VPNArea Review

VPNs are indispensable to online safety and security. However, that’s not all they amount to. VPNs are also a tool for those seeking entertainment. Although we never condone the use of VPNs for illegal purposes, many people employ them to bypass censorship and geo-blocks. Multiple high-risk jobs also promote the use of VPNs to ensure safety. But VPNs are a service that various companies provide in exchange for a fee. Hence, it is a business with a booming market and numerous suppliers, and our VPNArea review will showcase one vendor.

However, not all VPNs are equal. Many vendors peddle subpar products to lure customers into making a quick buck. Although, we can’t say the same for every service provider. But, some hidden gems operate with integrity and honor user trust. One such VPN that we will focus on today is the VPNArea. The service may not be popular but is well known for its capabilities. But is it a value for money product? Let’s find out with our latest review.

VPNArea services abridged

VPNArea is an exceedingly fast VPN. It has a lot of specialized servers for streaming, torrenting, and bypassing censorship. The company hails from Bulgaria but claims to be a no-logs VPN. Although we didn’t find any independent audits for the firm, we still believe so. Furthermore, the provider offers numerous advanced features at reasonable prices. It also hosts an exclusive in-house protocol, Stunnel. Sadly, the apps aren’t refined. They aren’t fine-tuned for easy use. However, we can attest that VPNArea is a good VPN, especially for bypassing censorship.

Although founded in 2012, the VPN remains relatively unknown to the market. It doesn’t engage in aggressive marketing. Moreover, it has a niche network of around 100 or so servers. Yes, the apps aren’t perfect. But the service is like a hidden gem and offers reasonable plans. Users who travel through high censorship states can benefit from VPNArea. But it is still far from the market leaders in terms of stability. Having said that, we can still grant the service a chance owing to the balanced spec sheet. But for further details, do visit the official VPNArea website.

Specs of VPNArea that matter

VPNArea has decent specifications to offer to users, such as:

Data	VPNArea
Bandwidth limit	Unlimited bandwidth
Speed	95 Mbps (local network)/1+Gbps servers
Jurisdiction	Bulgaria
No. of servers	130+
Server locations	55
Logging policy	No-Logs VPN
Leaks	None
IP addresses available	165+
Streaming	Allows IP spoofing
Torrenting	Supports torrents
No. of simultaneous connections	8
Obfuscation	Yes
Customer care	24/7 with Live Chat
Cheapest subscription	$3.21 per month
Money-back guarantee	14 day on 1-month plan/30 days on others
Official website	vpnarea.com

Features of VPNArea

It is time to look at the noteworthy VPNArea perks in great detail:

Servers, locations, and performance

VPNArea offers 130 servers in 55 different countries. While it has global coverage, the service can begrudgingly slow over international connections. Although, the vendor ensures exclusive servers for streaming torrents and obfuscation. Nonetheless, we weren’t impressed by the network. Yes, the service will undoubtedly appeal to beginner-level users, but advanced users can’t enjoy such a small network.

In contrast, the VPN provider can work wonders for entertainment-centric users. It is a value for money option if streaming is your primary concern. The service takes extra care for circumventing geo-blocking, and it shows. Torrents are also favored as the service has exclusive servers. However, the speed will drop over long connections. Another point to heed is the existence of X-Stunnel servers. They allow the service to provide an obfuscation feature that bypasses censorship.

Privacy and security

VPNArea is a no-logs VPN, but there is an absence of an independent audit. Nevertheless, the lack of major incidents somewhat confirms it. Although, the jurisdiction (Bulgaria) is yet another red flag as it practices data retention policies. But overall, we can trust VPNArea as it only logs a few data, such as:

• Email
• Username and password
• Transaction ID

Although the service is cheap, it does offer a decent lineup of features. These also include advanced features like Double VPN. The service uses the user-favorite OpenVPN with both TCP and UDP iteration. Moreover, the kill switch ensures a safe VPN experience, preventing leaks like IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC. Lastly, the VPN runs the market standard AES-256 bit encryption. The security features are as follows:

• VPN protocol — IKEv2/IPsec & OpenVPN (TCP/UDP)
• VPN encryption — AES- 256
• Security — DNS leak blocking, TCP port 443 support for obfuscation, Kill switch, IPv6 and WebRTC leak blocking, first party (they own) DNS servers
• Advanced features — Ad blocker, Dedicated IP and Double VPN

Customer Care

VPNArea has good Customer Service. More specifically, it has a reliable team of friendly agents who are quick to solve queries 24/7 through a live chat feature on the website. The website is also full of resources, including setup guides and blogs. Although, the FAQ (frequently asked questions) sections leave much to be desired. We all know that a good VPN needs reliable support staff, as it is somewhat technical support. VPNArea ticks all the right boxes for taking care of customers.

Platforms and app support

The service offers apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Luckily, you can manually configure it on Linux and routers, in addition to IoT (Internet of Things) devices. However, it lacks Smart DNS and browser extensions. Although the apps are easy to use, they are outdated in design and UI (user interface). Thus, they offer a subpar user experience that can offset potential users. Hence, we can’t in good faith recommend this VPN to beginners, let alone experienced customers.

Cost of VPNArea services

VPNArea is yet another cheap VPN service. The monthly plan is $9.9, but you can save big on the 2-year one, which forces you to pay $3.21 monthly. Also, the vendor allows payments via cryptocurrency and accepts Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and so on. But the money-back policy also changes according to the plan you subscribe to. While the monthly plan has a meager 14-day money-back guarantee, any other subscription will net you the standard 30 days. The different subscription plans for VPNArea are as follows:

• Monthly — $9.9 per month
• 1 year — $4.13 per month (regularly $118.8/year)
• 2 year — $3.21 per month (With a 67% discount, regularly $237.6)

Verdict

As an entry to mid-level VPN, our review of VPNArea showed it did surprisingly well. Especially on the obfuscation front, since their X-Stunnel servers are helpful. Unfortunately, it has a glaring flaw in that it lacks cutting-edge features. Also, the degree of customization is low, and you get an underwhelming server network. Yes, the VPN is exceedingly cheap and quite a good fit for new users. But the low price is the only thing we can get behind. Other than that, it is so-so.