Kaspersky Review – Is It Safe in 2024

In various regions of the world, the attitude towards VPN software is different as well. Some people consider virtual private networks just as a remedy to receive the desired content when other communities meticulously carry about their data privacy. The VPN software is designed to solve both requests, and our platform is dedicated to explaining the core things in a clear form.

It is quite a hard task to comprehend the basics of this utility settlement without a technical background. You may spend hours and hours of time figuring out the essentials of one or another provider, or you can visit https://freevpnmentor.com/ and receive all the necessary information in 15 minutes.

We understand that consumers do not want to immerse themselves in the depths of VPN study, but they need to find a provider that will fit their demands. Considering that, we picked up a clear and human-readable tone of voice, compounding the reviews. We hope our job will help you find what you came for.

Pros

• No registration for free edition
• Decent upload speed potential on Windows and iOS
• Cutting edge protocols

Cons

• Gaps in privacy policy
• Daily bandwidth limit of 200 Mb
• Significant downgrade of the upload speed on macOS
• Significant downgrade of the download speed on Android
• Significant downgrade of the upload speed on Android
• iOS application does not have protocols selection
• One available free location
• Does not work in highly restricted countries
• No live support

Kaspersky VPN Features

It is like a second intro section where we describe, in short, the possibilities that the provider claims to have, and in the following sections, we check if they are relevant for the free edition.

The Russian provider has developed software for two of the most popular desktop operating systems and two of the most popular mobile operating systems: Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS; the browsers’ extensions are not prepared at the moment.

The provider wants to say to customers that their software and hardware are well-adjusted. They can furnish a decent connection speed, and it is bolstered by AV-TEST GmbH. AV-TEST is an independent organisation that evaluates and rates antivirus and security suite software for Microsoft Windows, MacOS, and Android operating systems.

Kaspersky VPN can conceal your real IP address on any type of network, despite it being your home Wi-Fi or some open social hotspot. Also, he can keep your sensitive data safe in case of a sudden VPN connection disruption. An interesting feature is that the provider can defend not only the devices, like a phone or notebook, but also the devices as participants in the smart home ecosystem, even if they are microwaves or ceiling fans.

According to these points, users have the possibility of selecting apps that should be transmitted through the VPN’s network, and those should work in ordinary mode. Also, you can set up the software to automatically initialise an encrypted tunnel while specific browsers are turning on  or particular search engines and email services are running. 

The VPN space counts a lot of protocols with different characteristics. The screenshot above shows that the mobile and desktop applications are equipped with cutting-edge encryption protocols.

Privacy and Logging

A privacy policy is a set of provisions describing how the provider treats user data: storing, collecting, sharing, etc. Some vendors adhere to a strict no-logs approach, and others can collect all the possible sensitive information. Every company is obligated to provide its own privacy policy. In most cases, you can find it on the official website, generally in the footer of it, and sometimes applications can have a link to it within a menu as well.

The Kaspersky company has many products devoted to security, hence, the websites can also be directed to that particular one. The highlighted text on the screenshot explains that the websites and applications submit to this privacy page if they have a relationship to it. Other Kaspersky’s products can obey other privacy policies.

The Kaspersky provider does not collect the data listed on the screenshot above, but there is nuance. Seeing that it is a global company, it can work in different regions under different rules. The governments of every country can determine what intelligence they want to receive from the VPN vendors.

From all the items listed above, an IP address has the highest value because it can give access to the real location of your device.

‘Cookies’ is a wide-spread technology that can track various types of information depending on the setup. You should know that if you use Kaspersky VPN, then your sensitive data will be collected by their cookies, and who knows what kind of information they do gather? 

Speed Tests – How Fast is Kaspersky VPN

Internet connection speeds play a crucial role in comfortability. When workflow runs without lags, users enjoy it and get a positive experience. The VPN software always impacts speed to a different extent from provider to provider. Generally, it decreases the initial internet service provider’s speed (ISP), but some providers can even increase the indicators because of their well-built architecture.

In our speed investigation, we did not dive into all the technical details that influence speed; we just made measures for a simple understanding of the current VPN’s possibilities, as a common consumer wants to see.

• Download speed shows how fast your device can receive the traffic from the web;
• Upload speed illustrates how fast you can deliver traffic from your device to the web;
• Ping time response is an especially important marker for conducting live-time events like online meetings, online video and audio calls, and online gaming. It shows the latency of the server’s response.

Usually we tend to use two locations for the speed check: the first one is from the American region, and the second one is a randomly selected server from the European region. Nonetheless, if the free app’s edition offers a limited number of locations, then we use just what we have access to.

PC Test

MacOS

The application developed for macOS proposed just one autolocation, and it picked it by itself. In our current case, it is Moldova.

The indexes of the internet connection speed without the VPN is being turned on:

• Download speed is 74.8 mbps;
• Upload speed is 83.9 mbps;
• The ping time response is 3 ms.

The indexes are:

• Download speed is 56.9 mbps;
• Upload speed is 40.4 mbps;
• The ping time response is 66 ms.

The download speed index decrease is about 24%, the upload speed downfall is 52%, and the ping time response grew from 3 to 66 ms.

The deterioration of the traffic-consuming possibility is not critical and can work properly on ordinary home internet. In the case of using cellular networks, you can feel some lag, especially at moments of velocity subsidence. The upload speed index tells that you will face palpable issues trying to push the traffic into the web. The ping time response is suitable for real-time events.

Windows

Windows’s application allows you to use just one location for free.

The indexes are:

• Download speed is 91.58 mbps;
• Upload speed is 80.9 mbps;
• The ping time response is 2 ms.

The indexes are:

• Download speed is 82.81mbps;
• Upload speed is 81.76 mbps;
• The ping time response is 31 ms.

The download speed capacity fell nearly 10%, the upload speed increased about 1%, and the ping time response raised from 2 ms to 31 ms.

The download speed index has an affordable letdown value and can work on any network. The upload speed showed an excellent result with a little improvement, and the ping time response is also good for running live-time events.

Browsers’ Extensions Test

This section is empty seeing that the provider has not developed the browser’s extension yet.

Mobile Test

Android

The indexes are:

• Download speed is 89.3 mbps;
• Upload speed is 84.5 mbps;
• The ping time response is 2 ms.

The indexes are:

• Download speed is 40.4 mbps;
• Upload speed is 30.7 mbps;
• The ping time response is 33 ms.

The download speed downfall is approximately 55%, the upload speed loss is nearly 64%, and the ping time response grew from 2 ms to 33 ms.

The deterioration of both indexes is very high for ensuring seamless workflow, especially for cellular networks and social Wi-Fi hotspots where the velocity is low. The ping time response value is satisfying for live-time events, but considering the speed downgrade, it may have no sense.

IOS

The indexes are:

• Download speed is 65.9 mbps;
• Upload speed is 36.2 mbps;
• Ping time is 3 ms.

The indexes are:

• Download speed is 41.7 mbps;
• Upload speed is 47 mbps;
• The ping time response is 37 ms.

The download speed loss is about 37%, the upload speed boost is almost 30%, and the ping time response jumped from 3 ms to 37 ms.

The traffic-consuming possibility of the current server on iOS is not critical; however, it can cause lags on low-speed networks. The upload speed increased significantly, and it is recognised to be probably the best result among all the free VPNs that we had the experience to investigate. The ping-time response is good for processing real-time events.

About Safety – How Secure is Kaspersky VPN?

In this section, we are going to observe features that bolster the security constituent. There can be differences among the mobile and desktop operating systems; hence, we will go one by one.

MacOS

The first option is called ‘Run in background’ that you can enable or disable by clicking on the checkbox. By doing this, your device will always be under the protection of the VPN software.

The second option proposes a selection of two modern protocols:

• Catapult Hydra is a TCP-based protocol with robust AES-256 encryption that provides a balance of security, speed, and liability, making it attractive for users who want to achieve either performance or privacy while using VPN services. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is one of the basic protocols used for transferring data through the web. TCP ensures reliable and ordered delivery of data packets. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a widespread encryption algorithm that ensures solid safeguards for data transmission. The “256” in AES-256 stands for the key size, indicating that it uses a 256-bit key length for encryption. It is quite hard to decrypt the data packages without the proper key for the outside parties.
• WireGuard is recognised for its superior performance and negligible overhead costs. It encompasses modern and the most enhanced cryptographic algorithms and protocols: the noise protocol framework, Curve25519 for key exchange, and ChaCha20Poly1305 for encryption and authentication. It is prepared for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It ensures sustainable connectivity while switching between WiFi and mobile networks.

Due to the menu depicted in the screenshot above, you can determine which Wi-Fi networks are unreliable in your opinion, or you can also monitor them with the Kaspersky cloud security network. For unsecured networks, you can apply two options: 

• Turn on VPN automatically;
• Prompt for action.

Also, the macOS application contains the Split Tunnelling and Kill Switch features, but they are accessible only for the paid version.

Windows

The set of options is the same as we have observed on macOS: the same two protocols, the detection of unsecured networks with another name, ‘Smart Protection’. The Kill Switch and Split Tunnelling features are paid for on the ongoing platform as well.

Android

The safety measures for the Android platform duplicate those for its desktop siblings and contain:

• Catapult Hydra protocol;
• WireGuard protocol;
• Unsecured network detection.

The split Tunneling and Kill Switch options are also not available in the free version.

IOS

The provider has not developed core security features as encryption protocols for the current operating system. The detection of unsecured networks is available here. The Kill Switch feature is available only for the free plan, and the Split Tunnelling feature is not embedded at all.

Desktop Apps

On the main screen, there is a sidebar on the left with the menu items, the turn-on/off button in the centre of the main space, a location selection field in the left-bottom corner of the main area, and the daily traffic limit notification immanent for the free edition.

The left sidebar is expandable, and it shows its full visual mode if you click on it. The menu contains seven dedicated items, and within the ‘Settings’ tab, you will find all the security settings.

MacOS’s application design has similar traits to Windows’s application, but it does not include a separate menu bar on the left. In the current VPN programme, you can use a gear icon in the right-bottom corner to get the menu with all the functionality stuff. The turn-on button remains in the centre of the app’s window, and the location and traffic limit fields are kept in the same places.

Mobile Apps

The main screen contains the connection button in the centre, the location selection, a notification about the daily traffic limit intrinsic to the free plan, and three icons in the footer dedicated to the home screen, the subscription, and three-dot icon with the app’s settings within.

IOS

The application for this mobile system received the same design, buttons, and fields, remaining for the same purposes.

Browser Extensions

This section is empty seeing that the provider has not developed the browser’s extension yet.

Performance

Windows’s application speed performance is good enough, with a decent download speed index and even a boosted upload speed. As well, you confidently use it for running live-time events. The security capabilities are modern and imply solid data protection.

Except for the basic general and security options, the provider added a few peculiarities that can diversify the user’s experience. You can select to automatically run the VPN at computer startup and to define what colour scheme is more pretty for your eyes.

In contrast to Windows, macOS’s software has not obtained some additional handy features, and the speed test is much worse, especially the upload speed index, which incurred a significant loss.

The Android’s speed test did not perform well, both for the download and upload indexes. The security fulfilment is good and keeps two robust protocols as on the desktop applications. There are no extra features to make customers’ experiences more bright.

The iOS download speed performance is on average, but the upload speed showed an impressive improvement that can be considered ideal. However, for an unknown reason, the company decided not to embed this application with the security protocols.

The main drawback of the free plan is that you have a daily bandwidth limitation of 200 MB. This volume is too little for comfortable exploitation. It is good if you manage to work with that quantity for at least 10 minutes.

Work in Highly Restricted Countries

There is no information about this query inside the apps or on the official website.

Server’s locations

Relying on this illustration, we can assume that Kaspersky VPN has a considerable server network. However, the free edition proposes only one server for either platform.

What Bonuses Does the Paid Version Offer, and How Much Does It Cost?

If you want to purchase the premium plan, you will get a pack of bonuses. At first, you will get rid of the main issue with the free plan, which is the daily traffic limitation of 200 MB, and you will receive unlimited bandwidth with enhanced speed performance.

The next perk that you will get is the quantity of 2000 servers in 100 locations all over the world. Also, the subscription opens for users the Kill Switch option, the Split Tunnelling option, and dedicated streaming servers.

Kaspersky VPN offers two types of paid plans: the simple subscription that we just described and the next-level subscription called ‘Premium + Kaspersky Safe Kids’. This plan implies richer functionality, including clock-around IT support, process optimisation, antivirus, and identity protection.

About Support

All that you can get from the free version are predefined topics divided into logical groups and a forum where you can try to find an answer to your question. Live support is not predicted for users who want to utilise the unpaid plan.

An additional opportunity to learn more about the topic you want is to visit the dedicated support page on their website.

Kaspersky VPN Review: Final verdict

The current provider has strong points from the security perspective and the speed capacity for the particular platforms. Notwithstanding these positive points, the daily bandwidth limit crosses all the strong sides. Besides that, the privacy policy has gaps, and location selection is stingy for convenient usage. Considering these facts, we do not consider this free software a comfortable VPN remedy.