Catering more towards the non-technical crowd, ZenMate has been around since 2013. As the zen in ZenMate suggests, it’s fairly simple and sparse in terms of features. With so many competing options available, is it even worth looking at ZenMate?
ZenMate offers three different subscription tiers, including one-month, six-month, and 12-month options. Pricing for the monthly tier is on the high end, but the price drops once you get to the annual subscription. They offer a Streaming Guarantee, providing credits if you can’t access your favorite streaming sites.
ZenMate also offers a basic free service using Chrome, Firefox, and Opera extensions. However, it’s limited to only four locations and transfer speeds are capped at 2Mbps.
For the paid subscription you can use ZenMate on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android as well as browsers. OpenVPN support also allows you to set up the service on routers, TVs, game consoles, and Linux devices.
As you would expect of a VPN catered towards non-technical folks everything is basic. From the client setup to the user interface, the design is simple and the UI intuitive.
All you do is click on the app in your taskbar and choose your server.
There is a settings menu to enable a couple of extra features, but overall, there’s not a lot of tabs or settings for you to go through. If you’re looking for something easy to use, this is a perfect option.
With the subscriptions, you can connect up to five devices -- a total on par with other VPNs.
Simplicity is its main selling point, so if you’re looking for a VPN loaded with features, you probably want to look elsewhere.
With that said ZenMate offers the basics such as:
While their website seems straightforward enough, their FAQs and privacy policy noted only one concern: they keep some connection logs.
However, these are mainly for if support needs information for help with their service.
Based in Germany -- a country with strict privacy laws -- ZenMate does not store or log personal data or monitor your activity. They also allow Bitcoin payments for additional anonymity.
In terms of security, they use the industry standard 256-bit encryption and when tested experts found no DNS or IP leaks.
With over 30 countries, there are plenty of options for you to choose from.
Unfortunately, general performance did not impress reviewers. Many noticed a significant drop in speeds when connected to the client with some noting decreases as high as 68%.
Servers in Europe, the UK, and the US had the best speeds ranging from 20-35Mbps. Asia fared the worst ranging only from 5-15Mbps.
If you want fast customer support, you’re better off looking elsewhere. ZenMate only offers email support.
While critics were happy with how quickly the representatives responded to their queries (around 24 hours), it still can’t beat live chat.
Luckily, ZenMate has a useful FAQ and setup guide so you can generally find answers to your questions without ever emailing someone.
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ZenMate is not the cheapest or most feature-filled VPN available. Nor is it the fastest. And while it offers an intuitive interface and good privacy protection, it’s too much of a mixed bag for experts to recommend.
PC World states, “ZenMate is a fine choice if you need a VPN that works well in Europe and North America. Power users, however, will probably want to look elsewhere…”
TechRadar states, “ZenMate’s free browser-based service might be useful, but inconsistent speeds and a distinct lack of features make it hard to recommend the paid products.”
- Stuart Andrews, Tech.CoIt’s hard to strongly recommend ZenMate VPN when rival services do a better job for a similar price. It doesn’t really do anything that badly, but it’s not as speedy as claimed and it feels a touch basic. Given the fierce competition in the market, you could easily find a better VPN.
- Stuart Andrews, Expert ReviewsThere’s plenty to like about ZenMate’s simple user interface and solid protection. Overall it’s an effective and trustworthy VPN. It doesn’t quite make it onto our list of recommended VPN services, but with a wider selection of server locations and some more consistent speeds it could. And at curren...
- Mike Williams, TechRadarZenMate is easy to set up, and we like the Chrome extension, but the Premium plan doesn't have the speed or features to match the best of the rest.
- Aazim Akhtar, VPN RanksWe recommend ZenMate VPN for people who do not have high requirements for security and privacy, but are looking for instant accessibility of content.
- Ian Paul, PCWorldA solid choice for VPN novices that don't want a lot of fuss. Advanced users who prefer tweaking features and choices would do well to look elsewhere. ZenMate's speeds are not outstanding but are good enough in the locations that matter most.
Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Germany |
Pricing/Sign Up | |
Starting Price (per Month) | $2.05 |
Plans and Pricing | Visit Site |
Free Trial | 7 days |
Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
Payment Options | Credit Cards, PayPal |
ID Required | Valid email address |
Features | |
Server Locations (# of Countries) | 35 |
Number of Servers | 1510 + |
Devices Per License | 5 |
Simultaneous Connections | 5 |
Unlimited Bandwidth | Yes |
Double-Hop / Double VPN | No |
Accesses Netflix | Yes |
P2P / Torrenting Allowed | No |
Accepts Bitcoin | No |
Non-US Company | Yes |
Protected | |
Protocols | IPSec, L2TP, OpenVPN, PPTP, SSTP |
Encryption | AES-256, RSA-4096 |
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 | No |
Live Chat Support | No |
Telephone Support | No |
Email Support | Yes |
More | |
Additional comments |
Other Names (AKA): Zen Mate |
Terms & Conditions | Official Terms & Conditions |
Suggest a correction |
Help inform others by sharing your experience with ZenMate
It’s hard to strongly recommend ZenMate VPN when rival services do a better job for a similar price. It doesn’t really do anything that badly, but it’s not as speedy as claimed and it feels a touch basic. Given the fierce competition in the market, you could easily find a better VPN.
It’s hard to strongly recommend ZenMate VPN when rival services do a better job for a similar price. It doesn’t really do anything that badly, but it’s not as speedy as claimed and it feels a touch basic. Given the fierce competition in the market, you could easily find a better VPN.
There’s plenty to like about ZenMate’s simple user interface and solid protection. Overall it’s an effective and trustworthy VPN. It doesn’t quite make it onto our list of recommended VPN services, but with a wider selection of server locations and some more consistent speeds it could. An...More
There’s plenty to like about ZenMate’s simple user interface and solid protection. Overall it’s an effective and trustworthy VPN. It doesn’t quite make it onto our list of recommended VPN services, but with a wider selection of server locations and some more consistent speeds it could. And at current prices, depending on your needs, it might be worth a go anyway.
ZenMate is easy to set up, and we like the Chrome extension, but the Premium plan doesn't have the speed or features to match the best of the rest.
ZenMate is easy to set up, and we like the Chrome extension, but the Premium plan doesn't have the speed or features to match the best of the rest.
We recommend ZenMate VPN for people who do not have high requirements for security and privacy, but are looking for instant accessibility of content.
We recommend ZenMate VPN for people who do not have high requirements for security and privacy, but are looking for instant accessibility of content.
A solid choice for VPN novices that don't want a lot of fuss. Advanced users who prefer tweaking features and choices would do well to look elsewhere. ZenMate's speeds are not outstanding but are good enough in the locations that matter most.
A solid choice for VPN novices that don't want a lot of fuss. Advanced users who prefer tweaking features and choices would do well to look elsewhere. ZenMate's speeds are not outstanding but are good enough in the locations that matter most.
A fairly priced and simple VPN that provides good levels of security and privacy. It is a good choice for those who want a ‘plug and play’ approach, however, if you are looking for something that you can tweak to suit your individual needs, then it is not for you. If you can get a server with...More
A fairly priced and simple VPN that provides good levels of security and privacy. It is a good choice for those who want a ‘plug and play’ approach, however, if you are looking for something that you can tweak to suit your individual needs, then it is not for you. If you can get a server with a good speed, then it is perfect for your Netflix needs. Unlimited server switching is a definite bonus on this front.
Not a top-draw provider although its features do provide everything that basic users will need to connect through one of their server locations. Value for money is good, it’s a zero logs provider, and we found the customer service team to be responsive and competent.
Not a top-draw provider although its features do provide everything that basic users will need to connect through one of their server locations. Value for money is good, it’s a zero logs provider, and we found the customer service team to be responsive and competent.
Although the Germanic-headquarters are alarming, the VPN provider still manages to deliver quite the impressive safety features, excellent compatibility, and decent customer support. The prices of using the service are also quite low, especially if you opt for the yearly plan. Overall, users look...More
Although the Germanic-headquarters are alarming, the VPN provider still manages to deliver quite the impressive safety features, excellent compatibility, and decent customer support. The prices of using the service are also quite low, especially if you opt for the yearly plan. Overall, users looking for good reliability and security will definitely find ZenMate certainly fitting their style.
By combining the strength of the app and the speed of the browser add on, you could probably get all you need out of this VPN service. The VPN probably isn’t secure enough to be reliable for those in locations such as Iran, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia who need air-tight privacy to keep safe on th...More
By combining the strength of the app and the speed of the browser add on, you could probably get all you need out of this VPN service. The VPN probably isn’t secure enough to be reliable for those in locations such as Iran, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia who need air-tight privacy to keep safe on the web. However, gamers and streamers would be well served by the browser extension. Those who need more privacy should switch to the app.
Read full reviewZenMate is an easy-to-use VPN, which I recommend to anyone who doesn't want to get a headache with the setup. It's suitable for all those who want to protect their connection and watch streaming.
ZenMate is an easy-to-use VPN, which I recommend to anyone who doesn't want to get a headache with the setup. It's suitable for all those who want to protect their connection and watch streaming.