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VyprVPN review
5:14 pm | April 13, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets VPN Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

The midrange VPN provider market is a hotly contested one, with lots of great providers both free and paid jostling for position. VyprVPN is a provider that you might not be immediately familiar with, but it’s been around since 2010, which is longer than some of the biggest and best VPNs in the market.

We last reviewed VyprVPN back in 2023, and found it to be a decent enough option, but there were some caveats we hoped that the provider would improve. Has anything changed in the two years since? Sadly, yes, and not for the better, with a number of features being removed or limited.

We’re going to look at whether this venerable VPN provider is still one you should trust with your online privacy.

Features

VyprVPN is not the most feature-packed provider on the market, but it has enough to satisfy users who need a basic product to keep them safe online.

There’s public Wi-Fi protection, which will automatically boot the VPN if you connect to an unsecured network, very useful for business travellers and people on holiday, as the free hotspots in hotels, airports, and cafes are often frequented by opportunistic cybercriminals.

Android and desktop users get a far wider range of features and customization options than their iOS counterparts. The iOS client features almost no additional features, not even a kill switch, which will cut your internet connection in the event of your VPN dropping out, making sure that you don’t leak any unprotected information.

Some features are standard across all apps, such as public Wi-Fi protection, the ability to automatically reconnect the VPN if the connection is dropped, a choice of VPN protocols including IKE v2, OpenVPN, WireGuard and VyprVPN’s own “Chameleon” obfuscated protocol which is designed to be used in environments where VPN use is heavily monitored and/or blocked.

An image of the VyprVPN interface

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

There’s also the option to choose between an “Advanced” connection, where you pick the server you want to connect to each time, or “Quick Connect,” where the VPN automatically picks a server from a region you choose in advance. Keep in mind, however, that there’s no way to pick a UK server with this option. Presumably, it gets lumped in with the “Europe” region.

Non-iOS users get more options, including split-tunneling, which VyprVPN calls “Connection per App”, the ability to choose the DNS server you want to use, including VyprVPN’s open zero-log VyprDNS, and the ability to have the VPN automatically start and connect when the device boots up, ensuring that you never end up browsing the net unprotected.

Features score: 4/10

Server network

VyprVPN currently offers 73 different locations to choose from around the world, with a decent spread of countries on offer. Its site claims that it has 96 servers, but that’s just not what we see in the app, which would suggest this is another area where VyprVPN has gone backwards in its offering.

Where VyprVPN further struggles compared to other providers is that almost all of these countries only have a single server. This means if you really need to access a particular piece of geo-locked content in, for example, the UK, and that particular server doesn’t work for you, then there are no other locations to try.

The only exceptions to this are the USA and Australia, which both have multiple locations – 8 in the USA and 3 in Australia.

Server network score: 4/10

Apps

Some VPN providers spend a huge amount of time on their Windows app to the detriment of other platforms, but VyprVPN has done a good job of making sure that all mobile platforms match their desktop counterpart.

The macOS and mobile apps look and feel almost identical to the Windows version, right down to the color scheme and layout.

Linux users are, as often happens, left with only a CLI setup option rather than an app, and even then, it’s tailored for only specific versions of Ubuntu. So, if you’re a Linux novice, you might be better off elsewhere.

The Apple versions of the app are rather bare-bones compared to the other options – disappointing news for folks on the hunt for an iPhone VPN. Some of that is down to Apple restricting access to the underlying operating system rather than any fault on the part of VyprVPN, but Apple isn’t entirely to blame here.

Other offerings from companies like Sufshark offer automatic connection, a kill switch, and even an Apple-friendly form of split-tunneling/whitelisting, so there are plenty more functions that could be here, but VyprVPN has seemingly chosen not to include them.

VyprVPN has done a good job of keeping its app clean and simple to use on all platforms, though the blinking snake eyes and pulsing ring while connected won’t be to everyone’s taste and can be rather distracting if you leave the app on screen.

Apps score: 5/10

Ease of use

VyprVPN’s apps are easy to use and some of the best beginner VPNs we've come across. There are two buttons, one showing the location you’ve picked, and the other that says Connect/Disconnect, and that’s it.

It’s not quite as foolproof as the big, friendly power button that so many other providers use, but it’s nice and straightforward.

It would have been nice to see a convenient drop-down of locations to pick from; instead, this is on a separate tab. That said, if you click on a new location, then it automatically connects the VPN, which is nice to see and makes trying out new servers a simple process.

An image of VyprVPN's app showing VPN details.

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

The settings screen is cleanly laid out, with a small explanation for what each setting does to help newer users understand just what they’re changing, though, for some reason, the automatic reconnect description seems to be truncated on iOS devices, with the last word missing.

There’s even a small icon in the top right of the screen that shows you useful information about your VPN connection, including the status, how long you’ve been connected, what your VPN IP address is, and how much data has been uploaded and downloaded, which can be very useful for those traveling overseas on a data-limited connection.

Ease of use score: 6/10

Speed and performance

To measure how a VPN provider stacks up in the real world and where it places in our fastest VPN rankings, we measure download speeds multiple times, with multiple speed test sites and apps. These include SpeedTest, Cloudflare, and Measurement Lab, used across multiple sessions in US and UK locations.

VyprVPN’s WireGuard speeds were remarkably solid for much of our testing. We regularly saw speeds over 600 Mbps when connected to the UK, USA, Europe, and even the Japanese location, which is quite impressive as servers in Asian locations are often substantially slower than those in the Western parts of the world.

The same can’t be said for VyprVPN’s OpenVPN speeds. While it’s accepted that OpenVPN will always be slower than WireGuard, the results we saw were still far slower than we would expect.

UK speeds often dipped below 40 Mbps, US servers returned around 40-60 Mbps, and Asian speeds fluctuated between 25-40 Mbps. These results are similar to what we saw the last time we reviewed this provider, so while there’s been no improvement, the speeds haven’t gotten any worse, either.

An image depicting VyprVPN's speed test results.

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

To put these speeds into context, 4K streaming, for instance, requires connection speeds of 25 Mbps. So while you could stream high-def content with VyprVPN, you wouldn’t be able to do too much else without potentially encountering problems with buffering or the image quality suffering.

Connection speeds are important for downloading and streaming media, but another important factor is latency or “ping”. Your ping is a very important factor in online gaming as it measures the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the game’s server and back again. In other words, this is the amount of time it takes the game to fire your weapon after you click your mouse or tap on the screen.

Ping is measured in milliseconds (ms), and you want to always try and connect to a server that offers you the lowest ping possible. The lower your ping, the faster your in-game actions are received by the server, resulting in smoother and more accurate gameplay. If you’ve ever been in a multiplayer game and seen someone jerking when they move or seeming to teleport back and forward, that’s someone with a very high ping suffering from what’s commonly known as lag.

Speed and performance score: 6/10

Unblocking

Unblocking streaming services in other countries with VyprVPN is a bit of a mixed bag. We had some success in testing, with VyprVPN working with Disney+ in both the UK and the US.

Amazon Prime Video was a bit more hit-and-miss in both the US and the UK. We could stream most content, but not all. We had similar problems the last time we reviewed this provider, and it looks like these issues still persist. We had no luck with Netflix UK/US, too, and BBC iPlayer simply refused to load. All in all, VyprVPN isn't a viable streaming VPN.

VyprVPN fares better as a torrenting VPN. There are no specific servers for streaming or torrenting, so you can use whichever is closest to you. In testing, we were able to access common torrenting sites and download torrent and magnet files without issue. Connection speeds while downloading torrents were fine. Nothing spectacular, but they were quick enough to get the job done.

Unblocking score: 4/10

Privacy and Security

While better than some of the lesser-known VPN providers out there, VyprVPN could do a whole lot better when it comes to the security and privacy of its users. It’s a good thing to see it offering up-to-date VPN protocols, like WireGuard, as well as giving users the ability to choose from a variety of other options to fit their needs.

The WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols are supported across all platforms, and VyprVPN even has its own custom VPN masking protocol called Chameleon that can help bypass aggressive VPN blocking. VyprVPN even has its own private DNS servers you can use to make sure you’re leaving as little of a digital footprint as possible.

Unfortunately, that’s all the VPN offers. There’s no malware or ad blocking, no antivirus, no website filtering, no TOR over VPN, or even multi-hop servers.

VyprVPN does, at least, protect user data with strong encryption capabilities. It supports the industry-standard AES-256 encryption with Perfect Forward Secrecy. This is a technique that ensures that a different encryption key is used every time a connection is made, so even if an attacker did somehow obtain an encryption key, they would only be able to access data in that particular session before the key was rendered useless.

The company has also undergone a third-party audit, which was carried out by Leviathan Security. We always love to see a VPN provider willing to undergo an audit, as it shows the provider is serious about its privacy claims. It is, however, a shame that VyprVPN hasn’t had another audit carried out since this was completed back in 2018. That’s 7 years ago, and a lot has changed in that time.

Privacy and security score: 5/10

Track record

The biggest change with VyprVPN happened back in 2023. The company is now owned by Certida and is incorporated in the USA. Previously, it was based in Switzerland, so this is a loss in terms of user privacy and consumer protection.

The company also didn’t make any real effort to inform its users about this change, with nothing being published on the website to reflect the change of owner or location.

This seems to have gone hand-in-hand with a reduction in the level of service the company offers, with apps and support for NAS devices and routers vanishing from the company website (although the support portal still has manual setup instructions for routers) along with a reduction in the number of simultaneous connections for new users, dropping from 10 to 5, and URL filtering disappearing from the app as well.

All this means that while the price has remained unchanged, you’re paying the same amount for fewer features.

Track record score: 4/10

Customer support

VyprVPN has a dedicated support portal, where a knowledge base provides setup instructions, troubleshooting guidance, and specific advice for various device types, but it’s not the most coherent or up-to-date offering we’ve ever tried to use.

For example, on the front page there’s a link to the 'VyprVPN forum', but when you click on it, you get an 'Error 404: Page Not Found' error message. That dead link has been there since we last reviewed this VPN provider in 2023, suggesting there’s not a lot of active maintenance of the support site going on.

The rest of the support portal is quite well stocked with helpful content, though it would be nice to see the articles go into more depth to help users troubleshoot their problems. Some of the articles are little more than a couple of lines long, with not even a screenshot to help beginner users find their way..

If you can’t find what you need on the portal, there’s an AI support bot that can help out and point you to useful support topics. If you’d rather not use it, then you also have the option to send a message to the support team to ask for help, or to chat live with a support engineer if you need assistance then and there.

Customer support score: 1/10

An image of the VyprVPN support page

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

Pricing and plans

VyprVPN offers three straightforward price plans. There are no other tiers, and you don’t get any additional features if you pay more money. Its prices are comparable to other mid-range VPN providers such as Proton or Windscrib,e and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you decide it’s not the right option for you.

  • 2 years - $72
  • 1 year - $60
  • 1 month - $10

An image showing VyprVPN's subscription plans

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

On the sign-up page, there’s some confusion over what you get for your money, with the main VyprVPN page stating you get 10 simultaneous connections, but the “Choose a plan” page states it’s only 5. On reaching out to support for clarity, we were informed that users who have signed up previously get 10 connections while new users get only 5.

This is not clearly stated anywhere on the main VyprVPN page, and even checking the support portal leads you to an article that tells you to contact the support team to verify how many connections are included in your subscription. This information should be front and center and clearly stated. It shouldn’t be something we have to dig to try and find.

Pricing and plans score: 5/10

Should you use VyprVPN?

As a VPN provider, VyprVPN’s overall offering is fine. It’s solidly average, and that’s both a strength and a weakness. If you need a VPN that won’t break the bank and has decent abilities for torrenting and unblocks the streaming sites you use, as well as offering adequate download speeds, then VyprVPN has you covered.

The problem is that so do dozens of other providers, some of which cost less and offer better features.

VyprVPN doesn’t do enough to make itself stand out in a market crowded with providers all eager for your money, and lets itself down in a number of ways. The features it offers seem to have diminished over the years rather than evolving; it’s unclear about the things it supports, and it doesn't make enough of an effort to keep its website up to date with accurate information about its product offering.

To sum up, VyprVPN isn’t a bad VPN, but it’s not a particularly good one either.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

PrivadoVPN review
10:07 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Tags: | Comments: Off

Swiss-based PrivadoVPN is a young provider with a simple and appealing message. It's a 'fast and secure VPN you can trust', says the website. Sounds good, but do the facts back that up?

The network has 'hundreds of servers' with locations across 48 countries. That's smaller than many—the top providers have thousands of servers—but it's big enough that there's likely to be a server near you.

A strong range of apps covers Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire TV, and Android TV. Support for up to 10 simultaneous connections means you're less likely to run into device limits, too, although Atlas VPN, IPVanish, Surfshark, and Windscribe don't impose any limits at all.

Try PriavdoVPN risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Protocol support is good, with the speedy and secure WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 available across the range.

Getting connected doesn't just shield your internet activities from snoopers. Privado VPN's Control Tower content filtering system also protects you from ads, trackers, and malicious websites, while a simple parental controls-type system can block adult content and even social media sites.

PrivadoVPN gets top marks for its P2P support, with torrent-friendly servers, a SOCKS5 proxy to maximize torrenting speeds, and a kill switch to protect you if the VPN drops.

If you run into trouble, 24/7 support is available to help troubleshoot. However, PrivadoVPN's support site is incredibly basic (ExpressVPN has 120+ troubleshooting articles; PrivadoVPN has five.) Fortunately, there's live chat and email support on hand if you need it, and my test email question got a helpful response in under 70 minutes.

PrivadoVPN Locations

PrivadoVPN boasts locations in 46 countries and some fairly priced plans (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

PrivadoVPN pricing plans

Privado's plans start with a capable free option. This gives you a choice of 12 locations, and a maximum of 10 Gb data per month, but covers only one device and drops SOCKS5 (although it still supports P2P). 

It's a decent free plan that outperforms many big names. Avira's Phantom VPN free plan limits you to 500 Mb a month, for instance (ouch), and Avast One's free app has a generous 10 Gb a week data allowance, but it doesn't allow you to choose a location. Proton VPN scores for its unlimited data, but only gives you a choice of three locations.

Paying $10.99 a month (card, PayPal, and even Bitcoin) for Privado's monthly subscription gets you unlimited data, the SOCKS5 proxy, and support for up to 10 simultaneous connections. Most providers ask around $10-$13 for monthly-billed accounts, so this is a pretty fair deal.

Buying an annual plan cuts the cost to a tiny $2.50 a month in the first term, rising to (a still reasonable) $4.99 a month on renewal. 

The best deal, a two-year plan, costs $1.99 a month for the first term and $3.99 on renewal.

In my eyes, this is great value—although there are a handful of providers that are cheaper still. Private Internet Access' three-year plan is priced at only $3.33 a month, for instance, and that's the standard fee; there's no built-in doubling of the price on renewal.

Privacy and logging

PrivadoVPN claims to offer two major layers of privacy. It's based in Switzerland, meaning you benefit from 'the strongest consumer privacy laws in the world', and even if PrivadoVPN is served with a court order asking for information, it's a zero-log service with nothing to hand over.

PrivadoVPN's privacy policy details some of the information the service collects. You must provide your email address to sign up, and its mobile apps grab your device identifier and use crash reporting libraries to receive reports if an app fails.

Unfortunately, PrivadoVPN hasn't put itself through any logging audits, which means we have to take it at its word. Undertaking one of these third-party audits would do wonders for the service—it's a clear indicator of a service's commitment to transparency and privacy, after all.

PrivadoVPN Privacy

PrivadoVPN makes solid claims on the privacy front (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

Privacy tests

My PrivadoVPN privacy tests came back with mixed results. The Blacklight privacy inspector found PrivadoVPN's website used 13 trackers and 19 third-party cookies, which is way above average.

Most providers use trackers, admittedly, and while they're not necessarily harmful, it's also not what we'd expect from a privacy firm—especially when other VPNs including Mullvad, Hide.me, Proton VPN, and PureVPN don't use trackers or third-party cookies at all. There's also an inherent risk of digital fingerprinting with these trackers, given how interconnected they tend to be, so it's something to be wary of if privacy is your main concern.

PrivadoVPN's apps collect anonymous app crash data and send it back to the company. I noticed that the Windows app does this by default, and although you can turn it off, you'll have to find the right setting, first. I prefer ExpressVPN's approach, where the app installer explicitly asks for permission to collect this data during setup. That ensures users are always clear about what's happening and have the option of turning off telemetry with a click.

Once the apps are installed, though, the picture improves. PrivadoVPN only uses the best and most secure protocols (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2), and they're all correctly set up for maximum privacy. DNS leak protection keeps your browsing private, and a capable kill switch prevents data leaks if the connection drops.

Control Tower (PrivadoVPN's content filter) also did a fair job of protecting me online, and its ad-blocker scored 75% in my tests (other VPNs average 50-90%.) Malware protection was below par at 42.7%, but the app shielded me from 90% of my test trackers, at the top end of the usual 70-95% range. I wouldn't rely on PrivadoVPN as my only source of web protection, but it's ideal for use as a second layer of protection alongside a specialist antivirus or internet security app.

Virtual locations

Many VPNs make at least some use of virtual locations. You might see Cambodia on the location list, for instance, and if you choose it you'll get a Cambodian IP address, but the physical servers could actually be hosted in another country.

This has its advantages. If the country has relatively poor connectivity, for instance, then hosting the servers somewhere else might get you better and more reliable speeds. If you're in or close to that country, it's a different story. When you're in Cambodia and connect to the Cambodia location, but your server is actually in New York, then it's going to cause an unexpected drag on performance.

I like to see VPNs being clear and upfront about their use of virtual locations. PrivadoVPN, unfortunately, doesn't really live up to my expectations. The website says PrivadoVPN uses virtual India servers to avoid the country's upcoming logging laws, but I found no information on the rest of the network.

There was some good news, however, as I found that Brazil, Israel, the Philippines, and even Ukraine all have servers in or very close to their named countries. On the other hand, I noticed several countries appeared to use servers based in London. These include India and Russia, which I can accept for security reasons, but I was surprised to see the South Africa location also uses servers in or close to the UK.

This won't be an issue for everyone. If you're in London, and connecting to South Africa, it could be a plus to have a local server, but I'd like to see PrivadoVPN be more transparent about where its locations are really based so that potential customers can understand the issues for themselves.

Windows apps

PrivadoVPN's Windows app looks very similar to every other VPN app you've probably ever used. Big 'Connect' button here; current location displayed there; click the location to choose something else from a list, while that gear icon over there leads you to useful tweaks and settings. You'll feel at home right away.

The location list is more configurable than many, with options to sort PrivadoVPN's servers by name or latency, or to show the nearest servers at the top. 

Connecting to a new country is a little awkward. In other apps, you can often double-click a country and immediately connect to its best server. Here, you'll have to click to expand its list of cities, even if there's only one, and then click again to connect. There's a workaround—add a city to your Favorites and you don't have to expand the list of cities, saving you a click each time—but this is still a small usability hassle I'd like to see fixed.

PrivadoVPN Windows App

PrivadoVPN's Windows app is hampered by a cramped and cluttered interface (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

Connection speeds were slower than most, at 5-10 seconds for WireGuard and sometimes over 20 seconds for OpenVPN (the best apps are ready to go in 1-2 seconds for WireGuard, 6-8 seconds with OpenVPN.) That can become annoying if you're regularly connecting and disconnecting, but if your device connects automatically when it starts, you might not even notice.

I also noticed an odd technical issue: when I left the PrivadoVPN app window open on the desktop, even if I wasn't connected, it constantly used 4-5% of my CPU time. Although that may not sound like much, it was enough to raise Task Manager's 'Power Usage' rating for PrivadoVPN to 'moderate', and I'm certain it'd eat away at your laptop battery.

As with the location list issue, there's an easy fix: minimize the app to the system tray and CPU usage drops to zero (when you're not connected.) But, as with the location list issue, life would be easier if you didn't have to notice the problem and then discover (and remember) these odd workarounds in the first place.

Windows settings

PrivadoVPN's Windows app isn't as configurable as the top competition, but there's still plenty to explore.

You can opt to connect via WireGuard, OpenVPN, or IKEv2, for instance, or select Automatic to allow the app to choose the best option. You're able to use OpenVPN via UDP or TCP, select a port, or even choose a Scramble option to try and conceal your traffic from snoopers. This may not be enough to get you online in China, seeing as the country makes huge efforts to prevent VPN use, but it could bypass other VPN blocks. I'm glad to see it included in PrivadoVPN's package.

PrivadoVPN Protocols

PrivadoVPN now supports WireGuard on most platforms alongside OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

The app can automatically connect as soon as it launches. Plenty of VPNs do the same, but PrivadoVPN gives you far more control over its choice of server. You can have it connect to the recommended location,  your last used server, a random server, or a random server from your Favorites list. It's a great idea I wish other providers would adopt.

A SmartRoute system is essentially PrivadoVPN's take on split tunneling. In a few clicks, you can build a list of apps that will always use the VPN, while others can be set to bypass it, perfect for apps that aren't VPN-compatible (and don't need PrivadoVPN's protection.)

I was happy to see the app included a kill switch, and even happier to find it worked precisely as advertised. Whatever I did to make the VPN drop, it blocked my internet connection and reconnected automatically. My traffic was never exposed.

The kill switch is one of the absolute variety, though: once you've turned it on, your internet is blocked, even after you manually close a connection or shut down the app. Other providers have at least the option to take a more lightweight approach, where you're protected if the VPN drops during a session, but it won't block your internet if you manually disconnect. I'd like to see PrivadoVPN add something more configurable, too.

Overall, this is a decent group of settings, but there's scope for adding more. PrivadoVPN has no customizable DNS settings, for instance, and no 'auto-connect when you access insecure networks' option. Still, the app has improved significantly since our last review, and I suspect even more features are coming soon.

PrivadoVPN Kill Switch

The kill switch works well enough (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

MacOS and Mac apps

PrivadoVPN's Mac app has a nearly identical interface to the Windows version with a very similar design and location list. That's always a usability plus, as it means once you've learned one, you'll know exactly how to use the other.

There's another benefit in faster connections. The Mac app sometimes connected in as little as two seconds, a fraction of the times I saw on Windows.

PrivadoVPN doesn't support split tunneling on Mac, but that's not unusual (Apple's security model makes it far more challenging to implement.) The app does still include the most important features in WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2 support, and a kill switch to prevent data leaks if the VPN connection drops.

I saw some odd behavior from the app in my previous review, but this time it behaved just as you'd expect: easy to use, with all servers connecting the first time, and no unexpected disconnects.

Put it all together and, although Privado's Mac offering doesn't excel in any area, it's simple to operate and should cater to most user's needs. Even if you're unsure, no problem: the free plan means it's easy to try out the app and see how it works for you.

PrivadoVPN Mac App

The Mac app keeps the interface simple much like the Windows edition, but we found it suffers from some annoying issues (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

Mobile apps

PrivadoVPN's mobile apps tick all of the right boxes and allow you to take your protection on the go—and the iOS app adds some mobile-friendly touches, including the ability to swipe up to display the location list. 

However, like the Mac app, it doesn't support Favorites. There's no kill switch, and the app's auto-connect option is relatively limited (you can set it up to connect when the app starts, but you're not able to choose the type of location.)

Still, the iOS app does support WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 connections, and they all proved speedy and reliable for me.

As usual, Android users get the most mobile power (this time, even more than Mac.) Getting protected can be as easy as hitting 'Connect', but there's the full location list when you need to change servers, and a decent set of features underneath, like a kill switch, WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocol support, split tunneling, and more.

As for our concerns, I saw a lot of reviews complaining about Android battery usage, and my Windows CPU hassles left me wondering if they might have some truth. I didn't test this, but keep it in mind, and perhaps try the free app before you buy.

PrivadoVPN Mobile Apps

The mobile apps make some improvements on the desktop clients (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

Netflix and global stream unblocking

PrivadoVPN got off to a good start in my unblocking tests, instantly accessing US and UK Netflix, along with the UK's BBC iPlayer, ITV, and Channel 4.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the same success with other Netflix libraries, and PrivadoVPN failed in Australia, Canada, and Japan.

The service couldn't defeat Australia's 10 Play, either, though it did unblock the relatively straightforward 9Now.

The mixed picture continued right to the end, as PrivadoVPN unblocked US Amazon Prime Video, but missed with Disney Plus.

PrivadoVPN delivered the goods with some very big-name providers, then, and that's better than most. If unblocking results are a priority for you, however, there are other providers you can consider. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, ProtonVPN, PureVPN, and Surfshark all unblocked every one of our test sites in recent reviews.

Netflix menu showing popular shows

PrivadoVPN unblocked US Netflix and everything else we tried for that matter (Image credit: Netflix)

PrivadoVPN performance

We measure VPN performance with several benchmarking services—SpeedTest's website and command line app, Measurement Lab, Cloudflare, and more—from both a UK data center and a US residential location with a 1 Gbps connection.

Each benchmark is run five times with our normal connection (that's with the VPN off) to establish a baseline, then five times while connected to the VPN using WireGuard, and five more using OpenVPN (where available). All tests are repeated again later (that's a minimum of 120 speed checks), then we analyze the data to see what's going on.

PrivadoVPN's results kicked off with a relatively ordinary 120-130 Mbps for OpenVPN connections. You'll have no problems browsing or streaming with that, but Hide.me reached 260 Mbps in its last OpenVPN test, and Mullvad, our top performer, managed 500 Mbps and more.

PrivadoVPN also supports WireGuard, though, and switching protocols accelerated my downloads to 830-880 Mbps. This isn't quite the fastest I've seen, and NordVPN, IPVanish, and Windscribe all maxed out our test connection with speeds of 950 Mbps and more in their last tests. But unless you're downloading terabytes of data on a regular basis, you're unlikely to notice any difference, and PrivadoVPN's WireGuard performance is more than fast enough for most devices and internet connections.

nPerf performance benchmark

We benchmark every VPN we review with a variety of online speed tests (Image credit: nPerf)

PrivadoVPN review: Final verdict

PrivadoVPN stands out for its speed and generous free plan, but the various app usability and other annoyances mean it doesn't match the top providers. Try it, but take the free plan for a spin before you spend any cash. 

TechRadar rating: ⭐⭐⭐½

Subscribe if:

✔️ You're looking for a bargain: whether you opt for one of Privado's annual plans or its free tier, you'll get a VPN that packs a lot of functionality into an inexpensive package.

✔️ You need a speedy service: PrivadoVPN's WireGuard speeds are seriously impressive, and more than enough to handle gaming, streaming, and torrenting.

✔️ You have lots of devices to cover: a subscription bags you up to ten simultaneous connections, meaning you can share the VPN's robust security with the family or simply ensure all of your gadgets are shielded.

Don't subscribe if:

 You need access to lots of content libraries: while PrivadoVPN managed to unblock some Netflix catalogs and regional services, it didn't achieve full marks in our streaming tests.

❌ You want comprehensive support: the PrivadoVPN support hub is pretty bare-bones, and other providers (like ExpressVPN) have more articles to pick through, covering everything from the basics to technical topics.

The lack of an audit is a red flag: currently, PrivadoVPN hasn't undergone a third-party audit to verify its logging claims, which means you'll need to put a lot of trust in the provider without any verifiable claims that it's got your privacy in mind.

Tested by

Meet the experts behind our PrivadoVPN review:

Astrill VPN review
6:29 pm | November 4, 2021

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets VPN Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

Astrill VPN sets itself apart from the big names in our best VPN rankings by offering specialized features that bypass internet restrictions. However, it's not cheap, and prices start at an eye-watering $30 per month.

There's a reason for the hefty price tag, though. Astrill VPN targets a niche market of folks who need advanced obfuscation technology rather than more casual users.

Astrill VPN's proprietary protocols are designed to bypass network restrictions, making it one of only a handful of reliable China VPNs. However, its dated interface, limited global server coverage, and high price point make it a tough sell if you’re looking for basic protection or streaming capabilities.

Features

Astrill VPN distinguishes itself with a specialized feature set designed primarily for unblocking websites in particularly restrictive internet environments. Beyond standard AES-256 encryption and DNS leak protection, Astrill offers two proprietary VPN protocols: OpenWeb, which disguises VPN traffic as regular web browsing, and StealthVPN, an advanced obfuscation protocol engineered to bypass sophisticated censorship systems through deep packet inspection avoidance.

We found that both are significantly faster than the industry darling, OpenVPN, but they cover your browsing traffic first. This means that you'll have to fiddle around with settings if you want OpenWeb to cover all of your internet connection and not just your browser.

Astrill VPN's premium tier offers a VIP package with multi-hop connections and priority servers (limited to 100 GB monthly per server), as well as optional dedicated IP addresses for more reliable access to services that block shared VPN IPs.

Both features require additional payment beyond the standard subscription. Business plans that include centralized management capabilities for organizations with 10+ users are also available.

The client includes customizable split tunneling for routing specific apps or websites through or around the VPN, and an "App Guard" kill switch on desktop platforms that can selectively block the internet connection for specific applications when disconnected. Unfortunately, this feature is absent from the iOS and Android apps.

Astrill’s "VPN Sharing" feature allows your primary VPN device to function as a VPN hub for other connected devices, essentially acting as a proxy for devices that can’t load a full VPN client onto them. Pretty handy if you’ve got IoT devices you’d like to keep protected. There’s also support for ASUS Merlin and DD-WRT routers with a control applet that simplifies VPN management.

Despite these strengths, Astrill VPN lacks increasingly common features like Smart DNS for streaming devices. There is an ad-blocker available with the OpenWeb protocol, although this seems to be an instance of AdBlock Plus baked into the app. We found that the biggest issue with Astrill VPN is that the service limits you to just 5 simultaneous connections (with only one router connection permitted), which feels particularly limited compared to competitors offering 8-10 devices (or Surfshark’s unlimited connections).

Features score: 4/10

Server network

Astrill VPN's server network is somewhat modest compared to the likes of NordVPN. The service offers strong coverage across the United States, with servers spanning both East and West coasts as well as several states in between. There’s also decent representation in Western Europe, including multiple locations in the UK, France, and Germany.

However, Astrill VPN’s coverage of Africa, Asia, and South America leaves plenty to be desired.

One unusual aspect is that Astrill VPN is among the few VPNs still offering servers in Russia. That’s a double-edged sword given the potential security risks that have led many providers to withdraw from the country. Considering that these are physical servers, not virtual ones, you may wish to think twice before connecting.

The real issue we had with the servers while testing out Astrill is that server labeling is inconsistently applied, with some locations clearly marked by city while others are just labeled with numbers. Frankly, it’s a confusing experience when you’re trying to place your pin on the map.

Server network score: 6/10

Apps

Astrill VPN provides clients for all major platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

The Windows, macOS, and Linux clients feature a minimalist, black-and-white interface that feels decidedly dated with a design reminiscent of the early 2000s. The desktop app is surprisingly compact, occupying just a small corner of the screen and remaining tethered to the taskbar by default. While this space efficiency might appeal to some users, it can feel cramped and limited compared to modern VPN interfaces.

The Windows client provides the most comprehensive feature set, including the unique "App Guard" kill switch that allows users to specify which applications should lose internet access when the VPN disconnects. While this is useful for isolating specific applications like torrent clients, it’s less intuitive than the system-wide kill switches offered by other VPN providers.

The mobile VPN experince is somewhat more modern, particularly on Android where the app features a dark blue interface that feels more contemporary than its desktop counterpart. The core functionality remains similar with a large connect button, protocol selection, and server menu.

That’s where the positives end, however, as both the iOS and Android apps feel like a cut down version of the full Astrill app. Notably, the iOS app lacks WireGuard support, offering only TCP and UDP connection options for OpenVPN. While both mobile apps provide options to keep the VPN connected when the screen is off and auto-reconnect if the connection drops, they lack the proper kill switch feature that's available on desktop platforms.

Apps score: 5/10

Ease of use

Despite its dated appearance, Astrill VPN provides a relatively straightforward user experience. The installation process is simple, and the main dashboard, while not visually impressive, places essential functions front and center making it difficult to miss the primary connect button.

The client also has a built-in speed test tool that allows you to check ping times and connection speeds to nearby servers before connecting, which is a useful feature for optimizing performance. However, our testing revealed discrepancies between Astrill VPN's internal speed measurements and actual performance when connected.

Advanced configuration options are accessible through dedicated menus, including privacy settings for DNS leak protection and WebRTC leak fixes. The organization is logical, if not particularly elegant, making it functional but lacking the polish of VPN providers like ExpressVPN.

Ease of use score: 7/10

Speed and performance

Astrill VPN delivers adequate, if not exceptional, performance for everyday browsing and streaming. In our testing, we recorded speeds of around 56 Mbps while connected to Astrill's UK VPN server over OpenWeb, compared to 70 Mbps on our test connection without a VPN.

That’s a 20% speed reduction. With WireGuard, this rose to 60Mbps, whereas our OpenVPN speeds were only 45Mbps.

The service's built-in speed test tool suggested performance comparable to our base connection speeds, but our real-world testing with independent tools showed this to be somewhat optimistic. Nevertheless, the speeds we achieved are more than sufficient for 4K streaming on services like Netflix, which requires only about 25 Mbps.

How we perform speed tests

Broadband speed test on a laptop

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

We test from two different virtual PCs, one in the UK and one in the US. We’re expecting big things out of NordVPN, as both of these servers have a 1 Gbs connection. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

Connection times are almost instantaneous through OpenWeb and StealthVPN, though we found they were unusually long through OpenVPN. You also can’t change your location without disconnecting from OpenVPN first, which made testing servers for our streaming setup a tedious process.

The VIP package promises enhanced speeds through priority servers and we found this was the case, boosting our download speed to 68Mbps. However, given the additional cost on top of an already premium price, the standard servers should be adequate for your needs unless you’re specifically looking for one of today's fastest VPNs.

Speed and performance score: 5/10

Unblocking

Astrill VPN has mixed streaming capabilities based on our recent testing. The service successfully allowed us to access US Netflix, but our experiences with regional Netflix content was a mixed bag. Unfortunately, we couldn’t watch content in Canada, UK, Japan, or Australia, so it's not exactly the best Netflix VPN on the market.

The VPN's performance with other streaming platforms is inconsistent. Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+ worked on the American servers we used, although we had to go through multiple server locations before finding one that works. We also found that BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video simply wouldn’t work no matter what we did.

When Astrill VPN does successfully connect to streaming services, the video quality is generally good. We were able to stream in HD and 4K without significant buffering. However, we did find that loading times when using the base tier of Astrill VPN could occasionally be a little longer than we’d like.

For torrenting, Astrill supports P2P on many of its servers (marked with a star in the server list) and delivers reasonable speeds. The port forwarding feature available with StealthVPN enhances torrent connectivity, though the lack of a kill switch on mobile platforms is a significant drawback if you’re looking for the gold standard of torrenting VPNs.

Unblocking score: 3/10

Privacy and Security

On the technical side, Astrill VPN offers strong encryption through AES-256 standards and supports multiple protocols including OpenVPN, WireGuard, and proprietary offerings: OpenWeb and StealthVPN.

The latter two are specifically engineered to bypass sophisticated censorship systems in restrictive regions like China. The desktop applications feature comprehensive leak protection, with our testing confirming no DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks when using the WireGuard protocol. Astrill VPN also provides built-in leak testing to check whether you’re exposed, but we’ve used third party tools to verify the results.

Astrill VPN makes strong claims about its privacy practices. Based in the privacy-friendly Lichtenstein (outside the Five Eyes surveillance alliance), Astrill should be well-positioned to protect user data.

As far as data retention goes, Astrill VPN states clearly in its privacy policy that it does not collect or store users' internet traffic, immediately deleting it from servers and removing IP addresses from connection logs as soon as sessions end. It claims to use RAM-only servers, which should completely wipe all networking data as soon as they’re unplugged. Therefore, if Astrill VPN’s servers are seized it’s unlikely law enforcement would be able to find any useful information about the provider's users.

However, we’ve found several concerning statements in the privacy policy. The service keeps records of users' last 20 connections, including connection time, duration, country, device type, and application version. While Astrill VPN claims this data is kept strictly for support purposes and is deleted after 30 days (or upon request), this is a level of logging that we’re not completely comfortable with.

Perhaps more worrying is that Astrill VPN's privacy policy hasn't been updated since May 2018. That’s an exceptionally long period without revision in the VPN world. Additionally, Astrill VPN has not commissioned any third-party audits to verify its privacy claims, making it difficult to independently confirm its practices.

Privacy and Security score: 3/10

Track record

Astrill VPN has been operating since 2009, making it one of the oldest active VPN providers in the industry today. It has traditionally positioned itself as a specialized VPN provider with a focus on bypassing censorship. In particular, Astrill VPN has built a reputation for consistently working in heavily restricted regions like China, where many VPN providers struggle to maintain reliable access.

However, Astrill VPN has not been as proactive as its competitors in demonstrating any security claims through independent audits or transparency reports. We’re also unimpressed with their current privacy policy, which has been gathering cobwebs since 2018.

At the very least, we can say that Astrill VPN has maintained a relatively low profile for the last few years. It hasn’t suffered from any major security incidents that we’re aware of, although without an independent security audit it’s difficult to say how secure its server architecture really is.

While Astrill VPN has made some notable contributions to the VPN industry with not one but two different proprietary obfuscation protocols, we get the sense that the service is a little outdated and hasn’t quite kept up with the modern feature set you’d get from a top-tier VPN.

Track record score: 4/10

Customer support

One thing we can’t fault Astrill VPN for is the level of customer support on offer. Astrill VPN claims that it provides 24/7 live support. This matches up with our experience, as we found that all of our interactions with Astrill VPN’s support were resolved very quickly by knowledgeable support agents.

Beyond live assistance, Astrill VPN maintains an extensive knowledge base in wiki format that goes well beyond basic setup instructions. The documentation covers everything from standard installation guides to advanced topics like DNS cache flushing, third-party client setup, router configuration, and even tutorials on BitTorrent and remote desktop support.

There are also plenty of video tutorials on the site in addition to written documentation. We found they were easy to follow and clearly showed how to activate individual features on Astrill VPN, which might be necessary given that the UI can be a little intimidating at first glance. Overall, top marks for customer support, arguably on par with some of the top-tier VPNs out there.

Customer support score: 10/10

Pricing and plans

Astrill VPN's pricing structure is significantly steeper than industry standards, starting at $30 per month for a monthly subscription. Even ExpressVPN, which is one of the most expensive options that regularly features on our best VPN lists , starts at only $15 monthly.

Longer subscriptions reduce the monthly cost somewhat: a one-year plan brings the price down to $15 per month ($180 annually), while a two-year commitment costs $12.50 monthly ($300 billed every two years). Even with these discounts, Astrill VPN remains substantially more expensive than competitors offering similar or better features.

The "VIP" add-on package increases costs further, adding $10 per month for just 100 GB of data on priority servers and multi-hop connections. We should point out that many competitors, including Surfshark, offer multi-hop in their standard packages for no additional charge. Astrill VPN does also offer private IPs as an add-on from $5 per month, which is a pretty reasonable price for your own dedicated IP that only you can use.

On the plus side, Astrill VPN does offer a wide range of payment options including major credit and debit cards, PayPal, bank transfers, and Bitcoin and Monero. It’s always good to see cryptocurrency payment options which provide a little bit more privacy when purchasing a VPN subscription, especially given that Monero is considered nigh-untraceable.

Pricing and plans score: 5/10

Should you use Astrill VPN?

After some extensive testing, we've concluded that Astrill VPN occupies a very specific niche in the VPN market. If you’re consistently encountering VPN blocks from your ISP or at your workplace, Astrill might work where other VPNs don’t thanks to an almost swiss army knife-like set of VPN protocols and options.

Similarly, if you’re working in a heavily censored region of the world like China, Astrill VPN is definitely worth checking out. There are also a few server location options, like Russia, that you won’t find on most VPN server lists, although that’s up to you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not.

Unfortunately, you’re paying a heavy premium to get access to these features. If you’re not interested in obfuscation, there isn’t much else there that justifies Astrill VPN’s $30 a month base price.

The dated VPN interface doesn’t exactly help matters either, and you might find yourself hitting against the upper limit of Astrill VPN’s simultaneous device connections pretty quickly. We’ve found that providers like ExpressVPN or NordVPN offer more polished experiences with broader server coverage at significantly lower price points.

Overall score: 52/100

Astrill VPN alternatives

1. NordVPN – from $3.39 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs you’ll find on the market. The massive network of 7,200+ servers across 118 countries ensures you'll always find a fast connection nearby, too. It’s perfect for preserving your internet privacy, as an independently audited no-logs policy and Panama jurisdiction means your data is kept truly private. Subscriptions start at $3.39/month (2-year plan), backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $1.99 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections on a single subscription, making it perfect for households with multiple devices. Nexus technology adds multi-hop capabilities through all 100+ locations on Surfshark’s server infrastructure, as well as a rotating IP feature that keeps internet services from being able to track you. Surfshark delivers premium features at a budget-friendly $1.99 per month on its 2-year plan. Every subscription includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. ExpressVPN – from $4.99 per month
The best VPN for beginners and the most secure
When speed and reliability matter most, ExpressVPN delivers. ExpressVPN uses the proprietary Lightway protocol to offer lightning-fast connections perfect for streaming and gaming across 105 countries. User-friendly apps make protection simple on everything from smartphones to routers. While pricier at $4.99/month on a two-year plan, what you get is a premium service with 24/7 live chat support, as well as a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee just in case you’re not happy with the service.View Deal

Le VPN review
2:48 pm | December 3, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

Le VPN is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that promises to encrypt your internet traffic and keep your identity safe while you browse the web.

But how does the provider stand out from the competition when it comes to the title of best VPN? Well, for starters, Le VPN uses strong encryption to secure your data. This means that even if someone were to intercept your traffic, they wouldn't be able to read it. The provider also offers a strict no-logs policy, meaning that it does not track or record any of your online activity. This is important because it means that even Le VPN couldn't give someone your information, even if it wanted to, as the data doesn’t exist.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, the provider offers over 100 VPN locations, including the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. However, the number of VPN servers was not disclosed when we checked their official website.  

Pricing & plans 

Le VPN offers several subscription plans to its customers. The annual subscription plan is priced at $59.40. The 2-year plan starts at $2.78 per month (billed annually at $69.60). Last but not least is the monthly plan, which costs $9.95. Unfortunately, there is no free VPN offered here. There isn’t even a free trial available, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans

Accepted payments are PayPal, UnionPay, Boxxo, Boletol, credit card, and Bitcoin. 

(Image credit: Future)

Privacy & encryption 

With a powerful AES-256 encryption, this VPN deploys an open and secure browsing experience for all your devices. It supports typical VPN protocols like IKEv2 and OpenVPN, as well as older, outdated ones such as L2TP over IPSec or PPTP.

More exciting is the implementation of WireGuard, a modem VPN protocol that has been designed to be both simple and highly effective. It uses up-to-date cryptography and aims to be much faster and more efficient than older protocols such as OpenVPN and IPSec. The tool’s WireGuard feature is available on all of their apps, so you can enjoy fast, secure VPN connections no matter which device you're on.

Additionally, Le VPN supports HybridVPN, a new type of VPN service that combines the best features of both traditional VPNs and smart DNS proxies. HybridVPN provides both security and speed, making it the perfect solution for online privacy and security. Traditional VPNs encrypt your traffic, which can slow down your internet connection. However, HybridVPN uses a different approach to encryption, which makes it much faster than traditional VPNs.

The company’s no-logs policy means it won't be tracking your activity or storing any personal data such as websites you visited or any online activities you engaged in while connected. It only keeps track of when you connect, disconnect, and how much traffic is transmitted during that session with an IP address for each server used; this ensures all information remains anonymous while still providing some assurance to users.

The tool is a good choice if you need a VPN for torrenting and P2P thanks to its high speed and unlimited bandwidth. It also offers security and anonymity with its strong encryption which will make sure your ISP or anyone else cannot see what you are doing online. 

Elsewhere, the VPN’s ad blocker is a useful way of blocking pesky ads that pop up on your screen when you're trying to browse the web. It's a simple and effective way to keep your browsing experience clean and uninterrupted. It’s available across Windows, iOS, Android, ChromeBook, and Mac.

Another neat touch: If you need a VPN for China, Le VPN offers several other options for connecting. We recommend Le VPN's OpenVPN Port 53 by default.  

Streaming 

This streaming VPN unblocks quite a number of video streaming platforms. When we tested the VPN for Netflix in the US, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO Max, it was able to unlock these services. 

We also tried to connect to BBC iPlayer with the UK server, but the connection and internet speed was slower compared to connecting to the USA server. However, Le VPN did unblock the streaming site. One thing worth mentioning here is that some of server location streams are faster than others. In our experience, we found connecting to the USA, Australia, and other South American server locations, the internet was faster than other locations. 

Speed & experience 

Le VPN showed a fast and steady VPN connection when we ran a speed test. The download speed on Ookla is 65.28Mbps and upload speed 7.7Mbps.

We tested speeds connecting to servers in different server locations. The results were not exactly the same. Connecting to the Australia server location gave 25Mbps with fast streaming on Netflix and Kodi (on an Amazon Fire TV Stick). We also tried USA and UK server locations and the speed was 20Mbps and 15Mbps respectively. 

(Image credit: Future)

Customer support 

One of the best features of the service is its customer support. Whether you need help signing up or just want to make inquiries, the company will attend to you. But, it is worth noting that Le VPN does not offer 24/7 customer service, and it’s only available between 7am and 5pm (HKT). You can also send an email if an issue isn’t already addressed on the website knowledge base. 

Apps 

Le VPN has official mobile VPN apps for iOS, Windows Phone, Chromebook, Routers DD-WRT, Linux, and Android devices. The app is quite easy and straightforward to install. Signing up and setting up your account is very simple and easy. You may choose to sign up on the app or on the official website. 

However, it does not allow simultaneous server switching, which means you must terminate the existing VPN connection and then reconnect to the new VPN server location you want. 

 Alternatives to Le VPN

There are many different options out there, but we recommend checking out the following VPNs. 

ExpressVPN is a popular option that offers high-speed connections and robust security features. It's perfect for those who want to stay protected while browsing the web.

CyberGhost is a great option for those who want to remain anonymous online. It offers a variety of features that make it a top choice for many users.

NordVPN is an excellent choice for those looking for a reliable and affordable VPN service. It offers fast speeds and plenty of security features to keep you safe while online. 

(Image credit: Future)

Verdict 

While Le VPN has a number of benefits, it also has a few drawbacks. If you're looking for a VPN service that is available in all countries and offers a free trial, it  might not be the best option. Additionally, the customer support team is not available 24/7, which could be frustrating if you're trying to resolve an issue outside of normal business hours. 

All things considered, it’s a decent VPN service that might be perfect for your needs. But NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two great alternatives that offer similar features and benefits for those looking for an affordable and reliable VPN service. 

VPN.ac review
5:39 pm | October 9, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

VPN.ac is among the less well-known VPNs, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have helpful features. Created back in 2009, VPN.ac is a Romania-based VPN owned by Netsec Interactive Solutions. Romania is a secure location for VPN services, because data retention in Romania is prohibited by law and the country is not subject to the 5 Eyes alliances' surveillance authority. 

With a modest network of 100+ servers in 20 countries and 117+ IP addresses, VPN.ac is quite small - especially compared to top competitors who provide thousands of servers. However, VPN.ac does use an obfuscation technology that allows it to operate in China. 

Pricing & plans 

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Unlike other VPNs, VPN.ac doesn’t offer a free trial. This means you unfortunately aren’t given the opportunity to test the software before using it. There are three subscription plans available: 

1 Month: $9.00

1 Year: $57.6 ($4.80 per month)

2 Years: $90.00 ($3.75 per month)

All subscriptions involve 6 simultaneous connections, a VPN kill switch, P2P servers, cross-platform software, protocol support, OVPN configuration files, and no speed limit.

It’s also worth mentioning that although VPN.ac offers a 7-day money-back guarantee, the terms of service state explicitly that requesting a refund is not a simple process. The VPN does have a wide selection of payment plans to choose from, including credit and debit cards, PayPal, bitcoin, gift cards, UnionPay, Webmoney, and CashU. 

If you're working to a budget, see our round-up of the best free VPNs.

Privacy & encryption 

In its privacy policy, VPN.ac is open enough to acknowledge that it records information about your session, including your real IP address, in order to find ways to perform better. This includes the amount of data transferred as well as the start/stop times of your connection, however, It does not collect any data concerning your online activities, and all data collected is encrypted and removed at the end of each session. VPN.ac claims that the logs help them combat man-in-the-middle and brute-force attacks. It should be noted that as of the time of this review, the company has not had a VPN audit, which means there’s no independent verification of their claims. 

Remember that the headquarters of VPN.ac are in Romania, a nation that is not covered by the surveillance of the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes alliances, this is good news as far as privacy is concerned.

VPN.ac uses AES-GCM 256-bit encryption along with 4096-bit RSA authentication for encryption, and uses SHA512 HMAC and PFS for added security. Top-notch VPN protocols like PPTP, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, IKEv2, and WireGuard are used, offering impressive security. Torrenting is supported on all VPN.ac servers, however do keep in mind that your torrent activities may be exposed and it is illegal to torrent in some countries. 

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Streaming 

One of the advantages we found when evaluating this service was its effectiveness as a streaming VPN. During our testing, we were able to stream HD content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and HBO Max. 

Speed & experience 

When we tested the software, we were somewhat surprised by the speed of the VPN.acserver. Prior to using the VPN, our internet speed was around 94 Mbps, and when we connected to a distant server in Germany, we received an amazing speed of 87.41 Mbps. The UK also performed remarkably well in our test, achieving 88.92Mbps. VPN.acmakes big claims about their performance and speed, and they keep them! 

Apps 

VPN.ac is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as plug-ins for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera and a mobile VPN app for Android. There is also a kill switch available, although you have to turn it on manually. The apps are simple to use and well-built and can be configured to work with routers and even on Linux systems by following the tutorials on their website.

There is a multi-hop configuration that allows you to encrypt your data across two or more servers and a DNS filtering system that filters trackers, advertisements, and malware.

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Customer support 

VPN.ac can be contacted via email, ticket system, or by sending a message via Skype. You can also look through the website's knowledge base and frequently asked questions to learn more. The knowledge base contains more complex questions, like how to install it on your router, while the FAQ is useful for basic and technical questions. 

VPN.AC alternatives 

NordVPN

Over ten years have passed since the launch of NordVPN. You have unrestricted entry to your favorite websites and can benefit from online security that meets military standards. It also doesn't retain any data from your activities due to its rigid no-log policy, allows connections from 6 devices at once, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review

Surfshark

The service unblocks all of the streaming platforms, is extremely fast and packed with sophisticated easy-to-use features, has a user-friendly app, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is quick, safe, unblocks major streaming platforms, supports torrents, doesn't log your data, and is simple to use. It also has a 3-month free trial and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review

Windscribe

This VPN has a feature that stops trackers from following you, a “distraction-free” mode to help you concentrate when you need to, and a strict no-login policy that keeps your online activities private. This app is among our favorites.

Read our full Windscribe review 

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Verdict 

VPN.ac may be the ideal VPN provider for you, depending on your particular needs. They have great apps and excellent security, and the price is fair. The service is also quick, compatible with streaming services, and works well in China. 

VPN.cc review
4:41 pm | October 7, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

A virtual private network, or VPN for short, enables users to access video and music that are only available in specific countries by allowing them to conceal their real location and also shield their identity from cyber threats and prevent surveillance by concealing their IP address. 

One option comes from Malta based company Pandora Web, the maker of VPN.cc. For those looking for a reliable VPN server, VPN.cc offers more than 20,000 IP addresses worldwide and over 4000 servers. These are spread across 59 different nations, including Mexico, Croatia, Russia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Costa Rica, Egypt, and China. Since more servers typically equate to faster speeds, this server coverage is excellent. 

Pricing & plans 

VPN.cc in action

(Image credit: VPN.cc)

To begin, Vpn.cc offers a 7-day free trial for those willing to leave their credit card information – but you must cancel the trial within the seven-day period to avoid being charged for the full service. If you’re not interested in leaving your payment information, the VPN offers a 3-day free trial to anyone who wants to try out the service. VPN.cc does not provide a long-term free VPN option.

The VPN offers 4 subscription plans:

1-month plan: $9.99 per month

3-month option: $26.97 ($8.99 per month)

6-month plan: $47.94 ($7.99 per month)

12-month plan: 83.88 ($6.99 per month)

All of the plans include access to their mobile VPN apps, all the servers, high-speed data, a 14-day money-back guarantee, and the option to connect two devices simultaneously. 

Payment options include credit and debit cards, as well as cryptocurrencies or PayPal for higher security.

Privacy & encryption 

VPN.cc in action

(Image credit: VPN.cc)

The fact that VPN.cc has a privacy policy on its website but doesn't provide any information about its logging or no-logging policies is a cause for serious concern. Additionally, it lacks premium features like a VPN kill switch, which is now a given with the top VPNs.

The PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN protocols are used by VPN.cc to secure your traffic. We don't know if it uses a 128-bit or 256-bit encryption algorithm due to the lack of information available, and we also couldn’t confirm whether it supports torrenting.  

Streaming

When it came time to test the streaming capabilities of the service, we discovered that VPN.cc had been discontinued and that there was no way to get in touch with the provider. This was very disappointing because they stated that they could block any platform that was geo-restricted. 

Although we anticipate them starting up again soon, in the meantime it will be best to look elsewhere for a streaming VPN that can support sites like Netflix. 

Speed & experience 

Many people are hunting for the fastest VPN. When using a VPN for torrenting or streaming you need the speed to be roughly equivalent to your regular internet speed because this determines how quickly you can upload or download content. Having said that, we were unable to test the speed of VPN.cc because it is not currently active. 

Customer support  

VPN.cc has an email and a support form that can be used to get in touch with customer service. However, when we attempted to contact customer service for more information, no one got back to us. 

Apps 

(Image credit: Future)

The website claims that VPN.cc offers applications for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. The apps are still available for download, but due to the VPN's inactivity, they won't function if you do so.

Alternatives 

VPN.cc in action

(Image credit: VPN.cc)

Because VPN.cc is no longer in operation at the time of this review, you should invest in an alternative VPN that has been used successfully.

NordVPN

For a VPN that has been active for more than ten years, it is among the best. You have unrestricted access to your favorite websites and can benefit from excellent privacy tools and online security that satisfies military requirements. It doesn't log your data, offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and supports multiple concurrent device connections.

Read our full NordVPN review

Windscribe

Windscribe uses a Block Trackers feature to stop trackers from following your activity, a distraction-free mode to help you focus when you need it, and a strict no-log-in policy to keep your online activities private. It also has a protocol for circumventing Internet censorship.

Read our full Windscribe review

Surfshark 

The service has a user-friendly app, a generous unlimited devices policy, unblocks all streaming services, is lightning-fast, and is loaded with cutting-edge features that are simple to use. Additionally, unlike most VPN providers today, it has permitted an independent VPN audit to test its software.

Read our full Surfshark review

ExpressVPN 

There are lots of good reasons to choose ExpressVPN. It’s quick and secure, unblocks popular streaming services, supports torrents and doesn't keep any records of your data. It also has thousands of servers spread out around the globe, and is quick and easy to use. Best of all, there’s a three-month free trial to make sure you’re satisfied before paying up. 

Read our full ExpressVPN review

CyberGhost

CyberGhost offers a variety of useful VPN features on a user-friendly platform. The software is free, simple to use, and never makes your computer run slowly. You can access more than 1200 servers located in more than 50 countries, and it offers extensive P2P and torrent functionality. Features include remote access, DNS leak protection, anonymous browsing, and more. Last but not least, one account can support up to five devices operating at once - meaning you can protect your home computers and mobile devices.

Read our full CyberGhost review 

Verdict

There are several reasons why a VPN with a stable foundation and a large number of servers and IP addresses would be inactive. We tried contacting the service provider to get more details as to why their service is inactive at the moment, but we could not reach them. We hope that they will be able to get back on their feet in the future. 

Flow VPN review
6:08 pm | September 15, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Tags: | Comments: Off

Who wants a VPN with an OpenAI-powered chatbot? Yeah, me neither. But, as brands try to jump on the AI bandwagon and stand out in the crowded VPN space, that's what FlowVPN has given us

Needless to say, it's far from being one of the best VPN services on the market, but keep reading as I take a look at whether the AI chatbot offers any benefit to the VPN, how FlowVPN stacks up with the rest of the VPN market, and answer the all-important question—should you try FlowVPN for yourself?

FlowVPN isn't exactly a newcomer to the industry, rather its ultimate owner Portable LTD was formed in the UK in 2011. They're a medium-scale provider that operates "over 100 servers" in 60+ locations, but the exact number isn't publicly stated (which doesn't exactly inspire confidence).

The first real red flag for FlowVPN is the jurisdiction it's based in. The United Kingdom is part of the Five Eyes information-sharing pact, which means that it is one of the least suitable locations for a VPN provider. The relationship between GCHQ and the NSA is well documented, and both organizations are keen to undermine VPN privacy wherever possible. Combined with their lack of no-logs policy, FlowVPN isn’t a suitable choice when it comes to handling sensitive personal information.

FlowVPN pricing

FlowVPN is positioned as a cheap and cheerful budget VPN provider. There are three different plans on offer: monthly, quarterly, and annual. All of the plans offer the same functionality and features, and the only difference between them is the duration of the subscription and the prices.

FlowVPN’s monthly plan is priced at $6.99 per month. This is pretty cheap compared to most VPN providers, especially considering there are 60+ locations on offer. Unfortunately, the discounts don’t drop much lower from here.

Their quarterly plan is priced at $18, or $5.99 per month, which is roughly a 15% discount. Here’s another issue with FlowVPN: Their discount on the monthly plan is advertised at 30%. That’s not true. I'm not sure if this is just an issue in how their marketing is coded or outright deception, but either way, it's an odd claim.

Lastly, their annual plan is priced at $50.04, or $4.17 per month, which comes out to around a 40% discount. Unlike the previous plan, the website states this one correctly.

FlowVPN does not offer a free version and, while it does offer a five-day free trial, there's no money-back guarantee period. This is a real problem, and we've received a few reports of users being unable to cancel their free trial without contacting their payment provider, and being unable to get refunds if their trial expired and they began paying before they were able to cancel. You should therefore exercise caution when signing up for the free trial. At the bare minimum, you should use a virtual credit card that you can easily cancel.

For payments, FlowVPN accepts a wide variety of options, including the classic credit/debit cards such as American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. They also offer PayPal, various cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and even gift cards as an option.

Privacy and encryption

FlowVPN uses AES-128 encryption to protect your data. While this can't be cracked with current supercomputer processing power, it’s surprising that FlowVPN doesn't offer an AES-256 option for added security. This more secure standard is supported by many of the leaders in the VPN space, and its absence speaks to how FlowVPN’s overall approach to security is lagging behind current industry practice.

FlowVPN offers access to the highly secure and widely trusted OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols. The inclusion of WireGuard here is a major plus, however, it can only be used on certain platforms such as iOS and Mac. Unfortunately, FlowVPN also allows you to use several insecure protocols, such as PPTP and VPN over SSH. 

In terms of features, FlowVPN doesn't seem to provide even the bare minimum. There is no mention of a killswitch anywhere, let alone anything more advanced such as split-tunneling or multi-hopping. Not having a killswitch is a major failing, it provides an extra layer of security and should be included with every VPN these days. FlowVPN should add a kill switch ASAP but there are far more pressing issues with this VPN.

A no-logs policy? Ha, forget it. FlowVPN's privacy policy explicitly states that the company actively monitors usage for a broad range of illegal activities, as well as some perfectly legal ones (like sending an email with an attachment over 20MB). Client information is handed over in response to any inquiry or warrant by law enforcement, so FlowVPN essentially tells you that your traffic is being monitored. 

While it seems like this VPN works in China, the lack of technical competency and awful privacy policy means I cannot recommend this VPN for use inside China (in fact, it may be dangerous to do so). Instead, I'd suggest you check out NordVPN or ExpressVPN—especially if you’re looking for a P2P-friendly VPN, as none of FlowVPN’s servers support P2P traffic.

Streaming

The good news is that FlowVPN can unblock most major streaming services, including the likes of Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. Well, sometimes. FlowVPN just cannot do this consistently and I had to try multiple servers in the hope that one would suddenly work. Even after my testing, there didn't seem to be any real pattern when it came to accessing geo-blocked content, it just randomly worked at some point. In short, FlowVPN can unblock geo-restricted content on these services, but it cannot do so smoothly or consistently. 

If streaming geo-blocked content is one of your top priorities, I recommend you go for ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN will consistently and effortlessly unblock all the geo-blocked content on the major streaming services listed above, and its superb speeds mean you'll get the smoothest streaming experience possible. 

Speed and experience

I tested out three different servers in various locations to get an idea of how fast FlowVPN is. All of my tests were conducted on the same 100 Mbps connection using Ookla Speedtest for consistency. 

First off, I connected to the UK server. As this is the server that's closest to my actual location, you would expect to see the highest numbers here. After a few inconsistent results at the beginning of my connection, I came back an hour later and found that the best results I got were 61.40 Mbps download and 17.93 Mbps upload. Honestly, this is a pretty decent result. There are certainly faster VPNs out there, but this isn’t awful by a long shot.

I tested the server in Germany next. This connection was far more consistent, clocking in at 55.74 Mbps download and 12.84 Mbps upload. All in all, these results were roughly in line with what I expected based on the UK tests.

Finally, I tested FlowVPN's US Northeast server. This performed a little lower than expected, clocking in at 38.62 Mbps download and 7.99 Mbps upload. Like the German server, the results of all my tests were consistent, so I can surmise that their servers are working properly. All in all, these results are pretty middling, but nothing egregious.

Customer support

FlowVPN's customer support provides the bare minimum. There's no live-chat support system, which is a major downside in this category, just a basic support ticket system and an FAQ on their website.

That's not great, and it gets worse. When I tested the support ticket system, I did not receive a reply. As there's no other way of getting help, this essentially means that FlowVPN provides no customer support. The FAQ is also very barebones and does not seem to provide any valuable information whatsoever. I found it particularly disconcerting that there’s a section with no meaningful advice on which VPN protocol to use beyond recommending PPTP and L2TP over OpenVPN.

I’ve also heard reports of customers being unable to cancel their free trials because of this apparently nonexistent customer support. As the terms of service make it clear that no refund will be given once the free trial is over, this means that signing up for a trial locks you into a payment. That's a situation that's shady at best, and frankly malicious at worst.

Compatibility

FlowVPN has Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android apps. Check the fine print here, however, as these apps were not created equal. You can only use the WireGuard protocol on the Mac and iOS apps, making them vastly superior. It’s a rare case where the Apple apps are better than the Windows and Android equivalents, but it took me a few connection attempts to get the Windows app working at all. There is no mention of Linux whatsoever on the FlowVPN website.

FlowVPN allows you to use up to 10 devices at a time according to their website. This is roughly consistent with the industry standard, but this number is going up all the time and many top-tier VPN providers are switching to an unlimited subscription policy.

Alternatives

1. The best VPN overall: NordVPN
NordVPN tops our list as the best VPN overall thanks to its excellent privacy, high speeds, and integrated suite of security tools. With unbeatable content unblocking power, amazing speeds, and customizable pricing, you'll only pay for what you need. See for yourself with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and get the best VPN on the market.View Deal

2. The best VPN for beginners: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN offers a simple one-click connect interface so you can set it and forget it. Plus, it consistently unblocks Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+. Unlike FlowVPN, ExpressVPN has a strict no-logs policy that has been independently audited by third parties on an ongoing basis. With a 30-day money-back guarantee you can even put it to the test risk-free, too.View Deal

3. The best cheap VPN: Surfshark
If you've got a lot of devices to protect, or you just don't want to spend too much money on a VPN, Surfshark is a great choice. One subscription covers unlimited devices, so you can use as many as you want simultaneously. On top of fast connection speeds, Surfshark also keeps you safe with a password protection system that evaluates if your details are easy to guess, reused, or have been leaked online. Plus, with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can try it for yourself and see how it compares to the more expensive services.View Deal

Verdict

FlowVPN is a medium-scale VPN provider with some major issues. Their privacy policy is barely worthy of the name as it allows far too much leeway for data collection and essentially gives FlowVPN carte blanche to kick you off the platform for practically any infraction. However, it’s far more likely that you won’t be able to get the service working effectively and be left out of pocket with no chance of a refund.

Beyond the frankly abysmal customer service, the VPN is based in a Five-Eyes jurisdiction, does not support P2P, and lacks features that any decent VPN has had for years. Their VPN protocol support is also not up to industry standards, allowing for the use of several outdated and dangerous protocols

In conclusion, I simply can't recommend this VPN. The blatant logging and sharing of personal data is unacceptable, and the combo of terrible customer support and no money-back guarantee is downright predatory and leaves users unable to get their money back. In short, I’d advise you to avoid this VPN and use a top-tier VPN like ExpressVPN instead.

Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) review
9:55 am | September 7, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Website Hosting | Tags: | Comments: Off

Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 service is a private DNS that encrypts the site requests you make, hiding them from your ISP. It’s offered in conjunction with WARP, a VPN service built on top of 1.1.1.1 that also encrypts your traffic.

WARP is a free service, and while we’d usually warn against using free VPNs, we're fairly happy with WARP’s pedigree. Cloudflare is one of the largest network service providers on the internet, and it had 1.1.1.1 audited to demonstrate its no-logs policy.

However, WARP does not hide your IP address or offer the full range of features provided by traditional VPNs. While it's a good choice if you’re looking for a free service for basic privacy needs, it’s not going to compete with the best VPNs we’ve reviewed in the past, such as NordVPN or Surfshark.​

Features

While the 1.1.1.1 DNS service offers a few different features, there’s significantly less available from WARP. In fact, several key features are missing.

There’s no kill switch, meaning you’ll be vulnerable to data leaks if your connection to Cloudflare’s servers goes down. Split tunnelling is available, but you can only specify which domains and IPs aren’t covered by the WARP VPN tunnel. Other than that, it’s a very bog-standard VPN client.

It was also surprising to see that there was no way to select a VPN server location. When you connect to WARP, you get access to your best local server. That’s it. Given that our top-rated VPNs allow you to pick and choose servers in individual cities, this is something we'd like to see WARP integrate into its own offering.

The DNS service is a little more interesting. 1.1.1.1 allows you to request DNS over both HTTPS and TLS, obfuscating your domain requests completely. There’s also Oblivious DNS available, which proxies your DNS requests through 1.1.1.1 without exposing the original IP requesting the domain.

You can optionally connect through “Family” 1.1.1.1 instead, a version of the domain resolver which also adds filtering for malware and inappropriate content. It’s not quite as granular as something like Windscribe’s ROBERT DNS, however, which provides several categories and allows you to add individual IPs to a custom blocklist.

There’s even the option to route your DNS requests through Tor for extra privacy. It’s still in the experimental stage, so don’t expect any official support if it doesn’t work, but it’s an interesting idea. Routing your DNS this way will definitely slow your domain requests down compared to using 1.1.1.1 directly, but if you need to be absolutely sure your requests aren’t being spied on, it’s worth a shot.

You might expect some of WARP’s features to be gated behind WARP+, the optional upgrade subscription. This is not the case. WARP+ is functionally identical to the normal WARP client, except you’re getting some extra-fast routing on the back end.

Server network

It’s a mixed bag. On the one hand, Cloudflare runs an incredibly powerful worldwide server network unparalleled by anything but other top-tier CDNs. On the other hand, you can’t choose which location you connect to through WARP.

All traffic is routed through Cloudflare's global network, but WARP+ uses Cloudflare’s Argo backbone, which is optimized for high-speed connectivity. We didn’t find any particular differences in performance between the two networks, unfortunately.

Apps

There’s not much to say about the WARP app. Install it, hit the “On” button, and you’re in business. That’s really it for most users. On Android and iOS, it’s perfectly functional. On the desktop, the client comes up as a pop-up from the system tray instead of a full window that you can drag around.

In practice, it’s a little annoying to use because you’ll probably end up referring to guides and accidentally closing the window if you’re doing anything more complex than just hitting connect.

On the surface, there are almost no extra settings or customization options, which makes it great if you need a “simple as” VPN that anyone can use. However, dig a little deeper, and there are expert-level settings relating to DNS that the average user will never need to touch.

It’s also not immediately obvious where you’re connected when you check the location on the app, as WARP uses co-location codes for specific regions (LHR for London Heathrow, for example) instead of telling you which country you’re connected to.

The WARP app is available on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. There are no dedicated apps for smart TVs, streaming devices, or gaming consoles. However, you will be able to take advantage of 1.1.1.1’s improved DNS resolution speeds by entering the DNS address directly into most devices.

Ease of use

WARP with 1.1.1.1 doesn’t require any particularly difficult setup. The fact that it’s feature-light is actually a plus here: all you do is hit “On” and you’re connected.

It’s hard to see how WARP could be made any simpler. There’s no need to log in, no subscription to set up, no locations to choose, just a download and install process. You can get stuck into all of the complex options on the back-end or try implementing some of 1.1.1.1’s more esoteric features into your own app, but that’s not necessary to get the VPN working.

That said, you might hit a snag while looking for the app on the iOS store. Simply put: it’s not there, so you’ll have to download it from the Cloudflare site directly.

Speed and performance

WARP is not particularly quick, but keep in mind that it’s free. Our testing rig uses a 1 Gbit connection to stress test the full capabilities of each VPN we review. WARP didn’t even come close to maxing out our line at only 197 Mbps.

How we perform speed tests

Broadband speed test on a laptop

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

We test from two different virtual PCs, one in the UK and one in the US. We’re expecting big things out of NordVPN, as both of these servers have a 1 Gbs connection. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

We should point out that this is a free service, so you get what you pay for. It’s also more than fast enough to stream even 4K content, so you’re only really going to notice if you’re heavily into downloading.

You’d expect better from the paid WARP+ service, but unfortunately, our recorded speeds were… basically the same. Scarily so, clocking in at 198 Mbps. That definitely says something for Cloudflare’s consistency.

We can only assume that we’re already being connected to one of the best servers in the region by default, so don’t upgrade to WARP+ if you’re expecting an extreme jump in speeds. You’d be better off purchasing a subscription to Surfshark, instead, which reigns supreme as the fastest VPN on our books.

Unblocking

Don’t expect anything from WARP if you’re hunting for a streaming VPN. It’s not designed to bypass geo-restrictions and it doesn’t allow you to choose which server you’re connected to. At most, you’re going to have your traffic routed through a server geographically close to you. In our case, we found that we were still able to access ITV and Channel 4, but couldn’t access BBC iPlayer with WARP enabled.

Neither service blocks P2P connections, so if you’re looking to torrent on WARP it’s theoretically not a problem. In practice, the lack of port forwarding means you won’t get the same connectivity as using your home connection. Also, you’re not getting the IP masking protections afforded by most VPN providers. Together, this means that torrenting on WARP is an actively worse experience.

One plus side to WARP working differently from most VPN providers is that it’s not detected by nearly as many VPN scanners. We took WARP for a quick test-run and saw that nearly two-thirds of the sites we tested couldn’t tell we were using a VPN, which is significantly better than most of our top VPN providers. As a result, we’d expect you to run into fewer CAPTCHAs while using WARP, too.

Privacy and Security

There are some solid points here in favour of Cloudflare’s approach to privacy and security, but also a lot of areas where it could massively improve.

First, the positives. WARP uses BoringTUN to power the encrypted VPN tunnel you use to access the internet through its servers. It’s essentially another WireGuard implementation run inside the userspace, but instead of being written in the Go language, it uses Rust.

Cloudflare claims it’s a faster and potentially safer implementation of WireGuard, which is plausible, but it really remains to be seen whether this is the case.

Cloudflare has previously commissioned a no-logs audit of its 1.1.1.1 service by KPMG in 2019. KPMG indicated that Cloudflare handles data according to its privacy policy, essentially giving it a clean bill of health. However, there are still some issues here. For one, Cloudflare hasn’t commissioned another audit since then. There has also been no audit for the actual WARP service. Worst of all, by its own admission, Cloudflare does log some minor data about the use of WARP.

While WARP doesn’t require you to share an email address (or any personal information for that matter) to use the service, it does log an aggregated record of how much data you transfer and as well as your average connection speed. This isn’t a huge problem for WARP, but it is slightly more worrying if you add your personal information when you sign up via WARP+.

For 1.1.1.1, Cloudflare supports multiple encrypted and obfuscated methods of sending DNS requests. No problem here, these are great to see. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of the actual WARP client. There are no obfuscation options, so it’ll be fairly obvious you’re using a VPN to access the internet.

If you’re worried about your network admin or ISP blocking your traffic, you need to look for another secure VPN – like ExpressVPN.

WARP also doesn’t hide your IP, which is a huge negative for a VPN. It’s one of the core selling points, but WARP isn’t really designed for privacy from the wider web. It’s just to stop your ISP from recording your traffic, but without a kill switch implemented, there’s no guarantee this will work 24/7.

The 1.1.1.1 DNS service gets a pass, but we cannot recommend WARP as a serious privacy tool.

Track record

Considering how large Cloudflare is, it isn’t surprising it's run into one or two security issues in the past.

As for the actual app, there have been several exploits discovered for WARP that would allow a local attacker to escalate privileges or otherwise interfere with the system running WARP. It’s not the best track record, and we expect better from an organisation with so many resources to dedicate to security.

From a privacy perspective, WARP performs better, although we have run into at least one case where a user on the local network would still be able to sniff DNS requests made through WARP. This is now fixed, but on the whole, it doesn’t build massive confidence in WARP as a tool that'll keep you safe online.

Customer support

Cloudflare has some very thorough documentation on offer for both 1.1.1.1 and WARP. However, it’s very much tailored towards developers who are using 1.1.1.1 as part of larger applications.

While you might find the answers you’re looking for, it’s not particularly accessible for new VPN users. This is a little disappointing, considering one of WARP’s benefits is supposed to be its simplicity.

Otherwise, you’ll need to check out the community support forum or its Discord. Cloudflare staff regularly check the forum, but you can’t rely on getting an answer if you’ve got a connection problem. Upgrading to WARP+ gets you access to a support portal, but this is strictly for solving billing issues.

Pricing and plans

Both 1.1.1.1 and WARP are free to use forever with no bandwidth limits. The only paid part of the package is WARP+, which is priced at $4.99 per month and is only available through the iOS and Google Play stores. WARP+ is literally just a speed and connectivity upgrade, there are no extra features on offer for the upgrade price.

In comparison, you could subscribe to Mullvad VPN for the same price and access a VPN with fleshed-out privacy features and the ability to connect to servers all over the world. There’s no money-back guarantee for WARP+, so if you find that it hasn’t significantly increased your speeds, you’re out of luck.

Should you use 1.1.1.1.?

As a free private DNS service, 1.1.1.1 ticks all the right boxes. As a free VPN, WARP leaves some key features out that leave much to be desired. The lack of a kill switch and IP masking are the most egregious problems. Proton VPN Free offers a free version with all the functionality of WARP and more, plus some marginally better location selection.

If you’re just looking to upgrade your DNS, giving 1.1.1.1 a shot isn’t the worst idea in the world. However, there are better free VPNs out there that do a better job of improving your privacy.

Furthermore, if you’re going to pay for WARP+, you may as well just pay for a VPN that actually protects your IP address instead, as the speed upgrades you’re getting are marginal at best.

1.1.1.1. alternatives

1. NordVPN – from $3.09 per month
The best VPN overall
One of the most well-rounded VPNs out there. NordVPN offers connection locations all over the world in 118+ countries, top-tier security features like Threat Protection, and consistently fast speeds. It's the total package, and you can take it for a risk-free test drive with its 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $1.99 per month
The best cheap VPN (and the fastest!)
A fantastic choice if you’re concerned about value for money. Surfshark is one of the few providers that offers unlimited simultaneous device connections. There’s also some top-tier connectivity here, powered by the Nexus network, which allows you to create multi-hop connections between any two servers whenever you feel like it. Try it today with a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

3. ExpressVPN – from $4.99 per month
The best VPN for beginners
It’s a little pricier, but in return, you get best-in-class custom encryption protocols and a 24/7 support team ready to assist you whenever you have an issue with your VPN. ExpressVPN balances a powerful feature set with a streamlined, easy-to-use app that works on basically any platform you can think of. Best of all, you and try before commiting to a long-term subscription thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

Hola Free VPN review
7:03 am | June 23, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Tags: , | Comments: Off

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.

Privacy

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 Browser

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.

Unblocking

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.

Hulu

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. 

Hola Free VPN review
7:03 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Tags: , | Comments: Off

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.

Privacy

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 Browser

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.

Unblocking

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.

Hulu

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. 

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