VyprVPN Review
4.3
Your IP Address: 64.31.20.7 Your ISP: Limestone Networks, Inc. Location: Your country:
4.3
Free trial: 3-day free trial
Max. devices supported by one account: 5
Number of servers: 70+ server location
Supported devices: personal computers, iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Mobile, Router
Platforms: Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Linux, Android
Customer support: 24/7 live chat, ticket system, Facebook, Twitter, or email.
Online and data privacy is at a premium these days. With terrifying hacking attacks, identity theft episodes, phishing, espionage scandals, and more; Internet users have begun to understand just how important it is to protect their assets.
Thankfully, VPN apps are prepared to deal with cases like those on an everyday basis. These companies, called Virtual Private Networks, can encrypt the users’ content and online identity, namely their IP address, with the intention of safeguarding that information from hackers and cybercriminals, as well as governmental surveillance agencies, Internet advertisers, and other external agents.
One of the most widely available offerings in the VPN market is VyprVPN. Based in Switzerland, which has long been a privacy and neutrality paradise, this VPN has a long track record of protecting their customer’s online activity, although customers should know that some logs are stored for up to a month.
Despite a few negative points – for example, the difficulties to foster a proper torrenting activity – VyprVPN is an excellent choice for those who want top-notch security and excellent speeds. It keeps connection logs (not activity logs, and there is sizable difference) for 30 days, but overall, it is a user-friendly VPN with great performance.
VyprVPN offers two plans. The first one is VyprVPN, and the other is the VyprVPN Premium. The former costs exactly $9.95 per month, while the latter is a rather expensive, at $12.95 per 30 days.
Neither of these services can be considered cheap. However, the VyprVPN plan’s price is fairly standard, considering other providers in the market. The two modes come with a handy three-day free trial, a feature that lets users try the services for a short period of time before deciding on whether to commit long-term or not.
The regular VyprVPN plan can offer users three simultaneous connections, whereas the VyprVPN Premium offers five devices connected at the same time, which is right at the industry standards.
However, one drawback that keeps VyprVPN outside the top-three rated VPNs is that it doesn’t allow cryptocurrency payments yet. No anonymous payment method is a no-no in the VPN field. Bitcoin users will have to wait to see if VyprVPN comes around in this regard.
The company does allow the regular payment methods, including all major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, JCB cards, Diners Club cards), Alipay, and even PayPal.
The company is very transparent about what it logs and what it doesn’t keep. That is a strong point in their favor, as users appreciate honesty, which helps them decide if the enterprise’s offerings can work for them.
GoldenFrog is the company that offers the VyprVPN service. It is very clear regarding what it doesn’t log:
When it comes to privacy and having to deal with data retention laws and enforcement agencies, there’s good news for you: Golden Frog GmbH is based in Meggen, Switzerland, which means that it is subject only to Switzerland’s legal standards.
As it turns out, Switzerland is a paradise for privacy, and data protection laws already exist to safeguard people’s online content. Since the Swiss aren’t members of the European Union, there are no Five Eyes or 14 Eyes mass surveillance pacts.
Another positive feature of VyprVPN is that the company owns its entire server network, eliminating all third parties and removing possible irresponsible data and information management from the equation.
Connection logs are kept for 30 days, after which they get deleted from the system.
If some of the best and most widely used VPN service providers have in the neighborhood of 50 server locations (with some of them even scratching 30), then you could say with authority that VyprVPN has a broad server network. It manages 70 distinct server locations across the entire world.
The best part is that all servers belong to GoldenFrog and VyprVPN. Some VPN brands rent cheap VPN servers that, since they are shared and managed by third parties, may or may not be secure. However, this is not the case with our currently reviewed company.
VyprVPN’s 700 servers and 70 locations are spread across nearly every continent, including Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America. The more server locations a VPN has, the more chances you have of successfully hiding your location.
VyprVPN has made it very clear that some specific locations that have been forgotten by other VPN brands, such as the Middle East and Africa, are just as important as other places. In fact, VyprVPN is one of the most recommended companies to unblock content in these remote areas. On top of that, it has servers in censorship-heavy countries, like China, Russia, and Turkey.
VyprVPN sure is fast. The rates are very similar to using an Internet connection without VPN encryption, which is said to decrease speed by about 10%. Depending on the server and the location, you could get approximately 75 Mbps of download speed, which isn’t too shabby.
The company is especially strong in the European region, where the servers are highly optimized and offer high download and upload rates. However, the American servers are a bit lacking when it comes to speed, at least when you compare them with other VPN brands.
This is especially troubling, given that American content is some of the most sought after on the Internet. The Netflix region, Hulu, NBC, ABC, HBO, NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, and other channels and networks are very popular, and they are all based in the United States of America.
What VyprVPN does best, though, is preventing any leaks of content or data. The company is well-equipped to avoid unwanted information flow with a kill switch and no DNS, IPv4, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks.
VyprVPN excels in protocol availability. The “protocols” are the tools that VPN companies implement to encrypt all the information about the user and its shared online content. It is widely considered that the best in the business is OpenVPN.
OpenVPN, an open source protocol, has been audited by the community and continually checked on for possible vulnerabilities. It is not only reliable and secure, but also one of the fastest in the industry, which is a must-have trait.
In both the VyprVPN and the VyprVPN Premium packages we can find the OpenVPN protocol, which is an excellent development for users. In addition, they also have other protocols.
The Peer to Peer Tunneling Protocol (PPTP,) and the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with Internet Protocol Security (L2TP/IPsec) are also included in all package, to let users implement and configure their favorites.
VyprVPN’s special quality is that it offers a proprietary protocol, which is called Chameleon. Only subscribers to the Premium Package can have access to it. Chameleon is noteworthy because it has a feature called VPN Obfuscation that helps overcome heavy VPN restrictions and bans.
The Windows and MacOS are able to host all four mentioned protocols. As for mobile devices, here is what we know: Android can work with OpenVPN and Chameleon, and the iOS app uses IPsec.
As for encryption, VyprVPN’s OpenVPN details are as follows:
Data channel: an AES-256-CBC cipher with HMAC SHA256 hash authentication.
Control channel: an AES-256-CBC cipher.
RSA-2048 and HMAC SHA1.+
Forward Secrecy: DHE-2048
You can’t deny that VyprVPN is as feature-rich as they come. For starters, it implements a useful kill switch to make sure there are no data leaks in the event of a VPN disconnection. VyprVPN also blocks malicious sites and has a NAT Firewall that restricts unfamiliar inbound traffic and helps users stay protected at all times.
The VPN Obfuscation can help subscribers beat VPN blocking, and it is possible thanks to the unique Chameleon protocol. Often, countries such as China, Turkey, Russia, Iran and other Middle Eastern states; as well as universities, schools, corporations, and other entities; block VPN usage and prevent users from fully enjoying its features. With Chameleon’s VPN Obfuscation, that will not be the case anymore.
VyprVPN has five simultaneous connections in the Premium plan and three in the regular one. Another exciting feature is VyprVPN’s ability to unblock the American Netflix region (a tip: use the New York or the Chicago servers to achieve this).
However, Netflix is blocked on other servers, most notably in Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands. As for torrenting, the activity is allowed, but with a caveat: you could find yourself with your account suspended due to copyright infringement.
VyprVPN offers full device and platform compatibility, including Android, Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, routers, Apple TV, and Android TV.
VyprVPN is easy to use and it helps users in many regards, offering apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is also possible to install the encryption directly on routers and other trendy devices, such as Apple TV or Android TV.
The apps are smooth and easy to navigate. The menus and options are clearly defined and easily accessible, and the download process is very straightforward, too: just agree to the Terms, and the system will guide you.
VyprVPN’s customer support is considered to be comfortably above average. The service operates under a 24/7 mode, which is perfect for users that find themselves in need of instant aid.
The ways of getting in contact with VyprVPN’s support team are by email – contacting [email protected] for any issues – or by an online contact form for your inquiries.
However, the best and most useful customer support tool that a VPN company may have these days is a live chat feature. Thankfully, VyprVPN delivers and has an active one, with a staff agent ready to help you at all times.
The live chat service is fast, responsive, and hugely helpful, so it received high grades and a solid place in the industry.
An important feature that all VPN clients need to have these days is the ability to offer users the opportunity to back out of a deal if they don’t find satisfaction with the service. Thankfully, we can find that with VyprVPN.
The service offers not only a three-day free trial for both plans (the regular and the premium), but also, it has a month-long money back guarantee.
That means users can enjoy the benefit of testing the VPN’s features and traits for 30 days. At that point, they can ask for a refund or continue using the services of VyprVPN.
In the general scope of things, you could say that VyprVPN allows torrenting and Peer to Peer (P2P) activity. However, the fact is that your account can be suspended if you violate copyright laws; so in practice, VyprVPN is not a good choice for torrent addicts.
The speeds are excellent within the European Union, but the rates in the United States of America are barely acceptable and notably inferior when compared to the former.
VyprVPN, especially the Premium plan, is costly. The regular plan’s price is $9.99, which is a tad expensive but right at the top VPN’s standards. However, $13 for a premium VPN service is considered a lot.
There is still no cryptocurrency payment option, which is bad because Bitcoin provides an anonymous payment method. Also, connection logs are stored for 30 days.
In conclusion, VyprVPN is a strong option in a market that lacks star power after three or four brands. It has its small details, such as the torrenting problem and the lack of anonymous payment options, but all in all, people love VyprVPN.
It provides a thorough, sincere privacy policy, it has OpenVPN and a reliable native protocol in the Chameleon feature, it has a myriad of security offerings, and it works with the American Netflix region.
In addition, it is based in the land of neutrality and privacy, which is Switzerland. That is perfect news for your online anonymity. If you want a complete package that offers strong encryption, acceptable speeds and good privacy, try VyprVPN.