For those that prioritize safety and security above all else in their VPN, VyprVPN will be an interesting proposition. Known for its airtight privacy policy as well as being able to make the rare claim that it owns each and every one of the servers it uses, on paper VyprVPN is a strong contender.
Add to that excellent features like protocol camouflaging and auto-connection on public Wi-Fi, and it looks like a great product – but can its usability match up to its top-notch security credentials?
In this full VyprVPN review, we’ll be looking in-depth at every aspect of this virtual private network, and by the end you should be able to make the decision on whether it’s the best VPN for you and your needs.
Plans and Pricing
VyprVPN costs $12.95 per month if you pay monthly – which is admittedly pretty pricey. However, if you’re willing to commit to the software for longer, a one-year plan costs $3.75 per month and a two-year plan costs just $2.50 per month. That’s pretty good value even compared to other budget VPN providers.
While it doesn't offer a VPN free trial, VyprVPN does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you’re not sure you can still test-drive the software with no risk. Every plan includes unlimited bandwidth and up to five simultaneous VPN connections across devices.
However, for true privacy nuts, the lack of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency support may be off-putting – VyprVPN only accepts payment from credit cards, PayPal or UnionPay.
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Features
At first glance, VyprVPN doesn’t have the largest or most impressive server network – the company only controls around 700 servers, most of which are in the US and Europe. However, VyprVPN does own all its own servers. That’s a big deal, particularly for privacy, because the VPN provider has authority over all the additional software (including logging software) that operates on its servers.
On top of that, one of VyprVPN’s best features is its privacy policy. The company offers a simple policy statement that makes it clear it doesn’t log any of your data – it doesn’t track your IP address, browser history, or even timestamps of when you connect to the VPN network.
Better yet, VyprVPN underwent an independent audit in 2018 to identify any remaining privacy flaws and eliminate them. It then made the audit results public, which goes a long way toward boosting our trust in this provider. This is something we’d like every VPN to do, but unfortunately VyprVPN is still in the minority.
Another unique feature that helps VyprVPN stand out from the pack is its Chameleon connection protocol. This is built on OpenVPN, but with a few tweaks to help hide the fact that you’re using a VPN at all. If you need a VPN for China – or any other country that restricts VPN usage – having this extra cover is extremely important. Of course, you can also switch to using the more standard OpenVPN protocol.
VyprVPN also offers a few handy security features. These include a kill switch and a toggle to automatically open a VPN connection when connecting to public Wi-Fi. The latter is especially handy for protecting your devices if you don’t always remember to activate the VPN manually.
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Interface and in use
VyprVPN can be installed on just about any device. The provider offers desktop clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, and mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. You can also manually port VyprVPN onto most routers and smart TVs. The only interface missing is a browser extension, although most users won’t find this to be a significant loss as the desktop clients are fairly comprehensive.
The interface is similar and straightforward no matter what device you’re using. When you first log into the platform, you’ll see a large power button that you can simply click to connect. There’s a list of servers by country, and we appreciated that the latency is displayed and color-coded next to each server. VyprVPN also enables you to favorite specific servers for quick access in the future, which is handy.
VyprVPN is also a very capable streaming VPN. In our tests it unblocked most Netflix locations we tried – although France and Japan proved inaccessible. However, the tricky BBC iPlayer wasn’t a problem, and the easy-to-crack US YouTube was also a walk in the park. This is a better performance than plenty of more expensive VPNs, so, if you’re a keen streamer, VyprVPN could be a great option.
VyprVPN’s UK speeds have vastly improved in past couple of years, and our testing reported connections reaching 64-68Mbps on a 75Mbps line.
However, US performance can be a little underwhelming. When testing connections from a high-speed 450 Mbps broadband line in the US, we consistently hit top speeds around 50 Mbps. That’s not as bad as some other VPNs, but it’s certainly not great.
Support
VyprVPN offers support via email or live chat. There’s also a user forum, which appears to be fairly active with new posts appearing about once per week.
The company’s website also has a fair amount of documentation you can use for troubleshooting. There’s a whole section devoted to getting past China’s notorious Great Firewall, as well as a simple link for finding out about network- or country-wide service problems.
The competition
If you like the idea of a VPN owning all its own servers, you might also want to check out IPVanish. A one-year plan at IPVanish costs the same as for VyprVPN, and IPVanish runs almost double the number of servers. We like that IPVanish offers split tunneling on its mobile apps as well as a Scramble OpenVPN Traffic feature that is functionally similar to VyprVPN’s Chameleon protocol.
For the best overall VPN package, we’d also recommend considering ExpressVPN. While monthly costs are a little higher, you’ll get over 3,000 servers which reliably deliver excellent speeds. You’ll also get a full selection of apps for all your devices alongside class-leading support and streaming power.
VyprVPN: Final verdict
VyprVPN does almost everything well, and offers excellent value on its longer plans. We love that this VPN provider owns all its own servers and has publicly audited its own logging practices to maximize user privacy. Meanwhile, features like the Chameleon protocol and automatic VPN connections on public WiFi are extremely handy.
However, in the future we’d like to see better performance and an expanded server network. But, considering that the service is fairly inexpensive, these are far from being fatal flaws.
Specs
Supported platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, QNAP, Blackphone, Anonabox, routers, smart TVs, Blackberry, Boxee, DD-WRT, AsusWRT, Synology NAS, OpenWRT
Supported protocols: OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, IKEv2, WireGuard, Chameleon
No. of servers: 700+
No. of countries: 70+
Country of registration: Switzerland
Payment options: Credit card, PayPal, UnionPay
Real name necessary? No
Encryption protocol: AES-256
Data usage: Unlimited
Bandwidth usage: Unlimited
Max. no. of simultaneously connected devices: Five
Customer support: 24/7 chat and email
Privacy policy: No logging
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