Speed | 7.1 / 10 |
Servers | 6.9 / 10 |
User Experience | 7.5 / 10 |
Support | 7.4 / 10 |
Pricing | 7.3 / 10 |
Protect Free VPN and Data Manager Review (Updated 2024)
Protect Free VPN and Data Manager Overview
If you’re in a hurry, here’s the bottom line — You can get more servers globally, better VPN features, and 24/7 customer support with Surfshark for the same price or less. So why bother reading on?!
Protect Free VPN + Data Manager is an Android and iOS exclusive byproduct of Onavo, a Facebook-owned company that tracks users’ activity across social media platforms. Find it in the App Store or on Google Play.
This VPN is completely free, with no paid option, which typically means that you are not 100% safe. As the saying goes, “If the product is free, you’re the product!” If you’re looking for a VPN that will really protect you, read our NordVPN review.
Although this VPN will encrypt your data and maintain your privacy across your mobile device, the app does clearly state that they collect your mobile data traffic as a means of improving their services (including the services of parent company Facebook). This, of course, begs the question, “What is the point in using this VPN at all when the VPN exists solely to collect your information for Facebook?” The one saving grace is that if you’re a regular Facebook user, they have all your information anyway.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll find very little information regarding your privacy, servers, or level of protection, so don’t expect to be well informed. You have the option to simply choose ‘protect’ to establish a connection with the only server currently available. However, we advise against selecting this VPN over other premium VPNs that are known for their reliability and reputation.
Speed
- 7.1 / 10Why Most Speed Tests are Pointless & How We Correctly Test VPN Speeds
Speed determines how fast content uploads, so if you're torrenting or streaming, you want the speed to be somewhat identical to your regular internet speed. Since a VPN encrypts your data, it usually takes a bit longer to send your data back and forth, which can slow down your connection. However, if your ISP deliberately slows down your connection (also known as throttling) a VPN might increase your internet speed. Testing a VPN is somewhat pointless because new servers pop up and affect speed. Your speed can also differ according to your location, so your speed test might not match ours. Having said that, we tested the speed in numerous locations to provide you with the average.
Servers
- 6.9 / 10Protect Free VPN and Data Manager has 1 server in 1 country.
Server Locations
User Experience
- 7.5 / 10The results from a very brief but thorough test of this app were not good. It was easy to install and set up because there is no sign-in required and you can connect almost right away. However, the app asks for permission to access most of your device’s information, and there aren’t any features or settings to play around with. You see a single page that invites you to “Turn Protection On.” And if you visit the About page, you learn nothing about this VPN other than the fact that it is owned by Facebook.
Before you make a final decision, we highly recommend you check out some alternative VPNs which may offer better features and prices.
Support
- 7.4 / 10How We Test Customer Support and Why Should You Care
We personally test the customer support team of every VPN we review. This means asking technical question through the live chat feature (where applicable) and measuring the response time for email questions. Whether you need to connect to a specific server, change your security protocol, or configure a VPN on your router, finding a VPN with quality customer support should be important to you.
Pricing
- 7.3 / 10Protect Free VPN and Data Manager offers the following plans
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.