Strong VPN offers some advantages, such as the use of 12 devices simultaneously and 250GB of cloud storage on SugarSync, as well as a certain ease of use combined with the possibility of installing the service also on routers, FireTV, Kodi and other similar systems, so as to be able to access a network of 950 servers in 59 cities (subdivided into 35 countries) with support for L2TP, SSTP, OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard protocols.
To complete the offer we find customer support available 24/7it’s a money back guarantee of 30 days. Despite this, StrongVPN fails to reach the top of our ranking of the best VPNs due to a few minor issues, such as slow speed when using WireGuard and lack of recent updates.
StrongVPN: plans and prices
StrongVPN only offers two subscription options: a monthly plan and an annual plan, both of which come with 250GB of cloud storage with SugarSync.
Unlike other companies, the annual plan was promoted in its full price, but probably that discouraged some users, therefore, now the company shows the monthly pricewhile maintaining the traditional annual payment formula (which applies to practically all VPNs on the market).
- 1 month | $10.99
- 12 months | $3.36 per month, that’s $43.99 for the first year ($79.99 for the next) with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 256GB of SugarSync cloud storage (valid for both plans)
» Click here to subscribe to StrongVPN
» Click here to check all VPN offers
Sure, if you really need cloud space, then the subscription could be it tempting, otherwise, we advise you to continue reading, to understand if the basic characteristics of this VPN can actually be right for you. Unfortunately, there’s no free version to try before possibly committing.
Privacy
StrongVPN yes dilate a lot talking about privacyas you can read for yourself by going to information page. The company claims to comply with a zero-log policy, promising to use personal data such as email addresses and payment details only to set up related accounts. Furthermore, StrongVPN makes it clear that it does not sell personal data to third parties, and then describes the use of cookies on the site, with the sole purpose of understanding the activities in aggregate form.
On paper, everything is fine, but if we look at the date of the last update, that is October 2021, and look for some external feedback in terms of audits, we will have to choose whether or not to take StrongVPN’s word for it. Indeed, there are no further data or details on when declared by the company.
Honestly, almost there tail of 2022we expect more and more VPNs to decide to take a more approach transparentwith aregular and up-to-date audits and more complete information, a bit like they do ProtonVPN, NordVPN and others.
Performance
If we were to judge a VPN solely on connection speeds, StrongVPN would have it little hope of reaching the sufficiency.
Indeed, in the various tests we have carried out, we have reached maximum speeds that fluctuated around 70Mbps on average, arriving at peaks of 220 Mbpsalbeit in a very fluctuating way.
And these results, definitely disappointingwe got them both in Open VPN that in WireGuard. It is possible that in the period in which we carried out our tests, there were gods technical problems or particular congestion situationsHowever, the fact remains that you need to pay particular attention to the time slots in which to connect, if you decide to give this service a chance.
Unfortunately the technical documentation is not particularly vast, therefore in case of problems, it is advisable to contact thechat support and, if necessary, open a tickets.
Apps and other functions
Creating an account and accessing the download section of the various apps is enough simple and there are guides for setting up the service on various devices beyond the usual ones Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
The Windows app is enough functional, with the ability to search for locations via a search box and bookmark servers. Unfortunately there are no quick links seen on competitive products, nor is it possible to immediately connect to servers via double-click. The map has no zoom options and is very static and featureless.
It gets better in terms of protocols, with the ability to choose between L2TP, IKEv2, SSTP, OpenVPN and WireGuard.
The kill switch, as always, blocks the connection in case the VPN drops, and with the latest updates it has become even more functional, with a desktop alert in case of connection interruption. Unfortunately, however, there is no protection against DNS leaksautomatic connection to unsafe hotspots, plus there are not many configuration options.
In any case, net of some problems with the interface and functionality, the Windows client does its duty, also the connection OpenVPN uses AES-256-CBC encryption and we did not find DNS or WebRTC leaks.
The mobile apps are nearly identical to the Windows version, they’re just as good easy to use and they offer a few extras that might be worth a try.
As we said, then, the plans include 250GB of SugarSync cloud storage space, which works fine and allows you to sync files and folders from the Windows context menu (accessible by right-clicking an item). Synchronization takes place between PC, MAC, iOS and Android.
If you need some cloud storage space, this extra will certainly be welcome.
Streaming
One of the aspects that might interest you is precisely the ability to unblock geolocated content from various streaming services.
In our tests, we test different servers and platforms to understand how the VPN performs with streaming. In the case of StrongVPN, we were unable to access BBC iPlayera platform that often puts VPN services in trouble.
Switching to Netflixfamously tricky given the mechanisms implemented by the company to prevent the use of virtual private networks, we are succeeded to access US content on two servers of the four tested.
The same can be said for Disney+ and Amazon Prime Videotherefore the performance of StrongVPN stands at one good levelalthough other companies have performed better.
Verdict
StrongVPN focuses on simplicity, maybe too much. With a few more options, and above all WireGuard speeds up to par with this protocolour judgment would be less warm. However, unless the SugarSync service is particularly attractive to you, you will find it in the same price range much better performing services. Too bad for the absence of a free version or free trial, it would have been very useful to evaluate the service personally, net of the usual one 30 day money back guarantee.
