 |
| Atlas VPN Review |
Our verdict: Atlas VPN quite possibly has the best offer when it comes to free VPN service with its unlimited bandwidth and strong security protocols. Not surprisingly, the experience gets even better when you subscribe to their premium service.
Summary Review
Atlas VPN was launched only in January of
2020 but it’s already kickin’ up a storm among many VPN users. It’s
advertised as a free VPN service that values your privacy, does not
bombard you with ads, does not have a data cap, and uses military-grade
encryption. In short, it’s everything that most other “free” VPN brands
are not which is honestly very refreshing. Of course, if you want access
to optimized and faster servers, Atlas VPN also offers a Premium
version.
This VPN provider is also gearing up real fast, with
over 570 servers spread across 17 countries in just a year of operation.
Connections are fast, reliable, and safe with an IPv6 protocol and
protection against DNS and WebRTC leaks. The apps are all compatible
with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and soon, Chrome.
What we
like further about this service is that they collect a very minimal
amount of data. In fact, if you’re using the free version, you don’t
even need to register! Sounds good so far but let’s find out if this
service is, indeed, as great as it claims to be.
Privacy / Anonymity
Atlas
VPN runs on an industry-standard combination of AES-256 and IPSec/IKEv2
to secure its web traffic. This makes it practically unbreakable so you
won’t have to worry about hackers getting their hands on your
information. What about the Atlas VPN itself, how much of your data is
being stored? According to their Privacy Policy:
“We are no-logs
VPN: we do not collect your real IP address and we do not store any
information that identifies what you browse, view, or do online via that
VPN connection. The only information collected is basic analytics, to
ensure great service to all our users. This also means that we do not
have any data to share with law enforcement and government agencies who
make requests for information about what you were doing through a VPN
connection.”
Well, that is very comforting especially since Atlas
VPN is under the “5 Eyes” agreement. With this data logging policy,
they won’t have any data to hand over to governments or law enforcement.
In addition, Atlas VPN also features a Kill Switch to protect you
against data leaks in case connection drops. Another handy feature is
the “SafeBrowse” which warns you when you are about to open a malicious
or potentially harmful website. As of this writing, however, both the
Kill Switch and SafeBrowse features are only available on Android and
iOS apps.
Speed and Reliability
To test Atlas
VPN's speed and reliability, we used it over several weeks for online
gaming and day-to-day browsing. Before connecting to a server, we
usually have an average download speed of 49 Mbps and an upload speed of
7 Mbps. There was hardly any difference when we connected to a local
server as our download speed remained stable, averaging at 41 Mbps and
the upload speed hovered around 4 Mbps. Not surprisingly, the speeds
dipped a little as soon as we switched to a server in the US (we were
somewhere in Europe at the time of this review). From 49 Mbps base
download speed, it dropped to around 37 Mbps while the upload speed
decreased to 3 Mbps. Overall, our experience was more than satisfactory.
Take note, however, that the speed tests were done on a Premium
account.
Platforms and Devices
Atlas VPN is compatible with your mobile phone, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers and supports a number of platforms including Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Right now, Atlas VPN doesn’t work on OSX clients.
Customer Service
Atlas VPN has a comprehensive FAQ section
under the HELP tab. The articles aren’t well organized although we
found the Search bar helpful in finding what we need. If that fails, you
can always send them an email at support@atlasvpn.com. If you’re a
Premium subscriber, just log in and you’ll have access to personalized
24/7 customer support.
Pricing
For context, let us
first discuss the differences between the free and paid subscription.
The free version basically gives you unlimited bandwidth, data
encryption, and encapsulation, as well as limited access to only 3
locations: The USA, Japan, and Australia. On the other hand, here’s what
you can get from a premium subscription:
• More than 20 locations worldwide and 500+ servers
• 24/7 customized support
• Simultaneous premium services usage on an unlimited number of devices
• SafeBrowse feature and safety check-up
• More high-speed performance and unlimited bandwidth
Now
that we have that out of the way, let’s discuss the rates. The monthly
cost is not exactly competitive at $9.99, considering that the average
monthly charge for a VPN service is around $5. The price significantly
goes down though if you subscribe annually at $2.49 per month, and is
further slashed at $1.39/month if you pay upfront for 3 years. While
it’s not exactly the lowest out there, it’s worth noting that Atlas VPN
does not impose any limits on the number of devices connected to one
premium account. This means you don’t have to buy an extra subscription
just to cover all your devices in the household!
