SlickVPN Review

SlickVPN is a U.S.-based VPN service with over 150 servers.

One of those things is false. And the other is bad news.

From protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard, to encryption standards, privacy connections, proxy servers, and more — we’ll unveil it all in this SlickVPN review.

Keep reading to discover if their private network is as private as they say it is. Or whether it’s all overblown in the end.

SlickVPN Overview

OVERALL RANK:	N/A
USABILITY:	Poor Usability
LOG FILES:	Claims No Logging Policy (Unverified)
LOCATIONS:	40+ countries, 150+ servers
SUPPORT:	Email Support Only, Slow Response Times
TORRENTING:	Torrenting Allowed
NETFLIX:	Inconsistent Access 1/5
ENCRYPTION/PROTOCOL:	256-bit, OpenVPN, PPTP, IPsec
COST:	$10/mo or $4/mo (yearly)
OFFICIAL WEBSITE:	www.slickVPN.com

 

SlickVPN Pros

SlickVPN provides protocol and encryption standards that would make even the grumpiest I.T. professional crack a grin.

They support a wide range of apps, allow unrestricted torrenting, and claim to offer a refund if you can’t get Netflix to work properly.

1. Offers Standard Security Features

SlickVPN offers the outdated PPTP protocol for Windows, Linux, and Android devices. And they have IPsec for Apple devices.

Then why is this a Pro?

Because they thankfully also offer the industry-standard OpenVPN.

OpenVPN has quickly established itself as a reliable protocol in the VPN industry. It provides strong security with its 256-bit encryption, though it’s no longer considered cutting-edge with the advent of WireGuard.

It’s never been successfully compromised in practical implementations.

And quite simply:

It won’t be in the near future, either. The technology simply doesn’t exist.

Contrast that to PPTP, for instance, which is successfully compromised on the regular by security researchers. The only reason to downgrade is if your device or network don’t allow for the stronger OpenVPN.

In addition, SlickVPN also packs their apps with a built-in kill switch. That means if your connection were to drop for any reason, your guard wouldn’t — the kill switch would sever any connection before anyone can see what you’re up to.

2. Claims Zero-Logging Policy

No matter what their website claims, every single VPN on the planet logs something.

The key is to uncover what that something entails.

SlickVPN will keep track of their website usage data, like aggregate Google Analytics information, cookies, and even the IP address of visiting users.

All of this is pretty standard, to be honest.

Companies use this data to help them get better at getting more users for less money.

The key is that they claim not to keep track of any of this data for logged-in users. That means your actions inside the app, like the sites you visit or the stuff you download, is not logged.

That’s good news in the end.

Because if they were to keep track of any of this data, their local jurisdiction could spell trouble for you.

More on that below in the Cons.

3. No Leaks Found in Testing

Shoddy VPN connections aren’t worth the digital currency you paid for them.

Seriously. They’re often a mirage. Here’s why.

The app you’re connected to will display which server location you’re on.

The green indicating light looks A-OK.

Except, it’s not.

Because if your DNS information is being leaked, it means your ISP and every two-bit government employee can see exactly your true IP address.

These leaks can also happen with WebRTC conflicts.

Fortunately, SlickVPN passed each of our leak tests and lived to talk about it. So you don’t have to worry about either of these potential leak issues.

Leak Test Result 1:

Leak Test Result 2:

Leak Test Result 3:

Leak Test Result 4:

4. Limited Netflix Compatibility

SlickVPN previously offered a “Get Netflix or Your Money Back” guarantee, but this has been quietly removed from their service offering.

Recent tests show inconsistent Netflix access, with only UK servers occasionally working. Most other streaming services like Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video are consistently blocked.

When we tested their servers, we struck out on most attempts:

• United States- New York (blocked)
• United States- Chicago (blocked)
• Canada (blocked)
• United Kingdom (worked occasionally)
• Netherlands (blocked)

Now, we’ve reviewed and ranked dozens of the top VPNs for Netflix and found this performance to be substandard compared to leading providers that can consistently unblock multiple streaming platforms.

While SlickVPN still technically offers a money-back guarantee, recent reports indicate difficulty in receiving refunds, with customer support being slow or unresponsive to refund requests.

5. Torrenting is Allowed

We’ve noticed a troubling trend recently.

More and more VPNs are turning their backs on torrenting.

Sadly, that’s a shame.

Torrenting to download massive files at blazing speeds can be a godsend. But not when you’re left completely unprotected and vulnerable to everyone else on the same network.

That’s where a VPN comes in handy, providing a little peace of mind in an otherwise questionable area of the internet.

More good news.

SlickVPN allows unlimited, restriction-free torrenting on their servers. That way, you’re not forced to find some slow, overcrowded P2P server. And your actions aren’t scrutinized, either.

6. Supports Multiple Devices

SlickVPN natively supports multiple device types, up to five devices at a single time.

Check out this list:

Computers and tablets

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux (Ubuntu)

Mobile phones

• Android
• iPhone
• iPad
• Windows Mobile
• Nokia

Routers

• QNAP
• Synology
• Asus

We did uncover one significant limitation.

While SlickVPN lists support for mobile devices, there are no dedicated mobile apps. Instead, users must perform manual configurations using third-party OpenVPN clients, which is far less user-friendly than native apps.

They don’t have any native support for game consoles or smart TVs. The only silver lining is that you can hook up a router, first, then connect those devices to make sure your entire household is properly secure.

7. Limited Customer Support

SlickVPN uses ticket-based support only.

You fill out a contact form, and they’ll supposedly get back to you within one business day.

Now, here’s the thing.

Ticket-based support doesn’t have to be inadequate. We’ve tested a few VPN providers that only took about an hour to respond.

Unfortunately, recent tests show that SlickVPN’s support has deteriorated since our original review. Response times now often exceed 24 hours, with some users reporting no response at all to refund requests.

The lack of live chat support puts SlickVPN at a significant disadvantage compared to industry leaders who offer 24/7 instant support.

 

SlickVPN Cons

SlickVPN excelled in a few key areas. But our hands-on tests were infuriating, to say the least.

And unfortunately, that wasn’t the only speed bump we ran into.

Here’s a complete list.

1. U.S. Jurisdiction

Greenville, South Carolina provides old Southern charm.

It also provides a built-in way for its government to spy on its citizens and share the results across the world.

The 5 eyes jurisdiction sounds like something out of a bad Bond film.

But it’s as real as it gets.

This extended security alliance legally allows a government to gather data on its people. Coincidentally (or not), it also allows other governments to spy on them, too. This way, if something does fall outside “legal” thresholds, they can simply have someone else get it for them.

Nice, right?

Well not for the people in these countries.

And most importantly, not for you — if you’re entrusting private information to a company in one of these countries.

The problem is that any court order would force them to instantly hand over everything they’ve got on you.

Thankfully, in the case of SlickVPN, that’s not a lot (if they’re truly not logging any of your app usage). But you always need to keep these questionable jurisdictions in the back of your mind when purchasing a tool for ‘privacy.’

2. Security Concerns With Installation

We loved that SlickVPN’s connection came out leak free.

It’s encouraging. It shows that they know what they’re doing.

So… how would they explain this?

After running a VPN through leak tests, we also run their install files through VirusTotal.com to be absolutely sure you’ll be safe.

And we’re glad we did in this case.

Because one test found a potential virus.

More concerning we have found that some antivirus programs now actively block SlickVPN’s installation files as potential threats. Several users report their antivirus software flagging the download as suspicious.

This is a serious red flag for any security software, and especially concerning for a VPN that’s supposed to enhance your privacy and security.

3. Significant Performance Impact

SlickVPN’s 256-bit encryption adds an impenetrable layer of security around your internet connection.

The downside?

This almost always affects your performance.

Browsing slows down. Downloading crawls to a halt.

The best VPNs can escape unscathed. You won’t see a noticeable decline in speed.

But we can’t say the same for SlickVPN.

Our original, benchmark speeds were around 98 Mbps download and 53 Mbps upload.

We then connected to a server in the Netherlands, and here’s what we saw:

• Ping: 43 ms
• Download speed: 22.72 Mbps (77% slower)
• Upload speed: 17.48 (67% slower)

Not good.

And the U.S. server test was only marginally better.

• Ping:124 ms
• Download speed: 56.54 Mbps (42% slower)
• Upload speed: 19.68 (63% slower)

Overall, this combined score only got them to number 62nd out of 78 VPNs we’ve tested. Just slightly faster than ProtonVPN, but slower than ibVPN.

4. Poor Compatibility With Advanced Privacy Tools

Think of The Onion Browser (TOR) as an extra layer of privacy.

It’s a web browser, just like Chrome or Firefox.

Except, it pushes your traffic through several relay points. This way, the sites you visit (and even the ISP you’re on) can’t tell exactly where your original point started.

While it’s good for anonymity, it doesn’t do anything for security.

But our tests revealed that SlickVPN won’t work well with Tor. See for yourself:

TOR test 1

TOR test 2

Chrome test

5. Extremely Poor User Experience

SlickVPN impressed us with their array of supported devices.

The individual apps themselves are also feature-rich. Check out this insanely long list of features on the Android app:

And yet this shows up under the Cons list.

Why?

Install went OK. (Despite the potential virus warnings we mentioned earlier.)

But the app crashed on our first run through. Not a good start.

Things only continued to spiral downward from there, with the app lagging so badly that it took minutes before we could even use it.

We found that the desktop applications haven’t been significantly updated since 2018. The outdated interface, frequent crashes, and compatibility issues with modern operating systems make for a frustrating user experience.

And to make matters worse?

They used fake server locations:

The image above shows an IP address coming from New York.

However, we weren’t connected to a server in New York.

We were supposed to be connected to a server in Miami.

Why the discrepancy?

Only two logical reasons:

1. The app is poorly designed. (Likely, based on our experience.)
2. Or they’re intentionally misrepresenting their server locations to artificially boost the total count.

Because, after all, no typical user would double-check their IP like this. Especially when our leak tests show the connection is legit.

Only thorough reviewers would triple-check stuff like this. (Oh right, that’s us.)

Here’s why they might want to potentially misrepresent their server count.

6. Limited Server Network

SlickVPN reportedly has access to 150+ servers in 40+ countries.

Here’s how those break down over the globe:

Location	Servers
Europe	62
North America	62
Asia	19
Oceania	4
South America	2
Africa	1

The first issue we see is concentration.

There are TONS of available servers in Europe and North America. Not very many in Asia, Oceania, South America, or Africa.

That means if you’re located in those other places, or find yourself in them for business or pleasure, your chances of getting a fast server are much, much less.

This server distribution hasn’t improved since our initial review. In fact, reports suggest that many of their servers are now offline or inaccessible, effectively reducing their already limited network.

Compare that to a few leading VPNs and that total server number gets exposed.

Private Internet Access now has over 15,000 servers, ExpressVPN has an impressive 3,000+ servers, while NordVPN has over 7,400 servers.

This is especially troubling if SlickVPN is using fake locations to artificially boost their total count.

Over-reporting their already-low total server count is a troubling sign.

SlickVPN Pricing & Plans

SlickVPN’s month-to-month pricing starts at $10.

That’s on the high end from comparable plans we’ve seen.

So if you are sold on SlickVPN, you should take them up on the semi-annual plan that drops the price down to $5/month, or the annual one that drops it even further to $4/month. That’s a 50% and 66% savings respectively.

They accept payment by Paypal, credit card, or Bitcoin.

All plans are supposedly covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, recent reports indicate that customer service is slow or unresponsive to refund requests, potentially making this guarantee difficult to redeem.

From a pure value perspective, SlickVPN doesn’t offer competitive pricing when compared to higher-rated VPNs that provide better performance, more features, and more reliable service for similar or lower costs.

Do We Recommend SlickVPN?

No, we do not recommend SlickVPN.

While SlickVPN does provide industry-standard protocol and encryption options and offers leak-free connections and restriction-free torrenting, there are simply too many significant concerns to recommend this service.

The issues begin with potential security threats in their installation files and extend to extremely slow server speeds, an outdated and crash-prone application, fake server locations, limited network size, and poor customer support.

Particularly concerning are recent reports of:

1. Antivirus software flagging their installation files as potential threats
2. Speeds dropping by 80-90% when connected
3. Non-responsive customer support, particularly for refund requests
4. No significant updates to their applications since 2018
5. Inconsistent Netflix access and inability to access other streaming platforms

At their current pricing, which isn’t particularly competitive, there are numerous better VPN options available that provide superior service, better performance, and more reliable support.

We recommend looking at our top-rated VPN providers instead.

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