UPDATE 8 March 2017: As of this date, TotalVPN as well as sister company SaferWeb are not accepting new users. Whether or not this will mean the definitive end of TotalVPN and SaferWeb remains to be seen, but in the meantime we highly recommend checking out some trustworthy, alternative VPNs. Click the button below to see our top recommendations!
UPDATE 11th August 2016: Since we conducted our review of this service, we've received several worryingly negative comments, some of which involve unexpected payments being taken from customer accounts. We intend to look into this and re-review this service. In the meantime, we recommend that you both read the review below in full as well as take a look at the comments section, in order to make an informed decision.
If you're looking for a free VPN service, we have a free VPN list here with some good alternatives.
Features
- 25 server locations
- 3 concurrent connections
- Free option
- OpenVPN
- SmartDNS
- No usage logs
- Support for all devices
- No bandwidth or data limits
Speed and Performance
Thankfully, nothing was amiss during the course of checking for DNS leaks, including IPv6 and the WebRTC Bug. Tests on both should be run periodically as a safeguard and to verify that your VPN service is running to the standard you paid for.
Speed tests were a bit odd. The performance was consistently pretty good to great, but when the actual data came through, speeds in between one and two Mbps weren't uncommon (which is understandably somewhat distressing). Then again, Soundcloud, multiple tabs, and streaming movies online for over two hours all went off without more than a minor hiccup here and there (and those were few and far between). Again, it is worth using the free plan to take a look at things if you're worried about this while periodically testing using testmy.net. This is most likely because TotalVPN anonymously monitors its network for usage and only provides you with the bandwidth that you need.
Pricing and Plans
TotalVPN offers two options to subscribers: Free or $7.79 a month for the Total Premium Plan. The former only comes with three server choices, while the latter includes 30+ servers and isn't hampered by the speed cap involved in the free option. Both plans are explored in further technical detail later on in this review.
If you do decide to go with the Total Premium Plan, you will be treated to a special ProPrivacy.com 20% discount! That said, this promotional pricing is limited to the first round of payment. Afterwards, you will be charged the standard amount.
Neither plan is likely to break the bank, however. The Free Plan - while limited - is undoubtedly appealing, while the Total Premium Plan is among the most competitively priced in the market. You can sign up for and pay for both using a credit card. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin sadly isn't yet an option.
If you do decide to go with the Total Premium Plan, you will also be treated to a 30-day money back guarantee. This guarantee, when combined with the Free Plan, gives you the opportunity to test the service twice to ensure sure that it's the one for you. Pretty neat!
Privacy and Security
TotalVPN offers four encryption protocols: IKEV2, IPsec, PPTP, and OpenVPN - the last of which we recommend most for security and for anything but extreme speed concerns. P2P filesharing isn't expressly forbidden, nor explicitly encouraged, but it is allowed if you agree to their Terms of Service.
The company's location in the UK does raise some flags regarding compliance with authorities, and TotalVPN will do so if subpoenaed by a government agency. That said, if you aren't engaging in some dangerous activity of the illegal variety online, you should be okay.
Also noteworthy is that sales disputes are governed by US laws as per the State of Massachusets precedent. Connection logging isn't ideal, but tolerable enough for many folks, and common - unfortunately.
Encryption while using OpenVPN is performed using AES-128 bit CBC, with a 4096 authentication certificate. It would be nice to see an upgrade to AES 256 in the future, and SHA-1, perhaps, though the available encryption is by no means shabby.
Final Thoughts
Every child has growing pains, as does every business, including Total VPN. Although, as our review shows, it surpasses expectations at this early stage with an accessible client a few tweaks short of greatness, a smooth website, highly economical pricing options, and a free plan. Visit its website today to see if TotalVPN is the right VPN service for you!