StrongVPN Review 2022 – Is It Really That Strong?

StrongVPN has been around for a lot longer than most providers. Unlike other VPNs, it offers just the most essential services. 

In our brief but comprehensive StrongVPN review, we’ll go over its feature set, performance, privacy, security, subscription information, customer support, and more. After reading it you’ll have all the information you need to decide whether StrongVPN is the right choice for you. 

Let’s dive in!

Speed

We decided to do a StrongVPN speed test from the UK, and these are the results we got:

Connected to an unprotected local connection, we had the following speeds: 

• Download speed: 194Mbps
• Upload speed: 187Mbps

Now let’s take a look at StrongVPN’s download and upload speed when connected to a same-country server:

• Download speed: 182Mbps
• Upload speed: 175Mbps

So our average speed loss when StrongVPN is running was around 10%, which is an exceptional performance. But we weren’t thrilled with the latency we got. From 5ms, it increased to 19ms, which is a lot for a connection to a server close to your location.

Also, we tried some long-distance connections around the world.

• Germany: Download speed 166Mbps and upload speed 152Mbps
• US: Download speed 114Mbps and upload speed 58Mbps
• Australia: Download speed 55Mbps and upload speed 10Mbps

Overall, StrongVPN is capable of impressive speeds, but it could use a bit more consistency. If top speed is among your priorities, you might want to check out other options, such as NordVPN.

Security and Privacy

When it comes to security protocols, StrongVPN offers an impressive number of protocols, like L2TP, IKEv2, SSTP, OpenVPN, and WireGuard. WireGuard is the default protocol choice when you install the StrongVPN desktop client. But since WireGuard is still in “heavy development”, we suggest switching to OpenVPN. With this protocol, StrongVPN uses AES-256 military-grade encryption. 

Another advantage is that StrongVPN has its own DNS servers, meaning none of your site traffic can be routed to third-party servers. It also has a kill switch that blocks your actual IP address from being exposed. In our tests, we didn’t detect any DNS or IP leaks.

StrongVPN has a zero-logging policy, meaning it does not track or store any data while you use its VPN service. It does, however, gather personal information from you, such as email address and payment information, which is used for account setup. 

We are sceptical about the provider’s logging policy since it’s based in South Lake Tahoe, California, US, which means it’s subject to some data retention regulations. If you’re looking for complete anonymity, you might want to try a VPN based in a jurisdiction with no data retention rules, such as ExpressVPN (British Virgin Islands).

Servers and Server Locations

You can find the complete list of StrongVPN servers on its website.

VPN’s Primary Uses

We decided to test the unblocking ability of Strong VPN with Netflix, as it’s a great indicator of a VPN’s unblocking ability, and it managed to get us in. It also let us stream Hulu and Amazon Prime content, but the BBC iPlayer was a no-go.

As we saw earlier, upload speeds are very fast, which is great news for torrenters. It’s worth mentioning that torrenting and peer-to-peer (P2P) activity is allowed on all servers.

Many of the StrongVPN reviews from users show that customers are pleased with the provider’s torrenting performance.

Strong VPN can be used with gaming consoles if you set it up on a router. But it may not be the best fit for gamers because it doesn’t include split tunnelling (except on Android) and has a slow latency speed. CyberGhost is a better option for gamers.

Supported Platforms

Here’s the list of Strong VPN compatible platforms, devices, and operating systems, etc.:

You can also set up Strong VPN on some routers.

A StrongVPN browser extension is available for Google Chrome, and it’s called Strong Proxy. And if you want two layers of protection, you can also use the service with Tor.

Below we compare the user rating of the StrongVPN Android and iPhone app:

•  Google Play: 3.7 stars
•  App Store: 4.4 stars

Pricing

StrongVPN keeps things simple by offering only two plans. They include twelve simultaneous devices per subscription, 250GB of cloud storage, and unlimited bandwidth.

If you go on the provider’s website, you’ll see that these prices are discounted right now. They can change back any day to the regular rates, which are $10 for one month and $79.99 for a whole year. 

StrongVPN doesn’t offer any free plan or trial version, but it provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s a fair price if you take advantage of the discount. But if we compare it to NordVPN prices, Strong VPN is definitely on the expensive side for the number of features and services you get. NordVPN’s one-year plan is $10 cheaper and offers more add-ons.

Customer Support

There are a few places where you can get support if you experience issues or have a question about this VPN. If you feel like finding a solution yourself, the StrongVPN website has a wide range of setup guides, video tutorials, a knowledge base, and a FAQ section. 

If those don’t help, you can contact StrongVPN customer service via email or its 24/7 live chat support, which is an advantage over some other providers, such as TunnelBear. There’s also a phone number where you can ask for assistance.

Want to Consider Other Options?

You’ll probably read at least a few VPN reviews before you decide which provider is best for you. Below we compare StrongVPN to a couple of its rivals to save you some time.

Bottom Line

StrongVPN is a straightforward provider and is great for torrenting and streaming entertainment content. But the stripped-down feature set and the fact that the company is based in the US can discourage some clients.

StrongVPN is compatible with a large number of devices and operating systems, so if you’re looking for a no-fuss VPN solution that offers the essentials, give StrongVPN a try.