However, Astrill does not offer the free trial if you sign up in China (they don't offer a money back guarantee either). Full Disclosure - Astrill deleted my affiliate account after I published the blog post about not offering the free trial to customers in China. Astrill is a Shareware software in the category Desktop developed by Astrill. It was checked for updates 31 times by the users of our client application UpdateStar during the last month. The latest version of Astrill is currently unknown. It was initially added to our database on.

StrongVPN

StrongVPN was rated #3 on this page once upon a time. Although their apps and user interface was the worst I have ever seen, they did have 1 selling point. That was the Hong Kong servers, which had good peering to China Telecom (PCCW network).

However, those Hong Kong servers disappeared one day, later they were replaced with inferior servers with poor routing to China Telecom. Now there is no reason to use StrongVPN in China.

PureVPN

This is probably the worst VPN that I have ever tested in the history of this website. Terrible apps, even worse support, and extremely unstable performance. They also handed over log files to the FBI to assist in an investigation.

Even if you are not using it in China, stay away from PureVPN.

Private Internet Access (PIA)

I tested PIA after seeing this YouTube video from Linus Tech Tips. At the end of the video, he recommended using PIA in China, and claimed to be using it himself in Shenzhen, where he shot the video.

When I tested PIA (extensively) around the time that this video was released, I was unable to get even a single working connection. I tried every protocol available and sent a support ticket for further troubleshooting steps.

Determined to get a connection, I took things 1 step further. I got all of their server IPs by entering the hostnames into the OpenDNS CacheCheck website, and then batch pinged every single IP using a special software I have. Every one of their server IPs was blocked in China.

My only conclusion from this is that Linus Tech Tips is a liar. He was likely roaming with a foreign SIM card when he connected to PIA for his video.

Don't get me wrong, PIA seems like a great VPN service. It's just not one that works in China.

Chinese based VPNs

It's illegal to operate a VPN service in China and these are the ones that will be targeted by the government the most.

When choosing a VPN, always choose one that is incorporated outside of China.

Astrill was launched in 2009 and was created by Astrill Systems Corp and is located in Seychelles.

Why is that important for a VPN user?

Because there are no data retention laws within its VPN jurisdiction.

But that’s not the reason I published this Astrill review.

I wanted to know all the good and bad stuff, so I can give you a well-informed overview of Astrill VPN.

Is it a good VPN to stay anonymous on a public Wi-Fi in order to protect your personal data. Does it really hide your IP?

Let’s find this out…

Quick Background Info Regarding Astrill VPN

The Astrill website is aesthetically pleasing, showcasing the features of their service so it’s easy to understand.

At first glance, I noticed how easy it is for new users to sign up for their service; simply enter your email address and you’re good to go. In fact, Astrill boldly claims that you’ll be up and running using their VPN within 3 minutes.

Overall, it appears to be a legitimate site.

However, if you read the user reviews on Astrill’s site appear to be biased since the review we gave of the company had not been posted to their site even after several months.

But that video was made in 2014. Astrill has probably made some improvements since then, right? Let’s find out…

Astrill VPN Overview

Very Expensive Pricing, $8.33/mo

Astrill offers a free 7-day trial on their plans. Awesome, right?

The other bit of good news is that Astrill offers the same features for each plan. So each package includes access to every server, unlimited bandwidth, and all other available features. But the packages include access for different amounts of time. Here’s a quick breakdown.

The one-month plan will set you back $15.90 per month.

This plan is perfect for a user that just wants to try out Astrill without making a long-term commitment.

The six-month package is $11.65 per month.

This is a saving of 26% in comparison to the three-month package. You’ll spend a total of $69.90.

The one year package is $8.33 per month.

The one year package comes out to a grand total of $99.90. You’ll save 47% here. So if you know you want to use Astrill on a long-term basis, this is the best value.

Here’s how the company’s pricing plans look on their site:

Astrill offers a 7-day money back guarantee, along with a ton of different payment options, including:

• Credit/debit cards
• PayPal
• PerfectMoney
• Bank wire transfer
• WechatPay
• BitCoin

Overall, pricing for Astrill isn’t the cheapest on the market. In fact, it costs a lot. Even more than ExpressVPN which is well known as one of the best VPNs.

Features, Compatibility, and Servers

Astrill has unlimited bandwidth, no matter which plan you choose. The first thing they boast about on their “features” page is their privacy technology.

Astrill is available on all major platforms:

• Windows
• Mac (not 100% sure if on older Mac versions)
• Linux
• iOS
• TOR
• and Android platforms.

They allow 5 simultaneous connections per account. This is really good when compared to other VPN services.

Astrill VPN has a network of 365 servers in 64 countries.

It might not reach the thousands that ExpressVPN has. However, it’s also WAY more than the 36 currently offered by Avira VPN.

Their server count has also been steadily increasing for years, too. So I expect them to keep adding servers. They’ve more than doubled their server count since the beginning of 2014.

Their list of servers is very long, and they offer connections in the most popular cities around the world:

• United States
• China
• Canada
• UK
• Netherlands
• Germany
• France
• Spain
• etc…

Astrill offers an internet kill switch option for most plans.

This can help protect your data if your connection ever dropped out unexpectedly. That way, your entire browsing session wouldn’t be exposed to whoever’s listening.

Plus, you get unlimited, restriction-free torrenting.

That’s key because a VPN can help protect what you’re downloading from your nosy Internet Service Provider (ISP). If they see you constantly downloading massive files, pretty soon, they’ll start throttling your connection to help reduce your strain on their resources.

VPNs also help protect you from the very same people you might be downloading content from. This way, you’re not left open to any bad actors on the same torrenting network.

Last but not least, Astrill also appears to work with DD-WRT routers. That can help you workaround the lower-than-usual two device limit.

But instead of offering a Setup Wizard on their site like many other VPN providers, they just sell routers with Astrill already installed.

This is a bit irritating, to be honest.

Pros of Using Astrill +

Astrill has been around for at least eight years now. So I had high expectations for what I was going to get. Here’s a quick rundown of my favorite features.

1. SSL 256-bit encryption & tons of protocol options

Privacy is the number one issue with VPN software. Nothing else matters if your encryption or logging policies aren’t up to snuff.

Astrill offers SSL 256-bit encryption on all plans they have.

This means that you’ll have military-grade protection, even if you’re just trying Astrill out through a free trial. Although there’s not a big difference, some VPNs only come with 128-bit encryption (hint: Zenmate)

Astrill also has one of the biggest list of available protocols we’ve seen.

Seriously, check this out:

• OpenWeb
• StealthVPN
• OpenVPN
• Cisco IPSec
• IKEv2/IPsec
• L2TP/IPSec
• SSTP
• PPTP

That’s good news for pretty much any potential use case.

Those first two, OpenWeb and StealthVPN, are actually proprietary protocols created by Astrill.

The main feature of OpenWeb is that it’s supposed to help you evade deep packet inspection (DPI), which should reduce the chances of ISP throttling and Netflix detection.

StealthVPN, on the other hand, was designed to help you slip past automated firewall systems.

So all in all, there truly is something for everyone with Astrill’s protocol options.

2. They don’t slow down your Internet connection

Astrill claims that their speeds are incredibly fast. Just like everyone else. I tested them for myself so you don’t have to.

Here are the results of my speed tests for Astrill on US and EU servers.

US Server

• Ping: 182 ms
• Download: 78.65 Mbps
• Upload: 18.99 Mbps

EU Server

• Ping: 44 ms
• Download: 69.08 Mbps
• Upload: 53.30 Mbps

These speeds are pretty good! The download speeds are especially consistent.

The upload speed for US servers could use some improvement, but these results are better than some other VPNs on the market.

3. Smooth usability

Astrill is very simple to download and install. The site identifies which operating system you’re using and brings up a download button automatically.

There’s no guesswork about how to use the Astrill installation wizard, either. Once Astrill has been downloaded to your device, this is what the interface looks like:

All you have to do is enter your email and password to log in.

Once you’ve logged in, you can select whether you want to use OpenVPN tunneling protocol, OpenWeb, or StealthVPN.

You’ll immediately see an on/off button, as well as data for the server you’re connected to.

To change your server, just select one from the drop-down menu.

With Astrill, you can enforce DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection and WebRTC IP leak protection.

DNS and IPv6 leak protection is automatically turned on upon downloading.

My main gripe here? The client appears pretty dated, to be honest.

All of the essential elements are there. But it’s not the easiest to use or slickest to look at.

Overall, Astrill gets a 5/10 for usability.

4. Free trial + money-back guarantee

Astrill is one of the few VPN apps that offers both a free trial and a money-back guarantee. Usually, only one or the other is offered.

But now, you can give Astrill’s services a spin for a few days prior to signing up.

Then after you do, you’ll have another few days to decide whether you want to keep the service or not.

5. Unblocks Netflix

While the company doesn’t mention Netflix by name, it does feature the ability to “unblock” favorite websites. In our testing, we found that Astrill was able to connect to Netflix through three servers in three different countries as well as unblock Netflix’s geo-restrictions.

Astrill servers unblocking Netflix:

• United States: Chicago
• United Kingdom: London
• Netherlands

Astrill servers blocked by Netflix:

• United States: New York
• Canada

Cons of using Astrill –

1. Some possible logging

Astrill’s website seems to claim that it keeps no data logs.

But when you dig into their privacy policy, you’ll find that they collect data, such as cookies and other personal information.

And the scary part is that they claim not to “sell, rent, or trade your personal information with others,” but they also disclose that their reason for collecting data is to personalize your experience when it comes to things like “online shopping and interactive communications.”

That last sentence sounds like they’re going to use your personal info to target ads, just like another free VPN.

It’s hard to interpret this privacy policy, which is a huge turn off for me. When using a VPN, I need to know exactly what data is being recorded and why it’s being recorded.

I bet you feel the same, right?

2. Astrill VPN pricing is above average

Some of the VPN services I’ve reviewed so far will only set you back around two or three bucks a month for a full year. That means your total bill is only around $30-40. Great deal, right?

Unfortunately, Astrill doesn’t come close to that. Their current one-year pricing is at $5.83 per month.

That’s double what some of the other options are (ZoogVPN and VPN Unlimited), so it’s kinda pricey compared to your alternatives.

The three-month option is also around $10/month, too.

Once again, that’s high compared to many other options. Many other VPN services will give you a month-to-month option for double-digit pricing. You better be sure you want to sign up with them for the long haul because it’s going to cost you.

Download Astrill Vpn

3. No 24/7 Live Chat

I was excited to see that Astrill offers live chat.

A bunch of other VPN services only offer a ticketing system. That means you’re looking at a full day in most cases to get a response to a simple question.

I decided to try out their live chat service to give you a complete review.

All you have to enter in is your name, email, and message to get started.

You can also select the department that your question applies to.

Here’s the question I sent in:

Once you hit send, you’ll receive this message.

After what seemed like hours, another notification popped up:

I went ahead and clicked on the “leave a message” option to see how long it would take to hear something back when taking that route. I received a helpful email in a few hours.

That response time might be normal for a ticketing or email-based support system. But “live” chat?

It was terrible.

You’re better off just submitting a message and waiting for a response rather than sitting in the live chat window for an unknown amount of time.

Do I Recommend Astrill?

By all means, it’s not a bad VPN. According to my tests, I’d rate it around 7/10.

However, if you forced me to choose just a single VPN provider, Astrill would not be it. Sorry.

There was a lot to like. The connection speeds, in particular, were really strong. But there were some drawbacks I couldn’t overlook, either. Specifically, the customer support was really slow. The device connections are too limited. And the privacy policy terminology is a little sketchy.

That’s why I’d probably recommendNordVPN, Surfshark or IPVanish before Astrill.

Add your own Astrill review

Have you used Astrill VPN? If so, help us by leaving a comment below 🙂

Frankie 1/10

Not as described

No connection to UK TV servers always blocked which is strange as Express and Nord work easily. Good for google and messaging which may be banned in some countries.

Poor inline support and absolutely no refunds under any circumstances so beware of long contacts.

Joe 8/10

Not perfect, but did not find anything better

I am based in China and even if there are some drawbacks, Astrill is the only 100% reliable VPN service I know. During certain events or anniversaries the Great Firewall of China blocks everything. Friends with VPN providers like Witopia or ExpressVPN can not connect for days. Astrill always connect, even if you need a few attempts. The downside is that the iOS app often takes multiple tries to connect. MacOS app never has a problem. Netflix works all around the world. Compared to other providers I tried, the speed is better. Never needed support so far, so I can not comment.

For China there is no way around Astrill.

JTC 9/10

Logging is only related to the Website, not the VPN

The logging you are referring to is related to the WEBSITE, not the VPN. Even in your screenshot, it clearly says 'Astrill.com's . . . .' It is a disclaimer like is on every other website.

Tim 5/10

Using within China

I have used Astill since 2014 and though it has occasionally been slow, it has always connected and I've never had any real issues with it. On the few times that I did, an email to the support desk was responded to quickly and the problems were easily solved. It is a more expensive option than some of the others but it has always worked without issue. I made the mistake of being lured by NordVPN into a long-term deal (Price looked great) but for access from China you have to use their obfuscated servers. Problem with this is that you have to be able to connect to get the updated list which I couldn't. Astrills interface is clean, simple to use and works pretty much all the time which is key if you are in a country like China that blocks access to most services that you might need like facebook, youtube, twitter, etc. In my book, Astrill is number 1 if you're in China.

M. Dietrich 5/10

Astrill is not trustworthy

They used to be OK, but many websites won't work anymore using Astrill. Express VPN is a lot better. Communication with Astrill is extremely bad. Untrustworthy VPN service. I would choose ExpressVPN anytime, especially for China.

Alex 5/10

OK but not too special

I live in China, and I was using Astrill vpn for a year. Connection time is very good and the vpn works perfectly on a pc (not sure about the mac), but there is a problem on a iOS and android devices. Connection breaks constantly on iOS and android devices almost every 30 seconds, and when I contacted the customer support it was a nightmare. I've never experienced that kind of support. Few times they even left the chat and almost every time they were extremely rude. If you need a vpn for your pc device this is going to be one of the best vpns for you because of the speeds they provide, but not for mobile devices, they haven't updated their app for a long time(check that before the purchase ).
pros:
- Speed and connection time
cons:
-rude customer support
-bad for iOS and android devices
-some logging

Richard 10/10

Worked better than any other for me

I've used Astrill for over 5 years and it's been fast, reliable, and easy. I like the little Astrill window that shows a graph of download and upload speeds - I can quickly see if it's working OK or if I need to change to another server. Contrary to this review I've had excellent chat support on the rare occasions I've needed to contact them. I do think they are more expensive than other VPNs so periodically I've tried others. Based on this website's reviews I gave ExpressVPN a try. Unfortunately ExpressVPN was a lot slower than Astrill from my location. I tried lots of different servers and connections but Astrill was faster and more reliable than ExpressVPN. The tech support at ExpressVPN was really helpful and friendly but no tweeks solved the problems and after a few days trying I stayed with Astrill. Also ExpressVPN does not have a way to quickly see upload and download speeds like Astrill does - a feature I really like.

So I'm staying with Astrill. It works perfectly, no hassles. I think this review needs to be updated for the latest Astrill use permissions. I don't have problems with two computers running Astrill at the same time. Happy Astrill User

Richard 9/10

Happy customer

I am based in China. Happy with stealthvpn connection on my own router running Asuswrt merlin, mac os, and android phone. Servers sometimes slow necessitating purchase of VIP plan. But to be honest China is so aggressively restrictive I am happy to pay the money to a company that is offering a proper solution. By the way I think the reviewer's comments in this article are incorrect as the wording clearly relates to the astrill.com website rather than the vpn service.

Mark 1/10

RIP OFF! NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM ASTRILL - ESPECIALLY NOT A PRIVATE VPN SERVICE FROM

In order to access UK content from China, I was advised by Astrill customer support to purchase a $99 Private VPN service. With my $99 service enabled, the upload speed is 1.2 MBPS!!! With one of the FREE Public VPN services enabled, the upload speed is 69.7 Mbps!!

Josh 10/10

Worth the high price

This VPN is super fast for me in Germany. I have been using Astrill for 2 years and the service has consistent quality. On certain European servers I max out my 400Mbit connection and even US gets over 300Mbit on multiple East-coast cities like New York. Their app looks a bit old, but I don't remember it ever crashed or stopped responding. Netflix works, tons of torrent friendly servers. And since November 2017 I can use 5 devices at once, not 2 as the review says. I'll admit I have not tried many VPN providers, but if one works great, why ever change it.

Paul 9/10

Consistently good

I’ve been using Astrill in China for 4 years. China is a tough environment for testing a VPN. The government systematically shuts down VPN protocols and blocks servers from time to time. So, during the 4 years we’ve had a few short term problems, however compared with the problems I hear other expats have with their VPNs we have the hi-tech solution that just keeps on going. I use Astrill’s Home Plan (5 connections) + I bought their year plan that came with a free VPN router. I have the router and my mobiles set to their encrypted Stealth protocol and set to TCP. I have access to 1 other VPN provider and maybe use this once a month if I’m have difficulty with the Astrill servers.

When I have struck difficulty with Astrill its probably been caused by the Astrill server getting blocked by China. So a quick switch to another VPN provider is the fastest solution. However I then test the Astrill servers and rotate around 3-4 favourites to find the best one. So all in all, I have a continuous connection in difficult circumstances.

Ruth 4/10

Disappointing

This is my third year using Astrill. First two years were….ok. This year however, it is a total waste of money. I use it for watching UK tv shows via the BBC iPlayer but it just isn’t working at all. Chased customer services about it and they basically blamed the BBC. Very poor vpn indeed.

Derek Hart 3/10

Constantly blocked on Google Chrome

All their VPNs – Open Web, Open VPN, Stealth VPN are toxic. Chrome Google constantly blocks Astrill and always asks for CAPTCHA. Every. Time!

I bought a family package for 5 devices but none works – error message says I am logged in to multiple devices (duh!) Astrill also slows down ALL MY DEVICES – they’re all brand new ( I replace my apple devices every two years).

When I asked them about the toxic VPNs, they suggested that I pay for private ones. So on top of what I already paid, I will be charged for each private VPNs because the ones they sold me don’t work.

The point here is why would they even sell VPNs that don’t work to begin with, then surreptitiously suggest a working one?

Had they offered it for free, their motive wouldn’t have been questioned.

John 1/10

ASTRILL IS A FRAUD COMPANY, DO NOT USE.

I would give negative 10 score if I could.

Astrill stole my money without giving me service and will not refund. I paid for 1 year, about $100 and was provided with not a single second of service. When I tried to ask why through their customer service, I was confronted by the RUDEST people I have ever encounter, and I have been living in China for 7 years dealing with Chinese companies and people, Astrill is by FAR the WORST customer service I have ever witnessed.

They refuse to give me a refund, and simply terminated my account because they did not want to provide me a solution or an answer to why they are doing this.

Astrill China Download Link

I think it is mainly because I paid through WeChat pay wallet, the money is not connected to a bank, so therefore I cannot open a payment dispute. There is no way of getting my money back from this scam unless Astrill gives it back, but they made it clear they will ABSOLUTELY not give me my money, or provide me with service.

For your own safety and protection from not getting scammed by a fraud company, please do not use Astrill.

I’m almost coming on with depression from dealing with their customer service the last week, and they have not helped a single bit, instead they will be extremely rude to you, and disconnect their online support whenever they please, they told me their phone support is down, which is a lie because I read online that someone else was told their phone support is down 9 months ago. So they actually do not have a phone support, everything is fake and a lie.

They will try in anyway possible to take your money without giving you service.

I also read many people who had issues and did not get their money back, if you keep trying to get a refund from this fraud company, they will make excuses to blame you for their service not working. And miraculously under there “Terms of Service” pop out fine print saying they have the right to suspended your account and not refund you money if they please.

I am currently contacting WeChat to see if they have a way to reverse the payment process, hopefully they can help.

ASTRILL IS A FRAUD COMPANY, DO NOT USE.

David 9/10

Works great from China

I’m located in China (no American TV) which is very competent in blocking all kinds of needed sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Search, etc… that I need daily for work. I’ve tried every VPN available and Astrill has been the only one (literally) that I can count on to connect day-in and day-out.

Mark 1/10

Dreadful

Having problems with my standard Astrill package, I was advised by them to buy a private IP. I paid $99 for the IP but it’s so slow it’s unusable. They refuse to give me a refund and are offering to transfer me to another Private IP instead. Trouble is, they have no stock of other IP’s and can’t tell me when one will be available. Meanwhile, I’m $99 poorer and have an Astrill private IP that’s unusable.

Use another VPN provider, there’s lots of choice and much better customer service!!

Bill 7/10

It's a decent service for the price.

Astrill offers 3 different kinds of privacy protection. I mainly use the web/browser VPN which allows me switch my location for youtube/netflix streaming services to get shows only available in that region. For streaming services they are affordable and there is no lag at all on any of their available VPNs, do not use the trial VPN’s which subscribers have access to as well, they tend to be overloaded and the ping and speed is quite slow.