SpeedVPN is a popular free mobile VPN app that has more than 10 million downloads. That is not a surprise since mobile computing keeps growing. While some of the larger VPN companies offer multiple platform support, SpeedVPN focuses solely on the Android operating system. As you can guess, this one is supported by advertisements. Since there is no premium version, SpeedVPN is definitely free for users. The question is, how well does this free product work and is it worth it to use? In this review, we will attempt to answer those questions and see if SpeedVPN measures up to our tests. According to Google stats, this app has a 4.3-star rating with more than 147k reviews. Let’s take a look to see if it is deserving of such praise.
Want to compare our top recommended VPN services? Here are some of the best options to protect your privacy and unblock geo-restrictions. Each VPN offers a 30 day risk-free trial period to test the service.
| Rank | VPN Service | Rating | Visit Site | Server Locations | No Logs | Browser Extensions | Smart DNS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 |  | 160 |  | | |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | | 87 | | | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | | 95 | | |
About the Company
A company called gospeedsoft.com created the SpeedVPN in 2014. That means they have been around for awhile, at least in terms of the internet. Finding information about the company is not easy, and there is barely any contact info available. However, we discovered that the domain is registered in Switzerland. If that is correct, the VPN is covered by solid privacy laws. That said, we feel that any company that wants to protect your privacy should be more transparent.
Pricing
As we mentioned earlier, there is no charge for SpeedVPN. While most free VPNs give you the ability to upgrade for more features, this one does not give you that option. Often times, that means that you are the product. We are always hesitant to use free VPNs because of those reasons. If you are as well, we would recommend Private Internet Access as an alternative. For just $3.33 a month you can enjoy secure VPN access on all your devices from a trusted company that is transparent and has been around for many years.
Features
SpeedVPN has a very simple and straightforward interface. That means there are not many features or any ways to change settings. Once you download it and get through the extensive permissions list, you are asked to disable battery optimization. Keep in mind that not all VPNs (especially paid services) require access to items listed here. Once you connect, the only option you have any control of is the server you are using. In the image here, you will see the four countries that SpeedVPN gives you access to which include Germany, United States, England, and France. Other than a decent speed, there are no special features to speak of.
Performance
One issue with using a free VPN is the speed of the service. For our speed test, we used a server in the USA. As you see here, our normal speed was 45.8 Mbps. When using SpeedVPN, our speed was 36.3 Mbps. That means there is a 21% difference in speed. Since the normal rate can be up to 25% speed loss, SpeedVPN shows average speeds. If you consider that it is a free VPN, it is good.
VPN Usage
VPN UsageIf you have tried to use VPNs before, you know that it can sometimes be difficult. However, moving around in this VPN is easy. Because you can’t change much, there are only a few steps to take to connect.
- Find SpeedVPN in the Google Play Store and click Install.
- Accept the permissions and say Allow to the VPN connection.
- When loaded, click on the Continue button.
- From that point, you will find the Server Locations section that we showed earlier by clicking on the vertical column of 3 dots in the upper right-hand corner.
Benefits of Using a VPN
These days, quite a bit of internet traffic comes from mobile usage. That means using WiFi is becoming a must to save data. Since there are more WiFi hotspots popping up every day, we now have unprecedented access to the world wide web. However, you can bet that cybercriminals love that as well. By connecting to the server of your choice, you create a secure and encrypted connection. That way, you greatly reduce the chance that criminals will steal your sensitive data.
If you want to get around geo-blocks, using a VPN is a must. That is because businesses, governments, and even media companies stop users from viewing restricted content inside and outside of the targeted area. When you connect to a VPN, you will make the organization believe you are in a different location than you really are. Simply connect to a server and you can start browsing or viewing the content you want to access. If you are still having blocking issues, you will want to make sure WebRTC is disabled in your browser. That is harder if you are using different browsers on Android. We suggest using Firefox and downloading a blocking extension to view restricted content. Otherwise, whatever you are trying to unblock will still see your original IP address.
Does SpeedVPN Leak?
One problem that many of the free VPN services have is DNS leaks. If your service is leaking, that represents a critical security flaw. Since you would usually use a VPN to protect your privacy, leaks can reveal your IP address. To test SpeedVPN for this flaw, we’ll use the comprehensive leak testing site called www.doileak.com. We like this one because it shows a list of different issues. Some of them can be resolved on the browser side (as with the WebRTC issue above), while others show leaks that cannot be resolved. As you see in the image below, SpeedVPN has some leaks. Though it is not as much as some of the other free services, the leaks still defeat the purpose of using a VPN.
Should I use SpeedVPN?
Whether or not you should use SpeedVPN comes down to your purpose. For those trying to get around geo-restrictions, you may be ok. However, if the blocking software sees your IP address, you may have some problems. The service allows only one connection so it is not a solution if you have multiple devices. You also want to keep in mind that SpeedVPN does not allow P2P / file sharing on their network. If you plan on using SpeedVPN to protect your privacy, we suggest using a paid service instead so you can make sure it does not leak.
Final Thoughts About SpeedVPN
As we wrap up this review, we see that SpeedVPN is extremely popular and has more than 10 million downloads. We like the speed of the service since it is what we would expect out of a paid service. That means you may be able to enjoy geo-restricted content. However, because it is free, you get a number of ads. You also do not get the ability to change encryption levels or choose specific servers in a country. Another disadvantage of this service is the small number of available countries. Lastly, the DNS leak test prevents us from recommending SpeedVPN. It will definitely help you get around geo-restrictions, but that is all you should expect from it. If you want to consider more options, feel free to take a look at our Top 10 VPNs list.