Over the past few years, StrongVPN has implemented numerous essential upgrades, such as revamping its applications and incorporating WireGuard support. However, with a saturated market, will these changes suffice to remain competitive? Additionally, is StrongVPN’s current 66% discount enticing enough to warrant a purchase?”

For my StrongVPN review in 2024, I aimed to assess its competitive edge and unique features. I conducted tests on StrongVPN’s desktop and mobile apps to determine:

• How fast is StrongVPN?
• Does StrongVPN work with region-locked streaming services (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video)
• Is StrongVPN secure and private?
• Does StrongVPN work in China?
• Is StrongVPN good value for money?

I’ll cover all this and more in my review.

In order to provide the most accurate assessment of its performance, I used StrongVPN while conducting my daily activities. I’ll discuss its effectiveness in video streaming, securing public Wi-Fi, device protection, and anonymous torrenting below.

For a quick overview of my thoughts on StrongVPN, see the summary below, or delve into the full review for a detailed analysis of this seasoned VPN provider.

StrongVPN Summary

StrongVPN is an adaptable service known for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for novices. It effectively circumvents China’s Great Firewall, grants secure access to several popular streaming platforms, and ensures the security and privacy essential for torrenting with confidence. While it may not excel in every aspect, it provides a dependable, well-rounded performance at a reasonable price. Additionally, every subscription includes access to StrongDNS, allowing streaming of American TV on devices that do not fully support VPNs, such as gaming consoles.

StrongVPN Key data

How does StrongVPN compare to other popular VPNs?

Let’s see how StrongVPN stacks up against two other well-known VPNs in the market, CyberGhost and NordVPN.

StrongVPN pros and cons

Below is a rundown of my pros and cons for StrongVPN.

StrongVPN pros and cons

StrongVPN operates a network of over 950 servers spanning approximately 40 countries, primarily concentrated in North America and Europe, with some presence in Asia, South America, and Africa. While this offers a respectable number of locations, many paid VPNs provide at least 60 server locations, and some even exceed 100.

During our testing, StrongVPN proved to be reliable for everyday use. We experienced no issues or buffering while streaming 1080p video. Additionally, online gaming was smooth with minimal to no lag, even when connected to the default “Best Available” server.

To evaluate its speed performance, I conducted speed tests multiple times a day using my 100 Mbps home Wi-Fi connection. I connected to Strong-VPN servers in North America, Europe, and Asia. Across all locations and times tested, StrongVPN maintained an average download speed of 48.6 Mbps.

Below, you’ll find the average speeds of StrongVPN servers categorized by region:

Here are the average speeds for Strong-VPN servers in each region:

• North America: 46 Mbps
• Europe (“Best Available Location”): 53 Mbps
• Asia: 47 Mbps

While there was a notable speed decrease, even the slowest servers remained sufficiently fast for streaming 4K video. Those who multitask heavily might encounter some challenges, but for the majority of users, StrongVPN should meet their needs.

It’s important to remember that these tests offer a general idea of potential performance and are not absolute. The unpredictable nature of the internet introduces a significant element of randomness. Users with faster connections may experience greater speed variations.

Apps: What devices work with StrongVPN?

A single subscription enables you to connect up to twelve devices at one time. That’s about double the number of concurrent connections as most of its competitors. Apps are available for:

• Windows
• MacOS
• iOS
• Android
• Amazon Fire TV

If you would rather set up your VPN manually instead of using the app, Strong-VPN offers the option to do this with WireGuard. You can create a WireGuard configuration file for your chosen server location through StrongVPN’s website.

As of now, StrongVPN does not offer any web browser extensions.

Desktop app

The desktop app includes a decorative world map that lacks interactive functionality. Clicking on a country on the map does not allow you to connect to it. Instead, you can select server locations by clicking the location button below the map, which brings up a list sortable by city or country. The default selection is “Best Available,” which automatically chooses a location based on proximity and server load.

The servers are not labeled based on their use cases, making it somewhat challenging to find a server for a specific purpose. For instance, you must guess which servers unblock Netflix or inquire with customer support. Additionally, there is no indication of latency, bandwidth, or current server load and capacity.

Mobile apps

The mobile app closely resembles the desktop app but is designed for smartphone screens. It can be downloaded from Google Play for Android devices and the Apple App Store for iOS devices. The interface mirrors that of the desktop version, featuring a map, your connection time, your current IP address, and a location selector.

StrongVPN’s mobile app includes a split tunneling feature, allowing you to choose which apps use the VPN and which do not.

The app is user-friendly and lightweight. While the simplified interface is sufficient for most users, advanced users may find it somewhat limiting.

StrongVPN uses its own private DNS servers and offers a separate smart DNS proxy service called StrongDNS. This service can be used to access geo-blocked content but does not provide the same level of privacy and security as the VPN. If your device does not support VPN apps but allows you to change the default DNS servers, StrongDNS could be a useful alternative for accessing geo-restricted content.

Streaming, Netflix, and Kodi

StrongVPN is effective for accessing US Netflix. Our tests included both the Netflix website and the Android mobile app, and Strong-VPN had no trouble streaming US-only content.

While our first server worked well with Netflix, this doesn’t guarantee that all servers will. If you’re having trouble finding a compatible server, we recommend contacting customer support for assistance.

StrongVPN also works seamlessly with Hulu, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer. It can even unblock Amazon Prime Video, though only when accessed through a web browser, not the Prime Video app. Like with Netflix, finding a working server may require some trial and error or assistance from customer support.

Kodi users should find Strong-VPN compatible with any Kodi add-on. While there’s a Fire TV app for Firestick users, Linux-based Kodi devices cannot use the app, and there’s limited support for manual VPN setup.

Does StrongVPN allow torrenting?

StrongVPN does not address torrenting directly on its website, likely due to being based in the US, where VPNs need to be cautious regarding copyright infringement.

StrongVPN is a no-logs service, which means it doesn’t retain any information about your online activities or store identifying data like IP addresses or timestamps. Therefore, if I use Strong-VPN for torrenting, the service does not keep any record of it.

Security, privacy, and logging

Based in the USA, StrongVPN’s location may deter some users concerned about potential surveillance by the NSA and FBI. However, the company assures users that it does not retain any traffic or connection logs. In the event of a request for customer activity data, StrongVPN would have no information to provide.

In its latest applications, StrongVPN suggests utilizing either the WireGuard or IKEv2 protocols. IKEv2 is increasingly favored in the industry, particularly on mobile devices, due to its rapid connection and reconnection capabilities, as well as its lack of known security vulnerabilities.

WireGuard is a modern open-source VPN protocol that purports to be more streamlined and faster compared to older protocols such as OpenVPN. WireGuard utilizes the following encryption parameters:

• Curve25519 key exchange
• ChaCha20 channel encryption
• Poly1305 authentication

OpenVPN is a solid open-source protocol that’s also available, along with L2TP and SSTP.

StrongVPN’s apps use the following security parameters with OpenVPN in TLS mode:

• AES-256-CBC channel encryption
• 2048-bit Diffie Hellman RSA key
• SHA256 authentication
• Perfect forward secrecy

On IKEv2 connections, IPSec’s Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) delivers data integrity, encryption, authentication, and protection against replay attacks.

• AES-256 channel encryption
• 8192-bit Diffie Hellman MODP key
• SHA512 authentication
• Perfect forward secrecy

Both protocols, along with their corresponding encryption suites, offer ample security for the majority of users.

An internet kill switch is built into the desktop apps, but not the mobile apps. Furthermore, it can only be enabled when using the OpenVPN or L2TP protocols. The kill switch will halt all internet traffic going to or from your device if the VPN connection unexpectedly drops, preventing unencrypted data from leaking outside the VPN tunnel. This is particularly useful for P2P filesharing when you don’t want to expose your real IP address.

The desktop apps feature an internet kill switch, which is not available in the mobile apps. Additionally, the kill switch can only be activated when using the OpenVPN or L2TP protocols. This feature stops all internet traffic to and from your device if the VPN connection unexpectedly disconnects, preventing unencrypted data from leaking outside the VPN tunnel. It’s especially beneficial for P2P file sharing when you want to keep your real IP address private.

While StrongVPN does not explicitly mention DNS leak protection, our tests revealed no DNS or WebRTC traffic leaks. The ability to secure WebRTC is especially noteworthy, as many VPN apps struggle to prevent such leaks. WebRTC, a protocol for voice and video chat, is often enabled by default in browsers. Despite granting microphone and camera permissions, StrongVPN did not leak WebRTC data on desktop or mobile platforms.

Does StrongVPN work in China?

Indeed, StrongVPN is functional in China and can bypass the Great Firewall on any device. The desktop applications include a traffic obfuscation feature called “Scramble,” which makes it more challenging to detect OpenVPN traffic. Users can enable this feature in the settings.

StrongVPN is capable of unblocking censored websites such as Facebook, YouTube, various video streaming platforms, and western news sources from mainland China. It should also be effective in other countries that impose web censorship.

It’s important to note that the StrongVPN website is inaccessible in China. Therefore, it’s advisable to register and download the applications before traveling to China.

Customer support

On its website, StrongVPN provides live chat and email support, with staff available at all times to address inquiries.

I connected with a support representative via live chat in under a minute on a weekday afternoon. I inquired about the most suitable server locations for specific streaming servers. A technician joined the conversation shortly after and provided prompt and accurate responses.

The website features manual setup guides, troubleshooting advice, and an FAQ section. However, these resources are somewhat limited and only cover a few fundamental support topics.

StrongVPN Pricing

Potential customers can select from two plans, both offering identical services and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. The only distinction between the plans is the payment frequency: monthly or yearly. The monthly plan is priced at $11.99 per month, while the yearly plan costs $3.97 per month. These prices represent a higher monthly cost but a lower yearly cost compared to my previous review of StrongVPN. They fall within the mid-range of VPN pricing.

StrongVPN accepts major credit cards, PayPal, and Alipay for payment. However, Bitcoin is no longer an accepted payment method as of 2022. Signing up requires only an email address, with no additional information needed.

StrongVPN alternatives

Below are a few alternatives to StrongVPN:

• NordVPN permits up to six simultaneous connections and is available at potentially half the cost of comparable plans, depending on ongoing promotions. It provides similar security benefits and the capability to unblock streaming services, torrent, and access the internet from China.
• CyberGhost is a budget-friendly alternative that allows up to seven devices. While it lacks functionality in China and offers less support for less popular operating systems, it is fast, secure, and simplifies streaming region-locked content.

Reviewing StrongVPN in 2024: A Comprehensive Look at Its Features and Performance

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