The online world has become a restrictive and dangerous place over the last two decades. Everywhere you look, there are reports of cyber attacks, restrictions, censorship, and other issues that seemingly don’t affect you, until they do. Once that happens, it is too late, and you may find yourself in trouble.
Compared to hacking and cyber threats, geo-blocks can seem like a mere inconvenience. But in a supposedly open online world where everything is within your grasp, restrictions and censorship can be quite vexing.
Add to that the fact that you are constantly monitored by your ISP (Internet Service Provider), and possibly even your government, and you might consider avoiding the World Wide Web completely.
Well, that doesn’t have to be the case if you have a strong VPN like VPN Unlimited. It is one of the most popular services in the industry. But just how good is it really? Let’s find out.
VPN Unlimited Features
- 7-day money back guarantee: VPN Unlimited has a 7-day refund policy before you fully commit to the service. This allows you to explore all its features, and if by the end of the week you’re dissatisfied with the services, you can ask for your money back.
- Connect five devices simultaneously: You can connect up to five different devices at the same time with a single account. This is a great way to secure multiple devices and protect your entire family.
- Strong encryption: The brand uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is the best one currently available in the VPN industry. This will make your information unreadable for any third party, even if they manage to obtain it.
- Multiple security protocols: Top security protocols, including OpenVPN, IPSec, and others, protect your online traffic by creating a secure tunnel around it and shield it from view.
- Server network: The company has a large server network that offers over 400 high-speed servers located in 70 locations around the world.
- Support for multiple platforms: VPN Unlimited works on a number of different systems, devices, and platforms, including Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Windows phones, and it even offers browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome.
- P2P support: VPN Unlimited supports torrenting and P2P, which makes it a great option for secure file sharing.
- Kill switch: The kill switch is a very useful feature in case your VPN malfunctions. It will instantly disable your connection, preventing any data exposure.
- Access to streaming services: With VPN Unlimited, you can access a wide variety of popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and others
Interface
When it comes to VPN Unlimited’s interface, it is rather easy to navigate and use. It looks like a regular app window with an On/Off switch in the top left corner. Below the switch are various categories, including Servers, Account, Information, Censorship Test, Notifications, and the countdown that shows when your plan will run out.
Once you select a category, the majority of the screen will display its content. Near the top, you’ll find information about your VPN status, as well as your real and current IP address.
By opening the Servers category, you get a world map with various server locations to which you can connect to. The app is clear and easy to use, with no distractions or complicated features that would disrupt your experience.
VPN Unlimited Apps
VPN Unlimited features a number of dedicated apps for various devices and systems, and it even offers browser extensions. It works great on Windows, Linux, iOS, Mac, and Android.
The design is consistent across all apps, and all versions offer pretty much the same useful features, even the ones for mobile devices. The applications also highlight the best servers for video streaming, and the ones that allow torrenting. They also show you how many users are connected to a particular server.
Privacy and Security
VPN Unlimited offers high levels of security. It uses the strongest encryption on the market, as well as the best security protocols available. The website even provides a DNS leak tool that immediately notifies you if your data is leaking.
However, that being said, VPN Unlimited does have issues when it comes to privacy. While it is perfectly capable of protecting your privacy from others, it still logs a lot of your data.
According to its privacy policy, VPN Unlimited logs two types of data: personal data that you provide, and personal data that they collect automatically. When it comes to the data stored automatically, the service claims not to store it. However, the company does store personal data that you provide, like your name, email address, country, and hashed username and password. It also keeps logs of uploaded document content and preview, team members and their contact info, and ‘other profile information.’
Obviously, this seems like quite a lot of data that the service is storing, but the company claims only to store it while you remain a user of their service. However, VPN Unlimited also says:
“We retain personal data necessary for compliance with our legal obligations and contractual performance for the longer of (i) the required time period under applicable law; (ii) or seven years.”
VPN Unlimited Server Locations
VPN Unlimited has a decent network of over 400 high-speed servers located in over 70 locations around the world. That includes:
- Americas: Canada, the US, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile
- Europe: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK
- Asia, Africa, and the Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, and South Africa
Compatible Devices
As mentioned, VPN Unlimited works on a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, desktops, laptops, and such. It covers systems such as Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android, and the two most popular browsers — Firefox and Chrome.
You can use any device that runs one of these systems, and the dedicated apps should work with no issues.
Installation and setup
When it comes to installation and setup of VPN Unlimited apps, there are no major issues reported, and the process is quite simple. Simply go to the service’s website and choose the app you need. There is a link for each app, and by clicking it, you will start the installation process.
The only thing that is different from most other VPNs is that you will have to restart your device after completing the installation process. Though it is only a minor inconvenience, Some users may find it irritating.
Mac users should also note that it would better to download the client from the official Apple App Store. While there is a version of the Mac app on the service’s website, it requires the installation of a new VPN profile every time you connect to a server. This is another issue that can be quite annoying, but you can avoid it by simply getting the app from the App Store.
Pricing and Payment Options
Although the 7-day money-back guarantee is significantly shorter than most services, the company offers four different plans that are pretty average when it comes to prices. Those include:
- 1-month plan for $9.99 per month
- 1-year plan for $59.99 ($5 per month). This package allows you to save up to 50% and grants you free service for three months.
- 3-year plan for $99.99 ($2.78 per month).
- Lifetime plan, where you get a lifetime-long service for $199.99.
You can pay for any of these plans via credit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin.
Help and Support
VPN Unlimited has an excellent customer support service that is available 24/7 via email and ticket. This is one of the most important features of a VPN, as you never know when you might run into trouble and need help. Considering how important customer support is, it is rather surprising how a lot of VPN services tend to neglect that feature.
Fortunately, VPN Unlimited is not among them, and while the service’s support team responds rather quickly, it is also very helpful.
Additionally, the brand’s website features a very rich FAQ section with a lot of detailed answers and explanations. You’ll find solutions to most of your problems in this segment.
VPN Unlimited Pros:
- Great customer support
- Smooth apps
- Secure
- Unblocks streaming services
- Decent server network
- Kill switch
- Inexpensive
- Allows torrenting
- Browser extensions
- Personal servers
- Static IP available
- Specialized servers
VPN Unlimited Cons:
- Restrictive policy regarding the number of devices
- No free version
- No ad blocking
- Relatively slow
- Might be keeping logs
- Limited torrenting
Other VPN Brands
If you’re still not too sure about SwitchVPN, the list below features some of the highest-ranked brands in the industry:
- 30-Day Money-back Guarantee
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Apps For All Your Devices
- 24/7 Live Support
Conclusion
In conclusion, VPN Unlimited is not a bad choice for a VPN. However, there are some serious issues that might be a deal breaker for some people, particularly the log-keeping part. Other than that, the service offers a number of great features, is affordable, and covers many different devices and systems.
You can also use it to stream Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and other streaming services, although there might be a problem concerning speed. You can also use it on five different devices at the same time. All in all, it is not the worst VPN out there, and for an average user, it might even be pretty good.
Review Summary
As more and more VPN services emerge due to high demand, it can be difficult to choose the right service that will satisfy your needs. VPN Unlimited is among the average services, with its strengths and weaknesses, and while it is not among the very top, it is certainly effective in providing online security for its users.