Atlas VPN Review

VPNs have permeated the consumer market. With products targeted at individuals, they are the trendsetter for online privacy and security. However, that’s not all they can do. Today, many people use VPNs for entertainment purposes. They employ the IP spoofing feature to bypass geo-blocks. As such, VPN is becoming the quintessential tool for streaming foreign media content. Nonetheless, vendors such as Atlas VPN we’ll review in a moment, still promote their products as a security option rather than a component for enjoyment.

Due to the high popularity this technology has recently gotten, many new and old names have started appearing in the VPN market. There is no lack of vendors, and potentially decent VPNs are too many to count. One such vendor that successfully grasped our attention is Atlas VPN. Hence, today’s article will cover the benefits it has to offer. Furthermore, we will provide a detailed analysis of their service in our Atlas VPN review.

Atlas VPN history and notable information

Atlas VPN, although largely unknown, is a fast-growing provider in the market. The company is new as it began operations in January 2020. However, the successful implementation led Nord Security, owner of another leading VPN provider, NordVPN, to purchase Atlas. It’s a freemium service that offers apps for crucial platforms including Windows, iOS, macOS, and Android. Also, the free version is amongst the few services that we approve of. The VPN is relatively fast, safe, and secure and favors torrents. On the other hand, while the premium version offers an all-around enhanced experience, there are far better ones.

The company hails from the United States, which can be a demerit. However, it does claim to practice zero-logging. Atlas is a beginner-level VPN that is cheap even without the free version, though that iteration comes with a data cap of 10 GB per month. While we cannot advise its use, many users find this VPN to be an optimal choice. Given below are a few examples of those who’d want this service:

• Those who love free VPNs — Atlas is free of charge.
• Beginners — Those who have yet to employ a VPN can give the service a try.
• People who favor privacy — The VPN service neither asks for card details, nor does it want an email.
• Users who want industry-standard security — You’ll get military-grade encryption and up-to-date protocols.
• Value for money seekers — All plans are cheap.
• Users in China — The VPN works in China.

Key specifications of Atlas VPN

We have prepared a highlight of the sought-after perks of Atlas VPN:

Data	Premium version	Free version
Bandwidth limit	Unlimited	10 GB monthly
Connection speed	Approx. 97 Mbps	Approx. 97 Mbps
Logging policy	No-logs VPN	No-logs VPN
Leaks	No leaks	No leaks
Jurisdiction	United States	United States
Number of servers	750+	Only 3
Available IP addresses	750+	3+
Server locations	32	2
Geo-unblocking	Available	Unable to bypass
Torrenting	Favors	No exclusive servers
No. of simultaneous connections	Unlimited	Unlimited
Obfuscation	Yes	Yes
Customer care	24/7 with live chat	Email-only
Cheapest plan	$1.4 per month (with discount)	Free
Money-back guarantee	30 days	–
Official website	atlasvpn.com	–

Atlas VPN features

It’s time we examined the numerous features Atlas VPN has to offer:

VPN Servers and their performance

Although it has a relatively small network of 750 servers across 32 countries, all these are physical. Sadly, Atlas doesn’t own them. This can be a red flag for security, as the vendor has to rent servers from a third party, but the company assures users it is safe. Furthermore, the service lacks port forwarding, and the free version has only 3 servers. All in all, Atlas VPN can perform decently on the streaming front, but the free version can’t spoof IP addresses. However, the provider claims that all its servers are torrent-friendly. Although we have observed good download speed, because port forwarding is missing, users may experience myriad issues while seeding.

Security and privacy

Atlas provides all the necessary security features in a VPN:

• VPN protocol — IKEv2/IPsec and WireGuard
• Encryption — AES-256
• Security — DNS, IPv4, IPv6, and WebRTC leak protection, first-party DNS, VPN kill switch, ad, tracker, and malware blocker, protection for mail

It also comes with some extra functionality, such as Multi-Hop, which routes your connection through multiple VPN servers, and SafeSwap, letting you connect to the VPN from several IP addresses at will. The provider also has a private DNS service and a built-in data breach monitor. However, some missing advanced features we wanted to see are:

• Tor over VPN
• Servers hosted on RAM to ensure instant data wipe upon power off
• Split tunneling

Moreover, the vendor hails from the USA, a member of the Five Eyes alliance. Although the company claims to be a no-logs VPN, there is no independent audit to substantiate that claim. Thankfully, we didn’t find any glaring risks—the service only collects a device model, operating system, and email addresses.

Atlas Customer Care

Atlas VPN provides a superb live chat experience, owing to knowledgeable agents available 24/7. However, this is absent from the free version, whose users only get an email address for customer care. The wait can be excruciating, and three days may pass without a proper reply. Although, the website has numerous materials for users to learn more about the product. It also includes guides and blogs.

Atlas VPN app support

Save for Linux, the service has clients for every most used operating system, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It also has working apps for Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. However, it lacks browser extensions and the ability to install a VPN manually. Thus, you cannot use it on a router directly.

Pricing of Atlas VPN

Atlas provides a value for money service since it’s one of the cheapest VPNs we’ve seen. The service has three plans to offer, amongst which the 2-year plan costs only $1.4 to $1.99 per month, depending on the discount. There is always an option to use the free version, though it forces you to endure a data cap of 10 GB monthly and make do with just 3 servers. However, the free app doesn’t require any registration whatsoever. Hence, it compliments a unique take on anonymity. The different paid subscription plans are as follows:

• Monthly at $10.99
• Annually at $3.29 per month, upfront
• Three-year plan at $1.99 monthly upfront, though it fluctuates by about $0.5

The vendor accepts credit cards, Google Pay, and PayPal as payment methods and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Verdict

Atlas VPN lacks some desirable features and extensive app support. Luckily, given the prices and a free version, many users can try it with no strings attached. Sadly, the apps lack appeal and can confuse beginners. Thus, we do not recommend this VPN for now unless you consider its low cost a redeeming quality. Yes, there are positives to the VPN like WireGuard or IKEv2/IPsec protocol, but users who aren’t on a strict budget would find the product satisfactory.