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

Performance Depends on OpenVPN Server

Understood. Viscosity serves as a third-party client, enabling VPN connections. The speed and performance metrics of Viscosity are solely dependent on the speed of the VPN servers to which the user connects.

As far as VPN speed goes, ExpressVPN scores highly for its incredible speed and impressive performance. Servers located within your country are recommended for optimal results. If you need a distant server, you may need to try several different distant servers until you find the one that works the best, as there will be variances in connection speeds from region to region.

Speed Test Results

Using Viscosity through ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN UDP protocol delivered fast speeds. I started out by testing my base connection where I recorded a 20.93 Mbps download speed, a 19.46 Mbps upload speed, and a ping of 31 ms. Having established a baseline, I proceeded to test the VPN.

The average download speed on most servers was 18.22 Mbps, which is quite good. It is typical for a VPN to reduce your speed by 10-20%, so I was pleased with the 13% drop. I may have experienced good results due to ExpressVPN’s network of superfast servers. Hence, you might get different results if you use the Viscosity client with a different provider.

Server Network — Set Up Your Own or Use a Third-Party Service

Viscosity doesn’t offer servers to connect to, but it can connect to programs that are supported by OpenVPN, including popular and free commercial VPN providers. You can build a custom network of servers from different providers or import servers from a VPN without native software to have a more streamlined experience.

A VPN service provider’s server network size tremendously impacts its overall service capabilities. A larger number of servers means that there will be a wider range of IP addresses to choose from. I particularly recommend Cyberghost because it has 11,670+ servers in 100 countries with a track record of consistent speed and reliability.

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

Security — Good Encryption but Flawed

The security features in Viscosity are limited, but the encryption is of the highest standard:

• Military-grade encryption – You can choose from several encryption options, including 128-bit Blowfish and 256-bit AES
• IPv6 encryption – By running its own IPv6 encryption on the client side while connecting to OpenVPN servers, you’ll benefit from both encryption protocols running simultaneously.
• OpenVPN protocol – The client only supports OpenVPN, which means you won’t be able to connect with other protocols like L2TP, IPSec, or PPTP.

The user interface also offers many customization options, allowing you to control server properties and encryption settings. While the exact settings will vary depending on your provider, you may be able to increase the encryption level on your connection through these options.

To safeguard your credentials, Viscosity uses the Windows credentials system, while the keychain system is used for Macs. Your browser settings are optimized to increase the layer of privacy and anonymity you receive while using the service.

One major flaw is that Viscosity doesn’t have a kill switch. A lack of this feature poses a significant problem, as your data may leak if your connection drops. The situation is especially risky if you’re torrenting, as it puts your personal information at risk.

OpenVPN offers excellent protection against IP and DNS leaks, but your choice of protocol is not the only factor that determines your security. It is also necessary to have a reliable network that can change your IP address to the desired location and tunnel your data through without leaking any information. Using ExpressVPN’s servers, I tested for IP and DNS leaks and found none.

Privacy — Very Weak Privacy Policy

Viscosity’s privacy policy is a great example of everything you don’t want a VPN provider’s logging policy to be. Even though Viscosity’s policy claims that it doesn’t log any data, the VPN’s location and its data storing policies make it an unsettling choice for privacy-conscious users.

I found that Viscosity records what websites you visit, how long you spend on them, your true IP address, connection timestamps, and your browser type. If you choose to sign up for the VPN, Viscosity has access to even more information, including your name, email address, and phone number.

It then follows all of this with “we may also log additional user-entered data when using features of our website that allow for access to customer data.” This approach to the collection of personal data is extremely troubling.

This company claims the extra data is used to help protect against malicious users attempting to gain access by using brute-force attacks. It’s a shame that many VPN services use this justification as an excuse to log data illegitimately.

As Viscosity is headquartered in Australia, the jurisdiction of the company may also pose a risk. The country is one of the members of the notorious 14-Eyes intelligence alliance. This means that the authorities of any of the member states can monitor users’ digital activities. Viscosity is also legally required to provide your data to the governments of these countries upon request — and the company has a lot of data to share.

ExpressVPN is unquestionably the leading VPN for privacy, thanks to its extensive security and privacy features. It employs OpenVPN and its own Lightway protocol with AES-256 encryption to secure your web activity. Beyond that, ExpressVPN is strict about not collecting, storing and sharing your activity logs.

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.

Torrenting — Too unsafe for torrenting

Torrenting depends on the OpenVPN server used, but the logging policy and the lack of a kill switch make Viscosity a poor choice regardless of server choice. The lack of a kill switch can be a problem, especially if your network is frequently disconnected or experiences dropouts. Hopefully, the company will update the software to include this feature in the near future.

Please be advised that my team and I don’t condone illegal torrenting, so be sure to check the rules and regulations in your country. For your own safety, make sure the torrents you download are copyright-free.

Does Viscosity Work in China? No, Not on Its Own!

Viscosity cannot be used in China or anywhere internet censorship is enforced. The service does not come with obfuscation tools to get around web blocks, and it is too dangerous as a service to use in these regions anyway due to its aggressive log-keeping.

Without a doubt, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for China. The obfuscation technology used on its servers ensures your VPN traffic is undetectable. As well as security protocols and encryption, it provides DNS and IP leak protection to prevent leaks, which prevents the government or third-party entities from monitoring your online activities.

Non-government-approved VPNs are illegal in China, but there have been no public cases of tourists being penalized by the Chinese government. The common practice is that China fights VPNs by technologically blocking them and not by chasing after the people who use them.

Viscosity offers a very proactive, helpful, and cooperative support system that includes email, a forum, a knowledge base, and social networking. Though it would be nice to have live chat support with Viscosity, there are still numerous ways to get assistance.

You can contact the company via email if you have any inquiries, concerns, or opinions. A support ticket was submitted to ask whether Viscosity logged data when I used the program, and I received a response 40 minutes later. While the representative did not answer my question, he directed me to the privacy policy page. Viscosity is based in Australia, you are more likely to get a quick response if you submit a support ticket during Australian business hours.

Viscosity VPN also offers specialized Windows and Mac forums along with email support. These forums, which have over 6000 posts to date, are an excellent resource for resolving any problems you may encounter when using the software. The forum can also be consulted for IP visibility or general browsing problems.

The self-help is accessible when you click the support tab. On this page, you can access a comprehensive knowledge base for fixing your problems. With topics covering everything you might need, this section provides instructions on how to use the software. I found the guides provided to be helpful for learning the basics of the Viscosity application.

Viscosity also has a strong social media presence. This service has a Twitter page where updates regarding the VPN client are provided. You’ll also be updated on bugs and issues, in addition to receiving exciting new offers.