![]() The free version is fully capable of protecting your online privacy, but its limitations make it best for light browsing only. Access to servers: Premium accounts have access to all of Avira’s servers in 40 countries, but free users get access only to the server nearest them.1 The premium version doesn’t have a data limit. For reference, Netflix uses 1 GB of data per hour when set to standard definition. Once you reach the 1 GB limit, you won’t be able to use the VPN until the end of the month. Unlimited data: The free version comes with a data cap.Kill switch: The kill switch blocks all incoming and outgoing traffic when Avira Phantom suddenly disconnects, but you can’t use it with the free version.You get almost the same features from the free and premium versions, with just a couple exceptions. But is the free version good enough? That depends on how you use VPNs. You can get started for free by downloading the Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android app and registering an account. What You’ll Get With Avira Phantom FreeĪvira made itself known in the cybersecurity industry through its free antivirus software, and the company is taking the same approach with Avira Phantom. In this guide, we’ll discuss Avira Phantom’s pricing, features, performance, and overall user experience, and we’ll tell you whether it’s a good VPN for you. In 2016, the company forayed into the virtual private network business with the launch of Avira Phantom, which it has since incorporated into its suite of cybersecurity products. Yes, that freemium Avira antivirus software with the iconic umbrella logo. Go for Windscribe's 10GB free tier instead.If you’ve been around computers since the early 2000s, then you’re likely familiar with Avira. Phantom VPN supported watching videos and listening to music without a hiccup.Īvira Phantom VPN's good performance is a step ahead of the crowd, but its paltry usage limits don't make it very useful. Only Windscribe and Hotspot Shield did better.Īvira Phantom VPN uploaded data at 28.3 Mbps, a reduction of 20 percent from pre-VPN rates and again one of the better results. Phantom VPN downloaded data at an average rate of 78.2 megabits per second (Mbps), a drop of 56 percent from the pre-VPN levels but still among the best. ![]() (Speedify's latency was actually less than the baseline, but that service performs unique network tricks and we're treating it separately.) Most other services' latencies were at least double the non-VPN times. Connecting to Avira's New York City server took a relatively long 7.2 seconds, although TunnelBear, Opera and took longer.īut Phantom VPN's latency was 18.6 milliseconds, an increase of only 24 percent over the non-VPN ping time and the least of any regular VPN service. It took us less than a minute to download Avira Phantom VPN's 5.2MB Windows package, install it on our HP EliteBook X360 1020 G2 notebook and get online. ![]() Because network speeds can vary, a baseline reading without any VPN service active was taken before each round of tests. Each service was tested for connection time, latency (network delay) and upload and download speeds using Ookla's online service.Įach parameter was tested three times and then averaged. Testing was done at a suburban New York home provisioned with regular consumer cable-broadband service. We tested Avira Phantom VPN's free offering and those of eight other services:, Hotspot Shield, the Opera browser VPN, ProtonVPN, Speedify, SurfEasy, TunnelBear and Windscribe. Because Avira is based in Germany, it should be beyond the reach of American search warrants - although German police are known for heavy-handed digital snooping. With Phantom, you can use Open VPN (for Windows or Android) or L2TP/IPsec (for macOS and iOS) to secure your connection with its VPN servers. The software also lets you set up a Wi-Fi auto-connect sequence for trusted networks. You can pick which VPN server to connect to from a pull-down menu. Phantom VPN's user interface shows you when you're connected and what your virtual location is.
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