ZenMate VPN Review

ZenMate VPN uses TLS 1.2 (RFC 5246) + different cipher suites with PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy) to protect user data. Browser extensions use 128-bit AES encryption, and desktop and mobile applications use 256-bit AES encryption. As for the location of the headquarters – it is located in Germany, and this fact is definitely not in favor of user data security, as Germany is part of the 14 Eyes alliance. If a company will get pressured – your data could fall into the hands of the government, which is a big problem.

ZenMate VPN has a strict zero logs policy, so you don’t have to fear that information about your online activity, real IP and data about downloaded files will fall into the hands of third parties.

We also tested ZenMate VPN for DNS leaks. The service itself does not have built-in protection against DNS leaks, but when you install the VPN application, the “DNS leak protection” function is automatically activated, which purpose is exactly to protect the user from any DNS leaks. You can disable this feature, but we strongly recommend not to do so, as disabling it will put your privacy at risk.

Having tested both with and without “DNS leak protection” we can say that in the second case we have direct DNS leaks and the DNS servers of our home ISP (Polish ISP in our case) are shown. As for the test with switched on “DNS leak protection” – there are no direct leaks, but DNS servers are displayed differently from the connected location, which is not very good.

Summarizing all of the above, we can give ZenMate VPN 3 for the “Security” criterion.

The creators of ZenMate VPN claim that ZenMate VPN network has lightning-fast download speeds, which guarantees the most pleasant experience using the service. We will now find out how good the connection speed really is.

Based on the test results, the connection speed decreased by about 44%, which is quite a lot. The normal speed reduction rate for premium VPN is 10-20%, but in our case, the rate does not fall within the normal range, which is a problem.

Based on the test results, we put ZenMate VPN 2.5  for the “Speed” criterion.

Protocols: ZenMate VPN supports the following protocols: OpenVPN, IPSec, IKEv2, and L2TP. However, it is important to remember that the availability of protocols varies by device.

Availability: Users can use ZenMate VPN on both desktops (Win, Mac, Linux) and mobile devices (Android, iOS). In addition to desktop/mobile apps, ZenMate VPN can also be installed on Smart/Apple TVs, game consoles, Chromebooks, Raspberry Pis, and routers. And for those who prefer browser clients, the service offers extensions for Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Firefox.

Servers: ZenMate VPN network consists of 4700 servers in 81 countries, some of which are virtual. The creators have specially allocated servers that are optimized for streaming and torrent activity, which is very convenient. The site does not indicate what type of IP the ZenMate VPN servers correspond to, but based on our observations, the IPs on the servers are dynamic.

Useful Features: Compared to its competitors, ZenMate VPN does not have an extensive set of features. You can enable the “KillSwitch” function to protect yourself from data leakage in case of an unplanned shutdown of the VPN server, as well as the “DNS leak protection” function, which is designed to protect the user from any DNS leaks. In addition to all of the above, you can enable the function of selecting a random port when connecting via the OpenVPN protocol, which makes it possible to use VPN at airports and hotels, which usually limit Internet traffic. Finally, we also want to add that you can disable all IPv6 connections when using ZenMate VPN so as not to put your privacy at risk, since the service does not currently seem to support IPv6 connections.

We would also like to inform you that ZenMate VPN may experience connection difficulties from heavily censored countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, etc. And in the cases of China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, the developers have completely restricted access to applications, as they cannot guarantee the reliability of work of their product.

As a result, we want to say that in general, ZenMate VPN has that minimum set of features that should be present with a premium VPN. However, the lack of proper connection support for heavily censored countries is a significant downside for ZenMate VPN. We give ZenMate VPN 3.5 for “Features” criterion.

You’ll have to pay about $11 for a monthly subscription to ZenMate VPN. We also want to note that the service offers a separate subscription, which will only work for browser extensions. It costs less, about $7. As with any other premium VPN, by buying a longer-term subscription from ZenMate VPN you can save by monthly cost discount. The service offers different payment methods depending on the country the user is in. Among other things, ZenMate VPN supports payments through VISA, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal and Sofort Banking. If the subscription is not suitable for you – you can request a refund within 30 days of purchasing the subscription.

For users, who would like to test ZenMate VPN features, there is a 7-day trial period for VPN applications and free extensions for browsers.

Based on the functionality, we can say that the price is slightly overpriced and there are alternative VPN providers that offer more for less or the same price. The presence of a free plan is a big plus in favor of this VPN. We give ZenMate VPN 4.5 for the “Price” criterion.

ZenMate VPN supports a variety of streaming services, especially sports ones, which is an advantage in the market of VPN providers. In addition, there is a separate section for VPN applications where only servers optimized for streaming are presented, which is very convenient.

Similarly, ZenMate VPN offers dedicated servers for torrent activity, which are optimized for the most secure downloads and steadily good speeds. 

Based on all of the above, we can give ZenMate VPN a score of 5 for “Streaming and Torrents” criterion.

ZenMate VPN is a premium VPN, which performs quite well its main task as a VPN service. After evaluating the functionality of the service the price may seem a bit steep compared to other VPN providers, but for a VPN that spends a lot of resources to support streaming and torrent activity, it is an adequate price. We can recommend ZenMate VPN, but we also advise you to look at other VPN providers on the market, which offer even more features and better data protection for the same or lower price.