ZenVPN 2.0.5

Overview

ZenVPN is a virtual private network provider which offers an unusual free account limit and various paid plans.

The free account is limited to a daily 250 MB allowance (raised from 200 MB in January 2015). Most free accounts from other VPN providers offer up to 250 MB per month, not per day. The free account can currently only access VPN servers in a short list of countries including the USA, Singapore, India, France, and the Netherlands.

For those interested in strong privacy built-in, the ZenVPN offering includes no logging of downloads, uploads or web surfing activities, no blocking of sites, and strong encryption to prevent people (or governments) snooping on internet access.

The premium plans include access to 38 locations covering 14 countries. These include the UK, USA, Netherlands, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, Germany, Russia, Canada, France, Japan, Chile, Israel, and South Africa. The last three countries on the list are quite unusual for a VPN service.

There are two premium pricing plans: 5 GB daily data usage and unlimited data usage. These are paid via regular subscription plans for weekly, monthly or yearly offers. Major credit and debit cards, PayPal and Bitcoin are all acceptable methods of payment.

There is a 30 day trial period on all paid accounts.

Installation

The setup application includes installation of a VPN client and also connects out across the internet during the setup process. Once installed and configured, there will either be a green padlock icon in the system tray indicating a good VPN server connection or a red icon indicating a problem.

There was no adware, spyware, toolbars or other malicious software included with the setup package.

ZenVPN requires Windows Vista, XP, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows Server. There are also options for Mac, Android, and iOS users.

Interface

The interface is pretty basic with only the main options to log in, choose the country/server and then connect to the selected server.

An icon in the system tray alerts the user as to whether the VPN service is already running. A green icon means a successfully connection whereas a red icon indicates a failed connection.

Pros

• Free daily 250 MB data allowance via 5 countries on free account
• Paid accounts for 5 GB daily data or unlimited payable weekly, monthly or yearly
• Good download and upload speeds achieved
• European focus, but server list is global
• Windows, Mac, Android (OpenVPN client) and iOS support
• No logging of internet activity
• Accepts major credit/debit cards, PayPal and Bitcoin

Cons

• Limited country list for free accounts
• Paid account has shorter list of countries and total number of servers than some of the larger VPN providers

Alternatives

TunnelBear is a solid choice for cross-platform VPN connectivity, attractive interfaces and a free monthly allowance for free users. CyberGhost VPN, UltraVPN, and OpenVPN are also alternatives worth checking out.

Conclusion

ZenVPN is an effective, less well-known choice of either a free VPN account with a generous daily limit or a paid VPN account. Good range of download-able clients across 4 platforms. No logs or restrictions.