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# of Servers
1400
# of Servers
1400
Server Locations
37
Server Locations
37
Unlimited Bandwidth
Yes
Price Per Month (From)
$4.99
Price Per Month (From)
$4.99
Free Trial
-
Free Trial
-


6.2/10
Informr score
The Avira Phantom VPN currently has an Informr score of 6.2 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 16 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

Avira Phantom VPN offers an okay experience and is good for people on a budget but drops the ball on features and speed. It’s a good option for people who want occasional protection when traveling or using public Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, it might fall short of expectations for more experienced VPN users.

What's good

  • Generous free plan
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Killswitch
  • OpenVPN
  • 24/7 phone support

What's bad

  • Mediocre performance outside the US, UK, and Germany
  • Few features
  • No anonymous payment option

Avira is already well-known as an antivirus company, but they offer VPN service as well.Unlike other antivirus companies, Avira has built its own service instead of relying on services from a third-party. And while you can access it for free if you already pay for the Avira Prime service, is it worth it or should you try another service? Let’s see what reviewers think.

Price

As noted above, if you already subscribe to Avira Prime, you can access the Avira VPN for free. They also offer a free option that provides up to 500MB of service per month without asking for an email and for an unlimited number of devices.

If you need more bandwidth, they offer an option for mobile devices and another either a month-to-month or yearly subscription for all devices.

Supported Devices

Avira Phantom VPN supports Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. If you’re using a computer where you can’t download apps, then you can take advantage of the Chrome extensions. Unfortunately, you can’t use it on routers, smart TVs or game consoles

Ease of Use

Overall, the interface is basic, making it easy to use. With that said, experts note it could be confusing figuring out how to select country locations. When you connect to the VPN, it will choose the server closest to you. However, if you want to use a server from a different country, you will need to find the link at the bottom of the dashboard that says “Nearest location.”

Otherwise, everything is straightforward. This is because the service doesn’t offer a ton of features anyway. For those who want something that’s quick and simple, it’s perfect. However, if you want more customizability, you’re better off looking elsewhere.

Simultaneous Connections

You can connect an unlimited amount of devices to the service even with the free version! If you sign up for a paid service tier, the mobile-only payment plan will only cover your mobile devices. So if you want protection all around, it’s best to pay for the full plan.

Included Features

Avira Phantom VPN doesn’t offer a ton of standout features but it checks most of the boxes for protection.

Features include:

  • Killswitch (only for paid subscribers)
  • Unlimited bandwidth (only for paid subscribers)
  • Tech support
  • Military-grade encryption protocol
  • Browser safety

The browser safety add-on further increases your overall safety as it blocks ads, protects against unwanted programs during downloads, checks for malicious sites, and offers tracker protection.

Privacy and Logging

On the surface, the service appears to offer good privacy. It does not require email registration for the free tier and accepts PayPal. Still, there’s no Bitcoin payment option for those who want true anonymity online.

In terms of logging, their privacy policy states they do not track your real IP address or track browsing activity. Still, the policy admits they log the amount of data you use and whether you’re a free or paid user.

Overall, TechRadar states, “... None of that constitutes any significant privacy risk, and many commercial VPNs record similar details, often even more.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle in terms of privacy is its location. Avira is in Germany, which means they must comply with data retention laws. As of 2016, the company may be required to hold on to identifiable data to comply with local law. Still, any data they track is anonymous. This means they would have nothing to share if called upon by the government to turn over information.

Performance

While Avira Phantom delivers on many fronts, it sadly falls flat on performance. Its unimpressive speeds disappointed reviewers. When they tested across different locations around the world, they could only reach roughly 14% of their base transfer speed.

Still, many reviewers found speeds fast in the US, UK and Germany. And considering most of its 100 servers are located in the US and Europe, that’s a relatively good sign. It just means you shouldn’t connect to the Asia or Mexico servers if speed is important.

Support

If you pay for a monthly or yearly subscription, you have access to 24/7 telephone support. There’s also a support forum you can search to see if anyone has encountered the problem you’re facing before. There are also knowledge base articles but reviewers found they don’t provide a lot of detail.

Summary

Avira Phantom VPN doesn’t offer the most features and isn’t the fastest VPN on the block, but it provides a generous set of features for a free option and good privacy. With that said, it doesn’t offer too much in the way of customization and its lack of server locations and mediocre speeds make it hard for experts to recommend paying for the service.

PC Mag notes, “... Avira offers much of what we’re looking for in a VPN, at a reasonable price… That said, the app is in need of a visual overhaul, and its server offering is far from robust.

PC World adds, “... You can definitely find VPNs with faster speeds. What you get with Avira, however, is the comfort of knowing who’s behind your VPN, the knowledge its run by security experts, and a very liberal simultaneous use policy.


What the Critics Are Saying...


PC Magazine
PC Magazine

Avira Phantom VPN Pro secures the web browsing of up to 25 devices, but it offers a small number of servers and server locations and its pricing is confusing.

- Chris Stobing, PC Magazine
All About Cookies
All About Cookies

Do we think Avira Phantom VPN is worth it? Honestly, we think you can save your money for a better VPN that has more features for the same price.

- Mars Groves, All About Cookies
We The Geek
We The Geek

Avira Phantom VPN is a good choice for novice and casual users. Since it lacks several functionalities such as changing protocols, Split Tunneling, and Port Forwarding, it might not be a great option for advanced users. We are sure, if these features were added, it could have made the VPN applicatio...

- Mansi Vijay, We The Geek
The VPN Lab
The VPN Lab

The overall performance was extremely smooth, we did not experience any dropouts, and we are happy to say that we did not detect any IP or DNS leaks. We also like that you get unlimited bandwidth with your subscription, so you can browse, stream, and download care-free.

- The VPN Lab
TechJury
TechJury

As a pure VPN, Phantom was excellent. It spoofed my location and circumvented geo-restrictions to my satisfaction. Its lack of exportable configuration profiles hurts its compatibility, though. At least you can connect as many supported devices as you want with a single premium subscription with no...

- Romj Amon, TechJury

Details


Overview
Headquarters Germany
Pricing/Sign Up
Starting Price (per Month) $4.99
Plans and Pricing Visit Site
Free Trial No
Money Back Guarantee 60 Days
Payment Options Credit Cards, PayPal, Bitcoin
ID Required Valid email address
Features
Server Locations (# of Countries) 37
Number of Servers 1400 +
Devices Per License Unlimited
Simultaneous Connections Unlimited
Unlimited Bandwidth Yes
Double-Hop / Double VPN No
Accesses Netflix Yes
P2P / Torrenting Allowed Yes
Accepts Bitcoin Yes
Non-US Company Yes
Protected
Protocols IPSec, OpenVPN, WireGuard
Encryption AES-256
No Logs / No Tracking Yes
Dedicated IP Available No
VPN Over Tor No
Wi-Fi Leak Protection No
Private DNS Server No
DNS Leak Protection Yes
IP Leak Protection Yes
WebRTC Leak Protection Yes
IPv6 Leak Protection Yes
Kill Switch Yes
Supported Platforms
Operating Systems Windows, Mac OSX, iOS, Android
Mobile App Yes
Router No
Browser Extension Yes
Customer Support
24/7 Support Yes
Live Chat Support No
Telephone Support No
Email Support Yes
More
Additional comments
Terms & Conditions Official Terms & Conditions

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