VeePN Review – Is It Safe in 2024

Nowadays, the question of digital security gains more and more importance. There are plenty of cyberswindlers on the web who can steal users’ private data for fraudulent purposes. Apart from the security aspect, the internet content is not free for all users. Geographic restrictions create inconveniences for users.

A virtual private network is a solution that can solve either problem, but only under specific conditions. Not every VPN has the appropriate software and hardware architecture to ensure, at the same time, the highest protection and completely free web surfing.

Our dedicated resource embraces the topic of free VPN possibilities. We conduct a multi-sided investigation about the particular VPN and then present a full-fledged review for consumers. Considering that the technical stuff of the VPN settlement can appear difficult to master for an average citizen, we composed the intelligence in a clear and human-readable form. We hope our job will help you find the required answers.

Pros

• Easy launch
• No registration
• 5 free location
• Live support answers at the same day

Cons

• Superficial explanation of important points in the privacy policy page
• High download and upload speed deterioration for the US server
• Too big ping time for the US servers
• Low upload speed index of the French server
• Does not have free software for PC and mobile
• No ability to select manually a protocol
• Does not work in highly restricted countries

VeePN VPN Features

This company has developed software for a variety of platforms and made it free for browsers. Our general focus is on free opportunities, so the Google Chrome browser is our main participant in the exploration.

The provider predicts a set of security options for the browser extension that cover various safeguarding aspects. Besides the protection, users have a little section of location and a few general functions that can make the usage more convenient.

The privacy policy provisions tend to say that the company is a real no-logs approach adherent and will find out about it soon. The support component counts several options that fit better with the particular case. The sections of the review will reveal in depth all the possibilities of the free VeePN’s software.

Privacy and Logging

Service providers can use personal data for various purposes. A small number of VPN programs do not utilize sensitive users’ information. Every case is very individual because each service has a unique privacy policy, which depends on different things.

Generally, you can find a privacy policy page on the provider’s official website. If the website is absent, then look for it inside the app, most of all in the menu. Here we will observe the essentials of their privacy provisions.

They decided to start the document with information that reflects the crucial pillars of the policy. They do not collect IP addresses and do not have records of users’ online activity. Veepn collects your name and email address while you register.

This is private information, but we usually share this data with various services when creating accounts, so we are not very categorical about collecting this particular data. Also, be attentive; the company utilizes Google Analytics, which has an individual privacy policy.

We have already seen that the provider can collect users name and email, and it is not a novelty. The essential point is about payment information; they do not clarify the details. The last four digits of the credit card number are the payment information. 

And the whole number, CVV code, and expiration date are also part of the payment information. But there is a substantial difference regarding the sensitivity of the data between these examples. So the question is still being opened and involves ambiguous grounds.

The first sentence starts with the words “When you approve the track your data.” It seems to be a sly moment: from the very start, we saw that they affirm not to log user activity, and now we encounter the statement of the opposite meaning.

As well, it is unclear where and when exactly consumers approve the tracking of their data. We did not see any similar notifications while we were testing the app. Most likely, this consent occurs automatically during the installation of the software.

In this case, the provider will collect a set of technical data such as WI-FI name, WI-FI status, OS version, device type, device model, and advertising ID. All these items are not related to sensitive or identifying data.

The VeePN company is based in the Republic of Panama and does not have strict boundaries with the government. Seeing that the provider is an adherent of the zero-log policy and does not store users IP addresses, he cannot provide identifying data even in the case of a legal request.

Long story short, if you are a citizen of the European Union or California, you can claim to erase your personal information or to receive it. To proceed with this action, you need to provide them with your real email address. Also, if your place of residence is in the European Union, you can object to the processing of private data related to direct marketing purposes.

The provider wants to emphasize that they collect the ‘Usage Information’ while consumers utilize VeePN’s services. This data includes only technical information and does not contain valuable private assets.

Personal data can be shared under specific circumstances.

There are three main reasons why Veepn will share your personal data:

• Various legal cases;
• Suspicious activity;
• Business’ reconstructive activity.

It is a very widespread situation when service suppliers write generally about important information. The second sentence from the screenshot above superficially tells about the physical, electronic, and procedural measures.

To understand the real level of protection, it would be very appropriate to see the particular technologies and their characteristics. A big door lock and a four-digit PIN code as well fell under the physical and electronic measures categories, but barely inspire much trust in the context of personal data protection.

Age restrictions is a good and responsible practice, unfortunately the realization of this mechanism wishes better efforts. From one hand, VeePN does not address their service to consumers under the age of 13 years, and from another hand they did not perform any action to verify the age, even a notice or an age confirmation pop-up.

They assure you that they will store private data only during the period when the VPN software is on your device. As soon as you remove the app, they will delete your data and copies of it.

Now we are done with this section and have looked through all the essentials of VeePN’s privacy policy page.

Speed Tests – How Fast is VeePN VPN

This section is an important part of the investigation, as the VPN software always impacts the internet connection speed. There are no general statistics regarding this fact because plenty of technical things play a role here. In short, each VPN software and hardware possesses divergent adjustments, that is why the results are individual for every provider.

In this test, we pay attention to three main characteristics:

• Download speed shows how fast your device (PC, tablet, or mobile) can consume the traffic;
• Upload speed depicts the velocity of loading content from your local device to the web;
• Ping time response is a characteristic that is important for live-time events like online gaming, online calls, and other activities that imply real-time interaction. The lower this index is, the better it is.

The VeePN provider developed the free edition software just for browsers, so the speed tests for desktop and mobile are absent in this review. We took the Google Chrome browser as the main instance for our check in order not to duplicate information with other browsers compatible with this VPN.

Usually, we make explorations utilizing two locations: one in the US region and another in the European region. In cases where the location selection is very limited, we use what we have. In this particular event, we had the ability to measure the speed for two geos.

PC Test

This section is empty seeing that the provider did not prepare free software for the desktop.

Browsers’ Extensions Test

The top image shows the results of the internet service provider’s (ISP) speed. The indexes are:

• download speed is 82.66 mbps;
• upload speed is 85.67 mbps;
• ping time is 5 ms. this

The central image shows the performance of the US server. The indexes are:

• download speed is 31.34 mbps;
• upload speed is 61.55 mbps;
• ping time is 189 ms.

The download speed fell 62% below the ISP speed, and the upload speed is nearly 28% below. Ping time has increased from 5 ms to 189 ms.

The central image shows the performance of the Romanian server. The indexes are:

• download speed is 71.63 mbps;
• upload speed is 43.39 mbps;
• ping time is 57 ms.

The download speed loss is 13% lower than the ISP speed, and the upload speed is 48% lower. The ping time has increased from 5 ms to 57 ms.

The US location performed palpable deterioration for the download speed; the upload index is comparatively better, but objectively as well, it is not satisfying. The ping time latency is considered to be very high for smooth live-time events. In theory, if not paying attention to the ping time, you could use it if your ISP speed is really fast. In the case of the cellular network or some social WI-FI hotspot, the efficiency will be low.

The French server demonstrated a good result for the download index but a tangible decrease for the upload velocity. The ping time response is in a range of affordable values to ensure seamless real-time activity. If your main goal is to consume the content (watching videos, listening to music, etc.), then this VPN will live up to expectations. If your web activity requires loading information to the internet (loading resources to some platform, transferring materials to another user, etc.), then you should have a fast ISP; otherwise, the workflow comfortability turns out to be poor. 

Mobile Test

This section is empty seeing that the provider did not prepare free software for mobile.

About Safety – How Secure is VeePN VPN?

In this section, we are going to observe the safeguard appliance embedded in the browser’s extension.

The options list is long and does not fit on one screen, so we merged both snapshots into a single picture. There are seventeen points that matter for us, and we will briefly discuss each one.

• Block WebRTC IP Detection
• WebRTC technology allows users to process real-time connections (video, audio chat, etc.) directly in the browser without the need for additional software. This solution has a drawback: it requires a straight peer-to-peer (P2P) connection, and in the process, it can disclose the user’s IP address. Thus, the ‘Block WebRTC IP Detection’ function prevents detection of the real IP address through the WebRTC protocol.
• AdBlock
• This function enables you to block advertisements while surfing the web in the Chrome browser.
• Stop Trackers
• Various web resources and online analytical services like Google use tracking technologies to gather intelligence about users behavior. They use this data for distinctive purposes, including target advertising. The ‘Stop Trackers’ remedy is created to block such trackers.
• Block tracking social
• Social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and others, utilize their tracking components on a variety of sites. These elements record data about personal online habits for advertising goals. The ‘Block tracking social’ function aims to block social media trackers.
• Block push “we use cookies”
• Often, you can see banners on websites with a notification that the source uses cookies. In other words, use cookie banners, pop-ups, and different forms of them. Thus, the current option hinders the appearance of these notifications.
• Malware Evader
• It means that this VPN detects malware threats or patterns associated with malware by analyzing traffic and blocking access to these sources.
• Remove UTM parameters
• UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are often nested in URLs for tracking and analytics purposes. They identify the source of web traffic, the environment, and other marketing-related information. By removing UTM parameters, this function enhances privacy, security and makes URLs more user friendly.
• Remove FBCLID parameters
• FBCLID (Facebook Click Identifier) has the same sense as an option above but is specifically related to Facebook.
• Remove GCLID parameters
• GCLID (Google Click Identifier) has the same sense as the two options above, just specifically linked to Google.
• Location Warp
• It is the ability of the VPN software to disguise your real location and substitute it with another one.
• Time Warp
• It is not a common function in terms of VPN. It masks your local time with the connected server time.
• Language Warp
• Mask your browser’s language to match the proxy language.
• Auto-Connect
• Automatically turn on VPN on the browser start.
• Smart Location
• It is a paid option that hides your location while visiting specific sites.
• Exclude websites
• Due to this option, you can type in specific websites that should not work through the VPN network but directly through the ISP milieu.
• Custom proxy
• This is a paid option that enables you to route the traffic through a separate, specific server before reaching the internet.
• Mask User-Agent
• This function disguises or alters the ‘User-Agent’ string that is sent by your web browser to websites you visit. A user agent is like the identification of your browser and operating system. It tells websites what browser you use (Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc.) and what your OS is (Windows, Linux, Ubuntu, etc.).

During our investigation, we have not found any information about the protocols used in VeePN’s system. It accidentally happened that we found it in correspondence with live support.

The Chrome extension works on the WireGuard protocol. This protocol is famous for its high performance and negligible overhead costs. It encompasses modern and the most enhanced cryptographic algorithms and protocols. It is prepared for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It ensures sustainable connectivity while switching between WiFi and mobile networks.

Desktop Apps

This section is empty, seeing that the provider did not prepare free software for the desktop.

Mobile Apps

This section is empty, seeing that the provider did not prepare free software for mobile.

Browser Extensions

In this section, we are going to talk about the app’s visual presentation and some general immanent traits. The first thing that is convenient about a free plan is that you do not need to pass registration; just download the app and use it.

A little remark: after the installation, the application redirects you to the website to choose a subscription plan. You will find an option for the free plan; select it, and that is all. Now let us give some words instantly about the app.

After the app has been installed on your browser and you initialize the first launch, it is the start screen that is presented for users—in-app acquaintance with the main features of the free plan. To get to the application itself, push the ‘Continue’ button in the right-bottom corner.

The visual representation of the extension demonstrated in a pop-up form is usual for the majority of extensions. The main screen contains six interactive elements that are available for free, and the seventh element requires a paid subscription.

The main screen interactive elements:

• Hamburger Menu icon in the left upper corner opens the general menu;
• The Smart Location feature is the icon in the right upper corner, the second from the edge. This function is that function that is on hand only under the paid subscription;
• The Exclude List feature is the icon in the right upper corner, first from the edge, where you can set domains that should work directly through the ISP network instead of the encrypted environment;
• The turn-on/off button;

• The AdBlock switcher is right away under the turn-on/off button. The explanation of this feature is described in the section above about security;
• The locations field below the AdBlock switcher contains a selection of servers.

Now we will look over the hamburger menu filling. Here we have several general options, which can contact you with support, redirect to the VeePN website in order to acquaint more intelligence about the VeePN service, or get the FAQ section. The ‘Settings’ tab includes the security options scope that we have already discussed in the previous block. Also, it encompasses a few more general and technical items that we will become familiar with now.

‘Allow desktop notifications’, ‘Language’, and ‘Dark Mode’ options are obvious; hence, we are not going to talk about them. The ‘Settings Import’ and ‘Setting Export’ functions will be useful for tech-savvy users. 

The general idea is that the application enables you to download JSON files with configurations inside the extension and outside of the extension. As well, you can customize these files manually on your local device.

During the utilization time of the current app, we did not notice annoying advertising or notifications of the bandwidth constraint. 

Performance

The velocity performance of the US server is bad because the deterioration of the download speed index and upload speed index is too high, as well as the ping time response is bigger than it is required for seamless real-time events.

The French server speed performance is good for the download index, the loss is negligible. However, the upload speed loss is almost half, and it is significant.

Switching among the locations is smooth without hindrances to the workflow. The security set does not imply protocols, but there are some features that can solve particular requests.

Work in Highly Restricted Countries

There is no information about this question either on the website or the extension.

Server’s locations

The free plan offers six locations for users. Each location contains one server, except for the USA. The American geo has two servers.

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

The quantity of locations will significantly grow from 5 countries to 50 countries, including 2500 servers. Also, you can use up to 10 devices simultaneously and feel the comfort of the round-the-clock support. And the very valuable advantage is that you can use their software on various operating systems, including PCs and mobile devices.

The pricing strategy is similar for all VPNs: pay more at once and receive more in perspective. The monthly fee is $10.99, which is not the lowest price on the market. You have a proposal to pay $69.99 for the yearly subscription, which appears to be $5.83 per month. The next offer is to buy a five-year subscription for $99.99, and from a monthly perspective, it costs $1.67.

About Support

In the preceding section, we have observed the menu where you can see the “Support” field. It redirects you to the dedicated support page on their official website, where there are a few options available: live in-website chat, an option with common questions and answers, and a link that contains instructions for distinctive operating systems.

And on the same page, there is an email of their live support. We sent them a message and received an answer the same day, after a couple of hours.

VeePN VPN Review: Final verdict

This provider is an interesting player and possesses strong qualities as well as significant disadvantages. From one side, they position themselves as strict no-log adherents, but at the same time, their privacy policy contains some fuzzy moments about gathering billing information and a very superficial explanation of the security measures.

The speed capabilities desire better performance, especially for the US server. Considering that mobile devices nowadays take up the majority of online traffic, this VPN can let you down because of its initial cellular network velocity.

Generally, the current service does not have critical drawbacks that make its usage impossible, but there are enough issues that it can not fit your specific needs.