Atlas VPN is a relatively new VPN provider that has only been up and running since 2019. In the meantime, the provider has already been taken over by Nord Security and therefore falls under the same parent company as NordVPN.
- Atlas VPN features
- Speed – How fast is Atlas VPN?
- Security – How secure is Atlas VPN?
- Protocols
- Log Policy and Privacy
- Atlas VPN’s user-interface
- The Atlas VPN website
- Prices and payment options
- Customer service
- Server Network Atlas VPN
- Number of servers and locations
- SafeSwap
- Atlas VPN capabilities
- Our verdict – Atlas VPN
- Alternatives to Atlas VPN
- Atlas VPN – FAQ
Atlas VPN features
 Monthly subscription price | 3.29$ / mon for a 12 months plan |
 Based in the country | Panama |
 Money back guarantee | 30-day money-back |
 Does the VPN keep logs? | Read the “PRIVACY POLICY” section |
 Number of servers | 750 servers in 37 different countries |
 Number of devices per license | No limit |
 US Netflix access | Not sustainable |
 Devices and compatibility | Android, Windows, mac, iOS |
 Support torrenting | Torrents allowed |
Atlas VPN offers a free VPN and a premium version. There are some differences between the free version and Atlas VPN Premium:
- Atlas VPN Premium gives you access to faster servers and servers optimized for streaming.
- The free version offers a choice of three server locations and the premium version offers a choice of 43 server locations.
- SafeSwap is only available with Atlas VPN Premium.
- The free version has a data limit of 10 Mb.
There are already many other free VPNs on the market, which means that Atlas VPN has some serious competition to compete with. Still, their service seems promising. Atlas VPN is supported by Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV.
First, Atlas VPN logged quite a bit of information about you, including your IP address . Although it no longer tracks your IP address, the company does log other information. This is the basic data of the user that is necessary for the proper functioning of the application. Atlas VPN is unable to identify the user or see what the user is doing while connected to the servers.
Curious about what AtlasVPN has to offer? Below we first give a brief summary of the pluses and minuses of AtlasVPN.
Speed – How fast is Atlas VPN?
The speed of a VPN is extremely important. A VPN that seriously slows down your internet connection is annoying to work with. After all, no one wants to wait for stuttering Netflix series, slow downloads and long loading times while browsing. That is why we extensively test all VPNs that we review for their speed. Atlas VPN also had to believe in our speed tests . While it’s not one of the fastest VPNs on the market , here are our main conclusions:
- Atlas VPN hardly slows down our internet speed while browsing.
- The Dutch and American Atlas VPN servers work about the same speed for us.
- Browsing and streaming are quite fast with Atlas VPN.
Speedtest results Atlas VPN
We tested the actual speed of our internet connection with various Atlas VPN servers. These speed tests were performed on a computer from our office in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. First of all, we tested our internet speed without VPN, as a baseline measurement.
Free version of Atlas VPN
First, we looked at the speed that the provider’s free servers managed to achieve. The results can be found in the table below.
| LINK | PING | DOWNLOAD SPEED | UPLOAD SPEED | RELATIVE DIFFERENCE ZERO MEASUREMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 2 | 201.70 Mb/s | 244.38 Mb/s | 100% |
| The Netherlands | 13 | 195.29MB/s | 234.80 Mb/s | 96.8% |
| America (New York) | 171 | 114.30 Mb/s | 113.61 Mb/s | 56.7% |
| America (Los Angeles) | 297 | 102.01 Mb/s | 69.90 Mb/s | 50.6% |
As you can see, the connection maintains its speed very well. However, when we connect to the US servers, the speed is halved.
Premium version of Atlas VPN
Unfortunately, we were only able to test the premium version of Atlas VPN at a later date than the free version. We also tested this via a home WiFi network. As a result, the speeds we achieved with the zero measurement are lower than before. In the table below you can see our results.
| LINK | PING | DOWNLOAD SPEED | UPLOAD SPEED | RELATIVE DIFFERENCE ZERO MEASUREMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 9 | 96.44MB/s | 29.14MB/s | 100% |
| The Netherlands | 21 | 93.33MB/s | 28.02MB/s | 96.8% |
| America (New York) | 100 | 79.97MB/s | 27.47MB/s | 82.9% |
| America (Los Angeles) | 159 | 69.91MB/s | 28.02MB/s | 72.5% |
You can see that it does not seem to matter to the Dutch server whether we used the free or premium version of Atlas VPN. However, the premium VPN retained its speed much better on the American servers.
Special SafeSwap servers
Atlas VPN has three servers that ensure that you are constantly assigned a different IP address. So we expected that this would cause a strong slowdown or unstable connection. In the table below you can see our test results.
| Link | Ping | Download Speed | Upload speed | Relative difference zero measurement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 9 | 96.44MB/s | 29.14MB/s | 100% |
| The Netherlands | 20 | 92.44MB/s | 28.04MB/s | 95.9% |
| America (Los Angeles) | 171 | 73.26MB/s | 28.02MB/s | 76.0% |
| Singapore | 222 | 59.94MB/s | 0.59MB/s | 62.2% |
As you can see in the table, SafeSwap hardly affected the speed of the VPN connection.
Speed in everyday use
To check whether Atlas VPN actually performs well in practice, we also tried this VPN ourselves. We used Atlas VPN while browsing, streaming and downloading.
Both browsing and using various online apps went very well. We had hardly any delays and were able to do everything we normally would. Streaming also went surprisingly well. YouTube videos played immediately without having to load.
Streaming Netflix was unfortunately more difficult. It took a while before we could finally watch a series. Once the episode started, we had no more loading issues. However, we were unable to access the American Netflix with Atlas VPN.
Downloading torrents was no problem with Atlas VPN. Within 15 minutes we downloaded fairly large files.
The speed was also quite good during gaming . We were able to game on both Dutch and American servers without disturbing delays. However, when it comes to games that you absolutely do not want to have lag with and where fast responsiveness is important, you should choose another VPN provider.
All in all, Atlas VPN’s results in everyday use are surprisingly good.
Security – How secure is Atlas VPN?
The most important aspect of any VPN is security. Without the correct encryption and protocols, your data traffic is still visible to everyone . Without a proper logging policy, the provider can see everything you do. In such cases, you have no guarantee of anonymity and online protection. That is why in this section we focus on the security of Atlas VPN . Here are our key findings:
- Atlas VPN works with AES-256 bit encryption and uses two strong protocols: IKEv2 and WireGuard.
- The provider says it has a “no log” policy, but collects a lot of information about your device and keeps connection logs.
- Atlas VPN has a kill switch and Safe Swap function.
- Atlas VPN hardly needs any data from you to create an account, but does use your Google or App Store account for payments.
Protocols
Atlas VPN states that it uses AES-256 bit encryption . This offers military-level protection and is used by many good VPN providers. Atlas VPN also uses ChaCha20 for symmetric encryption and Poly1305 for verifying data integrity and authenticity.
Atlas VPN currently offers two VPN protocols to set up your connection tunnel:
- IPSec/IKEv2.
- WireGuard.
In addition to using these protocols, Atlas VPN also has IP leak protection for both IPv4 and IPv6 connections, DNS leak protection, and WebRTC leak protection .
AtlasVPN had its first security audit in May 2021. It revealed two medium-level threats affecting the Atlas VPN backend service. The audit also revealed three low-level threats affecting the iOS app. Despite the minor threats, the audit was generally positive. AtlasVPN was immediately transparent about the threats and promised to work on them right away.
Log Policy and Privacy
Atlas VPN says it has a ‘no log’ policy. However, this does not mean that it does not track any information about their users at all. For example, the provider needs your email address to create an account. If you opt for the premium service, you must also provide payment details.
To use the app, you get a ‘random identifier’ that is linked to your device. This could be seen as personal data. After all, it gives your device a specific number, so that it is recognized on the servers. In addition, there are other types of information that Atlas VPN collects when you use the app:
- Information about using the app . This includes changes you make to your settings and when you open certain screens in the app. However, Atlas VPN’s legal team says that the provider only collects crash reports. It therefore remains unclear to what extent Atlas VPN keeps connection logs.
- Information about your device . This includes the type of device you use, the brand, model, operating system, language, time zone and approximate location. The latter is accurate to the city.
- The ID of your device . It is unclear whether Atlas VPN means the MAC address by this. The service also uses so-called ‘advertising IDs’ for marketing purposes.
Atlas VPN stores all this data as long as you have an account. The privacy statement also states that it can also keep your data for as long as is necessary for “ the fulfillment of our obligations (eg record-keeping) and for us to be able to establish a claim or defend ourselves from one ”.
In addition, Atlas VPN adheres to the laws that apply in the United States, which means that it is subject to a ‘5 eyes’ country . However, the provider claims not to store any data to pass on to governments or other official bodies.
AtlasVPN has released a Data Breach Monitor that continuously checks whether there has been a data breach on users’ email addresses.
What data does Atlas VPN need?
We have already discussed data that Atlas VPN collects when you use the apps. To create an account, the service also asks for your email address and payment details.
Payments are made via credit card, PayPal, Google Play or Apple’s App Store. This means that the data from these accounts is linked to your Atlas account. Otherwise, they cannot provide you with the premium benefits.
kill switch
Atlas VPN has a kill switch option for iOS, macOS, Android and Windows applications. The kill switch provides extra security. If your VPN connection suddenly drops, the kill switch will temporarily shut down your internet traffic until the VPN connection is restored. This prevents your data from ending up on the street.
Tracker Blocker
A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and protects your online security and privacy. Unfortunately, a VPN does not protect you against trackers. That is why Atlas VPN has introduced the Tracker Blocker feature. It prevents third-party trackers from tracking your behavior on websites, giving you even more control over your digital privacy. These are the advantages of the Tracker Blocker:
- Protecting your privacy.
- Blocks annoying advertising pop-ups.
- Faster/better internet experience.
- Avoid malware.
Atlas VPN’s user-interface
The ease of use of a VPN plays a major role in our scoring. If a provider has a confusing website or software that does not work properly, that is simply not a pleasant user experience. If, on the other hand, there is good live chat support and working with the software is almost self-evident, a VPN does its job well. That is why in this section we look specifically at the user-friendliness of Atlas VPN. Below you can read our findings:
- The Atlas VPN website looks clear and pleasant.
- Atlas VPN currently has software for Android, macOS, iOS, Windows, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
- Installing the Atlas VPN app is simple and the software is very intuitive.
- Atlas VPN is available for free and the premium plan is very cheap.
- Atlas VPN customer service is available via email. Premium customers get access to a 24/7 live chat.
The Atlas VPN website
The official Atlas VPN website is simple and well-arranged. The main page compares Atlas VPN with other VPN services, such as CyberGhost, TunnelBear and Hotspot Shield. You will learn about the advantages of a VPN, although there is no very in-depth information available to date.
Atlas VPN mainly uses its website to provide a brief overview of the various features of its VPN. You can also find information about the team in the ‘About us’ section. There are some (5-star) reviews from users and other reviewers, after which you can immediately download the app. In addition, a handy FAQ section is available.
Finally, Atlas VPN has an active blog where it regularly publishes news articles and steps for installing the VPN. These can of course come in handy.
Install Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN is available for Android, iOS , macOS , Windows , Android TV , and Amazon Fire TV . We have tested the software on an Android phone. Downloading the app was very easy and was done in no time. The Android installation process is as follows:
- Go to the Atlas VPN official website and click the ‘VPN apps’ button and click the ‘Download now’ button. You can of course also search for ‘Atlas VPN’ in the Appstore and download the software from there.
- Open the downloaded installation file and wait for the app to install.
- Open the app.
You can get started right now. Creating an account is not necessary. On iOS, the process is much the same and you’ll also be ready to secure your internet connection with Atlas VPN in a few minutes.
If you want to update to Premium, you can easily do that via the app. Click the ‘ Go Premium ‘ button and go through the steps, specifying your payment method and sharing your email address with the company.
Appearance and user-friendliness Atlas VPN Software
The Atlas VPN app is very clear and easy to navigate. The first screen that comes up when you open the app contains a picture and a large home button. Clicking this will immediately connect you to the nearest server.
The various options that Atlas VPN makes available are somewhat limited. You can choose a server location by swiping in the list of servers on the screen. There are also various tabs on the left of your screen, where you will find the settings, among other things. Here you will find the kill switch that you can activate.
Under the ‘Assistant’ tab you will find the Tracker Blocker and Data Breach Monitor. So you can be precise here whether your e-mail address has been leaked in the event of a data breach, if this address is known to Atlas VPN. You can also see which trackers are currently active on your device and you can block them.
Under ‘Support’ you will find information about the privacy policy, terms of service and information about app on Android and iOS. When you click on ‘Help Center’ you will arrive at the FAQ of the website.
Prices and payment options
Atlas VPN has both a free and premium version of its service. For the free version of the app you do not need to provide any payment details. The service is and will remain free. The free version offers unlimited data and bandwidth, as well as access to three server locations.
Premium gives you access to 43 locations instead of three. The premium version also has unlimited simultaneous connections, faster servers, and specialized servers for streaming.
The premium version of the app has three different plans:
The following subscriptions are available:
- A two-year subscription for $ 2.05 per month
- An annual subscription for $ 3.29 per month
- And a monthly subscription for $ 10.99 per month .
Atlas VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee . You can also use Atlas VPN on an unlimited number of devices.
If you take Atlas VPN Premium, you have several payment options, namely: credit card, PayPal, Google Pay and cryptocurrencies .
Customer service
You can consult the FAQ page by going to ‘Help’ via the website or by going to ‘Support’ via the app and then selecting ‘Help center’.
Can’t find the answer to your question via the FAQ page? Then you can send customer service an email. Atlas VPN’s customer service can be reached via the email address support@atlasvpn.com. This e-mail address can be found at the bottom of the website. However, you will not receive an immediate answer. We waited hours for a response via email, and it was not forthcoming for a long time. It was not until a few days later that we had our answer.
Atlas VPN does offer its premium subscribers a 24/7 live chat. This way you can get a quick response to your question on the website.
Server Network Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN does not have thousands of servers, as is the case with NordVPN and CyberGhost for example . Still, as a VPN user, you want to have plenty of choice. For example, a server that is close to you is much better if you want to maintain the top speed of your internet connection as much as possible . Servers in specific countries are also important if you want to unblock online content .
In this section, we take a look at the different servers and server locations that Atlas VPN offers. Here are our main conclusions about Atlas VPN’s server network:
- Atlas VPN has server locations in 37 countries, including the Netherlands. In total, the service has more than 750 servers.
- With the premium subscription you get access to servers that are optimized for streaming.
- Atlas VPN does not offer dedicated IP addresses.
Number of servers and locations
Atlas VPN has over 750 servers in 37 different countries . The premium version also includes servers that are optimized for online streaming . There are also three locations that offer SafeSwap. We will tell more about this later.
The free version of Atlas VPN gives access to three different locations:
- The Netherlands
- United States (Los Angeles)
- United States (New York)
Unfortunately, many people use these free servers. This will make your internet connection very slow, as you can see in our speed tests.
An overview of all Atlas VPN server locations can be found below:
| CONTINENT | COUNTRY |
|---|---|
| Asia and Oceania | Australia, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, United Arab Emirates |
| Europe | Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland |
| North America | Canada, Mexico, United States |
| South America | Brazil, Chile |
Every country where Atlas VPN has servers has one server location, except the United States, which has seven.
Dedicated IP address
Atlas VPN does not currently offer dedicated IP addresses. Perhaps this will change in the future, with further development and expansion of the software.
SafeSwap
AtlasVPN has added new servers called SafeSwap. These servers continuously rotate the user’s IP address, thus providing additional privacy and security.
This principle of rotating IP addresses works at three server locations, namely Amsterdam, Singapore and Los Angeles. Instead of a static IP address that you share with others, you are assigned multiple IP addresses. Atlas VPN claims that it changes constantly during your session, without you noticing anything in your speed.
Atlas VPN capabilities
Many people use a VPN to watch, for example, another country’s Netflix offering . In this section we look at how Atlas VPN can help with this. Others use a VPN to download files anonymously. We also tested this with Atlas VPN.
Atlas VPN and Netflix
We were unable to view the Netflix offering from specific countries with the free version of Atlas VPN. We were able to see all original Netflix productions. However, when we wanted to watch a series or movie that was only available in some locations, we were presented with a pop-up telling us that we were using a proxy and therefore could not access it. The free version of this VPN is therefore not suitable for unlocking Netflix.
Atlas VPN Premium is also unable to unblock US Netflix . With the paid version of this VPN, we could not enjoy the extensive range of American Netflix with any American server.
Atlas VPN does work with other streaming services, such as Prime , Disney Plus , HULU , HBO Max , Peacock and the BBC iPlayer .
Atlas VPN and torrents
The provider allows P2P traffic and allows you to torrent anonymously, while using Atlas VPN’s servers. In addition, the download speed is decent. So the VPN connection will not slow down your downloads too much. Atlas VPN does emphasize that the use of P2P must be done in a responsible manner. In other words, you have to take copyright laws into account.
Our verdict – Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN is very attractive to many because it has a free service. In addition, you get access to more servers with their premium subscription. The software is easy to install and very user-friendly. With a simple click you are already protected . In addition to the price, it is also very nice that the service is quite fast in daily use.
The biggest downside to Atlas VPN is their logging policy . The provider says not to keep any logs about you, but at the same time states that it saves device data and communication logs. This VPN is therefore not a good choice if you want to go for complete privacy. In addition, Atlas VPN has a very small server network .
PROS
- Easy to install
- Simple, easy-to-use app
- Little information required to create an account
- Good speed during daily use
- Can be used on unlimited devices
- The VPN supports P2P torrenting
CONS
- Logs information about your device
- Relatively small server network
- Contact with customer service takes quite a while
Alternatives to Atlas VPN
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Atlas VPN – FAQ
For a quick answer to your question, please visit our FAQ. If we haven’t answered your question yet, ask it in the comments.
