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

LimeVPN Speeds Are Fast on Some Servers But Inconsistent

I was impressed with the fast speeds that LimeVPN provided on most of its servers. The speeds were fast on some servers but dropped significantly in others, probably due to overcrowding. LimeVPN provides up to 10Gbps shared bandwidth, and I got fast speeds for streaming HD videos, downloading torrents safely, and surfing the web.

Speed Test Results

Before connecting to LimeVPN I had a base download speed of 21.09Mbps. After connecting to the servers, I got an average speed of about 13.73Mbps — a 34.9% drop in my internet speed. The speeds I got varied across servers, but the changes were not based on the proximity of the server to my location.

For instance, the server in Canada saw an impressive download speed of about 19.92Mbps. In contrast, the server in the US (Chicago) dropped significantly to 5.82Mbps despite both locations being proximate to each other. However, other locations like the Netherlands saw a fast download speed of about 18Mbps.

These inconsistencies in the server’s speeds could make the VPN unreliable if you need a server in a location where the speed suddenly drops. Given LimeVPN’s small server network, it is expected that some servers would be overcrowded as more users onboard and produce slow speeds.

I was impressed with the consistent upload speed results across the servers. Even though my base upload speed was low at 4.86Mbps, I didn’t experience any significant drop when I connected to LimeVPN’s servers. With servers in Canada, Germany, and the US, I got upload speeds of 3,06Mbps, 4.41Mbps, and 2.88Mbps respectively — all suitable upload speeds for lag-free gaming.

Server Network — Limited Server Locations Available

LimeVPN’s server network size isn’t impressive — even for a budget VPN. Despite claiming to offer 17 server locations distributed in 8 countries worldwide, only 11 server locations were available for use during my tests. There are no servers in Africa, the Middle East, or South America. Popular locations aren’t serviced well either, with only 4 in the US, 2 in the Netherlands and Singapore, and 1 each in Canada, India, and Germany (but the server is wrongly named France). I found it more disappointing that there weren’t any servers in popular locations like the UK, France, Japan, and Australia.

With such a small number of server locations, you are at risk of facing overcrowded servers, slower speeds, and connection drops. I’m an avid streamer and gamer, so I know I need a VPN with as many server locations as possible to ensure reliable access to the content I want with no slow-downs.

Security — Offers Great Security Features

LimeVPN has powerful safeguards against data leaks. Plus, it offers full-scale 256-bit data encryption to keep your data private. It even owns and manages its servers and networks, so you run little risk of third parties gaining access to your data.

For its security protocol, LimeVPN claims to support PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, and SoftEther, but I could only connect via SoftEther (which LimeVPN recommended). One exciting thing about LimeVPN is that you can connect via TCP, SOCKS proxy, SSL, and HTTP proxy to get better speeds and security.

LimeVPN offers up to 6000 shared dynamic IPs, but you get static IPs. You get TOR over VPN and WireGuard protocol if you opt for the Pro plan. This should give you an extra layer of security with less likelihood of your IP being blocked by certain services.

Recently, LimeVPN blocked many IP addresses in different countries to prevent fraud. So, you could find it difficult paying for the service if you live in a location where LimeVPN restricts access to its service. The walkaround is using another VPN to sign up to the service if you must use LimeVPN.

LimeVPN has NAT Firewall support, protecting your private networks from being exposed online. However, the VPN lacks a kill-switch that cuts off your internet connection if it becomes unsteady to prevent data leaks.

I ran a couple of tests to see how secure LimeVPN is and was pleased to find that there weren’t any DNS, WebRTC, and IP leaks. LimeVPN’s android app also passed virus tests and proved pretty safe to use.

I was pleased that LimeVPN masked my IP address during my tests and ensured my connection stayed safe and secure.

Privacy — Unreliable for Privacy

LimeVPN has a no-logs policy, but it’s not strict enough for me to trust it 100%. It does not record the sites you visit or your access and download files. However, it will track your location, bandwidth, and the duration of the connection.

LimeVPN can accurately follow your online activity to determine if you have breached service terms with these details. LimeVPN also explicitly admits to collecting personal information, and I don’t like this because my privacy is compromised if the VPN is ever hacked.

In mid-year of 2021, it was reported that LimeVPN had its backup server hacked, which revealed thousands of users’ names, emails, and addresses. LimeVPN also confirmed that about 25 Wireguard beta testing keys were compromised in the hack.

LimeVPN is incorporated as Madrid Blues Limited and based in Singapore, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction. It is not part of the 5/9/14 Eyes alliance that compels VPN providers to share data with the government. While its location might be reassuring for privacy, the fact that hackers could get their hands on your data makes the VPN unreliable for privacy.

I would much rather use a VPN with a strict no-logs policy and guaranteed privacy features, like ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN provides top-grade privacy features that ensure that you’re always protected online.

Torrenting — Slow Torrenting Speeds

LimeVPN allows for P2P file-sharing (torrenting) only on its Netherlands server, making it susceptible to overcrowding. This proved so during my tests as I tried to download a 700MB public domain file. It took almost 24-hours for the download to complete despite the high download speeds of my base internet connection.

LimeVPN’s 256-bit data encryption ensures that the files accessed are invisible to your ISP. However, I’m still uneasy that LimeVPN stores my personal information and tracks my online activity. Moreover, the absence of a kill-switch to prevent data leaks when my connection is unsteady makes LimeVPN unsafe for torrenting.

Please note 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 the torrents you download are copyright-free.

Does LimeVPN Work in China? Not Likely!

LimeVPN couldn’t guarantee that its VPN would work in China. Since I don’t live in China, I couldn’t personally test the VPN there. LimeVPN support informed me that it couldn’t confirm if its VPN works in China.

Most VPNs struggle to bypass China’s strong firewalls, and I’d imagine smaller providers with limited technology and servers would struggle even more. However, some premium VPNs are guaranteed to work in China, and I’ve never had issues using ExpressVPN to access the web safely in China.

Keep in mind that using a non-government-approved VPN is illegal in China. However, there haven’t been any cases of tourists being penalized for using a VPN. Instead, the country uses tools that technologically block many VPNs from working over there.

Editor's Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.

LimeVPN offers helpful support across different channels. There’s the option for live chat, which can take up to 15 minutes to get a response. LimeVPN support can also be reached via its ticketing system available on your dashboard. Responses via this channel can take a few minutes or hours to get feedback. The agents were helpful and provided feedback that addressed all my questions.

If you prefer reading through tutorials, you’ll be delighted to find detailed step-by-step installation guides, FAQ pages, troubleshooting guides, and VPN config files/apps in LimeVPN’s Knowledge Base. I was impressed with the quality of information available on these pages.