Owned by MatchWare, MindView is a charting and graphics tool that helps you create project plans, mind maps, flow charts, and various other customizable charts.
First released in 2011, MindView is currently available for macOS, Windows, and as a cloud app, MindView Online. Mobile apps for iOS and Android add an extra dimension of use.
A wide selection of diagramming tools are available, so why should you choose MindView? To help in your decision-making process, we’ve assessed the software based on pricing, features, support options, ease of use, and how it compares with competing tools.
(Image credit: MindView)
MindView: Plans and pricing
MindView Suite can be evaluated with a free 30-day trial, with sign up by email, Google, Microsoft, or Facebook account.
The online version of MindView is cloud-based and features mapping software, bibliography creation, and automatic citation. It also supports Word and Google Docs syncing and collaboration through a shared workspace.
MindView Online lacks some features that advanced users may want but can only be found in the offline versions of the software. Analytical and statistical capabilities, Gantt charting, timelines, and the ability to sync with Excel are absent from MindView Online.
The Windows MindView software is the most advanced edition. It includes charting features the online version doesn’t like Gantt charts and outlining, as well as the ability to sync with Excel and Outlook. If you are doing advanced work (like using graph mathematics) you will be glad to hear that this version of MindView supports statistical calculations.
A 1 year license for MindView costs $20 a month, based on the price of an annual subscription. A 2 year license works out at $17 a month (a 15% discount), while a 3 year license is $15 a month.
Volume and site licenses are available on demand, as are educational licenses.
(Image credit: Future)
MindView: Features
MindView is known as a helpful business and educational tool. It’s well-recognized for its accessibility features and focuses on usability for disabled persons. MatchWare has also built in a lot of tools to promote collaboration through the platform and to help you represent your ideas more clearly.
MindView’s mapping features are extensive. Every offered map type is super customizable and can be connected and integrated with other existing maps. You can specify relationships using special connectors and produce maps that are top-down or bottom-up. You can also make Gantt charts, timelines, or enter a Prezi-style presentation mode.
When it comes to project management, MindView offers detailed and eye-catching templates ready-made for you to edit, as well as a range of other organizational capabilities. For example, you can create tasks with priorities, constraints, and dependencies on other events. These can all be integrated into a unified calendar.
The MindView software works with DragonSpeak speech to text software and allows you to add voice recorded notes which is a huge benefit for educators. No tablet version of MindView is available, but you can export and import data with the Windows version. The cloud-based variant of the platform allows you to connect with other subscribers, which is particularly useful for team projects.
Research notes can be added to a MindView Online project using the mobile apps. Curiously, there doesn’t appear to be a way to add these manually through your browser.
(Image credit: Future)
MindView: Ease of use
On the MatchWare website, you can either purchase the MindView product or start with a free 30-day trial. Once you download the program, you’ll be directed to a screen with a very recognizable toolbar, designed to look a lot like other Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, and Access. If you are familiar with the Microsoft suite, you will feel very at-home.
You can either start with a blank screen, or open “File → New”, to browse a selection of templates and get started exploring the software. Right off the bat, you’ll see for yourself how extensive a feature set MindView offers, and may even feel a bit overwhelmed. Luckily, you can sign up for a seminar, read MatchWare’s published whitepapers, or watch tutorials embedded in the program to get a deeper understanding of what everything does.
When you start exploring the templates, you’ll see that you can generate different map-types with the same information. This means you can find which is the best visual representation of your information. After you’ve finished creating, you can add citations or links (its easiest via the context menu), and then export to other software like Excel by navigating to the “File” menu again.
(Image credit: Future)
MindView: Customer support
If you need help using MindView or are searching for a particular tool, the best thing you can do is go to the toolbar, locate the lightbulb icon and type in what you need help with. Most likely, the tool you want will pop up as well as a “Get Help” prompt. From there, you can look through MatchWare’s relevant advice. Videos, manuals, and other resources are available.
With MindView Online, open the File menu and click Help to open the MindView Online User Guide.
If you need technical support (even after checking out the MindView FAQ), you can submit a ticket. MatchWare has 5 worldwide offices spread across the US, UK, Germany, France, and Denmark, each of which is available by phone and email.
(Image credit: Future)
MindView: The competition
MindView is in direct competition with programs like MindManager. For timelines, Gantt charts, and outlines, MindView has a few more features and is slightly more user-friendly than its closest competitors. It has a comparable feature-set to MindManager but integrates slightly better with other programs.
If you’re keen on mind mapping tools that are comfortable for Microsoft users, MyDraw and Visio are the obvious examples. However, MindView is far easier to use than these options, thanks to its focus on mind maps and nothing else.
MindView: Final verdict
If you have the budget, MindView is a fantastic option to improve your personal, educational, and business organization. Compared to free online tools, MindView’s downloadable software is clearly at a much higher standard than what you can get online for free.
It is extremely easy to use, lacks bloatware, and can export and import all the timelines, Gantt charts or mind maps you could possibly need.
Brickhouse Security is a New York-based company that offers GPS fleet tracking services. Founded in 2005, the company offers various security and tracking solutions. A trusted brand in the US, Brickhouse Security offers services to over 80% of Fortune 500 companies, along with 2,500+ government agencies. Furthermore, the firm also boasts over 40,000 companies globally as its clients.
Brickhouse Security sells a wide variety of tracking hardware including GPS trackers, surveillance cameras and other security systems. These products are plug-and-play vehicle tracking devices, as well as advanced hardware and software solutions tailored to specific business requirements.
(Image credit: Brickhouse Security)
Brickhouse Security: Pricing
Brickhouse Security offers a diverse range of hardware options with pricing starting at $29.99 for the Livewire Dash GPS Vehicle Tracker. This tracker provides updates every 60 seconds and offers access to highly detailed reports on your fleet's travel history. Unfortunately, it does not list specific monthly pricing tiers on its website.
However, Brickhouse offers a free demo for companies to test out its services and products. Their products also come with free, unlimited lifetime technical support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
(Image credit: Brickhouse Security)
Brickhouse Security: Features
Brickhouse Security offers smart GPS fleet tracking services equipped with features that will likely meet the requirements of most businesses. These solutions not only efficiently track and manage assets on the move, but also help clients optimize their workforce, fleet, and enhance cost efficiency.
Brickhouse Security’s solution aims to help clients with:
Reducing the number of traffic and compliance violations
Reducing fuel expenses by managing routes efficiently
Efficiently handling dispatch and scheduling
Improving the vehicle’s lifespan
Ensuring driver safety
Providing driver training on better driving habits
The company offers a wide variety of customizable reports, such as efficiency reports, vehicle maintenance reports, safety reports, and driver scorecards. These reports can significantly help key decision-makers in optimizing fleet operations.
Brickhouse Security offers a cloud-based solution that can be accessed from anywhere using any device. The solution is accessible via the web, which hosts two different platforms. TrackView is applicable for clients who joined before October 2019, and customers who signed up after October can log in to the newer LocateGPS dashboard. The company also offers a mobile app for Android and iOS.
The company offers both hardwired as well as battery-powered GPS trackers, all dependent on 4G for connectivity.
(Image credit: Brickhouse Security)
The key features of Brickhouse Security are:
Real-time tracking: Real-time tracking allows operators to stay in control of the fleet, ensure drivers adhere to their assigned routes, and assist them in case of any issues. It also keeps them informed about the ETA, traffic status, and delays, and allows them to efficiently dispatch the nearest vehicle to the job site.
Reducing costs: Efficiently managing your fleet results in reduced fuel costs, leading to an overall reduction in expenses. Features like geofencing ensure that drivers follow their designated route, and detailed reports like idling reports help identify where fuel is being wasted. Optimizing routes also helps as drivers often have a favored route which may not always be the most fuel-efficient.
ELD compliance: Brickhouse Security offers an ELD compliant tracking solution that helps reduce penalties during roadside inspections. By electronically recording drivers' Hours of Service (HoS), vehicle log errors, and more, the solution reduces paperwork and improves compliance.
Variety of tracking hardware: Brickhouse Security provides a diverse range of tracking solutions, including hardwired options for compliance requirements, plug-and-play devices, and battery-operated trackers. This allows companies to optimize hardware costs and choose the appropriate tracker based on the specific needs of each vehicle.
Geo-fencing: While a basic feature with all GPS tracking solutions, Brickhouse Security allows you to create a geo-fence for every asset. Every time an asset enters or exits the designated area, the system alerts the operators instantly.
Technical support: Brickhouse Security offers free and lifetime technical support for all the hardware it sells. Unfortunately, Brickhouse Security doesn’t specify if the support is available on-site as well.
(Image credit: Brickhouse Security)
Brickhouse Security: Customer Support
Brickhouse Security’s support team can be reached via a direct call, chat, email or SMS. The company has a toll-free number for calls and texts in the US, plus an international helpline. There is a live chat option as well, and both the call center and live chat team are available between 10am to 7pm on weekdays.
Additionally, the website hosts a comprehensive Knowledge Base for troubleshooting common problems. While Brickhouse's social media accounts are not very active, its YouTube channel is occasionally updated.
Brickhouse Security: Final verdict
Brickhouse Security has an impressive line-up of customers, including many major businesses. It offers a plethora of hardware devices that come with free and lifetime technical support. Unfortunately, it does not prioritize marketing and releasing new content for its social media platforms.
Despite being accredited by the Better Business Bureau, Brickhouse Security lacks substantial reviews on the Bureau's platform, which may pose challenges for consumers seeking user-based feedback before making a purchase. However, it's noteworthy that it has a commendably low number of complaints, an incredible feat for a company as old and as big as Brickhouse Security.
Sign up with a regular VPN and you'll probably expect access to a carefully managed network of high-powered dedicated servers, while support for the very latest encryption and protocols blocks all unauthorized access to your traffic.
Hola isn't like that at all.
The Israeli company describes its offering as a "community powered (Peer-to-Peer) VPN". You'll get to choose a destination country from a list of 41 options, but Hola routes your traffic through other Hola user's computers, rather than its own network.
The service is much more basic than other VPNs – there is no P2P support, no dedicated IPs, no port forwarding – but there are some possible benefits, especially if you're looking to unblock Netflix or other sites or platforms.
Conventional VPNs often struggle with unblocking, exactly because they route their traffic through relatively few servers. Having large numbers of users with the same data center IP addresses makes them easy to detect and block.
But with Hola, your traffic could be routed through any of thousands of ordinary devices in ordinary homes. From the website's point of view, your browsing looks no different to its other visitors, which means you're far less likely to get annoying "unavailable in your region"-type warnings.
One obvious concern here is that although you get to use the bandwidth of other Hola nodes, they can also use yours. This isn't just regular internet users looking to stream TV shows in other countries. Hola also makes money by selling some of your bandwidth to businesses, as a reliable way to access web data from around the world.
Plenty of people don't like this idea on principle. The approach has created some very bad Hola-related headlines in the past, and left the company with a horrible reputation for privacy.
From a practical point of view, though, Hola shouldn't have much impact on your system. The company points out that it only routes traffic through devices if they're completely idle and not running on battery power, and even then, Hola doesn't use more than 3MB data on mobile devices, 100MB on desktops.
There’s still scope for problems. If your system becomes the exit node for another Hola user who's hacking, sending spam or downloading something illegal, for instance, your IP address may be recorded as the offender.
Fortunately, if you like the concept of Hola, there's a simple way to avoid the risk: switch from a free plan to a paid option and you won't have to share bandwidth.
Hola collects quite a bit of data about its users online activity (Image credit: Hola)
Pricing
Hola is available in a free plan, but this has many issues. It allows others to use your bandwidth, displays regular popups while you're connected, and limits the usage you can make of the service each day.
Uncomfortable with that? Then we'd really recommend you sign up with a real VPN, but if for some reason you're keen on Hola, you can also upgrade to Hola Premium.
The service supports Windows, Mac, iOS and some Android devices, and can be set up to run on routers, gaming consoles, smart TVs and more. Hola Premium allows you to connect up to 10 of these devices simultaneously, and as you're a paying customer, no one else will be able to use your bandwidth.
Prices start high at $14.99 billed monthly, or an equivalent $7.69 on the annual plan. You could sign up with ExpressVPN, a vastly superior service which actually will protect your privacy, for a very similar price ($12.95 monthly, $8.32 on the annual plan.)
Hola's pricing is designed to push you to the three-year plan, though, which is far cheaper at $2.99 a month. That's good value, but again, you can get far better VPNs for much less.
The excellent Private Internet Access gives you three years plus three free months for $2.03 a month, for example. That translates to 39 months of coverage for $79, while Hola offers 36 months for $107.55.
The Hola Ultra plan allows connecting up to 20 devices, and adds support for Smart DNS and 4K streaming. Sounds reasonable, at least until you see the very high prices: $29.99 billed monthly, $19.99 on the annual plan, $7.99 over three years. Private Internet supports unlimited devices, also has smart DNS and should have no difficulty with 4K streaming, all from barely a quarter of the price.
If you do decide to sign up, Hola's payment options include credit card, PayPal, Google Pay and more.
Hola has a money-back guarantee, but beware, this only applies if you've never made a single Hola Premium connection, and you make your claim within 14 days of purchase. Most VPNs allow you to use the service as much as you like for a full 30 days to decide if the service is right for you.
Privacy and logging
In theory, signing up with a VPN can be a great way to shield your browsing from snoopers.
In practice, there's a problem. Sure, using a VPN prevents your ISP from tracking what you're doing, but it also gives your provider a perfect chance to do the same. That's why it's important to check that your chosen VPN doesn't log any of your online activities.
We took a look at Hola's Privacy Policy, and quickly realized this is as far away from a 'no log' VPN as it's possible to get.
When you use the service, for example, the policy says Hola might log your IP address, operating system, browser type, the web pages you visit, when you arrive, and how much time you spend on each one.
If this is a mobile device, Hola also makes a careful note of all your installed apps.
Hola says it doesn't 'rent or sell any Personal Information', but that's not as reassuring as it sounds. The company also says it may share Personal Information with 'subsidiaries' and 'affiliated companies.' Even if Hola doesn't rent or sell your data, that doesn't tell you what these other companies might be doing with it.
There's another potential catch. In data protection terms, "Personal Information" refers to items that identify an individual, so Hola is telling us that it won't sell user contact details. Your browsing history isn’t necessarily 'Personal Information', though, and there's nothing here that says Hola can't sell it, or "share" it with an "affiliated company" for some other purpose.
It gets worse (no, really.) Hola says it may also share your Personal Information and other data to comply with legal requests or to detect fraud or violations of its policies. So not only might the company hand your browsing history over if the authorities ask, but it also reserves the right to analyze it for potential 'violations.'
Still in any doubt? Compare the Chrome Store 'Privacy practices' page for NordVPN and Hola. The NordVPN page says it will not collect or use your data. Hola's says it collects personally identifiable information, financial and payment information, authentication information, personal communications, location, web history, and user activity.
Put it all together, and if you care at all about privacy, Hola is clearly not the service for you. Check out the best free VPNs for far more trustworthy providers who'll genuinely protect your privacy rather than compromise it.
Hola provides its users with a custom version of the Chromium browser (Image credit: Hola)
Security
Hola protects your web traffic using the IKEV2 protocol by default, and the Hola site says apps can also fall back to the older PPTP/L2TP protocols if IKEv2 won't connect.
This gets you AES-256 encryption with relatively basic SHA1 integrity checks. Hola's Windows app allowed us to customize encryption settings, so you can switch to SHA256 or SHA384, for instance. But the app also offers some very poor choices, including MD5 hashing and DES3 encryption, a near 50-year-old protocol which is so vulnerable to attack that NIST says it should no longer be used. (You don't have to select these, but there's always a chance someone might do so by accident, and we're struggling to see why they're on the list at all.)
Although Hola's default encryption settings are enough to, say, shield your web traffic on public Wi-Fi, they can't match the security you'll get with the top VPN competitions. Most providers use leading edge protocols such as OpenVPN or WireGuard, for instance. PPTP and L2TP are so insecure that the bulk of the industry dropped them long, long ago, and although IKEv2 isn't a bad option, it's also on the way out. (NordVPN began removing IKEv2 support in June 2023, for instance, as it doesn't offer the best security.)
Hola apps
Hola has apps for Windows, Mac, and iOS devices, but the Android situation is more uncertain. Hola has apps available on the Samsung Galaxy and Huawei stores, but not Google Play.
Confusingly, we noticed a 'Hola VPN Proxy Unblocker' app on Google Play, which uses an old Hola logo to add a little more legitimacy, but has nothing to do with the real Hola company. We would expect Hola to make more of an effort to detect bogus apps trying to cash in on its name, but in the meantime, download apps directly from the setup links on Hola's website, and if you're using Android, install the Chrome extension instead.
Hola's mobile and desktop apps (stripped-down versions of Chromium) have a plain but very familiar interface: a big On/ Off button, a list of locations underneath, and a handful of icons for tasks such as managing your account or tweaking a few settings. If you've used another VPN app you'll figure it out immediately and even if you're a total VPN newbie, it'll only take a minute or two.
One of the reasons the apps are so straightforward is they have almost no features. The Location menu is a simple list of countries with a search box, for instance: there's no server load information, no ping times, no Recent Locations list, no Sort option, no Favorites system, no 'right-click a Hola icon and choose a country' option, nothing else at all.
Sometimes Windows VPN apps hide useful features away in a Settings box, but Hola's options are relatively basic. There's the usual 'launch with Windows' and "automatically connect" settings; an App Kill Switch to close specific apps if the VPN unexpectedly drops, and (as we discussed above) some largely unnecessary encryption options, but that's about it. If you're hoping for split tunneling, "auto-connect on accessing Wi-Fi", ad blocking, DNS tweaks, or anything similar, then prepare for disappointment.
Simplicity can work if what you get works well, for instance, but that's not the case here. The app took an average of 15 seconds to connect, for instance; that would quickly wear down our patience, especially when ExpressVPN's Windows app took around one second on the same system.
Occasionally the app didn't connect at all, displaying a cryptic "there was an internal authentication error" message, along with what looked like a clickable "try again" link (although clicking this did nothing.) We found a "Fix connection" menu option that fixed these connection issues, which is better than nothing, although we're struggling to see why the app didn't automatically use that when its initial connection failed.
Overall, the apps are both far more basic and far less professional than most of the VPN competition. Even if you just want to connect to your nearest server and do nothing else at all, there are many far better and more reliable options elsewhere in the VPN world.
Hola Chrome extension
The simplest way to sample Hola is via its Chrome, Opera or Edge browser extensions. Hand over your email address to create a free account, and you can begin unblocking sites immediately.
The extension is very easy to use. Tap a shortcut to common destinations such as Netflix, or enter the domain you'd like to unblock, and Hola connects and takes you there immediately.
This worked well for us, and we managed to view exclusive Netflix content in the US, Australia, and Canada from our UK location.
The free version has some annoyances and limitations. It popped up alerts every 10 minutes, for instance. After 30 minutes, we also had to wait for a 60-second countdown. There's also a limit on your usage per day, although this doesn't appear to be fixed. Many reports say you can only use the service for an hour, but Hola doesn't give a figure, and we made it to around 75 minutes before the clock ran out.
Still, if you've a quick and easy task in mind—checking Twitter when it's blocked on your network, say—then Hola is one of the more reliable free ways to make that happen.
DNS leak and kill switch tests
A VPN must shield all your traffic from snoopers, and in part that means directing all your DNS queries (the requests which translate domains like techradar.com to IP addresses) through the VPN's encrypted tunnel.
We checked Hola for problems with DNSLeakTest.com, DNSLeak.com, IPLeak.net, and others, but none of them spotted any DNS, WebRTC or other leaks.
Hola's Windows app includes an application kill switch to close specified apps if it detects the connection has dropped. You could get Hola to close your browser if the VPN failed, for instance, to reduce the chance that your browsing might be unprotected.
Although this approach has some value, we prefer the full system kill switch you'll get with most VPNs. If Surfshark's connection drops, for instance, its kill switch automatically blocks all internet activity on your device, without you having to manually specify every possible process with a network connection (a very good idea, because there are way more than you think).
To test this, we added an app to the kill switch, connected to Hola, and then turned our router off and on to simulate a network failure. The app didn't react for more than a minute, then switched its display to show that the VPN was off. It didn't raise a notification to warn us, though, and the kill switch had no effect, either: our target app continued to run as normal.
We tried manually closing Hola's connection, instead. The app reconnected, but the lengthy connection time meant our traffic could be unprotected for several seconds.
We expect a decent VPN app to at least display a notification when it spots the disconnect, then tell us that it's redialling, and when the connection is established. Hola's Windows app just displayed its status as 'On' at all times, with no alerts or notifications to tell us when we were (or were not) protected. And again, despite the service reconnecting (so it must have known the VPN had dropped), the app kill switch had no effect.
While this doesn't prove the kill switch is entirely useless - maybe it activates in other situations that we didn't test - it's still a very poor performance overall. A simple notification if the connection drops would at least allow the user to stop what they were doing, if necessary, but the app couldn't even manage that.
Hola was able to unblock many popular streaming sites in our tests but you're limited to just an hour per day unless you upgrade to a paid plan (Image credit: Hola)
Netflix and streaming
Hola sells itself mostly on the ability to unblock top websites, especially Netflix and other streaming platforms.
We found Hola's free browser extension successfully unblocked Netflix libraries in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan.
Hola Premium works a little differently, so we ran some extra tests. It also allowed us to view exclusive Netflix content in the US, UK, Canada, and Japan, and with Australia on its second try (having to retry is a hassle, but as long as a service is unblocked at least once in three connections, we count it as a pass.) The app got us easy access to a couple of other top US platforms in Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. It worked with regional sites including Australia's 9Now and 10 Play, and the UK's BBC iPlayer, ITV, and Channel 4.
That's an excellent set of results, but some other services are just as effective. Private Internet Access also unblocked 100% of our test streaming platforms when we last checked, for instance, for a fraction of the cost of Hola Premium.
We replaced our normal speed tests for this review and streamed 4K video from popular streaming sites to determine Hola's performance (Image credit: Hola)
Performance
We measure the top speed of any VPN by running multiple top performance tests (SpeedTest.net, Cloudflare, Measurement Lab, and more) from a UK data center with a 1 Gbps internet connection.
Hola's download speeds averaged around 180 Mbps to 240 Mbps, more or less what we'd expect for an IKEv2 connection.
Providers who support WireGuard or similar protocols can be much faster. For example, NordVPN and Surfshark all reached over 950 Mbps in their most recent tests. But, realistically, Hola's performance is more than enough for browsing, streaming, and most other web tasks.
Support
If Hola doesn't work for you, there are a couple of ways to get some help and advice.
Hola's web-based Help Center is a searchable support site with articles on installation, troubleshooting, billing, and more.
There's a lot of information on offer. The Setup Guide area has sections for 11 platforms, for instance, many with step-by-step advice on how to get Hola running.
But there are also some significant problems. We couldn't find even a mention of Hola's Windows kill switch, for instance, or some of its other more advanced features. And although Google removed Hola from the Play Store long ago, Hola still hasn't removed its "Get Hola for Android" link. Clicking it now leads you to a 'we can't find that page' link; very unprofessional.
There's no live chat, but paying customers can contact Hola's support team via email (free users are stuck with the website, unfortunately).
We fired off a message explaining that our Windows app kill switch didn't work, we'd uninstalled and reinstalled with no change, and asked what to try next.
A reply arrived about 8 hours later. That's a reasonable response time, but the reply wasn't the best. Instead of simply accepting what we said or sounding apologetic, the agent began: "I have tested the app kill switch and it works as it should." Saying to a customer who has a problem, "Well it works for me," is never going to create the best impression.
Still, we were intrigued. we responded "How did you test the kill switch?" hoping to get help improving our own tests. But, for some reason, our agent didn't want to explain exactly what he had done, and four days and no reply later, we finally gave up.
Final verdict
Yes, Hola can unblock most websites, but at what cost? The free version requires you to share your IP address, bandwidth and browsing history with the company (and who knows else), while the paid edition charges 2-3 times as much as some top providers, yet still has more logging than almost anyone else. Run (don't work) to our Best VPN list and choose a provider who will care about your privacy, rather than trash it.
Sign up with a regular VPN and you'll probably expect access to a carefully managed network of high-powered dedicated servers, while support for the very latest encryption and protocols blocks all unauthorized access to your traffic.
Hola isn't like that at all.
The Israeli company describes its offering as a "community powered (Peer-to-Peer) VPN". You'll get to choose a destination country from a list of 41 options, but Hola routes your traffic through other Hola user's computers, rather than its own network.
The service is much more basic than other VPNs – there is no P2P support, no dedicated IPs, no port forwarding – but there are some possible benefits, especially if you're looking to unblock Netflix or other sites or platforms.
Conventional VPNs often struggle with unblocking, exactly because they route their traffic through relatively few servers. Having large numbers of users with the same data center IP addresses makes them easy to detect and block.
But with Hola, your traffic could be routed through any of thousands of ordinary devices in ordinary homes. From the website's point of view, your browsing looks no different to its other visitors, which means you're far less likely to get annoying "unavailable in your region"-type warnings.
One obvious concern here is that although you get to use the bandwidth of other Hola nodes, they can also use yours. This isn't just regular internet users looking to stream TV shows in other countries. Hola also makes money by selling some of your bandwidth to businesses, as a reliable way to access web data from around the world.
Plenty of people don't like this idea on principle. The approach has created some very bad Hola-related headlines in the past, and left the company with a horrible reputation for privacy.
From a practical point of view, though, Hola shouldn't have much impact on your system. The company points out that it only routes traffic through devices if they're completely idle and not running on battery power, and even then, Hola doesn't use more than 3MB data on mobile devices, 100MB on desktops.
There’s still scope for problems. If your system becomes the exit node for another Hola user who's hacking, sending spam or downloading something illegal, for instance, your IP address may be recorded as the offender.
Fortunately, if you like the concept of Hola, there's a simple way to avoid the risk: switch from a free plan to a paid option and you won't have to share bandwidth.
Hola collects quite a bit of data about its users online activity (Image credit: Hola)
Pricing
Hola is available in a free plan, but this has many issues. It allows others to use your bandwidth, displays regular popups while you're connected, and limits the usage you can make of the service each day.
Uncomfortable with that? Then we'd really recommend you sign up with a real VPN, but if for some reason you're keen on Hola, you can also upgrade to Hola Premium.
The service supports Windows, Mac, iOS and some Android devices, and can be set up to run on routers, gaming consoles, smart TVs and more. Hola Premium allows you to connect up to 10 of these devices simultaneously, and as you're a paying customer, no one else will be able to use your bandwidth.
Prices start high at $14.99 billed monthly, or an equivalent $7.69 on the annual plan. You could sign up with ExpressVPN, a vastly superior service which actually will protect your privacy, for a very similar price ($12.95 monthly, $8.32 on the annual plan.)
Hola's pricing is designed to push you to the three-year plan, though, which is far cheaper at $2.99 a month. That's good value, but again, you can get far better VPNs for much less.
The excellent Private Internet Access gives you three years plus three free months for $2.03 a month, for example. That translates to 39 months of coverage for $79, while Hola offers 36 months for $107.55.
The Hola Ultra plan allows connecting up to 20 devices, and adds support for Smart DNS and 4K streaming. Sounds reasonable, at least until you see the very high prices: $29.99 billed monthly, $19.99 on the annual plan, $7.99 over three years. Private Internet supports unlimited devices, also has smart DNS and should have no difficulty with 4K streaming, all from barely a quarter of the price.
If you do decide to sign up, Hola's payment options include credit card, PayPal, Google Pay and more.
Hola has a money-back guarantee, but beware, this only applies if you've never made a single Hola Premium connection, and you make your claim within 14 days of purchase. Most VPNs allow you to use the service as much as you like for a full 30 days to decide if the service is right for you.
Privacy and logging
In theory, signing up with a VPN can be a great way to shield your browsing from snoopers.
In practice, there's a problem. Sure, using a VPN prevents your ISP from tracking what you're doing, but it also gives your provider a perfect chance to do the same. That's why it's important to check that your chosen VPN doesn't log any of your online activities.
We took a look at Hola's Privacy Policy, and quickly realized this is as far away from a 'no log' VPN as it's possible to get.
When you use the service, for example, the policy says Hola might log your IP address, operating system, browser type, the web pages you visit, when you arrive, and how much time you spend on each one.
If this is a mobile device, Hola also makes a careful note of all your installed apps.
Hola says it doesn't 'rent or sell any Personal Information', but that's not as reassuring as it sounds. The company also says it may share Personal Information with 'subsidiaries' and 'affiliated companies.' Even if Hola doesn't rent or sell your data, that doesn't tell you what these other companies might be doing with it.
There's another potential catch. In data protection terms, "Personal Information" refers to items that identify an individual, so Hola is telling us that it won't sell user contact details. Your browsing history isn’t necessarily 'Personal Information', though, and there's nothing here that says Hola can't sell it, or "share" it with an "affiliated company" for some other purpose.
It gets worse (no, really.) Hola says it may also share your Personal Information and other data to comply with legal requests or to detect fraud or violations of its policies. So not only might the company hand your browsing history over if the authorities ask, but it also reserves the right to analyze it for potential 'violations.'
Still in any doubt? Compare the Chrome Store 'Privacy practices' page for NordVPN and Hola. The NordVPN page says it will not collect or use your data. Hola's says it collects personally identifiable information, financial and payment information, authentication information, personal communications, location, web history, and user activity.
Put it all together, and if you care at all about privacy, Hola is clearly not the service for you. Check out the best free VPNs for far more trustworthy providers who'll genuinely protect your privacy rather than compromise it.
Hola provides its users with a custom version of the Chromium browser (Image credit: Hola)
Security
Hola protects your web traffic using the IKEV2 protocol by default, and the Hola site says apps can also fall back to the older PPTP/L2TP protocols if IKEv2 won't connect.
This gets you AES-256 encryption with relatively basic SHA1 integrity checks. Hola's Windows app allowed us to customize encryption settings, so you can switch to SHA256 or SHA384, for instance. But the app also offers some very poor choices, including MD5 hashing and DES3 encryption, a near 50-year-old protocol which is so vulnerable to attack that NIST says it should no longer be used. (You don't have to select these, but there's always a chance someone might do so by accident, and we're struggling to see why they're on the list at all.)
Although Hola's default encryption settings are enough to, say, shield your web traffic on public Wi-Fi, they can't match the security you'll get with the top VPN competitions. Most providers use leading edge protocols such as OpenVPN or WireGuard, for instance. PPTP and L2TP are so insecure that the bulk of the industry dropped them long, long ago, and although IKEv2 isn't a bad option, it's also on the way out. (NordVPN began removing IKEv2 support in June 2023, for instance, as it doesn't offer the best security.)
Hola apps
Hola has apps for Windows, Mac, and iOS devices, but the Android situation is more uncertain. Hola has apps available on the Samsung Galaxy and Huawei stores, but not Google Play.
Confusingly, we noticed a 'Hola VPN Proxy Unblocker' app on Google Play, which uses an old Hola logo to add a little more legitimacy, but has nothing to do with the real Hola company. We would expect Hola to make more of an effort to detect bogus apps trying to cash in on its name, but in the meantime, download apps directly from the setup links on Hola's website, and if you're using Android, install the Chrome extension instead.
Hola's mobile and desktop apps (stripped-down versions of Chromium) have a plain but very familiar interface: a big On/ Off button, a list of locations underneath, and a handful of icons for tasks such as managing your account or tweaking a few settings. If you've used another VPN app you'll figure it out immediately and even if you're a total VPN newbie, it'll only take a minute or two.
One of the reasons the apps are so straightforward is they have almost no features. The Location menu is a simple list of countries with a search box, for instance: there's no server load information, no ping times, no Recent Locations list, no Sort option, no Favorites system, no 'right-click a Hola icon and choose a country' option, nothing else at all.
Sometimes Windows VPN apps hide useful features away in a Settings box, but Hola's options are relatively basic. There's the usual 'launch with Windows' and "automatically connect" settings; an App Kill Switch to close specific apps if the VPN unexpectedly drops, and (as we discussed above) some largely unnecessary encryption options, but that's about it. If you're hoping for split tunneling, "auto-connect on accessing Wi-Fi", ad blocking, DNS tweaks, or anything similar, then prepare for disappointment.
Simplicity can work if what you get works well, for instance, but that's not the case here. The app took an average of 15 seconds to connect, for instance; that would quickly wear down our patience, especially when ExpressVPN's Windows app took around one second on the same system.
Occasionally the app didn't connect at all, displaying a cryptic "there was an internal authentication error" message, along with what looked like a clickable "try again" link (although clicking this did nothing.) We found a "Fix connection" menu option that fixed these connection issues, which is better than nothing, although we're struggling to see why the app didn't automatically use that when its initial connection failed.
Overall, the apps are both far more basic and far less professional than most of the VPN competition. Even if you just want to connect to your nearest server and do nothing else at all, there are many far better and more reliable options elsewhere in the VPN world.
Hola Chrome extension
The simplest way to sample Hola is via its Chrome, Opera or Edge browser extensions. Hand over your email address to create a free account, and you can begin unblocking sites immediately.
The extension is very easy to use. Tap a shortcut to common destinations such as Netflix, or enter the domain you'd like to unblock, and Hola connects and takes you there immediately.
This worked well for us, and we managed to view exclusive Netflix content in the US, Australia, and Canada from our UK location.
The free version has some annoyances and limitations. It popped up alerts every 10 minutes, for instance. After 30 minutes, we also had to wait for a 60-second countdown. There's also a limit on your usage per day, although this doesn't appear to be fixed. Many reports say you can only use the service for an hour, but Hola doesn't give a figure, and we made it to around 75 minutes before the clock ran out.
Still, if you've a quick and easy task in mind—checking Twitter when it's blocked on your network, say—then Hola is one of the more reliable free ways to make that happen.
DNS leak and kill switch tests
A VPN must shield all your traffic from snoopers, and in part that means directing all your DNS queries (the requests which translate domains like techradar.com to IP addresses) through the VPN's encrypted tunnel.
We checked Hola for problems with DNSLeakTest.com, DNSLeak.com, IPLeak.net, and others, but none of them spotted any DNS, WebRTC or other leaks.
Hola's Windows app includes an application kill switch to close specified apps if it detects the connection has dropped. You could get Hola to close your browser if the VPN failed, for instance, to reduce the chance that your browsing might be unprotected.
Although this approach has some value, we prefer the full system kill switch you'll get with most VPNs. If Surfshark's connection drops, for instance, its kill switch automatically blocks all internet activity on your device, without you having to manually specify every possible process with a network connection (a very good idea, because there are way more than you think).
To test this, we added an app to the kill switch, connected to Hola, and then turned our router off and on to simulate a network failure. The app didn't react for more than a minute, then switched its display to show that the VPN was off. It didn't raise a notification to warn us, though, and the kill switch had no effect, either: our target app continued to run as normal.
We tried manually closing Hola's connection, instead. The app reconnected, but the lengthy connection time meant our traffic could be unprotected for several seconds.
We expect a decent VPN app to at least display a notification when it spots the disconnect, then tell us that it's redialling, and when the connection is established. Hola's Windows app just displayed its status as 'On' at all times, with no alerts or notifications to tell us when we were (or were not) protected. And again, despite the service reconnecting (so it must have known the VPN had dropped), the app kill switch had no effect.
While this doesn't prove the kill switch is entirely useless - maybe it activates in other situations that we didn't test - it's still a very poor performance overall. A simple notification if the connection drops would at least allow the user to stop what they were doing, if necessary, but the app couldn't even manage that.
Hola was able to unblock many popular streaming sites in our tests but you're limited to just an hour per day unless you upgrade to a paid plan (Image credit: Hola)
Netflix and streaming
Hola sells itself mostly on the ability to unblock top websites, especially Netflix and other streaming platforms.
We found Hola's free browser extension successfully unblocked Netflix libraries in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan.
Hola Premium works a little differently, so we ran some extra tests. It also allowed us to view exclusive Netflix content in the US, UK, Canada, and Japan, and with Australia on its second try (having to retry is a hassle, but as long as a service is unblocked at least once in three connections, we count it as a pass.) The app got us easy access to a couple of other top US platforms in Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. It worked with regional sites including Australia's 9Now and 10 Play, and the UK's BBC iPlayer, ITV, and Channel 4.
That's an excellent set of results, but some other services are just as effective. Private Internet Access also unblocked 100% of our test streaming platforms when we last checked, for instance, for a fraction of the cost of Hola Premium.
We replaced our normal speed tests for this review and streamed 4K video from popular streaming sites to determine Hola's performance (Image credit: Hola)
Performance
We measure the top speed of any VPN by running multiple top performance tests (SpeedTest.net, Cloudflare, Measurement Lab, and more) from a UK data center with a 1 Gbps internet connection.
Hola's download speeds averaged around 180 Mbps to 240 Mbps, more or less what we'd expect for an IKEv2 connection.
Providers who support WireGuard or similar protocols can be much faster. For example, NordVPN and Surfshark all reached over 950 Mbps in their most recent tests. But, realistically, Hola's performance is more than enough for browsing, streaming, and most other web tasks.
Support
If Hola doesn't work for you, there are a couple of ways to get some help and advice.
Hola's web-based Help Center is a searchable support site with articles on installation, troubleshooting, billing, and more.
There's a lot of information on offer. The Setup Guide area has sections for 11 platforms, for instance, many with step-by-step advice on how to get Hola running.
But there are also some significant problems. We couldn't find even a mention of Hola's Windows kill switch, for instance, or some of its other more advanced features. And although Google removed Hola from the Play Store long ago, Hola still hasn't removed its "Get Hola for Android" link. Clicking it now leads you to a 'we can't find that page' link; very unprofessional.
There's no live chat, but paying customers can contact Hola's support team via email (free users are stuck with the website, unfortunately).
We fired off a message explaining that our Windows app kill switch didn't work, we'd uninstalled and reinstalled with no change, and asked what to try next.
A reply arrived about 8 hours later. That's a reasonable response time, but the reply wasn't the best. Instead of simply accepting what we said or sounding apologetic, the agent began: "I have tested the app kill switch and it works as it should." Saying to a customer who has a problem, "Well it works for me," is never going to create the best impression.
Still, we were intrigued. we responded "How did you test the kill switch?" hoping to get help improving our own tests. But, for some reason, our agent didn't want to explain exactly what he had done, and four days and no reply later, we finally gave up.
Final verdict
Yes, Hola can unblock most websites, but at what cost? The free version requires you to share your IP address, bandwidth and browsing history with the company (and who knows else), while the paid edition charges 2-3 times as much as some top providers, yet still has more logging than almost anyone else. Run (don't work) to our Best VPN list and choose a provider who will care about your privacy, rather than trash it.
Teletrac Navman, a global leader in fleet management solutions, was born from the merger of Teletrac Inc and Navman Wireless. This strategic alliance brought together the expertise of both companies to deliver Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) based fleet tracking and telematics solutions. By harnessing the power of advanced technology and data analytics, Teletrac Navman provides businesses with real-time insights into their fleet operations, empowering them to optimize costs, enhance productivity, and improve overall efficiency.
With headquarters in Glenview, Illinois, Teletrac Navman boasts a global presence, with offices strategically located in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. This extensive network enables the company to cater to the diverse needs of its vast clientele, which spans various industries and encompasses over 40,000 customers and more than 500,000 vehicles across six continents. Teletrac Navman's impressive client roster includes renowned brands such as Range Rover, the American Red Cross, and Ryder, a testament to the company's unwavering commitment to delivering innovative and reliable fleet management solutions.
Teletrac Navman's comprehensive suite of fleet management solutions leverages cutting-edge telematics technology to provide businesses with real-time visibility into their fleet operations. This includes GPS fleet tracking, vehicle diagnostics, driver behavior monitoring, and fuel management, among other features. By providing actionable insights into these critical areas, Teletrac Navman enables businesses to make informed decisions that drive efficiency, safety, and profitability.
Furthermore, Teletrac Navman's solutions are designed to be scalable and customizable, allowing businesses to tailor them to their specific needs and requirements. Whether it's a small business with a handful of vehicles or a large enterprise with a fleet of hundreds, Teletrac Navman has the expertise and technology to deliver a solution that meets their unique challenges.
In addition to its core fleet management solutions, Teletrac Navman also offers a range of value-added services, such as compliance management, asset tracking, and field service management. These services help businesses streamline their operations, improve customer service, and stay ahead of the competition.
Overall, Teletrac Navman is a trusted partner for businesses looking to optimize their fleet operations and achieve sustainable growth. With its innovative technology, global reach, and customer-centric approach, Teletrac Navman is well-positioned to continue leading the fleet management industry into the future.
(Image credit: TeletracNavman)
Teletrac Navman: Pricing
Teletrac Navman, like many other fleet management companies, does not provide pricing information online. Instead, potential customers must contact them directly for pricing details due to varying costs depending on the solution, contract length, and specific business needs. Contact can be made through a portal after answering questions and providing a business email, though other options, such as a direct phone number or email would be a welcome addition.
It is anticipated that Teletrac Navman will require a three-year minimum contract, which aligns with the industry standard. However, some fleet management companies offer monthly plans without a minimum contract term, providing greater flexibility for fleet companies.
Teletrac Navman appears to require a minimum of three vehicles for its services, based on online reviews. While the company does not currently list its plan tiers, it previously offered three subscription levels: Essential (basic features for smaller fleets), Professional (comprehensive fleet management solution), and Enterprise (customized solution for fleets of 1,000+ vehicles).
Image 1 of 3
Teletrac Navman 1 (Image credit: TeletracNavman)
Image 2 of 3
Teletrac Navman 2 (Image credit: TeletracNavman)
Image 3 of 3
Teletrac Navman 3 (Image credit: TeletracNavman)
Teletrac Navman: Features
Teletrac Navman's Director software offers a comprehensive and customizable cloud-based platform designed to optimize fleet management, enhance driver safety, and streamline vehicle maintenance.
Fleet Tracking and Management:
The software's fleet tracking capabilities provide real-time visibility into asset location, activity, and driver behavior, enabling fleet managers to make informed decisions and respond promptly to emerging situations. Utilizing GPS technology and integrated mapping tools, Director allows for efficient route planning, dispatching, and resource allocation. Additionally, the software's geofencing feature creates virtual boundaries, triggering alerts when vehicles enter or exit designated areas, thereby enhancing security and operational control.
Driver Safety and Compliance:
Director prioritizes driver safety by offering tools to monitor and analyze driving patterns. The software generates detailed reports based on data from on-board sensors and dashcam footage, identifying unsafe behaviors such as speeding, harsh braking, and fatigue. These insights enable targeted coaching and training programs to improve driver performance and reduce the risk of accidents. Furthermore, Director simplifies compliance with regulations by automating data collection and storage, streamlining workflows, and providing easy access to essential compliance information.
Vehicle Maintenance and Fuel Management:
The software's maintenance and fuel module leverages real-time engine diagnostics and other telematics data to proactively monitor vehicle health and optimize fuel consumption. By identifying potential issues early on, Director enables timely preventive maintenance, minimizing downtime and extending vehicle lifespan. Additionally, the software's fuel management tools track fuel usage, identify inefficiencies, and promote fuel-saving practices, leading to cost savings and environmental benefits.
(Image credit: TeletracNavman)
Communication and Collaboration:
Director facilitates seamless communication and collaboration between fleet managers, drivers, and other stakeholders. The software's two-way messaging feature allows for real-time updates and instructions, while instant alerts notify users of critical events, such as accidents, breakdowns, or unauthorized vehicle use.
Reporting and Analytics:
The software's customizable reporting and dashboard provide in-depth insights into fleet performance, driver behavior, and operational efficiency. These data-driven insights empower fleet managers to identify trends, measure key performance indicators, and make informed decisions to optimize operations, reduce costs, and improve overall fleet performance.
Cloud-Based Solution and Integration:
As a cloud-based solution, Director offers flexibility, scalability, and accessibility, allowing users to manage their fleet from anywhere with an internet connection. The software also integrates seamlessly with other business systems and tools, such as Google Maps, enhancing functionality and streamlining workflows.
(Image credit: TeletracNavman)
Teletrac Navman: Support
Teletrac Navman provides its customers with a dedicated customer support team ready to respond to any inquiries that may arise. Customers can reach out for direct assistance through phone or via their online contact portal. While the company does not specify its average response times, they strive to provide timely and helpful support to all customers. We are also encouraged to see that this help is available on a 24/7 basis.
Beyond direct assistance, Teletrac Navman offers customers an array of online training resources. These include webinars, instructional videos, detailed guides, and other helpful materials. This allows customers to learn at their own pace and find answers to common questions independently.
Teletrac Navman actively uses social media platforms like Facebook, X, and YouTube to connect with and provide ongoing support to their customers. These platforms are regularly updated with valuable content, including:
Relevant Information: This may include news and updates about the company, its products, and the industry.
Helpful Tips: Tips and tricks for using Teletrac Navman's products and services effectively, as well as general advice for fleet management and vehicle tracking.
Company Announcements: Important announcements about new product launches, updates to existing products, company events, and other relevant news.
Other Engaging Content: This includes videos, blog posts, infographics, and other content that educates and entertains customers while promoting the brand.
By maintaining an active presence on social media, Teletrac Navman can foster a sense of community among its customers and provide them with easily accessible support and information. It also allows the company to quickly and effectively share important news and announcements, and to gather feedback from customers.
(Image credit: TeletracNavman)
Teletrac Navman: Final verdict
Teletrac Navman is a well-established company with a long history in the fleet management industry. They provide a wide array of services designed to cater to the diverse needs of fleets of all sizes. Their offerings likely include GPS tracking, vehicle diagnostics, driver behavior monitoring, and fuel management solutions. These tools can help businesses optimize their fleet operations, improve safety, and reduce costs.
Despite their experience and comprehensive suite of services, Teletrac Navman's reputation has been tarnished by recent developments. They have lost their accreditation from the Better Business Bureau and currently hold a B- rating due to a number of unresolved complaints. This indicates that some customers have had negative experiences with the company and have not received satisfactory resolutions to their issues.
Additionally, online feedback for Teletrac Navman is also negative, with a one-star rating based on the sole review available at the BBB. This suggests that customer satisfaction is low at least among some, and that potential clients should exercise caution when considering their services.
Given these concerns, it is highly advisable to thoroughly evaluate Teletrac Navman before committing to a long-term contract. Take advantage of their free demo to test their platform and assess its suitability for your specific requirements. Carefully review their terms and conditions to ensure that you understand the contractual obligations and avoid any surprises down the line.
Compare their offerings with those of other fleet management providers to determine if they offer the best value for your investment. Consider reaching out to current or former customers to get their firsthand experiences and insights. By taking these precautions, you can make an informed decision and choose the fleet management solution that best aligns with your business needs and expectations.
Trade Interceptor, one of the world’s best forex trading apps, was taken over by ThinkMarkets and rebranded as ThinkTrader in 2017. In our ThinkTrader review, we’ve looked closely at the ThinkTrader mobile interface, its main features, and why it’s one of the leading mobile trading apps.
Note that the app is available via both the Trade Interceptor and ThinkTrader websites, as well as in the Apple and Google Play stores under the ThinkTrader name.
Trade Interceptor was rebranded as ThinkTrader in 2017 (Image credit: Thinktrader)
ThinkTrader: What does it offer?
Since ThinkTrader took over Trade Interceptor, it has added a range of additional features, with the goal of becoming the leading mobile trading platform. It’s available on both Android and iOS devices, and in general, is suitable for everyone from complete beginners to seasoned traders.
In addition, ThinkTrader offers trading in a range of areas, including forex, precious metals, indices, cryptocurrency, shares, commodities, and CFDs. Clients from over 180 countries are accepted (notable exceptions are the USA, Japan, and Iran), and the apps are available in all regions except the USA and Japan.
ThinkTrader revamped the Trade Interceptor app with the express aim of becoming the leading mobile trading platform (Image credit: ThinkTrader)
ThinkTrader: Opening an account
Opening a new ThinkTrader account is straightforward and shouldn’t take more than five to ten minutes. You will have to provide a significant amount of personal information, including your name, date of birth, nationality, and address. Following this, you will be asked to work through a short questionnaire about your trading knowledge and experience.
On top of this, you will need to select what trading platform, currency, and leverage you want to use. Available platforms include Meta Trader 4 and 5, as well as the native ThinkInvest and ThinkTrader interfaces. Choose from eight base currency options and leverage up to 500:1.
Finally, account verification is usually required in accordance with your country’s regulations. We created an Australian account and were required to upload photo ID and proof of address. You may also have to pass a short knowledge-based test before your account is approved.
Opening a ThinkTrader account is fast, but you will have to provide verification documents (Image credit: ThinkTrader)
ThinkTrader: Account Types
There are six different ThinkTrader account types. For starters, a neat Demo account is available for you to test trading strategies and become familiar with the platform before risking real money. Standard and ThinkZero accounts are both great for getting started and come with slightly different fee structures and forex spreads.
In addition, Islamic clients can apply for an Islamic account that complies with Sharia law. Two or more individuals can apply for a Joint account if they want to, and experienced traders can take advantage of exclusive benefits and advanced leverage by requesting a ThinkMarkets Pro account.
There are six different account options (Image credit: ThinkTrader)
ThinkTrader: Features
As one of the world’s best mobile trading apps, ThinkTrader is naturally backed by an impressive range of advanced features. For starters, the entire trading experience is streamlined and beginner friendly. But, this ease of use doesn’t come at the cost of advanced capabilities.
For example, users will be able to access a suite of technical analysis tools. Live charts are available for most forex pairs, precious metals, popular cryptocurrencies, and over 1000 stocks, among others. You can select from ten chart types, including bar, broken line, and Japanese candlestick. All charts can be zoomed, scrolled, and overlaid with any of 100 technical indicators and/or 40 analytical objects.
On top of this, the ThinkTrader app supports cloud-based alerts, which means you will receive notifications even when it isn’t running. In-app deposits and withdrawals are also available once your account is approved, and you can keep up to date with the latest financial news through the built-in news portal.
Another noteworthy tool is the one-click order option. This enables you to access near-instant order processing rather than wasting time confirming orders. Multiple positions can also be closed with one click. And finally, the Trend-Risk Scanner is a powerful native tool that provides information about recommended trades.
The ThinkTrader mobile app is neat and boasts a great range of advanced features (Image credit: ThinkTrader)
ThinkTrader: Support
ThinkTrader’s support team is knowledgeable, fast, and efficient. 24/5 live chat and email support are available worldwide, while phone support is available in selected countries (the UK and Australia, among others). We tested the live chat briefly and were connected with an agent almost immediately. They answered our questions fast and accurately, and you can’t ask for much more than that. An impressive range of self-help articles and other resources is also available.
ThinkTrader live chat support is fast and effective (Image credit: ThinkTrader)
ThinkTrader: Final verdict
ThinkTrader (formerly known as Trade Interceptor) is up there with the best mobile trading apps, and for good reason. It’s a professionally designed platform that’s accessible across most of the world, and it provides a great trading experience.
The native ThinkTrader mobile app is backed by advanced features and makes trading on the go easier than ever. On top of this, the charting tools that are built into the app are truly impressive, with candlestick support and great customizability.
Overall, ThinkTrader is a viable option for both beginners and advanced traders. And on top of everything else, it’s worth noting that the native desktop interface is also very powerful.
ThinkTrader: The competition
Mobile trading apps are becoming increasingly popular, and ThinkTrader no longer stands out as a clear industry leader. One popular alternative is Pocket Forex, which supports 24/7 trading on a wide range of markets with 50–1000 times leverage. Another major competitor is Oanda, which has the advantage of being available to US and Japanese clients.
The best remote desktop software needs to be easy to use yet offer a sufficiently deep feature set to support all of your business’s IT needs. RemoteUtilities for Windows is an impressively affordable remote computer access tool that provides a wide range of access options. While it’s largely limited to operating on Windows computers, RemoteUtilities makes tasks like remote file transfer, audio sharing, and webcam access easy.
So, is this the right remote desktop connection manager for your business? In our RemoteUtilities for Windows review, we will highlight everything you need to know.
Remote Utilities for Windows: Plans and pricing
(Image credit: Remote Utilities)
Remote Utilities for Windows pricing is based on the number of licenses you need for your IT team and the quantity of remote computers you plan to connect. IT managers can share a technician license, but you can only have concurrent sessions up to the number of purchased licenses.
Technician licenses are available for free and allow you to have up to 10 remote computers in your address book. If you need to access more remote desktops, there are several options available. You can access up to 20 computers with a $99 license, 50 computers with a $249 license, and an unlimited number of computers with a $499 license. Remote Utilities also offers a site-wide plan that costs $12,000, which includes an unlimited number of technician licenses.
Alternatively, you can pay $29 per remote host to allow an unlimited number of technicians to access a limited number of remote computers concurrently (you must purchase a minimum of 10 remote hosts).
It's important to note that these prices are one-time fees, not subscriptions. You get access to any major upgrades released within one year of purchase. However, after that, you’ll need to pay to upgrade the software.
Remote Utilities for Windows: Features and utilities
RemoteUtilities for Windows includes a number of features that are relatively simple but extremely helpful. Beyond remote desktop functionality on Windows 10 and older versions of Windows, you can drag and drop files between connected computers and make use of a shared clipboard. On top of that, you to take control of the webcam, share audio across devices, and record high-definition video of remote sessions.
An open remote view only session. (Image credit: RemoteUtilities)
Another thing that many business users will appreciate is that Remote Utilities enables you to integrate with your own server. IT managers can thus set up user-based access roles, sync host computer addresses for all technicians, and add additional layers of security.
It’s worth noting that while Remote Utilities primarily works for Windows, there’s also a controller app available for iOS and Android devices. You still can’t connect to one of these devices as a host, though. Remote Utilities is also developing clients for Mac and Linux computers, but they’re in beta at the time of writing.
Remote Utilities for Windows: Setup
Unfortunately, getting started with Remote Utilities is pretty cumbersome. Downloading and installing the technician and endpoint versions of the software onto the appropriate computers is fast. But, once that’s done, you need to connect to each remote computer one at a time and verify the connection. This takes around 5 minutes per endpoint computer, and potentially longer if you’re routing connections through an in-house secure server rather than over the internet.
Dialog box to add a new host computer to your address book. (Image credit: RemoteUtilities)
Remote Utilities for Windows: Interface and performance
The Remote Utilities user interface is fairly user-friendly. It resembles Windows File Explorer, except that instead of folders, the software displays remote computers in your address book. It’s easy to start up a connection just by double-clicking on a remote computer, and you don’t necessarily have to take full control of the host when starting a session. Instead, you can enter view-only, file transfer, or screen recorder modes, among other options.
The Remote Utilities dashboard. (Image credit: RemoteUtilities)
Performance can vary somewhat widely since your connection speed will depend on the internet connections of both the controller and host computers. That said, we tested a full control session between two computers running Windows 10 on a 26 Mbps connection and there was no noticeable lag.
We also tested out the file transfer performance. Dragging and dropping a 100MB file from the host to the control computer took about four minutes with a 3Mbps upload connection. That’s about what we’d expect based on the connection speed.
Remote Utilities for Windows: Security
Remote Utilities does a nice job at managing security. Technicians’ address books can be encrypted, and the platform supports two-factor authentication when logging in to the controller software. When you connect to a host computer, Remote Utilities automatically tests its identity to ensure the IP address hasn’t been commandeered.
Remote Utilities allows users to encrypt their address book of connected hosts. (Image credit: RemoteUtilities)
Another plus for security is that Remote Utilities for Windows doesn’t support web-based user accounts or password management. Although that means you can’t access cloud accounts from the software, it does ensure Remote Utilities doesn’t contain the necessary information to compromise those accounts.
Remote Utilities for Windows: Support
Customer support at Remote Utilities is good but not instantaneous. You can only contact the company by email, and your estimated response time depends on your technician license level. Site-wide license holders can expect a response within two hours, while responses for other license holders can take up to eight hours. Remote Utilities’ support team only works Monday to Friday, US Eastern time.
Thankfully, you can get answers to most questions through the company’s online documentation. Remote Utilities also runs a community forum, where support team members frequently respond to questions.
Remote Utilities for Windows: Pros and cons
Remote Utilities for Windows is a powerful remote desktop software designed for comprehensive access and control over remote PCs from anywhere. It is ideal for IT professionals, system administrators, and support teams, enabling seamless remote support, network management, and screen sharing. The software operates under a server-agent model, where the agent runs on remote computers, and the administrator or support personnel controls the server.
Remote Utilities offers many features, including complete control and viewing modes, file transfer, remote task manager, terminal, inventory manager, and more. It supports over 15 connection modes, making it suitable for various remote access needs.
One of the standout features is its flexibility in connection options. It supports direct connections via IP address, LAN, and an Internet ID feature, which allows connection over the Internet, bypassing firewalls and NAT devices. This makes it versatile for accessing machines across different environments and setups.
Security is a top priority for Remote Utilities, as it employs robust encryption standards, including AES-256-bit encryption for data transfer. The software also supports two-factor authentication and provides a comprehensive set of permissions for each user, enhancing the security of remote access to systems.
Remote Utilities for Windows offers a flexible licensing model that caters to small—and large-scale operations. It provides a free version for up to 10 remote PCs, which is beneficial for small businesses or personal use. The commercial licenses are competitively priced and available as a one-time purchase, including minor updates without recurring subscription fees.
Remote Utilities has many features and capabilities which may overwhelm new users. The initial setup and configuration could be challenging for individuals with less technical knowledge or without extensive IT backgrounds.
Although remote utilities generally provide a smooth remote access experience, their performance may be suboptimal compared to low bandwidth connections. Users may experience lag or slower response times, impacting efficiency in real-time support scenarios.
While Remote Utilities offers a Viewer app for macOS and Linux, its full range of features and functionalities is primarily optimized for Windows. This may limit its usefulness in mixed OS environments.
Some users have mentioned that while the support team is helpful, the available resources, such as tutorials and documentation, could be more comprehensive. Navigating through advanced features or troubleshooting issues might require contacting support directly, which can be time-consuming.
Remote Utilities for Windows: Final verdict
Remote Utilities for Windows is an affordable remote desktop connection manager for Windows computers. The licenses are available for a one-time cost, which can save businesses a significant amount of money. This software has some handy features to help IT teams manage helpdesk services. While it would be better if this platform supported Mac and Linux computers, it's still a good option if your company primarily uses Windows devices.
Remote Utilities for Windows is a robust solution for comprehensive remote access and management tools. Its rich feature set, flexibility, and strong security posture, it caterll to IT professionals and businesses looking to streamline their remote support and network management tasks.
However, potential users must consider its steeper learning curve and platform-specific focus. For organizations with diverse or non-Windows environments, compatibility and user experience are crucial factors. Evaluating Remote Utilities through its free version can provide valuable insights into whether it aligns with an organization's specific remote access needs and technical capabilities. In summary, Remote Utilities for Windows is a contender worth considering in remote desktop solutions, especially for those heavily reliant on Windows ecosystems.
Remote Utilities for Windows: The competition
Arguably, the biggest downside to remote utilities is that they only enable you to connect to Windows computers. If you need a remote desktop on a Mac computer, it's worth looking into GoToMyPC or TeamViewer. Both platforms offer much of the same functionality as Remote Utilities, including drag-and-drop file transfer, screen recording, and audio sharing.
But they can also be much more expensive. GoToMyPC charges $33 to $35 per technician license per month for an unlimited number of endpoint computers. Meanwhile, TeamViewer charges $49 monthly for one user and one concurrent session or $199 for unlimited users and three concurrent sessions.
In today's digital age, remote desktop solutions have become a cornerstone of business operations, enabling employees to access their work environment anywhere in the world. This technology supports the growing trend of remote work and ensures that organizations can maintain their productivity levels, irrespective of their physical location. But with many options available, how do you choose the right one for your needs? Here are some key aspects to consider when searching for a remote desktop solution.
Seamless Connectivity and Accessibility—The foremost attribute of an efficient remote desktop solution is its ability to provide smooth, easy-to-establish connections. It should empower users to access their desktops and applications with minimal effort and without the need for extensive technical knowledge. The solution must be compatible across various devices and operating systems to ensure all team members can stay connected regardless of their preferred gadgets.
Security Features - With cyber threats at an all-time high, security has never been more critical. A suitable remote desktop tool should offer robust security measures, including end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security updates to protect against vulnerabilities. The ability to set granular access controls and monitor user activity can further enhance the security of sensitive organizational data.
Performance and Reliability - The effectiveness of a remote desktop solution also hinges on its performance. It should provide a smooth, lag-free experience, closely mimicking the feel of working directly on the host computer. High reliability, with minimal downtime and quick recovery options, ensures that work can proceed uninterrupted, thus maintaining high productivity levels.
Support and Scalability - As businesses grow, their needs evolve. A scalable remote desktop solution, allowing for easy addition of new users and resources, can be a valuable asset. Equally important is responsive customer support. A provider that offers prompt, efficient help when issues arise can save precious time and resources.
Cost-Effectiveness - While it's crucial to not tortoise on essential features, the cost is a significant factor for most organizations. The ideal solution would offer a transparent pricing model that scales with your needs, ensuring you only pay for what you use. Evaluate not just the initial costs, but also long-term expenses, including updates and support.
User Experience—Last but not least, the user experience cannot be overlooked. A user-friendly interface, minimal latency, and the ability to personalize settings can make a big difference in daily operations. The solution must have intuitive controls that don't steepsteeplearning curve for new users.
Choosing the right remote desktop solution involves carefully balancing performance, security, ease of use, and cost. As businesses continue to evolve, the ability to work remotely efficiently will become even more critical. Evaluating your options based on these criteria can go a long way in ensuring that your choice not only meets your current needs but is also a viable long-term solution as your organization grows. In this selection process, insights from current users and expert reviews can also provide valuable perspectives, helping to narrow down the choices to the solution best suited to your unique requirements.
RusVPN is no longer trading under that name and has since rebranded to Planet VPN. This review was accurate at the time of review, but no longer applies to the rebranded service.
RusVPN ('Reliable. Unlimited. Secure') is a small VPN which might look a little ordinary at first glance, but according to the website, performs better than you'd expect in several areas.
The network has a relatively small 338 servers, for instance, but they're well distributed across 37 countries.
There's much better news on the app front, with custom software for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, Chrome and Firefox browser extensions, direct support for Linux and routers, and OpenVPN compatibility to cover you everywhere else.
Unlike many competitors, RusVPN doesn't just make vague promises about its website unblocking abilities, and instead lists a host of sites where it claims to work: Netflix, Spotify, Facebook, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia, Google, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, CBC, NBC, LinkedIn, VKontakte, Instagram, Reddit, and more.
Prices are fair, and range from $9.99 billed monthly to $4.99 over one year, $2.99 over three. You can find cheaper deals around - Surfshark's two-year plan is just $1.99 a month - but generally RusVPN looks like good value to us.
Payments are accepted via card, PayPal, Bitcoin and more. There's no general trial, but you do get the usual 7 days to try out the mobile apps. In theory you're also protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee, the small print reveals this is almost worthless, as you won't qualify if you've transferred more than a tiny 500MB of data.
Privacy and logging
RusVPN's logging policy page states emphatically that 'We DO NOT Keep Any Logs of VPN Usage', going to explain:
'RusVPN is based outside 5-eye, 9-eye and 14-eye country list and have no obligation to store user activity logs, connection timestamps, IP-addresses or any other connection data. When you use RusVPN you can be sure that your privacy is 100% protected.'
Well, okay, although having 'no obligation' to log activity isn't an indicator that you're not doing it.
The privacy policy has a little more information in the following paragraph:
'We run a non-permanent connection log to solve technical problems including random name generation and internal IP address assignment (private IP address) which are reliably removed every few hours. We strictly and purposefully do not write down any information to mitigate our legal liability. We do not monitor the activity of your browser and do not record any records. It is simply impossible with our internal interface. All data about the use of the service is anonymous and is not tied to your real, public IP address.'
While this seems to contain some good news (any logs are regularly detailed, actions can't be tied to your real address), it's lacking in technical detail with some odd elements ('we don't write anything down'?), and doesn't leave us feeling we completely understand how RusVPN really works. That might be a translation issue, but whatever the cause, we're like more clarity in RusVPN's descriptions.
The company could also reassure potential customers by following ExpressVPN, NordVPN and others in putting its systems through an independent security or privacy audit, but there's no sign of that happening just yet. Until then, we just have to trust that RusVPN is living up to its promises.
Setup
Setting up a RusVPN account proved trickier than we expected. We paid via PayPal, an email receipt arrived immediately, but no 'welcome' email with details of our account. There was no 'resend confirmation email' button, so we waited several hours, but nothing happened.
RusVPN doesn't have live chat, but we sent a message via a web form asking what was happening. Hours went by without a response. We sent an email, still no response into the next day. RusVPN doesn't send an automatic 'thanks, we'll reply soon' acknowledgement to messages, either, so we couldn't even be sure that our questions had been received.
We tried again, this time paying using an existing account and were able to get access immediately.
Maybe this wasn't entirely RusVPN's fault; maybe there was some temporary email or other issue which prevented it responding to our queries. There's no way we can know for sure.
It certainly is RusVPN's fault that it has no option to resend a confirmation email, though, and that it doesn't offer live chat support, and that its email and web form support system doesn't send any automated reply to reassure customers that their messages have been received.
RusVPN offers native clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS (Image credit: RusVPN)
Apps
Once we'd finally got a working account, the RusVPN website redirected us to a download page with links for the Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS apps, along with the Chrome and Firefox extensions.
Windows Defender warned that RusVPN's installer was 'unrecognized', and asked us to confirm we wanted to launch it (Image credit: Microsoft)
We grabbed the Windows build, but were surprised to find Microsoft Defender SmartScreen stepping in to block RusVPN's installer when we launched it, warning that it was an 'unrecognized app.' That doesn't mean it's harmful, SmartScreen just hasn't seen it very often, although users might be less likely to see these warnings if RusVPN digitally signed its installers, like almost everyone else.
RusVPN's Windows client features a simple user interface that is similar to other VPN apps (Image credit: RusVPN)
The Windows client interface has a simple interface, and works much the same as other VPN apps. Your current location and IP address are clearly displayed, alternative locations are available on a list and you can connect with a click.
RusVPN has 338 servers distributed across 37 countries (Image credit: RusVPN)
The client recommended Canada as our default server, maybe not the best choice for a user in the UK. This wasn't quite as bad as it seems - the Recommended list also included servers in the UK and Netherlands, but as it was sorted alphabetically, Canada came top - but we're still struggling to see why Canada was in our list at all.
RusVPN’s Windows client supports OpenVPN, L2TP and even the insecure PPTP, but you can’t choose your preference in the Settings box—the client decides. (Image credit: RusVPN)
Settings are even more basic than we saw in our last review, little more than an autostart option and the ability to enable or disable a kill switch.
The client appears to support OpenVPN, L2TP and PPTP protocols, but it doesn’t allow you to choose your preferred option — it makes that decision itself.
We don’t know how it figures this out, but there doesn’t seem to be much intelligence involved. During our review, it never selected the best protocol, OpenVPN, mostly going for L2TP (still a fair choice), but occasionally picking PPTP, such an outdated and insecure option that the best VPNs dropped it long ago.
That's not the end of the story. We checked the L2TP and PPTP settings, and found even these weren't as secure as they should be.
The first problem is the connection doesn't attempt to replace our existing DNS servers, ensuring we failed our DNS leak tests later.
RusVPN's Windows client doesn't just use the outdated PPTP protocol, it sets it up with encryption as only 'optional' (Image credit: RusVPN)
Even more seriously, our connections had encryption set as 'Optional' - the client should connect even if there's no encryption. That doesn't mean it'll ever happen (it depends on the server) but it's still a concern.
There are some easy ways around this. You could just set up the open source OpenVPN Connect to connect via OpenVPN, for instance, and never have to use PPTP at all. That's not something the average user is likely to think about, though, and 'we know our software is rubbish, but you can always use something else' isn't much of a RusVPN defense.
Moving away from our protocol problems, we ran a final quick test on how the client handled dropped VPN connections, and discovered more issues.
The kill switch was so effective that it even blocked RusVPN's own app (Image credit: RusVPN)
First, if the kill switch is off and the connection drops, the client updates its window but doesn't raise any desktop notification. If it's minimized or covered by another window, there's no way for you to know that your internet access is now unprotected.
Second, when the kill switch does kick in, it affects the client, too. We found our internet access was blocked, closed and restarted the client, and it prompted us to log in. Why? We don't know, but when we tried, it complained 'connection failed - check network connection.'
Our problems continued, as turning the kill switch off didn't restore our internet access, and neither did closing the client, or rebooting the system. We had to use system restore before we could get online again.
Although this was very bad news for us, we've no reason to believe it would ever happen to the vast majority of users, as they almost certainly won't be stress-testing the client by presenting it with some extreme situations.
Most VPN apps handle our tests much better, though, and this is yet another example of how the client isn't working as it should. We're left wondering what other problems might RusVPN have missed.
The Android app is quite similar to its Windows counterpart (Image credit: RusVPN)
Checking the Android app revealed no great surprises: the interface is much the same and there are no extra settings. There's a small bonus in that Android's system kill switch shouldn't disable your device in the same way the Windows client trashed ours, though, and the app is likely to be safer and more reliable than its desktop cousin.
Performance
RusVPN was slow in connecting from our test Windows system, often taking more than 20 seconds to establish the tunnel. The Android app was faster at around 10 seconds, but top VPNs are usually quicker still (some get online within 2-5 seconds.)
Given RusVPN's poor performance so far, we weren't expecting much from our unblocking tests, despite its claims to unblock just about every platform around. But then we tried the service with a few sites, and although it failed to unblock BBC iPlayer, RusVPN successfully unblocked US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and even Disney+.
We use a number of different speed tests to determine the performance of each VPN we review (Image credit: Ookla)
Our performance checks began on a positive note, too, with UK speeds reaching 62-66Mbps on our 75Mbps test connection. The best of the competition might scrape 2-4Mbps more, but we're not about to complain.
US speeds hit a relatively poor 30-60Mps, but the exact results you'll see will vary depending on your location and preferred server. If you're interested, use the free trial with the mobile apps to see how the RusVPN performs for you.
Final verdict
RusVPN has many of the ingredients of a good VPN - loads of apps, easy to use, excellent website unblocking, fair price - but a host of fundamental issues and problems make it difficult to trust, at least right now.
GPSWOX, a leading global fleet management company established in 2012 and headquartered in London, UK, provides comprehensive GPS fleet tracking and fleet management solutions for over 3500 businesses and individual consumers spanning 123 countries.
Their advanced vehicle tracking software, compatible with a wide range of GPS trackers, delivers precise real-time vehicle location monitoring, efficient fleet dispatch, comprehensive fleet monitoring, and enhanced driver and vehicle safety features. These capabilities empower businesses to optimize their operational efficiency and significantly reduce the overall costs associated with managing a commercial fleet.
GPSWOX goes beyond its core fleet management solutions by offering a white-label, cloud-based vehicle tracking software platform. This platform is designed to empower entrepreneurs and businesses to launch and manage their own independent vehicle tracking ventures. The cloud-based nature of the platform and its white-label capabilities mean that these businesses can operate virtually anywhere in the world without the need for extensive infrastructure or technical expertise. By leveraging GPSWOX's technology and support, they can focus on building their customer base and providing localized vehicle tracking services.
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
GPSWOX: Pricing
GPSWOX operates on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, providing its GPS tracking and fleet management software to businesses without requiring them to purchase proprietary hardware. This allows for flexibility and compatibility with a wide range of GPS devices already on the market.
The pricing structure for GPSWOX is modular, allowing businesses to choose the specific add-ons and features that align with their needs. This approach avoids unnecessary costs for features that may not be relevant to a particular business. Some potential add-ons could include real-time tracking, geofencing, driver behavior monitoring, fuel consumption tracking, and maintenance scheduling.
GPSWOX, a sophisticated GPS tracking and fleet management software hosted on secure GPSWOX servers, offers potential users the opportunity to explore its comprehensive features through a 30-day free trial period. This trial allows businesses and individuals to assess the software's suitability for their needs without any financial commitment. Additionally, GPSWOX provides a 100% money-back guarantee, ensuring customer satisfaction and confidence in their purchase.
The pricing structure for GPSWOX is designed to accommodate varying requirements and scales of operation. The basic package starts at $99 per month, offering unlimited users and the ability to track up to 100 assets. This option is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses with a limited number of vehicles or equipment to monitor. For larger enterprises with more extensive fleets, the $199 per month package allows for tracking up to 500 objects, while the $290 per month package extends the tracking capacity to 1,000 objects.
In addition to the monthly subscription plans, GPSWOX may also offer a lifetime subscription package for a one-time discounted payment of $4,990. This option could provide significant long-term cost savings for businesses with ongoing GPS tracking needs. The lifetime subscription eliminates the need for recurring monthly payments and ensures continuous access to the software and its updates.
Overall, GPSWOX presents a compelling solution for businesses and individuals seeking reliable and scalable GPS tracking and fleet management capabilities. With its flexible pricing options, free trial, money-back guarantee, and potential lifetime subscription, GPSWOX caters to a wide range of users and budgets.
There are several plans available for small businesses and individuals. The Lite plan allows for single object tracking at $2.99 per month, billed annually. The Basic plan offers tracking for up to 5 objects at $9.97 per month, also billed annually. For those needing to track up to 50 objects, the Pro plan is available for $49 per month, with the option for monthly billing. Lastly, the White Label plan provides unlimited object tracking for $99 per month, billed monthly.
GPSWOX used to offer monthly subscriptions for their Android and iOS fleet tracking apps at $49 and $84 per month, respectively. They no longer offer these monthly subscriptions and have switched to lifetime subscription plans for their Mobile Phone Tracker App and GPSWOX Mobile Client App. Additionally, GPSWOX charges extra fees for mobile vehicle tracking, a practice that sets them apart from their competitors.
Image 1 of 5
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
GPSWOX
Image 2 of 5
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
Image 3 of 5
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
Image 4 of 5
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
Image 5 of 5
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
GPSWOX: Features
GPSWOX is a comprehensive and cost-effective fleet management solution designed to cater to the needs of organizations across various sizes and industries. Its primary goal is to assist these organizations in optimizing fuel consumption, safeguarding their valuable assets, and effectively managing their workforce.
The user-friendly software provided by GPSWOX empowers users to access detailed and precise information with minimal effort. This information can include real-time vehicle location, driver behavior, fuel consumption, and maintenance alerts. By providing this data in an easily digestible format, GPSWOX enables organizations to make informed decisions that can lead to significant cost savings and improved operational efficiency.
One of the key strengths of GPSWOX is its versatility. The solution is not only suitable for businesses with large fleets but also for smaller fleets and even individuals and families. This adaptability is further enhanced by the company's flexible and transparent pricing structure, which includes no contract obligations and offers the same features across all pricing tiers. For those seeking additional customization, optional add-ons are also available.
In summary, GPSWOX is a powerful and adaptable fleet management solution that provides organizations with the tools and insights they need to optimize their operations and reduce costs. Its user-friendly software, comprehensive feature set, and flexible pricing make it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Some of the key features of GPSWOX’s solution are:
Real-time tracking: GPSWOX provides real-time location tracking for a wide range of assets, including vehicles, mobile devices, individuals, and bicycles. This enables users to monitor the current location and movements of their valuable assets at any given time.
For fleet management, GPSWOX offers detailed insights into fleet activity, including vehicle speed, fuel consumption, precise address location, and a comprehensive journey history. This information empowers fleet managers to optimize routes, monitor driver behavior, and improve overall fleet efficiency.
To visualize and analyze location data, GPSWOX provides three map views: Google Maps, Satellite view, and OpenStreetMaps (OSM). These different map views cater to various user preferences and offer different levels of detail, allowing users to choose the most suitable view for their needs.
Notifications and alerts: GPSWOX provides instant alerts and notifications in response to events such as vehicle theft, speeding, unauthorized stops, and a vehicle entering or leaving a geo-zone.
Reports: GPSWOX offers a variety of downloadable reports based on date and GPS tracker name. These reports include information on driving time, rest stops, mileage, fuel usage, and more. Additionally, users can download comprehensive and group reports.
Fuel savings: Real-time fuel usage data provided by GPSWOX allows businesses to monitor and control fuel costs. By receiving alerts and reports on aggressive driving behaviors such as rapid acceleration, speeding, and excessive braking, businesses can reduce fuel consumption by 5% to 15%. Additionally, fuel monitoring helps prevent driver fraud and allows for convenient fuel level checks.
Geofencing: Geofencing technology provides businesses with a powerful tool for monitoring and managing the location of their assets. By establishing virtual boundaries, or "geofences," around specific areas, businesses can receive real-time alerts whenever a vehicle or other asset enters or exits the designated zone. This capability allows administrators to maintain heightened awareness of asset movements, enabling prompt responses to unauthorized or unexpected activity.
For example, a construction company could create a geofence around a job site to ensure that equipment remains within the designated area. If a piece of machinery were to be moved outside the geofence, perhaps indicating theft or unauthorized use, the system would immediately generate an alert, allowing the company to take swift action to recover the asset. Similarly, a logistics company could use geofencing to track the movement of its delivery vehicles, ensuring that they adhere to planned routes and schedules.
In addition to enhancing security and operational efficiency, geofencing can also be leveraged to improve customer service. For instance, a retailer could use geofencing to send targeted promotions to customers' smartphones as they enter a specific store or shopping center. By delivering relevant and timely offers, businesses can enhance the customer experience and drive sales.
GPSWOX has received numerous awards, including the Expert's Choice by FinancesOnline Award, the Supreme Software Award, and the Great User Experience Certificate, for providing its users with a superb experience.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
GPSWOX 2
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: GPSWOX)
GPSWOX: Support
GPSWOX provides technical support 24/7 via email. General inquiries can be made by email or by phone from 9am to 9pm (GMT+2). Free calls can also be booked through a contact form, with responses expected within 24 hours. The GPSWOX sales team can be contacted by email and is available 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm (GMT+2).
Customers can also find support on the GPSWOX website, where they can access FAQs, user guides, and videos. Although GPSWOX has a YouTube channel with many videos, it is not updated frequently.
GPSWOX: Final verdict
GPSWOX, a user-friendly cloud-based fleet management solution, is globally accessible and features a simple pricing structure that supports businesses that operate internationally. The platform offers convenient and comprehensive fleet management capabilities and is compatible with most existing telematics systems, eliminating the need for additional hardware purchases.
MiX Telematics is a leading cloud-based telematics provider that offers a mobile asset and fleet management solution. Founded in 1996, the company operates in over 120 countries worldwide and maintains offices in the US, the UK, South Africa, Uganda, Brazil, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Mexico.
As of now, MiX Telematics manages over 959,000,000 mobile assets with the help of over 130 partners. Its shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange as well as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
The company delivers a SaaS solution for enterprise fleets, small fleets and consumers, with the ability to track trucks and buses, vans, cars, motorbikes, trailers and more. Employing a unified approach to telematics, the company offers actionable intelligence to solve complex vehicle and driver-related problems.
MiX Telematics: Pricing
Mix Telematics used to be one of the providers who are pretty transparent about its pricing and contract structure. Unfortunately, they don’t publish their pricing on their websire anymore, but we’ve attached their 2020 pricing structure here for reference.
As you can see in the attached photo, the company used to offer a couple of plans, both payable monthly or annually. For both the plans, the company charged an additional $29.95 per order for shipping and handling of hardware. Note, however, that the pricing information may not be accurate anymore.
Self-installation: This tier starts at $35 a month for a single vehicle and you get an additional 10% discount with the annual plan which costs $378 per year per vehicle. Businesses that opt for this DIY plan are sent the tracking hardware that comes with a limited lifetime warranty, but the company does not offer installation assistance. These devices are plug-and-play, and can be transferred between vehicles.
Among the standard features are live tracking, street and satellite maps, geo-fencing, service and licensing reminders, fuel and cost reporting, access via web or mobile phones, and a 30-second software refresh.
Professional installation: As the name suggests, this is the pricier of the two plans and is available at $39.50 per vehicle per month or $426 when paid annually (after a 10% discount).
Under this plan, the company offers an accredited installation of the hardware without charging additional fees. However, once installed the devices cannot be moved to other vehicles.
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
Mix Telematics: Features
MiX Telematics offers easy to use cloud-based software which helps to optimize costs, improve performance, ensure timely deliveries, and more, all while staying compliant with government regulations.
The MiX Telematics solution helps your business stay organized, and allows you to control the entire fleet using a central command center that makes all the info you need easily accessible. In short, it ensures that the fleet operation runs smoothly with no hiccups.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
The software is equally suitable for small, medium as well as large fleet sizes. It helps in managing vehicles effectively, optimizing fuel usage, tracking fraudulent usage, managing payrolls and more. Easy live tracking of vehicles means you don't have the stress of tracing vehicles manually, and it lets the decision-makers focus on more important and critical work.
The tracking hardware supplied by the company collects the vehicle's vital details and transmits them in real-time to the command center, where the information is processed and various reports are prepared that help fleet operators with precise details about the fleet and drivers.
Some key features of the MiX Telematics solution are:
Vehicle tracking: While it is the most basic feature of any GPS tracker or fleet management solution, the MiX Telematics solution offers a real-time update on the vehicle, whether it on the move or stationary. It even keeps the operator informed about the driver and gives them access to vital details such as driving speed, the route being followed, driving violations, historical trips, and more.
Live information streams: This is a unique solution that allows fleet operators to track vehicles assigned a specific task or event. A user-defined livestream to track a specific delivery helps in keeping the critical delivery in focus. This lets the operatory stay in touch with the connected driver/assets, keeping the message flowing.
Reporting: MiX Telematics comes with a robust and dynamic reporting system that informs the operators about various aspects of the fleet including vehicle movement, location, trip and utilization reports, and so forth. Reporting like driver scoring, fuel, event violations, and cost analysis reports are also useful in assessing profitability and giving insights into driver performance. This can be further used to coach or reward drivers.
ELD: The ELD devices are custom-designed to help fleet operators manage and stay compliant with various regulatory policies like Hours of Service (HoS) through electronically tracking a driver's Record of Duty Status (RoDs). ELD devices act as an effective replacement for outdate paper logbooks.
MiX Telematics: Support
The company's official website has a generic contact phone number and a basic query form for users to reach out in case of a question. It does not, however, provide any direct contact details for the sales team. The company is on most popular social media channels and while its Facebook and Twitter accounts are updated regularly, its YouTube account is not very active with videos being uploaded intermittently.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: MiX telematics)
MiX Telematics: Final Verdict
MiX Telematics offers an interesting range of products and services, including hardware installation by experts. However, this comes with certain limitations. Its cloud-based solution is fit for varied fleet sizes, though it is always advisable to carefully assess if a provider’s offerings match with your fleet’s specific requirements.
While the company is a veteran in the business, it does not have many customer reviews online. Better Business Bureau (BBB) shows that the company has been operating for over 10 years yet it's not been accredited with them. There is a lone 1-star review about the company; however, BBB rates MiX Telematics as an A+ company.
