USB connector doesn't allow charging on the go, but the overall E-M10 Mark IV package remains compelling today especially for newbie photographers.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Two-minute review
Despite its complex name, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a simple, compact entry-level mirrorless camera. And if you're a beginner or keen photographer looking for a compact body that takes consistently attractive photos, it's a camera that has to be on your list.
Sure, the E-M10 Mark IV is lacking some of the more advanced features being touted by its pricier rivals, like phase-detection autofocus, 4K/60p video and microphone/headphone inputs. But it does a brilliant job as a stills camera that can shoot a little bit of quality video when needed, and is one of the best cheap cameras you can buy right now, as well as being one of the best travel cameras for those who've spent all their money on flights.
This beginner camera's approachable button layout and combination of Bluetooth/Wi-Fi functionality means it's primarily designed to tempt smartphone photographers over to an interchangeable lens camera. And as a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera, it has one of the widest selection of lenses around.
Although the Micro Four Thirds system was originally created by Panasonic and Olympus, a wide range of companies have now produced quality, affordable lenses for MFT-compatible cameras. This makes it a great system for beginners to invest in.
(Image credit: Future)
One big thing this camera has in its favor is superb in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This system is the same as the one used in Olympus' award-winning flagship E-M1 series, and it works a treat for capturing images at slower shutter speeds handheld.
The E-M10 Mark IV is Olympus’ answer to cameras like the Panasonic Lumix G100, Fujifilm X-T200 and Sony ZV-1. And it manages to stand out with its classic OM-D styling, super-compact body and that excellent IBIS system. The 20MP resolution isn’t going to grab any headlines, but it's a significant and welcome step up over its predecessor's 16MP sensor, and keeps it within range of the competition.
While it's a great first camera for beginners, we'd also recommend the E-M10 Mark IV to more experienced photographers on a budget or those looking to downsize from a DSLR. It doesn’t deliver the battery or image quality performance of high-end mirrorless cameras or DSLRs, but it could be a great option as a recce or second camera. For those situations, and at this price, it's a terrific beginner mirrorless camera and certainly one of the best cameras for photography around.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Price and release date
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV was released in August 2020 and was available to buy immediately for a body-only price (in black or silver) of $699 / £699.99 / AU$1,299.
Naturally, there is also a kit lens bundle available, with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ bundle we tested costing $799 / £799 / AU$1,499. Australian fans can also buy the E-M10 Mark IV with a longer M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II zoom lens from for AU$1,799 (around $1,285 / £985).
(Image credit: Future)
Despite being relatively new, we've already seen some discounts on the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, which bring its price more in line with rivals like the Fujifilm X-T200. That said, if you're on a tighter budget, it's worth checking prices on this camera's E-M10 Mark III predecessor.
While the latter lacks the new sensor or flip down screen, you can currently pick it up for $449 / £449 / AU$799, which is impressive value.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Build and handling
Ergonomic grip and button layout
Tough polycarbonate body
3-inch touchscreen more flexible than before
The first thing that strikes you about the E-M10 IV is its diminutive size. It’s small enough to fit into the pocket of regular fit trousers – and that’s with its 14-42mm M.Zuiko f/3.5-5.6 pancake kit lens attached.
We've always been huge fans of the twin control dial setup of the E-M10, as it allows you to make adjustments to both shutter speed, aperture or exposure compensation with ease when shooting manually.
The mode dial that sits beside them provides straightforward access to the camera’s nine shooting modes, including video. There’s also a dedicated video record button, placed sensibly on the shoulder of the camera for quick access.
There isn’t much room for buttons elsewhere on the camera, but Olympus has managed to place controls that cover most key functions without making the camera feel cluttered. There’s also touchscreen access via the rear LCD, further boosting the camera’s usability.
(Image credit: Future)
The 3.0-inch LCD touchscreen is the most ambitious of the series so far. This time, the E-M10 IV’s screen tilts upwards 90-degrees for shooting at hip level, and also flips downwards 180-degrees in the other direction. This positions it under the camera for selfies and vlogging. It’s good to see more flexibility introduced, but it does present a potential issue for people who want to self-shoot while using the camera on a tripod.
The E-M10 IV's 2.36m-dot OLED viewfinder, unchanged from the previous model, provides a clear view of the scene ahead with settings overlaid on top. This means that once you’re familiar with the layout, you won’t need to take your eye away from the viewfinder to make adjustments.
The share button on the top left shoulder doubles as a quick menu when taking pictures. But in playback this provides simple access to the camera’s share-to-smart device functionality.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Features
Class-leading image stabilization system
Powered by TruePic VIII imaging processor
Advanced Photo mode is handy for beginners
The E-M10 Mark IV is powered by a TruePic VIII imaging processor, which works to deliver reduced noise in images captured in low light and has a native ISO sensitivity range of ISO 200-6400. This can be expanded to ISO 80 (LO) and ISO 25,600 (HI), but you’d be wiser to take advantage of the camera’s quality five-axis in-body image stabilization system (IBIS) before you crank the ISO up to those numbers.
This IBIS system is same as the one in Olympus' award-winning flagship E-M1 series, and it's excellent. It boosts the E-M10 Mark IV's handheld shooting capabilities and means you can pack light and don’t need a tripod to get fantastic shots, even at night.
Also borrowed from the upper tier of OM-D cameras, is the updated 121-point autofocusing system, which can better detect and track faces and eyes.
(Image credit: Future)
Aside from these features, there aren’t other big spec or physical changes of note from the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III. It’s a sensible update, one that focuses on improving the camera’s stills capabilities.
Olympus has included its trademark scene (SCN) and Art Filter modes, which function as you might imagine, placing 'creative' looks over images. We're not huge fans, but they can be fun to have a play with. We're more keen on the Advanced Photo (AP) section of the mode dial.
AP mode makes it super easy for people to create otherwise complex images, such as live composites for capturing star trails and light painting, long exposure images with live progress displayed on screen, multiple exposure images and more. These are a great way to explore photo creativity.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Autofocus
121-point Contrast Detect AF
Improved face detection and subject-tracking from Mark III
Now also has eye detection
Autofocus systems need to be predictable, even if they're not the fastest. The E-M10 Mark IV’s autofocusing system may not be the most advanced in this camera class, but it functions consistently and that’s the main thing we want from a camera’s autofocus.
Hybrid systems that incorporate on-sensor phase detection AF, such as the AF system featured in the Sony ZV-1, are superior and better suited for things like vlogging. This is because they are quicker at detecting faces from a range of angles and will stick with them more tenaciously without hunting for focus.
This unedited photo shows the E-M10 Mark IV's impressive dynamic range. (Image credit: Future)
If you’re more concerned with photography, though, the E-M10 Mark IV’s focusing system is capable of handling a range of moving subjects, including wildlife, field sports and planes. Although it’s worth noting that its top continuous burst mode speed of 15fps (electronic shutter) can only perform at such speeds with fixed focus.
Its 121 AF points cover a large amount of the frame, but its tracking capabilities are a little patchy, particularly when subject backgrounds are busy.
We had the most consistent and pleasing results when sticking with AF-S and centre point focus. Use that and this camera can focus fast, even in low light.
(Image credit: Future)
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Image and video quality
The E-M10 Mark IV is the most photo-centric camera in its category. While its rivals are more geared towards video shooters, this cameras wants to be a great stills camera first and foremost – and it does a solid job.
Carrying a high resolution 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor helps the E-M10 Mark IV capture a significantly more impressive dynamic range compared to smartphones and other small sensor cameras. This is most visible when looking at high contrast or night mode scenes. The physical advantage of a larger sensor means the E-M10 Mark IV has great light-gathering powers.
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The E-M10 Mark IV's quick focusing can help you freeze the perfect moment. (Image credit: Future)
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Even when you shoot handheld the IBIS system can help you capture some excellent detail. (Image credit: Future)
Pushing the camera’s ISO sensitivity to its limits, the results were usable, although details begin looking smudged past ISO 6400 when viewed at 100%. The ability to take better pictures in low light is further supported by the camera’s five-axis in-body image stabilization. This manages to keep images sharp when shooting handheld as slow as 1/8th of a second, which is a significant advantage for dimly lit scenes.
The IBIS system also works quite well during video recording when walking and panning. While the E-M10 Mark IV can be used to capture attractive looking video, it's not heavily geared towards video shooters.
The omission of a microphone input or USB-C port, which could be used to adapt a microphone or headphone input, is another giveaway that this camera isn’t focused on video. It’s also capped at 4K/30p and FHD/60p resolutions. There’s a high-speed movie mode, but it’s only 120fps at 720p resolution. In terms of video specs, this is one of the most unambitious cameras released since the E-M10 Mark III in 2017.
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Shoot in raw and you can recover some shadow and highlight detail... (Image credit: Future)
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...compared to this original shot, where the shadows and highlights have been crushed and blown. (Image credit: Future)
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The E-M10 Mark IV's HDR mode can be useful in mixed lighting situations like this... (Image credit: Future)
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...compared to the original, non-HDR photo. (Image credit: Future)
It is, though, a different story for stills. We were really impressed with this camera's basic kit lens – its 14-42mm pancake lens option is a fantastic starting place for someone upgrading from a phone.
It offers a versatile focal range that covers everything from landscapes to portraits. Plus, given the super compact size of this camera/lens combo, it makes for an ideal travel companion. It will capture quality shots without attracting too much attention, so it’s also ideal if you enjoy capturing more candid imagery.
The camera’s battery is rated to around 360 shots and under 30 minutes of video. This is typical for cameras in this class and at this price point. In use, we found it got us through a day of walking around, with it powering down into battery saver mode.
If you predominantly use the electronic viewfinder (EVF) when shooting and aren’t recording a lot of video, this camera should get you through a day trip before needing to charge. There’s no dedicated battery charger in the box, mind, so you have to charge the battery in the camera via USB micro B input. Again, it’s a shame to miss out on a USB-C input here, as it also means the camera cannot be used while charging.
It can be difficult to choose the best VPN from among the hundreds of different options, because the majority of them make wild claims in their marketing that they aren’t always able to fulfil. The French VPN service provider IdealVPN has been in the game since 2010, giving them more than a decade of experience providing VPN services. A VPN with that much experience in the market ought to be able to compete with the top VPN services currently on the market, but that is not the case for this VPN provider.
France is one of the worst locations for a VPN to be based, because it is a part of the 14-Eyes Alliance. This is a group of countries that collect and share a lot of information among themselves. You should use caution while using any VPN that is based in countries that are part of the 5/9/14 Eyes alliance. VPNs operating in these nations may be asked by foreign intelligence agencies to collect or reveal specific data.
IdealVPN gives you three pricing plans: monthly at $5.76 per month, 6-monthly at $4.80 per month and annual at $4.76 per month. For the 6-monthly plan, there is also a 3-day trial available. Both the 6-month and annual subscriptions are billed annually.
Payment options include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and Maestro. However, there is no mention of a refund or money-back guarantee, and the VPN forbids using the same account for multiple connections at once. This is unusual, as these days most VPNs offer a 45 days money-back guarantee. If you are looking for a free VPN or trying to get the best value for money, there are much better options out there.
(Image credit: Future)
Privacy & encryption
According to IdealVPN, it keeps track of the date, time, and length of your VPN connection as well as the amount of bandwidth used. It claims that it uses this information to uphold its terms and conditions, produce statistics, and improve the caliber and dependability of its service. Remember that the VPN provider is based in a jurisdiction that is a member of the 14 Eye Alliance, so if the VPN keeps a record of your private information, law enforcement could obtain it if they coerce the company to share it.
IdealVPN uses 128-bit encryption, which is weaker than the 256-bit algorithm used by the majority of VPNs on the market. They employ the PPTP VPN protocol, allowing you to establish a connection on your own device, and you also get a dynamic shared IP address, a NAT firewall, and port forwarding. Although torrenting is permitted by IdealVPN, we advise you to check your local laws first before torrenting, as it may be against the law where you live.
Support
IdealVPN is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. It doesn’t have any native clients, but the provider does claim its service can be enabled on them. IdealVPN also provides guidance in the form of FAQs and setup guides.
Even though the VPN provider states that customers can contact their customer service department by email or contact form, we did not get a response when we sent a message. Contrary to IdealVPN, VPNs like ExpressVPN have helped the VPN market significantly by providing dependable customer service that includes live chat, guides, FAQs, and product tutorials.
Streaming
One of the main selling points of many VPNs is the ability to access geographically restricted streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. While most VPNs can grant you access to your preferred streaming content across various platforms, IdealVPN can not. That is because, despite numerous attempts, we were unable to get the software to function, which prevented us from testing the VPN's streaming or speed capabilities. We think that this VPN is no longer in operation, but they haven't made any official announcements to that effect.
We suggest checking out ExpressVPN if finding the best VPN for Netflix or other streaming sites is your main aim. This excellent VPN provider will give you access to any restricted content on any platform of your choice while also providing great speed and other advanced features.
(Image credit: Future)
Alternatives
IdealVPN isn’t ideal because it doesn’t work! If you are looking for a standard VPN to use, we suggest checking out ExpressVPN, one of the most well-known names in the VPN industry. It is a far better choice because it offers blazing-fast speed and excellent security features.
You can also check out top players in the VPN industry such as NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost. All of these VPNs will provide you with high-quality service, thousands of servers, round-the-clock customer support and a wide range of cutting-edge features.
Verdict
IdealVPN is a laughably poor VPN service, one that is very far away from major platforms such as ExpressVPN for many reasons but mainly for not being able to connect at all. This is followed by a total lack of communication from the customer support’s side, absence of important information and native apps, and many other issues. Due to the awful experience in trying to test it, we aren’t even sure why this provider still has half-decent reviews online.
This is our review of the full Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9, its full security suite. This includes each of the individual security solutions, VirusBarrier, ContentBarrier, Washing Machine, and Personal Backup. We dive deeper into each of these in this review.
Intego is currently developing its newest solution, Mac Total Protection, which is currently going through beta testing. We'll keep an eye out for its official release and update this review when we've had a chance to fully evaluate it.
In addition to its Mac solutions, Intego also has a Windows antivirus solution. However, this is very basic and doesn't stand up to the other antivirus software that has been protecting Windows devices for decades.
Intego has been developing Mac antivirus software for close to three decades. The Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9 pulls each individual security program into a single package. While you can purchase one or two of these tools individually, we strongly recommend the full Intego antivirus suite to ensure you're fully protected both on and offline.
Although Macs may have historically held a reputation for being invulnerable to viruses, we're seeing more and more threats being designed for Mac devices. In fact, both independent security test labs AV-Comparatives and AV-Test consistently test antivirus programs against Mac malware specifically.
This antivirus suite includes Intego's antivirus, VirusBarrier, with its firewall, NetBarrier. It also has the Mac Washing Machine to help clean up your desktop and look for weak spots in your system where threats can sneak in. Finally, you get Mac ContentBarrier Secure is Mac Internet Security with both web filtering and time controls. Confused, yet? Dont worry. We'll take you through all the testing and all the discovery and all the details you need to decide if Intego Mac is the antivirus solution for you.
Mac Premium Bundle starts at $70 to cover one device for one year, $95 to protect three devices, or $120 to cover five devices. These prices jump up by 21% - 22% on renewal.
This is fair value considering everything you get with it. For example, you can purchase the Mac Washing Machine on its own, but it will cost you $55.99 for one year and a single device. Likewise, ContentBarrier, Intego's parental controls, can also be bought on its own. This will cost you $39.99 for one device for a year, or $69.99 for two years.
Both VirusBarrier and PersonalBackup are included in every Intego Mac antivirus package. VirusBarrier is the basic antivirus engine that stops malware in real-time while the cloud backup storage is a definite bonus to have included.
If you don't need all that extra protection, you'll find a better deal with Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac. For basic malware protection, you'll only pay $26 for the first year and $40 on renewal.
No need to decide just yet, though. Intego has a generous 30-day trial available for its Mac antivirus and a 30-day money-back guarantee to give you even more time to decide if you want to stick with it.
(Image credit: Intego)
Intego Mac Premium Bundle
The Intego Mac Premium Bundle trial is easy to find on the website. We downloaded and launched the installer in a couple of clicks, then chose the modules we needed (VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, ContentBarrier, Personal Backup, Washing Machine), set them up in a minute or two, and rebooted our machine.
On launch, a prompt asked us to set up NetBarrier. Configuring firewalls can be a challenge, but not here. NetBarrier asked us for the kind of network we were using currently (home, work, public Wi-Fi), configured itself to match, then displayed the main firewall window.
(Image credit: Intego)
Graphics showing incoming and outgoing traffic, and highlighting anything currently blocked (incoming internet connections, say) ensure this looks a little prettier than the average firewall. On the right-hand side are switches which let you select your network type, blocking or allowing incoming and outgoing internet and local connections, and adding exceptions as required.
NetBarrier monitors apps as they try to go online. It allows trusted apps to connect immediately, and asks your permission for everything else. This isn't quite as intelligent as we'd like, and for instance it had to ask us whether we should allow Google Chrome Helper to go online. Still, if you know for sure that an app is safe, one click adds it to the whitelist, and you won't be prompted again.
This isn't the smartest or most configurable of firewalls, then, but it's mostly easy to use and does a reasonable job of keeping you safe.
(Image credit: Intego)
Intego Mac Premium Bundle: VirusBarrier
Intego's VirusBarrier opened with a "What's New" page, proudly pointing out that 'threats are now quarantined automatically.' Sounds good to us, though we're a little surprised that wasn't the case in the previous version.
A Setup screen then asked us to choose from three levels of protection.
Minimum scans emails, archives, and connected iOS devices only.
Standard scans for all Mac, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Android malware, as well as looking out for malicious scripts, hacking tools, and keyloggers.
Maximum adds an automatic Quick Scan which runs after every malware definition update.
We opted for Standard mode, but if you're less sure, it's easy to change this later. Mode settings are customizable, too, so if you're mostly happy with Standard mode but don't need scanning for Windows malware, that can be turned off.
For the most part, you should then be able to leave VirusBarrier alone to protect your system. Real-time scanning is on by default, and you'll be alerted if there are any problems.
If you need to take some manual action, though, a straightforward interface makes VirusBarrier generally easy to use. Your main device and any connected devices are listed in a left-hand sidebar; clicking any of these displays options to run a Quick or Full scan, or adjust scan settings, and the main VirusBarrier window displays your security status and gives access to more settings.
Most options are as we'd expect (scan for hacking scripts: yes or no), but some are more interesting.
You can choose which of nine archive types you'd like to scan, for instance, as well as setting an archive timeout (handy for deeply nested archives – zips within zips).
An option to scan with low priority reduces system impact with the trade-off being longer scan times.
VirusBarrier has no safe browsing settings of its own but can enforce Safe Browsing in Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, and warn you if it's turned off.
(Image credit: AV- Comparatives)
Protection
VirusBarrier has what it calls a quick scan, but it's more thorough than most, checking 210,000 files on our test system and taking just over 20 minutes. But the situation improved for the second scan, where decent optimization saw the scan time drop to only two minutes.
Our main antivirus testing tools run on Windows, which limits what we could do here. But we found that although VirusBarrier missed some solely web-based threats, its file detection layer worked well, identifying and quarantining any dangers as soon as we downloaded them.
VirusBarrier isn't tested often by the big independent labs, and we have to go back to 2021 to find Intego's last results at AV-Test. These were seriously impressive, though, with 100% detection of the test malware, minimal performance impact, and zero false positives, earning the package the maximum score for protection, speed, and usability.
AV-Comparatives' tests are more recent. These show Intego struggles a little with stopping some Mac malware. However, it stopped every Windows threat. These are malware files that pop up on Mac machines and won't hurt your computer but can be inadvertently sent to Windows users. Having the reassurance that all threats are under control with Intego is a big plus in our book.
(Image credit: Intego)
Intego Mac Premium Bundle: ContentBarrier
Intego's ContentBarrier is a configurable parental controls system that offers various tools to keep your kids safe online.
Content filtering enables blocking websites by content, or those which include custom keywords. You can further customize this by adding specific websites to a blacklist or whitelist. When your child visits a blocked site, they see a "not allowed" message, but if this is a legitimate site, you can override it for them by entering your password (a handy usability plus).
Intego's Anti-Predator feature blocks chats with inappropriate content. We'd like to tell you this uses cutting-edge machine learning-powered AI, but it mostly just looks for phrases like "how old are you", "can we meet" and "I am your friend", so we'd expect a lot of false positives. It blocks encrypted chats by default.
(Image credit: Intego)
More conventional tools include the ability to limit network access by time, to block particular internet access types (P2P, FTP, SSH, audio/video, connections to game servers), and to log keystrokes and take screenshots to help you spot any issues, later.
You're able to create custom profiles for each child's account, ensuring a teenager doesn't have to face the same restrictions as a five-year-old.
There are no particularly advanced features here, no smart GPS location or geofencing tools, and ContentBarrier doesn't have any web-based dashboard where you can monitor all your kid’s activities from one place.
The app can keep you up to date with what's going on via email reports, though, and it could be enough for not-so-demanding users. If you're unsure, take a look: Intego's generous 30-day trial gives you plenty of time to find out.
(Image credit: Intego)
Intego Mac Premium Bundle: Washing Machine
Security suites often include some kind of general system maintenance tool, and Washing Machine is Intego's offering; a simple app that aims to find and delete junk and duplicate files, and help organize your desktop and dock.
The Reclaim feature searches for leftover files in five categories, for instance – Caches, Downloads, Languages, Logs, and Trash – and displays its results. If you're the technical type, you can browse the list of files and select what to keep and what to wipe. But if that's too much hassle, you can choose your preferred deletion mode (Aggressive cleans as much as possible, Safe keeps more recent files) and have Washing Machine clean up with a click.
The Duplicates module searches for duplicates in your choice of categories (Folders, Archives, Movies, Documents, Music, Pictures). This worked quickly for us, especially as it searches on content rather than just file names. The app automatically chooses which files to keep, but you can also choose manually, or select a general rule for all files (keep the earliest files, the latest, the shortest path, the longest, and so on). As with the Reclaim module, it covers the basics, but there's nothing particularly advanced here.
(Image credit: Intego)
Finally, Washing Machine's Organize feature includes a handful of simple management tools. It helps you automatically or manually move files from your desktop to the appropriate folder, and organize the apps in your dock. It can also help you build Smart Folders, an easier way to give you access to important files and apps. Again, this handles the basics, but nothing more.
Overall, we're struggling to see any compelling reason to install Washing Machine ahead of other maintenance tools. It does have some value, though, and if you're planning to buy Intego's Mac bundle anyway, you might find one or two of its features useful.
Intego Mac Premium Bundle: Personal Backup
Intego's Mac Premium Bundle includes Personal Backup, a versatile local backup tool. It's a configurable app, more flexible than the built-in Time Machine with plenty of features and settings.
Personal Backup can easily back up your choice of folders, for instance. Optional file versioning enables keeping old versions of files. It can also clone your whole drive to an external disk or a disk image file, allowing you to boot from the external drive if your main system fails.
You don't have to choose a preferred backup type, as Personal Backup can create and run as many backup jobs as you need and on a custom schedule (back up your work files hourly, maybe, but your media files daily, and create a bootable disk image every week).
As a bonus, Personal Backup is able to sync your selected folders between two Macs. As with backups, you can create multiple sync jobs and set them up to run automatically, at your chosen interval, or leave them to be run manually whenever you like.
This isn't a hosted backup service – there's no cloud storage space and no direct support for backing up to cloud storage accounts. That's no great surprise, though; Norton LifeLock 360, for instance, provides cloud storage space, but Macs are left out – it only has a PC client.
Personal Backup may not be enough for everyone, then, but it's a likable local backup tool, easy to use, and with a decent feature set.
Intego Mac Premium Bundle: Final verdict
When it comes to pure virus protection, Intego scored well in its last antivirus testing lab results. This is a suite that's jam-packed with extra features for somebody who wants to make sure that they're getting the whole kit and caboodle on their Mac.
The welcome 30-day trial gives you time to find out if the virus protection software and extra features are for you or whether opting for more straightforward Mac Internet Security is the best value.
We've also highlighted the overall best antivirus software
VPNPrivacy is a minimalistic VPN service that primarily advertises to individuals, small and medium businesses. That said, although it supports torrenting and gives no restriction on speed limit it falls behind in basic functionality considering the price it is set at. But make no mistake - VPNPrivacy is not the best VPN on the market. It’s not even close. It has a lot of drawbacks, and is not at all recommended for use.
Since its establishment in 2007, the Canadian-based VPNPrivacy has served thousands of users, including individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, by providing them with online privacy, freedom, and security. The company has offices in Montreal, Canada, and Scranton, USA.
VPNPrivacy has ten VPN servers in four countries, including the US, Singapore, Canada, and Europe. Compared to big-name businesses in the sector like ExpressVPN, which has thousands of servers spread across 94 countries, this is a relatively small number of servers.
We also found it quite strange that VPNPrivacy website does not have a security certificate, which means any information you send or receive using that page is unprotected and may be stolen, read, or altered by attackers, hackers, and government agencies. This is incredibly absurd, coming from a business offering privacy tools. Also, VPNPrivacy has not undergone a VPN audit, so if you intend to use this VPN, you should do so with caution.
VPNPrivacy offers a one-month subscription at $10, a six-month subscription at $8.60 per month, and finally a one-year subscription at $8.10 per month. Even though the 1-year plan should be the least expensive, it costs more than almost every other VPN service we've used.
The service can’t even compete with the best free VPN providers. There’s a ‘free trial’ - but it’s not quite as it seems. It costs $3.50 for a one-week VPN account, which contradicts the purpose of a free trial since you're not supposed to pay. This indicates that there is no free trial available for VPNPrivacy, which is odd given that other VPNs offer generous free trials.
Another drawback of this VPN is that, in contrast to other VPNs that give you access to all of their servers, you are only given the option to choose one of their four servers when you want to purchase VPNprivacy’s subscription plan.
That said, the provider accepts Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, AliPay, and UnionPay as payment methods. All plans come with stealthy VPN technology, no speed limits, three simultaneous connections, multi-platform support, and a 3-day money-back policy, but only in the event that you can’t connect to your selected VPN server and its tech support confirms the issue.
(Image credit: Future)
Privacy & encryption
Unfortunately, we were told in VPNPrivacy's terms of service that it keeps log files on its servers for five days, after which the logs are deleted from its servers. However, they claim that neither monitoring nor censorship of your online activities takes place using these log files. Instead, they are used to track server performance, find software bugs, spot potential security vulnerabilities, and track down abusive customers.
According to the privacy statement of the service provider, they do not keep a record of your browsing history, traffic destination, data content, or DNS queries. They also assert that they will never keep a record of your connection, including your IP address, outgoing VPN address, connection time, or session length.
Although it might sound enticing, in today's privacy-unfriendly world, it is not enough for a VPN to merely claim that it does not keep logs or that the logs kept are secure; instead, we expect each VPN to hire an impartial auditor to verify any claims it makes, to prove if they are accurate or not.
VPNPrivacy uses the 256-bit AES encryption algorithm and supports the OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP encryption protocols, but as always, OpenVPN is highly recommended for maximum performance. It’s touted as a VPN for torrenting, but the service lacks a VPN kill switch, which would help you conceal your IP address if you lose your internet connection while using the VPN.
Streaming
The best streaming VPNs let you access well-known platforms services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer - particularly in regions where such content is unavailable. It’s a big deal. Many people seek the feature to be able to access content that is exclusive to certain locations.
Unfortunately, VPNPrivacy is not the best VPN for Netflix or other streaming sites. We found it’s currently unable to grant access to these streaming services. It’s a big point of difference compared to major competitors that help you to defeat geo-restrictions.
Speed & experience
One of a VPN's most crucial characteristics is speed because it enables you to access various websites, download torrents for gaming, and other uses. A slow network would render a VPN useless for even the most basic tasks.
That said, due to the restriction of choosing just one server, we were only able to test the speed of the USA server and were unable to try servers in other locations. We started testing the service with a baseline speed of 48.32 Mbps on the USA server, which is close to our physical location. We were very dissatisfied with what we got after running a few tests—the download speed was only 8.48 Mbps, which is incredibly slow considering the price of this VPN. If you want a far better option in terms of speed, we recommend that you choose a different VPN provider, such as ExpressVPN, which we have tested in the past and has faster speeds to suit your needs.
(Image credit: Future)
Support
Despite not having a native app, VPNPrivacy is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and routers. Instead of native apps, they provide setup instructions on their website for using their VPN on these operating systems.
Although VPNPrivacy has an FAQ section on its website, it is very sparse and won't help you if you encounter any serious problems while using the VPN. They also don't have a live chat feature to easily connect with a customer service representative, nor do they have a troubleshooting guide to assist you. Instead of offering you a 24/7 live chat, what they offer is a phone number for financial inquiries as well as an email address where they promise to provide technical support.
We attempted to test the customer support responsiveness by requesting technical support via email. We never received a response.
Alternatives
To be very candid, VPNPrivacy is not suitable for use, especially considering all of its disadvantages and the price it comes at. There are far better services available at better prices, such as NordVPN, CyberGhost, or Surfshark. We’ve found these provide you with better privacy and more reliable services than VPNPrivacy.
Additionally, you can test out ExpressVPN, the market leader, which is a much better choice than VPNPrivacy and will provide you with a more sophisticated platform, support for Netflix and torrenting, thousands of servers, round-the-clock customer service, detailed information on the website, and a no-logs policy that has been independently verified.
Also, all of these VPNs come with native clients for the apps they support, reasonable price, money-back guarantees and generous free trials so you can try them out risk-free.
Verdict
Put bluntly, VPNPrivacy isn't worth your money if you take into account all of its drawbacks, such as the slow speed, limited customer support, strange website without a security certificate, small servers, and lack of a native client.
Given the absence of a free trial and the scant information available on its website, it is safe to conclude that this is an unreliable choice for a VPN. We can’t overstate this enough: more dependable VPN providers are available.
We are all aware by this point that the government, businesses, and cybercriminals are watching everything we do online. By encrypting your online data, a VPN can help you feel more secure and give you peace of mind, however, it can be difficult to find a trustworthy VPN.
Due to the fact that many VPNs are only effective at talking and working, when we come across a VPN that claims to be able to unblock any website or server and protect you online, we test it out and give an unbiased review to determine its suitability. And that brings us to VPN Monster.
The Russian VPN provider has 120 server locations spread across 40 nations. Comparing this to the best VPNs on the market, which offer thousands of servers, coverage is incredibly inadequate.
VPN Monster: Pricing & plans
VPN Monster offers three paid packages (all of which have the same features) as well as a three-day free trial that requires your email address. You can also net a 35-day free trial depending on whether or not you are willing to surrender your email and phone number; however, the free trial is limited to a small number of VPN servers. And there’s no true free VPN option here either.
The premium plan, which includes three packages, comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service; however, this isn't impressive given that the industry standard is 30-days. The following are the packages:
Monthly: $9.73
Tri-monthly: $32.10
Annually: $46.68
VPN Monster accepts credit cards, PayPal, Qiwi Wallet, UMoney, WebMoney, and even Bitcoin for anonymity.
VPN Monster: Privacy & encryption
(Image credit: VPN Monster)
It should be noted that although VPN Monster claims to have a strict no-logs policy, you shouldn't just take its word for it because they haven't asked an independent auditor to check the servers for any logs. Without a VPN audit, this claim is difficult to accept at face-value.
However, we reviewed VPN Monster's privacy statement and discovered that it does log some of your information, such as your email, order status, and cookies. VPN Monster claims that cookies are only stored in order to prevent re-registration for the free trial. If you are oblivious to the fact that browser cookies can be used to track you, this should worry you.
(Image credit: VPN Monster)
Although VPN Monster is a Russian product, the company that created it is registered in Seychelles, so it is not subject to Russian legal restrictions. Seychelles' government has strict guidelines regarding online privacy. As it is not under the jurisdiction of the Five Eyes Alliance, you can use this VPN with confidence, knowing that no one can access your data.
Though we prefer having a wide range of protocol options, VPN Monster offers only the OpenVPN protocol (TCP/UDP) with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, a double VPN feature that navigates your online activity through two servers rather than one, encrypting your data twice. VPN Monster also has a VPN kill switch that disconnects your device from the internet in the event that your VPN connection drops unexpectedly. This helps prevent the disclosure of your information to uninvited parties like websites and hackers.
When we checked for IP and DNS leaks, we were pleased to see that the VPN did not reveal our IP address or DNS requests. You can browse now without worrying about your privacy being invaded.
VPN Monster: Streaming
When we tried, the US server could connect and stream Netflix. But, regrettably, it didn't work for Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or BBC iPlayer, which most often put locational restrictions on access to their content.
This part is getting more and more crucial as more people learn about the benefits VPNs have for bypassing geo-restricted content - in other words, changing location and IP address with a VPN. Selecting the correct provider who can meet your needs is advisable if this is a top priority for you - and thankfully, there are plenty of Netflix VPNs and streaming VPNs that do provide this service.
VPN Monster: Speed & experience
(Image credit: Future)
Despite the fact that every VPN will, to some level, slow down your connection, the best ones have quite a negligible effect that restricts lags or buffering. The location, connection, and internet network you are using may also affect the speed.
Running our speed test did not provide us with particularly impressive connection speeds. On a connection that can handle 70.02Mbps, we only received a comparatively small 12.05Mbp. Then after, we ended up choosing to use a server in Luxembourg, which delivered only 9.89Mbps and performed worse than we had anticipated. we used a 25 Mbps internet connection and connected to its Italian server; we got a download speed of less than average at 25 Mbps.
VPN Monster: Customer support
On its official site, VPN Monster doesn't provide live chat, email support, or even a ticketing system. While submitting a ticket was simple, the customer service team at VPN Monster occasionally takes a while to give a response.
After having to wait for 10 hours, we eventually received a response, but it lacked both professionalism and technical assistance. Besides that, it has a FAQ section with answers to technical questions, primarily troubleshooting instructions. The FAQ section was helpful to me, so I found it to be useful.
VPN Monster: Apps
(Image credit: VPN Monster)
Linux, Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, and routers are all supported by VPN Monster through its desktop and mobile VPN apps. You can configure VPN Monster on your router, but it must support TLS authorization, the OpenVPN protocol, and configuration files with the .ovpn extension.
On your desktop Mac or Windows computer, VPN Monster is simple to install. You can just register for any of the trials if you want to try it out first. You can easily navigate the app because both the Mac and Windows versions of the user interface are identical.
The installation of the applications on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers went without a hassle; but even so, since VPN Monster supports the OpenVPN protocol, we had to confirm that our routers also support TLS authorization and configuration files with the.ovpn extension.
VPN Monster: Alternatives
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN services available. It has lightning-fast, live chat support 24 hours a day, servers in over 94 countries, and excellent security measures. It enables five concurrent connections on devices and unblocks everything. It also has a rigorous no-log and privacy policy, so you can be confident that your data will not be shared.
NordVPN is a VPN industry giant. The service has over 5,200 servers scattered across 60 countries, provides live chat help, 24/7 email support, military-grade encryption software, and supports up to six simultaneous device connections.
Proton VPN is an alternative that does not monitor your actions and does not utilize any of your personal information. Furthermore, Proton VPN offers a feature that prevents trackers from following you, as well as a built-in kill switch that automatically stops all network traffic if the VPN connection is lost.
This VPN provides the finest protection against ISP speed limiting, allows you to access prohibited websites, and protects you from third-party online snooping. With the availability of sophisticated features such as intrusion detection systems, anti-spam, IP protection, and web threat monitoring, you can expect the greatest degree of network threat security.
Due to the lack of available servers in a few locations, VPN Monster does not stand out when compared to its competitors. It is slow, has poor unblocking capabilities, and there hasn't been any independent auditor to inspect the servers, so you cannot be certain that they do not log your data.
When it comes to privacy tools and online security, ZoogVPN does a good job. It is one of the best options available in the market today. In this review, we will discuss the features that make ZoogVPN a great choice for those looking for online security and privacy. We will also look at how ZoogVPN compares to some of the best VPN providers on the market.
Zoog Services IKE was founded in 2013 by IT professionals with experience dating back to the 1990s. Zoog Services is the leading provider of ZoogVPN with headquarters in Patras, Greece, and offices in different continents like Asia, and North America. With ZoogVPN, you can have access to over 60 VPN servers.
ZoogVPN: Price
(Image credit: ZoogVPN)
ZoogVPN's pricing structure is pretty straightforward. The free VPN plan allows you to use the program without spending a dime. With the free plan, you will have access to 10GB of bandwidth and you can connect up to 2 devices at the same time.
The monthly plan starts at $9.99. This gets you access to all of ZoogVPN's servers in over 50 locations, over 1000s IPs, unlimited devices, P2P included, 256-bit encryption, full features, 20 Netflix regions, Hulu, Disney+, iPlayer as well as their strong encryption software and 24/7 customer support.
If you need more than that, they also offer a yearly plan for $2.99 per month (billed annually at $35.99). This plan comes with everything in the monthly plan, plus additional features like unlimited bandwidth and access to "stealth servers" in 10 additional countries.
Finally, it offers a 2-year plan for $1.87 per month (billed annually at $44.99). This is the top-of-the-line offering and includes everything in the monthly plan, plus even more features like dedicated IP addresses and priority customer support.
ZoogVPN offers a 7-day money-back guarantee. This allows you to test-run the service before making a long-term commitment. The VPN accepts payment methods from credit cards, PayPal, WebMoney, Qiwi, and Mint. There are other options such as cryptocurrency (BTC, ETH, LTC, DAI, USDC, and BCH).
In comparison to other top VPN providers, ZoogVPN's pricing is on the lower end of the spectrum. For example, ExpressVPN - one of the most popular VPNs on the market—starts at $12.95 per month for their annual plan (or $8.32 per month if you want to pay monthly). So, already you're looking at savings of over 50% with ZoogVPN's premium plan compared to ExpressVPN's monthly price.
NordVPN is another popular option that starts at $11.95 per month for their annual plan (or $12.95 per month if you want to pay monthly). Again, that's a significant saving compared to ZoogVPN's premium plan—over 30%. Needless to say, when it comes to price, ZoogVPN is tough to beat.
ZoogVPN: Privacy and encryption
As far as ZoogVPN is concerned, it takes its customer's right to privacy seriously and provides full details on how they work to ensure your privacy. It uses AES-256 encryption with a 2048-bit key while transferring data over its VPN tunnel. In addition to this, they use other advanced technology including SHA1 and SHA256 authentication mechanisms which ensures no third-party can see what you are doing on the internet. The result? Your activities can never be traced back by third-parties or by government agencies, allowing you to use the internet freely.
ZoogVPN provides you with the most reliable and secure VPN protocols. By default, ZoogVPN comes with IKEv2 and OpenVPN connections as well as L2TP and IPSec protocols for maximum online security. One thing we love is its built-in VPN kill switch feature. This protects you from unexpected VPN connection drops by automatically locking your internet when they happen for extra peace of mind.
When you are connected to ZoogVPN, your IP address and DNS will be fully anonymous. There is no risk of identity theft or other unwanted activity when using this service because it comes equipped with leakproof enabled by default that ensures there are never any leaks.
However, we are not impressed with ZoogVPN’s keeping a log of the email and activities of its users. We do not know the intention behind this, but if top-notch anonymity is your goal, then ZoogVPN is not the best choice. You may consider going for ExpressVPN and IPvanish VPN, which offer zero-log policies.
ZoogVPN: China
(Image credit: ZoogVPN)
At the time of writing, this VPN does work in China. You may be met with a few speed issues, but other than that there are no major problems reported by users using this as a VPN for China. This tool is able to bypass the Great Firewall of China using its Shadowing feature.
ZoogVPN: Ad blocker
During our test, we found out that ZoogVPN includes an ad blocker in its service that can help to prevent ads from appearing on your browser while you are connected to the VPN. This is a great feature for those who want to stay distraction-free and focus on their online activities without having to deal with pesky advertisements at all times.
You can simply enable the ad blocker within the ZoogVPN app and enjoy a seamless browsing experience free of ads. Additionally, this feature also helps to improve your browsing speed by blocking unnecessary trackers, cookies, and other resources that may cause unwanted popups.
ZoogVPN: Torrenting and P2P
ZoogVPN serves up a reliable VPN for torrenting and P2P file-sharing. Additionally, the strong security features of ZoogVPN also offer added protection and privacy when using torrenting and P2P networks, keeping your activities and personal information safe from prying eyes.
ZoogVPN: Streaming
(Image credit: ZoogVPN)
During our test, ZoogVPN unblocked US Netflix and Disney+. Also, we were able to stream content from Hulu, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, and RTE. ZoogVPN performed above our expectations in terms of bypassing geo-restricted content from the US, UK, and many other countries. Ideal if you’re on the hunt for a streaming VPN or a VPN for Netflix.
ZoogVPN: Customer support
The VPN is compatible with all of the popular operating systems which include Windows, macOS, and Linux, with mobile VPN apps for Android and iOS. It even supports certain TV and routers. You’ll also find secure access over OpenVPN protocols. Customer support was a big concern for us, so we reached out to see how it went.
Using the live chat, we received an instant response that was genuinely helpful. Via email, we had an answer to our query within 10 minutes of sending. The company also lists its contact information on official websites which adds credibility when needed like during emergencies or crisis situations where having quick access can be crucial.
ZoogVPN: Speed and experience
(Image credit: Ookla)
While this VPN is pretty quick, make no mistake, this isn’t the fastest VPN in the world - and the servers are not as quick and reliable as the speeds they advertise. We connected to one of their VPN servers, but it dropped down unexpectedly after just a few seconds. We connected to one of its US servers and found that our internet speed without ZoogVPN was 51.41 Mbps, but when we hooked up with the service it decreased to 13.67Mbps.
ZoogVPN: Alternatives
NordVPN is a popular VPN service that offers unlimited bandwidth, multiple server locations across the globe, 2 simultaneous logins, and P2P support for downloads. It also provides additional features like a kill switch, dedicated IPs at an affordable price, and 24/7 customer support through live chat or email.
ExpressVPN is another excellent choice if you're looking for a fast and reliable VPN service. ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries, which means that you can unblock nearly any website or online service in the world. ExpressVPN encrypts your traffic with strong encryption, making it impossible for anyone to snoop on your connection. ExpressVPN also offers live chat support 24/7 in case you ever need help with the service.
PureVPN is yet another popular name in the VPN industry and offers many useful services like unlimited bandwidth, high-speed servers across the world, P2P file sharing, malware protection, DDoS protection, etc. This service comes with a good privacy policy as well and you can use it without any worries about your confidential data getting leaked or compromised in any way.
Zoog VPN: Pros and Cons
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One of the biggest pros of using ZoogVPN is its excellent customer support. The live chat feature allows you to get in touch with a representative quickly and easily, and the helpful responses we received from the team really impressed us.
Another major benefit of this service is that it offers great security features like strong encryption and an effective kill switch, which help keep your data safe from hackers and other online threats.
However, some users may find that the limited number of server locations available can be a drawback when trying to access certain websites or content that may not be available in specific regions. Another con of ZoogVPN is that it keeps logs of users’ email and online activities. Additionally, ZoogVPN slows down the internet connection.
Verdict
Overall, ZoogVPN is a reliable and secure VPN service that offers great customer support and good security features. It does keep logs of its users’ activities, so if you want to remain completely anonymous online, you may consider a different VPN service. But, if you're looking for a decent VPN service with plenty of features at an affordable price, then ZoogVPN should meet your needs.
Le VPN is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that promises to encrypt your internet traffic and keep your identity safe while you browse the web.
But how does the provider stand out from the competition when it comes to the title of best VPN? Well, for starters, Le VPN uses strong encryption to secure your data. This means that even if someone were to intercept your traffic, they wouldn't be able to read it. The provider also offers a strict no-logs policy, meaning that it does not track or record any of your online activity. This is important because it means that even Le VPN couldn't give someone your information, even if it wanted to, as the data doesn’t exist.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, the provider offers over 100 VPN locations, including the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. However, the number of VPN servers was not disclosed when we checked their official website.
Pricing & plans
Le VPN offers several subscription plans to its customers. The annual subscription plan is priced at $59.40. The 2-year plan starts at $2.78 per month (billed annually at $69.60). Last but not least is the monthly plan, which costs $9.95. Unfortunately, there is no free VPN offered here. There isn’t even a free trial available, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans
Accepted payments are PayPal, UnionPay, Boxxo, Boletol, credit card, and Bitcoin.
(Image credit: Future)
Privacy & encryption
With a powerful AES-256 encryption, this VPN deploys an open and secure browsing experience for all your devices. It supports typical VPN protocols like IKEv2 and OpenVPN, as well as older, outdated ones such as L2TP over IPSec or PPTP.
More exciting is the implementation of WireGuard, a modem VPN protocol that has been designed to be both simple and highly effective. It uses up-to-date cryptography and aims to be much faster and more efficient than older protocols such as OpenVPN and IPSec. The tool’s WireGuard feature is available on all of their apps, so you can enjoy fast, secure VPN connections no matter which device you're on.
Additionally, Le VPN supports HybridVPN, a new type of VPN service that combines the best features of both traditional VPNs and smart DNS proxies. HybridVPN provides both security and speed, making it the perfect solution for online privacy and security. Traditional VPNs encrypt your traffic, which can slow down your internet connection. However, HybridVPN uses a different approach to encryption, which makes it much faster than traditional VPNs.
The company’s no-logs policy means it won't be tracking your activity or storing any personal data such as websites you visited or any online activities you engaged in while connected. It only keeps track of when you connect, disconnect, and how much traffic is transmitted during that session with an IP address for each server used; this ensures all information remains anonymous while still providing some assurance to users.
The tool is a good choice if you need a VPN for torrenting and P2P thanks to its high speed and unlimited bandwidth. It also offers security and anonymity with its strong encryption which will make sure your ISP or anyone else cannot see what you are doing online.
Elsewhere, the VPN’s ad blocker is a useful way of blocking pesky ads that pop up on your screen when you're trying to browse the web. It's a simple and effective way to keep your browsing experience clean and uninterrupted. It’s available across Windows, iOS, Android, ChromeBook, and Mac.
Another neat touch: If you need a VPN for China, Le VPN offers several other options for connecting. We recommend Le VPN's OpenVPN Port 53 by default.
Streaming
This streaming VPN unblocks quite a number of video streaming platforms. When we tested the VPN for Netflix in the US, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO Max, it was able to unlock these services.
We also tried to connect to BBC iPlayer with the UK server, but the connection and internet speed was slower compared to connecting to the USA server. However, Le VPN did unblock the streaming site. One thing worth mentioning here is that some of server location streams are faster than others. In our experience, we found connecting to the USA, Australia, and other South American server locations, the internet was faster than other locations.
Speed & experience
Le VPN showed a fast and steady VPN connection when we ran a speed test. The download speed on Ookla is 65.28Mbps and upload speed 7.7Mbps.
We tested speeds connecting to servers in different server locations. The results were not exactly the same. Connecting to the Australia server location gave 25Mbps with fast streaming on Netflix and Kodi (on an Amazon Fire TV Stick). We also tried USA and UK server locations and the speed was 20Mbps and 15Mbps respectively.
(Image credit: Future)
Customer support
One of the best features of the service is its customer support. Whether you need help signing up or just want to make inquiries, the company will attend to you. But, it is worth noting that Le VPN does not offer 24/7 customer service, and it’s only available between 7am and 5pm (HKT). You can also send an email if an issue isn’t already addressed on the website knowledge base.
Apps
Le VPN has official mobile VPN apps for iOS, Windows Phone, Chromebook, Routers DD-WRT, Linux, and Android devices. The app is quite easy and straightforward to install. Signing up and setting up your account is very simple and easy. You may choose to sign up on the app or on the official website.
However, it does not allow simultaneous server switching, which means you must terminate the existing VPN connection and then reconnect to the new VPN server location you want.
Alternatives to Le VPN
There are many different options out there, but we recommend checking out the following VPNs.
ExpressVPN is a popular option that offers high-speed connections and robust security features. It's perfect for those who want to stay protected while browsing the web.
CyberGhost is a great option for those who want to remain anonymous online. It offers a variety of features that make it a top choice for many users.
NordVPN is an excellent choice for those looking for a reliable and affordable VPN service. It offers fast speeds and plenty of security features to keep you safe while online.
(Image credit: Future)
Verdict
While Le VPN has a number of benefits, it also has a few drawbacks. If you're looking for a VPN service that is available in all countries and offers a free trial, it might not be the best option. Additionally, the customer support team is not available 24/7, which could be frustrating if you're trying to resolve an issue outside of normal business hours.
All things considered, it’s a decent VPN service that might be perfect for your needs. But NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two great alternatives that offer similar features and benefits for those looking for an affordable and reliable VPN service.
