Anonymizer VPN is a VPN service that was established by Lance Cottrell in 1995. It was originally Infonex Internet, only becoming Anonymizer in 1997 when the company acquired a web based privacy proxy of the same name. Since 2010, it has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the American software, hardware, and cyber security company – Ntrepid.
An anonymizer is a tool that is supposed to make the activities of it’s user untraceable. With that knowledge, there’ll be no doubt as to what Anonymizer VPN is designed to do.
Anonymizer VPN is a 20 year veteran in the VPN industry as it was launched in 1995. That makes them age-mates with the internet as we know it today. You’ll have to duff your cap to Anonymizer VPN for having started providing online protection/ anonymity from the very beginning and for having survived till date.
However, virtual agelessness can go either ways. On one hand, it can make a service provider old-school and not relevant in modern times. On the other hand, it can crown a service provider with the experience required to always deliver the service that fits the times. In which category does Anonymizer VPN fall, the former or the latter?
This Anonymizer VPN review will provide the information that will help you answer that questions such as “Is Anonymizer VPN safe”, Is Anonymizer VPN legit”, or “Is Anonymizer VPN scam and unreliable?”.
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What is a VPN, and how does it work?
Like every other VPN service, Anonymizer VPN creates a secure network over a public network like the internet. It encrypts your traffic and route them through their servers to get to your online destination. The encryption gives you security because even if your data is captured by third parties, it will be gibberish to them; and the rerouting keeps you anonymous because your data traffic will be seen as coming from the Anonymizer VPN’s server and not from your machine.
A VPN use is very important these days with the internet becoming very dangerous and/ or restricted. For activists living in restrictive regimes, it can literally mean life or death. Other users might simply want to be protected from hackers and cyber fraudsters; while others may want t avoid internet censorship.
Using Anonymizer VPN is legal, except in lands where all VPN use are explicitly banned. You can meet the service at: https://www.anonymizer.com.
Server Network
On their landing page, Anonymizer VPN did a little comparison of their service with some of the competition. On the section titled “see how Anonymizer stacks up against the competitors”, Anonymizer VPN proudly show that they fly above the competition in such areas as pricing, logging policy, and refund policy. One thing that stood out by its absence from the chart is server network.
On checking their server network, the reason for choosing not to compare their server network with those of the competition became apparent.
Anonymizer VPN operates servers in only two locations in two countries. Yes, that was no error. Two!
You probably don’t need to be told that when trying to sell yourself, it would be self defeating to compare your server network that consist of 2 locations in 2 countries with that of “so and so” VPN that consists of over 3000 locations in over 50 countries across the globe. You will not dare do that comparison, especially when you know that bigger is better.
With VPN server networks, bigger is better. A robust network with numerous servers locations in numerous countries around the world is better for anonymity, unblocking purpose, and performance.
With a big server network, you’ll have enhanced anonymity because you’ll have more virtual locations to hide behind. It’s also the go-to for unblocking purposes because you’re more likely to find virtual IPs for locations with restricted contents. Lastly, you’ll have better performance because you’re more likely to find closeby servers to connect to, and also you’re less likely to find that servers are overcrowded.
One of the servers of Anonymizer VPN is located in San Diego (in the US) and the other is in Amsterdam (in the Netherlands). This means you only have these two locations for spoofing your real location. Also, you will be able to unblock only these two locations (and maybe some nearby locations also).
Lastly, users resident in either of the two locations (and anywhere else close by) might find joy with the performance/ speed of the service when connecting; but for everyone else who live far off, with no near by server, you’ll be connecting over long distances to the server in either Amsterdam or San Diego, and you’ll find that your performance/ speed will be significantly affected.
That said, to say that the server network of Anonymizer VPN is limited does not even tell the story.
Packages and Pricing
To say that the pricing of Anonymizer VPN is simple will be an understatement. It is simpler than simple.
There are no graded plans. There’s no such thing as a premium plan with special features made for high paying users; or a basic plan that is stripped bare of features, and made for low paying users.
Anonymizer VPN offers just one service plan. What is more, there are no different billing options. Almost every other VPN offer their service for fixed subscription periods. Billing periods varies, but those oft seen include: monthly, quarterly, and annually.
Usually the longer term subscriptions features price discount, such that the longer your commitment, the more cost savings you have. In such pricing models, if the VPN service offers one service plan, their users have access to the same features/ offerings, but the duration of their access (and their VPN expenditure) may differ depending on their billing period.
Anonymizer VPN not only offers one service plan but also offers one billing option, which is the annual subscription. Thus, they are able to offer just one price for all subscription to the service.
To use Anonymizer VPN, you’ll have to pay $79.99 for one full year. This means the service will set you back by about $6.67 every month.
This makes Anonymizer VPN an expensive service. There are many VPN services, even some highly rated ones, that have best value deals that are about $3.00 or less.
On their site, Anonymizer VPN compares their price with the prices of the annual packages of some of the top VPN services in the industry. The aim of the comparison is to tell you that Anonymizer VPN is relatively pocket friendly; but as we’ve seen, it is not.
One problem with the pricing of Anonymizer VPN is that you cannot use the service for short terms, say 3 months. You’ll have to make a full year’s commitment. This leaves out many users who would want VPN protection just for a short period.
Payment Option
You can purchase Anonymizer VPN with credit/ debit cards. This include Master card, Visa card, American Express, Discover, Dinners, and JCB. If you’ll rather make payment with e-wallets, Anonymizer VPN is not for you.
Also, all fans of crypto currencies will be disappointed, as there’s no support for any of the cryptos, not even bitcoin.
One good thing, though, is that you can make payment anonymously by mailing in cash (you can also mail in a check).
Refund Policy
VPN services have refund policies were they guarantee to give you back your money if you find the service not to your liking. Anonymizer VPN is no exception.
Their refund policy is powered by a 45 days money back guarantee. The 45 days window means that you can use the service for up to 45 days and still be eligible for a refund.
This is a very generous refund window; and you’ll be hard pressed to find a VPN service that gives more. I’ve looked at literally over a hundred VPN services, and I’ve seen only one that gives a money back guarantee of more than 45 days.
In my experience, when VPN services gives a long refund window, they include conditions to make the long period all but useless. For example, some would give you a long period (say 30 days), but will also include a data limit that if exceeded will make the user ineligible for a refund. The problem is the data is usually low-capped, and will realistically be exceeded in a few days.
Thus, I was looking to find such speed bumps. Impressively, I saw none. The refund policy of Anonymizer VPN is not only long but also unlimited.
If you email Technical Support via the “Email Us” form to request a refund, as long as the request is made within 45 days of purchase of the service, you will receive a full refund. There are no caveats.
Free Trial
Anonymizer VPN also offer a 14 days free trial. This is almost-standard practice as there are many VPN services that offer free trials so that users can test run their service and fully understand what’s on offer before committing resources to the paid plan.
However, the free trial account of Anonymizer VPN beats a host of the rest in duration. They make you know this. On their website, they show you that many of the top rated services have trial accounts that last for at most 7 days, which is half of the 14 days that they offer.
Another good thing is that you don’t need to submit your credit card information to get the free account. This is one you’ll like if you don’t want a VPN having your payment information before you have decided to go with them.
One thing you should know is that the free trial account can only give you one server location, which is the Amsterdam location. This means that many people will be connecting to and overcrowding the server. This will take it’s toll on performance/ speed.
One server location for trial means that you’ll have no luck using the trial account for unblocking purposes.
Features
Device Compatibility
You want your VPN to support a range of devices so that you are more likely to find support for your device.
The good news here is that you can use Anonymizer VPN on the popular operating systems, which are Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. That’s about it.
However, they have native VPN apps for only Windows and Mac. This means that to use the VPN on your mobile devices (or Linux), you’ll have to grab the OpenVPN config files, and do manual configuration of the VPN. For many users who are not tech savvy, or who just like a “plug and play” solution, this extra work to get the VPN running can be overwhelming and a deal breaker.
There’s also no support for routers; and that cost Anonymizer VPN a lot of scoring points. With support for routers, one can do a workaround and a VPN can be used secure devices like Smart TVs and gaming consoles. The workaround is to configure the VPN on a router, and connect the devices to the router to protect them.
Since Anonymizer VPN does not support routers, there’s no router work-around to be done, and the service cannot be used to secure Smart TVs and gaming consoles.
In an age where there are VPN services that support any device that has an operating systems, the limited device support of Anonymizer might be a deal breaker.
Simultaneous Connections
I have a phone and laptop, and almost all the time, the two devices are in use together. Thus, I’ll go for a VPN service that allow me secure both devices without spending unnecessarily to buy multiple VPN accounts. Many users can easily add a tablet, and a home/ office desktop to the list of devices that they have. Therefore, it’s important that any VPN serious about competing in this age should support simultaneous connections.
There are VPN services that will not allow you connect your multiple devices at the same time to protect them with one account; while the very generous ones will allow you up to five device connections.
Anonymizer VPN gives you six simultaneous connections. This is more than the industry standard. This makes it an okay service if you’re just looking at securing multiple devices with one VPN account.
Usability of the service
You shouldn’t be needing a Harvard degree to use a VPN.
Getting started with Anonymizer VPN is very easy, as downloading an setting up the VPN on your device is a breeze (that is if you’re using Windows or MacOS). Because there are no custom apps for Android and iOS, some might break a sweat to get started. Thankfully, there are detailed tutorials to ensure that you break as little sweat as possible.
Once you’re done and logged in, the client interface that greets you lets you know the VPN is ageless. You won’t see the sleek glossy interface that some modern-day services parades. You wouldn’t mind much if the keyword is functionality over form, so let’s proceed.
Apart from the button to toggle off the VPN, the interface shows the basic information about your connection – your connection status, connection duration, a flag of the country you’re connected to, and your virtual IP. The app features four expandable/ collapsible tabs – accounts, settings, about and help.
The only one of note is the settings. It’s where you make all the configurations tha the VPN allow – this is minimalism at its best/ worst (depending on where you stand). On this page, you can set the app to connect automatically, or to launch at start up. It’s also where you’ll enable the kill switch (which is called Leak blocker); as well as select a server location, and VPN Protocol. Having all of this settings upfront on the main page, in my opinion, makes the interface cluttered.
However, you’ll be enable to connect to either of their servers, to mask your IP address and get flying with anonymous browsing.
Torrenting
Torrenting is a fast and effective way of downloading files in the internet. It entails connecting to peers to download large files in bits from the various persons.
The one thing that goes against torrenting is that during the activity, some users pick files that are protected by copyrights. To avoid going into battles with copyright trolls, many VPN services block torrenting in their servers. However, people still seek VPNs so that they can use the protection to download torrents safely and anonymously. As a result, any VPN service that support torrenting is highly regarded.
Thankfully, Anonymizer VPN is one of those few. They also offer unlimited bandwidth so you don’t have to worry about data usage when downloading torrents. However, the service warns that users should not download illegal torrents.
As long as you will not tread the other side of the law, you can use Anonymizer VPN to download your torrents.
Streaming
Many streaming services make their contents location specific. A media content that is restricted to a particular location can only be streamed and viewed by users in that location. If you are anywhere else, you can forget about streaming and viewing it. But VPNs help.
VPNs will mask your real IP and give you a virtual IP that places you in the location with the desired content. To do they route your traffic through their servers in the particular country you want to access.
Anonymizer VPN have servers in only two locations. That tells you that the service is no good for unblocking geo restricted media content for viewing.
Well, Anonymizer VPN has a server in the US; and the US is home to many of the giant streaming services, such as Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, HBO Go and more. The VPN service will score points if it can give access to all US streaming sites especially Netflix.
Unfortunately, Anonymizer VPN did not unblock Netflix in our test. On the whole, the service is not ideal if your main aim of wanting a VPN is to unblock geo restricted content for your streaming pleasure.
Security and Privacy Features
To determine the level of security that Anonymizer VPN gives, this section will examine: the VPN protocols and encryption standard used, whether security leaks are plugged, and their logging policy.
VPN Protocols and Encryption
In terms of establishing VPN connection, the gold-standard VPN protocol is the OpenVPN protocol. This is because it is very secure, it is highly configurable, an it optimizes speed for the level of security it offers.
A security-focused VPN services looking to win over security-conscious users will offer the OpenVPN protocol, and add some other secure alternative protocols.
Thankfully, Anonymizer VPN supports OpenVPN, and even has it as their default protocol.
Anonymizer VPN also supports the L2TP/ IPSec protocol. This is widely regarded as a secure protocol; and is usually recommended for use when the OpenVPN is blocked or does not work.
In terms of encryption, the OpenVPN cipher is AES-256-CBC. The AES 256 bit encryption standard is commonly called bank-grade or military grade. This is because it is the encryption standard used by banks to secure their online data, and the military to secure government top secret. It is currently unhackable,even with the latest super computers.
With this level of encryption, you can put to rest any concern about your privacy or security being compromised by third parties getting and deciphering your data.
Kill Switch
A VPN does a great job of protecting you by encrypting your data and masking your location. However, when the VPN connection suddenly drops when you are online, your data (now unencrypted) as well as your real IP will be suddenly exposed. The encryption and IP masking is down th drain, as your ISP and every other person watching will have your online activity and real IP.
What prevents such exposure when the VPN connection suddenly drops is the kill switch. It cuts off internet connection at the moment the VPN loses connection, ensuring that you do not continue online and risk exposing your browsing activist and IP. Therefore, any VPN serious about giving optimal security should feature a kill switch.
Not every VPN has a kill switch; but thankfully, Anonymizer VPN does. This gives the service a lot of marks on the security front. It’s inevitable that a VPN connection will drop, but when it does happen, with Anonymizer VPN your privacy and security will not be compromised.
Security Leaks Protection
Many VPN services fail to give the security they promise thanks to security leaks. These leaks compromise privacy by exposing your IP (and sometimes browsing history) to the world.
The most often seen is DNS leaks. It happens when your DNS requests leaves the VPN tunnel, and leaks to the default connection. When you call up web pages, instead of being handled in the VPN tunnel, it is handled by the DNS servers of your ISP (Internet Service Provider). This exposes your browsing history to your ISP and every other interested party. So much for the online privacy you were after when you went for a VPN. Other privacy compromising leaks include IPv6 leaks and WebRTC leaks.
Thus, any serious VPN should prevent security leaks. Not every VPN service prevent these leaks; thankfully, Anonymizer VPN does.
We put the service through these test, and it came out flying. No DNS leaks, no IPv6 leaks, and no WebRTC leaks.
Logging
No one can argue that keeping records is not important. In every spheres, good records are important, as they help you keep track of things.
It is for this reason that you do not want your VPN service keeping records of your VPN use. Such logs can be used to track everything you do, and that is what you don’t want that makes you go for a VPN in the first place. Therefore, a VPN service that promises optimal security should keep no log.
VPN services know that users seek no-log VPNs, and many of them advertise as such. But there is a problem; not all of them that claim not to keep logs actually do not.
Anonymizer VPN also sing the no-logs song. They say that what you do online is your business, and so they will never view, track, or keep logs of the websites you visit.
Fine. But we didn’t just close the logging section and move to the next section. We wanted to make sure so we went into their privacy policy.
The policy made for fine reading. In large parts, it confirmed what was advertised. Anonymizer VPN does not keep logs of user activity. You do not have to worry about your browsing history being monitored and logged.
However, in their Terms of Service, there’s something that might raise a few eyebrows. It is the statement that “To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Anonymizer may monitor e-mail, or other electronic communications and may disclose such information in the event it has a good faith reason to believe it is necessary…“
I don’t know how you find this, but I feel that a VPN that claims to be a zero-log service, as Anonymizer VPN does, should really not be monitoring email and other electronic communication.
They say that such monitoring is to the “extent permitted by applicable law“, so it is worth considering the nature of applicable laws, which takes us to the next section.
Jurisdiction
Anonymizer VPN is based in the US. The privacy laws in the US are at best unfriendly.
There are data retention laws that makes it compulsory for operators to keep users’data, and there are also laws that even permit operators to sell users’ data to third parties.
Then there is the matter of US intelligence agencies – the NSA, FBI and co. Some of these agencies have been called invasive; they have no qualms about knocking doors for users’ data, and there’s also a history of using some very questionable tactics to obtain their intelligence.
If the logging of a compromising data is to the extent permitted by applicable law, then you can be sure that a US jurisdiction will give green lights all the way. That the local government will get their hand on the data is also very likely.
What is more, the US is a member of an surveillance cum spying alliance, which is the expanded Eyes alliance. This is an agreement between nations (now fourteen) to work together in intelligence. It means that any of your data captured by the US will be shared with the other nations in the alliance.
Speed
All VPN services reduce network speed. It’s what you have to give for the security that any VPN service provides by encrypting your traffic.
The question is how much speed off your network speed will the VPN take. Some VPNs take a lot off, and your browsing becomes slow and sufferable. There are others that take off very little, and you wouldn’t even notice a reduction in speed when browsing. Does Anonymizer VPN fall in the former or latter category?
We tested their speed by connecting to their servers and noting download and upload speed; then we compared these to the speed recorded when the VPN was disconnected.
On the average, Anonymizer VPN reduced download and upload speed by 86% and 82% respectively. Without saying much, this is poor. Any speed drop of more than 70% puts a VPN service in the ranks of slow VPNs.
Customer Support
No one plans to get injured; but that does not stop people from buying health insurance or having a First Aid kit. In the same vein; you do not plan to have issues, but you would want to make sure that if issues do pop up, the VPN service will provide the needed assistance. Therefore it’s important to examine the help channels that a service provides, as well as the effectiveness of the channels.
In this regard, Anonymizer VPN provides the usual self help channels – FAQ and setup guides. The FAQ hold answers to some of the questions that users have asked in the past. While the provided answers adequately address the questions they treat, the FAQ section is not extensive; and you’ll find that you will still have to contact a support rep for answers to many of your questions.
For direct contact with a support rep, Anonymizer VPN provides only an online support ticket service. If you’re really concerned about having a lot of options to directly contact a VPN service, then you have to look beyond Anonymizer VPN.
Actually, when you consider that there are many services that will give you a plethora of options (which includes email, live chat, and even telephone), you’ll ask why Anonymizer VPN has only a support ticket service.
However, you’ll agree that you’ll rather have one support channel that works well and effectively gives the needed assistance, than having a lot of options that do not work. To most users, the effectiveness of a support channel is measured in terms of the timeliness of the response, and it’s helpfulness in solving (or answering) the issue (or question) that prompted it.
In this regard, Anonymizer VPN pledge to respond to all support questions within 2 hours. The good news is that in most cases they actually do respond under two hours. You’ll have to give Anonymizer VPN due credit here because some VPN services can have you waiting for up to 48 hours to get a response to your support submission.
I liked
- Support strong VPN protocols including OpenVPN, and uses unhackable AES 256 encryption
- Has a kill switch
- Prevent security leaks (DNS leaks, IPv6 leaks and WebRTC leaks)
- Response timeliness which is well under two hours
Not sure
- Logging Policy
I didn’t like
- Only two server locations
- Poor speed
- No live chat
- Only annual subscription available
- Expensive for the features offered
Summary
Anonymizer VPN is a legitimate VPN service that was been in existence for so many years. Not many VPN services can boast of being relevant for that long. With strong VPN protocols, industry standard encryption, having a kill switch, and preventing security leaks; the VPN service does give online security, and they also mask your IP to keep you anonymous. But that’s all to like.
Their no logging policy would have been likeable but a ToS statement have them “monitoring email and other communications”.
Then there’s the problem of having a very very very small server network. The dragged in order problems – poor for unblocking channels for streaming, few P2P servers, and poor speed as a result of connecting over long distances.
Do you have an experience with Anonymizer VPN? Good or bad, kindly use the review section below to give us your brief Anonymizer VPN review.
