At first we thought that Anonymous VPN just chose this name because it sounds cool and mysterious. But soon we realized that the group behind this VPN service is quite knowledgeable when it comes to privacy protection. They value their zero-log policy more than anything and they push the boundaries of secured anonymity with full-blown P2P file sharing support on all of their servers. Speaking of its network, Anonymous VPN offers connections to 20 exotic locations, including South Africa, Singapore, Australia, the U.S. and most major European cities. The company offers a downloadable client for PC, Mac and Android, but with a little legwork it can be ported to routers and iOS systems as well. Anonymous VPN isn’t an expensive investment either: you can purchase a 3-day trial for $2, or subscribe for a month or a year, with the lowest monthly fee being only $5.75.
In the start, the Windows client – which we’ve chosen for our tests – didn’t appear to promise much. After downloading and installing the small-size software, we were greeted by a coarse, undersigned connection menu, which had the exact opposite design compared to the stylized, bright website. Our suspicions about the simplicity of the client were further confirmed when we discovered that the connection menu doubles as the region selection interface as well. To be exact, you need to provide your login credentials and then choose a location in one screen. On one hand this makes it easy to handle for beginner VPN users, but the client still lacks depth and design.
Still, we found some positives as well. For example, you can initiate an IP restart without disconnecting. The setting menu also has some clever ideas, like the auto-connect feature. In the option menu you can switch between TCP or UDP ports, or just leave the decision to the software. And the last thing that deserves a mention is the kill switch feature. This prevents users from continuing the browsing or downloading when the connection dies and your work becomes unprotected.
Another attractive point of Anonymous VPN is that all of their servers allow P2P traffic. This is a very strong benefit for those who like torrenting, as file sharing software leaves them vulnerable. Making all the servers support P2P sharing means that users don’t need to search for specific server types, as all of them are sufficient for file exchanging. This approach fills in the necessary safety holes that BitTorrent has. Also, Anonymous VPN uses SOCK5, which is one of the required protocols for torrenting.
Anonymous VPN may not have a huge server network – as it only counts 20 locations – but they expanded their reach thoughtfully, covering every major part of the globe. From the U.S. to Australia, from Hong Kong to South Africa, you find a dependable list of locations. There is a strong emphasis on European countries (from both the western and eastern parts), but the only place we missed was the Middle East. Regardless, for a lightweight player this setout is still impressive. Even better, all servers support torrenting, which is more than welcome.
Our speed tests didn’t end with spectacular results, but we were still satisfied with the overall performance and pace. We targeted four countries far from each other. South Africa ended up with some serious ping and below average speed. The U.S. was the middle ground, although it still had some worrying ping issues. Switzerland and the Russian Federation excelled at both speed and connection time. All in all, Anonymous VPN won’t clip your wings when it comes to browsing, but if you would like to download or stream then pay attention to what kind of server is being chosen.
“Privacy is our first, middle and last name” – says Anonymous VPN when it comes their logging policy. As a company that even refuses to disclose the name of their mascot character, we believe them . Their privacy policy clearly states that they don’t log any personal information about their users, which includes your internet traffic and activity. They, however, do collect some data like your preferred server locations, session length or the overall data transfer. They promise that they won’t hand out this information to third parties, and only use it to learn more about their customer’s needs and demands. Anonymous VPN seems to strongly believe in the principle of undisturbed privacy, as they even keep down on email communication. Although they ask for an email address during registration, you won’t be bombarded with newsletters and advertisements. Other than the obligatory welcoming email you won’t receive any unsolicited emails from them.
We found Anonymous VPN more than lacking in terms of device support. Their client is available for PC, Mac and Android. The iOS version is suspiciously missing, but you can still get the service running on Apple devices by downloading a public OpenVPN app from the store, downloading the region files from the website, and then add them manually to the application. Sadly, this isn’t the only device where you have to suffer through this chore. Anonymous VPN also runs on routers, but beforehand a config file must be fetched from the website, which includes the necessary guides inside. The smartphone version has the same cramped feeling with the matched up connection and region selection menus, but at least the overall design is a bit better.
Anonymous VPN doesn’t limit the amount of devices you use simultaneously with one account, making them an ideal choice for families where everyone has a smartphone, or relies on public Wi-Fi networks way too often. However, they reserve the right to restrict the access to 3 devices only if the servers become overloaded due to high traffic.
Anonymous VPN is very streamlined when it comes to payments. Their pricing strategy is quite simple, and there isn’t much to talk about, really. You can subscribe for a month for $12, or commit yourself for a full year, whereupon they charge only $69 (this translates to $5.75 per month, which is an acceptable price). There is no real added bonus for opting longer, besides the discount on the price, though. Both of them provide the same service and benefits. Anonymous VPN deserves a round of applause for not restricting your options with different packages and plans. On the other hand, we are bit disappointed that there is no means to try out their service for free. There are no free plans, and you even need to pay for the trial account. In this case you are allowed to use the client for 72 hours, but you are charged $2. This is still worth a shot, as the trial plan allows full freedom. And if you are unsatisfied with the service Anonymous VPN could offer, you can initiate a full refund for three days after the purchase.
Anonymous VPN has an attitude; there is no doubt about it. This is most prominent on their website, where they offer trustworthy information in a quirky manner. They drop in some humorous lines here and there, while also having a creative mascot that encapsulates their mission statement really well. In spite of the funny style, they remain honest and upfront about their strengths and weaknesses. Their FAQ is fairly educational as well, as it allows you to learn a thing or two about VPNs in general. As for the customer service, they can be reached by submitting a ticket or writing them a direct email. They divided the sale and support department to make troubleshooting more efficient.
Although it has its ups and downs, we strongly believe that Anonymous VPN is a service worth checking out. This is most likely because the company manages to be unique and funny on its website, while also being informative and honest about their capabilities. Anonymous VPN has a strict no-log policy, which is always nice to see, with a well-spread server network across the globe. The service has other strong points as well, like the total P2P support on all servers and the kill switch function. Sadly, there are some serious setbacks that we cannot overlook. Anonymous VPN only supports the OpenVPN protocol, which is secure, but it leaves you without any other options when in need of a less encrypted, faster connection. They also lack a client for iOS, and frankly the Windows client needs some design updates. Nevertheless, they are a dependable bunch, and the prices won’t discourage you from a brief trial either.
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Please dont buy this. Slow as slug and a complete waste of money. They promised me partial refund but that never arrived in my account. When asked, they sent me an ARN number but turns out, they were just feeding me bullshit. They will steal your money folkes.