VyprVPN Review: Ultimate Guide

VPN Guides / By

Today we are going to take a look at VyprVPN and give our review on this virtual private network.

As online privacy and cyber security continue to rise, the VPN industry has exploded in recent years and now many competitors are vying for your hard-earned money. 

VyprVPN, which has been around since 2009, is based in Switzerland and is owned by the internet privacy and security solutions company Golden Frog.

Today we are going to analyze the most common features buyers look for in a strong VPN package.

We’ll test the performance of VyprVPN against other popular brands, how it stacks up in terms of overall user privacy, its compatibility with phones, web browsers, and streaming services, as well as give our take on its support features, censorship, and compatibility with other devices.

VyprVPN Review

Security and Privacy

We found VyprVPN to be generally secure and had no issues.

It employs high-end encryption using AES-256, features DNS leak protection,  and a kill switch that worked immediately so you won’t have to worry about data leaks if the system goes down (please note that you’ll need to activate this feature as it is turned off by default)

You’ll also have access to VyprVPN Cloud, a deployment solution when accessing cloud servers such as Digital Ocean, Amazon Web Service, and VirtualBox, which is a nice addition for even more protection. 

When you are out-and-about and need to take your internet connecting devices to public wi-fi, VyprVPN will automatically kick in and you won’t have to worry about being exposed in public settings.

Another great feature is VyprVPN is a no-logs policy company that is audited. This means that VyprVPN does not log things like communications, IP addresses, or the content they are viewing. 

However, we did experience some concerns with the sign-up process. Whilst VyprVPN allows you to register with just your email, unless you want to make up a user, it will ask you for your first and last name.

This is in contrast to other providers that generally only require an email address and payment method. Unless you decide to make up a name, you’ll be handcuffed by this option.

Further to this, as of writing, you are unable to pay using alternative methods such as cryptocurrency.

You are limited to credit cards, Unionpay, and PayPal, which effectively hands over your personal information. For a company that is trying to keep you private, this doesn’t seem very congruent with the brand’s mission.

Performance

VyprVPN hosts over 700 servers in more than 70 counties, which they own to add another layer of security. Overall the performance is decent, but the number of servers is minuscule when compared to other brands such as ExpressVPN that boast more than 5000 servers. 

In general, most of the servers offer a decent download speed, upload speed, and ping. You won’t notice any drop-off when streaming using popular services like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

When using it, no foreign library will be blocked, and you’ll have access to other countries’ libraries, ideal if you always wanted to know what the UK, Canada, and most of Europe are watching.

When compared to rival companies like NordVPN, overall performance is reduced. For a 500 Mbps connection speed, the download and upload speeds were slightly less powerful, but the difference wouldn’t be noticed for most people.

The best way to explain it is “fast enough. But there are better options out there.”

If you are looking to use VyprVPN for gaming, make sure to choose a server that is located close to your home, otherwise, your ping may suffer using a server halfway across the world.

Even though other companies offer more services, we found that the servers cover most areas, no matter where you are in the world, and will suffice for the majority of users.

For generic internet browsing and office-based work, using a server, say from Canada to the UK, is still a solid speed, despite the long distances.

Overall, when compared to other competitors such as NordVPN, it’s slower, but you won’t notice any major drop-offs. There were no performance drops, and connectivity was never an issue.

Torrenting

VyprVPN allows torrenting on all its servers across the network.

Previously, VyprVPN discouraged the use of torrenting, for its illegality of downloading and sharing copyrighted content, and it was reported that VyprVPN penalized users that torrent.

But that doesn’t look like it’s the case anymore, as they have now changed their stance on torrenting as long as the use of torrenting is strictly designated to non-copyrighted material.

Overall, torrenting with VyprVPN proved to be a breeze and we didn’t run into any problems. It’s fast, and most importantly it’s secure as the use of torrenting is anonymous. You are given unlimited data, with shared IP addresses. 

Compatibility

Other than the standard operating devices nearly everybody owns such as Mac OS, Windows, iOS, and Android, it is compatible with many other devices such as routers, smart TVs, and Amazon’s own Fire Stick.

There were no compatibility issues across Windows, Mac OS, or iOS. Everything worked smoothly with no connection issues or hiccups. 

One thing to note is that VyprVPN doesn’t have browser extensions, which is something to bear in mind when using popular web browsers like Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

It’s also not compatible with Linux, so sorry Linux users.

One thing to note is that it’s supported with WireGuard, and as far we know, VyprVPN is one of the early adopters which is a strong statement from the Switzerland-based team.

VyprVPN

Censorship

VPN blocking is a continued issue for VPN users, especially in countries like China, Russia, and some middle eastern countries, as well as educational institutions like schools and universities.

We know that this is a hot topic, and VyprVPN has developed its own system for overcoming government censorship, with its Chameleon Protocol.

This 256-bit encryption effectively hides by blending in with generic internet traffic, allowing your connection to bypass even the most iron-clad censorship. That means you won’t be strong-armed by Chinese cyber walls.

We appreciated this and found that this supports the VyprVPN brand of being anti-censorship.

We don’t know how long this protocol will stay effective, as they’ve had issues in the past that have been fixed.

Pricing

VyprVPN offers a longer-term protection package at extremely modest prices when compared to other big-name competitors in the industry.

You can look for short-term plans that only last 1 month, or plans that run for 36 months, which even though contains a 5 device limit, is a very competitive option.

VyperVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which we feel is a fair feature and comparable to the brands like NordVPN and SurfsharkVPN.

As far as we could see, there’s no free trial option, which we think would be an awesome user experience feature. Even if it was for 48 hours.

Support

Overall, we found the customer support to be efficient, easy to use, and supportive. You can reach VyprVPN customer services by email, but we found the most effective way was to use the live chat that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

We also appreciate an option for a knowledge database, for those that want to find out the answer for themselves without having to contact support. The tutorials are very well executed and are very easy to follow.

Sometimes a technical topic like VPN can be difficult, depending on the user’s experience with the software, but we found no issues and everything is explained clearly.

Final Thoughts

VyprVPN is a great choice for many individuals looking for a competitive VPN option. The performance was overall very good. They have a modest server grid, with over 700 servers in 70 countries.

The speed is decent, but if high-performance is one of your most important aspects, you’ll find better options elsewhere.

One of the highlights was the Chameleon Protocol and its compatibility with multiple devices and streaming services. Not many other well-known names can get this right, so it was a breath of fresh air and we found the whole experience user-friendly.

We also really appreciate the 30-day money-back guarantee, although a 48 trial wouldn’t go a-miss.

However, VyprVPN isn’t without some flaws. For instance, one of the biggest downsides is the ironic feature that you have to provide either credit card or Paypal details when signing up for this service.

For a company that values privacy, this seems like a short-sighted disadvantage, and feel VyprVPN should be able to offer alternative payment methods moving forward, with the likes of cryptocurrency becoming a popular method for payment transactions.

Along with this, a name is required for registration. Whilst we explained that there are workarounds, it shouldn’t take much to remove this requirement at the sign-up stage.

If you’re in the market for a cheaper, long-term plan, that is lighter on features and performance in comparison to other competing brands, this is the option for you.

Whilst it’s nowhere near the fastest, the results are still very good, and ideal for users looking to shop, work, play games or browse.

LX Center Team
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