AtlasVPN Review: New Free VPN in 2023

Most free VPNs, in my experience, are plagued with advertisements, have slowed down speeds, or have limited bandwidth, but that wasn't the case with Atlas VPN. A year ago, it was launched in Delaware (USA). Surprisingly, this new VPN bypasses all of the mentioned restrictions. I was curious as to what Atlas VPN's catch is, and if its premium service can compete competitively with the best VPNs on the market. This mobile-focused VPN service is ideal for newbies, with easy-to-use apps and a free option.

I'll try to figure out what this VPN is useful for in this Atlas VPN review. Continue reading to learn more about the device's speeds, features, security, and apps.

Atlas VPN's ability to unblock popular streaming services, offer military-grade encryption, and connect with an unlimited number of devices made me very happy. Not only that, but it also has a data breach monitor, which allowed me to see if my email address had been included in a database of hacked email addresses. I also appreciate the fact that I didn't have to register to use Atlas VPN. To utilise its services, it automatically produced a user ID (in the form of a token).

Despite these excellent features, I found that the free servers, which are only available in three countries (Australia, United States and the Netherlands), were not fast enough for buffer-free streaming during my tests. So, in order to view all of my favourite episodes, I needed to upgrade to the premium plan, which has improved servers for streaming.

Atlas VPN Free Australian Server

Unblocked Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer

During my tests, I was able to seamlessly get into my Netflix account utilising Atlas VPN's US servers. The speeds were fast enough to watch numerous series without buffering, including Manifest and Lupin. While abroad for work, I appreciated how simple it was to access to my US Netflix account.

Is Atlas VPN fast in terms of speed and performance?

While all VPNs will slow down your connection, some will do it more effectively than others. I'm using the same test device, monitoring its baseline speeds, and connecting to the same places to get the most accurate picture. The drop-off percentages are then calculated. Let's test how quick Atlas VPN really is.

I'll just remark that the speeds don't appear to be that outstanding. IKEv2 download rates drop your speed by 42 percent on average, which is exactly what you'd anticipate from this protocol. Average upload speeds, on the other hand, plummet by a whopping 94%. Ping stays within reasonable bounds and increases in proportion to your distance.

Overall, Atlas VPN's speed isn't its strongest suit, and the service doesn't offer a wide range of tunnelling protocols. This is concerning, given that competing free VPN providers such as ProtonVPN, Hotspot Shield, and Hide.me VPN provide more options and better performance. Although, to be fair to Atlas VPN, it is a lot newer product, so it may still take a time for it to catch up.

Is torrenting possible with Atlas VPN?

Atlas VPN isn't particularly proud of its torrenting capabilities. They don't have specialised P2P servers, and they don't advertise the feature. Despite the radio quiet, I can personally attest to the fact that torrenting works.

I received a download speed of roughly 4-6MB/s (32-48mbps). As a result, downloading a 2.7 GB file took about 7 minutes. Your findings may vary due to the same issues that make VPN bandwidth difficult to pinpoint, as well as seeders/leechers and other intricacies. To obtain a realistic understanding of how the service functions, you'll have to test it yourself  (thanx to 30-days money guarantees).

Torrenting works with Atlas VPN's free version. However, don't expect the speeds to be as quick as they are now.

Atlas VPN's Advantages

✅ SafeBrowse

In the security options tab, you'll find the SafeBrowse (or SafeBrowse Plus on macOS and iOS) toggle. It's a security feature that you can enable if you want to prevent bad websites. When you use a VPN and come across a website that is on the blacklist, you will be denied access.

If you've ever used Cyberghost or NordVPN, you've probably come across different variations of the same feature. This is a paid function, so if you need to use it, you'll need to subscribe.

✅ SafeSwap

Atlas VPN just implemented the SafeSwap feature, which is unique in the VPN market. When you connect to a SafeSwap server, your IP address is rotated for the duration of your connection. To get the same result with other VPN providers, you'd need to disconnect and reconnect. SafeSwap allows you to switch while you browse. As a result, if you open one page, it will use one IP address; but, if you close it and open another, the address used will change.

✅ Screenshot of the SafeSwap servers

Each SafeSwap has a large number of IP addresses associated to it. Because these are shared by multiple users, IP rotations are unpredictable. You won't realise the IP addresses have changed until you check manually. This has no effect on speed dips.

SafeSwap offers three locations: the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United States. I believe they intend to increase the number of servers. Given how many IP addresses the provider must purchase to set even one SafeSwap server, I don't believe this rise will be exponential.

The feature is currently only available on the Android, iOS, and Windows platforms. However, the developers want to offer a macOS version in the near future.

✅ Data hack detection

This tool just checks for data breaches. Because that is a premium function, free users will not be able to use it.

You'd get the key points with the type of data that was released if your data was exposed in a data breach. So you can instantly see if your email address was the only thing exposed, or if your passwords were as well. When you're seeking to close security gaps, this is a handy reference tool.

✅ On/Off switch

Atlas VPN has incorporated a security feature that aids in data leak prevention. It's known as a kill switch, and it's designed to shut off your Internet traffic if the VPN server's connection is lost. We put it through two tests to see how well it works: blocking the connection from a router and turning off background VPN processes.

Atlas VPN Plans And Costs

The service follows a standard pricing structure among VPN providers: the longer your subscription, the more money you save each month. They can choose from three options:

Visit Atlas VPN for more information.

It's one of the most affordable yearly and three-year plans I've encountered, making the service quite competitive. Atlas is a fantastic option if you only want to use a VPN for one thing (like unblocking Netflix). I like that the service is reasonably priced for the quantity of services it provides, and that it can still provide value to its users. Simultaneous connections are also unrestricted.

Your money-back guarantee allows you to test out the paid alternatives for 30 days before deciding if you want to buy them. Credit cards, Google Pay, and PayPal are all options for payment.

Atlas VPN Free Version Is Available

Atlas VPN is one of the few free VPN services available, and it should not be overlooked. It's worth noting, though, that this plan has a 10 GB data restriction, so it won't be the ideal option for downloading and streaming big files.

In this aspect, Atlas VPN remains the value king. You gain access to three locations as a free user: Netherlands,  Australia, and the United States. The free version lacks streaming-optimized servers, 24/7 support, unlimited simultaneous connections, and SafeBrowse.

Is Atlas VPN a safe option?

Atlas VPN falls somewhere in the centre when it comes to security. It contains all of the essential features that you'd expect from a VPN service, such as AES encryption and a working kill switch. However, the range of tunnelling methods may be improved, and we'd prefer the corporation to be more transparent, especially given their location.

Protocols for encryption and tunnelling

When you connect to one of Atlas VPN's servers, your data is encrypted, which means no one can see what you're doing online.

Atlas VPN, in particular, employs the AES-256 cypher. This is the current data protection standard, which is adopted by many government and financial organisations. It scrambles your data into 256-bit pieces, which might take an extraordinarily long time to crack even with powerful computers – no one has yet been able to do so.

There is only one option for tunnelling protocols: IPSec/IKEv2. Despite the fact that this isn't an insecure tunnelling protocol, it is currently being phased out. OpenVPN or WireGuard would provide a lot of flexibility and speed to the service.

Logging

Atlas VPN is based in Delaware, United States. The location is significant because it influences how difficult (or simple) it is for law enforcement and intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) to obtain user data. Because the United States is at the vanguard of the Five Eyes alliance and is not a privacy-friendly state in general, Atlas VPN will not be able to use this as a selling feature.

Atlas VPN, on the other hand, has a no-logs policy. According to the document, no personal information is stored. The no-log policy appears to apply to the free version as well, but it isn't stated explicitly.

We contacted their customer service department to enquire about a warrant canary and whether they had been contacted by law enforcement. According to them, no such page existed and no police investigation had been initiated.

You can contact them to have your account permanently deleted, according to their policies. Users in California can even request a copy of the information that corporations hold on them. It is a positive step forwards.

Kill switch

Atlas VPN has incorporated a security feature that aids in data leak prevention. It's known as a kill switch, and it's designed to shut off your Internet traffic if the VPN server's connection is lost. We put it through two tests to see how well it works: blocking the connection from a router and turning off background VPN processes.

The kill switch worked properly in the first test, killing the connection when access to the server was restricted. The only criticism I have is that it does not alert you when the kill switch is activated. I loved how the kill switch could be disabled and enabled to restore Internet access.

Because the service does not support OpenVPN, the second test was more difficult than usual. As a result, the VPN processes are dependent on the client. As a result, I had to turn on the kill switch and disable the client. Even in such instances, I discovered that the kill switch works.

Locations and servers

A big server fleet ensures excellent global coverage, no matter where you are. It also makes it easy to select a faster server because the user loads are distributed evenly across them. As a result, this has an impact on performance.

Atlas VPN, unfortunately, does not offer a wide range of locales. There are just 700 servers spread over 28 countries. These figures appear low when compared to VPN market veterans. For a time, Atlas VPN was a mobile-only VPN service, therefore these figures represent the diversity of free apps accessible on mobile app stores. Despite the fact that the service caught up by introducing desktop clients, its fleet size still has potential to expand.

Customer service

The AtlasVPN app provides immediate access to customer service departments. When you click on the FAQ, you'll be taken to a website that appears to be under development.

To resolve technological issues, there are some generic explanations and workarounds. The lack of a customer care email address on the help page is a minor annoyance.

Email is the sole way to contact their customer service representatives. They replied to the query within 8 hours of receiving it, which is about standard for most providers.

Conclusion: Should You Get Atlas VPN?

The value of Atlas VPN is largely dependent on your expectations. Is this a VPN service on par with NordVPN or ExpressVPN, with a large server fleet, many tunnelling protocols, and unique features? Clearly, no.

Atlas VPN is a simple VPN for consumers who want a straightforward service. It offers robust encryption and a nice free version, as well as support for torrenting and unblocking Netflix and a few other streaming providers. However, it only supports one tunnelling protocol and has slow speeds.

Visit Atlas VPN for more information.

We'll have to wait and see if the service has the ambition to go further in the future.

FAQ

Is Atlas VPN a free service?

Yes. There is a free and a paid version. There are no data limits with the free edition, and you don't even need to register an account.

How reliable is Atlas VPN?

Atlas VPN is a simple and lightweight VPN service. T heir free version is among the best.Atlas VPN is good enough If you need lightweight vpn app for watching Netflix or torrenting 

Is Atlas VPN a secure connection?

Atlas VPN employs AES-256 encryption, which should provide sufficient security and privacy. Their kill switch also works perfectly.

How do I get started with Atlas VPN?

If you're using a mobile device, go to Google Play or Apple App Store, search for the app, and instal it. On desktop, go to their website and download the app. It's as simple as clicking “Try Atlas VPN” from there.