UltraVPN Full Review: Ultra Fast with Ultra Value
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UltraVPN is one of the budget-friendly VPN services out there with a relatively reasonable cost-to-functionality value that doesn't compromise speed and functionality. In this review, an in-depth discussion of the characteristics will take you through a surreal experience covering its speed, security and privacy, ease of use, and pricing.
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Quick Stats
Are you in need of privacy and security? Do you feel like you're being watched while surfing the internet? Then by reviewing VPNs, you're doing the right thing! In this article, we will discuss the attributes of UltraVPN to help you choose if it's right for you!
Let's go ahead and start:
UltraVPN Speed
A VPN's speed is dependent on many factors. These include the broadband width, the number of people connected to a server, and a server's proximity.
Broadband is simple and forward; the higher the broadband is, the higher the speed. However, if the number of users in a server with specific broadband is too high, the final rate of speed per user might drop.
The server's proximity also plays a vital part; the further away the server is from a PC's location, the longer the response time is, translating into lag-time.
When browsing and aiming for security, the closest server is automatically chosen. As for streaming, in order to avoid slowing down, they have 34 servers set in North America.
1. Speed tests
Although they're considered fast in speed tests, however relative to other VPN servers such as (NordVPN) which has over 5000 servers, it is relatively less versatile when it comes down to server choices.
2. Number of servers and geographic distribution
Short explanation: UltraVPN has more than 100 superfast servers spread across 58 countries.
Long explanation: The best VPN services always offer many server locations. The high number of servers (especially when they are quality servers) can relieve internet traffic congestion.
When a server has too many users, the speed will drop. Having multiple servers in certain areas helps relieve that congestion pressure.
3. Fastest available protocol
Short explanation: IKEv2 is the fastest available protocol by UltraVPN (recommended to use).
Long explanation: In the VPN world, many protocols exist, with differences between protocols making the difference in how secure a VPN is, how fast, and whether it can bypass geo-censorship. Typically, the trade-off is between speed and security, with the PPTP protocol typically being the fastest but the least secure.
Security and Privacy
One of the main reasons a person might use a VPN is to secure their VPN connection and stay anonymous while privately surfing the internet. The most important features regarding security and privacy include:
1. Encryption and protocols
UltraVPN provides AES-256-bit encryption, which is the standard for the industry. It is so secure that governments, militaries, and banks utilize this type of encryption to secure their data.
Are you new to VPNs?
For UltraVPN, use IKEv2 protocol for speed, use OpenVPN protocol for security, use OpenVPN protocol to bypass geo-censorship (obfuscation).
Pro mode: The protocols available for UltraVPN include:
UltraVPN is a highly secure service that runs on 256-bit military-grade encryption and uses two highly secure VPN protocols, which are the IKEv2 and the OpenVPN protocols.
| Protocols | OpenVPN | IKEv2 |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows, iOS |
| Security and Encryption | OpenVPN AES 256-bit protocol | IPsec encryption |
| Firewall | Uses 443 port (hard to block) | UDP ports 500 and 4500, and ESP IP protocol 50 |
| Speed | Slower than IKEv2 | Faster than OpenVPN |
2. Logs policy
Short explanation: UltraVPN does not have a true no-log policy.
Long explanation: They are a VPN service that keeps no activity logs. Even if a government goes after them to see what files they have since they don't save any customers' activities, none of the activities can be retrieved. However, they do collect some logs; namely, UltraVPN collects the IP address of your device, its location, and information as mentioned on their website.
3. Kill switch
Short explanation: UltraVPN has a fully functional kill switch feature.
Long explanation: As an extension to its security UltraVPN has the automatic kill switch feature termed "Firewall." This is an extra layer of protection that acts as a failsafe to prevent any data from leaking out if the VPN connection fails, as it stops all outgoing traffic from your device.
4. RAM-based servers
Short explanation: UltraVPN doesn't have RAM-based servers.
Long explanation: A RAM-based server means that the data is saved on RAMs, instead of being saved to SSD drives. This is advantageous to security because RAMs are wiped clean every time the servers reboot.
5. Based country
Short explanation: UltraVPN is based in the US.
Long explanation: Being a company based in the USA, which is a member of the 5/9/14-Eyes Alliance, this means countries within this Alliance can get hold of this information.
Despite that, this information wouldn't be sufficient to track down any activities, as it only mentions the use of VPN by certain users but not what they did while using a VPN. (Read more on the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance).
6. Warrant canary
Short explanation: UltraVPN doesn't have a warrant canary system.
Long explanation: A warrant canary is an indirect warning method to inform customers of governmental attempts to subpoena the information. The presence of the warrant on a company's official website means the local government hasn't tried collecting information yet. In the event the warrant canary is removed from the company's page, it means they were asked.
Despite being based in the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance and having some logging degree, UltraVPN doesn't provide a warrant canary which is worrisome.
UltraVPN in Practice
In terms of the application of VPNs in the real world, we dive further into how UltraVPN fares against the rest in the following categories:
1. Streaming
The question everyone checks before anything, can Netflix be viewed via UltraVPN?
Long story short, yes, UltraVPN can unblock Netflix's geo-restricted content, as well as multiple other streaming servers. The list includes Hulu, Crunchyroll, HBO Go, HBO Now ESPN. Of the streaming services not covered by UltraVPN is the BBC iPlayer.
2. Torrent
Short explanation: UltraVPN doesn't allow torrenting.
Long explanation: Torrenting goes hand in hand with VPN. Many individuals torrent illegal material and hence require the use of a VPN to cover up both the data going over to their ISP via encryption and their location by masking their IP address.
Not all VPN companies allow for torrenting, and even fewer companies have specialized torrenting servers, which provide a better experience and speed when torrenting.
While there was no info on the website regarding torrenting, through customer support, we learned that UltraVPN doesn't currently support P2P torrenting.
3. Gaming
Short explanation: UltraVPN doesn't have specialized gaming servers
Long explanation: When it comes to gaming, the reason why you would want to use a VPN for games is variable, but one thing is clear, which is no one wants to lag at all.
Companies with specialized gaming servers make sure your gaming experience will be smoother than with companies that don't have specialized gaming servers.
4. Dedicated IP servers
Short explanation: UltraVPN doesn't have dedicated IP servers.
Long explanation: While mostly when using a VPN, you would want a dynamic IP (an IP that changes whenever you reconnect to a server), in certain situations, this is not the case. A dedicated server is recommended in the following situations:
- Business security
- Secure Online Payment
- Avoid getting blacklisted
- Avoid CAPTCHAs
If you need a dedicated server you can try NordVPN, CyberGhost, or Private Internet Access.
5. Geo-censorship bypass (obfuscation)
UltraVPN doesn't do well with obfuscation, they lack obfuscated servers, and their OpenVPN isn't modified to bypass geo-censored regions.
6. Split tunneling
Short explanation: UltraVPN doesn't have the split tunneling feature.
Long explanation: The split tunneling feature means you can selectively use your VPN on a certain type/source of data outgoing from your device.
Split tunneling in certain situations is favorable. For example, you're torrenting while playing a videogame or watching a YouTube video. In such a scenario, you would want only the torrenting to be encrypted. VPN encryption will slow down the connection speed relative to not using a VPN since the encrypted data is larger than non-encrypted.
UltraVPN completely lacks the split tunneling feature, which is a negative point.
If you need the split tunneling feature, then you might be interested in ExpressVPN, which has many top-notch features, including split tunneling across all platforms.
7. Tor over VPN
Short explanation: UltraVPN has Tor over VPN support.
Long explanation: Torrent onion router (Tor) is a P2P program used to enter the dark web. Using a VPN adds an extra layer of anonymity, especially at the entry node, with the addition of data encryption. Despite supporting Tor over VPN, it lacks a .onion website, which is sometimes needed to access the geo-censored regions' websites.
Compatibility Support
UltraVPN is compatible with:
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android
- iOS
- Routers (manual setup)
Does UltraVPN have an ad-blocker feature?
Unfortunately, no, it doesn't include a built-in ad-blocker. Hence a 3rd party program is to be used in case an ad-blocker is required.
UltraVPN is available as an extension on:
- Google Chrome
- Firefox
User Experience
1. Supported languages
UltraVPN supports the following languages:
- English
2. Customer support
UltraVPN has a support team that can be accessed via Live chat or direct phone contact if needed. The response time is fast, with them answering my questions within 30 seconds, and the answers were straightforward and helpful.
UltraVPN provides customer support in the following forms:
- Live chat
- Phone support
- Knowledge base
- Email and tickets
Pricing and Payment
For only $2.99 a month on the one-year plan, UltraVPN stands at a low price with its current 60% discount making it highly affordable, along with the 30-day money-back guaranty policy.
UltraVPN provides a seven-day free trial to all users, however for that to work, 7-Day Free Trial but only with Google Playstore and Apple App Store, as it can't be done from the PC. Nevertheless, once downloaded, the UltraVPN account you make using the App store can be used to sign in on your PC.
As for payment methods, it isn't as diverse as other VPN providers, as the methods available are via Credit card, direct debit, and Paypal.
Available payment methods include:
- Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
- Paypal
Conclusion
Should I buy UltraVPN? Well, While UltraVPN has its shortfalls, it is still an affordable, fast VPN service, with strong encryption that can be supported on six devices on a premium plan. However, the shortfalls might be inconvenient for some. Hence if you plan on P2P torrenting or viewing BBC iPlayer, or if you're looking for a true no-logs VPN, then UltraVPN might not be for you.