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Can you trust this free-to-use VPN?
PrivadoVPN is an emerging, zero-logs VPN service that combines some of the best features of its premium competitors into a straightforward package. Best of all, it has a free service tier that refreshes every month.
Having officially launched in 2019, PrivadoVPN may not be as established as some of the older VPN services out there. But the company claims it’s committed to providing everyone with privacy and data security while online, and promises to provide unrestricted speeds, to never sell your data, or serve users with ads while using its service.
In addition, Privado provides high-end features like DNS and IP leak protection, an optional kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy. It also has servers in 48 countries and offers a SOCKS5 proxy for fast and secure downloads.
PrivadoVPN is based in Switzerland, so can operate protected by the world’s best privacy laws. While it may have only launched in 2019, its team has more than 20 years of combined experience in building and running secure infrastructure with major internet service providers (ISPs). And though originally built for Windows and Android, PrivadoVPN has grown to include support for macOS, iOS, Fire TV, and Android TV.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers a free plan
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Smart DNS feature
- Registered in Switzerland
Cons
- Limited range of server countries
- No dedicated IP option
PrivadoVPN Overview
| Countries: | 48 |
| Servers & Locations: | 62 cities throughout 48 countries across Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East |
| Customer Support: | 24/7 via online ticket |
| Log policy: | No logs |
| Encryption Protocols: | OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), IKEv2 and WireGuard, with 256-bit AES encryption ciphers |
| Supported Platforms: | Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Android TV |
| Routers Supported: | Asus RT-AC66U routers, plus those compatible with DD-WRT or pfSense software. |
| Simultaneous Connections: | 10 |
| Split Tunneling: | Yes, but only on Windows, Android, and Amazon devices currently |
| Kill Switch: | Yes |
| P2P File Sharing (Torrenting): | Yes |
| Country of Registration: | Switzerland |
| Dedicated IP: | No |
| Smart DNS: | Yes |
| Multihop: | No |
| Price | From free, with paid plans starting at $3.99/month |
| Free Trial or Money-Back Guarantee? | 30-day money-back guarantee |
Streaming Movies and TV Shows With PrivadoVPN
Many choose to use a VPN to securely access content online. This is particularly useful if you’re travelling and want to continue watching your favourite Netflix show or are visiting areas where censored content is restricted.
Using a VPN while using streaming services also protects your account and personal data stored in it (such as your email address and credit card information) from hackers.
PrivadoVPN claims it’s the best VPN for Netflix as it has super fast servers that let you watch from anywhere in the world, without buffering.
Compatible Devices and Services
PrivadoVPN works with most of the popular streaming services, including:
- Netflix US
- BBC iPlayer
- Amazon Prime Video
- Hulu + Live TV
- Disney +
- HBO Max
- YouTube
PrivadoVPN works on most devices, including:
- Windows
- Android
- macOS
- iOS
- Linux
- Fire TV
- Android TV
Apart from Fire TV and Android TV, Privado doesn’t have any details about using it on other smart TVs and devices. However, you can install it on your home router so that every connected device (which would include gaming consoles and smart TVs) is protected.
Detailed guides explaining how to set PrivadoVPN up on compatible platforms are available on its website. This also includes information on how to choose the right protocol for your needs.
Buffering
PrivadoVPN claims you can watch content from streaming providers like Netflix without any buffering, thanks to its super fast servers. Offering a choice of encryption protocols, including the new, faster Wireguard, and your choice of server locations, users should be able to find the fastest combination for their needs automatically.
PrivadoVPN also offers SOCKS5 proxy as part of its paid plan. A proxy will still mask your IP address to keep your identity private, but it won’t encrypt your traffic (making it less secure than a standard VPN) – saving this step should increase your connection speed while continuing to maintain your anonymity.
Bandwidth
PrivadoVPN guarantees to never throttle your speed, and it offers unlimited data on its paid plan. If you’re using the free plan, you’re restricted to 10GB every 30 days.
Using Privado may also mitigate against bandwidth throttling. This is when some internet service providers (ISPs) slow down activities like streaming to encourage users to upgrade to higher-paid plans. By hiding your activity with a VPN encryption, Privado ensures its users continue to receive high-speed streaming and download speeds.
Ease of Use
With apps available for all major platforms, it’s a simple one-click download to install PrivadoVPN on your device. From there, it’s as easy as clicking “auto-connect”, which is a big central button, on the app’s clean interface.
Features
PrivadoVPN includes all of the essential features you would expect from a premium VPN service. These include DNS and IP leak protection, secure encryption protocols, a kill switch, smart DNS, and a strict no-log policy.
Its paid plan also offers a SOCKS5 proxy, to provide faster downloads through an anonymous and untraceable IP address.
PrivadoVPN’s Plans and Pricing
Can You Use PrivadoVPN for Free?
Unlike many reputable VPN providers, PrivadoVPN can be used for free.
The free option includes many of the paid-for features, such as no logging, no ads, no speed limits, plus access to its private and secure encryption protocols. However, you’re limited to only one device, compared to the 10 simultaneous connections on the paid plans, and you can only access 12 server locations. You’re also restricted to a 10GB monthly usage limit, which resets every 30 days.
If you need more data, connections, or server locations, you can choose one of PrivadoVPN’s paid subscription plans:
- 1 month – $10.99/month
- 24 months – $3.99/month, billed now at $95.76 every 24 months
- 12 months $4.99/month, billed now at $59.88 every 12 months
All three paid plans offer the same features, regardless of which subscription length you choose.
Money-Back Guarantee
There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee on both the 12- and 24-month plans. Privado says you will need to contact its support team for more information.
Payment Options
PrivadoVPN accepts all major credits, as well as payments through PayPal or via cryptocurrency. Buying with cryptocurrency is a completely anonymous way to buy a VPN, particularly useful if you reside in a country where the use of VPNs is banned.
How to Cancel PrivadoVPN
All of PrivadoVPN’s subscription plans will renew automatically, so you will need to cancel before then if you want to avoid being charged for another billing cycle.
If you downloaded Privado from an additional partner (like the Apple App Store), you will need to cancel your subscription from within that service. Otherwise, you will need to contact Privado’s support team for further information.
PrivadoVPN’s Privacy and Security Features
No Logs Policy
PrivadoVPN is insistent that its service never collects or records any personal information about your browsing history or the servers you’re connecting to. This is set out in its Privacy Policy, which also makes a point to state your data will never be sold to third parties.
The policy also makes it perfectly clear what information PrivadoVPN does collect. This includes:
- Account creation information, including your email address and username.
- Your payment information, which is done through third-party payment processors (Privado does not collect or store your credit card number).
- If you use Privado’s support services, it will keep the information you provide, and may use third-party software for reporting purposes.
When using PrivadoVPN’s services, it may also collect:
- Which desktop and/or mobile application version(s) you have activated (for troubleshooting and support).
- Mobile analytics software (to provide bug fixes).
- Mobile identifiers provided by iOS and Android (these don’t contain your email address or name, but provide statistics for marketing or channel partners).
Information by cookies, pixels and other similar technologies is also collected. This is used to see which features are popular and how PrivadoVPN can continue to improve your experience.
It is possible to opt out of some of these options, but it involves installing add-ons or visiting additional advertiser sites.
Encryption
PrivadoVPN utilizes the latest technology for its encryption protocols.
The service uses 256-bit encryption, which is currently the best in the world. It supports OpenVPN (UDP), which is compatible with most networks, and OpenVPN (TCP), which is a little slower but more secure. PrivadoVPN also offers IKEv2, which is one of the fastest protocols around, and the newest Wireguard protocol, which offers a hybrid balance between speed and security.
Server Technology
PrivadoVPN uses physical servers that cover 48 countries and 62 cities across North and South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. The full list of countries is on PrivadoVPN’s website.
While the spread of countries is adequate, PrivadoVPN has far fewer server locations than many other top-tier VPN services, like Surfshark (which covers 100 countries). That said, PrivadoVPN has servers in some of the most desirable locations, such as the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and Australia.
However, you will need to sort the countries by latency to ensure you establish the fastest connection. Simply choose the server with the most bars and then return to the main page and connect.
Connections are made within seconds, provided you’ve chosen a server within range. If you haven’t, then it will make an attempt before disconnecting automatically.
Speed
Since VPNs have to direct your traffic through a secure server in another location, they tend to cause a slight reduction in your internet speed. Generally, the closer you are to the server location, the less the decrease in speed is likely to be, since your data has less distance to travel.
With servers in only 48 countries, PrivadoVPN doesn’t have the network coverage offered by bigger VPN providers, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN. This means there’s less likely to be a server relatively close to your actual location. Which probably means you’ll experience slower speeds.
When connecting to the closest server, the speed dropped by 32%. That said, we still clocked 34 Mbps, plenty for streaming in HD quality.
Here is the baseline speed without PrivadoVPN connected.
Here was the closest server, which also displayed full bars in regards to latency.
PrivadoVPN Review Summary
PrivadoVPN offers a lot of features, especially considering it’s relatively new to the VPN market. A strict no-logs policy, some of the best security protocols available, and a SOCKS5 proxy option, it also supports the most popular streaming services and platforms.
It’s also one of the few trustworthy VPN providers to offer a free plan – so you can try it without any commitment. And with great customer support from a Switzerland-based company, it seems passionate about providing a safe and useful VPN for everyone.
