UltraVPN Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

UltraVPN Provides Super-Fast Speeds

I was impressed with UltraVPN’s consistently fast speeds. I got super-fast speeds with servers close to me and only a slight drop in speed with the distant servers. I could enjoy lag-free gaming, smooth video chats, and could stream shows and movies in HD on multiple devices at once.

Speed Test Results

My original download speed was 89.47 Mbps before I connected to UltraVPN. But when I tested UltraVPN’s servers in the US, UK, France, and Japan, I got an average download speed of 66 Mbps. This was a decrease of 25.59 % from my normal download speed, but it was more than enough for my typical bandwidth-intensive activities.

My download speeds were reduced by 14% and 23% when I connected to servers based in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. However, I was able to maintain an impressive 82% of my original download speed when connected to a server located in France.

Switching to the Japanese server slowed down my download speed by about 46%. Even though Japan is on the opposite side of the world from me, the speeds were fast enough to allow for uninterrupted streaming of high-definition video.

The upload speeds were also fast across the servers. The US, UK, and France servers provided upload speeds of 2.22Mbps, 4.39Mbps, and 4.46, respectively. These speeds are more than sufficient for playing online multiplayer games that require an average of 2-4 Mbps upload speeds.

Is UltraVPN Fast Enough for Gaming? Yes!

The speeds offered by UltraVPN were more than adequate for lag-free gaming. Despite my high ping, which ranged from 100 to 300 ms, especially on the far-off servers, the upload speeds I received were adequate for quick gaming.

Since even a small amount of lag can ruin a game, I was relieved to find that my online multiplayer matches with UltraVPN were consistently lag-free. I played a few rounds of Killstreak and Counter-Strike followed by Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, and I never had my game stutter.

Server Network — Decent Server Network

UltraVPN boasts a strong server network, with a total of 830 physical servers located in over 85 countries. This is a noteworthy accomplishment for a VPN provider of its size. The servers are fairly distributed across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceania. Europe and North America account for the highest coverage at 70+ servers.

UltraVPN’s global server presence was a major selling point for me. It covers locations that are typically only available in premium VPN services, such as China, Nepal, Brunei, and Bhutan. There are also servers in popular spots like the US, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and more.

In contrast to the majority of other VPNs, hide.me lacks the feature of creating a recently used or favorites list for convenient server access. Additionally, it does not provide specialized servers for streaming, file sharing, or gaming. Instead, the menu presents a range of geographical locations for you to choose from.

While UltraVPN offers a decent network, there’s still a higher potential for server overcrowding than bigger VPNs since the network itself is small. Although I didn’t experience slowdowns during my tests, it could become a problem if UltraVPN gets a sudden influx of users. As an alternative, CyberGhost’s globally dispersed server network reduces the likelihood of slowdowns at any one location. As of right now, the company provides access to an astounding 11,670 servers located in 100 different countries around the world.

Security — Basic Protection, but No Advanced Features

UltraVPN’s security protocols and encryption are the best in the business, guaranteeing the utmost privacy and safety for its users. Its rigorous security measures make it suitable for use even on unsecured public networks. If you use the VPN on your home network, you can shield it from hackers as well.

The following are some of the security options provided by UltraVPN:

• 256-Bit Strong Encryption – UltraVPN uses industry-standard AES-256-bit encryption. Its high level of security is why it is used by the government, the military, and the financial sector.
• Encryption Protocols – UltraVPN supports IKEv2 and Hydra encryption protocols. Both of these protocols are considered safe and should prevent any unauthorized parties from accessing your information. However, the proprietary Hydra protocol is largely unknown, so I would recommend IKEv2 to anyone concerned with absolute confidentiality. However, the Hydra protocol is ideal for those who need high speed to bypass restrictions.
• Integrated Kill Switch – This feature acts as an extra layer of protection by preventing all outgoing traffic from your device in the event of a VPN connection failure.
• Split Tunneling – This option allows you to choose which apps or websites use the encrypted VPN tunnel while others access the internet directly. The split tunneling feature offered by UltraVPN is only available for websites, and I found it to be very effective.
• IP Leak Protection – As long as this feature is activated, your true IP address will not be visible to websites outside the VPN’s secure connection.
• Malware and Phishing Protection – Anti-malware and anti-phishing tools are built into this provider’s platform by default, so you can rest easy knowing your data is safe.
• Also included are a dark web scan feature and the PassWatch password manager.

I noticed that UltraVPN’s website makes reference to a secure integrated firewall. I contacted support via live chat to get more info and was told that it is always active in the background to safeguard my web browsing.

I ran a DNS leak test that only detected UltraVPN’s server in the US that I was connected to — that means my real IP address stayed hidden while I used the web with UltraVPN. Next, I tested for WebRTC leaks, which would also expose my real IP address. I was impressed that UltraVPN kept my connection and online activities 100% private.

To test for leaks on Android, I connected to a server in Algeria using the mobile-friendly IPv4 protocol. I was pleased to find that it passed my test, proving my real location and other data stayed hidden on UltraVPN’s mobile app.

Privacy — Partially Logs Data and Its Jurisdiction Isn’t Privacy-Friendly

Despite the company’s claim that no logs are kept, I found some discrepancies that suggested otherwise. The platform tracks and logs your IP address, browser type, device type, settings, and other information when you visit its website. Further, UltraVPN keeps track of the VPN server a user connects to, the VPN server a user connects from, and the VPN client software version used.

Despite this, UltraVPN promises that it will not record any of your online activity while you are using its VPN service. This way, you can surf the web with the confidence that your identity is safe from prying eyes. Having an audited no-logs policy in place would demonstrate this, but none is provided.

UltraVPN is a product of Aura Sub LLC, a US company. It offers other VPN products like Betternet, Hotspot Shield, Hexatech, VPN360, Touch VPN, and VPN in Touch. As a US company, Aura is located in a jurisdiction that’s part of the 5 Eyes data-sharing alliance that compels VPN companies to share users’ data with the government.

Since UltraVPN has a partial logging policy and is incorporated in a location that could share your data, I wouldn’t recommend it for privacy. I feel safer using a true zero-logs VPN like ExpressVPN. In my tests, ExpressVPN never leaked any of my data and allowed me to pay anonymously with cryptocurrencies to keep my identity hidden even during sign-up.

Torrenting — Prohibits Torrenting

Unfortunately, UltraVPN doesn’t support torrenting. When I couldn’t find anything about using it for P2P connections on its website, I reached out to support. The support agent informed me that the VPN doesn’t support torrenting and P2P file-sharing.

If you need a VPN to torrent, all of ExpressVPN’s servers are torrent friendly and optimized for fast and secure downloads. Please do keep in mind that my team and I don’t condone illegal torrenting, so be sure to check the rules and regulations in your country and make sure you aren’t downloading copyrighted files.

Does UltraVPN Work in China? Yes!

I was pleased to learn that UltraVPN works in China. Since I am currently located outside of China, I contacted UltraVPN’s support team to find out whether or not it is able to function within the country. A representative of UltraVPN assured me that the service is operational in China, but I was unable to independently verify this information.

Just to clarify, using a VPN in China that hasn’t received approval from the government is against the law. However, there haven’t been any instances of foreigners facing consequences for this practice. Instead, the country employs methods that effectively hinder the functionality of numerous VPNs within its boundaries.

I was pleased with the quality of support offered by UltraVPN. You can contact customer support via live chat or email ticketing system. The live chat support was impressive. I got responses within seconds, and the support agents were cordial, friendly, and professional.

However, finding the live chat button on the website is difficult. You’ll have to navigate to the pricing page and try making a payment before the button comes up. I also tested support by using the ticket system to ask a few questions. I consistently had an email response sometime the following day after submitting my question. The answers were sometimes superficial and lacked clarity, which was a major disappointment.

You can access a knowledge base with links to different pages that provide information on how to use the VPN if you prefer to troubleshoot issues on your own. This knowledge base has detailed and easily understandable answers to frequently asked questions, helpful hints and tips, and multiple guides for configuring the VPN.