Unblock VPN Review

Unblock VPN offers its users a unique, dynamic IP address and unrestricted access to all websites through a wide array of security protocols across virtually all platforms.

This Unblock VPN review pits it against the best of the best, with Unblock VPN coming out as a contender closer to the end of the spectrum reserved for high-end VPN services.

That is not to say, however, that it is without its shortcomings. In particular, the low number of servers is a drawback – but at least speeds are good on the available servers, and it makes up for that low number with high latency and some special features.

Security and privacy

Right off the bat, Unblock VPN makes a good impression with its flexible security protocols and blanket encryption on all traffic, saving you from vulnerability when making purchases or downloads.

At a glance, Unblock VPN:

• • Offers a good variety security protocols: OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, SSL SSTP
  • Provides military-level encryption (lowest bits on PPTP)
  • Protects against DNS/WebRTC leaks
  • Offers static IP to run your own server
  • Provides non-shared dynamic IP
  • Gets around NAT/Firewall
  • No kill switch

These multiple options for security protocols make Unblock VPN very much worth your attention; it’s the availability of these that can pretty much guarantee that you can leap over any hurdles your ISP, organization, or the government will have created.

The absence of a kill switch is a definite downside and its addition would be a welcome one.

Does Unblock VPN keep logs?

Unblock VPN provides a transparent list of what it does and doesn’t track on its own website. The company’s management is in the Czech Republic and as such, it does not link personally-identifying information to your online activity or traffic.

The Privacy Policy assures you of your right to know where your data is “spent” and what you can opt out of. The data will be pseudonymized or anonymized and server logs made redundant after a period of six months.

In a word – yes. There are logs, but while Unblock VPN makes no claim of “no-logging”, the information is used for security and analytics, such as accounting and taxes. Nothing is retained after your “contract” is up, i.e. after you terminate your account with the service.

Speed and performance

Perhaps the most surprising aspect was discovering the high retention of the original download speed. Their speed is a big plus.

Most VPNs preserve the upload speed (but not all of them), yet Unblock VPN lets you keep a good big chunk of your original speed, even with servers in just nine countries, and “real” (non-shared) IP addresses.

With a connection speed of less than a minute, we found speeds retained in a range of 75 to 80 percent, meaning just a 20-25% loss. This is a staggeringly good ratio, given that the best VPNs out there don’t have enough server power to offer such speeds.

However, the speed test did consistently show the ping immediately rising, which is obviously a disadvantage where timing is key (such as in gaming).

Ease of use and multiplatform support

Unblock VPN is supported on nearly all devices you’d commonly need a VPN on, in both desktop and mobile app form:

• Windows
• Android
• Router
• Linux
• macOS
• iOS

Router support is a plus, as using the service for PC might not be enough for all the simultaneous connections you need, since there are no concurrent connections allowed (as in, you can only use your account on one device at any given time).

There’s even support for devices where there no custom apps, such as Nokia or Symbian phones, with guidance in their extensive FAQ section.

The interface is largely uniform across all apps and platforms, which isn’t exactly good – even though the app is extremely easy to use – since there aren’t a lot of customizable options or settings anyway.

Unblocking Netflix and other streaming platforms

Unblock VPN doesn’t claim to unblock Netflix’s geo-restrictions – and it doesn’t. Some might see this as being better than a false advertisement, which is a valid statement.

However, you can still watch your favorite TV shows, films, or documentaries on a number of other platforms such as Hulu, Kodi, Roku, and the BBC iPlayer, as Unblock VPN will get you around their geo-blocking.

This in itself is a big plus for the service, since many VPNs falter here. The remarkable speeds also go a long way in helping one potentially choose Unblock VPN for unblocking streaming platforms (other than Netflix, at the moment).

P2P and torrenting

The importance of using a VPN for secure torrenting cannot be understated.

The issue is both of speed and anonymity – many torrent trackers and clients, if not all, publicly list the IPs of users torrenting a certain file, which can lead to some trouble for those involved with torrent downloads.

Luckily, while Unblock VPN doesn’t come with a SOCK5 proxy or similar measure designed to protect torrent-users (at least not at the time of writing this Unblock VPN review), they do allow P2P connections on the Sweden server, and their solid combination of security and speed make it a good contender for a VPN that can help you with your all-around online activity, including torrenting.

Online censorship in China and elsewhere

Some of those reading this might already know this is somewhere where Unblock VPN truly shines.

China – in particular, when it comes to countries with regressive Internet policies and censorship – is infamous for its Great Firewall.

Unblock VPN can get you around this notorious block, which even blocks and bans VPNs themselves, causing frustration and helplessness. While many VPNs have a stealth mode or other features to do this, Unblock VPN does this by virtue of its structure itself.

The website has simple and user-friendly guides in case you find this doesn’t work, which will troubleshoot all your problems.

Customer support

While there’s no phone chat, Unblock VPN’s contact page promises replies within “hours” as opposed to “days.” On top of this, there’s even a live chat on the website, which works within business hours on work days.

In other words, Unblock VPN offers customer support via:

• Live support (live chat)
• Email
• FAQs
• Guides

We were indeed able to get a reply within hours, and users mention the customer support as an important part of the service being as good as it is.

Pricing

Unblock VPN is one of the cheaper services on the market and doesn’t fall too far from the industry average.

• $4.99/month: dynamic IP (all features included)
• $9.99/month: static IP (all features included)

Both plans are billed per year and come with a 3-day money back guarantee. This refund policy doesn’t seem to be contingent on any terms but is still a narrow window. However, it can be argued it’s more than enough to test a service.

The free trial is also 3 days and has limited bandwidth – other than that, it offers the same things as the other plans, including the real dynamic non-shared public IP address.

Payment can be made through credit cards, PayPal, or WebMoney, and if you run into any problems using any of these services, you can contact Unblock VPN to enable the direct credit card payment option on your account, as opposed to going through a third-party for web authentication. In some cases, this might be safer (and in some cases, less safe).

Bottom line

Unblock VPN is a surprisingly competent product that makes up for its lack of some features by offering you some other very interesting ones, and a solid service at a very affordable rate. While it might not be good for gamers or those trying to find a VPN to get access to Netflix US, it’s good for pretty much anything else we can think of.