But there’s one VPN that is popular—as in it’s on the bigger side—but isn’t AS popular as some of the biggest names.
This VPN is one I was skeptical of at first, because of my own biases. But after testing it, I’ve discovered this is one of the BEST VPNs around.
In fact, it’s nothing short of a hidden gem.
Well, not quite hidden. It IS popular, considering this:
So it’s still pretty big.
But it’s still RELATIVELY underrated in my book.
Now, it’s definitely far from perfect—so in this review, I’m going to give you the REAL truth about VyprVPN.
I’ve tested it thoroughly, and now I want to go over all the ins and outs—the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Spoiler alert: it’s mostly good).
Ready?
Great. Let’s start with one of the most important things to know about VyprVPN:
Performance
Performance isn’t just one of the most important things to know about VyprVPN…
It’s one of the most important things to know about ANY VPN.
That’s because VPNs almost inevitably cause some slowdown in internet speed. It’s just the price of securing and anonymizing your connection—there are some extra hoops to jump through.
BUT, the best VPNs will barely affect your internet speed.
I’ve tested VyprVPN in a few settings and found the results to be pretty consistent. The first time I tested it, I went to my favorite café.
This is my favorite café’s internet speed NORMALLY:
And here’s how it looked when I connected to the “fastest server” option on the VyprVPN app:
There’s no other way to say this:
YIKES.
Now in my experience, it’s quite common for the “fastest server” or “optimal server” button on a VPN to NOT give me the best server.
On several different VPN apps, I’ve found the recommended server too slow, and had to manually select a server close to me.
So I thought this might be the case, and I manually picked a closer server:
BOOM! MUCH better, huh?
Repeated tests done later have shown more or less this same result, as long as the server was close.
And when actually USING it, it feels about the same as “naked” browsing.
So all things considered, VyprVPN has GREAT speeds—perhaps some of the BEST around—as long as there’s a server relatively close to you.
But of course, regular internet browsing usually isn’t the only thing VPN consumers are interested in doing with VPN tech.
A lot of people would like to unlock content—especially content geo-restricted by streaming services.
So I’ve also tested out Vypr with different streaming services.
In this example, I connected to a server in Panama that seemed it would be fast.
And then THIS happened:
It worked. And in fact, it worked PERFECTLY.
It loaded as quickly as Netflix does without a VPN equipped. This remained true for a few different servers I tried, although not all were equally speedy (of course).
Accessing streaming or TV services are still only one type of popular VPN pursuit. The other would be using a VPN to torrent.
Like this:
Now, I actually found that despite being connected to a pretty close server, one that delivered high speeds, the download look a bit longer than other VPN torrents have taken me for similarly-sized files.
But even if that’s true, it still downloaded relatively quickly. Other times I’ve used VyprVPN to torrent files, I haven’t found things got too slow.
So I’d have to say that while VyrprVPN doesn’t seem to be the best for torrents, it still handles them well.
When we put everything together, it’s pretty clear:
VyprVPN is one of the BEST performing VPNs I’ve used. Just make sure you pick a server manually.
Now, while this is a win for VyprVPN, the battle isn’t over. Let’s check out the next item on our list:
Ease of Use
Ease of use is one of those things people FORGET to value.
Especially with VPNs—which are generally easy to use in the commercial software form.
But ease of use gives you time and reduces your stress. It lets beginners use a useful tool and lets advanced users get on with their life quickly.
Of course, different VPNs have different levels of user-friendliness. But I think Vypr strikes a great balance.
Let’s start with the basics. It’s really easy to sign up:
You have to add your payment info, but you won’t get charged till after the first three days—giving you time to cancel.
Anyway, after that you just need to confirm your email:
And then you can go ahead and download:
Which shouldn’t take too long or ask too much set-up of you.
And then you should be good to go! The app essentially looks like this on desktop (in my case, Windows 10):
Although the app isn’t as cutesy or flashy or modern-looking as a lot of other VPNs out there, it’s still pretty easy to read.
It tells you a few essentials—whether your firewall is on or not and what your protocol is (things you can change in settings), as well as where you’re connected and details on the amount of bandwidth you’re using.
A lot of people won’t care about those details, but I like VPNs that show them. They’re nice little counters.
Anyway, you can access server options by clicking the location pin button at the top:
This expands a new window.
I actually REALLY like this window. It’s small but makes use of the space efficiently. It’s not hard to use at all, just to-the-point.
You can search for servers, or browse them. You can browse by region, and favorite servers and select from your favorites list later.
VyprVPN notes the ping time on all the servers, so you can quickly find the ones best for you in a given region.
In all, Vypr gives you just the necessary details and organizational tools, without too much fluff.
You can also access some quick settings and options from the icon tray:
So that’s quite handy and keeps things easy.
Things do get a little bit more difficult when you go to the “options” page:
But as you can see, the absence of bright and colorful buttons doesn’t make things difficult. There are explanations by every option that make things easier.
So while ordinarily a beginner wouldn’t feel confident switching VPN protocols, VyprVPN makes it very easy:
And you can make basic changes about the app/software itself really easily too:
Things only get difficult here:
But note that VyprVPN makes it SUPER clear that you don’t NEED to make changes here unless you feel confident and knowledgeable enough.
So overall, the software itself is quite easy. Basically everything you saw here is about the same on the software for other platforms—so it never gets too difficult.
You can manage your account and subscription settings on the Golden Frog website (note that Golden Frog is the company that owns VyprVPN):
As you can see, the control panel is pretty simple and just contains some upselling from the parent company.
Now, overall it seems clear to me that VyprVPN strikes a great balance between USABILITY, and FLEXIBILITY:
It’s definitely easy enough for any beginner to use, but the ease of use doesn’t become stifling to anyone who wants to take control of their account (I found TunnelBear flawed for this reason).
So I commend VyprVPN for finding a great middle ground. But maybe we should talk more about that user flexibility:
Pricing and Features
While it’s great that VyprVPN is user-friendly, you may have realized that part of what affects a VPN’s user-friendliness is the FEATURES.
And even if you don’t care about user-friendliness, you probably care about what features your VPN comes with.
Because often times, performance is only part of what makes a VPN’s price good or not. Features can be pretty important in determining how good a price is.
Speaking of, what exactly are VyprVPN’s prices??
Check it out:
Right off the bat, these aren’t too bad. I can’t lie—there are more affordable options out there.
But those affordable options tend to be owed to the fact that the commitments are 2 or 3 years.
Because VyprVPN only offers a maximum term of 1 year at a time, the lowest price you can get is $3.75 a month for 12 months (Originally $5 a month for a year but now offers 25% discount).
So if you’ve been hoping to save by buying a VPN for 2 or 3 years, VyprVPN may not be the best deal for you.
BUT, it’s a completely normal price for a yearly or monthly commitment.
I DO think it’s a bit unfortunate that there are TWO tiers to the VPN service—a regular and premium one.
Some VPNs do this, but most just have 1 service that can be bought for varying time commitments—but which has no differences in quality or features.
Nonetheless, the premium version gives you a couple more advanced features and a couple extra devices per account.
The rest of the features, the amount of servers, and the performance…all those are left UNTOUCHED in the tiered system. So you still get a good deal with the normal version.
BUT, you can also pay monthly instead of yearly.
As you’d expect, the prices are higher:
But most VPNs offer a monthly option and these prices are COMPLETELY normal for monthly prices.
In fact, I’ve noticed that “cheap” VPNs tend to charge $10 or less a month for monthly commitments, and the pricier VPNs tend to go for $12 or $13. So at least here you can choose.
Now, let’s talk first about the basic stuff you get with VyprVPN:
Unlimited and easy server switches, plus unlimited bandwidth—okay, so far, pretty basic to any paid VPN.
BUT, 200,000+ IP addresses?!
That is absolutely bonkers.
Now, that massive IP selection is brought to you by a large server selection.
This is how many servers we’re talking about:
Over 700. Now, I’ll grant that some popular VPNs offer THOUSANDS of servers—which can make this number seem comparatively LOW.
BUT, VyprVPN runs its own servers directly, whereas other VPNs tend to let 3rd parties handle servers.
This is a decision I’ll talk more about in the security section, but it adds a degree of trustworthiness that, in my opinion, COMPLETELY justifies the server count.
And honestly? 700+ servers are still plenty.
Because those servers give you access to THESE locations:
Again, I’ll admit that this still is NOT as many as the amount of locations some of the biggest VPNs offer.
BUT, this is still a TON of locations.
AND, to make things even better, the locations cover a lot of different parts of the world. True, most of them are in the United States and Europe, but there are still a lot of servers for Asia and Central/South America.
So while this may not be as large a network as a few people would like, I think the practical truth is that VyprVPN’s network is PLENTY big for the vast majority of interested people.
VyprVPN also covers a lot of different platforms:
But the really unique thing is there are a few apps that can INTEGRATE with VyprVPN:
This is pretty interesting and very few VPNs—especially popular ones—have such a collection of easy-to-integrate apps.
Now the truth is this is really best for more advanced users. But it’s still a unique and impressive feature.
Now, aside from servers, devices, and software, VyprVPN offers a lot of protocols:
Aside from Chameleon™, these are pretty common in most VPNs, so I won’t comment much on them.
But, yeah—it is good to have these protocols nonetheless.
And that Chameleon™ protocol is a little more unique.
Fundamentally, it exists in some other VPNs and goes by different names. BUT, it’s still not a super common feature yet.
AND, it’s a GREAT feature:
It basically hides the fact that you’re using a VPN from your ISP.
This is absolutely ESSENTIAL if you want to use VPNs in a country where VPNs are harshly regulated, compromised, or even banned.
Not even countries—a lot of schools and workplaces have blocks on encrypted traffic.
And even in the United States, ISPs have been known to throttle encrypted connections—this would let you avoid ALL of that.
Needless to say, it’s a GREAT feature that makes sure your VPN purchase is NOT wasted depending on where you are in the world.
Unfortunately, it only comes with PREMIUM accounts. A lot of VPNs simply include this basic feature without charging extra for it—so that’s too bad.
Still, at least you can choose.
VyprVPN also has an increasingly common VPN feature called the kill switch:
Which, as you can see, temporarily blocks internet connection while the VPN is disconnected.
This makes things more secure if you’re in an unsecure environment, like a place with a public network (think café, airport, or library).
There is something I find unfortunate about VyprVPN’s kill switch:
Basically, you’re limited in the degree to which you can edit the kill switch settings.
Some VPNs let you choose which applications on a device you want to be affected by a kill switch.
I’m aware this might be a nit-picky complaint. Fundamentally, Vypr has a kill switch that you can edit a bit, and that’s what really matters.
You can also make advanced changes to VyprVPN’s settings, like this:
You might have seen a bit of this earlier in the ease of use section. Just to reiterate: you DON’T have to mess with these options if you’re not confident.
But it’s GREAT VyprVPN has this nonetheless. If you know a bit more about VPN tech, this will let you customize the software quite easily.
And if you’re a beginner, you can ignore it.
You can also make change DNS settings, which is common enough but again, great to have anyway.
Aside from that, you can change some basics to the software itself—like whether you want it to run on startup, what your trusted networks are, etc.
But that’s essentially it for the features.
Now, all in all, VyprVPN is not the single most advanced VPN I’ve seen in terms of features.
BUT, it’s still got a lot more features and settings than MOST popular VPNs, and I think it’s very impressive.
Especially considering its price, which is not lower than usual but not really higher than usual.
And although I don’t like that VyprVPN has a tiered pricing system, instead of one product that gives you everything, I have to admit:
At least you can choose. Yes, there is a price difference, but the prices are not outrageous considering the solid performance and the features.
So, it may sound like we’ve figured it out—VyprVPN is perfect, huh?!
Not so fast. We’re not done yet:
Customer Support
Aside from having usable software, customer support can go a LONG way in helping you make the most of your VPN’s features.
And like usability, customer support is often UNDERRATED when it comes to VPNs.
The truth of the matter is that good customer support is necessary when you’re counting a VPN—unexpected technical difficulties happen, streaming companies get wise to certain VPNs, and in general you may want to do more with what you paid for.
Luckily, VyprVPN’s customer support is pretty accessible.
There is this little option in the VyprVPN app:
But that really just opens up a tab in your browser, rather than a window of the app.
Anyway, you have a couple options for support: you can either contact representatives directly, or look at informational material online.
I’ll start with the former. One of the ways you can contact reps is through the live chat:
I was actually impressed I got a straight answer immediately. Sure, it took a couple minutes, but it was a wordy question—and it didn’t throw the rep off.
This has usually been my experience. In general, the live chat is pretty reliable and is one of the better VPN chat support lines I’ve seen.
You can also submit a ticket/get email support:
Reps are generally responsive—you’ll usually get a reply within a few hours, and DEFINTIELY within a day (at the longest).
There is no phone support, unfortunately.
But that’s not really a big deal considering the solid ticket and chat support.
But THIS IS disappointing:
VyprVPN’s main support page is combined with the support page for Cyphr, GoldenFrog’s other product.
So as you can see, the amount of resources available for VyprVPN are a bit scant.
True, all the basics are covered. The existing information IS good.
The only problem is there COULD BE more. Usually VPNs don’t have the same level of on-site information as a lot of other internet/software companies.
BUT, VyprVPN has even less than some of its competitors.
So when all’s been said and done, VyprVPN’s customer support is decent but nothing spectacular:
The live chat and ticket support are solid, so contacting representatives is very reliable. The on-site information covers the basics, but could go further.
I’ve got to say, things are looking pretty good for VyprVPN right now.
But this next area is one that a LOT of VPNs suffer in:
Security and Privacy
Security is kind of integral to a VPN.
That’s because it goes straight to the CORE of what a VPN is SUPPOSED to do—protect you and your information in an internet that’s always watching you.
But the truth is, a lot of VPNs do the BARE MINIMUM. They might be better than unprotected browsing, but they’re far from what they SHOULD be.
It’s true that not every VPN customer or would-be customer cares equally about privacy or security. A lot just want an easy way to stream content or file-share.
But a LOT of people do care, and I’m definitely one of them. So this final section really means:
How good of a VPN is VyprVPN?!
I had my doubts about VyprVPN because it’s owned by Golden Frog. I don’t have anything against Golden Frog, I just feel wary of VPNs that are owned by other companies.
But Golden Frog itself was supposedly founded in response to news of NSA surveillance, and only sells security and privacy-related apps.
So that’s a good start.
The more I learned about VyprVPN, the more I realized this bias of mine wasn’t proving accurate.
So let me start with the ONLY bad news I’ve got for this section.
It’s a minor complaint:
You can’t choose a different server while connected. You can ONLY disconnect and THEN pick a new server.
I know, I know, it’s just a minor complaint. But I find that most VPNs let you pick another server to connect to while you’re already connected via the VPN.
They don’t force you to go back to an unprotected connection while you pick the best option for you.
Anyway, that’s just one minor thing.
And you know what?
If you turn on the kill switch, it won’t matter—your internet will be cut off while you reconnect. BUT, it seems to be unnecessarily clunky to me.
And that’s about it!
Now, I have good things to say about VyprVPN here because they stick to the FUNDAMENTALS and do them well.
For example, VyprVPN insists they have a no-log policy.
And the truth is, basically all VPNs say that, but not all of them really keep that promise. In the end, we all have to basically put our FAITH in the VPN we choose.
But VyprVPN is one of the few VPNs that has taken faith out of the equation:
VyprVPN has been independently audited on its logging policies and has been found to genuinely maintain them.
Which is SOLID GOLD in the VPN world.
Now, another important item in the VPN trustworthiness checklist:
LOCATION.
This might seem odd to those who aren’t familiar with this world, but where a VPN is headquartered tends to be of importance to the privacy-heads.
Many countries have unfavorable data retention laws that make the VPN liable to keep more logs than it says it will.
And still other countries are simply prone to a lot of surveillance and coercion of internet companies.
So where is VyprVPN located?
A good place:
In fact, this is one of the best places for a VPN to be located. An easy way to remember this: places where international billionaires stash money are great VPN HQ locations.
Now, as far as I’m concerned, some of the basics have been covered,
And this already makes VyprVPN more trustworthy than MOST VPNs.
But VyprVPN has another strength that is also pretty rare:
Why does this matter for security?
Because a lot of VPNs do not fully manage the servers their customers use. A lot hire third parties to run them, which doesn’t guarantee your security will be at risk…
But it does add an uncomfortable degree of ambiguity and lack of transparency.
In contrast, if your VPN manages its own servers directly, you reduce the amount of entities you have to put your faith in. Which is just inherently more secure.
So while a lot of VPNs don’t run their own servers, or some run only a portion of their servers, VyprVPN directly manages ALL of its servers. Which is FANTASTIC.
And, one of VyprVPN’s server features is an added security bonus:
Look again:
In the bottom left corner, there is an option to include or omit VyprVPN servers.
Now, to be clear: all the servers available are directly managed by VyprVPN. So this option specifically means you can access a cloud server with extra security.
Think of the basic VPN servers giving you a solid layer of security, and this increasing the protection even more.
In general, VyprVPN has some pretty good security features and settings, so you can increase your own security aside from only leaving things to the company.
I’ve talked about those features, but briefly: the firewall, internet kill switch, zero-knowledge DNS, and Chameleon™ protocol are all options that are common enough with VPNs but nonetheless are super useful to have in boosting your privacy/security.
So when you put everything together, I think VyprVPN not only doesn’t fail here…
It’s simply STANDS OUT in security and privacy.
This combination of great security features/settings, directly-managed servers, great company location, and verified no-logs policy makes VyprVPN one of the BEST VPNs for privacy and security.
Let’s keep that good vibe going:
Pros
- GREAT performance. Overall, VyprVPN barely reduces speeds and is great for accessing streaming services and torrenting.
- Overall pretty easy to use, so beginners won’t have a difficult time at all. BUT, the user-friendliness doesn’t compromise user flexibility, so advanced users will still be pleased too.
- Great server network and long list of available locations. It may not be as many as the most popular VPNs, but it’s still a LOT.
- To make it better, these servers are all managed DIRECTLY by VyprVPN, which reduces the ambiguity and insecurity brought by 3rd party vendors.
- Overall really well-featured and for normal prices.
- Solid customer service.
- GREAT security. Aside from reducing the amount of extra parties involved in VyprVPN, Golden Frog also is located in Switzerland, and has had its no-logs policy audited. Plus, ample features and settings let users take security into their own hands.
Cons
- Although the existing prices per-year or per-month are pretty acceptable, there is no bulk 2 or 3-year option that provides better value.
- Limited number of payment methods, including a total lack of cryptocurrency options.
- There is a tiered payment system, so you have to choose between the regular version or premium version.
- Limited number of simultaneous connections permitted, compared to competitors (3 for the normal version and 5 for premium).
- Compared to some of the largest VPNs, VyprVPN doesn’t have as long a list of servers or locations to choose from.
- It comes with an option of 30-Days-Money-Back-Guarantee. If you’re busy, it can be a hassle to try out the VPN fully and cancel if you don’t like it.
- This is a minor point, but it’s not a cutesy-looking or “beautiful” VPN software. I don’t care too much about that, but some do—especially if you’ll be using it often.
Conclusion: Do I Recommend VyprVPN?
So, despite the list of cons, it probably seems to you like I have a positive take on VyprVPN.
And you know what?
You’d be completely right to think so.
VyprVPN checks off two main points for me that only a few VPNs do equally well in: performance and security/privacy.
VyprVPN has GREAT performance across the board, AND it doesn’t compromise on security or the fundamentals of what a VPN should be.
On top of that, it offers good features and customizability, plus it’s user-friendly and has good customer support.
And despite being one of the BEST VPNs I’ve used, it’s priced well within the average price range.
BUT, there are some notes I need to make here first:
Because VyprVPN only lets you commit to a year at the longest, you can’t get the savings you would from buying 2 or 3 years of service.
Not to mention, the regular version only allows for 3 simultaneous connections and the premium version only allows for 5.
And though I think VyprVPN offers plenty of servers and locations, it’s definitely not even close to some of the biggest VPNs—a turn off to those who are primarily looking to access content.
ESPECIALLY if your bottom line is getting a cheap VPN that does the basics, VyprVPN could be overkill for you—good extras, but you probably wouldn’t care for them, and saving money on a cheaper and simpler VPN would be better.
So, I mostly recommend VyprVPN to anyone willing to invest a little (again, it’s not extravagant) in a VPN that performs well, gives the customer power, AND protects them.
But if you’re still not sure, you don’t need to worry!
The best way to figure out if VyprVPN is for you is to TRY it with an option of 30-Days-Money-Back-Guarantee!
Enjoy!
Write your own review
Have you ever used VyprVPN? If so, I want to know what you thought of my review. Too positive? Or not positive enough? Whatever it is you think, I want to hear it!
You can write about your experience below:
