Shellfire VPN Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

Underwhelming and Inconsistent Connection Speeds

Shellfire VPN delivers speeds far below what you would expect from a top VPN service. I put this VPN through a comprehensive testing process to determine the average connection speeds while connected to its network.

Those with more casual use cases may find the speeds sufficient, but I found the speeds to be too inconsistent if you have a more intensive task or use case.

Speed Test Results

Based on my assessments of Shellfire VPN’s performance, I observed that a local connection within the United States resulted in download speeds of 9.78Mbps on a 20Mbps testing connection. This translated to an average speed reduction of approximately 50%.

Additionally, when connecting to a server located in the United Kingdom, the download speed was relatively low at 6.65Mbps. However, when connecting to servers in Germany and Australia, the download speeds improved to 7.96Mbps and 7.71Mbps respectively. The Australia outcome is noteworthy considering the vast distance between the Australian server and my location.

As long as your location is close to one of Shellfire VPN’s servers, you should be able to get decent speeds. But if you’re connecting to a distant server, the connection will be fast enough only for browsing and slow-speed downloading.

If speed is your highest priority, I recommend that you check out ExpressVPN as it is the fastest VPN I’ve tested. The VPN has consistently fast speeds both for short and long-distance connections. Its apps had good server connectivity, and I did not encounter any unexpected connection issues during my testing.

Server Network — Limited Server Locations

Shellfire provides access to over 60 servers that are spread across 37 different countries. Generally, services with few servers often have unique features to offset the disadvantages of such a low server count. Unfortunately, there were no such features present to offset the slim server selection.

Larger network systems can handle more traffic without compromising performance, which means the Shellfire VPN network may struggle if traffic spikes. It just doesn’t compare with the vast server network of top VPNs like CyberGhost. CyberGhost has 11,670 servers in 100 countries that have proven to be consistently fast and reliable.

Security — Military-Grade Encryption but with No Kill Switch

Shellfire uses AES-128, AES-192, and AES-256 bit encryption for data security. On the server list, the name of each server is followed by a star rating for the security level. The servers with just two stars will use AES-128, those with three stars will use AES-192, and those with five stars will use AES-256 bit encryption.

Furthermore, Shellfire VPN provides Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) as another essential security feature. PFS periodically changes the encryption key for a VPN user if it has been compromised. Consequently, hackers will be unable to access the stolen encryption key for quite some time.

As an additional measure, the encryptions are further strengthened through the provision of PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, OpenVPN and Wireguard protocols, providing an additional level of security for all users. Although there is the option to choose between UDP or TCP under the server list, both are versions of the OpenVPN protocol.

However, it should be noted that the service does not have a kill switch feature that makes your internet service unavailable if your VPN connection drops abruptly. The fact that Shellfire does not support this is quite disappointing as it is a widespread feature among top VPNs.

I tested the VPN service further with 6 different VPN testing tools to ensure that there were no IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks as well as to determine how secure the company’s protocols are. The Shellfire leak test reports are pristine, demonstrating the service’s ability to protect users from prying eyes.

Privacy — Intrusive Logging Policy

While Shellfire’s support claimed not to keep any logs, the company’s privacy statement raised some serious concerns regarding the data it collects.

I found the privacy policy difficult to understand as it was long and loaded with legal jargon. Additionally, some red flags were immediately apparent to me even without the need for a lawyer’s assistance.

Shellfire’s data collection goes way beyond what any VPN provider should do, and I can’t recommend it if you’re worried about the privacy of your online activities. A list of the data types that the VPN processes is provided near the top of the privacy policy. Among the items on this list are inventory data and usage data. VPNs that record data about your usage are an immediate indicator that your privacy is being compromised.

Furthermore, Shellfire is headquartered in Germany — a country with some of the strictest privacy laws in the world. German intelligence agencies actively monitor the activities of German citizens, and they cooperate closely with the UK’s GCHQ and the US’s NSA. That’s why I prefer a VPN like CyberGhost based in a privacy-friendly country. Its headquarters are in Romania, which isn’t part of any surveillance treaties.

Torrenting — Not Secure Enough For P2P Sharing

While Shellfire VPN allows torrenting on its servers in Canada, the Netherlands, and Finland, it is unsuitable for torrenters. This is because Shellfire does not provide sufficient privacy and does not have a kill switch, which is crucial to torrenting. Unless you have a kill switch, you could expose your IP address and online activities to your ISP if the VPN connection is ever interrupted.

My tests also showed weak P2P speeds, dropping from 15Mbps without a VPN to just 3.5Mbps when using Shellfire. You should check out ExpressVPN if you are looking for a VPN that is ideal for torrenting. Its high encryption strength, fast download speeds, and unrestricted P2P traffic make it ideal for downloading torrent files securely.

It should be noted that my team and I do not support illegal torrenting, so make sure to comply with any local rules and regulations before engaging in peer-to-peer file-sharing materials.

Does Shellfire VPN Work in China? Yes, but not Recommended!

The service claims to offer decent support for unblocking content in China, which is a pleasant surprise. Although I cannot personally verify the information, it has been reported by various online sources that Chinese users are able to use Shellfire. However, despite my efforts to obtain clarification on the product’s potential use in China by reaching out to their customer service department via email, my inquiry went unanswered.

Based on my evaluation of its capabilities, it appears that this VPN service does not possess the necessary levels of privacy, efficiency, or dependability required to effectively combat censorship. In particular, the program lacks key technologies such as obfuscation and SoftEther connections, which are crucial for circumventing state censorship measures.

ExpressVPN is a dependable option if you’re seeking a trustworthy VPN to use in China. Apart from providing obfuscated servers and TrustedServer technology, it presents a diverse selection of servers spanning several countries, including Hong Kong. These features can aid in accessing content from your native country while on a visit to China.

Despite offering live chat support and an email support ticket system for urgent inquiries, the extent of assistance provided is inadequate. Although a knowledge base is also available, it primarily addresses basic VPN-related queries and fails to cater to more complex issues.

When I attempted to connect to the live chat on the company’s website, no representative was available. Alternatively, I contacted the company through email and provided my contact information and email address. Shellfire’s customer service took 37 hours to respond to my request, so you are mostly on your own when it comes to customer service.

Furthermore, the VPN service provider maintains an online presence through its Twitter and Facebook accounts, thereby providing alternative means for you to make contact and receive support if they prefer these platforms.