Atlas VPN is a freemium VPN service with unlimited devices. We recommend trying it out – the free version offers 10 GB of monthly data, while the premium plans are ridiculously cheap.
Atlas VPN is a freemium VPN service with unlimited devices. We recommend trying it out – the free version offers 10 GB of monthly data, while the premium plans are ridiculously cheap.
Atlas VPN is the best freemium VPN available. The free version offers strong security features, zero ads, and a solid no-logs policy. Meanwhile, the premium plans are really inexpensive, making this an excellent budget-friendly VPN.
Furthermore, it’s based in the USA and uses the next-gen WireGuard tunneling protocol. There are over 750 servers in 37 countries and comes with a kill switch feature.
In this Atlas VPN review, I’ll overview its connection speeds, privacy and security features, supported platforms, how effective it is at unblocking streaming services, and much more.
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Rank | #9 out of 231 providers |
---|---|
Website | atlasvpn.com |
Countries | 37+ |
Servers | 750+ |
Netflix | Yes |
Torrenting | Yes |
Support | Email, tickets, FAQ |
Logs | No-logs policy |
Price | From $1.99/month |
Free version or trial | Yes |
AtlasVPN offers fast speeds, thanks to the WireGuard tunneling protocol. Currently, it’s available on Windows and Android only, but we expect the provider to add it on macOS and iOS soon. Below are some of our Atlas VPN speed test results using WireGuard, with the baseline download at 94 Mbps and upload at 95 Mbps.
Country | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) |
USA | 68 | 91 |
UK | 75 | 91 |
Netherlands | 89 | 90 |
Japan | 15 | 86 |
Australia | 64 | 42 |
Overall, the results are pretty good. There were no significant download drop-offs until we moved to the Asia Pacific. Upload speeds remained very high until we bumped into Australia. In contrast, upload numbers dropped considerably when using the IKEv2 protocol, leaving 13% of the original speed at best.
As always, you shouldn’t take these tests too seriously as the results depend on many factors. But I can make some general conclusions about Atlas VPN – download and upload speeds won’t slow down a lot.
Security and privacy are some of the most important aspects of a VPN. Thus, they should be tested and scrutinized thoroughly before judging how good or bad it is. Let’s take a closer look at how Atlas VPN fares against the competition.
The Atlas VPN official website and Google Play Store page don’t list the level of encryption. However, after contacting customer support, I found out that it uses AES-256 – the same encryption standard we find in the military and financial institutions. This is practically unbreakable and should make Atlas VPN users feel very safe indeed.
When it comes to tunneling protocols, Atlas VPN offers WireGuard, which is both very fast and secure. It’s not available on macOS and iOS yet, so these users are left with IKEv2, which is not too shabby by itself. More protocol options will be coming soon, so OpenVPN fans should get something eventually.
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.
Atlas VPN has no IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks. It’s difficult to say how sophisticated their leak protection is, but my actual location didn’t pop up during any tests.
I connected to a server in Canada and saw only this country as the assigned IP location wherever I went. DNS servers are also in Canada, so everything seems to be in order.
Atlas VPN is located in the United States, and its Terms of Service are in accordance with the laws of the state of Delaware. First, the company behind this service was Peakstar Technologies Inc., which registered the Atlas VPN trademark in 2019. Since October 2021, it’s part of Nord Security, known for NordVPN, NordLayer, and Surfshark VPN products.
In its press release, the team behind this 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.
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 is a no-logs provider, collecting only minimal data needed to run the service and comply with applicable laws. The fact that there’s no account creation in the unpaid version speaks volumes.
The Privacy Policy states that the company doesn’t collect any information that could trace internet usage to you. Also, all data is encrypted, making it impossible to know what exactly you are doing while connected. Premium 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 application data, IP address, device data (including approximate location based on the IP), and the device ID for marketing purposes.
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. As for the others, they can write to customer support and request an edit or full deletion of their data. Finally, as per Nord Security policies, Atlas VPN should get a third-party audit in the near future.
This provider has a solid foundation for becoming a genuinely safe-to-use VPN. It starts with military-grade encryption, a kill switch, safe tunneling protocols, and a strict no-logs policy.
Plus, it has expanded its repertoire of security features with unique additions such as SafeSwap. By connecting to these servers, your IP address will rotate between a few different ones to further enhance anonymity without reconnecting or affecting performance.
On the other hand, SafeBrowse blocks malicious domains used for phishing attacks and malware distribution. Meanwhile, iOS users gain access to SafeBrowse Plus, which also blocks ads.
Atlas VPN now 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.
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.
The mobile version of Atlas VPN has received a fair amount of updates over the years. The UI has stayed the same while new features have been added. It’s simple, easy to use, and similar in look and feel to the desktop version. Additionally, Android users get access to some exclusive features, for example, split tunneling.
The app’s bottom panel has four buttons – Home, Assistant, Invite Friends, and Settings. Plus, a fifth one appears in the middle if you’re using the app’s free version, urging you to upgrade.
The Home option is where you will control the VPN connection. You can click the huge button in the middle to connect to the optimal location or choose a server location below. All the countries will appear, and you’ll be able to scroll through them and choose the right one.
Next comes the Assistant. Here you can try out the mobile-exclusive Data Breach Monitoring feature. Simply enter an email address, and the app will scan for it in various databases. You’ll see all the data leaks that have affected you and what exact information has been leaked.
After that, you have the option to Invite Friends via the referral program. Get someone to register using your link, and both of you will be gifted bonus premium time.
Finally, you have Settings. From here, you can enable Safebrowse and the kill switch. Safebrowse is a still-in-development feature that protects you from entering malicious websites by using special DNS servers that don’t resolve malware-containing addresses.
Additionally, you can check your account settings, how much premium you have left, and redeem Atlas VPN promotional codes. Furthermore, under the Help menu, you can find links to customer support, online guides, terms of service, and the privacy policy.
The iOS version has few differences from the Android counterpart. The apps are virtually the same, but this one has slicker and more rounded icons. The App Store doesn’t show how many times apps have been downloaded, but the rating of Atlas VPN of iOS is the same as Android’s – 4.5 out of 5.
The only thing that’s exclusive to iOS is under the settings dashboard. Once you click security options, you’re able to toggle Improve me. Additionally, Atlas VPN premium accounts gain access to Safebrowse Plus, an extension of Safebrowse that also blocks ads.
Atlas VPN for PC is visually similar to the Android and iOS interfaces. That wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t lacking in some other areas. For example, data breach monitoring and friend referral are not available. Luckily, there is no difference between the Windows and Mac versions – the latter tends to be watered-down in the VPN industry.
Overall, the desktop version hasn’t changed much over the years, as opposed to the mobile version. It delivers only if you’re fine with the bare minimum of what an on-the-house VPN service can provide. This isn’t that evident on mobile, but on desktop, it pales in comparison to the market leaders. Mind you, some of them have superb unpaid versions.
Right now, it appears that Atlas VPN is more focused on the mobile version of the app, rather than desktop. One could excuse this discrepancy for a newcomer, but this VPN has been around for over two years now. Well, at least the kill switch and geo-unblocking features work as they should.
Until 2022, Atlas VPN supported major platforms only. That was one of its bigger cons when compared to other industry’s veterans. That’s no longer the case.
Atlas VPN now 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.
Conveniently, Atlas VPN unblocks Netflix and many more popular content platforms. Almost half of the available countries have streaming-optimized servers.
Atlas Premium has three subscription deals for May 2022:
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.
At the moment, Atlas VPN has only a few customer support options:
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 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.
Location | Countries |
Europe | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK |
The Americas | USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile |
Asia and Oceania | Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore |
Africa and the Middle East | UAE |
The unpaid version of Atlas VPN will unlock only two countries for you – the Netherlands and the USA (New York and LA).
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.
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 ProtonVPN, another excellent VPN with a worthwhile free version.
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.
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 $1.99/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.
Yes, Atlas VPN is safe because they have a strict no-logs policy and military-grade encryption.
Atlas VPN works with Netflix and other streaming platforms. These include Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO Max, among others.
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.
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.
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Does anyone know how to end subscription in atlas vpn? Cause its automatically renew my subscription and deduct the payment in my bank account every year. Please help
Greetings, Aj. According to the Atlas VPN help center, the best way of canceling your subscription is by contacting them via live chat or any other customer support option. Try that, and hopefully, they’ll refund your subscription if that’s what you wish.
I tried AtlasVPN and the speed and overall performance was great, but for privacy I still think that ProtonVPN and Windscribe are better!
Does anyone know why Atlas VPN decided to stop offering unlimited data for free accounts, which was one of their greatest strengths for a free VPN service? Version 2.1.6 came out very recently, and data is now capped at 10 GB per month, in line with competitors like Windscribe and Hide Me VPN. As someone who used Atlas VPN for several months already, I am confused as to why they made the switch all of a sudden. Any response is highly appreciated.
Hello, Steve. I’m just as shocked about this news. It could be that Atlas VPN is getting an unprecedented amount of traffic from free users and can no longer sustain them on unlimited data. Hopefully, they’ll make an announcement about their reasoning soon.
Does whatsapp call work over atlas vpn?
Hello, Badil. Yes, it does.
If Atlas vpn uses only IKE protocol it means it’s not available to set up on a router right? What would you recommend instead? Appreciate your help! 🙂
Hi, Leo. You are correct, AtlasVPN only supports the IKEv2 tunneling protocol and cannot be set up on a router. Instead, I’d recommend trying out NordVPN. Alternatively, you can also try out VyprVPN since it has a dedicated app for routers.
No no no not nord that got hacked in 2019. If it was me I would go with Surfshark vpn I have tried them all best of all you can haveit for $2.13 a month here is the code REDDITSPECIAL emjpy like I do
hello where do i get the free version download
Hey, Malik! Check out all the VPN Apps Atlas VPN has to offer. You will see the download option for all compatible devices.
And what can you say about atlasvpn for firestick (2nd gen)? is it compatible? would you recommend it? would love to know that
Hi there. Sadly, AtlasVPN does not have a dedicated Fire Stick app yet. You may try installing it through a different method, such as an apk file or third-party app, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
I must say it’s a good read about atlas vpn. Although quite new, it’s indeed promising. It was interesting to find out about the data breach monitoring feature (weird that it’s only for mobile though). Do you know any other vpn that has this feature? Do you think it can show different results compared to well known sites like haveibeenpwned
Hello there! I also know that Surfshark has a feature called Alert that monitors your personal data for leaks, among other things. However, it’s not a default feature and costs extra. And yes, I do think it’s a good idea to cross-reference results from different monitoring tools.
I’m quite convinced to try Atlas VPN after reading a bit more now, but I’m still unclear about one thing: does Atlas VPN work with Netlix only with American, English and Canadian servers? I know these are the main ones but I might want to pick some other countries.
Hello, Todd. Atlas VPN should work with other libraries as well. Let me know what other countries you’re interested in, and I could try them out.
Is Atlas VPN safe? How can that possibly be true? If it’s based in the US..isn’t that one of the countries where sensitive information needs to be given upon request? Doesn’t that mean they keep logs.. Otherwise other vpn providers wouldn’t advertise so much about being in countries without data retention laws.
Greetings, Safir. It’s true that the US is not a good place for a VPN to be based in. However, not all US-based VPNs keep logs. A great example is PIA, which could not provide logs to the authorities in a hacking case.
So far Atlas VPN has not been in a situation where it was approached to provide logs. However, it also did not prove that it does not keep logs by having a third-party audit. Therefore, I think a skeptical attitude is understandable about this VPN. But I consider this provider safe and would not dismiss it just yet.
Atlas VPN works in China with the free version?
Hello, Xilamu. Atlas VPN is not among our top providers for China. Therefore, even if it manages to work in China, that wouldn’t be stable by all means. I’d recommend you getting a VPN from the list above. If you see that free Atlas VPN works in China, you can cancel the subscription.
i don’t see where the free download is
Hey, Manny. Simply look for “VPN apps” in the navigation menu on AtlasVPN to see the available options.
It does not say where to download it for the free trial, I want to try this out and see if its fit for me
Hey Ronan, after pressing this link: AtlasVPN you will be able to find download options for different devices.
thanks for the review, Karol, I’ve been searching for a free VPN service since I use it occasionally and don’t see a point in paying for a subscription. So far Atlas VPN has been working great, it’s fast and there were no data leakage. But, it doesn’t seem to have a killswitch, is it really safe for torrenting?
Hey Armando, thanks for stopping by! You are right – torrenting without a kill switch is not safe. However, Android has its native Always-on VPN switch that you can use. Of course, it would be great if Atlas VPN added a kill switch of its own.