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StrongVPN is a truly no-logs service
Logging & Jurisdiction
StrongVPN is owned by J2 Global, who also own other VPNs including IP Vanish and a number of tech publications. The VPN is operated from the US, which we don't like, but it does operate a totally zero logs policy.
The StrongVPN VPN service was launched in 2005 by Strong Technology, LLC. StrongVPN has changed hands a number of times over the years, most recently in 2019 when it was acquired by the public company J2 Global.
StrongVPN Technology and J2 Global operate under the jurisdiction of the USA, which is one of the least privacy-friendly locations in the world.
In August 2020, Strong Technology also acquired ibVPN, a competing VPN company.
The VPN service states that it will comply with valid subpoena requests, but it can’t provide information that it does not have.
That’s because StrongVPN doesn’t collect any customer activity logs so there’s no way of tying down any web activity to an individual user.
Logging Policy
StrongVPN has a very strict zero-logs policy in place.
The VPN doesn’t collect or log any traffic or use of its VPN service. This includes even basic connection metadata such as timestamps, chosen server or bandwidth consumed.
Because it collects absolutely no customer data, there is no way any of your web browsing activity can be traced back to you as an individual, which is great news.
Very impressive same-country speeds
Speed & Reliability
StrongVPN’s speeds are more than fast enough for HD streaming, both for same-country connections and longer distance ones. You can expect very quick speeds connecting out to the US from Europe, too.
On local connections, StrongVPN isn’t the fastest VPN we’ve tested, causing a 10% reduction in download speed. This should be fast enough for HD streaming, but 4K fans might want to look to a faster alternative.
Local Speed Test results before using StrongVPN:
- Download Speed: 93.98Mbps
- Upload Speed: 96.28Mbps
- Ping: 3ms
Local Speed Test results with StrongVPN:
- Download Speed: 84.24Mbps
- Upload Speed: 74.6Mbps
- Ping: 16ms
Download speed loss when StrongVPN is running: 10%
We have also tested StrongVPN’s average speeds connecting from the UK out to a range of locations around the world:
- USA: 58Mbps (down) & 33Mbps (up)
- Germany: 83Mbps (down) & 76Mbps (up)
- Singapore: 19Mbps (down) & 1Mbps (up)
- Australia: 28Mbps (down) & 7Mbps (up)
Find out more about our VPN speed testing.
59 locations across 39 countries
Server Locations
StrongVPN operates 950 servers over 39 countries, including 20 additional city level locations. This isn't the biggest server network we've seen, but it's made up entirely of in-house, bare metal servers.
StrongVPN’s server network is on the small side, with around 950 servers spread across over 39 countries. We’d like to see StrongVPN serve more countries – ideally 50 or more – with better coverage of Africa and specific countries like New Zealand.
Here are some of the countries you can connect to with StrongVPN:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- India
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- UK
- US
StrongVPN also operates own its own servers just like its ‘sister’ VPN IPVanish.
Multi-city servers can be found in:
- US (15 cities)
- UK (6)
- Canada (3)
- Australia (2, no Perth)
- Germany (2)
- Brazil (2)
There is good server coverage in Asia with servers located in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. South America counts servers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. However, the only servers in Africa are located in South Africa.
You can see the complete list of StrongVPN’s servers via the button below, including the VPN protocol available on each server.
On the plus-side, StrongVPN does make a very high number of IP addresses available to its customers – almost 60,000 – which is great to maintain good speeds.
Access to Netflix and no torrenting restrictions
Streaming
StrongVPN doesn't have dedicated streaming servers, but is generally an ok choice for streaming. We've been able to unlock both Netflix US and BBC iPlayer with the service, although not all the time.
StrongVPN recently started working again with US Netflix on several of its US servers, after weeks of being completely blocked.
There are no dedicated streaming servers, which makes the task more difficult, but you shouldn’t find it too hard to find a server that works.
Streaming BBC iPlayer is a different story. StrongVPN unblocks iPlayer inconsistently, working on some days but not others.
It did work with BBC iPlayer in our most recent tests, though. These VPN services will on the other hand work more reliably with BBC iPlayer.
Torrenting allowed on all servers
Torrenting
StrongVPN is a safe VPN for torrenting. P2P is allowed on all servers and we've seen good speed in our P2P tests.
Torrenting and P2P activity is allowed on all StrongVPN servers.
Download and upload speeds were good, and a strict no-logs policy means all your online activity remains private.
What’s more, StrongVPN also has a VPN kill switch and we didn’t detect any IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks in our latest round of testing (more on this below).
A good choice for censored regions
Bypassing Censorship
In the past StrongVPN has been able to overcome China's firewall from our Shanghai server, but in recent months it has underperformed. It's obfuscation tools should be enough for other censored regions, though.
StrongVPN is still a fairly good option to bypass aggressive web blocks in highly censored countries like China, Iran, Turkey and the UAE.
The additional obfuscation tools you get with StrongVPN are very useful to evade online censorship. It further scrambles your VPN connection, making it very hard to detect.
Keep in mind that the StrongVPN website is blocked in China, and possibly in other high censorship countries too, so we recommend you download and set up StrongVPN before you travel there.
If you are able to access the website, StrongVPN gives useful advice about connecting in China:
Works with all popular devices plus routers
Device Compatibility
Strong VPN has apps for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, as well as router compatibility and smart DNS for consoles.
Apps
![Windows Logo]()
Windows ![Mac Logo]()
Mac ![iOS Logo]()
iOS ![Android Logo]()
Android ![Linux Logo]()
Linux ![Router Logo]()
Router
StrongVPN provides custom VPN apps for all popular devices:
- PC
- Mac
- iPhone
- Android smartphones
On its website, you’ll also find manual setup guides for other types of devices, platforms and software like Linux, Amazon Kindle and Kodi.
StrongVPN also provides step-by-step instructions on how to manually set up the VPN on your router to protect all internet traffic in your home.
StrongVPN’s 12 simultaneous connection limit is very generous and one of the highest we’ve seen.
Games Consoles & Streaming Devices
![AppleTV Logo]()
AppleTV ![Amazon Fire TV Logo]()
Amazon Fire TV ![Chromecast Logo]()
Chromecast ![Nintendo Logo]()
Nintendo ![PlayStation Logo]()
PlayStation ![Roku Logo]()
Roku ![Xbox Logo]()
Xbox
StrongVPN can be used with consoles and streaming devices by either following the manual configuration instructions or installing StrongVPN on your home router.
There is also a native app for the Amazon Fire TV Stick, but it’s just not as good as some of the better Firestick VPN apps available.
Strong encryption and secure DNS servers
Security & Features
StrongVPN is a secure VPN that offers the trust WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. It uses AES-256 encryption and we've never detected a DNS or IP leak on the service.
| Protocols |
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| Encryption |
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| Security |
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StrongVPN is a safe VPN service, but it isn’t the most secure VPN provider we’ve reviewed.
On one hand, it has a VPN kill switch which prevents your true IP address from being exposed, it uses AES-256 encryption, and it operates its own DNS servers, meaning none of your web traffic will be routed through third-party servers.
We were also pleased to detect no DNS or IP leaks in our latest tests.
So, why is it not the most secure VPN?
Mainly because the very secure and fast OpenVPN protocol isn’t available on all servers – in fact, the vast majority of StrongVPN’s servers use the vastly outdated and insecure PPTP protocol.
StrongVPN also supports Wireguard on all its apps – a alternative to OpenVPN which is looking more and more likely to become the fastest option.
Easy-to-use apps on all devices
Ease of Use
StrongVPN has recently updated its set of custom apps to make them far more accessible to inexperienced VPN users.
How to Install & Set Up StrongVPN
![Screenshot of the Windows app download button on StrongVPN's website]()
Just go to the apps section of StrongVPN's site to begin downloading the software.
![Screenshot of the StrongVPN Windows setup wizard]()
StrongVPN's setup wizard will guide you through the installation process.
![Screenshot of how to choose a file location for the StrongVPN Windows app]()
You'll need to decide on a folder in which to store the setup files - usually the default option is your best bet.
![Screenshot of the completed StrongVPN Windows app installation]()
Once the software is installed, you'll be prompted to run the StrongVPN app.
![Screenshot of the main screen on StrongVPN's Windows app]()
The main screen keeps it simple with some connection info and a (somewhat pointless) world map.
![Screenshot of StrongVPN's list of server locations on the Windows app]()
It's easy to navigate the server list with a handy search feature.
![Screenshot of the VPN protocol selection on StrongVPN's Windows app]()
We love the embedded protocol support and the option to toggle between UDP and TCP.
![Screenshot of StrongVPN's general settings on the Windows app]()
Settings are still pretty limited but very simple to switch on and off.
StrongVPN’s main screen is very stripped back, displaying only essential connection details.
A limited range of settings can be found behind the cog icon along the top of the app, however these are very basic.
The mobile apps are also very good; simple and effective with a big button in the middle of the screen, but lack some security features, such as a kill switch.
Browser Extensions
Sadly, StrongVPN no longer offers any browser extensions. If you’re looking for a VPN with browser extensions, check out our ExpressVPN review, our top VPN choice for Chrome and Firefox.
24/7 live chat and some basic online help
Customer Support
StrongVPN offers 24/7 live chat and FAQs on its website, although we havn't always been able to use these to solve bugs or issues.
| 24/7 Live chat support | Yes |
|---|---|
| Online Resources | Yes |
Live chat is available 24/7, but most of the time we just ended up talking to a sales agent who copied and pasted answers from the FAQs section.
This was a little disappointing, but whenever they couldn’t solve our problems they did forward our details on to the tech team, who were always quick to respond.
The official StrongVPN website provides a great range of setup manuals for many different devices, including video tutorials and screenshots.
For basic instructions, the FAQ section should do the job, but for anything beyond simple help you’ll have to contact their customer support team.
65% off with the latest promotion
Price & Value
StrongVPN is one of the cheaper top-tier VPN services, although you'll need to commit to a long plan to get the best value.
StrongVPN offers two pricing plans to help you decide on the most suitable option. They have the same features but the longer subscription, the less you pay per month.
The priciest option is the single month plan at $10.00, however this is reduced by 65% to a very affordable $2.33 if you sign up to an annual plan.
Monthly
US$3.50/mo
Billed $3.50 the first month, $10.00 thereafter12 months
US$2.33/mo
Billed $27.99 the first year, $79.99 thereafter
All plans have 30-day money-back guarantee
Payment & Refund Options
American Express Mastercard PayPal Visa
StrongVPN accepts the majority of standard payment options including most major credit and debit cards, PayPal and Alipay.
It’s disappointing to see no option to pay in cryptocurrencies, however.
The VPN service also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in place of a true VPN free trial.
This is for customers who are “less than 100% satisfied with the StrongVPN service.” There are no hidden restrictions or data caps during the 30-day refund period.
Strong VPN is a good all-round VPN service
The Bottom Line
StrongVPN is a good VPN that is fast, unblocks many popular streaming platforms, and is great for torrenting. StrongDNS also allows users to use the VPN service with AppleTV and gaming consoles.
We also like that StrongVPN operates a no-logs policy, and it allows up to 12 simultaneous connections, which is very generous. Some of its privacy features need to be improved, and the server network isn’t as extensive as it needs to be to compete with bigger VPN services.
Nevertheless, StrongVPN is still a good VPN that does the basics right, and which we recommend to novice VPN users.
Additional research by Liam Mullally
Alternatives to StrongVPN
NordVPN
Worried about StrongVPN's lack of locations? Try NordVPN: it has thousands of servers spread across dozens of countries all over the world. Read NordVPN review
Astrill
Astrill is one of the most secure, safe, and advanced VPNs available today. It's so well-maintained that it even works to bypass censorship in China. Read Astrill review
User Feedback for StrongVPN
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