VyprVPN Review

VyprVPN is a solid choice for those seeking good levels of privacy and consistent, reliable performance on popular servers. Upload and download speeds are relatively fast on local connections, making it appealing to streamers, torrenters and P2P users. However, take note that access to Netflix and BBC iPlayer is very inconsistent. User-friendly custom apps are available for the usual popular platforms, as well as routers that run on Tomato firmware.

VyprVPN offers strong encryption and a range of advanced privacy features, including its own DNS servers and a VPN kill switch. It has recently become a zero-logs provider, and there is an independent audit that verifies its claims. It’s a brilliant option for users in China due to its proprietary Chameleon protocol, allowing users to bypass the Great Firewall. Customer support via live chat is excellent, making up for the somewhat threadbare online knowledge base.

VyprVPN offers two different types of package, standard and premium. These are both available on monthly or annual billing plans, but each offers a different set of features.

The premium plan includes 5 simultaneous connections, access to VyprVPN Cloud and use of the Chameleon protocol. This comes in at $12.95 for a single month or $4.17 if you sign up to a two-year subscription, saving you almost 70%. The standard plan differs in that you can only connect three devices simultaneously and don’t get access to VyprVPN’s Cloud or proprietary Chameleon encryption. This costs $9.95 per month or $5.00 on an annual basis.

VyprVPN offers a three-day free trial and, on occasion, a 30-day money-back guarantee. The money-back guarantee is only available on certain promotions, which means that you can’t always access it. However, if you do, it’s genuinely ‘no questions asked’ with no hidden data caps or fair usage policies, making it a great way to test out the service. Many other providers boast a 30-day free trial as standard, so it’s a little frustrating that VyprVPN doesn’t always offer this.

The three-day free trial is a good way to make sure VyprVPN is right for you before you commit to a paid subscription. The only downside to this is you have to provide your billing information before the trial begins, as you’ll be automatically signed up to one of the longer plans unless you cancel before the end of the third day. Thankfully cancelling your subscription is as easy as logging into your VyprVPN account and clicking the ‘cancel’ button, making signing up relatively risk-free.

VyprVPN offers fairly fast, reliable speeds on local connections, with an average download speed of 89Mbps on local connections. Speeds on some servers were even better, such as Amsterdam with an impressive 239Mbps. Connecting out to the US from the UK you can expect speeds of around 16Mbps, fast enough for streaming movies. More distant locations didn’t perform quite so well, with connections out from Sydney and Singapore struggling to reach a paltry 10Mbps.

We also logged low latency of under 1ms in Amsterdam and 2ms in London and Toronto, making it a strong choice for gamers in those countries. However ping was not quite so good across the network, with results ballooning out to well over 103ms even on more popular servers such as Vancouver.

VyprVPN connects fairly quickly each time at around 10 seconds on average. We found performance to be incredibly reliable with very little fluctuation, so as long as you have a stable internet connection you shouldn’t have any issues.

Average local upload speeds of 114Mbps put VyprVPN just behind its rival providers but are still more than fast enough for the everyday user. If poor performance in Vancouver hadn’t been taken into account, the average would be even higher. Certain servers performed even better than that, such as Amsterdam with speeds of 306Mbps. This makes it very appealing to torrenters, especially since P2P is permitted on all of its servers.

VyprVPN may not be the fastest VPN out there but it’s definitely improving and producing more consistent results in each of our tests. If you’re a hardcore gamer or want to be able to stream in Ultra HD across international connections, it might not be the right choice for you. If you’re a privacy-conscious streamer, P2P user or just a general browser however, you should definitely consider VyprVPN.

To read about our speed testing methodologies, please read How We Review VPNs.

VyprVPN offers a larger than average server network, covering the most popular locations across the world. A choice of 64 countries is enough that you shouldn’t struggle to find a suitable location, however there are providers out there that offer more should you need it.

VyprVPN really stands out for maintaining over 200,000 individual IP addresses, which is by far the largest number we have seen from any provider. This is fantastic for performance, as you’re extremely unlikely to suffer from slow speeds due to server congestion. This is aided by dynamic server switching, which further prevents overloaded or unavailable servers.

A choice of eight different US cities puts VyprVPN a little behind its rivals but still provides a solid level of coast-to-coast coverage in the country. It’s great to see three different server locations across Australia too, however these are the only two countries with city-level choice, which is unusual in a network this size.

Europe and Asia are served incredibly well, with all of the usual options as well as some more obscure choices, such as Macau and the Maldives. It’s refreshing to see a bit more choice in South America and the Middle East too, including Uruguay, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Africa is the only continent that’s left wanting with just two locations in Algeria and Egypt.

You can find the complete list of VyprVPN server locations by country and city on their website below.

VyprVPN offers the usual range of custom apps for popular devices such as Microsoft Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Unfortunately you’re not able to buy pre-configured routers with VyprVPN already installed, so your only option is to manually configure your existing router. Supported routers include DD-WRT, AsusWRT, Tomato and OpenWRT, and step-by-step instructions for each are available on the support section of the website.

VyprVPN also provides a series of manual setup guides for those devices without native apps, such as Linux, Blackberry and Kodi.

It’s possible to use VyprVPN with a range of consoles and streaming devices by connecting them to a configured router or another device running the VPN software. This includes devices such as Apple and Android TV, Kodi, PlayStation 3 and 4, Nintendo Wii and many more. The generous limit of five simultaneous connections on the Premium plan really comes in handy here.

Unfortunately VyprVPN only provides manual set-up guides for Apple and Android TV, suggesting that convenient streaming is not their top priority. When we spoke to customer support we were advised that the majority of streaming devices and games consoles should work when connected to a configured router, however they cannot guarantee this. They also confirmed that while Kodi isn’t supported, some users are able to use it with the VPN.

VyprVPN isn’t the most reliable provider for streaming shows on popular sites, such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer, with access varying from day to day. On the website, there a long list of steps you can take if you’re having trouble accessing the service, but ultimately they admits that they cannot guarantee any of their servers will work. Thankfully, we were able to watch Netflix in buffer-free HD on a few US servers during our most recent tests. However, we found it to be blocked on the UK server.

VyprVPN has recently fallen victim to the BBC’s crackdowns on VPN traffic, with access to the service proving very hard. After a chat with customer service, it seems to be an issue for most users and we were advised to keep logging in and out to obtain an IP address that may not be blocked, however this can be a very lengthy process and only works on occasion. Support have stated that they don’t know when the issues will be resolved, which isn’t reassuring. There are other providers out there, such as NordVPN, offering a much more reliable service if watching shows on iPlayer is a priority.

Despite this, VyprVPN remains a popular choice for accessing other channels through Apple or Android TV such as ABC, HBO and Hulu. It’s also a great option for torrenters due to reliable upload speeds and a strong set of privacy features.

VyprVPN is a strong choice for privacy, with a couple of caveats that most people will happily live with. The app defaults on startup to OpenVPN, the most secure protocol available, however there are other options to choose from should you require them. Encryption is via the ‘unhackable’ AES-256, a top cipher favored by the US federal government.

The highly effective VPN kill switch is a must-have, enabling you to automatically block your internet connection should the VPN get disconnected for any reason. Another huge bonus is that VyprVPN operates its own DNS servers, meaning none of your web traffic will be routed through third-party servers that could potentially expose your true IP address. You’re also protected against DNS leaks, a great feature not offered by every provider.

We love the NAT firewall that blocks unrequested incoming traffic, as well as VyprVPN’s own Chameleon Protocol that works really well to overcome censorship measures including the Great Firewall of China. TCP Port 443 is also supported, meaning you appear online as normal browser traffic rather than a VPN user.

VyprVPN is considered by many to be one of the most reliable providers for users in China following the VPN crackdown in that country. However their main website is blocked in China and the iOS app has been removed from the Chinese App Store, so you need to make sure you download the app before you go if possible.

VyprVPN’s proprietary Chameleon protocol is available at every server location worldwide, and scrambles OpenVPN packet metadata to ensure it’s unrecognizable via deep packet inspection. This means users are able to bypass restrictive government networks such as the Great Firewall without sacrificing any speed or privacy.

Because of Chameleon, VyprVPN is also a brilliant choice for users in other high-censorship countries as it prevents governments, corporations and ISPs from inspecting or diverting your web traffic. A good-sized server network is also helpful here, as it means that you’ll never be too far from a fast, reliable server.

VyprVPN has recently revamped its logging policy to become a zero-logs provider. Until November 2018 VyprVPN’s privacy policy stated that it collected and stored metadata including detailed timestamps and original IP addresses for up to 30 days, but this is no longer the case.

Golden Frog’s CEO Sunday Yokubaitis said of the update: “As our service has matured over the last decade, we have become more experienced with running a global VPN network and the necessity for minimal logging has diminished.”

VyprVPN no longer collects:

• A user’s original IP address
• The IP address assigned to a user when using the VPN
• Connection start or stop times
• User’s traffic or content of any communications
• DNS requests

VyprVPN’s recent no-logs status has been independently audited by security firm Leviathan Security who found that “VyprVPN produces no identifying logs without the user’s consent”, which is very reassuring. We like that Golden Frog not only changed their logging policy but went to this length to verify the claims made in its updated privacy policy. You can read the audit here.

VyprVPN was also recently featured in a report published by the CDT (Center for Democracy & Technology) investigating the “Signals of Trustworthy VPNs”. Here, they confirm that they fully own, engineer and manage their VPN network, meaning they are the only company that handles VyprVPN users data and therefore guaranteeing higher levels of protection and security from end-to-end. You can read the CDT’s report here.

VyprVPN is based in privacy-friend Switzerland, beyond the reach of US and EU jurisdictions and data retention laws. It’s also part of the US-Swiss Privacy Shield Framework, which means it has to comply with Swiss data protection requirements when transferring customer data from Switzerland to the United States.

In VyprVPN’s privacy policy, it states that it “cooperates fully with law enforcement agencies”, but there has to be a subpoena before a user’s identifying information will be supplied. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be too much of a worry considering VyprVPN doesn’t collect any personally-identifiable logs.

VyprVPN offers a simple, uncluttered range of custom apps that while a bit raw, definitely prioritize clarity in their user experience. The main screen of the desktop client displays your new public IP address, selected VPN protocol and firewall status. We can take or leave the graph showing network activity but it’s a nice touch. It’s really easy to choose a new server location, although we aren’t fans of the separate window for the server list.

More advanced options can be found behind the cog icon in the top right-hand corner. These also open in a separate window and are organized into clearly labelled tabs, making them accessible even to VPN newbies. We love that underneath each of the VPN protocols there is a summary of its encryption strength, average speed and best devices to use it with. However, it’s not immediately clear that you can’t access most configurable options while you’re connected to the VPN, which can be a bit confusing.

We didn’t love the mobile apps quite as much as we found them very fiddly to use, requiring multiple password entries. Once you’re in, the experience is very similar to desktop, so connection is relatively swift and pain-free. The Android app is definitely more up-to-date than the app for iOS, including access to the Chameleon protocol and the VPN kill switch.

Installing VyprVPN is a really simple process and should only take you a few minutes from start to finish. Whatever your device, there are loads of set-up guides available on the support section of VyprVPN’s website.

It’s as easy as downloading the relevant software from the site and then following the sequence of installation prompts, which are fairly self-explanatory. When you’ve done this, all that’s left to do is enter your user credentials and you’re ready to use the software. Should you get stuck, simply refer back to the set-up guides or speak to a member of VyprVPN’s friendly live chat team, and you should be back on track.

What VyprVPN lacks in its somewhat threadbare knowledge base it makes up for with genuinely 24/7 live chat support. Responses can be a little on the slow side, but as long as you’re prepared to wait a few minutes this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. All of our problems were solved incredibly quickly by friendly, helpful agents who actually answered our questions rather than sending us back to the FAQs, which makes a refreshing change.

The support section on VyprVPN’s website isn’t quite as comprehensive as we’d like, lacking video tutorials or in-depth advice for more advanced issues. There’s enough information for help with manual set-up and basic troubleshooting but not a great deal more, which won’t affect most people but could put off more experienced users. Overall we found the level of customer support to be more than good enough for dealing with all of our issues, both minor and more complex.

VyprVPN is a great choice for those seeking a solid level of privacy without sacrificing on performance. The best features are limited to the Premium plan, which comes in at a fairly reasonable price on the two-year subscription. It offers fast speeds in most popular locations, with quick uploads making it very appealing to torrenters and P2P users. Unfortunately, access to Netflix and BBC iPlayer is very inconsistent- although we were able to stream content on Netflix during our most recent tests.

VyprVPN offers a very good enough level of privacy, including advanced features such as a VPN kill switch and their own zero-log DNS servers. VyprVPN has recently revamped its privacy policy to become a zero-logs provider, with an independent audit to verify its claims.

The software is uncluttered and user-friendly with lots of advanced features, however the mobile app could do to be a little less fiddly. VyprVPN is currently one of the most reliable providers for connecting out from China due to its proprietary Chameleon protocol, which allows users to bypass government censorship measures. This is one of the best proprietary protocols we’ve seen from any provider, striking a brilliant balance between speed and security.