VPNArea Review - Affordable & Reliable but Is There More?

VPNArea is a VPN service that has been around for a while now. You might not have heard of it, but it has proven itself trustworthy.

But is it the best VPN in the game?

Only one way to find out. Join us in this VPNArea review as we walk you through its features and peculiarities and see how it stacks up against the industry leaders.

What Is VPNArea?

VPNArea is a lesser-known but secure VPN service that has everything you could want. While it lacks customizability, the features it has in place are top-notch.

Its pricing plan is unique in that it allows accounting sharing. With support for eight devices, a group could chip in for less than $1 a month!

VPNArea reviews are generally favorable; will ours be too?

Let’s see.

VPNArea Features

Let’s kick off our VPNArea review for 2022 with a look at some of the service’s general features before getting into the specifics.

Multiplatform

It’s available for all the big names—there’s VPNArea for Mac, Linux, and Windows.

Simply purchase a subscription, log into the “members area,” and select your platform.

One subscription fits all. Speaking of all...

Account Sharing

VPNArea is perhaps the only VPN we’ve seen that allows account sharing.

With this feature, you can split the subscription cost with others.

Note that in line with VPNArea terms of service (section 5), the person that actually purchases the software (signs up) will be responsible for the actions of all those sharing access to the account.

Supports Up to Eight Devices

After doing some digging for our VPNArea review, we at Web Tribunal discovered that a short while ago, it only supported five devices and before that, four.

The service is dedicated to improving useability by progressively allowing more connections and, therefore, more account sharing space.

Mobile Support

For full coverage of all your e-ctivities, you can download VPNArea for iPhone or Android.

The mobile apps have everything you need to protect your online identity while casually browsing or downloading a track.

However, they’re not meant for heavy lifting.

Speeds aren’t as reliable as the desktop versions, and they can be a bit finicky.

VPNArea Server Locations

Some VPN service providers claim their servers are in certain areas when in reality, they’re hosted elsewhere.

This can lead to unexpected suboptimal speeds and other complications.

This provider guarantees that they are physically located in the countries advertised in the VPNArea server list.

Pre-configured Router Support

You can install the VPN software directly onto routers. The process can be tricky for a newbie or even an advanced user with the wrong device. VPNArea makes the process a breeze by associating with a company called “Flash Routers.”

Through it, you can find a VPNArea compatible router for under $200.

Installing the VPN software directly onto the device means that all traffic going through it will be covered.

This will free up a number of device spots for mobiles or sharing.

VPNArea in China

Unlike some other providers, VPNArea can bypass the Great Firewall. It has special servers that utilize a stealth tunneling protocol (Stunnel).

This allows it to disguise VPN traffic as regular traffic, ensuring no deep packet inspection will pick up your online footprint, letting you dodge censorship.

We also noticed that VPNArea offers a server in Iran, which is rare. Unfortunately, it seemed to be unreachable—more on that in a bit.

VPNArea Cybersecurity

VPNArea’s security offerings aren’t as extensive as other services, but it has every base covered, keeping things tight.

Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)

VPNArea Chameleon, which is based on OpenVPN—the industry standard—is the service’s main security protocol.

It provides watertight protection against domain name system (DNS) leaks—not even one VPNArea anonymity test failed during our research.

The only downside to VPNArea Chameleon is that speeds can sometimes be impacted. But VPNArea recently added support for IKEv2, which improves the situation.

Alongside these protocols, VPNArea employs AES-256 for an encrypted connection, keeping with the highest industry standards.

Double VPN Servers

VPNArea offers “double VPN” servers.

Instead of sending you through one proxy, they send you through two.

Better traffic anonymization offers greater protection against targeted attacks.

Automatic Killswitch

Or killswitches, rather.

VPNArea provides two different options to protect your online privacy.

The first one uses your firewall to block all internet traffic if the VPN falters for some reason.

The second “goes nuclear” and actually cuts your wifi or ethernet connection in the event of any issues.

VPNArea Static IP and Dynamic IP Options

Your IP, or digital address, can take two forms—static and dynamic. Both have their pros and cons. The latter are generally cheaper and make you harder to pin down. But they’re also often shared with others, and some websites don’t like letting them in.

Static IPs, on the other hand, are fixed, which adds extra credibility in the eyes of websites and makes the point-to-point connection more stable. At the same time, it makes it easier for potential malicious agents to track your location.

This service has you covered either way. By default, VPNArea employs “IP rotation,” which automatically changes your address every few minutes. If you need a static address for business or streaming, you can purchase a VPNArea dedicated IP for $20 a year—just under $2 a month.

Normal static IPs can be shared by multiple accounts, while the dedicated one you buy from VPNArea is yours alone. It’s also one of the cheapest offers we’ve seen. Many services charge you as much as double for VPN packages that include a dedicated IP.

Crypto Payments

Stay anonymous from day one by purchasing a VPNArea subscription with cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Dai are all supported.

Unlike many other services, VPNArea can refund you in crypto too.

XRP is also advertised on the site, but we couldn’t find it on the checkout page. But more on VPNArea’s website and its quirks later.

VPNArea does not require any personally identifiable information (PII).

You can even sign up with a fake email address. But be cautious with that, as you might need it to reclaim lost login credentials.

Malware and Ad Blocking

Although there’s no VPNArea browser extension, you can still enable ad and malware blockers.

When you’re cruising with VPNArea on Chrome, you won’t have to worry about dodgy ads telling you a free iPad is a click away—and the malware that’ll certainly follow.

VPNArea Logging Policy

VPNArea is owned by a Bulgarian company, but its business servers are based in Switzerland.

Neither Bulgaria nor Switzerland belongs to the Five Eyes alliance, where data retention and sharing are mandated by law. This allows VPNArea to uphold a zero-logging policy.

VPNArea logs none of your data. When your VPN is active, the service doesn’t know what you’re doing, where you’re doing it, or how much bandwidth you’re using.

Not that you’d need to worry about the latter, as bandwidth is unlimited.

VPNArea Speeds

VPN speeds can be tricky, fluctuating depending on your location and connection. For VPNArea specifically, it’ll be determined by the protocol you have selected. IKEv2 is slightly faster than VPNArea Chameleon.

For us, the difference between the two was minor. Servers in our region showed speeds close to the baseline connection.

When reaching further afield, the rate dipped a little. But if you’re running a modern high-speed connection, this won’t be noticeable.

To make sure this didn’t occur because of our home setup, we decided to check on some other users’ VPNArea reviews on the topic. We noticed that year upon year, VPNArea’s speeds seem to become faster.

VPNArea VPN Torrenting

VPNArea P2P servers are optimized for torrenting.

The VPNArea server list contains items specifically dedicated to that.

But note that some countries with strict laws around sharing copyright-protected material do not allow torrenting.

With servers in over 70 countries, though, even if one or two are off-limits, you’ll still find an appropriate alternative nearby.

Streaming

We won’t keep you waiting any longer—we’ll answer the question you’ve all been waiting for.

Does VPNArea VPN support Netflix?

Yes, it does.

With it, you can also access content on platforms like BBC iPlayer, Amazon, and Hulu. Simply select a server dedicated to the streaming site of your choice and beat any geolocation blocker.

VPNArea supports Firestick too. All you need to do is download the dedicated VPNArea app to activate your all-inclusive support.

Ease of Use

The sign-up is ultra-easy—installation is just one click away, and you’re in. VPNArea’s interface sports a sleek modern design on par with the best VPN providers.

The website is… another story. It’s a bit janky, and some of the info isn’t up-to-date. This doesn’t affect existing members, as the app receives live updates.

But it may alienate prospective clients—the lack of a free trial for VPNArea VPN, and the misleading website might leave the wrong impression.

It’s a good thing you have our VPNArea review to set things straight.

VPNArea Pricing

VPNArea’s pricing plan is very simple.

A VPNArea dedicated IP can be purchased for $20 a year.

These prices are advertised as a “limited time” offer, but looking at archives, it appears that they have been the going rate for months. Plus, no end date for the “sale” is visible.

VPNArea Customer Support

We wanted to find out why the Iranian server was unreachable. We emailed VPNArea support and received a thorough reply 14 minutes later. It turns out that due to constant issues with the server, it has been taken offline (but the website isn’t updated).

We also wondered about VPNArea’s stated preference for physical servers, so we decided to use the 24/7 LiveChat. An agent connected before we could finish typing our question.

They explained that all of VPNArea’s servers are located in the countries stated on the website. It was also specified that some are cloud-based in order to improve the speed.

VPNArea User Reviews

We also looked up some VPNArea user reviews to get an idea of what the general reception of the provider is. Reviews are typically positive. VPNArea has a rating of 4.5 stars on Sitejabber.

We noted two common complaints. The first was about speed, but the closer we got to 2022, the fewer negative opinions appeared—another indication of VPNArea’s commitment to improving.

The second was about billing. Many users were surprised about being rebilled unexpectedly.

This is understandable, as VPNArea adjusts auto-billing depending on the plan or if any special discounts are available. But a warning would be nice.

It’s important to read the fine print to understand what you’re getting into. Not that the site makes that easy, especially when certain VPNArea links are not connecting.

When to Use VPNArea

With all the premium features VPNs offer, it’s not easy to stand out.

But VPNArea’s account sharing option does the trick.

For this reason, we recommend VPNArea to small groups that’d like to split the costs for an ultra-low individual price.

With eight devices supported, you can split a subscription with three friends—you’ll each have two devices covered and pay only $1.03 each!

VPNArea Alternatives

If VPNArea isn’t to your liking for one reason or another, check out these industry-leading alternatives.

VPNArea vs NordVPN

NordVPN is the undisputed king of VPNs.

It costs around the same as VPNArea. But with the number of positive testimonials, you just know you’re getting the best coverage in any area.

VPNArea vs Hotspot Shield

If you’d like to download a free VPN with the possibility of upgrading later, give Hotspot Shield a gander.

You can use it with pretty much any device and test its functionality.

VPNArea vs ExpressVPN

If you’re into torrenting and streaming, but the idea of VPNArea’s location-specific server policy bothers you, consider ExpressVPN.

It’s ultrafast and focused on delivering quality entertainment.

Final Verdict

Judging by our experience and those of other users, it’s clear that the provider is constantly improving its services.

The VPN itself is solid, albeit a little limiting for advanced users, and the customer support is quick and thorough.

Although there isn’t a VPNArea lifetime subscription, the prices are surprisingly low, especially if you share it with friends.

All in all, it is a very good choice at a reasonable price and generous money-back policy.