SaferVPN Review
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Overview
SaferVPN is one of very few providers worldwide that offers both a free trial and a money-back guarantee. The trial gives access to all features for one day. SaferVPN also has a “refer-a-friend” plan that can earn you and each friend referred a free month of VPN use. A Chrome extension complements the software, and a recent app redesign gives excellent performance in an easy-to-use format. Based in the US, SaferVPN’s server selection is still a bit limited, but gradually improving. Access to streaming services is not as reliable as we’d like to see. Privacy features have been recently upgraded, reducing connection metadata logging to a bare minimum. Customer service is fast and user-friendly.
Speed & Performance: 9.2
Since a recent upgrade, SaferVPN has gone to the front of the pack for US network performance—close to 60Mbps—along with impressive 2-second average connection times. Download speeds and low latency were great for most of its servers, even with very high-demand websites and apps. Gamers and users sharing large files will be very happy with upload speeds as well. Currently, torrenting is only supported in the Netherlands however.
Unblock Content: 6.0
SaferVPN works well for gaming, Twitter, Youtube, Netflix, Facebook, Google/Gmail, Skype, and Hulu. However, it is blocked by many of the most popular streaming services, which loses it major points.
Security & Privacy: 8.5
Some new privacy features and a heightened privacy policy have boosted SaferVPN’s ratings among users who put a high value on personal security. Right now, it collects data only for the purpose of managing server performance, including session times and dates, bandwidth used, location country, and VPN server. This is very close to zero-log. And even though SaferVPN stores this metadata for a year, no IP addresses are stored for any time period. Additionally, SaferVPN has added a killswitch and auto-protection features to apps, along with improved IPv6 and DNS leak-blocking.
Server Locations: 7.0
SaferVPN has only 34 locations around the globe, making it one of the most geographically limited VPN options currently vying for the market. Although SaferVPN has been increasing server coverage, it is still quite limited in Asia. Indeed, it only has servers only in Singapore, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong. The SaferVPN server network in South America also suffers from limited coverage with servers in only Argentina and Brazil. US users are offered two choices, east coast and west coast. Additionally, you cannot choose a specific city server. Fortunately, performance is very good even over long distance for the locations that are covered, as long as you’re within reach of one of their 400+ servers.
Ease Of Use: 9.1
Kudos for SaferVPN’s app design—it uses one simple window on the desktop, is easy to use, and consistently responsive. There’s a nice dropdown menu in settings for selection of VPN protocols, or you can choose to have it done automatically. Searching for server locations is also simple, and you can mark favorites to make them easy to find later. The main view displays your new IP address and connection protocol. Advanced users might rue the complete lack of advanced settings on the desktop.
The mobile app does not have manual protocol selection, and only LT2P over IPSec is included. You can configure OpenVPN and PPTP on either Android or iOS, and IKEv2 only on iOS. There are manual settings for automatic WiFi security, and an easy off/on toggle for auto reconnect.
WHAT WE LIKE
- Easy, intuitive user interface
- Auto mode is great
- Slick mobile app
WHAT WE LIKE LESS
- No advanced settings on desktop
- Mobile app has LT2P over IPSec only
- Manual configuration only for other protocols
Customer Support: 8.0
Although SaferVPN’s customer service has a lot of nice features, the website knowledge base is somewhat lacking in detail and depth. Both email and live chat were quick, friendly in tone, and responded directly and accurately to the questions being asked. The basics for installation, manual configuration, and troubleshooting were addressed adequately.
Value For Money: 7.9
Users get a decent bang for their buck with SaferVPN — as long as access to Netflix and other streaming services isn’t a desired feature. NordVPN, our best-rated VPN, offers access to all the most popular sites and services and gives a better value for the money.
WHAT WE LIKE
- Affordable annual subscription rate
- High performance on popular servers
- Ease of use
WHAT WE LIKE LESS
- Limited server options
- Lack of advanced settings
- Unreliable streaming service access
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