UltraVPN is a fairly new player in the VPN market. Launched in 2018 by Network Protect Limited, this UK-based VPN provider has quickly grown in popularity and is continuously expanding due to its early success. UltraVPN’s popularity may be attributed to its high-speed service with 100+ servers spread across 58 countries.
UltraVPN Coverage
- High-speed service (excellent download-speeds)
- 100+ servers in 58 countries
- Unblocks Netflix and supports Torrenting (P2P)
- Beautiful app design (Mac, Windows, Chrome, iOS, and Android)
UltraVPN Compatibility
- MacOS
- Windows
- Android
- IOS
UltraVPN Setup
UltraVPN’s app is very easy and convenient to use. You don’t have to worry about any process slowing down or your computer freezing once you run the app since it is very lightweight.
The layout is very simple with convenient buttons to control your connection. However, if you’re an advanced user who likes to customize your connection, you might want to look somewhere else since UltraVPN offers very few settings. From the app’s main interface, you can configure your firewall and choose which server you’d like to connect to. Take note that there is no search function, so be prepared to scroll through the server list every time you want to look for your preferred server.
UltraVPN Benefits
Security and Privacy: Security and Privacy are some of the biggest factors you need to consider when choosing a VPN. The good news is that you can rely on UltraVPN for privacy. It has clear zero-logs policy, which means that it doesn’t track your online activities (i.e. the websites you visit and services you use). Aside from that, it also uses AES-256 encryption (the most secure encryption standard), features a kill switch – called “the firewall”, has its own DNS servers, and does not leak any data. The catch to this seemingly solid line of defense, however, is that UltraVPN has been known to log your originating IP address. Although this is not a grave offense, most users prefer not to have their originating IP addresses collected. After all, one of the main reasons why you use a VPN is to maintain anonymity. UltraVPN’s logging policy places them on the edge of what is acceptable and what is a clear violation of privacy.
Speed: Next to security and privacy, another important factor to consider is the connection speed of your chosen VPN. Keep in mind that the farther the data needs to travel from a device to the VPN server, the slower the speed is. If you’re simply looking to browse, it is best that you connect to a server within your country so that your data does not have to travel that far. If your goal is to bypass censorship or geoblocks, then it would be best if you connect to a server where you can easily find the content you are aiming for. When tested for connection speeds, UltraVPN ultimately yielded fast results particularly on the US and the UK servers. However, it is still best to keep in mind that speed will always vary depending on your location and the server that you choose.
Number of Connections: How many devices can you protect at the same time using your VPN’s service? The standard number of connections offered by most VPN service providers is three, and this seems enough for most users. UltraVPN offers three simultaneous connections (one for your phone, one for your laptop/desktop, and perhaps one for your tablet), which seems fair for its price. However, if you are looking to protect more devices, or you would like to share this service with family or friends, then you might want to consider another VPN service provider. Of Course, keep in mind that most of the time, the more devices you opt to connect, the higher the price you must pay.
Streaming: Let’s say that you’re not from the US but you want access to a Netflix series that is exclusive to American Netflix. How do you solve this dilemma? A VPN might just be what you’re looking for. Simply log into an American server, access Netflix, and voila! You now have access to all the local movies and series. UltraVPN has been proven to bypass Netflix’s VPN blocks. Using the Ultraflix US server, you can unblock Netflix and enjoy high-definition streaming.
Torrenting: Another benefit of using a VPN is when you want to safely download torrents. Since your connection is fully encrypted when you use a VPN, your ISP cannot see what you are doing online and cannot admonish you from using P2P services. You’ll be pleased to know that UltraVPN allows torrenting and P2P connections on almost all of its servers. Remember its zero-log policy? That means you can safely download any torrent you want.
Server Locations: Server location talks about countries you can connect to via your VPN. It is standard for VPN service providers to have servers in at least 30 countries all over the globe. Most VPN service providers allow you to select a server on a country level, but a good VPN service provider allows you to select a server on a city level. If you remember our talk about connection speed (the farther the data needs to travel, the slower the speed is), the location of your server is extremely important. Imagine if you were in Asia, and you wanted to connect to a server in Europe, this will significantly reduce your connection speed. Thus, by having multiple servers in different locations, users can easily access one that is near their location. UltraVPN boasts servers in 58 countries all over the globe, that’s quite a leap from the standard 30 countries offered by others. Users can find servers in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, providing more options for users in different parts of the world.
UltraVPN Pricing
Like most available VPNs on the market, UltraVPN also offers three different subscription plans. You can subscribe to a monthly plan at $7.99, a quarterly plan (6 months) at $5.99, and a yearly plan (12 months) at $3.75.
As you can see, clients who subscribe longer are given a bigger discount. This is a common practice to “reward” clients who choose to commit to a particular service. For $7.99 a month ($45 annual price), UltraVPN presents an extremely competitive price making it one of the cheaper VPN’s in the market.
Another offer UltraVPN makes is a 30-day money-back guarantee, which makes it easy for you to try it out first without really thinking about risking your money. To top it all off, this VPN provider also offers a 7-day free trial available to anyone and everyone who wants to consider their services!
UltraVPN Payment Options
If you do end up getting a subscription with UltraVPN, you can pay for it via credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover). You also have the option of paying via PayPal. However, if you would like to pay anonymously, you might want to look for another option since UltraVPN does not accept cryptocurrencies just yet.
UltraVPN Customer Support
UltraVPN provides support to its clients via an email ticket system and live chat. They also have a phone line, but this option is not available for clients outside of the US. Live chat is available 24/7, but exercise a little bit of patience with the agents as some users have reported that some agents are either untrained or lacks knowledge about their product.
Some users have recounted that agents couldn’t tell what platforms UltraVPN had clients for, or if those clients could provide OpenVPN encryption. When asked basic questions about encryption, the customer support agent couldn’t do anything more than give generic answers, such as UltraVPN was available around the world. Ultimately, the agent directed users to the Knowledgebase to look for answers themselves. When pressed further, the live chat agent opted to close the chat session.
There is nothing wrong with referring to the Knowledgebase if you’re looking for answers to technical issues. The FAQs are extremely useful and the setup guide is written in a clear and comprehensive way. If you’re looking for more extensive support, however, you might want to consider ringing their helpline to receive immediate assistance.
UltraVPN: The Verdict
Ultimately, UltraVPN is a fairly decent VPN service provider at a fair price. Its clients are obviously easy to use and the service can definitely be fast, but it falls short when it comes to functionality and more features. There are other VPNs out there on the market that offer more features for the same price.
Perhaps one of the downfalls of this VPN is the connection logs it keeps. Sure, the OpenVPN encryption may be strong enough, and it may claim that it doesn’t save any usage log, but it is quite difficult to continue using it knowing that your originating IP address is being logged.
Another thing to consider with UltraVPN is its inability to bypass censorship in some countries (i.e. China) — to be fair, most VPNs have trouble connecting to China and bypassing their “great firewall”. If censorship is an issue for you, then consider setting your sights on a different VPN service provider.