Editor's Rating | |
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Overall | |
Features | |
Price | |
Customer Service |
- Exotic locations
- Full of extra features
- Smart DNS
- Good support
- FlashRouters partnership
Negatives
- Basic device selection
- Complicated pricing
- Slow speed
Started in Australia in 2010, VPNSecure.me (not to be confused with SecureVPN), also known as VPNSecure or VPN.S, has been expanding its network and going strong ever since. With servers strategically placed in 48 countries all over the world, extra strong encryption, a browser extension, a stealth VPN mode and an added Smart DNS feature this service provider may just be what you need to get past those geo restrictions and filters, and get your work done. VPNSecure offers its well-filled packages in customizable plans, and they operate an upfront and helpful website. If you’re looking for a reliable VPN provider who mainly focuses on protecting your privacy and overall internet activity no matter which device you’re using, then VPNSecure deserves to be placed on your shortlist.
Features
The good thing in the service of VPNSecure is that you don’t need to toil with the setup. The company created their very own software for this purpose. We tested the different features with the Windows version, but other platforms have their respective client as well. First of all, we would like to comment on the overall ease of using the programs. The plural form is rightful, as VPN.S incorporates the protocols in different clients, so you need to separately download and install the one meant for the OpenVPN and PPTP protocols. In the main menu you see all the available countries you can connect to. The system even shows you the one you occupied recently, so sticking to your favorites is fairly easy. Switching between two countries is fast and easy. In the settings menu there are some juicy extra features that are worth checking out, like the kill switch (it’s not called by its name, but the function is the same), a Chrome browser extension, and you are able to toggle the IPv6 leak protection.
Stealth VPN & Smart DNS
For those, who are facing difficulties accessing certain content in some regions, VPN.S has two solutions. The first is the Stealth VPN mode that can be found in the settings. With this turned on, you can only connect to stealth servers, which may be bit slower, but your VPN connection will still work in heavily restricted areas, like the Big Chinese Firewall. The Smarter DNS (as the name shows), is a much more intelligent way to bypass petty restrictions posed by the international media providers like Hulu, CNN or Netflix. By turning on the Smarter DNS client, you can watch anything you want, anywhere you want. In case you find a site that is currently not on the list, get in touch with the customer center, and they put it on the list for you.
VPN Network
Even the most well-equipped VPN client means nothing without a strong selection of virtual locations. Luckily that’s not the case with VPNSecure. The lineup of 48 countries may not sound so much (there are providers who step over one hundred), but they are placed evenly across the globe. Not to mention that we find such exotic locations like Isle of Man, Latvia, Egypt, Israel, Taiwan, India and the United Arab Emirates. Plus, all major European and American countries are here that you come to expect. It’s always nice to see when a VPN provider attends to variety, since it’s way too often when they neglect the African or Middle Eastern nations.
After conducting our speed test, we were a bit sobered up, though. We’ve chosen four cities from the four corners of the world: Japan, Latvia, USA and Italy. We finished the speed test for all of them with more or less the same results. The download speed was below average, but the PING remained low (except for Japan). The servers seem to be on the same level, which is always good, and they might be sufficient for browsing and watching YouTube videos, but longer streaming sessions are out of question.
Privacy Protection
VPN.S does not store any traffic logs. This means that any online activity that you participate in, using their VPN services, will never be logged. This is definitely a positive for the service provider, as the most important feature that anyone looks for in a VPN service right after security is anonymity. Connection logs are also erased every 24 hours and no VPN traffic logs get stored. As for the security protocols, VPN.S is a mixed bag. They present OpenVPN with an extremely strong 2048-bit encryption rate, which remains stable on any kind of device. Next up is the good old PPTP, a reliable but basic choice, which allows fast browsing at the expense of security. The last one is the SSH tunneling protocol that works via TCP. It has a solid 256-bit encryption rate, but it provides the ability to gain access to restricted networks, similarly to a smart DNS. Although the addition of SSH is commendable, the service still lacks such common protocol types as IPSec or SSTP.
How VPN Secure Anonymizes Your Internet Usage
OS, Device Support
VPNSecure provides support for all of the four major platforms: Linux, Google’s Android, Microsoft Windows, Apple’s Mac and iOS. This involves the downloadable clients as well, which are available for most hardware types. iOS and Android smartphone and tablet users can get the VPNSecure app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to enjoy the best possible user experience. The application makes it easy to select any of the available servers in the various locations with the same no logging policy as with the desktop version of the service. Features such as the ability to auto-reconnect on awake, a list of the servers you’ve most recently connected and others make it easy and quick to protect your privacy and data on the move.
A strong support of the major platforms is always nice to see, but nowadays VPN protection doesn’t stop at desktop computers or smartphones. Covering the sector of smart TVs and game consoles is just as important. Sadly, VPN.S shows no interest for this kind of hardware. On the other hand, they make up for this negligence with their devotion towards flash routers. VPNSecure has a strong partnership with FlashRouters, and they offer devices that can be purchased with a pre-set connection to the VPN.S network. This allows people to defend the central piece of their home’s Wi-Fi hotspot, protecting all connected devices, your smart TV included.
Pricing
Beside the device selection, the pricing is the only part where we’ve found some negative perks with VPNSecure: it’s a wee bit complicated. Things aren’t that bad if you roll with the simple plan. For $9.95 per month, you can enjoy the protection of the OpenVPN protocol, coupled with full access to all available countries, HTTP proxy and the service of the Smarter DNS feature. You can also prolong your subscription so it would last 6 or 12 months respectively, but other than the price reduction ($6.65 per month for the semi-annual, and $5.41 per month for the annual plan) you won’t get extra content. Sadly, these packages only involve the OpenVPN protocol. If you wish to use PPTP instead, it’s $7.95 for a month, but you must give up on the Smarter DNS. The same goes for the HTTP Prox, which costs $4.95 per month.
VPNSecure even allows some customization, like plans with both OpenVPN and PPTP protocols, or just the Smarter DNS function only. Although the main offer comes for a reasonable price, opting for all the available features raises the monthly fee significantly. Luckily you don’t need to consign yourself to VPN.S, since you can register on your smartphone for a fully free trial. Plus, you’ll be protected even after completing the purchase, thanks to the 15-day money-back guarantee.
Customer Service
VPN.S deserves a pat on the back for being upfront and honest about their service. While other VPN providers tend to hide the actual details behind vague promises and marketing lines, VPNSecure takes onboard the missing features as well. For example, they mention that they are currently unavailable for BlackBerry, but working on covering the hardware. They also provide in-depth tutorials and guidelines about their protocols, features and locations. Such openness is always welcomed in the VPN world. Their helpful nature is present at the customer support too, since they can be reached by email or a 24/7 live chat. VPN.S has an active presence on social media sites, and they created some noteworthy animated videos too.
Bottom Line
VPNSecure.me is the perfect example of a dedicated VPN provider. They constantly update their service and add new features that make your online life easier. They offer a strong privacy protection, complemented with extra features such as a kill switch, HTTP proxies and browser extensions, the SSH tunneling protocol, and the Smarter DNS function. The available 48 locations precisely cover the whole map, and you won’t encounter much traffic. There is much to be desired in terms of speed, however, and only the most common devices are supported. The price is affordable, and leaves room for customization, although a full service gets pricey quickly. All in all, we recommend VPNSecure for newcomers and veterans alike, but mostly for those who desire more than simple protection.
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supah says
I checked out this service and purchased OpenVPN, they have 24 Country locations at the moment and the speeds seem to be good compared to other providers that i’ve tried.
chrome extension is awesome too for proxy which came with my openvpn plan