While Urban VPN’s available unfastened variations glance attractive, the provider itself lacks each fundamental and complex options anticipated out of recent VPNs. It’s additionally held again through a questionable privateness coverage, lackluster VPN efficiency, and the absence of any impartial audits.

In this newsletter, we dive deeper into Urban VPN to peer whether or not it’s best for you and your company.

Urban VPN pricing

Urban VPN is the one supplier I’ve attempted up to now that doesn’t have a top rate desktop model. Instead, its top rate plan is unique to its cell app on Android and iOS. Urban VPN advertises itself because the “only 100% Free” VPN on this planet — regarding its desktop packages.

SEE: 6 Best VPNs for Gaming in 2024 (roosho)

If we check out its top rate plans on cell, its costs are in reality somewhat inexpensive.

However, the one noticeable distinction between Urban VPN’s paid and unfastened plans on cell is the addition of extra places. There doesn’t appear to be any additional options with its paid model, so I don’t counsel going for any of those paid plans.

In addition, Urban VPN as a complete lacks a ton of baseline VPN functions we predict out of recent VPNs, like a kill transfer or break up tunneling. We’ll speak about that during element later.

SEE: Can a VPN Be Hacked? (roosho)

Personally, I feel Urban VPN can be if it equipped a top rate model for its desktop as properly. Conventionally talking, customers on desktop can have extra use instances for a VPN than the ones on cell.

That being stated, it’s legitimate if Urban VPN needs to tell apart itself as a fully-free desktop possibility. This used to be made transparent to me after I first regarded via Urban VPN’s legitimate website online, with maximum of its interior hyperlinks promoting its Free VPN provider, without reference to platform.

Unfortunately, solely unfastened VPNs are normally no longer your best choice since they’re identified to both file or promote consumer information to make a benefit. To be informed extra, learn our comparability between Free VPNs vs Paid VPNs.

Is Urban VPN secure?

I will be able to’t imagine Urban VPN a secure and protected VPN given its questionable privateness coverage, information logging, loss of third-party audits, and no more than supreme DNS leak coverage.

Before diving in, one sure with Urban VPN’s safety features is its use of 256-bit encryption by the use of the OpenVPN protocol. OpenVPN is well known as a extremely protected VPN protocol, and I’m satisfied to peer it right here. With that, let’s glance into some privateness and safety problems with Urban VPN.

According to Urban VPN, it has a “complete no-logging policy,” which supposedly permits customers to browse the web with no need their on-line process being traced. Unfortunately, there may be merely no proof to turn out this declare, be it via an impartial audit or a third-party analysis. I in finding this particularly disappointing since in a similar way inexpensive VPNs like Private Internet Access or Surfshark each have third-party audits that again up their no-logs insurance policies.

I additionally discovered a couple of provisions in Urban VPN’s Privacy Policy regarding. Per its coverage, Urban VPN collects on-line identifiers corresponding to “Cookie ID, IP address or similar unique online identifiers generated, advertising ID.” The VPN says this information is accumulated for analytic and promoting functions — which probably approach promoting your information to advertising and marketing corporations.

In addition, Urban VPN may even acquire internet surfing information, seek engine effects web page, internet pages visited, clicked circulate information, and details about the content material considered through customers of its cell app’s unfastened model.

According to Urban VPN, the information accumulated, usually, “is aggregated Non-Personal Data, however, sometimes Web Browsing Data contains terms that could be considered as Personal Data, this is why we filter and scrape this data to remove any Personal Data before it is used.”

To me, this is just too a lot information to surrender, particularly for tool like VPNs that are meant to lend a hand stay your information hidden. It additionally stands without delay against this to its personal no-logs claims.

I additionally were given unlucky effects relating to DNS leak exams, the place Urban VPN had two DNS leaks when I ran it via a around of exams. Below is a screenshot of one of the most leaks, the place I used to be hooked up to Urban VPN’s India server. As proven, the DNS leak take a look at additionally discovered a server from the United States.

With this, I discovered that Urban VPN misses the mark fully relating to offering a protected and privacy-centric VPN enjoy.

Key options of Urban VPN

Urban VPN foregoes a large number of options I be expecting out of VPNs in 2024. It lacks a kill transfer, break up tunneling, and advert blocking off — capability that’s integrated or found in maximum VPNs nowadays. That being stated, it has a couple of standout options that can sway you in checking out its provider.

Free model for more than one platforms

Urban VPN’s greatest promoting level is its unfastened model that’s to be had on more than one platforms. If you have a look at its product tab on its website, Urban VPN makes an exerted effort to turn customers that it comprises a ton of platforms.

At provide, it has a unfastened VPN for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. You too can use Urban VPN totally free via a router or as an unblock proxy.

Personally, I feel having a top rate VPN model for desktop would do Urban VPN properly, particularly since its paid plan is simplest to be had on cell. This would permit them to supply extra safety and extra options to energy customers on a devoted laptop.

To Urban VPN’s credit score, I really like having the choice to make use of a unfastened VPN. You simply must take into account that you received’t get the similar degree of safety or characteristic set when the usage of a unfastened provider. I envision this to be helpful for particular person customers who want to alternate their IP cope with momentarily so that you can get right of entry to geo-blocked content material.

Unlimited gadgets

Urban VPN additionally permits for limitless system beef up, letting customers attach various gadgets concurrently with out paying a worth.

Not all VPNs be offering limitless system beef up, with some suppliers having a most of five–10 gadgets hooked up all of sudden. I respect Urban VPN offering limitless system beef up — particularly with its unfastened model. This will mean you can attach your computer, smartphone, and different gadgets with out being worried a few system restrict.

Free VPN servers with limitless bandwidth

I additionally give props to Urban VPN for providing its unfastened VPN servers and not using a information restrict or no restriction relating to server variety.

In different unfastened VPNs I’ve attempted, both a bandwidth restrict is installed position or there’s no method to make a choice which VPN location you’re ready to hook up with. Out of the field, Urban VPN permits customers to make a choice from its suite of 60+ server places in its unfastened model.

Speed and function: How speedy is Urban VPN?

As a disclaimer, I examined Urban VPN’s unfastened Windows model for this evaluation, so I’m no longer ready to provide an overview of speeds with its paid cell plans. During my trying out, I discovered Urban VPN to be gradual and slow relating to total VPN velocity.

This concerned being hooked up to considered one of its servers whilst doing my same old workflow as a creator: having more than one tabs open for analysis, the usage of Google services and products like Docs and Drive, and streaming the occasional 1080p video.

Sites had been gradual to load, and there used to be a noticeable dip in connectivity in comparison to my web provider supplier. I additionally discovered Urban VPN struggled to briefly identify new connections when switching to a brand new server, requiring a just right few seconds earlier than it correctly hooked up to a brand new location.

Unfortunately, the tale is identical relating to keeping up VPN connections. When I attempted connecting to its France server, for instance, I stored experiencing random disconnections even after the app showed I used to be hooked up.

For velocity exams, Urban VPN doesn’t fare any higher. Compared to my ISP, Urban VPN recorded a 79.7% drop for obtain velocity and a 67.1% lower for add velocity.

Sadly, Urban VPN’s unfastened model plays simply as I anticipated for a unfastened VPN: offering gradual speeds and risky connections.

Urban VPN servers and places

For its server suite, Urban VPN’s unfastened model supplies get right of entry to to round 60+ VPN places. On its paid model, Urban VPN says it supplies 530+ servers in 80+ nations. Of direction, this quantity would possibly range as time is going on.

On the entire, Urban VPN’s location/nation unfold is first rate and falls inside the moderate in comparison to different VPNs. However, having simplest 530+ servers is most certainly too small to be expecting speedy and dependable speeds, particularly if many customers hook up with the similar server places without delay.

If velocity is a concern for you, I like to recommend different choices like NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

I will be able to commend Urban VPN for offering a web-based portal the place customers can view whether or not their desired VPN location is supported through the provider.

Urban VPN app enjoy

I used to be beautiful underwhelmed with Urban VPN’s in-app enjoy. When I first began the usage of Urban VPN’s Windows app, it become straight away obvious that this is a very fundamental VPN software.

Urban VPN has a bare-bones interface, simplest having a Play/Stop button and a server listing at the proper. That’s just about it. To its credit score, it is rather simple to make use of and I will be able to see newbies having no bother the usage of Urban VPN.

However, whilst I most often respect a VPN that gives a easy and minimalist enjoy, I feel Urban VPN has too little to provide relating to options and capability. There’s no additional safety features like a kill transfer, advert blocking off, or break up tunneling. For a unfastened model, that may be appropriate, however its paid plan additionally doesn’t be offering those options.

I additionally discovered switching to new servers clunky, having cases the place it wouldn’t hook up with a server correctly or have servers randomly disconnecting.

Urban VPN professionals

• Has a unfastened model.
• Unlimited gadgets.
• No information restrict on unfastened plan.

Urban VPN cons

• Stores consumer logs.
• No third-party audits.
• Lack of fundamental VPN options.
• Slow speeds.

Who is Urban VPN absolute best for?

To be company: I don’t recommend someone use Urban VPN at this day and age. But in the event you’re so susceptible, Urban VPN is absolute best for particular person customers that want to alternate their IP cope with in a pinch, probably to unblock geo-restricted content material whilst touring or one thing equivalent.

Other than that, I like to recommend keeping off Urban VPN altogether. It logs a regarding quantity of consumer information, doesn’t have any impartial audits to substantiate its no-logs coverage, and is not able to supply just right VPN speeds.

Urban VPN is a chief instance of why unfastened VPNs can also be dangerous tool to make use of, particularly with the top chance of logging or consumer information assortment. It additionally lacks fundamental VPN options like a kill transfer and break up tunneling, whilst having negligible characteristic additions with its paid plan.

Even with its unfastened variations, different choices like Proton VPN or cover.me VPN supply significantly better worth and capability. For different high quality unfastened VPNs, take a look at our round-up of the Best Free VPNs and the Best VPNs with Free Trials.

Alternatives to Urban VPN

Surfshark

For customers having a look to have an all-around VPN, I like to recommend Surfshark. It supplies just right worth with its 100-country server community, speedy and constant VPN speeds, and inexpensive pricing. Surfshark additionally helps limitless simultaneous system connections, making it a just right pick out for extra budget-oriented customers or companies.

In my enjoy, Surfshark additionally has one of the most higher consumer interfaces, providing each an intuitive and well-designed desktop software.

If you need to be told extra, learn our complete Surfshark evaluation.

Proton VPN

For privateness fans, I recommend having a look at Proton VPN. It is based totally in privacy-friendly Switzerland, which has one of the vital most powerful privateness regulations on this planet. This approach your information can have an extra layer of coverage, particularly in opposition to executive interference. Proton VPN additionally has a fully-fledged unfastened model that gives 0 information limits out of the field.

SEE: How Much Does a VPN Cost? (roosho)

Of my 3 ideas right here, Proton VPN additionally supplies the biggest server fleet, with an enormous 6,580+ servers throughout 112 nations. I in finding this particularly advisable to people who desire a VPN to unblock geo-restricted content material on-line.

If you need to be told extra, learn our complete Proton VPN evaluation.

cover.me VPN

For tinkerers and gear customers, cover.me VPN is a great pick out. It has a customizable VPN enjoy, permitting customers to set sure automatic movements, like having custom designed configurations according to VPN protocol or having keep an eye on with how the cover.me software launches. I think this can be a easiest have compatibility for people that love to personalize and tailor their tool to their liking.

cover .me VPN additionally features a handy StealthGuard characteristic that acts as its personal model of a kill transfer. This mechanically blocks any connection or visitors that’s no longer secure by the use of the VPN provider.

If you need to be told extra, learn our complete cover.me VPN evaluation right here.

Review technique

My evaluation of Urban VPN concerned an in depth research of its options, value, and real-world efficiency. I had hands-on time with Urban VPN’s unfastened model on my Windows computer.

To overview Urban VPN, I scored it on the whole lot from its safety protocols to pricing. In explicit, I took into consideration 5 major pillars, every having corresponding weights:

• Pricing (20%).
• Core VPN options (30%).
• Ease of use (15%).
• Customer beef up (30%).
• Expert research (5%).

From this rubric, Urban VPN gained a ranking of one.7 out of five stars. I additionally regarded into exact consumer comments and different respected evaluations to around out my ultimate suggestions relating to Urban VPN.

SEE: How to Run a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment in 5 Steps (roosho Premium)

For velocity and function, I used Ookla’s public Speedtest to measure obtain and add speeds. I additionally ran Urban VPN via DNSLeakTest more than one occasions to test for any DNS leaks. Lastly, I regarded as which forms of companies or particular person customers would absolute best get pleasure from the usage of Urban VPN.

To be informed extra about how we evaluation VPNs, learn our complete VPN Review Methodology.