AirVPN Review

AirVPN doesn’t collect any identifying user data. It only logs which server you’re connected to during a session, and deletes that record when you disconnect.

Its diskless servers also make it impossible to keep activity data once a session ends.

You can pay anonymously, too. AirVPN accepts Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Doge, and Monero directly, with no payment processor in between, as well as PayPal and Amazon Pay.

AirVPN is also more transparent than most VPNs, since its Eddie apps are free and open source, so anyone can inspect the code for security flaws or hidden tracking.

AirVPN Needs Third-Party Verification

AirVPN’s logging policy is vague, so I contacted customer support for clarification. I was told it only collects “technical data” for server maintenance, and that you can ask for it to be deleted at any time.

I can’t substantiate that claim, though: AirVPN has never provided real-world evidence of its no-logs policy. Mullvad, PIA, and Proton VPN have all had theirs verified through independent audits or real-world tests.

I’d like to see AirVPN commission an independent audit of its logging practices. A regularly updated warrant canary and published law enforcement requests would improve its transparency, too.

Trustworthy Ownership, but a Tricky Jurisdiction

AirVPN has never been bought by a larger company or hit by a security scandal. It was founded in Italy in 2010 by a small group of activists and hackers, with the help of two lawyers.

Paolo Brini is listed as its current owner, and the service is operated from Perugia, Italy. That puts it within reach of EU data retention laws, which is why third-party verification matters so much here.

Notably, AirVPN’s website says Italian residents aren’t allowed to use the service at all.

AirVPN only unblocked Hulu and ITVX in my tests. It failed with US and UK Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Sky Go, and DAZN.

It’s certainly fast enough for buffer-free HD streaming, so the problem is access, not speed. There are no servers optimized for streaming, so finding one that works is down to trial and error.

BBC iPlayer has never worked on AirVPN’s UK servers in my testing. If that’s what you need, these VPNs for BBC iPlayer are far more reliable.

For comparison, ExpressVPN unblocked 95% of the 120 streaming platforms I tested it with. AirVPN does keep a list of blocked websites on its site, so you can check whether its situation changes.

On a capped internet line, to maintain like-for-like measurements, I registered an average slowdown of only 5% on nearby servers, and 13% loss) on international ones. That’s fast enough for 4K streaming, online gaming, and torrenting.

To calculate AirVPN’s speed rating, I measured download speeds to its servers around the world and averaged several weeks of results. Here are AirVPN’s full results:

The chart below shows how AirVPN’s average international download speeds compare to some of the fastest VPNs available:

The one thing I’d flag is very long-distance connections. My tests recorded an average speed loss of 31% connecting to Australia, for example, so expect a slowdown if you’re connecting halfway around the world.

AirVPN is a strong choice if security is your priority. Its Eddie apps connect via OpenVPN or WireGuard, the two protocols I think offer the best balance of security and performance.

On Android, Eddie 4.0 added AmneziaWG in April 2026. It’s an obfuscated version of WireGuard, designed to hide VPN traffic from deep packet inspection.

Eddie’s kill switch, called Network Lock, protects you if your connection drops. AirVPN also runs its own DNS servers, and its protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks was 100% effective in my tests.

What’s missing is post-quantum encryption. Mullvad, Proton VPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN all protect you against “store now, decrypt later” attacks, and I’d like to see AirVPN follow.

AirVPN runs one of the smallest server networks I’ve seen from a paid VPN, with 250 servers. That’s a fraction of PIA’s 18,651 or Proton VPN’s 20,000.

That could lead to congestion at busy times. Thankfully, the app shows each server’s load, so it’s easy to spot locations approaching capacity.

Europe has the best coverage, and several countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, offer city-level choices. In Asia, you can connect to Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.

South America is covered only by servers in Brazil, and there are none in Africa.

AirVPN has 50 US VPN servers across 11 cities:

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• Fremont
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York City
• Phoenix
• Raleigh
• San Jose

AirVPN also has city-level servers in the UK (London and Manchester) and in Canada (Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver).

Eddie’s desktop app is one of the least accessible I’ve reviewed. Settings are split across tabs, each packed with options. That can confuse less experienced users, so I like that there’s an option to reset everything to default.

Choosing a server is harder than it needs to be. The list is long, and every server is named after a star, which gets frustrating when you just want to pick a city and connect.

AirVPN says it’s building a more modern version of Eddie Desktop with a new interface. Until that ships, expect the same dated design.

On Android, Eddie got a major update in April 2026, adding AmneziaWG and easier ways to export connection profiles.

On iOS, for the time being, you’ll have to manually install AirVPN server configuration files using a third-party app, like OpenVPN’s.

AirVPN is a strong choice for anonymous torrenting. Its fast downloads, no-logs policy, and Network Lock kill switch make it ideal for P2P file sharing.

Advanced torrenters will like that AirVPN allows port forwarding on up to 20 ports at once. You set it up in the Client Area of AirVPN’s website, and it helps you connect to more peers. Read more about AirVPN’s remote port forwarding.

Port forwarding is getting rarer, too: Mullvad has removed it entirely. That makes AirVPN, alongside PIA, one of the better picks for seeding.

AirVPN still hasn’t released an iOS app, which is a strange omission in 2026. To use it on an iPhone, you’ll need to set it up manually in a third-party app like OpenVPN Connect, so you’re better off with a VPN with an iPhone app.

The Android app works on Android TV, too, with full support for navigating by remote.

AirVPN supports DD-WRT, pfSense, Tomato, and AsusWRT routers, with setup guides on its website. You’ll still have to configure them manually, so it’s not a plug-and-play option.

There are no guides for game consoles or streaming devices, though. To protect those, you’ll need to connect them to a VPN router or share a connection from another device.

There are no browser extensions, either.

You can connect up to five devices at once. Other VPNs offer more, but that should cover most people.

Split tunneling works on desktop, but it’s harder to set up than on most VPNs. You have to enter specific IP addresses to route through the tunnel, rather than simply choosing apps.

On Android, at least, you can pick apps instead.

AirVPN offers more ways to disguise your VPN traffic than most VPNs. That helps on networks that block VPNs, like those at some workplaces or in censored countries.

On desktop, Eddie can wrap your OpenVPN connection in an SSL or SSH tunnel, which hides the telltale signature of VPN traffic. You can also connect over port 443, the same port regular HTTPS websites use.

On Android, Eddie 4.0 added AmneziaWG, an obfuscated version of WireGuard. Its presets can make your traffic look like other protocols, such as QUIC.