AirVPN Review
AirVPN is definitely a VPN provider to keep an eye on as they’re quite serious about privacy, constant network improvement, and innovation in the online privacy world. They have really set themselves apart with their feature set of tools that other VPN providers simply do not have.
AirVPN Review Summary
AirVPN comes from a unique place as it was created during the Pirate Festival held in Rome in 2010. There, a small group of hackvisits, including specialist digital privacy lawyers, created the first iteration of AirVPN. The service was first set up as a free service for those in censored countries. The free side still remains in a limited form, while robust paid plans keep everything funded.
The provider is hyper-focused on privacy, and has delivered with innovative features like their differing IP address entry and exit feature, allowing peer review of their service, and their keeping of databases off their servers. While they have many ideals and ideas, what they don’t have is a large network, or an established reputation in the industry. They are small-time, with a small team, which may or may not be appealing to users. Overall, we recommend them if you’re looking for a boutique-style VPN provider with a small and dedicated team.
AirVPN Features
AirVPN have been focused on building privacy and security products right from their inception, and were actually brought together at a festival dedicated to privacy. They have developed a number of unique features to meet their own high standards for online privacy:
- All physical access of servers is restricted to a small core of the team.
- Separate entry and exit IP address on every VPN server.
- Peer-reviewed accessibility for their infrastructure, and bandwidth allocation guarantee.
- Re-keying every 60 seconds, known as “Perfect Forwarding Secrecy.”
- An advanced kill switch they call “Network Lock,” which they claim is better than the standard kill switches.
These may not seem like much, but they do set AirVPN apart from the average provider as these are not common features at all. Having separate entry and exit addresses is something we’ve only seen with this VPN provider, making it a very unique feature and selling point.
AirVPN SERVERS & COUNTRIES
AirVPN have focused themselves on only providing their services in countries where their servers are guaranteed a certain level of privacy, net neutrality, and quality of infrastructure. This means that they are available in fewer countries as too many have laws and attitudes which are contrary to online privacy.
They currently have servers in 20 countries, with a total of over 220 servers. While this number is far below the top VPN providers we review, they still manage to have servers in key countries for geo-blocking. This is a provider which believes in quality over quantity, which is an attitude with benefits. We’ll see what happens when they grow even more.
Reliability & Speed Tests
AirVPN is quite honest about speed on their website. They claim that while their goal is for every server to always be capable of 1 Gbps, they also plainly state that this is not always possible due to server loads.
Reliability is another point of pride. Back when they first started in 2010, a data centre that they used in France was completely shut down without warning or explanation provided to them. They had everything back up and running, essentially starting over from nothing, within 4 days. While what happened to them was unfortunate, it did give them a chance to show what they’re made of when it comes to keeping their customers happy. They could’ve walked away, but they’re committed to providing this service.
Pricing and Payments
AirVPN has a very diverse pricing range, offering packages from three days to three years in length:
- Three days: €2
- One month: €7
- Three months: €15
- Six months: €29
- One year: €49
- Two years: €79
- Three years: €99
For those in America, the Euro remains their standard currency regardless of your location, so you’ll have to do a little calculating as the Euro is worth more than USD as of this writing. For their best price, €99 for three years, that’s approximately $3USD per month. This makes them one of the better deals in the industry. Their three day trial period is also notable as many VPNs do not offer anything this length.
Their payment options are commendable. They offer the standard PayPal and major credit cards that everyone does, while also offering the widest assortment of cryptocurrencies we’ve seen: 25! If you thought Bitcoin and Litecoin were it, they accept cryptocurrency you haven’t even heard of without the use of an intermediary.
Support
What really sets high-quality service providers apart from average providers is customer support. With AirVPN, you definitely see the limit to their service as they do not have the most responsive customer support team. They have no live chat support, as almost all of the top providers do, and getting answers via email can take hours.
Other options for support include:
- Forums: This is divided into a forum which AirVPN uses for FAQs and guides, and a separate forum for users to post questions. Both forums are full of answers to questions you may have.
- FAQ: Their limited FAQ section exists just to be a tab someone could click on, and should be integrated into the Forums section. It feels like a throwaway as it’s even set up like a forum rather than a true FAQ section.
- Status: This tab on their website shows how well all of their servers are performing, and shows their load. This can be helpful when you’re having an issue with a server you want to connect to and confirm if it’s down or not.
- Social media: They are active on Twitter and Facebook, and typically reply within a day or so. Neither is particularly effective for customer support.
Customer support speed is not a strength of AirVPN. We tested them via email and their fastest response time was 5 hours, and you could tell that it wasn’t a person versed in the nuances of talking to strangers. Not that the answers weren’t accurate, they just felt impersonal. This is likely due to the fact that they keep all support in-house, and whoever answers is whoever is available, which can be seen as a positive if you’re paranoid about third-party involvement.
Their support window to contact them via email is embarrassingly ancient:
It has a very ‘Windows 95’ feel to it, and they need to start upgrading customer-facing points like this in order to be taken seriously.
POLICIES & LOGGING
With their focus firmly on privacy, you be sure that they do indeed have a no-logging policy on all traffic. They also claim that it is impossible for anyone, even your ISP, to ascertain your traffic type or protocol. These are bold claims which show their dedication to privacy.
Their customer-centric policies include:
- Bandwidth allocation: They openly show the bandwidth available and being used for every server they operate. The information is shown simply in a diagram form to understand at a glance, with the numbers which back it up displayed as well for deeper analysis.
- Terms of service: Their terms of service spend a good deal of time talking about how they comply with all privacy regulations granted under the European General Data Protection Regulation. They also go into their refund policy, which states you must make your request in writing within three days of paying. Refunds may take up to 30 days.
- Privacy notice: They state that all servers located outside of the EU will be treated with at least the level of privacy afforded by the European General Data Protection Regulation or higher, never lower. They also state all of the measures they take to prevent data leakage, which are quite extensive and impressive.
The policies written and enacted by AirVPN show that they are indeed serious about user privacy, perhaps more so than any VPN provider we’ve come across. They have a short refund policy window, and that hurts them a little. Given the fact that they do offer a free, and very limited, service, users should try that before stepping up to a paid plan.
Expert Recommendation
AirVPN is definitely a VPN provider to keep an eye on as they’re quite serious about privacy, constant network improvement, and innovation in the online privacy world. They have really set themselves apart with their feature set of tools that other VPN providers simply do not have. They also have an interesting pricing structure, made all the better by a free VPN offering (though it is very limited).
What keeps them from ranking higher is their lack of world-class customer support, and their smaller network size. For those who are looking for something a bit more privacy-focused, or want a bit more of a one-to-one feeling with their VPN provider, AirVPN is a great choice. They’re not a heavyweight, but they’re definitely a worthy contender working up the ranks!
AirVPN User Reviews
No Title
Unable to use password of any kind. after downloading a working .ovpn file, it now spins forever instead of connecting.
No Title
Sadly, quick connect does not work anymore. Constantly says “end of server” and gives instructions to remove other VPN apps. there are none.
AirVPN is excellent
I love this VPN. If you are using P2P services, this is definitely the one you will want to go with. It has Port forwarding capabilities. AirVPN is a very respected VPN in the community, very good prices. I got a year subscription and couldn’t be happier with it. Works well, good speeds
No shiny app but a top of the line VPN provider!
So yes, it is not as polished as the VPN providers but it certainly doesn’t finish in the news for doing things it said it would not. Too many top rated VPN providers are a joke and are just at the top thanks to the affiliate programs.
Air VPN is run by activists who have a clear mission and believe in what they do. Just read the first page. It is a serious VPN run by serious people. You go there when you are serious about privacy.
I’ve been with them since 2016 and have never had speed issues of any kind. They might not be the biggest with the most servers but they are the one I trust with my data.
3 Stars
3 stars
The gui eddie does not work.
After flushing DNS it disconnects and tries another server, where the same symptoms appear.
I can connect with a VPN server by .ovpn
It's great
I actually liked the timer feature . But all in all good app. Not much of a decrease in speed when it’s activated plus it’s truly hlobal. So far haven’t seen any instances where it fails to change the country your ip is supposed to be in , even ads are fooled (getting German ads all the time ). If there is one thing I would criticize ,it’s the lack of a speed test fir more accurate monitoring …other than that ,I’ve been using it for years …still haven’t found anything that can replace it
No Title
I’m a big fan of the desktop VPN, but th mobile app is shocking. ‘End of server list’ is persistent and when it actually connects it does not actually re-direct my data. I will be ending my subscription and looking elsewhere
No Title
Excellent service, speed, price point and variety of servers. But the app is also a winner for the worst user experience ever. I can live with the desktop app or use cli instead, but here? You should get someone to redesign the whole thing, srsly.
No Title
Everything works great…Except for one thing! The app never remembers my password… I have to retype my password everytime I want to use my VPN service. Please fix this for your next update and I will bring my stars up.
No Title
Fraud+trash. This VPN doesn’t work in china completely. And when I ask them to return my money, they promised me to return my refund in 5 days. Yet they didn’t really return anything. When I message them again they simply didn’t respond. Anyway I have reported this issue to Google. Think about it, you idiotic company.
Best VPN out there
I think the rating on this site is quite inaccurate. Using them for half year and never encountered single problem. Prices are really great for all features you get. You can choose from bunch of protocols, protocols and you can even set it up to use proxy. When you install client, just enter your login and password and click connect – so it’s pretty easy to use. For better security, you can also activate Network Lock (also known as Killswitch). Site is also well made, support always responded me within 24 hours (on working days, I didn’t contact them at weekend/holidays). Their servers are really fast, it’s slowing my connection barely for about 2%. Also, it’s great to use even on Android and iOS with OpenVPN Connect application, mainly because you can generate .ovpn files right at your phone/tablet and just import it into OpenVPN Connect.
The Best One I Guest now
The tools on application is the most elaborate I’ve seen actually.
No Title
Well featured, however local traffic split tunnel not working properly. There needs to be a way to either define applicable local subnets or have the app recognize all RFC local addresses to bypass the VPN as seems to be the config option intent.
Brilliant With Bells On
I’ve tried pretty much all, well most VPN’s included the revered & Most Holy of VPN’s Express & Nord, which IMHO are not that good with limited privacy but seems like they probably have ways as being reviewed as the best though again in my opinion actually are just half decent? Now to AIR, the best I’ve used, I’ve never needed to use tech support as had no need to in months. It’s fast almost giving me almost the same speed as my fibre connection, within 7 meg or so. I have used the forum once & got a fast courteous reply. The GUI could do with a couple of additions though I have yet to use any VPN that does all I want – Stable, fast secure, easy to use & is the number one VPN without question.
Good app
It speeds up my internet so much definitely five stars. Can be used in mainland China. I’ve tested so many other VPN apps and non of them were as good as this one. Download it now! Stable vpn for iphone. Amazing service, Discreet. This vpn is fast and i bought premium. Really recommend this is you are looking for a fast affordable vpn service for iphone. Even without the premium it allows me to connect to school WiFi without having internet troubles. I’ve used this for almost a year now and after trying probably close to 15 other VPN’s, this is the only vpn for iphone that stays connected, has very fast service, user-friendly, as well as safe and secure
Best app ever
The fastest service for mobile I’ve ever used. And it’s got advanced privacy features such as tor over vpn. Consider that I can use it on three platforms, the price is quite worthy. It basic covers my iphone and ipad. Overall, it balances privacy and performance terrifically. I have tried other free vpn apps and this one has the best services. The number of servers are large and the speed is unlimited when I’m connected. Which is super important because definitely I don’t want to spending my whole lifetime waiting the site to load hhhh. I also like this vpn service for its security. Online privacy is crucial these days.
The Best VPN out there. Allows forward ports!
Best thing about AirVPN is they allow you to forward some ports, you get a high (over 1024) random port as your very own, Up to 20 ports I think it is you can create. I even started 4 tor exit servers running on AirVPN as a test with great results! So I kept them running. Network lock keeps my home IP from suddenly being a tor exit (Very Bad) if AirVPN or a virtual box fails. I can even change my tor exit servers IP’s without issue. I just download Eddie for linux and create a tor server in Linux mint Virtual boxes. Works great. You cannot do that on any other VPN’s. Being able to forward a port, even if it is random, is absolutely a game changer.
No Title
I’ve grappled with this app on a Samsung A6 tablet. It never starts on boot. It will say its connected and I find it isn’t. I go back to Openvpn and everything works fine with my Airvpn account. Given up now.
Air VPN = efficient Ipv6 compatibility in 2019
Important information is missing from your AirVPN review: AirVPN is one of the very few new generation VPN servers that runs on iPv6 protocol. This is still not being done in 2019 by the ageing VPN stars NordVPN or ExpressVPN.
Trustworthy VPN with real privacy and security at its core
AirVPN walks the walk when it comes to online security. Privacy of their user information is at the very core of what they are – more than can be said for many other VPN providers I’ve tried over the years. Their offering is incredibly reasonable without the long term hooks that other providers try to snag you with. Performance is good and they are truly protocol agnostic – if you can do it on the ‘net, you can do it with AirVPN. Also – the support SSH over VPN – an unusual setup that is not always allowed or available with VPN providers.
A Horibble company!!
It’s been four days and many request tickets and emails since I decide to try out Airvpn $15 plan and still no response. I forgot my password. I ask for a password reset so I can sign in and set up my account, still no answer. I’m really disappointed with the company. After reading great reviews I wouldn’t think they would treat customers so bad. I’m about to file a claim for a refund. I regret signing up with them.
No Title
As long as you don’t lock your phone, you’re all good. If you do, the client will 90% of the time just lock the VPN and force you to restart the connection manually. This is supposedly a deliberate “Security measure” to prevent leaks, but there has to be a better way. In the mean time, I’ll be looking elsewhere for a more stable and user friendly VPN service.
A great product. I've been a user for about 6 years.
I have had an AirVpn subscription for between 5 and 6 years and although I started with a monthly sub, I switched to annual after about a year or so. I use AirVpn on 2 different laptops running Windows 7. This service works quite well and although it was a little bit technical to get it set up (I was considered a power user by the IT guys where i worked….just tech enough to be able to communicate with real techs!), and I needed a little bit of help, I got that via a couple of emails with quick turnaround and clear explanations when I requested help. The number of servers is fine for my purposes. I do a lot of streaming and although most of the time whatever server I choose first gives me great speeds, on those rare occasions when I find that I’m having a problem with buffering, I only have to try perhaps one other server and the problem is solved. If there is a problem, it usually has to do with the time of day, or sometimes the region, but never when it happens does it rise to the level of an annoyance. I do have high speed internet but I get much better speeds using AirVpn than when I don’t use it, so I use it most of the time for whatever I’m doing on the web. I like the company’s commitment to security and privacy and I highly recommend this product without reservation.
No Title
App is worthless in current state. Upon opening the app a dialog box opens requesting to allow eddie AirVPN to setup a vpn connection on my phone. It will NOT allow me to click OK. Only cancel. Closed app, retried many times. This is a pretty major issue, how has nobody fixed this? And no it isnt an error on my part, its a software/coding issue. Many other people are experiencing the same problem.
please take your money somewhere more reliable and trustworthy
I don’t know what this VPN service’s issue is.
Sigh. I signed up with them because I was seeking anonymity. It was the “my life is on the line” kind, so I didn’t take time to mull over my different VPN options. They seemed like a good choice.
Well, their Android app doesn’t mask your IP, for starters. I had to buy a standalone OpenVPN client for that to work.
The Linux app is a bit buggy, but. It works.
The server speed is excellent… except when it’s not. I have to reconnect pretty frequently, and it’s been getting worse over the past 6m.
Still, it was secure, so I wasn’t complaining until tonight.
I installed a new OS. I needed to get a fresh download of the client app, or my OpenVPN config at least. But. Even though I haven’t been to the website in many months… I got greeted by a 429 error indicating my IP user made too many requests.
Huh…?
Now, this is the big problem: being blocked from the website, I have no way to contact their support. So I tried doing a public Tweet to their page. It got deleted… no reply…
At this point, I feel like I got scammed.
I’m pretty upset. And maybe they don’t want to talk to me because I was so confused, but now they probably really don’t want to talk to me, because after they deleted my Tweet… I got angry and told them I would be posting reviews everywhere I could find, as well as disputing bank charges and seeking out a way to report them to the BBB.
It really has put a significant halt and crunch on me…. since I work and go to school online… and have business clients that rely on me to keep confidential matters, well, secret…. and have had issues with cyber attacks for over a year now. The VPN thankfully brought those to a halt when, before I started using any VPN, I had to really harden the crap out of my OS as well as hide behind a maze of firewalled routers just to shake them.
And right now… I’m on a clean install…. so instead of doing the work that is due tomorrow morning, I’m working on securing my OS… just because for whatever reason, AirVPN’s website thinks I’ve made too many requests by visiting the page ONCE.
The deleted Tweet made my confidence in AirVPN plummet. Big time. It showed me that they lack transparency. It would have been easy enough to Tweet me back that the site was down or why I was being blocked from it, but they chose instead to hide the issue’s existence from their followers.
I also noticed on other review websites, for every negative review which lists the same issues I have – there were three to four glowing reviews to counteract the one negative review – all of them insisting anyone that was unhappy surely wasn’t technically savvy enough. Making me suspect they’re paying people somehow to astroturf, because – well, here I am, a system admin. If that’s not technically savvy enough to use a VPN, then no one is savvy enough to use it, pretty much.
Look, there is a reason this is listed as #19 on this site. From what I can tell, this is an honest review site. That means that – honestly – there are other VPNs that made it to the top 10 which are just as affordable as AirVPN, just as secure, and (hopefully) faster as well.
And AirVPN didn’t make it to that top 10 for a reason. It barely made the top 20.
The best I can suggest is that, if you use this service, do not use their Android client, and keep a backup copy of the PC client just in case you get locked out of the website for no discernable reason.
This review says BitTorrent is allowed, but I suspect I’m locked out because I used BitTorrent last night to download 4GB in data.
RUSSIANS, BEWARE OF THIS VPN
Servers are laggy, Linux client is buggy, Android client doesn’t even mask your IP, and after 6m of regular work & college style internet usage, they blocked me from accessing their website – so I couldn’t download the client, my OpenVPN profile, or even contact them. Supposedly, my IP made too many requests – when it was the first time I’ve visited the website in MONTHS. When I used the only contact option available, which was a public Tweet asking what happened, they immediately deleted it without any reply. Do not trust this VPN service – THEY ARE 100% SCAMMING YOU. You CAN do better with other VPN services which cost the same, offer the same level of security (without the buggy clients), and have real, external customer support contact info.
No Title
Refuses to connect on android phone and firestick. There are no instructions so you have to guess how to use. i input a username with 9 characters including 1 number and a master password consisting of 3 letters and 3 numbers (same details on both phone and firestick but no joy whatsoever. Firestick log said username doesnt match. What gives
The worst customer service I have ever encountered
Do not be taken in by their claim of being “hacktivists and fighting against censorship”. They are the very embodiment of what they claim to be against. I bought a subscription for two years, encountered slow speeds, then wrote to their forums for feedback and technical assistance. The senior admin there was rude, sarcastic, and despotic. He locked my thread after I complained that he gave unhelpful standard FAQ-type of replies. I made another thread and he deleted that one. I had enough by then and wrote to their sales department asking for a refund, but being as tiny as they are, their sales department probably doesn’t exist or is handled by the same nasty person, and he promptly suspended my account. See how hollow and hypocritical their tagline rings.
So I have no hope of getting my refund back and cannot use their service in any case, which is basically fraud. Judging by other comments here, I’m not the first person to experience this, and surely won’t be the last.
Does have kill switch; Does NOT route traffic over VPN if using DHCP
I can confirm Eddie does have a kill switch. Window7+ only- It is called “Activate Network Lock at startup” in Preferences->General tab. Note it does NOT enable this by default. It is a feature not in the Window XP version. For XP you can still achieve the same “lock” manually- after connecting to a VPN server, go into the server list and find the “Lock Current” checkbox at the bottom of the window. Checking that will lock the connection. You’ll need to check it each time you connect.
Now the HUGE issue- if like most people, you use DHCP to configure your IP and DNS automatically, Eddie WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. After connecting to a VPN server, all your traffic is still routed through your normal internet connection. THIS IS VERY BAD. If should automatically go over the VPN, but it doesn’t, essentially rendering the VPN product useless. This does work properly if your PC is set up with static IP and static DNS- IE. on connecting to the VPN, traffic is then routed to the VPN as expected.
I have an atypical home setup with 15 or so PCs, several virtual machines, and for sanity sake, have always set up a static IP and static DNS (a block of local IPs is reserved for DHCP on my router, only my printers typically use it).
I added a new machine recently (Windows 7 Pro 64bit) , was in a rush to get it operational and went with DHCP. I installed AirVPN but didn’t pay much attention to its stats. A week later I noticed NO DATA was going through the VPN!!! WTH?!? After some monitoring with Task Manager to confirm the issue, I disconnected the VPN, set up a static IP and static DNS on my LAN card properties and then all was well. But because of this MAJOR flaw, I can not recommend this service.
No Title
This app no longer works for me, I’ve used AirVPN on the pc for a while now and haven’t had many issues. I’ve switched the AirVPN app settings around, reset the settings, uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Even reset my own network. Now I can’t even hit the ok button on the connection request pop up. Before it would constantly disconnect me, then it would refuse to connect, now I can’t even grant access to use the service. Log says: VPNManager.sendMessage() : serviceMessenger is null
The worst customer service I have ever encountered
Since the space here is limited, I’ll just post the link to my review on Reddit for anyone who’s really interested:
https://www.reddit.com/r/vpnreviews/comments/a972oq/airvpn_worst_ever_vpn_in_terms_of_customer/
In short, I paid for a two-year subscription, experienced poor speed, then asked for help on the forums but was given a dismissive reply. I replied saying don’t give me a FAQ reply and explained what I had tried. The post was then locked. When I asked for a refund, they suspended my account, essentially stealing my money for no services rendered. I’m not surprised to read that the post below mine had a similar experience, only that mine is even worse. They claim to be hacktivists against censorship, yet they freely indulge in it. Hypocritical bastards.
Really impressed
Very fast most of the time and passes all anonymity tests I’ve thrown at it. Doesn’t work with Netflix but I never expected it to. To be honest, individual IPs you need for their service are a pretty big, but I wouldn’t want it to work that way. I never forgot my user ID so I can’t comment on how well they deal with that.
In my opinion the best choice for fast and secure surfing.
It does not only have the best encryption on the market but I’m also able to download at full speed (~20mb/sec) and game online with almost no input lag (~30ms). The setup was also easy for me. You can test it 3 days for 1€. You won’t be disappointed.
Best VPN hands down
I have used PIA, I have used Nord. AirVPN is by far the best out there. The speed, the privacy, the commitment to FOSS. Although it is on the more expensive side, I cannot recommend it enough. I use it on Linux, OSX, and on Windows. I even use it on my Apple device. All give great speeds and super easy setup.
No Title
Um, it says I have to select a valid OpenVPN profile. When I click it, it takes me to my Google Drive. What do I do when I get to the Google Drive? (As in what do I select?)
No Title
Disconnecting every couple of minutes. There is no location to choose, instead you have to download files from the site for every location. Very unstable app. Not recommending currently until the next update at least.
No Title
Don’t understand what’s happening. I chose air vpn because they are the only ones that have a gui on Linux and is very easy to use, yet on android it’s the worst vpn app I have used. You can’t login via the app, and you cannot switch servers on the fly. To use the service, you’ll have to login via the website and download a configuration file – and you need to do that every time you want to change server location….I hope this gets sorted in the next release, before my subscription expires in December… Otherwise, I’ll be switching vpn provider.
Like it!
I’ve been using it for nearly a month and it never turned me down.
Very Solid
Airvpn is a fast, reliable and safe VPN . Deeply involved in internet freedom causes and not only focused on business and communication like big VPN with 362541 locations around the world. At contrary to these ones, airvpn’s connections are perfectly clean (not blacklisted IPS) no open ports , no leaks.
I like AirVPN
I’ve tried out a few VPN services, some small names, some large, & find AirVPN a nice compromise. I am a very heavy user, & consistently max out my home connection (~80Mbit) with AirVPN on the UK & European servers. The client they developed ‘Eddie’ is stable, you get the choice of lots of protocols/ports with no activity restrictions on any servers, & I like how they are completely transparent with their server loading data published on the website, allowing you to check ping times etc before you even sign up!
Air VPN, Good service but Horrible customer service
Airvpn seem good on paper but frequently I find the UK based servers to fall to a speed of less than 3mbps, sometimes you can get no connection at all and only changing the server fixes the issue. When I questioned this on the forum, the rep was rude, dismissive and banned me from making any more comments without his approval. So much for being the service for activists, maybe they are left wing activists like Google, Facebook and Youtube who only believe in free speech for those who worship Karl Marx. On the plus side when it works it works good, the software is reliable on both Windows and Linux, its just a shame their customer service and manners are so appalling.
Customer support sucks
Downloaded airvpn on the one day one dollar trial. Once it downloaded I couldn’t find the thing in my computer. I did find it eventually and tried to set it up. Got through that, tried to connect to any server…..nope. Will not connect to any server. My 360 protection software keeps raising alarms and wants to block access….I told it to allow in every instance. Sent message to customer support–no response. If I don’t hear from them soon I will uninstall.
The best all around solution I've found
I’ve used many of the prominent names in VPN services and I found the best overall solution was AirVPN. I am on the Brave browser in Linux Ubuntu and not having a Linux specific client eliminates many choices. I had connection problems, some services not allowing easy server selection, dropped connections, slow connections, expensive connections, problems with media displaying and so on.
Eddie, the GUI, ran flawlessly upon set-up, required no hand holding to figure out how to use it and had about the best overall assortment of privacy enhancing features that is out there. The prices is very competitive at longer durations.
I really, really like AirVPN and plan on sticking with them as long as their policies remain the same and their performance is maintained. For me, it was a great relief to find something so well developed for Linux.
Have had enough
My computer skills are relatively basic so consider the source but I’m sure a lot of basic users want simplicity in their VPN. I’ve had the service for about 2 years and have had a bunch of problems:
The speed drop even to a nearby server is at least 25-50% consistently since I started; the “recommended server” is usually in the Netherlands or Canada which is an inconvenience if I want to shop Joe Schmoe Store in the US-I have to change the server to the US-based one; the server lock “lock current” does not work; it takes several minutes for the selected connection to kick in assuming it does it on the first try which is often not the case; it will not let me select a lot of the servers that I want say the ones closer with lower latency times and in the US; for some strange reason I can no longer access the internet without the VPN even if I close it down, reboot and change the DNS server address back to a generic one – was never a problem before I got AirVPN; no sense in getting in touch with customer service as I had the same problem noted in the review above, remember, basic computer skills here. I signed up for all the reasons listed in the review. I think their concept is solid but execution leaves a lot to be desired.
One small positive though, I was able to watch the world cup by using one of their servers located in Germany to log onto one of the major German TV stations broadcasting the games. At times the images were a bit grainy but considering the routing not too bad. I had IPVanish before this and despite their propaganda, I could not do the same and their customer service was abysmal as well.
Looks like NordVPN or Express will be my next stop.
Technically good but cannot get VAT receipts from them
I have been using AirVPN for quite a few years. Fairly quick, easy to operate etc.
However, their technical support, sales support etc have been awful this year and seems to be getting worse. I have raised 6 support tickets, 4 have been closed without any response and 2 were just deleted!
I have asked them for VAT receipts but they refuse to provide one, even though VAT is charged. I believe this refusal is illegal (it certainly is in the UK). I think we will be moving elsewhere now.
No marketing hype VPN that delivers
In ten plus years of subscribing to multiple vpns I’ve found myself growing increasingly disgusted by all the marketing hype. The vpn world has as much marketing hype/BS as any industry I’ve ever seen. Any business that hypes itself inevitably winds up making gross exaggerations and, left unchecked, that inevitably leads to outright lies (PureVPN, IPVanish, and others claiming they don’t log). When it comes to my personal security I have no time for hype. So for me to discover AirVPN a couple years ago was a perfect match. Zero marketing hype. In fact zero marketing at all. They don’t advertise. They don’t pay for “reviews,” so you won’t find them on those so-called “review” sites. Most of their customers appear to be seasoned vpn users who don’t tolerate BS and demand first rate service. AirVPN delivers that and at a reasonable price. It’s also given me the opportunity of learning far more about netsec than I ever could have elsewhere, both from Air’s support staff and from other Air customers on their forums. The level of their technology and security is dramatically better than all but perhaps one or two others, but for half the money. Two things I wish they had are neural routing and multi-hop/chaining, but if they did they might have to charge what Perfect Privacy charges, which I’m unwilling to pay. As it is I find the level of security they offer with OpenVPN over Tor, OpenVPN over SSL and OpenVPN over SSH to be as good as it gets. AirVPN may not be the best suited, however, for newbies and neophytes who are looking for a minimalist plug and play solution and expect everything to work immediately without having to know anything themselves. Air is extremely feature rich offering options that even some of the most expensive vpns don’t. It has features that I didn’t know I needed, but now that I’ve used them couldn’t live without. AirVPN does have excellent customer support, but they tend to be geared more for those who take security seriously and are willing to invest a little time toward that goal.
Superb Security, could be faster.
I have been using AIRvpn the last 3-4 years now and i must say i’m really comfortable with them. I’m using the vpn as a extra firewall against any potential threat on the internet, and They do deliver on that part. Along with the no logs policy it’s a really good alternative if safety and integrity is your main concern. On the slightly less good side i noticed a big drop in internet speeds. I’m currently running a 500/500 internet but speedtest using the server with the best ping shows only 163 Mbit down and 310 Mbit up, So that is a bit of a concern. Also, it sadly doesn’t work with Netflix. The eddie program is pretty easy to use and if you have any problems or questions a visit to their forum page usually help you. I’m giving it 4 stars due to the slower internet speeds but other then that it’s a really nice open source vpn who actually do care about their customers privacy.
One of the Best, Most Secure VPNs Out There
I know I’m mostly just echoing the responses below, but I feel weirdly loyal to AirVPN, so I, too, will point out that AirVPN **does** have a kill switch–and that it works incredibly well…MUCH better than most other kill switches I’ve encountered. Also, imo Eddie (the GUI) is an excellent VPN application that manages to be user friendly without sacrificing security–all while offering lots of advanced options for those who want more customization. The app’s *design* might feel a bit outdated–and sure, lots of other VPN clients feature a sleeker, more ‘modern’ interface–but let’s not confuse flashy design with overall user friendliness (or quality of service!).
When it comes to VPN services, values are CRUCIAL. After all, it’s your private data we’re talking about! Not surprisingly, I’ve found that VPN companies who are truly committed to a core ethos that values privacy, security, transparency in government etc, fundamental rights, etc.) tend to provide the best, most secure VPN services. So while many VPN companies employ deceptive, hyperbolic marketing schemes to attract unsuspecting customers–AirVPN has opted to maintain its focus on building a top notch VPN service from the ground up. Imo, the results of this privacy-oriented ethos speak for themselves: I’ve never detected a leak of any sort when using either AirVPN. The same goes for Mullvad (another great, mission-driven VPN company).
Now, putting on my lawyer hat for a second…
I think people focus WAY too much on where a VPN is incorporated (e.g. Italy w/ AirVPN). Honestly, if the NSA or whoever wants your data, do you think they’ll waste their time and resources building a case and getting a warrant, when illegal “surveillance” is so much more efficient? Plus, in court there’s due process, presumption of innocence…you know, basic rights. Why bother with all that if you don’t have to? Instead of thinking about warrants and the like, ask yourself if you trust your VPN service to protect you–and your data–in situations that unfold away from the public eye, where there’s no accountability to *anyone*, where you have no due process to speak of. That’s what counts!
Top quality
Top quality. Excellency at its best.
I am with AirVPN since 3 months and I am pleasantly surprised. My only regret is that I did not find it before.
Speed is excellent, I get most of the time 80 Mbit/s on my 100 line and they offer circumvention techniques that defy my ISP throttling p2p, on every server. Very stable, never had a drop, and software has an option that blocks leaks. I feel very secure, I stressed it in any way I could and never managed to cause a leak.
I had a problem to run a web site behind their servers and the support helped me to resolve the problem quickly. It came out it was a mistake on my side, a stupid one but difficult to spot. They did not give up until they found it, great!
I like that their software is open source too.
Very secure
The ethics behind its development drive it with a passion for security. It’s very easy to select servers, blacklist the ones you don’t like or consolidate the ones you do like into a group of “favourites”. The network lock is a boon and works faultlessly in Linux, as does the install. It probably isn’t the best VPN for someone who has little or no knowledge of how the whole VPN system works, but it’s certainly the one users should come to after riding the learning curve. The only downside,( and it isn’t really a downside, but could be a deal breaker for some folks ), is that the GUI is a bit old-hat and needs a refreshing make-over.