Atlas VPN is a freemium VPN for beginners that focuses on security and privacy. This VPN service includes great additional features, fast connection speeds, well-designed applications for all operating systems, and the best free version we’ve tried so far.
It’s also great for unblocking video streaming sites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer, keeping your browser ad-free with its ad blocker tool, and ensuring your data hasn’t been affected with its comprehensive data breach checker.
In this Atlas VPN review 2023, we will look at all of the benefits and drawbacks of this freemium VPN. Continue reading to learn about its speeds, features, security, and applications, and then decide whether it’s the best VPN for you.
Atlas VPN provides a reasonable package of privacy protections and basic VPN capabilities that, on paper, compare to the top VPNs on the market. It is especially appealing because it offers unlimited simultaneous connections for paid customers and a large bandwidth allowance for free users. However, come design behavior and strange behavior in hands-on testing impacted our experience, and we would prefer that the organization take on a third-party audit of its rules and infrastructure.
Atlas VPN Specs
Name | Value |
---|---|
Free Version Data Limit | 5GB Per Month |
Blocks Ads | |
Simultaneous VPN Connections | Unlimited |
500+ Servers | |
Server Locations | 38 Countries |
Geographically Diverse Servers | |
Free Version |
Atlas VPN Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free subscription option
- Unique IP swapping servers
- Multi-hop connections
Cons
- Quirky behavior in hands-on testing
- No third-party audits of infrastructure or policies
- Awkward interface
- Pushy email subscription nags
Is Atlas VPN safe?
Atlas VPN is a reliable VPN service provider. It contains the basic security features you’d expect from a VPN, such as a no-logs policy, AES encryption, and a dependable kill switch. While all the tunneling protocols available are fully secure, only two are available: IKEv2 and the market-standard WireGuard.
Atlas VPN has the opportunity to grow. Instead of using RAM-only servers, the provider stores data on fully encrypted drives. Furthermore, the no-logs policy has not been independently reviewed; only security checks for the iOS app have been performed.
If you are asking who owns Atlas VPN, the answer is Nord Security, which also owns the market-leading NordVPN. Atlas VPN is expected to adhere to identical security standards as NordVPN.
Kill switch
Atlas VPN has incorporated a security feature that helps in the prevention of data leaks. A kill switch is meant to shut down your online activity if your connection to the VPN server is lost. To see how it works, we do two tests: restricting the connection from a router and deactivating background VPN activities.
The kill switch worked effectively during the first test, terminating the connection when the connection to the server was denied. The only complaint we had was that it does not warn you when the kill switch is pressed. We found it useful that the Internet connection may be recovered by simply removing and enabling the kill switch.
Because the service does not support OpenVPN, the second test was more difficult than normal. The VPN tasks are tied to the user. We had to disable the user by activating the kill switch. Even in such cases, the kill switch is active.
Encryption and tunneling protocol
After you connect to a single Atlas VPN server, your connection is encrypted, which means no one knows what you’re doing on the internet.
Atlas VPN, in particular, uses AES-256 encryption, which is the current standard for the security of data and is used by various governmental and financial companies. They have also used the ChaCha20 cipher with the Poly1305 authenticator to assure next-generation security.
There are two tunneling protocols available: IPSec/IKEv2 and WireGuard. The latter is the industry-standard tunneling technology and Atlas VPN’s newest feature, assuring faster speeds and reduced ping. It is also compatible with Android, Windows, macOS, and iOS devices.
Plans and pricing
Atlas VPN is one of the most affordable VPN services available. Especially when the service allows for an unlimited number of simultaneous connections.
Version | Price |
1-month plan | $11.99/month |
1-year plan | $3.29/month |
2-year plan | $2.05/month |
The monthly plan will cost the highest, up to $11.99 each month. We never push for short-term strategies. However, if you purchase a year-long membership, you will receive a significant discount and the monthly fee will be $3.29.
Atlas VPN is good with its low costs on the 2-year plan. You’d only have to pay up to $2.05 per month with this subscription plan. Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try out the premium additional services to decide whether they are worthwhile.
Credit cards, Google Pay, and PayPal are all accepted payment options. There are additional cryptocurrency payment alternatives, such as BTC, LTC, ETH, and others, as well as QIWI. Klarna is the most recent payment option addition, allowing users in the United States to pay for Atlas VPN in installments.
Atlas VPN free version
Atlas VPN is one of the few free VPN services, therefore it should not be overlooked. However, it is important to know that this plan has a 5 GB data restriction, so it will not be your best option for downloading and streaming huge media files.
Atlas VPN remains the value champion in this category. As a free user, you get access to three locations: the Netherlands – Amsterdam, the United States – Los Angeles, and the United States – New York.
The free version does not have streaming-optimized servers, unlimited bandwidth, 24/7 support, unlimited active connections, or a SafeBrowse feature.
Atlas VPN comparison with other VPNs
Brand | AtlasVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | IPVanish | ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | PrivateVPN | PureVPN |
Rating | 4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ | 4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ | 4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ | 4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ |
Price (lowest price per month) | $2.05/month | $3.29/month | $2.30/month | $2.96/month | $6.67/month | $2.19/month | $2.00/month | $2.08/month |
Free version | Yes, unlimited | Yes, 7-day | Yes, 7-day | No | Yes, 7-day | Yes, 1-day on a desktop, 3-day on Android, and 7-day on iOS | Yes, 7-day | Yes, 7-day |
Servers | 1000+ servers in 42 countries | 5500+ servers in 60 countries | 3200+ servers in 100 countries | 2000+ servers in 50 countries | 3000+ servers in 94 countries | 9700+ servers in 91 countries | 200+ servers in 63 countries | 6500+ servers in 78 countries |
WireGuard tunneling protocol | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Streaming | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, and more | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube |
AES-256 encryption | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Logging | No logs, not audited | No logs, independently audited twice by PwC | No logs, not audited | No logs, independently audited by Leviathan | No logs, independently audited by Cure53 | No logs, independently audited by Deloitte | No logs, not audited | No logs, always-on audit by KPMG |
Simultaneous connections | Unlimited | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
How does Atlas VPN work?
Atlas VPN, like any other VPN available, encrypts your internet data and changes your IP address. No third party, ISP, or government can track or follow your internet behavior.
A VPN is also useful for unblocking geo-restricted content, torrenting securely, and other purposes. If you are asking how to use Atlas VPN, just connect to a server. A VPN builds a secure communication tunnel in this way. All data from your PC is encrypted and transferred over the secure tunnel.
When encrypted data reached Atlas VPN servers, it is decrypted and transferred to the desired website. Your data is protected and disguised because the request looks to have originated from Atlas VPN servers.
Speed and performance
While all VPNs will delay your connection, some will do it more effectively than others. We decided to test Atlas VPN’s performance using the WireGuard protocol to determine how much of the original connection speed is kept.
Location | Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) |
US (NY) | 243 | 270 |
UK | 247 | 282 |
Germany | 242 | 292 |
Sweden | 256 | 293 |
Australia | 210 | 269 |
Atlas VPN’s speeds have significantly improved after the installation of the WireGuard tunneling technology. There were no apparent connection speed reductions with download or upload speeds in the five sites where we tested. As a result, buffering and delays are quite improbable.
Given that WireGuard is one of the quickest protocols on the market, this is exactly what you should anticipate. Overall, Atlas VPN provides really fast speeds. While this was not previously one of the provider’s strengths, it is today.
Servers and locations
A huge server fleet ensures you will have strong worldwide coverage no matter where you are. It also makes it easy to select a faster server because the user loads are distributed evenly across them.
Atlas VPN does not offer many locations. It only has over 1000 servers spread over 42 countries. These figures are low when compared to VPN market experts like NordVPN or Surfshark.
Total Regions | 38 |
Europe | 25 |
Asia | 5 |
Americas | 6 |
Rest of the world | 2 |
Atlas VPN used to be a mobile-only VPN service, therefore these figures represent the diversity that’s often available on free apps in mobile app stores. Even though the service has caught up by adding desktop clients, its fleet size has the potential to increase.
Currently, the server selection is the most extensive in Europe. Other parts of the world have substantially less coverage, with relatively few places in Asia, the Americas, and the rest of the world.
Atlas VPN recently released 10Gbps servers. These servers boost connection speeds whether you’re just surfing the web or conducting data-intensive activities like streaming. The way it works is that because 10Gbps servers have greater capacity, they can send data quicker.
When connecting to a server, you have the option of using the Privacy Pro feature, which includes SafeSwap and MultiHop+. Servers with these characteristics will route your traffic across various IP addresses, making tracking you nearly difficult.
How to download Atlas VPN?
- Go to the Atlas VPN website and click the ‘Grab the deal’ option.
- Select a subscription plan. Every choice comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Continue to the checkout process by clicking the button in the bottom-right corner.
- Make an account. You will be required to submit your email address as well as payment details.
- Download the app by pressing the ‘Complete purchase’ button.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to install the VPN app.
- Sign in, connect to the server, and start using Atlas VPN.
Customer support
The AtlasVPN app provides right-away access to customer service departments. When you click on the FAQ, you will be sent to the website. To deal with technical difficulties, there are some generic explanations and solutions.
Support | Atlas VPN |
24/7 live chat | ✅ |
✅ | |
Phone line | ❌ |
Knowledge Base | ✅ |
FAQs | ✅ |
Email help is available to all users at [email protected], and Premium subscribers can get 24/7 live chat assistance.
Email queries were answered to within a few hours, a live chat connection was fast. Overall, Atlas VPN delivers a strong performance. This is about as good as it gets in terms of VPN support.
Is it worth getting Atlas VPN?
The value of Atlas VPN is largely dependent on your expectations. It’s not as good as NordVPN or Surfshark, but it offers a lot of advantages and is expanding quickly.
This Atlas VPN review demonstrates that the service is an excellent starting place for anybody interested in trying out a VPN. The free edition provides solid encryption, but the premium version unlocks Netflix and the majority of other popular streaming services. The lightning-fast WireGuard protocol, as well as technologies like SafeBrowser, will take your security to the next level.