Privacy and Security
The app was banned from the Google Play Store five days after its release in late August 2014. Google cited a violation of its Terms of Service which prohibit developers from using its store “to distribute apps that interfere with or disrupt the services of any third party”. The app was restored to the Google Play Store two weeks after its initial banning, before being banned for a second time overnight.
The service is very affordable, allows up to 10 simultaneous connections, and its privacy policy says it won’t log your online activity. The desktop app on Windows is newly revamped and very good. Overall it’s a fine choice for those looking for an affordable solution. ProtonVPN doesn’t compromise your security by using weak protocols like PPTP.
The Disconnect app can also block many of those trackers, which helps increase your online privacy. This works on the network level, regardless of which browser you use, and can even stop some in-app ads from displaying on your devices. The new Disconnect software is also a virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts your Internet traffic and reroutes it through Disconnect’s servers to hide your IP address.
Features and services
Ivacy for Windows doesn’t have very many options to tweak. You can decide to launch Ivacy when Windows starts, and you can also auto connect to the VPN when Ivacy opens.
The company covers the basics well, with more than 6,000 servers spread across 90-odd countries, apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, torrents allowed and speedy live chat support. One of our favorite things about this VPN service (other than the price) is the fact that your subscription covers an unlimited devices and services.
It offers more servers, more locations, it supports streaming services, and it has a nice look on Windows, and it’s easy to use. FastestVPN offers enough speed for most everyday uses, and it has some nice extra features like malware and ad blocking, internet kill switch, and split tunneling is coming soon to Windows. The big news here is that Disconnect’s VPN is now available for iOS, PC and Mac. But for around the same cost as other VPNs, Disconnect offers some extra privacy-oriented features, like showing you what services are tracking you or connecting to your computer at any given moment.
All VPN companies say they don’t log whatever you’re doing online, but inevitably they collect a little data. Some services record the day your account logged on, the amount of data you used, and delete anything else when the session closes.
Ivacy VPN has a nice Windows app and it offers a nice, low price. The service’s country offerings aren’t as big as others we’ve seen, but it has most of the key countries you’re looking for. Ivacy’s privacy policy has all the right promises too, but it’s based in Shanghai and it’s not clear who’s behind the company. There are also instructions to run Ivacy on Linux, a router, Kodi home theater software, and to connect consoles like the Xbox to the VPN via another device. An Xbox over a VPN is a nice option if you happen to play games with online competitors that like to DDoS your connection to mess with your ability to play.
An abbreviation of Virtual Private Network, a VPN service allows you to change or ‘spoof’ your IP address to a secure server. That helps to make you more anonymous online and let’s you effectively trick your laptop or mobile device into thinking it’s in another location. The best VPN options are increasingly being used as a replacement for or in addition to traditional online security. On the security front, you get OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP, and SSTP protocol support, and you can choose which one you prefer manually, or leave it to the software to select the protocol automatically. Furthermore, you get a kill switch, and private ‘zero knowledge’ DNS solution, among other privacy boons.
- Once you’re past any multi-device issues, VPN Unlimited performs very well.
- It runs on almost anything (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Apple TV, even Windows phone), and unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer with ease.
Others add items like your incoming IP address and the server you used, and keep the data for months, even years. If you’re concerned, check the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to find out more. The company has its own zero-knowledge DNS service, for instance. Its proprietary Chameleon protocol could help you get online even in VPN-blocking countries like China and Iran.
It blocks thousands of trackers and suspected malware sites and additionally offers an optional full VPN with IP address masking and encryption for all of your data. On the technical front, security on iOS devices is handled using IKEv2 (IPSec) encryption, and OpenVPN for Windows, Mac OSX and Android. On the one hand, Disconnect uses robust AES 256-bit encryption, OpenVPN and IKEv2 (IPsec) protocols – IkEv2 for iOS, and OpenVPN for Mac, Windows, and Android devices.
It supports only IKEv2 and OpenVPN, uses top-of-the-range encryption, and can route your traffic through multiple servers and even the Tor network for the maximum possible privacy. That means the service can only work on devices where you can run its Windows, Mac, Android or iOS apps.
And platform support covers everything from the regular Windows, Mac, Android and iOS apps, to routers, Android TV, QNAP, Blackphone, Anonabox and more. VPNs are a powerful cybersecurity tool for protecting your personal data.
A great price, with the right privacy promises, but location options are limited.
It also blocks many online trackers and ads, to increase your online privacy and reduce your risk of encountering malvertising. Out for PC, Mac, Android and iOS, Disconnect costs $5 per month for three devices, or $50 per year. A free version with limited features and no VPN is also available. Paying users of the VPN ‘Protection’ service can choose to connect to VPN servers in the ‘USA’ (Delaware), ‘Europe’ (Ireland), ‘Asia’ (Japan) and Germany, and can connect up to three devices at the same time. Free users do not get the VPN features, but can use the Disconnect Desktop and mobile apps to visualize tracking by their favorite websites, and to perform searches anonymously.
Once you’re past any multi-device issues, VPN Unlimited performs very well. It runs on almost anything (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Apple TV, even Windows phone), and unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer with ease. Torrents are supported on some servers, but whatever you’re doing, high performance servers mean it won’t take very long. FastestVPN is much better than it was the last time we looked.
Is disconnect VPN good?
Disconnect is an excellent open source privacy-oriented browser extension, and has now expanded upon this technology to offer an inclusive privacy package that combines its anti-tracking and anti-malvertizing know-how with its anonymous search capabilities and a VPN network, all for an extremely reasonable $5 per month
And speaking of privacy, there is no logging of network traffic such as connection times or IP addresses. Some providers are better than others in this respect, though. Depending on the robustness of the company’s network, and the number of servers it offers (with closer servers generally providing better speeds) – some VPNs barely impact your connection.
By connecting to a remote server, you can bypass censorship and geoblocks, and even grab yourself a bargain when you’re shopping online. But it isn’t always necessary to leave your VPN on at all times. In fact, in some situations, it’s beneficial to switch it off for a while. FastestVPN is much faster than the last time we tested it.