F-Secure Freedome Reviews

F-Secure as a company is often times vocal about their support for mobile devices. This is also reflected here, at the VPN side of things. In fact, we recommend F-Secure Freedome for those of you who are more enthusiastic towards Android and iOS devices rather than computer operating systems. Of course, there is a client available for the computer too, but that is where certain restrictive measures are employed by F-Secure that make PC, Linux, Mac and other desktop usage a much more difficult process than simply downloading an application.

Android app

To get to the good news first, the Android application of the company deserves praise. It is very well designed, providing a very comprehensible touch screen environment. The circular arrangement of things is quite smart, but setup and options are available in a more classical layout. Some major privacy functions like protection against tracking via browsers, the built-in anti-virus module and encryption can be turned on and off at will. We were satisfied with this part of service.

Desktop client

The software made for computer operating systems however, is a more problematic matter. As mentioned before, there are certain conditions to merely installing the software. In the case of the PC client for example, you cannot complete your installation until you either disable any of your anti-virus and anti-malware software that is not F-Secure’s, or else the installer will automatically remove them from your computer. This is quite an aggressive strategy to get people to use F-Secure Freedome. Basically it’s not possible, unless you invested in other products of the company or you disable your own, exposing your system to risks that the VPN software cannot protect against, like viruses and malware threats. In light of this, we further suggest that F-Secure Freedome is more suitable for those seeking a mobile application that protects their online ventures. Fans of F-Secure’s suite of other products such as their anti-virus software are also in a good position to use Freedome for secure VPN connections.

F-Secure Freedome offers connections to 102 countries. Quite uniquely among VPN providers, Africa is represented a lot more frequently than elsewhere. You almost never see connections to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Chad or even Ghana. As with any VPN provider, unblocking content is possible. By simply connecting to the internet with another country’s IP address, you can view all the content that is restricted to that particular country’s borders. Of course, you will have count in restrictions, too. Nevertheless, since F-Secure Freedome is among the five best serving companies in terms of location, it is important to highlight this aspect of service.

F-Secure is a Finnish company. This means that in terms of internet law, the general circumstances are more lenient for a VPN company, as Finland favors press freedom and a liberated online environment. To quote the official website:

This means that F-Secure is mostly responsible to itself, rather than a governmental body. Keep in mind though that you as a customer (or even a free trial aspirant) are still responsible for your own actions. A “true” state of online freedom, where you are undetected and are free to do whatever you wish, is not possible with any VPN provider. They do retain some means of communicating with you for example. Do not be discouraged: VPN is still the second best option.

Device support with F-Secure Freedome is limited. While the more popular machines of today are favored, less seen devices are less welcome. In terms of PC operating systems, Windows 7 or later versions are supported, including Windows 10. For Mac users, OS X 10.9 or later versions are welcome. Mobile and similar devices are also a bit sparse; the two big names Android and iOS are supported with their respective applications, but the only other platform you can enjoy F-Secure on is Kindle Fire. Overall, even though the intentions of the company are visibly paved out, we would welcome a more extensive selection of devices, both in terms of OS and mobile devices.

F-Secure Freedome’s pricing structure has its ups and downs. On the one hand, costs are good. On the other hand, the structure of prices is rigid. There is only one package offered and one duration type: twelve months. There is a variation to these, but they only differ in the number of devices you can connect at once. For the base plan, you are charged with $49.99 a year, meaning a $4.15 monthly price. This includes all that there is to experience with F-Secure, with three devices to connect simultaneously. The second package has five devices overall; it is offered for $59.99, a monthly sum of $4.99. The last variation comes with seven devices; it costs $79.99 annually, which means a $6.66 price for every 30 days.

F-Secure Freedome has a 14-day free trial, which is quite advantageous. Furthermore, if you do make a purchase, you are automatically eligible for a 30-day refund option, meaning that within the first month of your VPN adventures, your money back is guaranteed if you decide otherwise. Payment options include Visa, PayPal, MasterCard, American Express and JCB.

F-Secure Freedome is a mixed journey. While from the technical aspect you are well served, there are fundamental problems in other areas. This is especially true for computers, where you cannot even install the software if you do not own at least F-Secure’s anti-virus program. This is quite a disadvantageous marketing strategy for those who just want a VPN provider. And frankly, there are much better ones for computers around. The mobile device apps and especially the Android application were much more pleasant surprises and thus, we still recommend this VPN service for phone enthusiasts.