PrivadoVPN Review

Our rating
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80%
Features Read more toggle icon
80%
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PrivadoVPN is a relatively new VPN service that dubs itself the 'fastest and most private VPN on the planet.' It certainly delivers an impressive service and has made a splash on the VPN market.

Like many other Virtual Private Networks, PrivadoVPN offers advanced security and privacy features to keep your connection safe as you surf the web, as well as many other useful tools for an excellent VPN and internet experience.

One reason why PrivadoVPN will appeal to many users is the fact that it offers a free plan for users. The free account comes with many great features and essentially allows new users to test out the VPN service before signing up for a paid subscription plan.

Keep reading this PrivadoVPN review to learn more about what the secure VPN service can offer to users.

    Pros

  • pro icon Free VPN
  • pro icon P2P-friendly
  • pro icon Router support

    Cons

  • con icon Small server network
  • con icon No split tunneling
  • con icon No live chat
Price Starting At: Free VPN -
For New Users: Free VPN
Number of servers: Undisclosed+
General information
Max Speed: 10000 Mbps
Type of IP offered: Dynamic
Simultaneous connections / Users: Unlimited
Number of Netflix Libraries: 4
Information sharing: None
OS support: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows
Router support: Asus, DD-WRT
VPN Promotion: Get VPN from PrivadoVPN for 0$ per month
Capabilities
Unlimited Bandwidthcross iconKill Switchcross iconSplit Tunnelingcross iconZero Data Loggingcross iconFree Version / Trialcross iconMobile Appcross iconBrowser Extentioncross iconNetflix Approvedcross iconFirestick Compatiblecross icon
Payment options
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • Mastercard
  • Mastercard Debit
  • Visa
  • Visa Debit
  • Visa Electron
Geolocations available
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Japan
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Serbia
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

PrivadoVPN Security

80%

With more and more attacks on our privacy occurring online, a Virtual Private Network has never been more important. However, not just any VPN will do in this day and age; fortunately, PrivadoVPN is a great option since it offers excellent privacy and security tools to keep you safe on the internet.

Firstly PrivadoVPN uses AES-256 bit encryption and employs trusted VPN protocols such as IKEv2 and OpenVPN. This means your internet data will always travel through an encrypted tunnel that is secured with a great VPN tunnel. By hiding your IP address, you can protect your online identity and ensure that activities like online banking are hidden.

PrivadoVPN is a zero-log VPN. This means that the provider does not monitor or log any of your internet data on the PrivadoVPN network. The provider also doesn't log IP addresses or DNS queries. The only information that PrivadoVPN logs include email addresses, usernames, payment details, and customer support requests. However, this is common practice in the VPN industry and cannot be linked to any of your activities while using the VPN.

Other excellent privacy tools include a VPN kill switch feature. If your VPN connection drops, this will cut off your internet connection to ensure that your browsing data is not exposed. As well as this, the kill switch guarantees that you don't suffer from IP and DNS leaks which can reveal your location and DNS requests.

Like other VPN providers that have a strong focus on data privacy, PrivadoVPN is based in Switzerland. This is great news since it means that the company is not bound by Swiss law to collect and share user data, thanks to the jurisdiction's privacy-friendly laws.

On a final note, it is worth mentioning that PrivadoVPN owns its own data centers. This is great in terms of security since it means that it has complete control over all of its servers.

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PrivadoVPN Features

80%

PrivadoVPN offers plenty of excellent features to improve its VPN service and ensure that users enjoy a more free and open internet experience.

To start with, you can use the VPN on up to ten devices at one time. This is a very generous number of simultaneous connections and means you can easily protect your VPN traffic on all of your operating systems. PrivadoVPN offers support for many devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, and Android TV.

You can also manually configure the VPN to your router, assuming it operates compatible firmware. There is also the option to manually set up the VPN on other devices using either the OpenVPN or IKEv2 VPN protocol.

The PrivadoVPN apps are very user-friendly which comes with some excellent configurable settings. For example, you can set the PrivadoVPN app to automatically connect to a preferred server when you launch your device. This means you can instantly connect to a server to protect your browsing data.

The PrivadoVPN server network is small, with just a few hundred servers. Privado doesn't use any virtual servers, with all PrivadoVPN servers physically located in the server locations where they claim to be. The use of physical servers ensures faster speeds.

There is support for torrenting and streaming on the PrivadoVPN server network, and users can utilize a SOCKS5 proxy if they want faster speeds when torrenting. In terms of unblocking popular streaming services, Privado can unblock Netflix and a smattering of other popular streaming sites.

PrivadoVPN's free version is available for all users and offers VPN novices a great introduction to how VPN software works. However, PrivadoVPN free is limited given that it only offers access to 12 server locations and comes with a monthly data cap of 10Gb. Paying users can enjoy unlimited data across all plans.

Customer support is available, although we feel that it could be improved. Currently, there is a decent help section on the website and the option to get in touch with the PrivadoVPN team using a support ticket. However, we would like to see a live chat option added.

Summary

4
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Is PrivadoVPN a Safe VPN?

Most VPN users are searching for the same thing; online freedom and privacy. With PrivadoVPN, you can ensure that your online identity remains anonymous thanks to the VPN’s advanced encryption, VPN protocols, and many IP addresses. It is overall a super-private VPN service.

Moreover, the VPN service is zero-logging and based in Switzerland. This means that not only will your browsing data on the VPN not be recorded anywhere, but you can enjoy the excellent data privacy laws that Switzerland offers.

It is also worth mentioning that Privado owns its very own VPN network, with each VPN server located in a physical location. By operating its owner server network, PrivadoVPN can monitor its servers and effectively resolve any security issues that may arise.

Does PrivadoVPN Have a No-Logs Policy?

Yes, PrivadoVPN operates a zero-logging policy. The VPN service will not log any data related to your internet activity or information, such as your IP address. The only data that Privado does store is associated with your account set up, such as your email address and payment information. However, none of these personal details will be linked to your VPN usage or any activity on the PrivadoVPN network.

How Much Does PrivadoVPN Cost?

There are two paid subscription plans that users can choose from.

Each plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Since there is no free trial, this means that you can test out the VPN service for a month before deciding whether to commit long-term.

What does the PrivadoVPN Free Version Offer?

The free Privado VPN allows users to gain access to just 12 servers on the PrivadoVPN network. As well as this, free users don’t get to enjoy the unlimited bandwidth that comes on the paid plans; instead, they get a monthly data limit of 10GB.

However, compared to many other free VPNs, Privado’s free VPN offers a decent service. For example, Hotspot Shield’s free service only allows users to connect to one VPN server based in the US. As well as this, there is a smaller daily data limit.

Does PrivadoVPN Have a Large VPN Network?

One of the main downsides of PrivadoVPN is that it does not offer a large server network like some other VPN services. The VPN doesn’t disclose the exact number of servers in its network, only stating that the figure is somewhere in the hundreds. However, good global server coverage has VPN server locations in 58 cities across 47 countries.

What Devices Can you Use PrivadoVPN on?

You can use PrivadoVPN on many devices. There is a Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows app and the ability to use the VPN on many other systems like your Android TV and Fire TV.

You can download dedicated apps for the above devices; the PrivadoVPN apps are easy to use with a clear user interface that enables you to quickly connect to a server of your choice, adjust VPN settings, and check on your VPN status.

As well as using native apps for the operating systems above, you can manually install PrivadoVPN on several systems. For example, there are setup guides on the PrivadoVPN website, which allow you set up the VPN software on your Android or iOS using OpenVPN.

If you have an Asus or DD-WRT router, you can also manually install PrivadoVPN on these using OpenVPN. By installing the VPN on your router, you can essentially protect all devices on your network. This allows you to subvert the 10 simultaneous connection limit and protect all of your devices at once.

How Fast is PrivadoVPN?

VPNs have a reputation for slowing down internet connections, and while this can sometimes be true, this is not always the case. So, how does PrivadoVPN fare when it comes to affecting internet speed?

We ran a speed test to find out whether or not PrivadoVPN is fast and were pleasantly surprised. Our baseline speed was 39Mbps, and when we connected to a US server during the speed test, the speed only dropped to 37Mbps. That is extremely fast and not much of a drop at all. This makes PrivadoVPN a great choice for activities like streaming, torrenting, playing online games, and overall general internet use.

It’s not only the speed which helps users enjoy data-heavy activities online. The provider also offers unlimited data, meaning there is unlimited access to how much you can use the VPN for certain tasks.

It is worth mentioning that there are a couple of factors that can affect the network delivering good VPN server speeds. For example, your physical distance from server locations can slow down your internet connection. If you’re based in Switzerland and connect to a server in the US, then you may experience a slower speed than if you connected to server locations in Europe.

However, if you want faster speeds, you can utilize the VPN’s SOCKS5 proxy. This will guarantee you faster speeds and is a great option for torrenting.

Can PrivadoVPN Unblock Netflix?

PrivadoVPN can unblock streaming services, including Netflix. We ran several tests on various streaming services and were able to access US Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video. This is great news for PrivadoVPN users who want a VPN to change their digital locations so that they can bypass location-based restrictions.

Does PrivadoVPN Support Torrenting?

P2P file sharing is not supported by all VPN providers since it poses risks as it allows other users to see your public VPN IP address. Fortunately, PrivadoVPN is not one such VPN and does permit torrenting on its network.

PrivadoVPN protects users on torrents in several ways. Firstly, it hides real IPs by enabling users to use a shared IP, meaning no torrenting activity can be linked back to them. As well as this, the kill switch will always ensure that no torrenting activity is exposed if your internet connection goes down.

Finally, torrenting users can use the SOCKS5 proxy for faster download speeds, meaning it takes less time to download files.

What Customer Support Does PrivadoVPN Offer?

If you have any issues when using PrivadoVPN, you can reach out to the VPN’s customer service. The best way to solve a problem is to first visit the knowledge base on the PrivadoVPN website since here you can find answers to many frequently asked questions.

Should you still not find the answer you’re looking for, you can reach out to the customer support team. A ticket system is available 24/7, and you’ll receive a detailed response directly to your inbox. Unfortunately, there is not a live chat on the website as of yet, which we think would be a great addition.

Remember that there are also informative setup guides that can help you to manually configure the VPN to your router or other operating systems.

Is PrivadoVPN Worth it?

So, all in all, is Privado a good VPN that is worth using? It offers excellent privacy and security features such as a kill switch, advanced encryption, and good tunneling protocols. There is also a strict zero-log policy in place, ensuring your data is safe.

In terms of server locations, PrivadoVPN could improve by adding more servers. However, we like that Privado owns and manages its entire network and doesn’t make use of any virtual servers. Moreover, we really like that you can enjoy a free yet safe VPN with the free plan.

Author Madeleine Hodson

I’m Madeleine, and I'm a writer that specializes in cybersecurity, tech products, and all things related to the internet. I have a keen interest in VPNs and believe that everyone deserves internet freedom and security. I wr...
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