VPNSecure Review

 

VPNSecure was founded in 2010 in Australia by VPNSecure Pty Ltd (AU).

So they’ve been around for over fourteen years now.

VPNSecure.me pushes the claim that they collect no user logs right on their homepage.

But is there something lurking beneath the surface of their privacy policy that says otherwise?

In this VPNSecure review, I will uncover whether or not the service is as secure and private as it claims to be.

I’ll also be outlining the pros and cons of this VPN to give you a final, definitive recommendation (or not).

But before we dive into pros and cons, here’s some background about VPNSecure.me.

VPNSecure Overview

 

VPNSecure Background

One of the first things I noticed when visiting the VPNSecure website was the live chat support that automatically appeared.

Here’s what the home page for this VPN looks like:

It’s easy to use, showcases the features of the VPN, and looks very professional.

Here’s what VPNSecure.me says about themselves on their site:

“It doesn’t matter where you live in the world we have a VPN server location close to you, with a presence in 48 countries and counting. We have you covered! Access all locations and switch servers any time you like!”

That sounds great on the surface.

Unfortunately, you can’t always trust what companies say about themselves on the homepage. So before signing up and paying for the service, I did a little digging around online.

Across the web, the chatter around VPNSecure is pretty mixed.

Some users claim that they can’t access certain sites, for example. Common sites blocked included the BBC iPlayer website and Netflix.

I tested streaming services for myself, personally, in the pros and cons below. Keep reading to see if they recognized I was using VPNSecure or not.

VPNSecure is an Australian-based company. And unfortunately, they’re among the most regulated countries in the world.

This is particularly concerning because Australia is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance, which means your data could potentially be shared with other alliance members if requested.

For example, some other VPN services are hosted in places like the Caribbean or even Switzerland.

So as a general rule, those governments don’t impose as many restrictions on each company. They have more freedom in choosing what gets recorded, logged, or turned over to the authorities.

Let’s take a look now at the some of the features offered by VPNSecure.

Compatibility and Features Review

VPNSecure provides multiple protocols, WiFi security, and more.

This VPN supports the following devices and operating systems:

• PC
• Mac
• iOS
• Android
• Linux
• and TOR but only through OpenVPN

VPNSecure is also compatible with DD-WRT and Tomato routers as well as any OpenVPN router.

This VPN works on up to 5 devices simultaneously, which is a standard offering in the industry today.

Many other VPNs I’ve reviewed will try to cap you at a certain point. For example, they might only let you connect to three devices with your plan.

Another one makes you pay based on the devices you want to connect. So even connecting a few in your house or office will start to add up quickly.

VPNSecure provides approximately 100+ servers in 33 countries. That’s in the lower range when you compare it to the other VPN services.

ExpressVPN, for instance, has thousands of servers in most major cities and countries around the globe.

VPNSecure also offers a kill switch, so your information and privacy will be protected if anything ever happens to your connection while using this VPN.

This feature is critical if you live (or are visiting) a country with strict censorship laws. A bad public WiFi connection could put you in jeopardy by revealing all of your personal information within seconds.

Kill switches prevent that from happening by giving you a handy Plan B.

Additionally, VPNSecure offers a Stealth VPN mode that can bypass deep packet inspection in heavily restricted areas. According to their support, it’s designed to work in countries with strict internet censorship, including China, Iran, and Belarus.

But how much is it going to set you back? Here’s what VPNSecure’s pricing and plans look like.

VPNSecure Cost and Plan Options

VPNSecure offers a 7-day money-back guarantee on their one-year and three-year plans.

For the monthly plan, they offer a $1 30-day trial instead of a money-back guarantee.

Each package is identical as far as features and total servers offered. So the pricing difference just depends on how long you want to prepay.

The one-month package is $9.95 per month.

This comes out to $119.40 per year (if you never upgrade).

That’s steep, so use this plan to try out the service before committing. You can pay for a month or two and then upgrade to a longer plan to get a big discount.

The one-year package is $6.66 per month.

Altogether, this option is $79.95 per year. This plan comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

The three-year package is $2.99 per month.

This plan comes out to $107.64 for the full three years, which saves you over $250 compared to paying month-to-month for the same period. This plan also includes a 7-day money-back guarantee.

The three-year plan is clearly the best value. If you know you want to use VPNSecure in the long run, be sure to go with this plan over any other option.

Here’s how the company’s pricing plans look on their site:

Payment options for all plans include:

• Perfect Money
• Bitcoin
• PayPal
• Credit Card
• Payza
• Paymentwall
• CashU

Now that we’ve gone over features and pricing of VPNSecure, let’s talk about the pros and cons of the service.

VPNSecure Pros +

This VPN offers some top-notch features, especially when it comes to their security.

Here’s a quick overview of what VPNSecure does well.

1. Good Security & Privacy

Security and privacy are the first things I look at when considering any VPN that I’m going to trust with my data.

VPNSecure’s privacy features are top of the line.

Is it Well Encrypted?

VPNSecure offers three different kinds of encryption:

• AES-256
• AES-128
• DES-CBC

AES encryption is top-of-the-line. You can also upgrade or downgrade depending on what your objectives are or where you’re located.

For example, both AES-128 and 256 are extremely secure. But the latter adds an extra layer of protection that makes it even harder to crack, while the former is a little faster.

Brute-force attacks are among the most common because they’re so easy to pull off. Look, they even have a hacking tutorial on Udemy about it!

A dictionary attack is one perfect example. All it does is literally just go through all the letters of the alphabet to try and guess your passwords.

Once it reaches the end, it adds two digits (like “AA,” “AB,” etc.). There’s almost no skill required in something like this. You just need a simple program to run it for you.

However, AES-256 is basically impenetrable. There’s no known security breaches or successful hacks, so you can rest assured that your data will be safe behind its secure encryption.

VPNSecure also offers DNS Leak Protection, UDP Leak Protection, and IPv6 Leak Protection.

Unlike some more modern VPNs, VPNSecure does not yet support the WireGuard protocol, which has gained popularity for its improved speed and security. They currently rely on OpenVPN as their primary protocol.

Is Torrenting Allowed?

Torrenting is allowed with this VPN on most servers, though some restrictions may apply.

Torrenting with a VPN might sound like overkill. After all, they do provide similar services.

However, using them together does make a lot of sense when you think about it.

Torrents are primarily used for downloading content quickly. But they don’t always pack the same level of security.

So even though your private information might stay private, you’re not necessarily protected against evil actors out there.

One concern with VPNSecure for torrenting is its Australian jurisdiction, which has strict anti-piracy laws. While the service allows P2P traffic on most servers, users should be cautious about potential legal implications in this Five Eyes country.

Logging Policy

VPNSecure claims over and over again on their site that they have a very strict no-logging policy.

Unfortunately, I’ve been tricked by this bold claim before.

And sure enough, when you dig through the boring privacy policy, the company claims that it has the right to monitor you if they believe you are using the site illegally.

Also, no logging only applies to the following kinds of data, according to VPNSecure.me’s website:

• IP Address NOT logged
• Connection timestamp NOT logged
• Disconnect timestamp NOT logged
• Bandwidth used NOT logged
• DNS Requests NOT logged

The company also keeps your email address, username, and password, but insists that your password is encrypted using strong encryption.

One positive development is their use of a “shared static IP service” feature, which means many users share the same IP address simultaneously. This makes it harder to identify individual users, even if they were forced to share information with authorities.

So in most cases, you should be fine. Just be aware that there might be someone still watching out there.

2. Usability of The App Is Good

I was surprised at how simple VPNSecure was to download and use.

On the VPNSecure website, just select the device you’re looking to install the service on, and you’ll be ready to download.

Once you’ve downloaded the software, you’ll be prompted to log in.

From there, you’ll see a nice user interface that looks something like this:

If you disconnect, the banner will show that you are no longer connected at the top of the screen. You can also search for a server using the search bar.

At the bottom of the screen, your IP address, current location, and membership type are listed.

The usability of this service is not difficult or complicated at all, and the search bar adds a nice touch.

One drawback noted by some users is that you need to scroll through the server list to disconnect, rather than having a dedicated disconnect button, which can be slightly frustrating.

Overall, I’d give it a 7/10 for usability. Good for beginners or VPN-newbs, but there’s room for interface improvements.

3. Solid Customer Support

VPNSecure uses live chat for customer support.

If you remember, it was one of the first things you see when visiting their site.

So I decided to put them to the test.

Another VPN I reviewed had a “live” chat option that was anything but. It took them hours and hours to finally give me a response.

Thankfully, VPNSecure was more on top of it.

Once you’re on the site, a live support chat automatically appears that you can minimize.

Here’s the question I sent in:

I was almost immediately met with a response.

Nick was helpful, fast, and friendly. I don’t even think I had to wait a full 30 seconds to receive his reply.

Live chat can usually either be a hit or miss because many companies use bots or take forever to respond.

Not this VPN.

Overall, the quality of VPNSecure customer service was extraordinary. However, it’s worth noting that more recent reports indicate there is no 24/7 live chat support, and some users have experienced delays with email support responses.

4. Their Cost Starts From $2.99/mo

The pricing plans for VPNSecure are fairly simple to navigate through.

The basic plan with the best value is $2.99 per month for the three-year plan. This represents significant savings compared to the month-to-month option, though it does require a longer commitment.

Considering that you can connect up to five devices with this VPN for this price, it offers reasonable value compared to other services.

There are a few others out there, like PIA, that will give you a better long-term discount if you’re willing to prepay.

However, most of those will have some limitations on the number of devices you use. So you might hit a cap at a certain point and have to get additional accounts.

5. Stealth VPN Mode for Restricted Regions

One standout feature of VPNSecure is its Stealth VPN mode, which is designed to bypass deep packet inspection in countries with heavy internet censorship.

According to their support team, this feature makes VPNSecure effective in countries with restrictive firewalls like China, Iran, and Belarus. This is particularly valuable for travelers or residents in regions with strict internet controls.

The Stealth VPN works by disguising VPN traffic to look like regular HTTPS traffic, making it much harder for censors to detect and block.

VPNSecure Cons –

I was pretty pleased with most of what VPNSecure had to offer.

But there were a few issues I had when digging below the surface.

Here’s a quick recap of all the cons to watch out for when using their service.

1. VPNSecure is Slower Than Average VPN

Every single VPN will boast about their connection speeds.

But the truth isn’t always as clear.

VPNSecure, too, boasts about its fast connection speeds. So I was eager to test out how fast they really are.

I ran speed tests on servers in the US, Netherlands, and Hong Kong to verify everything.

Here are the results of my speed tests:

US Server

• Ping: 117 ms
• Download: 27.18 Mbps
• Upload: 24.50 Mbps

Netherlands Server

• Ping: 37 ms
• Download: 53.62 Mbps
• Upload: 45.50 Mbps

Hong Kong Server

• Ping: 429 ms
• Download: 1.74 Mbps
• Upload: 1.49 Mbps

The Netherlands speeds were pretty good. However, the US ones were pretty slow, and the Hong Kong one was abysmal.

Recent tests confirm that these inconsistencies continue to be an issue. While nearby servers may provide acceptable speeds for browsing and basic streaming, distant servers continue to suffer from significant slowdowns.

The lack of support for newer, faster protocols like WireGuard is likely contributing to these performance issues.

To be honest, I almost thought something was wrong on that last test or that I made a mistake initially. It seemed too slow to be accurate.

This kind of inconsistency would be frustrating for most users, so I can’t call connection speeds a perk.

You’d be much better off with ExpressVPN or NordVPN which are faster (and similarly priced) than VPNSecure.me

2. Limited Streaming Service Compatibility

VPNSecure struggles significantly with unblocking popular streaming services. In my testing, Netflix consistently detected the VPN and displayed the proxy error message regardless of which server location I tried.

According to the most recent information, VPNSecure only works reliably with Disney+ and Peacock. It fails to unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Max.

The company itself acknowledges that streaming isn’t its primary focus. In communications with their support team, they admitted that accessing streaming platforms is “an uphill battle” for their service.

This limitation makes VPNSecure a poor choice for those who primarily want a VPN for streaming international content libraries.

3. Smaller Server Network

With approximately 100+ servers across 33 countries, VPNSecure’s network is significantly smaller than industry leaders like NordVPN (7,200+ servers in 118 countries) or ExpressVPN (3,000+ servers in 105 countries).

This limited server count can lead to overcrowding during peak usage times, contributing to the inconsistent speeds mentioned earlier. It also means fewer options for finding an optimal connection, especially if you need servers in specific regions.

For users who need extensive global coverage, especially in less common locations, VPNSecure’s network may prove insufficient.

4. Jurisdiction Concerns

VPNSecure’s Australian jurisdiction remains a significant drawback for privacy-focused users. Australia is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which means it cooperates with other member countries (US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand) in sharing intelligence data.

Additionally, Australia’s 2019 anti-encryption law allows the government to force businesses to hand over user information even if it’s encrypted, which raises serious privacy concerns.

While VPNSecure attempts to mitigate this risk with their shared IP system and no-logs policy, the legal framework in which they operate is inherently less privacy-friendly than VPNs based in jurisdictions with stronger privacy laws.

Do I Recommend VPNSecure?

Yes and no.

VPNSecure does offer some nice security features, like a kill switch, customizable encryption, and various leak protections. Their Stealth VPN mode is particularly valuable for users in heavily censored regions.

I appreciate that you can choose your encryption level and customize each plan to suit your needs. Plus, the security and privacy protections are solid when considered alongside their shared IP feature.

Pricing is reasonable with their three-year plan at $2.99 per month, though not the cheapest option available. The five device limit is standard for the industry.

I was most pleased with their fast, friendly customer service during my testing, though recent reports suggest support response times may have become less consistent.

However, there were some significant downsides.

Connection speeds were inconsistent, ranging from acceptable to extremely poor depending on server location. The lack of modern protocols like WireGuard is a notable omission.

Their streaming capabilities are quite limited, with only Disney+ and Peacock working reliably. Netflix, which is a priority for many VPN users, consistently detects and blocks VPNSecure.

The Australian jurisdiction and related privacy concerns also cannot be overlooked for users focused primarily on anonymity and security.

Overall, VPNSecure ranks 12th out of 78 VPNs I’ve tested. It’s a capable service for basic security and privacy needs, particularly if you need the Stealth VPN feature for heavily censored countries. However, for streaming, performance, or maximum privacy assurance, you’d be better served by top-tier options like NordVPN, Surfshark or ProtonVPN.

 

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