With the growing VPN market and its rapid adoption, more and more VPN services are coming to the market. It is up to us to test and review different VPN providers and choose the one that best suits our needs. In addition, several VPN comparison websites post fake reviews that promote dubious or even fake VPNs, and there is no formal regulatory agency (though some VPN companies are actively working to alter that). Because of this, we were first suspicious when we read numerous positive reviews of VPNArea. What exactly makes this service provider so great, if anything? Maybe they’re offering excellent deals to win people over. The key focus of this VPNArea review will be on the service’s performance concerning a set of user-centric metrics. A number of requirements must be fulfilled, including security, privacy, speed, effectiveness, affordability, interoperability, and support.
Contents
VPNArea Review 2024: Summary
VPNArea is a VPN service that offers security and privacy features like 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy, and DNS leak protection. It has servers in 55 countries and is able to unblock popular streaming sites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
Pros:
- Strong 256-bit AES encryption
- No-logs policy
- Unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Servers in 55 countries
Cons:
- Slower speeds compared to top VPNs
- Short refund window
- Apps can be difficult to use
- No third-party audits
Overall, VPNArea provides decent security and unblocking abilities but lags behind top VPNs in speed and usability. It‘s a mid-tier VPN but not quite on par with the best on the market.
VPNArea Review 2024: In-depth
Let‘s take a deeper look at VPNArea‘s features, performance, and overall user experience:
Security
VPNArea uses 256-bit AES encryption and has security features like a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and double VPN. The AES 256-bit encryption is the same high level used by militaries and governments.
The kill switch blocks internet access if the VPN connection drops to prevent data leaks. DNS leak protection hides your DNS requests. Double VPN routes your traffic through two servers for extra anonymity.
While the security features look good on paper, there is no independent auditing of VPNArea‘s systems and protocols. Top VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN have undergone third-party audits to verify their security and no-logs policies.
Ease of Use
The VPNArea desktop apps are relatively user-friendly. You can easily connect to servers sorted by streaming, torrenting, and regular use. There are also filters to find servers by load, speed, and location.
Enabling/disabling security features is straightforward. However, VPNArea does not offer browser extensions for added convenience. Browser addons from ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and others make it easier to manage your VPN connection.
On mobile, the VPNArea apps provide a smooth experience overall but lack some features available on desktop.
Speed and Performance
In speed tests, VPNArea does not match up to top VPNs. While performance is not horrendous, VPNs like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark provide significantly faster speeds.
VPNArea‘s average download speed on a 100 Mbps connection is around 30-50 Mbps on nearby servers. More distant servers can vary between 10-30 Mbps. These speeds should be enough for most activities, but will cause lag and buffering at 4K.
Compared to top VPNs that maintain 75-90% of your base speed, VPNArea is noticeably slower. Gamers and heavy streaming users may want a faster alternative.
Server Network
VPNArea has 500+ servers in 55 countries. They offer servers optimized for activities like streaming, P2P/torrenting, and security (double VPN).
While 55 countries is a decent footprint, other VPNs have more server locations like ExpressVPN (94 countries) and CyberGhost (91 countries). More countries mean more options to spoof your location and evade geo-blocks.
VPNArea does have good coverage in privacy-friendly countries like Switzerland and Iceland. But if you need servers in less common locations, explore other VPNs.
Privacy and Logging
VPNArea claims a strict no-logs policy and goes further than other VPNs in resisting legal requests for user data. The privacy policy states VPNArea will only comply with court orders and aims to protect user privacy as much as possible within legal limits.
That said, VPNArea has not undergone any third-party audits of its systems and logging policies. Audits by firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers provide verification of a VPN‘s privacy claims. VPNArea users have to take the company at its word.
On the plus side, VPNArea allows account sharing with up to 2 people. Most VPNs prohibit this.
Encryption
VPNArea uses AES-256 encryption with OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec protocols. This is an industry standard level of encryption strength. Both protocols are secure and widely used.
OpenVPN is open-source while IKEv2/IPsec is proprietary. IKEv2 is faster and uses less battery on mobile devices. Both encrypt your internet traffic end-to-end to keep out prying eyes.
Leak Protection
VPNArea has full DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leak protection when connected to its apps and network. DNS and IPv6 leaks can expose your IP address and location. WebRTC leaks can reveal your public IP through browser extensions.
The VPN kill switch, enabled by default on desktop apps, blocks all internet access if the VPN connection drops. This prevents accidental exposure of your real IP.
VPNArea also runs its own encrypted DNS servers to provide an extra layer of security for DNS queries. Overall the leak protection is up to par with other leading VPNs.
Streaming and Torrenting
VPNArea unblocks major streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video. During testing, I was able to access US and UK libraries of Netflix and stream BBC iPlayer content with a UK IP address.
However, VPNArea did not work with Disney+ or HBO Max despite having servers optimized for streaming. The speeds were also somewhat slower compared to top streaming VPNs like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and NordVPN.
For torrenting, you can P2P share on all VPNArea servers. Downloading speeds were slow though, averaging 2-3 MB/s on nearby servers compared to 5-15 MB/s with other VPNs.
No Smart DNS Proxy
VPNArea does not offer Smart DNS as an alternative to VPN. Smart DNS changes your DNS location to access geo-restricted sites but does not encrypt traffic like a VPN.
Smart DNS works on gaming consoles, Smart TVs, and devices that normally don‘t support VPNs. It allows you to unblock content without installing a VPN profile. VPNArea only offers VPN apps at this time.
Warrant Canary
VPNArea does not have a warrant canary on its website. A warrant canary is a public notice that a company has not received any secret government demands for user data. If the canary notice disappears, it could mean the company was served with a warrant it is gagged from directly reporting.
While not essential, a warrant canary promotes transparency around government data requests. Many of the best VPNs publish warrant canaries.
Pricing
VPNArea has 3 pricing tiers:
- 1 month plan – $9.90
- 1 year plan – $4.13/month
- 2 year plan – $3.21/month
The 2-year plan provides the lowest monthly rate. All plans allow 8 simultaneous connections. The 1-month plan has a shorter 14 day money back guarantee compared to 30 days for the longer plans.
Payment options include credit card, PayPal, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies.
VPNArea‘s pricing is a bit above average for the VPN market. You can get cheaper plans from names like Surfshark and CyberGhost. But VPNArea frequently offers promos and discounts that help lower its pricing.
In Summary, the best VPNs in 2024 are:
| VPN | Rating | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 9.6/10 | Get free trial |
| ExpressVPN | 9.5/10 | Get 49% off + 3 months free |
| Surfshark | 9.4/10 | Get Surfshark for $2.21/month |
| CyberGhost | 9.3/10 | Get CyberGhost for $2.19/month |
| Private Internet Access (PIA) | 9.2/10 | Get PIA for $2.03/month |
Customer Support
VPNArea customer support options are limited compared to other VPNs. There is a support site but it lacks setup guides and troubleshooting steps for common issues.
Live chat is available 24/7. However, response times in my experience were slow and agents struggled to resolve technical problems. Email support was also inconsistent, with reply times ranging from under an hour to over 9 hours.
Top rated VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer 24/7 live chat with knowledgeable agents that can fix most issues quickly. I would like to see VPNArea improve support across the board.
Final Verdict
In this VPNArea review, we found the VPN provides decent security and privacy protections that will appeal to some users. It unblocks streaming sites like Netflix and works for torrenting. The no-logs policy and location in privacy-friendly Bulgaria are also pluses.
However, VPNArea stumbles in other areas. Speeds are below average and the apps need UI improvements. Customer support and third-party auditing are also lacking compared to the top industry players.
As it stands, VPNArea ranks as an "average" mid-tier VPN. It works well enough but doesn‘t have any standout qualities versus competitors. My recommendation is to explore other affordable VPNs that offer faster speeds, more server locations, and better apps. Check out NordVPN, Surfshark, or CyberGhost as great alternatives.
