UltraVPN Reviews

UltraVPN essentially targets the basic needs of users searching for a simple service that they can use to unblock geographically restricted websites and streaming services. This is an attitude made clear by the company’s official website, but it’s made obvious by the lack of features within the VPN app itself. Sadly, it’s becoming quite common for companies to hide away the most advanced settings, therefore preventing users from manually changing protocols or softening the encryption, for instance, and UltraVPN is another doing just this.

These settings can still be accessed in the client’s area on the website fortunately, but as a result the app feels quite empty. In turn, the app settings only allow you to check the current plan, change the program’s language and startup options, or switch between automatic and manual firewall activation, which will likely be a letdown for more demanding users. But they’re not UltraVPN’s target audience, after all, so the ‘connect & go’ nature of the service may well be enough for those who are.

Intuitive ‘connect & go’ service

The strongest aspect of UltraVPN is with its connected network of servers, debuting with a vast, global server network that other companies take months or even years to reach. Don’t get us wrong here, the server count of just over 120 is not an impressive number by any means, but they’re cleverly scattered all around the world in nearly 60 countries. Now this is a quite respectable number, especially considering that every continent is present alongside some less commonly seen locations that are usually only available with larger VPN services. Likewise, it’s great to see that UltraVPN has special servers for Netflix users (Ultraflix US, UK, Japan, and more).

Unfortunately, it’s not all good news. It’s already a bummer that connections take quite long to be established, but even worse than that is how some of them require multiple attempts or end up not working at all after minutes of staring at the loading screen. The ones that did work were consistent, at least, but their speeds weren’t anything special. The servers that were further away from our European location struggled to get any results at all, and while the closest ones were much better they would still likely have some trouble streaming content. Fortunately, our tests demonstrated how deactivating UltraVPN’s firewall would often boost the overall speeds – which isn’t ideal, of course.

On a positive note, UltraVPN handles IP and DNS leaks very well as there were never any problems of this nature in any of the servers put to the test, even with the firewall turned off. Given UltraVPN’s P2P friendliness, this factor is one of the service’s biggest upsides as not only does it make connections faster but they’re always protected against leakage, too. Speaking of P2P, a member of UltraVPN’s staff assured that the service supports it “without restrictions”, even though the app itself shows which countries can and cannot be used for this purpose.

When using UltraVPN, customers can be sure they’re being protected by the industry-leading 256-bit encryption. And in terms of protocols, there’s nothing to worry about either, as the only choices available are the reliable OpenVPN (TCP and UDP) and IKEv2. As mentioned before, none of this can be accessed directly within the app, but logging into the official website does allow changes between encryption cyphers (CBC or GCM), the actual protocols, and ports. It’s worth noting, also, that although UltraVPN claims it doesn’t store any logs of usage data, because it’s an American company, it falls under the same gray area of others from the country that could, in theory, be required to store and hand over such data to the authorities.

UltraVPN is still taking its first steps in the VPN business and therefore it’s understandable that the company’s device support is not exactly the greatest on the market. However, all of the most popular devices are covered with desktop versions for Windows XP and above or Mac computers, as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. OpenVPN manual setups are also an option for those interested in that, while customers using Amazon Fire TV can enjoy the VPN’s app on this device as well.

It was also confirmed to us via a staff member that Firefox extensions and support for additional devices – such as routers – are also coming soon to UltraVPN. Until the latter becomes an option, there is a maximum of three simultaneous connections per license.

At a time when more and more VPN providers are abandoning medium-term subscriptions and opting for ones that last multiple years, it’s great to see UltraVPN staying faithful to the trio of short, long, and intermediate plans between the two. With that being said, the first offer costs $7.99 per month, which is lower than most competitors. The semiannual plan is two dollars cheaper on a monthly basis, costing a total of $35.94. But the most attractive subscription is the annual one, of course, offering up to 50% in savings by being billed once a year at $45.00.

The latter translates into a monthly cost of $3.75, which is the cheapest you can get UltraVPN. Its competitive pricing is what gives even some of the most experienced high-end providers a run for their money.

Unfortunately, the company doesn’t offer any free trials or versions, but it does provide a 30-day money-back guarantee that its customers can take advantage of. Payment methods include credit cards and PayPal.

At the end of the day, UltraVPN does have potential and its ‘connect & go’ usability will no doubt do wonders for some people, but many aspects need to be improved if it’s to become anything more than just a good promise.