Note: We may earn commissions (at no cost to you) if you buy through links on our site. Learn more.
NOTE: This VPN may no longer be available for new customers. See the latest VPN reviews here.

ZenMate review



# of Servers
4800
# of Servers
4800
Server Locations
77
Server Locations
77
Unlimited Bandwidth
Yes
Price Per Month (From)
$1.99
Price Per Month (From)
$1.99
Free Trial
7 days
Free Trial
7 days


6.9/10
Informr score
The ZenMate currently has an Informr score of 6.9 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 25 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

Unless you’re looking for an ultra-simple option, ZenMate simply doesn’t compete with other services in terms of value. 

What's good

  • Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
  • Killswitch
  • Free browser-based service
  • P2P support

What's bad

  • No 24/7 support
  • Mediocre performance
  • Not a lot of features

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?

Price

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.

Supported Devices

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.

Ease of Use

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.

Simultaneous Connections

With the subscriptions, you can connect up to five devices -- a total on par with other VPNs.

Included Features

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:

  • Killswitch
  • P2P and torrenting support
  • Auto start on computer startup
  • Tracking protection
  • Malware blocking
  • Smart Locations

Privacy and Logging

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.

Performance

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.

Support

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.

_

Summary

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.


What the Critics Are Saying...


ReviewVPN
ReviewVPN

Zenmate can be a worthwhile option to take into account, but I wouldn’t claim it is the best. If they have the right mix of servers for your needs, we can definitely see why you would go with them and save some serious money in the long run. The other nice feature is that the price isn’t introductor...

- ReviewVPN
VPN Ranks
VPN Ranks

Yes, I do recommend ZenMate. Obviously, there are so many reasons why. It offers a free trial, doesn’t keep activity logs, works with Netflix and torrenting and offers fast speeds as well. Overall, it’s a pretty awesome VPN service. However, it is not completely perfect.

- Gerald Hunt, VPN Ranks
vpnMentor
vpnMentor

An affordable VPN with many good features, but limitations, too. It is suitable for torrenting and unblocking many streaming services. It is user-friendly and has a decent network size. On the one hand, ZenMate lacks some privacy and advanced security options, but it has some useful tools, like its...

- Magdalena Madej, vpnMentor
TheBestVPN.UK
TheBestVPN.UK

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.

- Wade, TheBestVPN.UK
TechJury
TechJury

This VPN could be a solid choice for torrenting. But it should hide DNS requests consistently first. Still, I understand why most ZenMate reviews are glowing. This vendor’s P2P and streaming server locations outnumber those of many popular competitors. Its misleading content is forgivable since it's...

- Romj Amon, TechJury

Details


Overview
Headquarters Germany
Pricing/Sign Up
Starting Price (per Month) $1.99
Plans and Pricing Visit Site
Free Trial 7 days
Money Back Guarantee 45 Days
Payment Options Credit Cards, PayPal
ID Required Valid email address
Features
Server Locations (# of Countries) 77
Number of Servers 4800 +
Devices Per License 5
Simultaneous Connections 5
Unlimited Bandwidth Yes
Double-Hop / Double VPN No
Accesses Netflix Yes
P2P / Torrenting Allowed Yes
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 Yes
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 Yes
Telephone Support No
Email Support
More
Additional comments Other Names (AKA): Zen Mate

Terms & Conditions Official Terms & Conditions

Use this VPN?

Help inform others by sharing your experience with ZenMate

Rate It: