ZoogVPN Review 2023

ZoogVPN is a relatively unknown VPN provider that comes with several attractive features like fast speeds, a no-logs policy, an affordable price, and a good free version. We put it to the test to see if it lives up to expectations. We’ve detailed our findings in this ZoogVPN review.

Keep reading for all the information you need to decide if ZoogVPN is the right choice for you. We assess its speed, security, server network, usability, price, and general performance.

ZoogVPN Short Review

ZoogVPN was founded in 2013 and is based in privacy-friendly Greece. The best thing about it is that it does not keep logs of users’ IP addresses and other data.

ZoogVPN has a free VPN that offers 10GB of data per month and five server locations. The premium plans offer unlimited bandwidth and are very affordable at just $12.99 per month. You get up to 85% off for a two-year subscription — you pay only $1.87 monthly.

Despite being around for nearly a decade, ZoogVPN has a small server network and inconsistent speeds. It can unblock a variety of streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and DisneyPlus, but only when you’re connected to specific servers. It also supports torrenting, but the slow speeds make it inefficient.

Ultimately, we feel it’s better to go for other cheap VPN options such as CyberGhost, which offers much better speeds and the same level of privacy and security.

ZoogVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Android TV, Amazon FireStick, and routers. Premium users can use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices, while free users are limited to just one device. Read our full review below for more details about how ZoogVPN fared in our tests.

Specifications ZoogVPN

💵 Price	From $1.87 a month
📱 Operating systems	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux
💻 Connections	Unlimited
💳 Payment methods	PayPal, Other, Credit card, Cryptocurrency
🔒 Protocols	OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP
📥 Torrent options	Torrenting allowed
📅 Money-back guarantee	Money-back-guarantee
📋 Logs	Zero logs
🎬 Works with

Deal

Only $1.87 monthly for a two-year subscription package!

Visit ZoogVPN

Speed – How Fast is ZoogVPN?

One of the most important features of a VPN is its speed. A slow VPN causes delays with loading webpages, streaming, and other online activities. We found ZoogVPN’s speeds to be quite inconsistent, resulting in a 5/10 score on our speed test.

Here are our main observations:

• Most ZoogVPN servers were quite slow.
• The speeds were okay for daily use, but we noticed lags when streaming and gaming.

Speed test results ZoogVPN

We used Ookla’s trusted Speedtest website to test ZoogVPN using the OpenVPN protocol. We tried some popular server locations multiple times, and the average results are presented in the table below.

Note: Keep in mind that VPN speeds can vary depending on factors like your location, time of day, VPN protocol, etc. Our results are just to give you a general idea of what to expect.

As you can see from the numbers, we got the best results from the Singapore and Poland servers. Servers in The Netherlands and the United States performed the poorest.

Speed during daily use

Compared to the top-rated VPNs out there, ZoogVPN’s speeds are pretty slow. However, it is good enough for the average user who wants to browse the web privately.

We did not have any issues with loading webpages or downloading/uploading documents and other small files. But we faced delays when streaming videos and downloading larger files. The speeds were also not good enough for gaming due to the high ping rate.

Safety – How Secure is ZoogVPN?

Security is perhaps the most important aspect of a VPN. If you use a VPN to bypass censorship or to surf the internet anonymously, you want to ensure your data is safe. We gave ZoogVPN a score of 8/10 for safety due to the following reasons:

• It uses AES 256-bit encryption and multiple secure protocols, including OpenVPN and IKEv2.
• It has a pretty solid no-logs policy and does not store any personally identifiable data.
• It has a kill switch.
• You can create an account anonymously, with only an e-mail address and password. You can also pay with Bitcoin for the premium plans.

Protocols

ZoogVPN offers OpenVPN (both UDP and TCP), L2TP/IPsec, PPTP, and IKEv2 protocols. Of these, only IKEv2 and OpenVPN are available by default on the ZoogVPN app. If you want to use L2TP/IPsec or PPTP, you need to install it manually via the ZoogVPN website. The website has useful instructions for installing these protocols.

We recommend using the OpenVPN protocol as it is fast and secure. We noticed some problems when using the IKEv2 protocol, such as slow connection speeds, occasional drops, and issues connecting to particular servers.

ZoogVPN secures your data with industry-standard 256-bit encryption if you subscribe to a premium plan. Free users get 128-bit encryption.

Logging and privacy

ZoogVPN is based in Greece, which means it is not obliged by jurisdiction to collect user data. The company adheres to a strict no-logs policy and does not track or store data about users’ online activity, timestamps, IP addresses, login sessions, etc. It only keeps track of the amount of traffic on its servers, which it uses to improve the service.

We were pleased to see that ZoogVPN’s no-logs policy also applies to free users too. This makes it a great free VPN that’s secure and trustworthy.

Kill switch

ZoogVPN’s desktop apps come with a kill switch. This security feature cuts off your internet connection immediately if the VPN connection drops. So you are not suddenly exposed to an unprotected connection, and your data remains private. The kill switch is disabled by default and needs to be toggled on in the “Settings” menu of the ZoogVPN app.

What information does ZoogVPN need?

To create an account with ZoogVPN, all you need is an email address and a password. Of course, you’ll also need to provide your payment information if you subscribe to a premium plan. But you can pay with Bitcoin, which makes it possible to use this VPN completely anonymously.

Usability – How User-Friendly is ZoogVPN?

It’s essential for a VPN to be easy to use, so even beginners can make the most of it. After all, nobody wants to spend a lot of time trying to understand complicated new software. Fortunately, ZoogVPN is pretty straightforward and scores 7/10 for user-friendliness.

Here are our overall observations:

• The website is well-designed and informative.
• The apps are easy to install and use — although we sometimes had issues connecting to some servers.
• ZoogVPN has a free version and affordable premium plans. It also accepts a variety of payment methods.
• ZoogVPN’s customer service team is quite friendly and helpful.

ZoogVPN website and installation process

The ZoogVPN website is easy to navigate and has all the information you’d need about the VPN service. The homepage has a clear call to action (CTA) button to get the free version of ZoogVPN. You can scroll down for more information or use the top menu to access other pages like “Pricing” and “Features.”

It’s super easy to download the ZoogVPN app on your device. Follow the steps below to download it:

1. Select a plan on the “Pricing” page and provide your email address and a password to create an account. If you opt for a paid plan, you also need to provide payment details which can be credit card, Bitcoin, PayPal, or a few other options.
2. 
3. Once your account is created, you’ll get a verification email. Click the link in the email to complete setting up your account and log in to the ZoogVPN website.
4. 
5. Download the ZoogVPN app onto your device by logging into the ZoogVPN website and clicking on the download button for your operating system.
6. 
7. Open the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
8. Once installed, open the ZoogVPN client and log in with the email and password you provided earlier.
9. 

Note: For iOS and Android devices, you can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google PlayStore, respectively.

ZoogVPN appearance and ease-of-use

ZoogVPN is pretty straightforward to use. The user interface has a dark theme, and there is a round connect button on the home screen.

You can click “server” at the top to see the full list of server locations. Beside each server, there is an indication of whether it supports streaming and P2P file-sharing. This helps you choose the right server for your needs.

You can click the “menu” icon — the three horizontal lines on the top left corner of the app — to access the “Settings” and other options.

The “Settings” are pretty straightforward, too, as shown in the screenshot below. All the options are toggled off by default, and you need to enable them.

Pricing and payment methods

ZoogVPN has a pretty good free version that gives you access to five server locations with some restrictions. If you want unlimited bandwidth and other premium features, you can choose from the following subscription options:

• A monthly subscription for $9.99 per month (discounted from $12.99).
• An annual subscription for $35.99 (about $2.99 per month, discounted from $12.99).
• A two-year subscription for $44.99 (approximately $1.87 per month, discounted from $12.99).

Please note that these prices may change at any time. You can pay using credit cards, PayPal, or even Bitcoin. Paying for VPNs with cryptocurrencies ensures complete anonymity since you don’t need to provide any personally identifiable payment information.

ZoogVPN has a seven-day free trial unlike other VPN providers such as CyberGhost, which has an extended 45-day money-back guarantee. We have a comprehensive article on how to get the ZoogVPN free trial.

Customer support

You can contact ZoogVPN’s customer support team via phone, email, or live chat. We got in touch through live chat and asked a few questions about installing the app on macOS. The customer service agent was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful.

They walked us through the process step-by-step while remaining patient and polite. They answered every question we asked and provided extra information. At the end of the conversation, they asked if we had any more questions. We were highly satisfied with this quick and effective service.

Server Network ZoogVPN

The larger a VPN’s server network, the more content you can unblock, the easier it becomes to bypass censorship, and the more anonymous you are online. Due to its small server network and limited capabilities to unblock content, we gave ZoogVPN a score of 5/10.

Here are the main points to keep in mind:

• ZoogVPN offers 49 server locations in 25 countries, most of which are in Europe.
• It does not offer dedicated IPs.

Number of servers and locations

Despite being around for several years, ZoogVPN offers just 49 servers in 25 countries. Most of these servers are located in Europe, as you’ll see in the full server list below.

• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
• Africa Asia & Middle East: China, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore, and South Africa.
• America and Oceania: Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Unfortunately, there are no VPN servers in South America and only a handful in Asia and Africa. This is disappointing compared to other VPN providers that have wide server networks with hundreds of locations.

Some ZoogVPN servers are specialized for streaming, P2P file sharing, and advanced obfuscation techniques that help bypass censorship. The full details of each server’s capabilities are listed on the ZoogVPN website, including details of which streaming services each server can unblock. This information is handy when you’re trying to select the right server for your needs.

Unfortunately, the free version of ZoogVPN does not have any servers that can unblock Netflix or other popular streaming services like BBC iPlayer and Hulu.

Dedicated IP address

A dedicated IP address means that each time you connect to the VPN, you get the same IP address instead of a randomly assigned one. ZoogVPN does not currently offer this option. So, if it’s a priority, you can go for one of the top VPN providers like CyberGhost or NordVPN that offer dedicated IPs.

ZoogVPN’s Options

Apart from security and privacy, VPNs come in handy to bypass censorship, download torrents anonymously and unblock geographically restricted content. We tested ZoogVPN with these tasks and here’s what we found:

• ZoogVPN has specific servers to unblock specific streaming services.
• ZoogVPN has several servers that support torrenting, but the speeds are slow.
• It has an advanced obfuscation feature called Shadowing which comes in handy when bypassing censorship.

ZoogVPN and streaming (Netflix)

ZoogVPN can unblock Netflix but with some limitations. There are only a handful of servers that can unblock specific regional Netflix libraries. For instance, to unblock the American Netflix library, you can use only ZoogVPN servers in Buffalo, Dallas, New York, and Los Angeles.

The San Francisco server, which is available for free users, does not unblock Netflix, but it works with other streaming services like The CW, NBC, and CBS. The ZoogVPN website provides a complete list of each server’s compatibility with different streaming services.

However, the slow server speeds significantly hamper the streaming experience as the video occasionally pauses to buffer. Moreover, we had difficulties connecting to ZoogVPN’s US servers sometimes, perhaps due to traffic congestion. So, ZoogVPN is not a great choice if unblocking streaming services is your priority.

ZoogVPN and torrents

ZoogVPN has several servers that support P2P file sharing. However, it doesn’t make the cut — ZoogVPN is not one of the best VPNs for torrenting because of its slow speeds.

ZoogVPN Shadowing

ZoogVPN Shadowing is a special feature that provides additional online anonymity, especially when accessing censored content. Oppressive governments, such as those in Iran and China, use deep packet inspection (DPI) to recognize and block internet traffic from VPN ports. When ZoogVPN Shadowing is enabled, the VPN bypasses this inspection. It does this by disguising your VPN traffic to look like regular HTTPS traffic. This ZoogVPN feature works like NordVPN‘s obfuscated servers.

Our Experience With ZoogVPN

ZoogVPN is a good VPN service if you want to browse the web securely. It is a no-logs VPN with essential security features like 256-bit encryption and a kill switch. It also offers excellent customer support.

However, the speeds are inconsistent, the server network is limited, and the features don’t always work well. For example, you can only unblock specific regional Netflix libraries with specific servers that were not always easy to connect to.

Further, we faced problems using the IKEv2 protocol and switched to the OpenVPN protocol several times to get good results. Also, the connection dropped repeatedly, and we even had trouble opening the app.

Despite having a decent free version and very affordable premium plans, ZoogVPN does not deliver what it promises.

We recommend you go for an equally affordable service like CyberGhost that’s a lot faster and feature-rich. Surfshark is another great contender that lets you access a variety of Netflix libraries.