VPN.asia Reviews

VPN.asia has few options in terms of client support. Other than the Mac app, a Windows one is available. We conducted our tests on the latter using the OpenVPN (TCP) security protocol.

The first thing to point out is that the Windows client presents you with a very user-friendly interface. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the software, you will be met with a setup window on your first start. You can select most preferences here, saving you time for later uses. This includes the setup of common functions like automatic startup and automatic connection, a process which is slightly more detailed than elsewhere. The main window of the client presents you with all the necessary information you need for both manual and automatic connections. We were really glad to see that you can sort the extensive server list based on city name, country, server name and ping time, too.

Android Application

The Android application also deserves some praise. It is even simpler to use than the Windows client; the company adapted the user interface really well to the touch screen environment. Although you do not get to sort servers so specifically, you can designate favorites. Though both the desktop clients and Android app unblock streaming content through a VPN, we discovered no sign of any SmartDNS functionality in either of them, which is the fastest solution for unblocking streaming content.

VPN Network

VPN.asia offers access to 17 countries and 156 servers and over 24,000 dynamic IPs. The server count is quite impressive, but the number of countries is a bit slim when benchmarking with other providers. What is interesting about the distribution of locations is that Europe holds eleven locations, and “Asia” (on the official website, Australia is also categorized as such) has only four. If we count the countries that are actually in Asia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea are the only ones available. Though the latter is almost never seen, this is quite a poor selection if the VPN.asia brand really means Asian-focused service.

In terms of speed, we have experienced a curious outcome. Our Denmark test did not produce very promising results. However, servers in Germany – a country neighboring Denmark – passed with flying colors.

VPN.asia has a good selection of security protocols. L2TP is a reliable one that does not reduce connection speeds that much. PPTP is pretty fast, but we do not recommend it: it is quite unsafe. And lastly, OpenVPN is available in two versions: one for a TCP and one for a UDP-type connection. This is a favorable collection in our opinion.

VPN.asia advertises VoIP access as one of their sales points. This is interesting, because the company is registered in Belize and that particular country blocks VoIP services. The Belize legal system was forged in a way so that it can potentially intercept data traffic. Though in the case where the traffic itself runs outside the Belize’s borders, it is questionable whether or not VPN.asia is a safe choice in legal terms. Thus, software like Skype works perfectly with an established VPN connection through VPN.asia’s servers across the globe.

In terms of log policy, the official site claims that “VPN.asia does not collect or log any traffic or use of its Virtual Private Network service.” This is great, great news. Your account information is stored of course, so that the company actually has some means to contact you. Furthermore, if you registered and you login to your account, information like your IP address and the websites you visited within (not outside) VPN.asia’s domain is stored. Overall, we think this log policy is very good for customers.

Device support with VPN.asia is good, with a bit of a mixed taste in our mouths. This is most prevalent with desktop operating systems, as despite Windows (7-8), Ubuntu Linux, Chromebook and Mac OS X are all supported, Linux and Chromebook don’t have a client to boot. For mobile devices, Android does have a splendid application, but all iOS machines require manual setup. Windows Phone is similarly limited in this matter. On the company’s website, brand icons help you access the various guides VPN.asia supplies for the various devices including routers.

There is no separate pricing page on VPN.asia’s website. Instead, you can inform yourself of costs by simply scrolling down on the main page. The company offers a nice free trial; it lasts for 3 days, and you are given 50GBs worth of bandwidth, which is not that bad. You get the same security options (except OpenVPN), but reduced server and location availability. This makes a suitable setup for trying out the service.

Paid plans only differ from one another in terms of duration and price. You get full access to the server, location and IP list, too. For one month, your price is $1 for the first, then $9 for subsequent ones. This is a great offer for short time investments. For 3 months, you are charged $25, which corresponds to $8.33 monthly – you save 10% by opting for this package. Finally, the annual plan fares at $73 – this is just over $6 monthly, $6.08. It is 30% off and VPN.asia’s most advantageous offer, next to a two months worth of monthly payments ($1 for the first and $9 for the second means $5/mo). Overall, we are satisfied with prices.

Payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Visa Electron, Delta and Diners Club International.

Bottom line

We think VPN.asia is a good VPN service overall. Nothing outstanding, however; there is a sense of longing within us. This is reflected in almost all aspects of service: the number of locations is a bit slim, but servers are abundant. Device support is somewhat extensive, but there is a lack of clients and apps. Connection speeds can be excellent, but they seem to vary from country to country. Pricing is good overall, but the best providers offer more for less. This two-edged tone is definitely present, but this does not make VPN.asia a bad service. They are still great, with great potential.