Atlas VPN Review – Pros & Cons in 2022

Atlas VPN is the best freemium VPN available in 2022. The free version offers strong security features, zero ads, and a solid no-logs policy. Meanwhile, the premium plans are really inexpensive, making it an excellent budget-friendly VPN.

Furthermore, Atlas VPN is based in the US and uses the next-gen WireGuard tunneling protocol. There are over 750 servers in 37 countries too choose from. All of them support torrenting and unblock plenty of streaming platforms, including Netflix.

In this Atlas VPN review, I’ll overview its connection speeds, privacy and security features, supported platforms, pricing plans, and much more.

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Overview

Atlas VPN speed: is Atlas VPN fast?

AtlasVPN offers fast speeds, thanks to the WireGuard tunneling protocol and quality server list. However, it greatly depends on the distance between you and the country you’re connecting to.

Below are some of our Atlas VPN speed test results using WireGuard, with the baseline download speed at 93 Mbps. The test was done in Europe, so we expected the best performance in the UK, followed by the USA, Japan, and Australia. We also compared the results with some of the fastest VPNs.

Overall, the results are pretty good. There were no significant download drop-offs until we moved to the Asia Pacific.

And even though Atlas VPN was slower than NordVPN or Surfshark in all countries, most users shouldn’t feel the difference until it comes to downloading GBs worth of data. Compared to ExpressVPN, the speeds were pretty similar.

As always, you shouldn’t take these numbers for granted as the results depend on many factors, such as your internet connection, location, and server load to name but a few. But I can make one general conclusion – download and upload speeds won’t slow down a lot with Atlas VPN.

Is Atlas VPN good for security and privacy?

Atlas VPN is a good choice if you care about your online privacy and security. This provider offers military-grade encryption, a reliable kill switch, and solid leak protection. At the same time, Atlas VPN endorses a no-logs policy which negates the possible impact of its US jurisdiction.

Encryption and tunneling protocols

Atlas VPN has AES 256-bit encryption – the same cipher used by the military and financial institutions. It also implements ChaCha20-Poly1305 which provides better performance on mobile apps. Both ciphers are practically unbreakable and should make Atlas VPN users feel very safe indeed.

When it comes to tunneling protocols, Atlas VPN offers WireGuard on all apps, which is both very fast and secure. Alternatively, you can choose IKEv2/IPSec, which is not too shabby by itself. Some users might miss OpenVPN but the provider doesn’t support any devices that would work with just this protocol anyway.

Kill switch

Atlas VPN has a kill switch for all apps. Fortunately, it’s also available in the free version. Alternatively, Android owners can also turn on the native “Always-on VPN” feature.

A kill switch is used for blocking your internet connection in case of a VPN failure. It ensures that none of your personal data, such as an IP address, gets leaked. While it’s disabled by default, we highly recommend having the kill switch turned on all the time.

No IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks

Atlas VPN has no IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks. It’s difficult to say how sophisticated their leak protection is, but my actual location or IP didn’t pop up during any tests.

I connected to a server in Canada and saw only this country as the assigned IP address location wherever I went. Atlas VPN passed the IP and WebRTC leak tests with flying colors as well.

As you can see from the image below, the DNS servers are also in Canada, so everything seems to be in order.

Atlas VPN leak protection is turned on all the time, meaning you don’t have to toggle any settings to keep your device safe.

Where is Atlas VPN located?

Atlas VPN is based in the United States, and its Terms of Service are in accordance with the laws of the state of Delaware. Previously owned by Peakstar Technologies Inc., it’s been part of Nord Security since 2021. The company is known for NordVPN, NordLayer, and Surfshark VPN products.

In its press release, Atlas VPN states that it aims for “transparent ownership, a clear privacy policy, and adherence to the highest privacy standards.” It remains to be seen if these words are true, but one thing is certain – a founding Five Eyes country is not the best place for the privacy-minded.

Does Atlas VPN keep logs?

Atlas VPN doesn’t keep any logs that could trace internet usage to you. It collects only minimal data needed to run the service and comply with applicable laws. New users will only have to share their email, but the payments made via Google Play or Apple Store won’t be anonymous.

Further in the Privacy Policy, it’s stated that Atlas VPN may collect app usage data, device data (model, OS version), and the device ID for marketing and analytics. While the latter technically could help identify someone, you can reset it any time.

So is there anything you can do about the data that’s being collected? Well, California residents may ask for a copy of their data once a year. Moreover, users can contact customer support and request an edit or full deletion of their data.

Finally, just like the other Nord Security products, Atlas VPN should get a third-party audit of its no-logs policy in the near future.

Is Atlas VPN safe?

Atlas VPN is one of the safest providers in 2022. First, it uses military-grade encryption to hide all of your traffic. Next, this VPN has a strict no-logs policy, meaning no personal data is being stored.

What’s more, all Atlas VPN apps have a kill switch and use reliable tunneling protocols. This makes a solid foundation for ensuring online privacy and security. And then there are quite a few extra features for even more safety.

Another safety feature called Tracker Blocker blocks malicious domains used for phishing attacks and malware distribution. It also stops third-party cookies and ads. We also recommend turning on the Data Breach Monitor to check if your email account hasn’t been compromised.

You can also connect to the SafeSwap servers which rotate your IP address. This further enhances your anonymity without the need to reconnect. Also, using SafeSwap won’t affect the performance.

Atlas VPN also offers the MultiHop+ feature for VPN chaining in North America and Europe. Regular multi-hop (Double VPN) involves running your traffic via two servers, effectively doubling the encryption. In this case, your online activities are hidden by also rotating exit servers in different locations, which works even better against surveillance and censorship.

Does Atlas VPN support my device?

Currently, Atlas VPN supports Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, and Amazon Fire Stick & Fire TV. Also, a browser extension for Chrome is under development. Unfortunately, at the moment, there’s no support for Linux or routers.

Generally speaking, all Atlas VPN apps are easy to install and use. My biggest complaints are the lack of Favorite servers for quick connection and sorting them according to the continent. To my mind, a simple A to Z list would work better, especially when Atlas VPN doesn’t offer that many countries in the first place.

Atlas VPN for PC: Windows and Mac

Atlas VPN for PC is visually similar to the Android and iOS interfaces. However, the mobile apps have a friend referral option that gives you 7 days for free. There is no difference between the Windows and Mac versions which is nice because the latter tends to be watered-down on most VPNs.

There aren’t many options to choose from. You can connect to regular, streaming-optimized, and Privacy Pro servers. The latter are further divided into SafeSwap and MultiHop+ types.

By clicking Assistant on the left sidebar, you’ll be able to toggle Threat Protection and Data Breach Monitor. The former blocks dangerous websites, trackers, and ads, while the latter checks for your personal data leaks. We strongly suggest having both of them on for maximum safety.

Under Settings, you will find the kill switch, protocol selection, and connectivity options. Auto-Connect turns on the VPN as soon as you launch the app. In the meantime, Quick Connect lets you customize the default location from fastest to the nearest. Alternatively, it can be any specific country of your choice.

Atlas VPN for mobile: Android and iOS

Atlas VPN for Android and iOS is simple, easy to use, and similar to the desktop version. Most importantly, Android users exclusively get the split tunneling feature. It allows you to choose which apps will use the VPN and which ones will connect straight to the internet.

Both mobile apps have four buttons on the bottom panel – Home, Assistant, Invite Friends, and Settings. A fifth one appears in the middle if you’re using the free version, urging you to upgrade.

From the Home section, you control the VPN connection. You can click the huge button in the center to connect to the faster server or choose the location below.

The Assistant lets you turn on Data Breach Monitoring and Tracker Blocker. In the meantime, Invite friends gives you 7 days’ worth of Atlas VPN Premium per successful conversion.

Finally, the Settings are pretty similar to those in Windows or Mac apps. However, you can switch between Light and Dark modes, toggle Haptic Feedback, or spread the good news by sharing and rating Atlas VPN.

Atlas VPN for Amazon Fire TV and Android TV

Starting from 2022, Atlas VPN has apps for Android TV and Amazon Fire TV & Fire Stick. These are great news for streaming fans who want to watch their favorite shows and movies on the big screen. Atlas VPN servers are fast enough to handle 4K video quality, especially when using the next-gen WireGuard protocol.

Unfortunately, Atlas VPN still doesn’t support routers which would expand the device range significantly. There are also no browser add-ons and no Linux app as of now.

Pricing: Premium and free plans

Atlas Premium has three subscription deals for August 2022:

• Monthly plan for $10.99
• 1-year plan for $3.29/month
• 3-year plan for $1.83/month

All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and unlimited simultaneous connections. With Premium, you gain more locations, better connection speeds, 24/7 customer support, UHD streaming, and no ads. Payment options include credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, and cryptocurrencies.

Keep in mind that you can also try out Atlas Premium without spending any money. Your trial period may vary between 3 to 7 days – depending on what promotion you come across. You can extend your trial even further with the new referral program – convince your friends to register using your link, and you will receive 7 extra days of premium for your account.

And if you’re looking for a better deal on the premium plan, you can find a multitude of Atlas VPN coupon codes online.

Finally, you can download Atlas VPN for free by going to their website and choosing your preferred platform. You will get two locations in the US (New York, Los Angeles) and one in the Netherlands. The speeds will be slower, though, and the data cap is set to 10 GB/month.

Atlas VPN customer support overview

At the moment, Atlas VPN has only a few customer support options:

• FAQ
• 24/7 Email
• Submitting a ticket

You can find the FAQ on the main website and your app. It covers some basics but is far from being named helpful. In fact, FAQ acts more like an introduction to the new provider that still holds most of its tricks in its proverbial sleeve.

The FAQ page is still pretty barren and doesn’t even provide an easy way back to the home page. And on mobile, the “support” option doesn’t really do much, merely telling your device and app information. Unfortunately, finding the necessary email address for submitting your issue is up to you.

Regardless, I submitted an email to test the support. Although it took some time for them to respond, the agents were clear and informative. Still, Atlas VPN has been in the market for a while now, and I’m expecting to see better customer support options like 24/7 live chat sooner rather than later.

Atlas VPN server list

Atlas VPN offers 750+ servers in 37 countries. Choosing the US will give you 7 available cities: New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, New Jersey, Pheonix, and Las Vegas.

The unpaid version of Atlas VPN will unlock only two countries for you – the Netherlands and the USA (New York and LA).

Atlas VPN for Netflix

Glancing at the non-premium versions of the app, I couldn’t help but notice that there are no “Optimized for streaming” captions under the three available servers. After running some tests, I concluded that you shouldn’t expect the unpaid version to unblock Netflix or other streaming services.

Surely it means that the premium version works with Netflix, right? I tested this theory, and it turned out to be true. I was able to unblock geo-restrictions of Netflix, including Netflix US, UK, and Canada (in the screenshot below, I’m connected to a Canadian server through Atlas VPN and watching Doctor Strange – a Canada exclusive at the time of writing this review).

Naturally, other streaming services, such as HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, worked splendidly with the premium version as well. Overall, it doesn’t matter what countries’ content you want to unblock – Atlas VPN is reliable and an excellent choice for streaming enthusiasts.

Does Atlas VPN support torrenting?

Yes, you can download torrents using Atlas VPN. At the moment, there aren’t many countries and servers to connect to, so you shouldn’t expect fast speeds in every corner of the planet. Also, SOCKS5 proxy or port forwarding features are missing, so it’s probably not the best for your P2P activities. With that said, for complimentary service, this VPN is a great proposition if you want to torrent anonymously.

Atlas VPN video review

We invite you to watch our in-depth video review of the Atlas VPN free version. Check out the second video below if you’d like to know how Atlas VPN compares against Proton VPN, another excellent VPN with a worthwhile free version.

How Atlas VPN compares to other VPNs

There’s no shortage of options when you’re looking for a reliable freemium VPN. Here’s how Atlas VPN fares against the free versions of some of the most recognizable names in the industry.

• NordVPN vs Atlas VPN – check this comparison battle to find out the winner!
• Proton VPN review – unlimited data and one extra country to choose from
• Hotspot Shield review – 500 MB of data per day, quite fast
• TunnelBear review – 500 MB of data per month, no limits on available features
• Hide.me VPN review – 10 GB of data per month and a wide array of features

Should you get Atlas VPN?

Atlas VPN is definitely worth a shot if you are looking for a cheap, fast, and simple VPN to try out. First off, the apps are simple to install and easy to use. Additionally, it works well at getting around geo-restrictions, including those by streaming services.

Meanwhile, the mobile version has extra features, such as ad-blocking, breach monitoring, and friend referral. Atlas VPN has servers in 37 countries and pricing starts at $1.83/month.

Most importantly, there’s no device limit, allowing you to connect as many devices as you want at the same time. This service also has the best free version for trying things out risk-free. Finally, teaming up with NordVPN probably means a bright future for Atlas VPN.

Is there something that you feel is missing from Atlas VPN? Share your opinion by leaving a comment.

FAQ

Is Atlas VPN safe?

Yes, Atlas VPN is safe because they have a strict no-logs policy and military-grade encryption. Try Atlas VPN risk-free for 30 days and see for yourself.

Does Atlas VPN work with Netflix?

Atlas VPN works with Netflix and other streaming platforms. These include Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO Max, among others.

Is Atlas VPN free?

Atlas VPN can be used without a subscription for an unlimited time. However, they do have a paid version that offers more servers and features.

How do I use and install Atlas VPN?

First, you have to sign up for an account. Then you have to download and install the VPN on your device. Once installed, log in and connect to any available countries.