While this little guy is owned & operated by Nord Security (NordVPN Parent Company) since 2021, but is based in the US. AtlasVPN has two versions paid & free with all the basic essential features embedded. While the free version is the best free VPN we’ve tested. Let’s see what its paid version can do…
AtlasVPN Detailed Review
VPN Background
AtlasVPN is from the United States which is a 5 Eye Alliance country but now this VPN is acquired by Nord Security recently in 2023. Though they have a VPN No-Log policy and claim not to store any user information on the server. But the country in which it’s located makes things fierce & terrible as the country can force the to provide logs and hand over the data if needed.
But the company has no past of sharing user information yet which is a good sign. We’ve discussed this more in the logging & privacy section. Since the VPN is relatively new to the market and now in the hands of Nord Security, we have to wait till how the tables get twisted.
Pros & Cons of AtlasVPN
Will AtlasVPN Works in China?
Yes🥳, it did work during my test. Even though some premium VPNs like ProtonVPN struggles to work in China. AtlasVPN premium & free version bypassed the Great Firewall of China, I doubted at the start as it doesn’t have obfuscated technology as well. Though they have dedicated servers for streaming and safe swap, I could only see that a few server locations support them among 42 locations. Here are they. AtlasVPN shows its wide variety of server classifications on the home page of the application. So you can choose streaming services during Netflix streaming and connect to Privacy Pro servers while surfing the web (superior anonymity). AtlasVPN Privacy Pro servers are composed of “MultiHop+” & “Safe Swap” servers.
Safe Swap: Changes your IP Address frequently (advanced privacy) even if you are connected to a single VPN server while accessing the web. MultiHop+: A unique feature that chooses a random server from a pool of VPN Servers in different locations. Makes your online browser activities untraceable from the government or ISP.
MultiHop+ Servers
Generally MultiHop (DoubleVPN) is a feature that we see in a few VPN services like Surfshark, and NordVPN will offer. But Multihop+ is a unique feature from AtlasVPN “This is an advanced network topology with carefully selected locations for optimal latency and speed designed to randomly rotate between various gateways“. You can see these servers in the Privacy Pro section, currently, there are only two locations that support this feature. Connecting to these servers helps in bypassing any geoblocks and surveillance even in highly restricted countries. Sadly I couldn’t find any dedicated IP or obfuscated servers, also there is no labeling like server load, PING, speeds, etc. So, it’s really difficult to tell which server is the fastest. AtlasVPN doesn’t own the servers, all are rented i.e they can be compromised by third parties and this VPN might not know about it. But they claim to implement some security measures on the rented servers (Not Specified Exactly).
No Virtual Servers
Every AltasVPN server is physically located in the country i.e its assigned IP is the true location of the server. Though this is better in one way but limits the number of servers in another way. Also, their servers are not Disc-less RAM Servers i.e data can be stored on the servers. While other No-log-VPNs in the market are running on RAM technology. But the only 🤗good news here is, that Nord Security owns AtlasVPN since 2021. We can expect huge improvement along the way. Here is my base internet connection speed without connecting to VPN and connected to US Las Vegas While there is only a ~17% speed drop in my first test, again it depends on several factors. So, we have tested the majority of the servers in different regions, and here’s what the 😅shocking news is… As you can see the above results which depict that it’s US performance is 🔥impressive, especially on some servers like Las Vegas and New York. It’s tough to find the fastest server without any option, so I had to test all the server locations manually. It’s surprising that AtlasVPN also sustains upload speeds, whereas other VPNs fail. The server connection is consistent and results are almost the same on every test but the France servers are the lowest among all. AtlasVPN offers decent speeds for browsing, streaming, and downloading. It’s nice to have good upload speeds though never bothers the majority of VPN users except for streamers or gamers. But videos 😥buffered a bit in between, which I discussed in the streaming section. It’s the same as the Free version which has only three locations (New York, Netherlands, and Los Angeles). Connecting to a nearby server will reduce the speed loss and they mentioned we don’t throttle on free servers, so they are identical to premium ones. Rounding up🙌, there is an average of 25% speed drop which is good in the present VPN market. Due to less server network, you might face more drops in peak streaming hours.
Gaming
If you are a hardcore 🎮game boy, AtlasVPN is not for you though it has decent upload/download speeds PING is high which is not ideal for gaming. Check the PING from each server tested above in the below image. As you can see the PING is more than 100ms on almost every server I tested. Smooth & seamless gaming requires <80ms PING consistently. During my game session, PING fluctuates every second which made my game laggy all the time and feels 😡frustrating even though my device is fast enough to handle the game. 📝Note: Accept the fact that VPNs will slow down your speeds a bit due to encryption unless your ISP throttles you.
2FA Authentication
For additional security, AtlasVPN adopted 2 Factor Authentication which asks you for confirmation when a new login is detected. Though this sounds frustrating while quick logins, but can be an additional layer of security.
Safe Swap
AtlasVPN engineers crafted a unique privacy technology feature that rotates the IP Address of the VPN users frequently even if they are connected to a single VPN server. This frequent IP rotation makes it hard for those who want to track your activities (🔥boosted anonymity). While these servers are available in three locations 1. Amsterdam (Netherlands), 2. Singapore, 3. Los Angeles (US). This feature is available in the premium version and can be enabled from the “Privacy Pro” tab.
Tunneling Protocols
Tunneling protocols define how your encrypted data will be routed to the VPN server, and plays a vital role to keep a balance between speeds & security. AtlasVPN uses the industry-leading WireGuard protocol for better ⚡speeds & reliable 💪security along with IPSec/IKEv2. But they missed the OpenVPN protocol which has been serving the VPN industry and is trusted as the most secure protocol. Here is a short explanation of each protocol that you will get in AtlasVPN.
WireGuard (Fastest & New): This is the latest protocol (⚡lightning fast) that only works on UDP and open source like OpenVPN but it uses ChaCha20 encryption (256-bit) rather than AES-256. IKEv2/IPSec: One of the oldest protocols profoundly used for mobile devices (faster speeds), try this protocol when your mobile device doesn’t work with other protocols.
Tracker Blocker
Trackers are treasures for third parties as they keep track of your online activities. So, they can easily know what’s your interest & personal information. Thanks to the AtlasVPN Tracker Blocker feature that blocks all these online trackers. It also helps in blocking malicious websites & unwanted ads, so you are 💯% safe & peacefully browsing the internet without any doubt in your mind. You can find this setting in the “Assistant” section and this is available on Android, iOS, and Windows apps.
Data Breach Monitor
Cyber-attacks and data breaches became very common these days. Everyone is doubted whether their data got breached or not. AtlasVPN introduced this feature to further enhance online security. Clicking on it will ask you to enter the 📧email address that you want to protect. It will scan & verify whether your email got breached or not. Surprisingly this feature is also available on the free version, I have tested it with my friend’s email. As you can see his personal data is breached from three sites, it also shows data that is compromised along with date & time.
Kill Switch
Many of the VPNs miss this defense feature called “Kill Switch” which helps in protecting your identity during accidental VPN connection drops. Basically, it kills your internet connection to preserve your anonymity from IP & data leaks if your VPN connection drops. Either you can enable kill Switch system-wide (all applications) or for specific applications (your preference). AtlasVPN lacks a feature of reconnecting to the servers when your internet connection is paused by the kill switch. So, you need to manually connect to the server again (a bit frustrating). AtlasVPN provides this feature on all of its device platforms.
Split Tunneling
Split Tunneling is a very handy feature that splits your internet traffic & VPN traffic into two. So you can be anonymous on one world & normal user on the other. Useful especially when you want to access services that work on certain IPs only and continue streaming in between on your Netflix app. This feature is only available for mobile devices currently and will be included in other platforms shortly.
DNS/IP Leak Protection
We have tested AtlasVPN against any DNS/IP leaks, it’s passed our test and shows the VPN server IP. This confirms that there are no IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. You can check below test results. With AtlasVPN you are 100% safe from online leaks, impressive that it provides you with an IPV6 address. While other VPNs tries to block IPV6 connection to prevent leaks.
Privacy & Logging
AtlasVPN is based in US i.e 5 eye surveillance groups (not a privacy-friendly country). This is the trust-breaking point for VPN users but, the good news is like other no-log VPNs they don’t store any of your personal information on the servers to share with the authorities. This isn’t the same as their free version. This doesn’t mean they do not log anything at all, they log some data that helps in improving the service. Here’s what they claim to log from the VPN users.
App Date Usage Device Data Device Identifiers
Also, its privacy policy has never been audited yet as this VPN is relatively new to the market. So, we can’t judge the VPN 💯% being trustworthy. So, I contacted customer support for clarification. But the response shocked me, here’s what they mentioned. But it’s clearly stated in their policy that you can permanently delete your account by contacting them. But if you insist on taking a privacy-friendly VPN like ExpressVPN (British Virgin Islands) and NordVPN (Panama). AtlasVPN has dedicated Streaming servers in 14 Locations to avoid streaming services blocking your VPN. So we tested this VPN against the popular streaming services and here are our findings…
Netflix
AtlasVPN quickly unblocked Netflix US without any hassle but the page loaded a bit late. Although they claim, that this VPN is tuned for a buffer-free experience. Video buffered for some time and then shifted to 4K quality. I felt the same on every US server, but it’s a decently enjoyable streaming experience. As per their official claims, AtlasVPN can only unblock 11 Netflix libraries i.e if you want to unblock every Netflix library try picking other VPN services like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
BBC iPlayer
AtlasVPN quickly unblocked BBC iPlayer so I could watch live sports (Badminton) for free without any buffering. This VPN will never disappoint you for UK streaming.No While the speeds are pretty decent & consistent during my stream which let me watch the content in max resolution. But it did work fine in incognito mode, may my browser might have stored my location in the cache.
HBO Max
HBO MAX is only available in certain regions like North America, Latin America, and Europe. On connecting to the US (New York) server I am able to access HBO Max without any geoblock prompts. HBO Max is a complete bundle packed with DC, Warner Brother, CN, and Originals. You will be pleased to watch the content once you access the streaming service. Also, its subscription is costly.
Disney+
But when it comes to some streaming services like DAZN, it failed like most other VPNs. Here’s what else you can unblock with AtlasVPN.
Other Streaming Services Unblocked by AtlasVPN
While the paid version does a decent job of unblocking streaming services. When I tried the same with its free version, every streaming service is showing a “VPN Detected” prompt, and blocked my VPN. AtlasVPN is also compatible with Kodi to watch everything free without a subscription apart from the regular streaming services. 📝Note: AtlasVPN says the free version is only for security not for streaming. During our test with the best torrent clients, I downloaded a few torrents from the different trusted & popular torrent sites mentioned below. I was able to download huge files in minutes. But keep in mind that the download speeds depend on various factors like your internet speeds, server connection, protocol, etc. Its security features like Tracker Blocker coupled with AES 256-bit encryption ensure that you are completely anonymous while torrenting. You can block all the annoying ads & malicious sites with its built-in security features. The good 🤗 news is, that you can torrent even on the free version. Without any doubt, AtlasVPN is one of the fastest torrenting VPNs. But this VPN lacks a port forwarding feature torrenting that reduces torrenting performance overall as it helps in finding peers & makes your download quick. AtlasVPN is a decent VPN for torrenting, but not the best one. It’s really sad that there is no server 🔎search option available and anything like “Quick Connect” or an option to find the fastest servers available nearby. But it mentions server locations in a separate section which are divided based on the region. All the essential security & additional features are available on the Android version. Installing & configuring AtlasVPN is dead easy, all you need to do is download the app from the official site and install it on your device. There is this toggle button that will establish your VPN connection or you can choose any server from the server list you want to connect to. Here you can see the interface of AtlasVPN in windows and macOS. Almost all the VPN features are available across the platforms except Split Tunneling which is available for mobile devices only. Also, the macOS app doesn’t include a tracker blocker & data breach monitor. The good🤗 news is that they are planning to bring it to desktop clients as well. Currently, these are the features you will get across the applications.
Unlimited Device Connections
Only a few 🔥premium VPNs like Surfshark and IPVanish in the market offer unlimited device connections of which AtlasVPN is one. But no one will connect unlimited devices as they know using simultaneous devices will slow down their speeds. Thanks to AtlasVPN for offering unlimited bandwidth without any throttling in their paid version whereas you will be restricted to 5GB per month in the free version. But to test the device connections, I have connected 15 devices of which 7 are Android, 5 are iOS, 2 are Windows, and 1 MacBook. When I stream on all the devices connecting to the US Las Vegas server, I took time long time than usual to load the page and video. 🎯Tip: Connect devices to other servers in that region to avoid network congestion. Also, they have tutorials & Knowledge base, and guides for any of the common issues. These are very helpful for DIY solution seekers or you can email them about your concern, to test this out I have mailed them regarding their Server Network. The response is very quick stating they are working on improving the server network in near future. Hope it will happen and they maintain 📌city-level servers. While the basic one charges you about $10.99/month. Rest two are yearly-based subscriptions where you can save a lot in your pocket with the 2 Year subscription plan that saves you 81% ($2.05/month). While the other saves you only 70% ($3.29/month). Every subscription plan is covered with 30 day money-back guarantee program i.e you can claim your refund if you don’t like the service. So you can try the premium features for free or you can try their free version just to have a glimpse of what they are offering. On reaching customer support they mentioned “AtlasVPN doesn’t guarantee it“, but it may work. So, we recommend you try its Japan or Hong Kong server locations to access China content. The AtlasVPN page will be down in China, make sure you download & install the VPN before boarding to China. As AtlasVPN doesn’t guarantee whether it will work or not in China, you can check out the best VPNs working in China.
Final verdict
Though AtlasVPN is new to the market, it 💪achieved a lot with its small server network. Yet, still available at a very cheap price and managed to pack everything in one bundle. We are really impressed with its speeds & streaming capabilities though it struggles a bit at the start. AtlasVPN is the best VPN for beginners and has dedicated servers for streaming. Also, it has some unique features like Safe Swap and Data Breach Monitor. Still, this VPN is incomplete & lacks in some areas regarding security, servers, and convenient features. We can 🤗expect more from this little guy as it’s owned by Nord Security recently and started improvements. Check out the best Top VPNs available in the market.
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