VPN Review: VyprVPN

A 'nest of vipers' denotes a group of disreputable or villainous people, and can be used as an aphorism for some corners of the Internet. After all, the dark side of the Internet is only ever a URL click away, with data bandits hiding behind even the most innocuous-looking websites.

Supposing that snakes truly fear fire (at least according to Indiana Jones), VyprVPN is the torch that will allow you to navigate the viper's nest and surf the web freely. A detailed look at how this VPN provider fares in comparison to the others we have tested is shown in the review below.

VyprVPN is a VPN provider which boasts more than 2 million customers. The company is headquartered in Switzerland, but, is a subsidiary of the US-based Golden Frog. Applications exist for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, with configuration possible for Smart TVs and routers. Instructions for manually setting up the service are also available.

VyprVPN is only available as a paid subscription; prior to download, it is necessary to create an account on Golden Frog and select a monthly or yearly subscription. Once the account has been created, VyprVPN's installation and operation are relatively quick.

The desktop program features a proven interface design, displaying only the most important VPN functions on its main screen. The "Connect" button is the center of attention, above and below which, servers can be selected from an alphabetical list.

Although servers are not arranged by category, it is possible to mark favorites for quick access. Alongside every server's location, you can view information about its quality (ping). It's also possible to find servers using the search bar.

If looking to connect to the best available server, simply click on the "Fastest Server" button.

Through the hamburger menu on the upper left of the interface, the support center can be accessed, as well as information about available updates. Settings can be found below, in the main menu, under the heading "Customize". The kill switch can also be activated here, while auto-start options, protocols, and a DNS server can be selected, about which more is written below.

The usual options for auto-start can be configured here so that VyprVPN does not (for example) automatically connect to untrusted WLAN networks.

VyprVPN provides the standard suite of features but misses a few here and there. The most glaring deficiency in this regard is the absence of support for split tunnel routing on Windows, which allows certain devices to be exempted from VPN connections. Only Mac and Android users will be able to utilize split tunneling with VyprVPN for their devices. Another notable absence is that of multi-tap connections, which create numerous VPN tunnels simultaneously.

Mobile App

VyprVPN's mobile app is identical to its desktop program, except that the veritable split tunneling feature "App Connection" appears. Apart from that, you can control whether a VPN connection is established automatically when you start your computer, guaranteeing that you always surf anonymously.

VyperVPN no longer offers a browser extension (it was deemed to be redundant some time ago). Nevertheless, the provider does offer a solid array of features, packaged in an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, which covers all of the basics, without adding too many extras.

Score: 4.0 / 5

VyprVPN can call upon more than 700 servers spread across 70 locations in 64 countries, equating to upwards of 300,000 IP addresses. As with most VPN providers, the majority of VyprVPN's servers are concentrated in North America and Europe, while Africa (Algeria and Egypt) is barely covered at all. On the plus side, VyprVPN can lay claim to more servers in Asia, Central, and South America than most other providers.

The server networks of leading VPN providers like NordVPN, HideMyAss, or ExpressVPN are miles ahead of VyprVPN, however, the service offers decent coverage. It is somewhat unfortunate that VyprVPN's server network has barely grown over the past few years, signalling to us that there are likely no plans for further expansion.

Score: 3.7 / 5

The speed of all VPNs which we tested was evaluated using a server in Europe with a 1 GB/s connection. We tested random VyprVPN servers in Germany and the US at different times of the day to more accurately evaluate their performances. More information concerning our methodology can be found in our VPN speed test.

The table below shows the average results from the last 365 days, arranged in order of download and upload speed (descending):

When the test was conducted, VyprVPN clocked a download speed of 106 MB/s and an upload speed of 12.2 MB/s. These were only good enough for the next-to-last place, putting VyprVPN far off the fastest providers.

A table containing the average speeds over the past few months can be found in the table below.

And when put to the test? We used VyprVPN for an entire day of regular surfing and didn't have to deal with any of the common and adverse side effects of VPN usage such as captchas during Google searches. The provider also did well when it came to video streaming: We were able to use Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and the BBC iPlayer based on the location of the server we had connected to.

Should you be looking for a VPN that can circumvent the "Great Firewall", VyprVPN might not be your best bet: During testing, we couldn't create a connection from China with any of the protocols.

For everyday usage, VyprVPN's performance is decent, although its speeds, when set alongside those of its competitors, leave much to be desired.

Score: 3.0 / 5

VyperVPN supports the OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP VPN protocols as well as the new go-to protocol, WireGuard. In our Windows version, as well as in Android, OpenVPN with 256-bit encryption came pre-selected.

For premium subscribers, the OpenVPN-based proprietary 'Chameleon' protocol can be used. 'Chameleon' is lauded for its ability to prevent blocking or throttling of VPN connections in countries where their usage is restricted or otherwise frowned upon. This might be an interesting option if attempting to connect from China, however, as we noted above, we didn't have any luck in establishing such a connection.

The strength of the encryption is also dependent upon the protocol that is used, with WireGuard, OpenVPN, Chameleon, and L2TP/IPsec with AES 256 offering the best possible security (a 160-bit OpenVPN option is also available). PPTP (128-bit encryption) lags somewhat behind the other protocols.

The program passed our VPN leak tests for IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC without any difficulties. A potential DNS leak was registered, but this arose owing to the location of our VPN and DNS servers in two different data centers, managed by two different providers. Since both of these servers are overseen by VyprVPN, there's no reason to suspect that our anonymity was compromised.

VyprVPN is headquartered in Switzerland, a country well-known for the strength of its data security laws, and which is not a party to any of the various international intelligence-sharing agreements.

Additionally, like many other VPN providers, VyprVPN promises not to compile or save any logs. In contrast to its competitors, however, VyprVPN has put its money where its mouth is and gone through with an independent audit of its service. A report written in 2018 by Leviathan Security confirmed that VyprVPN's users can be assured "that the company is not logging their VPN activity." The handful of shortcomings identified by the independent consultants were quickly rectified by VyprVPN.

For privacy-driven users, VyprVPN makes a number of potent arguments suggesting that their anonymity is in good hands. To truly stand behind this policy, however, it's necessary that VyprVPN continually review its efforts. For example, the last security audit was in 2018, three years ago. In the interim, much could have transpired, and for that reason, we would like to see a more proactive approach from the provider.

Score: 3.7 / 5

VyprVPN offers a support chat which is staffed around the clock with bilingual personnel. For those cases that a support team member does not speak a language other than English, automatic translations are used. When entering the support chat, a bot first attempts to solve the problem, however, should this fail, you will be forwarded to a live support team member.

The wait times vary somewhat, however, we received help within seconds or minutes on the several occasions that we tested the service.

Beyond the support chat, it is also possible to file a support ticket. Our email query was answered in less than 2 hours, and that on a Sunday.

Guides, FAQs, and links to useful blogs are provided In the help center.

From our point of view, VyprVPN does everything right in terms of customer support.

Score: 4.7 / 5

VyprVPN offers a wide array of subscription options, ranging from monthly to three-year plans, all of which can support simultaneous connections on up to five different devices. As is common, the longer the subscription, the lower the monthly price, however, VyprVPN takes this to the next level. As of the time of testing, the service's three-year plan costs a measly $1.67 per month.

A current price list can be found below:

There are also two subscription options for organizations, 'VyprVPN for Business' and 'VyprVPN for Business Cloud', which offer extras such as a fixed IP, and an individual, dedicated server.

No free version of VyprVPN exists, however, the desktop app comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, while the mobile app can be tested for three days. Credit cards, PayPal, Alipay, or Google/Apple Pay are accepted as payment methods.

In nearly every regard, VyprVPN is a solid VPN service, which sets itself apart from its competitors owing to its low price. In the chaotic marketplace of online service providers, there is little more one can do than take companies at their word, however, VyprVPN engaged an independent audit to back up its promises. Of course, this was back in 2018, and we think it's time for a check-up, but still, at least an audit was made.

With reliable and intuitive applications, a good network of servers, and decent features, VyprVPN gives a good accounting of itself alongside the VPN heavyweights, even without factoring in its exemplary performance in terms of data security. Unfortunately, VyprVPN was one of the slowest services we tested, taking the next-to-last place in our speed ranking. In terms of features, the absence of split tunnel routing in the Windows client is frustrating, as are the limited settings on offer.

VyprVPN is rarely at the top of 'best-of' lists, however, it still provides a good companion for escaping the 'nest of vipers' that is the internet.

Based on the customer reviews that we examined for VyprVPN, the service was rated 'good'. Some criticism was leveled against the company's support, which appeared less helpful to some than it did to us. Connection problems and slow connections were also frequently cited. The price-performance ratio was lauded, alongside the program's simple installation, and features, such as 'Chameleon'.

If you're looking for a better-performing VPN, you're in luck, because there are a number of options to choose from. The fastest providers in our sample were NordVPN, Surfshark, and MullvadVPN. NordVPN has repeatedly allowed its commitment to not creating logs to be independently tested and offers an excellent sever network and tons of features.

Should VyprVPN be too expensive, you'll likely want to take a look at free VPNs. Most freemium services come with some sort of data restrictions, however, ProtonVPN allows for unlimited surfing.