BlackVPN Review

Is BlackVPN Good?

BlackVPN looks like a promising service at first glance. It appears to offer access to geo-restricted streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO, and more. The VPN also claims to support torrenting and to offer industry-standard privacy tools. However, during testing, the apps failed to work reliably, and there were several issues with the software and servers.

BlackVPN was established in 2009 and claims to be dedicated to its cause of providing completely free and private internet access for everyone. However, despite this, the VPN does not live up to its promises in reality.

How Much does BlackVPN Cost?

Typically, a VPN service will offer varying subscription plans based on their duration. However, BlackVPN does things differently. It offers different subscription options based on each user’s requirements. Each subscription plan offers varying tools and access to different VPN servers.

There is a Global TV plan that enables access to all of the BlackVPN server locations. This subscription option comes in at $11.26 on the monthly plan, $32 paid upfront or $10.67 a month on the 3-month plan, and $117.37 or $9.78 a month on the annual plan. This makes BlackVPN a relatively expensive option compared to the industry average.

BlackVPN also offers a TV package that is the best choice for UK and US streaming content fans. This option delivers access to all of the VPN’s US and UK remote servers. It costs $8.89 a month on the monthly rolling contract, $23.71 paid upfront or $7.90 a month on the 3-month plan, or $88.92 paid upfront or $7.41 a month on the annual subscription plan. The TV package is also significantly more expensive than most other VPNs, even on the annual plan.

There is also a Privacy plan and separate USA TV and UK TV plans, which are all priced the same, starting at $5.93 on the monthly plan, $15.41 upfront or $5.14 a month on the 3-month version, or $58.08 upfront or $4.84 a month for the annual plan. The Privacy option offers access to all of BlackVPN’s Privacy server locations as well as unlimited torrenting/P2P access.

On a single subscription plan, users get protection for up to 7 devices simultaneously, which is 2 more than the industry average of 5. This means that you can protect all of your devices at the same time for no additional cost. You may even have connections leftover, allowing you to share the VPN will your partner or friend.

If you decide to sign up for BlackVPN, there is a decent range of payment options, including PayPal, credit cards, debit cards, e-wallet, bank transfer, gift cards, Bitcoin, and a host of other cryptocurrencies for completely anonymous payments. BlackVPN claims to offer a 14-day guarantee after purchase; however, this does not seem to be true. The promised 3-day free trial also does not seem to work, which is extremely disappointing.

Is BlackVPN Good for Streaming?

Many users choose to download a VPN in order to access geo-restricted streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO, YouTube, Disney+, and more. Therefore, we have taken into account streaming performance as part of this BlackVPN review.

When you connect to a VPN, your real IP address will be replaced by that of the remote VPN server you are connected to, and the websites and services you access will see the VPN server’s IP address rather than yours. This means that you can connect to a VPN server in another country and trick streaming sites into believing that your activities are actually originating there. If you want to access overseas streaming content, connect to a VPN server in the same country as the content you wish to access.

Unfortunately, BlackVPN is not the most reliable streaming VPN on the market. Some servers may enable access to sites like Netflix, iPlayer, and Hulu, but there is no way to tell which servers will work and which won’t. However, some troubleshooting articles help you overcome VPN blocks on a range of streaming services.

Does BlackVPN have a Large Server Network?

BlackVPN has an extremely small network of just 31 remote servers across 20 locations in 18 countries including Australia, Brazil, Czechia, Romania, and the United States. A small server network typically means that certain servers will become congested and overwhelmed by too many users at once, resulting in slow connection speeds, lagging, and buffering.

Is BlackVPN Secure?

BlackVPN supports IPSec/L2TP, PP2P, and OpenVPN protocols, which are some of the most secure available, which is reassuring. It also allows users to connect to the internet via SSL Tunnels. There is military-grade AES-256 encryption in combination with 4096-bit RSA certificates, SHA51 authentication as well as DHE for Perfect Forward Secrecy. The VPN also utilizes a NAT firewall to prevent unrequested incoming traffic when you’re using the VPN.

All of these security and encryption features will protect and anonymize your internet activities. You will also be able to torrent and download large files safely, but it is necessary to note that torrenting is not allowed on the United States or United Kingdom servers.

Does BlackVPN come with a No-Logging Policy?

The Hong-Kong-based BlackVPN offers a no-logs policy that states that it will never collect or store user internet activity data, traffic data, connection information, bandwidth, DNS logs, or your actual IP address. The VPN can view connection logs and timestamps, but this data is apparently deleted when you disconnect from the VPN.

The company states that it does not keep connection logs to deter abuse of its service. Instead, it relies on reacting to reports of abuse by temporarily restricting access to the services or sites that are being abused. This means that connections to certain IP addresses that are being abused may be monitored so that the abuser can be identified and blocked. This monitoring likely continues until the abuse of the service ceases.

There is no way to solidly verify the company’s claims unless it completes an independent security audit of its privacy policy and services. However, it is reassuring to see this level of transparency from BlackVPN. The company is also based and registered in Hong Kong, a country that does not suffer from strict data retention laws, which is a positive for security-conscious users. This means that the VPN can operate with a minimum amount of knowledge about its users.

Does BlackVPN have Wide Platform Support?

Customers can use BlackVPN across various devices, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Wi-Fi routers, for which there are detailed configuration files, native apps, and setup guides. The Android app is available for download directly from the app store.

The BlackVPN Windows client is relatively quick and easy to download and install. However, once the app was installed, it did not work reliably. After the first few tries, it connected to the VPN server, but extremely low connection speeds made it almost unusable.

Does BlackVPN have Good Customer Support?

BlackVPN comes with an email support service to help you if you have any queries or issues while setting up the VPN app on your devices. There is also the option to open up a support ticket if you have further questions about your account, client installation, or server connections. You can also enter your details into the contact form on the BlackVPN website if you have other questions.

We recommend checking out the VPN’s website for FAQs, troubleshooting articles, installation guides, and more.

How does BlackVPN Work?

When you connect to a VPN server, your internet activity data will be re-routed through an encrypted tunnel created by the VPN. Your data will be encrypted by the VPN so that it is protected from the prying eyes of your ISP (Internet Service Provider), hackers, cybercriminals, malicious advertisers, the government, and other third parties that may be trying to access or even steal your personal data.

Even if someone did gain access to your connection, all they would see is scrambled indecipherable data. The VPN will also replace your actual IP address- the unique number assigned to you by your ISP that identifies you to the websites and internet services you visit- with that of the VPN server so that no one can link your browsing activities back to you or your device. This means that you can access the internet in private.

Also, because a VPN will replace your IP address with that of the VPN server you chose to connect to, you can trick streaming sites like Netflix into believing that your activities are originating from another country, to gain access to geo-restricted content. Connect to a server in the same country as the content you want to stream for unlimited access.

Unfortunately, BlackVPN is not as powerful as some of the best VPNs on the market. Despite that it may offer an additional layer of protection for your data, its poor connection speeds are unlikely to support most internet activities, rendering it largely useless.

Is BlackVPN Worth Buying?

When choosing a VPN provider, you want reliability, quality, and security. BlackVPN claims to offer all of these things, and while it may have been a good VPN in the past, its service is now largely disappointing.

BlackVPN may have been a good VPN in the past; however, it is fraught with issues, including low connection speeds, disappointing clients, and unreliable customer support. It may enable access to Netflix and a few other streaming sites, but this is pointless if connection speeds can’t support streaming.

Therefore, we would recommend looking at an alternative VPN provider such as ExpressVPN, Surfshark, NordVPN, or CyberGhost. These VPN services offer extensive networks of VPN locations around the world, reliable access to Netflix and other streaming sites, wide app support, strong encryption, protection from DNS leaks, and much more, for affordable monthly prices.

BlackVPN Alternatives

BlackVPN can in no way compete with some of the best VPNs on the market. If you require a first-rate VPN that delivers excellent streaming performance, powerful security features, and much more for an affordable price, we would recommend VPN services like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, or Surfshark.

NordVPN:

NordVPN is an excellent alternative to BlackVPN. It delivers excellent performance, torrenting support and will reliably unblock Netflix. Connection speeds are excellent, too, thanks to its proprietary NordLynx protocol. There is a host of advanced security features to protect your online activities including double VPN encryption, Onion over VPN, obfuscated servers, an audited no-logs policy, and secure DNS leak protection. Prices start at just $3.71 a month if you commit to the 2-year plan, and you’ll be protected by a risk-free money-back guarantee in case you change your mind. A single subscription comes with protection for up to 6 simultaneous connections too.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers access to over 3000 servers in 94 countries, first-rate privacy and security features, an independently-audited no-logging policy, reliable streaming performance, DNS leak protection, an integrated kill-switch, and a helpful 24/7 live chat. It is also based in the privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands. Subscriptions are slightly more expensive at $6.67 a month on the annual plan, but for most users, it is worth the additional investment.

All subscription plans are protected by a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, too, so you’ll have lots of time to test the VPN app before making a decision. If you’re not completely happy, contact the customer support team and request a refund. You’ll get your money back-no questions asked, as long as it is still within 30 days of purchase.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost is another one of the most popular VPN providers that makes a great alternative to BlackVPN. There is wide app support for devices including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux, as well as 256-bit strong encryption, powerful streaming support, and much more. Prices start at just $2.25 on a long-term plan, making it one of the most affordable options on the market.

CyberGhost even comes with an industry-leading 45-day money-back guarantee, so you’ll have plenty of time to use the VPN for all of your favorite activities before making a decision. There’s reliable customer support, too, if you need help setting up the app or connecting to a VPN server.

Surfshark

Surfshark is another extremely affordable VPN provider that comes with an unlimited simultaneous connections policy, support for all major streaming services, and excellent privacy and security standards to ensure your online activities remain completely secure and anonymous. There are some advanced tools, too, including split tunneling and an integrated ad-blocker. The 2-year plan comes in at just $2.49 a month, making it one of the most affordable VPNs available.

Author Cliff Durward

Hi, I'm Cliff. I'm based in Cleveland, Ohio, with my wife and two kids. I have a keen interest in cybersecurity and have been writing about it for around a decade now. Due to my background in computer science, I am familiar ...
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