ZoogVPN review: Is it worth your money and trust?

This in-depth ZoogVPN review evaluates its performance, features and security against competitors, helping you make an informed buying decision.

Founded in 2013 by tech enthusiasts with a strong IT background, ZoogVPN was created to combat internet censorship and offer individuals a reliable solution for accessing restricted content. In today’s increasingly regulated and restricted online environment, using a VPN has become essential to protect one’s right to privacy and access restricted content.

ZoogVPN uses AES-256 encryption, which is widely recognised as one of the most secure encryption standards. Our team of experts conducted extensive research and testing of the service’s features for privacy, security, compatibility and performance to provide you with an unbiased assessment.

Rating: ★★★½

Premium-level ZoogVPN is a full-featured, well-respected all-in-one VPN service employing a fully encrypted VPN tunnel. They are significantly cheaper than the other premium VPNs on the market, providing excellent value for money. Regarding performance, ZoogVPN offers a reliable and stable connection with minimal speed loss. It has several attractive features, such as fast speeds, a no-log policy, an affordable price point and an excellent free version.

Users can enjoy fast and smooth browsing, streaming and downloading, allowing for an uninterrupted online experience. You can also browse the web discreetly and securely with 256-bit encryption thanks to this VPN’s compliance with the most current security standards.

ZoogVPN also supports a range of VPN protocols, including OpenVPN and IKEv2, further enhancing security. It provides access to a global VPN network with servers in more than 35 countries and 70 cities. You can effortlessly connect to any country by unblocking any website you choose. ZoogVPN offers additional features, such as a strict no-log policy, meaning no user activity or connection logs are stored. This further strengthens user privacy and anonymity. The VPN service supports multiple devices and platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and routers, allowing users to protect their online activities across various devices.

Our reviewers are dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and up-to-date information so you can make an informed decision when it comes to buying a VPN. We will only recommend a VPN after hours of testing, extensive head-to-head feature comparisons, and after taking into account verified customer feedback and reviews, and the opinions of industry experts.

Our review scores are determined by the following categories:

• Privacy and performance (30 per cent)
• Features and functionality (30 per cent)
• Reputation and credibility (25 per cent)
• Plans and pricing/value (10 per cent)
• Customer experience (5 per cent)

We research and test a total of 25 elements within these categories, including:

• Number and location of servers
• Streaming service accessibility
• Security features such as AES-256
• Performance (upload and download speeds, latency)
• Value for money, guarantees and customer service
• Independent server-site security audits

All of our VPN articles are verified by our in-house team of fact-checkers, so you can be assured our content is as accurate and up to date as possible.

Read our VPN review methodology for full details.

• Lowest price: £1.59 per month for a two-year plan with three months free (seven-day money-back guarantee)
• Free version: Yes (up to 10GB per month)
• Maximum number of connected devices: Unlimited
• Number of servers: 71
• Encryption: AES-256
• VPN protocols: IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP and OpenVPN
• No-log policy: Yes
• Audited: No
• Headquarters: Patra, Greece

ZoogVPN is relatively new to the VPN market yet offers a good range of features and performance that is comparable to more-established VPN services. ZoogVPN’s offering includes multiple IP switching across its VPN network, providing flexibility and anonymity. 

Our team of researchers examined the top four VPNs and compared them with ZoogVPN to see where ZoogVPN stands out and which VPN offers the most features overall.

If you choose to pay every month, a good, secure VPN service will typically cost you £5 to £12 per month or as little as £30 to £50 per year if you’re ready to pay for a few years in advance. Some free VPN services are available, but these can be dubious.

ZoogVPN offers various pricing options to cater to different needs. It also offers a respectable free option, reasonable monthly and yearly subscriptions and premium plans. The free plan remains intact provided you don’t use more than 10GB of data. The company is sure that consumers will be happy with its service. You can easily cancel any of its plans, and if you’re unhappy with the service, you can take advantage of a seven-day money-back guarantee.

Note: ZoogVPN prices are only payable in USD, so you may incur an additional charge from your bank for the exchange.

ZoogVPN supports a range of payment methods, accommodating most clients’ requirements and making it convenient for users to subscribe to the service. The company even accepts cryptocurrency, which has cheap transaction costs and a high level of security.

Payment options for ZoogVPN

• PayPal
• Bitcoin
• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Union Pay
• Payment Wall
• JCB

Let’s take an in-depth look at the features ZoogVPN has to offer.

ZoogVPN offers a decent number of servers and locations but it can’t compare to the market leaders like NordVPN and Surfshark. It currently has 41 servers in its worldwide network, spanning South Africa and Europe to Asia and Australia.

Despite this limited number of servers, ZoogVPN is one of the fastest VPN services currently on the market. It has a 99.9 per cent uptime guarantee along with unlimited bandwidth, in theory making ZoogVPN servers quick and dependable. Our tests showed this claim to be accurate, even when connecting from the UK to a server in Australia.

Privacy is important with any VPN. ZoogVPN has a strict no-log policy, meaning it doesn’t record or store users’ activities. That said, it’s important to note that ZoogVPN hasn’t had its data management practices audited by a third-party, so we have to take it at its word.

While many other VPN providers are headquartered in the US, a founding member of intelligence alliances, ZoogVPN’s headquarters are located in Greece, which does not have rules governing the storage of personal data. All in all, that’s a good thing for your privacy.

When selecting a VPN provider, a kill switch can be an essential feature for privacy-conscious people. ZoogVPN has a built-in kill switch feature in its desktop apps. This feature acts as a safeguard, protecting users’ connections during unexpected VPN dropouts.

Split tunnelling lets you individually route each app’s traffic out of your ISP gateway or over the VPN tunnel. This means that you can route some of your traffic through the VPN tunnel and the remainder through your regular ISP connection for streaming. 

Split tunnelling enables users to:

• Securely download files without hampering other internet activities
• Use a network printer while securely using the internet

Without this feature, users cannot:

• Simultaneously access local and foreign internet services
• Access LAN devices while using a VPN connection

It is also noteworthy that all data transmission through a VPN consumes significant bandwidth.

Unfortunately, ZoogVPN does not currently offer a split tunnelling feature. However, this is understandable, as several of the best VPNs have only recently begun including this feature in their service offerings.

ZoogVPN uses industry-leading bank-grade 256-bit encryption and a 2048-bit hash key to protect user data, should it ever be compromised.

ZoogShadowing

VPN access can be challenging in heavily censored regions, such as China, the UAE, Iran, Qatar and Turkey. ZoogVPN claims that, through various obfuscation techniques, its apps can bypass firewalls and enable users to connect even in heavily censored networks. For obvious reasons, we were unable to test this claim, but it’s worth noting that this feature exists.

SOCKS5 proxy

One of the standout features ZoogVPN offers is the ability to connect using SOCKS5 proxy technology. ZoogVPN is one of the few top VPN providers offering this capability. The SOCKS5 proxy enables fast internet speeds that surpass traditional proxies.

Conducting basic VPN tests for security and speed issues, just as you would routinely repair your car, is essential for ensuring that your VPN is functioning correctly.

Let’s check out various methods for running a VPN test to check for sluggish performance (speed tests):

• Upload rate: How quickly data is sent from your device to the internet
• Download rate: How quickly data is delivered from the internet to your device
• Ping: How quickly data is delivered from your device to an internet server and back

Our researchers ested ZoogVPN to see how the service impacted internet upload and download speeds. We calculated the difference in speeds with and without using ZoogVPN by first testing the internet speed without a VPN. For this study, our testers used Speedtest by Ookla.

The UK-to-UK test showed the highest percentage of base download speed and the lowest latency rate, demonstrating the power of a local connection.

The UK-to-US test showed a high latency rate. However, the download and upload speeds were the lowest when connected to the US server.

The UK-to-Australia test showed a good download speed. However, we noted a very high latency and low upload speed.

A group of standardised technologies known as Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) enables web browsers to communicate with one another directly without using a middle server. Real-time speech, text and video communications between web browsers and devices are made possible by WebRTC.

WebRTC uses JavaScript, APIs and Hypertext Markup Language to integrate communications technology into web browsers. Establishing audio, video and data communication between browsers is user-friendly and straightforward. Most popular web browsers support WebRTC.

Our researchers conducted a WebRTC leak test with and without using ZoogVPN. Our IP address was hidden, and we noted no WebRTC leak when running the test while connected to a VPN. However, we noted that WebRTC exposed the IP address without the VPN activated.

ZoogVPN’s statements about strict no-log policy, encryption and security appear authentic following some digging by our researchers. However, it should be noted that ZoogVPN has yet to undergo a third-party audit.

ZoogVPN is compatible with native Android TV, Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Fire TV, BlackBerry and Ubuntu (Linux). The apps are slick, simple to use and intuitive. Additionally, a pre-configured Vilfo router with ZoogVPN pre-installed is available.

Desktop version

The ZoogVPN desktop app is compatible with Windows 7, 8 and 10, supporting 64-bit and 32-bit systems. For Windows XP users, a separate legacy version (v4.0) is available for download.

The Windows app has an auto-login feature, eliminating the need to manually click the “Login” button every time you launch the app. Users can also set the app to start automatically with Windows, and combined with the “Connect VPN on app start” feature, the VPN connection will initiate smoothly and minimise the app to the system tray.

Mobile version

The ZoogVPN mobile app is free to download on the Google Play and Apple App stores. The mobile app offers a straightforward and efficient solution to all your online privacy and security concerns. The software for iOS and Android include several excellent security measures.

Various features, such as IP leak protection, auto-connect and on-demand VPN, are included. In addition, the app offers a range of protocols for iOS and Android, letting you personalise the user experience to suit your needs. While iOS users can take advantage of the new IKEv2 protocol’s benefits, Android users can select between protocols such as TCP or UDP OpenVPN.

You can reach ZoogVPN customer care via live chat and email every day of the year. Additionally, its website has a frequently asked questions section and a library of technical and general literature.

• Trustpilot: 4.3/5
• Apple App Store: 4.8/5
• Google Play store: 4.6/5

Despite receiving good ratings on Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play, customer reviews of ZoogVPN are more conflicted.

Users mention one shortcoming of ZoogVPN – its limited network.

• Oguno nonso via Google Play Store

“One of the simplest and fastest VPNs I have ever used is ZoogVPN. My only issue is that the free version’s location is restricted.”

Users also acknowledge ZoogVPN’s customer support in resolving their queries.

• Gerard Dotti via Trustpilot

“I’ve used the Lifetime Membership for a long time. The servers of Zoog are quick and dependable. Their customer care is very polite, quick to respond, and able to handle technical, membership, and password issues.”

• Khan via Trustpilot

“Connecting to Zoog VPN was quick and straightforward. The speed was good, and the service was dependable during my complimentary six-month trial.”

ZoogVPN offers a comprehensive VPN service that delivers reliable performance, powerful security features and a user-friendly experience. With its affordable pricing, fast speeds and strict no-log policy, ZoogVPN provides excellent value for money. While it may have a limited server network and occasional connection failures, the overall performance and features make it a worthy choice for individuals looking to protect their privacy, bypass censorship and access restricted content.

Based on its accessible pricing, strong security measures and compatibility with multiple devices and platforms, ZoogVPN is a reliable VPN option. Its mobile and desktop are easy to use, and if you have any queries, customer support is available 24/7.

Overall score: ★★★½

The information in this review is presented objectively and should only be used for informational purposes. Independent Advisor does not endorse downloading or consuming illegally pirated content or streaming content from locations other than those where the subscription is maintained.