Swiss-based PrivadoVPN has been around since 2019, and since then the company has been a staunch believer in an open and free internet. PrivadoVPN's current Swiss-base typically means strong privacy laws. However these have been under threat in recent months, and as a result, PrivadoVPN is moving its headquarters to Iceland.
When it comes to features, PrivadoVPN lacks some of the bells and whistles you find in our best VPNs, but it covers the basics. There’s ad and malware blocking, a kill switch, split-tunneling, antivirus (for an additional fee), a selection of VPN protocols including IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard, as well as AES-256 bit encryption.
Performance-wise it’s the one of the very fastest VPNs we've tested, leaving bigger names in the dust. For streaming, PrivadoVPN also manages to bypass geo-restrictions and in testing we found it was able to unblock some overseas streaming sites, but not all.
Spec Sheet
Number of servers |
300+ |
|
Server countries |
50 |
|
Supported platforms |
Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Fire TV, tvOS, Android TV, Linux |
|
Simultaneous connections |
10 |
|
Split tunneling |
Yes (Windows, Android, Mac, iOS) |
|
Kill switch |
Yes |
|
Protocols supported |
WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP, TCP), IKEv2 |
|
Country of registration |
Switzerland |
|
Support |
Email, online knowledgebase |
Recent updates
- PhantomMode and WireGuard enhancements come to iPhone – February 2026
- Email Relay, an email forwarding service launched – January 2026
- Swiss data laws prompt PrivadoVPN to begin moving its HQ to Iceland – January 2026
Features
PrivadoVPN covers all the basics that we would expect from a VPN that charges money for its service. Its apps feature a kill switch, which blocks your internet connection if your VPN connection unexpectedly drops and, unlike some other providers, PrivadoVPN allows you to set this kill switch for specific apps and not just the device as a whole.
There’s full split tunneling, which is an upgrade on the last time we reviewed PrivadoVPN. It enables you to choose which apps go through the VPN and which don’t. However, the feature is still called SmartRoute on all but Windows, so you may not immediately recognise it. Split tunneling can be important for banking and shopping apps which are sensitive to exactly where they think your device is. All major platforms, except iOS, can access the Pause VPN feature. This temporarily disconnects you VPN for a limited time.
Support for P2P/torrenting, IP and DNS leak protection, Pause VPN, and the ability to use a Socks5 proxy server all feature.
All major platforms allow you to auto-connect on launch. This can also be done on untrusted networks for all devices except iPhone. GPS Spoofing allows you to use apps like Google Maps with a VPN, but this is an Android-exclusive.
PrivadoVPN covers all the basics that we would expect from a premium VPN provider.
PrivadoVPN's obfuscation feature is called Scramble. It adds additional protections to OpenVPN and WireGuard, designed to evade internet censorship. Unlike some of its more expensive rivals, Privado VPN doesn't have multi-hop, double VPN, or onion over VPN compatibility.
PrivadoVPN's threat protection performed fairly well in our testing – it's certainly not the worst out there. It blocked 58% of phishing sites, and 20% of malware sites. Its ad blocking was the highest out of any VPN, blocking 92%. You shouldn't rely on PrivadoVPN's threat protection exclusively, but it's a welcomed extra, and you can bundle antivirus as a paid add-on.
Threat protection is housed under PrivadoVPN's Control Tower setting. From here you can also configure DNS settings, enable threat protection, as well as restrict access to social media sites and content unsuitable for children. Very few VPNs include built-in parental controls, so this is a welcomed inclusion in PrivadoVPN's feature arsenal.
While the Control Tower threat protection works at a browser level, PrivadoVPN's PhantomMode blocks ads and trackers within apps for greater security.
When it comes to threat protection, PrivadoVPN's biggest drawback is it doesn't appear to take effect unless you're connected to the VPN. This is different to NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro, which blocks trackers, ads, and malware, even when you're not connected.
Score out of 10: 7
Server network
PrivadoVPN offers a relatively small network of servers compared to the likes of NordVPN or ExpressVPN, which both boast numbers of servers in the thousands, and cover more than 150 locations. PrivadoVPN’s servers number in the hundreds, and are primarily focused in Western countries, with 50 of its 68 locations based in Europe and North America.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a small, cheap service, PrivadoVPN relies heavily on virtual servers – servers that aren’t actually physically located in the country they claim to be. For example, Privado’s Greece server appeared to be based in Germany. While it’s a cost-effective way of doing things, this approach can slow down VPN speeds by forcing your traffic to travel further.
Score out of 10: 6
Pricing and plans
Plan length |
Overall cost |
Monthly cost |
1 month |
$10.99 |
$10.99 |
1 year |
$20 |
$1.33 (15 months) |
2 years |
$30 |
$1.11 (27 months) |
PrivadoVPN is one of the best cheap VPNs, offering some very heavy discounts available if you’re willing to sign up for 1 year or more, as is common with most premium VPN providers. Paying month by month will always be the most expensive option, but even then, it's one of the cheapest monthly VPNs. Unlike some other providers, PrivadoVPN only offers a single subscription level.
PrivadoVPN has dropped to $1.11 per month – making it the cheapest premium VPN Tom's Guide recommends. This price gets you a two-year plan, with three extra months free. At its most expensive, we've never seen PrivadoVPN rise above $1.48 per month on the longest plan.
There is one added extra, which is the ability to bundle in antivirus for an additional $1.99. Curiously the ability to add antivirus is missing from the monthly plan, and doesn’t seem to be bundled with it either.
Both the one and two-year plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee as standard.
Like almost all VPNs, PrivadoVPN renews at a higher monthly price. This is $4.99 per month for the one-year plan, and $3.99 per month for the two-year plan. As always, we'd recommend cancelling your subscription and re-subscribing to receive the best deal.
PrivadoVPN has a free version, PrivadoVPN Free, which we rate as the best free VPN. It's a watered down version of the paid plan. As a result, there are only 13 server locations in 10 countries – and a monthly data limit of 10 GB. However, it supports streaming, boasts speeds of over 900 Mbps, and is a great free VPN choice.
Score out of 10: 9.5
How easy is PrivadoVPN to use?
PrivadoVPN's apps are generally easy to understand, and the default settings are enough for you to start using it right away. Rather than the power-button style connection icon used by a lot of other providers, PrivadoVPN instead has what looks like an old-fashioned keyhole that turns a reassuring shade of green when you’re connected.
Other than that, the apps are similar to most VPNs out there. Other than the connect button you’ll have your current location and IP address displayed, click the location to choose a different one from list, while the gear icon in the corner takes you to your settings. Anyone who’s used a VPN app before should feel at home right away.
Score out of 10: 8
Apps
PrivadoVPN has a number of apps for different devices. They’re not perfect, and are rather simple. But design is consistent across platforms, and there's little to confuse you. You're greeted by the connect/disconnect button and server list. On desktop, the connection button is a slidable toggle. All other features and settings are accessed via tabs to the side and bottom of the screen.
The mobile app is a typical mobile VPN app, taking up the whole screen. It integrates well and is easy to navigate. The desktop app follows the small pop-up window style, similar to ExpressVPN, PIA, and CyberGhost . It isn't as intuitive as mobile, and can feel sluggish at times.
The apps interface has been revamped to remove surplus icons, and this gives the app a simpler look. A small animation plays on mobile when you connect, and your server location defaults to the "Best" – usually fastest, nearest, or both.
You can also test the speed of your chosen location via PrivadoVPN's new Speed test feature.
There isn't much in the way of customization, which will suit less experienced users. If you're a techie who likes to tinker with VPN settings, PrivadoVPN probably isn't for you.
Linux users don’t get a GUI, and the manual setup options are for paying users only. There’s also no way to pick an install location for the Windows app. You will have it on your C: drive, regardless of whether or not you have the space for it.
It's better news on the connection front for Android and iOS users. We found connection times to be a lot shorter for mobile devices, with connections being made within 2-3 seconds. It's definitely worth trying out PrivadoVPN on all the devices you might want to protect to test its performance for yourself. Luckily there’s the free version which will allow you to try before you buy without risking your wallet.
It's by no means bad at all – it's easy to get up and running, and after a couple of uses you'll get used to the quirks. Yes, there are more polished VPNs out there, but they'll likely cost more than twice as much.
Score out of 10: 6
Streaming and unblocking
Our testing found that PrivadoVPN’s paid version is a mostly solid choice when it comes to unblocking streaming services around the world – and it has improved since our previous test.
There aren’t any streaming specific servers, so you can connect to any server you like. While PrivadoVPN has improved, it's results aren't the best we've ever seen as it did fail to unblock some services.
Starting with the positives, it easily unblocked Netflix in all regions, plus Disney+ in the US and UK. UK regional services, including BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, and ITVX were also accessed with ease, as were 9now and 10Play in Australia, and TVNZ+ in New Zealand.
We saw error messages when trying to unblock Disney+ in Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but we can't say for sure this was down to the VPN. However, we couldn't successfully unblock the service in these countries.
PrivadoVPN failed to unblock Amazon Prime Video in any region, and it failed ther difficult US YouTube test. it's not alone here, many VPNs have struggled with both services. Norton VPN and CyberGhost are the only two VPNs we have found to successfully unblock the two.
If you're searching for the best torrenting VPN, PrivadoVPN supports P2P on all its servers, and goes that little bit further with the SOCKS5 proxy, which can be used to to maximise torrenting speeds, so you get large files downloaded faster.
Score out of 10: 8
Speed and performance
We do all our VPN testing from a UK data center that has a fast 10 Gbps connection. This gives us plenty of bandwidth to see just what a service can do.
PrivadoVPN’s results blew every other VPN out the water. It recorded the fastest VPN speeds we saw in testing, and was head and shoulders above some big names.
Connecting to our nearest server saw peak WireGuard speeds of 2,334 Mbps, over 1,000 Mbps faster than NordVPN. A US-UK connection resulted in speeds of 1,389 Mbps – a fairly big reduction, but still very fast. For reference, you only need 25 Mbps to stream in 4K.
OpenVPN is traditionally slower than WireGuard, and PrivadoVPN's results backed this up. Local connections saw speeds of 405 Mbps, while US-UK recorded 196 Mbps. This is significantly slower than its WireGuard speeds and placed PrivadoVPN in the bottom quarter of OpenVPN speeds.
You can still browse and stream with these slower speeds, but if you've got a fast internet connection, you will notice a drop in performance.
However, WireGuard is the go-to protocol for almost all use cases, and a vast majority of PrivadoVPN's users will be just fine using it.
Score out of 10: 9
Privacy and security
PrivadoVPN claims to offer two major layers of privacy to keep its users safe. Firstly, it's based in Switzerland, meaning you benefit from some of the strongest consumer privacy laws in the world. Secondly, even if PrivadoVPN is served with a court order asking for information, the fact it’s no-logs service means there should be nothing for the VPN to hand over.
PrivadoVPN does need to collect some information about you so it can provide a service. You have to supply an email address to register, though there’s nothing stopping you providing a one-time-use email address for this. If the app should fail, then the mobile apps log your device identifier and log crash information – but this is really no different than most other VPN providers. You can find further details of what information PrivadoVPN collects in the company’s privacy policy.
It’s a shame that PrivadoVPN hasn't yet put itself through any logging audits, which means we have to take all its claims about security and privacy at face value and assume the company means everything it says. Undertaking one of these third-party audits is a clear indicator of a provider’s commitment to transparency and privacy, and is a clear signal it's willing to stand behind all their privacy claims.
That being said, I've seen nothing to indicate anything untoward – and the apps themselves are fairly well made. In terms of online security PrivadoVPN, uses the best and most up-to-date VPN protocols (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2), just the most secure VPN protocols. There’s DNS leak protection to keep your browsing private, and an effective kill switch prevents any data leaks if the connection to the VPN is interrupted.
Score out of 10: 6
History and the future
There’s not a lot to say here, which is a good thing. PrivadoVPN hasn’t been involved in any major controversies or data breaches since we last checked in on it. While the VPN is backed by Switzerland’s robust consumer protection laws, it’s disappointing to see there’s still no third-party audit to confirm the company’s claims of being "the best, true no-log VPN." We’d really like to see PrivadoVPN step up and finally get this done as many of its competitors have.
For the time being, Swiss privacy laws are some of the strongest globally. But this is beginning to change, and as a result, PrivadoVPN is moving its base to Iceland. Users should see no impact to services and it is reassuring that PrivadoVPN is taking privacy and security so seriously.
Score out of 10: 8
Customer support
PrivadoVPN’s customer support is good, but it could be better, especially for a premium VPN provider that charges a subscription. There is a helpful online knowledgebase and the ability to log a support ticket and that’s it. PrivadoVPN does not offer any sort of telephone or 24/7 live chat support, even for paying customers.
When we’ve logged a ticket, we have found PrivadoVPN’s support team knowledgeable and helpful, but the lack of any immediate way to speak to an engineer means you can't easily get help and support at the point when you might need it. The company doesn’t have a specific SLA for how long it will take for an engineer get back to you, simply stating that they will reply "as quickly as possible," which is a somewhat nebulous timeline.
We also noted that while it's online articles were present, not all of them contained the most up to date information. For example, set up tutorials relating to out of date Windows software. This is something we'd liked to see tightened up, as it comes across as sloppy.
Score out of 10: 7
