VPNArea Review: Quick Expert Summary
VPNArea has good security features, user-friendly apps, and is pretty good for streaming and torrenting. It protects user data with industry-standard VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption, full leak protection, a kill switch (only on Windows), and a no-logs policy. It also includes an ad and malware blocker. Plus, it works with top streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max, allows torrenting on all of its 100+ servers in 50+ countries, and is able to bypass firewalls in restrictive countries like China and Iran.
There are a few drawbacks that are difficult to ignore, though. Its no-logs policy hasn’t been independently audited, it’s missing advanced security features like perfect forward secrecy and RAM-only servers, and it doesn’t have split-tunneling. I also experienced very slow speeds on distant servers, couldn’t access Hulu and Disney+, and wasn’t impressed with its customer support.
VPNArea allows 8 simultaneous connections, offers monthly and yearly plans, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
| 🏅 Overall Rank | #33 out of 84 VPNs |
| 🌍 Number of Servers | 100+ |
| 📱 Number of Devices | 8 |
| 💸 Starting Price | $3.21 / month |
| 🎁 Free Plan | ❌ |
| 💰 Money-Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
VPNArea Full Review
I spent weeks researching and testing VPNArea to see how it compares to the top VPNs on the market.
VPNArea is good for streaming and torrenting. It has dedicated streaming servers that consistently work with top streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime (but not Disney+ and Hulu). It also allows torrenting on all servers and works with top torrenting apps. Plus, I like how VPNArea protects user data with essential security features, includes an ad blocker, and has easy-to-install and easy-to-use apps.
However, it lacks advanced security features, doesn’t offer split-tunneling, and causes slowdown when connected to distant servers. In addition, its kill switch feature is only available on Windows, and I’d like to see VPNArea conduct an external audit for its no-logs policy.
Overall, VPNArea is a pretty good VPN, but it’s definitely not in the same class as top VPNs like ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access — both have high-end security features, fast speeds on all servers, and work with all of the popular streaming apps.
VPNArea Features
VPNArea has the following industry-standard VPN security features:
- 256-bit AES encryption — VPNArea protects user data with the same encryption used by banks and governments.
- No-logs policy — VPNArea doesn’t collect data about the websites you visit or the files you download.
- Kill switch — If your connection to a VPN server disconnects, a kill switch automatically disconnects you from the internet to prevent data leaks (only available on Windows).
While OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols are available on every VPNArea app, I’m disappointed that there’s no WireGuard. OpenVPN and IKEv2 are both secure and fast protocols, but WireGuard is just as secure and even faster. VPNs that support WireGuard, like Private Internet Access and ProtonVPN, always maintained faster speeds in my tests than VPNs that don’t have WireGuard.
I love that VPNArea provides full leak protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. To make sure I could trust VPNArea with not exposing my actual IP address, I ran leak tests on servers in 10+ countries and never had any leaks.
VPNArea also includes some other features:
- Ad/malware blocker — This feature blocks intrusive ads and prevents you from visiting malicious sites. I tested it by visiting ad-heavy news sites, and VPNArea blocked the majority of the ads, allowing my pages to load quicker. VPNArea also blocked 80% of the fake malware sites I visited. VPNArea’s ad blocker is pretty good, but Private Internet Access and ProtonVPN’s ad blockers blocked 100% of the malware sites in my tests.
- Stealth VPN/Stunnel — VPNArea has special servers that run the Stunnel proxy (a program that masks your traffic and hides the fact that you’re using a VPN) for bypassing firewalls in countries that censor the internet. VPNArea has Stunnel servers located in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, and the US. The Stunnel proxy is very similar to the Shadowsocks proxy that Private Internet Access offers.
- Double VPN — This feature routes your connection through 2 servers instead of 1 server. However, there is only one double VPN server available, and it routes you through Germany and exits through the Netherlands. It’s a nice feature, but I wish there were more countries available. For example, ProtonVPN’s Secure Core servers allow you to choose any one of its 60+ countries as your exit node.
VPNArea Privacy & Security
VPNArea has a strict no-logs policy and doesn’t collect your IP address, store information about the websites you visit, or log the files you download. Its privacy policy states that it collects the email you provide at sign-up to deliver news and allow for account recovery. While I like VPNArea’s policy, it would be nice to see the provider run an independent audit to verify the policy’s claims (like ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN).
VPNArea also accepts Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies to provide an extra layer of anonymity.
VPNArea is based in Bulgaria, which is outside the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances (a group of countries that share security data).
Overall, VPNArea has a strict no-logs policy, accepts payment in cryptocurrency, and is based outside the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances.
VPNArea Speed & Performance
I ran speed tests on my Windows PC on a server in all of the countries where VPNArea has a server. I used OpenVPN because it had faster speeds than IKEv2. I had very fast speeds when connected to a nearby server, but my speeds drastically decreased when connected to distant servers.
First I ran a speed test without being connected to VPNArea to determine my baseline speed:
VPNArea doesn’t include a quick-connect feature, so I manually chose a local server in the US. Here are my speeds:
I then connected to a server in Australia. Here are my speeds:
When connected to a nearby VPNArea server, my speeds only decreased by about 5%, which is pretty good. HD videos loaded instantly and played without buffering, and I was able to download a 5 GB torrent file in around 15 minutes, which is OK.
Connecting to the most distant servers in Australia decreased my speeds by around 87%, and my speeds were drastically reduced on other distant servers in Europe and Japan. This is terrible, and it was reflected in my online activities — for example, HD videos would sometimes take 10-20 seconds to start playing, and downloading the same 5 GB torrent file took nearly 2 hours.
While connecting to a distant VPN server will typically decrease your speeds, top VPNs like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access minimize this decrease and still provide extremely fast speeds on all servers.
VPNArea Servers & IP Addresses
VPNArea has 100+ servers in 50+ countries. Its servers are spread around the world pretty well so most users will be able to connect to a local or nearby server to get the best speeds. VPNArea’s server network is pretty average — some VPNs have servers in many more countries (ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN both have servers in 90+ countries), but there are also VPNs that have smaller networks (TunnelBear in 45+ countries and Mullvad VPN in 35+ countries). However, I like how VPNArea lets you choose which city you want to connect to in many countries. This allows you to pick a city that is closer to your location for the best speeds.
One of the first things I noticed about VPNArea’s servers is that the server list on the website isn’t updated regularly and isn’t the same as the servers available in the app. I would only trust the server list in the app.
On the other hand, I like how VPNArea offers dedicated IP addresses for a small extra monthly charge in 9 countries including the US (available in 5 cities), the UK, Canada, Australia, and more. A dedicated IP address is one that only you have access to, instead of sharing it with other users when connected to a regular VPN server. Some apps and websites may lock or ban your account if they detect your account is being accessed from multiple IP addresses.
VPNArea has stealth/Stunnel servers in 9 countries that provide obfuscation to mask the fact that you’re using a VPN. People in restrictive countries like China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia can use Stunnel servers to access a free and open internet.
VPNArea also has TOR (The Onion Router) servers located in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. These servers are supposed to allow you to access .onion sites in your normal browser instead of having to use the TOR browser, but I was unable to access .onion sites in Google Chrome when connected to any of these servers. I prefer ProtonVPN’s TOR servers that allow you to use your own browser — and they actually work with multiple browsers.
There are special streaming servers available in Canada, Italy, the US, and the UK. All of VPNArea’s streaming servers are marked “NFLX” but work with a handful of streaming sites. During my tests, these servers were the only ones that worked with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Finally, VPNArea also has one set of Double VPN servers, which route your connection first through Denmark and exits in the Netherlands.
Overall, VPNArea has a good server network, as well as obfuscation proxy servers, TOR, streaming, and double VPN servers. It also offers dedicated IPs for an extra monthly charge.
VPNArea Streaming & Torrenting
VPNArea is good for streaming — it works with top streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer, as well as with less-popular sites like Peacock, Crackle, and Crunchyroll. It’s also able to access regional content on YouTube as well as ITV in the UK and Canal+ in France. However, it’s unable to access Disney+ and Hulu.
When it comes to streaming, my first choices are ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN. They both work with all of the most popular streaming sites, maintain faster speeds than VPNArea, and have servers in more countries than VPNArea (which allows you to connect to a server in your home country when you travel abroad to be able to access your local content library).
VPNArea allows torrenting on all its servers and works with top torrenting apps like BitTorrent, uTorrent, and Vuze. However, I’m not a fan of torrenting on distant servers with VPNArea, as my speeds were very slow. To get the fastest speeds for torrenting on any server, I suggest using ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access.
Overall, VPNArea is good for streaming and torrenting. It works with most of the top streaming sites and allows torrenting on all its servers.
VPNArea Plans & Pricing
VPNArea has monthly and yearly plans. All plans allow 8 simultaneous connections, which is above the industry standard of 5-7 connections, and you can even share your account with friends (most VPNs prohibit this).
VPNArea is reasonably priced, with plans starting at $3.21 / month. While the prices are competitive with the top VPNs on the market, VPNArea doesn’t provide the same value as VPNs like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN — they each offer better security, better streaming support, faster speeds, and a larger server network.
Payment options include credit/debit cards, PayPal, WebMoney, Alipay, and cryptocurrency, and all plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
VPNArea Ease of Use: Mobile & Desktop Apps
VPNArea has native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
It has a sleek and intuitive interface on both desktop and mobile devices, but it’s frustrating that server lists are structured a bit differently on each app.
On the desktop apps, you can sort the server list by:
- Distance — how far the server is in kilometers from your location.
- Ping — the time it takes the internet signal to reach the VPN server.
- Server load — the number of active users on any one server.
On mobile devices, you only get the option of sorting the list by groups, which include:
- All servers.
- Special servers (streaming, Stunnel, and double VPN).
- Favorites.
VPNArea’s kill switch feature is also only available on Windows devices. Also, I really don’t like that VPNArea’s apps don’t have a quick connect feature — top VPNs like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access allow you to connect to the fastest available server with a single click. This feature would be really useful to avoid having to manually sort through the server list to find the best choice, especially on mobile devices, which group the servers differently.
At least it was incredibly easy to download and install the apps on my Windows and Android devices — it took about 2-3 minutes.
Overall, VPNArea has intuitive native apps for the most popular devices that are quick and easy to install and use, but they could all be improved — none of its apps have a quick connect feature, and a kill switch is only available for Windows.
VPNArea Customer Support
VPNArea’s customer support is decent — it offers customer support via email and 24/7 live chat, has a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, and a knowledgebase for general troubleshooting.
I tested VPNArea’s email support by sending an inquiry at different times of the day. I always received an informative email back within 3-5 hours, which is pretty good. I really like that VPNArea offers 24/7 live chat support, but the live chat reps aren’t as knowledgeable about more technical matters. For example, when I asked for more information about the double VPN servers, the inquiry was escalated to a support ticket, and then I received an email back in 3 hours that fully answered my question.
VPNArea’s FAQ page is pretty simple and answers questions like what devices VPNArea supports. The knowledge base page, on the other hand, provides information about dedicated IPs, VPNArea’s native apps, troubleshooting guides, and more. One drawback to the knowledge base page is it’s only available from the account dashboard. Top VPNs like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN make all support and information pages available to users before they make a purchase decision.
Overall, VPNArea’s email support is responsive and provides excellent feedback, but 24/7 live chat reps are not as helpful. Its FAQ and knowledge base pages answer simple questions about the VPN and its features, but some of these support articles are restricted only to paid subscribers.
Is VPNArea Any Good in 2023?
VPNArea is a pretty good VPN, but it’s not as good as the top VPNs on the market. It includes standard security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch (only on Windows), and a no-logs policy. It also includes full-leak protection, an ad-blocker, obfuscation tools to help bypass firewalls in restrictive countries, and double VPN servers. In addition, VPNArea is good for streaming and torrenting and has easy-to-use apps.
However, there are a handful of areas that need improvement. For starters, it lacks advanced security features like RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy, it doesn’t have split-tunneling, and it has slow speeds on distant servers. Plus, it can’t access Disney+ and Hulu, its no-logs policy hasn’t been independently verified, and its live chat reps can’t answer more complex questions.
VPNArea allows 8connections, offers competitive pricing for monthly and yearly plans, and backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VPNArea safe?
Yes, VPNArea protects your data with industry-standard VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch (available only on Windows), and a strict no-logs policy. It also includes an ad/malware blocker, double VPN servers (for routing your connection through multiple servers), and protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
That said, VPNArea doesn’t have advanced security features like perfect forward secrecy or RAM memory, and it’s missing extra features like split tunneling.
If you’re looking for a VPN with high-end security, I recommend ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access — they both offer RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy, their no-logs policies have been confirmed by an external source, and they have other robust security features.
Is VPNArea fast?
VPNArea has fast speeds on local servers but subpar speeds on distant servers. During my tests, I barely noticed I was connected to VPNArea on local servers. However, pages and videos took much longer to load when I was connected to servers that were far away from my location, like Japan, Australia, and even countries in Europe.
ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access are the fastest VPNs in the industry. They both maintain very fast speeds regardless of what server you’re connected to.
Does VPNArea work with Netflix?
Yes, VPNArea is able to consistently access Netflix. It even has servers optimized for streaming Netflix in the US, Canada, the UK, and Italy. It also consistently works with Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer, but Hulu and Disney+ both recognized I was using a VPN and blocked me from streaming content.
Honestly, there are better VPNs out there for streaming. My go-to VPNs for streaming are ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access because they work with a ton of streaming services, including all of the most popular ones, and have the fastest speeds.
Does VPNArea allow torrenting?
Yes, VPNArea allows torrenting on all servers in 50+ countries and works with top torrenting apps like BitTorrent, uTorrent, and Vuze. It also has full leak protection and passed all of my leak tests. However, it has slow download speeds on distant servers, the kill switch is only available on Windows, its no-logs policy hasn’t been independently audited and confirmed, and there’s no split-tunneling feature — this allows you to route only your torrent traffic through the VPN so you can get faster speeds.
Instead, I prefer ExpressVPN for all of my P2P traffic. While it also works with all of the top torrent clients and has full leak protection, ExpressVPN allows torrenting on all 90+ servers, maintains super-fast speeds on all servers, provides a kill switch on all of the major operating systems (including routers), includes a verified no-logs policy, and offers split-tunneling for Android, Windows, and Macs.
