I ran speed tests on my Windows PC on servers in all 35+ countries where Avira Phantom VPN has a server. I had the fastest speeds when connected to a local VPN server , but the drop in speed was only slightly more when I connected to distant servers in countries like Belgium, Japan, Australia, and Hong Kong. I would like to see an independent audit of Avira Phantom VPN’s no-logs policy like those that have been done with ExpressVPN and VyprVPN.

• Swiss law requires the retention of data by ISPs for six months.
• Another factor worth highlighting within the context of logging policies is the country location of each provider.
• That said, there have been recent proposals to allow the government increased access to personal data.
• “SwitchVPN does not collect or log any traffic or use of its Virtual Private Network service.” The privacy policy goes on to talk about personal information but gets rather confusing.
• This means that Avira’s technology will only stop sites that are known to carry invasive cyber threats such as malware, similarly to an antivirus.

These require that ISPs retain user data for 12 months under certain conditions. The UK government has been accused of mass surveillance that includes the storage of communications such avira phantom vpn pro as email messages and private social media messages. This means that if any data is stored on servers in the country, there is a risk it could be shared with other members of FVEY.

There have also been surveillance laws passed in recent years that reportedly allow the government increased access to network monitoring. That said, there have been recent proposals to allow the government increased access to personal data. Even if the data is only kept for 24 hours, ideally we’d like to know what it entails. We know from a 2017 FBI case that it used to record IP addresses.

Experienced users might be a little frustrated by the lack of control, but Avira’s target consumer audience will probably appreciate the app’s simplicity, and it’s certainly easy to use. In other words, there’s limited session logging , but the company doesn’t record any details on exactly what you’re doing online. We’d like to see this spelled out in a little more detail, but it’s still good news overall. The service does a decent job of protecting your traffic with its OpenVPN protocol support, although your inability to change or tweak these in any way might be an issue for experts. Private Internet Access’ annual plan 'only’ covers up to 5 devices , but it’s much cheaper at an effective $2.85 for the first term, $3.33 on renewal.

The VPN’s download speed on local servers was goodI was blown away when I tested the Canadian server. Since Canada is 3,600 miles from my current location, I anticipated significant drops in speed and a sky-high ping rate. I didn’t get either and was stunned to have a drop of just 6%, and a ping reading of 99 ms. That is still enough to comfortably game online in most situations, and download large files. For a server that is so far away from me, these results are seriously impressive. Servers in Germany and Poland were especially fast, with drops of just 8% and 14% respectively. Whenever you connect a VPN, you can expect a 10-20% decrease from your base speed, so I was happy with these results.

Its privacy policy states “We do not keep any user logs.” We could assume that this refers to connection logs, but we checked just to make sure. In response to the question of whether any connection logs are kept, we got a very clear “Nope.” Well, that’s that, then. The homepage of Shellfire VPN states, “We don’t log any connection data. ” This is one of the rare providers that actually refers to connection logs on its homepage, rather than just a blanket logs statement which often only mentions traffic logs. As we go through the list, it’s clear that PureVPN is certainly not the only provider to keep these types of logs. However, being at the center of such a high-profile case where consumer’s trust is reported to be breached wasn’t good for business.

Private Internet Access (USA) 3/4

The FrootVPN homepage states “We do care about your internet privacy and therefore we do not log anything at all. Your details will never be shared with any third party.” This is further clarified in the ‘No logging’ page which confirms that no connection logs such as timestamps are stored. In the FAQ section of this provider’s homepage, it is explicitly stated that personally identifiable information such as an IP address is not tracked. Avira Phantom VPN does keep some connection logs including the amount of data used and diagnostic data (e.g. bugs encountered). In the same answer, it is explained that connection logs, including connection time and duration, country, and device type, are logged for the last 20 connections .

We also consider the number of city-level servers, plus how many IP addresses are maintained. Speed ratings are calculated using upload speeds, download speeds, and ping . He’s tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more.

How can I shield myself from having my social media accounts hacked?

I had good results on its Canada and Australia servers, even though they are across the globe from me. The first time I wanted to test its customer support, the live chat option was closed. I’m not sure if that was due to the time of day or availability of staff as the website doesn’t specify times of availability. I sent an email to the customer support contact, but I had no reply for 3 days. While this may not seem very long, if I had an urgent issue with my VPN or if I was traveling and needed it to stay safe, 3 days would have caused me a lot of problems.

Fortunately, this VPN offers a limited free version, which allows you to test the service for yourself before spending any money. We constantly improve the security, stability and speed of our products to give you the best experience in the market. 🔹 Premium Support – Includes mobile tech support provided by Avira’s team of security experts. The remaining value left on your current subscription is converted into additional days in your new subscription.

Avast SecureLine VPN (Czech Republic) 4/4

That means it uses a very advanced key to scramble your data, and the key to unlock it is practically indecipherable. In the event that a hacker got hold of your information, they would never be able to work out how to read it. Blocks all online threats, including malicious websites, ransomware, and spyware.

The interface could be a little easier to help users find a specific server location, but once you figure it out it’s fine. Avira’s privacy policies have most of the right promises, though some people may not like the fact that Avira records bandwidth usage. It doesn’t track anything you do, but it does want to know your name and your general location. In this, the fact that you can pay with Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash is a plus. Phantom VPN has a very basic interface that’s easy enough to use. If there’s one thing that users might find confusing it’s how to select country locations.

Avira Phantom VPN Pro 2.41.1.25731 RePack – Full review

SaturnVPN doesn’t appear to provide any information about its logging policy. When we asked the provider for information we were told that no traffic logs or connection logs are kept at all. On the Proxy.sh website, we find what we’re looking for within the FAQ section. It does state that at times, it needs to view https://coinbreakingnews.info/ connections in real time. While it provides alerts in these instances, it is reiterated that connections are not attributable to individual users. Information regarding payments may be logged, as per payment processor regulations.” This looks good as it seems that no traffic or connection logs are stored.

Avira Phantom VPN Review 2023 — Read This Before Buying

This does give you an idea of what Avira is like, but you are limited to a monthly data limit of 500MB and miss out on some key privacy features. It offers a good service for privacy oriented users who don’t use too much data. Because of this it holds a place in our top five free VPN services. Thankfully email responses were quick and professional, although clearly it’s company policy not to reveal too many details about Avira’s VPN server network. It falls under EU data retention laws and is also part of the 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.

Avira Phantom VPN isn’t the most expensive service I’ve tested, but it isn’t the cheapest either. There are plenty of fairly priced VPNs out there offering better all round features, so check out these wallet-friendly options. This didn’t bother me too much, but there are plenty of VPN users for whom privacy is key, and who prefer to pay with cryptocurrencies. The iOS app is just as easy to find and install as the other apps available.

“SwitchVPN does not collect or log any traffic or use of its Virtual Private Network service.” The privacy policy goes on to talk about personal information but gets rather confusing. We sent an email to get some clarification and were told that no logs are kept whatsoever. It then goes on to provide a long list of data types including IP address, email address, timestamps, and device identifiers. It also goes on to explain it doesn’t share any user information with its ad partners. There is an ad-supported free version of the app, but this does not serve ads based on user information. Best VPN’s privacy policy (that of developer MicOffice Inc.) explicitly states that no logs of online activities are maintained.

Really, no one should even consider a VPN that has been reported to keep these kinds of logs. It really defeats one of the main purposes of having a VPN in the first place — privacy. Another thing to bear in mind is how long logs are actually stored for. Some providers automatically delete data after 24 hours while others might store it for longer periods, even indefinitely.

There have been laws imposed against gambling and these could possibly be used in widespread censorship. Romania has gone back and forth on data retention, most recently striking down related laws in 2014. France has a mixed reputation when it comes to online privacy and freedom. It has defended citizen’s privacy in the past, for example, handing Facebook a hefty fine for tracking user data. It makes no mention of IP addresses so we emailed them to find out. A representative confirmed that no such connection logs are maintained.