StrongVPN review: Simpler doesn’t always mean better

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$11.99

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Simplicity is one thing we recognize vastly in a very good VPN, and StrongVPN has made it the defining characteristic. A number of years in the past it overhauled its service in an effort to cut back alternative and make it as simple as doable to get related and browse securely. The firm has lately tried to construct upon its service whereas sustaining this simplicity by upgrading to incorporate 12 simultaneous system connections—two or 3 times as many as a few of its rivals. So how this shift labored out? We put StrongVPN by means of the ringer to see whether or not it lives as much as its identify.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best VPNs in 2023 to find out about competing merchandise.

What are StrongVPN’s options & companies?

StrongVPN comes with most of your fundamental VPN options. It affords apps for Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, ChromeOS, and Amazon Fire TV. For the needs of this evaluate, I solely examined the Windows model. It additionally permits 12 simultaneous system connections, which is roughly twice as many as another VPN suppliers. It’s fascinating to notice, nonetheless, that I’m beginning to see increasingly companies swap to providing limitless simultaneous system connections, a pattern I hope will proceed.

When you first open up StrongVPN you’re greeted with a map, a button titled Best Available Location, and a button to attach. By default, StrongVPN will select the closest server for the very best speeds. In order to see a listing of accessible areas you’ll truly must click on on Best Available Location. I perceive that this was seemingly a manner to assist simplify the connection course of for rookies, nevertheless it didn’t really feel very intuitive. Plus, many individuals these days use a VPN to connect with one other nation’s servers moderately than simply the closest geolocated server in any case. 

Sam Singleton

StrongVPN’s areas are restricted, nevertheless it has sufficient servers in varied international locations all through the world to fulfill most customers. It has simply over 40 nation areas and a reported 950 accessible servers. That is kind of a modest server inhabitants in comparison with different companies equivalent to Surfshark VPN, which has 100 nation areas, or Private Internet Access VPN, which has effectively over 30,000 plus servers. Note: Having extra servers doesn’t essentially imply a greater VPN, nevertheless it’s often indicative of a extra strong service.

StrongVPN claims that it has no digital server areas and that each one of its server areas are primarily based within the nation acknowledged. It’s a pleasant factor to know as some VPN suppliers use digital areas to supply entry to a rustic the place they might not have bodily servers. This isn’t tremendous essential, however it may have some minor results on server efficiency—constructive or unfavorable.

Beyond the map and server location checklist, there isn’t rather more to StrongVPN, to be trustworthy. By clicking the gear within the higher right-hand nook of the app you’ll be able to open the Settings menu. Even right here it’s simplistic and your choices are restricted. It all left me feeling considerably wanting. 

The Windows app supplies no choices for split-tunneling, which lets you choose and select which packages you want to run by means of the VPN. Nor does it provide multi-hop connections in an effort to route your site visitors by means of multiple server to additional obfuscate your true location. These are each useful instruments they usually’re supplied by many different big-name VPN suppliers equivalent to NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

The Settings menu does offer you just a few options equivalent to a kill swap, which can routinely disconnect your web within the occasion that the VPN connection is severed. You’ll additionally discover choices to vary your VPN protocol right here and details about your account.

How is StrongVPN’s efficiency?

StrongVPN

While utilizing any VPN, each your obtain and add speeds are more likely to lower because of latency between servers. It’s additionally value noting that VPN server speeds are extremely dependent upon space, time of use, and a large number of different elements. Therefore your expertise could differ from the ends in my, or anybody else’s testing. 

That being mentioned, throughout my testing I rated speeds throughout StrongVPN’s servers in 5 totally different international locations all around the globe after which in contrast them to my baseline web pace. StrongVPN server speeds have been satisfactory, however not nice. Across all areas examined, the common obtain pace was 31 % in comparison with the bottom pace and the common add pace was a moderately sluggish 13 % in comparison with the bottom. That places StrongVPN in the course of the pack of all the assorted companies we’ve examined. However, it fell in need of the speediest companies in our top five fastest VPNs.

I seen that, oddly, speeds in Brazil and different South American international locations have been a lot decrease than these in different continents. Take this with a grain of salt, although, as your outcomes could range. The backside line is that StrongVPN must be quick sufficient for most individuals’s wants, although it doesn’t high the pace charts in comparison with different VPNs we’ve examined.

For these involved about streaming, you needn’t fear. Every server I examined with StrongVPN was capable of entry the key streaming companies equivalent to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney Plus with out problem. Furthermore, customers can entry P2P on all StrongVPN servers in the event that they so want.

How is StrongVPN’s safety and privateness?

StrongVPN is owned by dad or mum firm J2 Global, an American digital media and web companies conglomerate. It additionally owns a lot of different in style VPNs together with IPVanish and Encrypt.me.

It’s primarily based within the United States, which is a member of the Five Eyes, the Nine Eyes, and the 14 Eyes worldwide surveillance and intelligence alliances. This signifies that U.S. authorities can acquire person info from StrongVPN with the right warrant. Depending upon how privateness acutely aware you’re, that is one thing you need to think about earlier than selecting this service. 

StrongVPN makes all of the privateness guarantees you’d count on from a VPN. The firm has a “strict no-logging policy” and it states that it doesn’t acquire or log any internet site visitors or another web use of its VPN service—no IP addresses, no bandwidth utilization, and no timestamps. Its privateness coverage claims that the one knowledge that it does acquire is billing info and electronic mail addresses for account creation functions. Furthermore, it states that it doesn’t promote any private details about customers to 3rd events.

You’ll simply must take its phrase for all of this nonetheless, as StrongVPN has but to finish an impartial safety audit. In in the present day’s day and age I count on a longtime VPN equivalent to this to have undergone and handed an audit and the truth that it hasn’t is disappointing.

Sam Singleton

In regards to StrongVPN’s safety, it has your business customary AES-256 encryption. It additionally helps IKEv2, WireGuard, OpenVPN, SSTP, and L2TP protocols in its Windows app.

As for funds, it affords all the usual bank card choices, in addition to PayPal, Bitcoin by way of BitPay, and Alipay. This permits for various ranges of relative anonymity, with Bitcoin being the strongest.

Is StrongVPN value it?

StrongVPN is actually very simple to make use of, and the speeds are dependable and ok for many customers. If you’re new to VPNs then StrongVPN could be a sensible choice. However, this deal with simplicity comes again to chunk it. The lack of superior options is unlucky — no split-tunneling and no multi-hop capabilities are notably egregious.

StrongVPN makes an attempt to strike a center floor by offering solely the necessities for VPN fundamentals with out going overboard in characteristic selections, however finally comes up quick. I can see why up to now it determined to forego options that have been then deemed area of interest. But these days these identical options are extra commonplace and their continued exclusion make it seem to be a little bit of a relic.

Editor’s notice: Because on-line companies are sometimes iterative, gaining new options and efficiency enhancements over time, this evaluate is topic to vary in an effort to precisely replicate the present state of the service. Any adjustments to textual content or our ultimate evaluate verdict might be famous on the high of this text.