Features
Speed & Performance
Ease of Use
Mobile App
Customer Support
Pricing
Inside This Article...
Browsec Pros:
- Unblocks BBC iPlayer & Netflix
- Strong encryption
Browsec Cons:
- P2P not supported
- Privacy concerns
Browsec is one of many VPNs on the market today. With both a free and paid version available, it certainly got my interest. But is it worth downloading? Read on to discover everything you need to know about my thoughts on this VPN.
Overview
Browsec is operated by the company Browsec LLC, and it has approximately two million users. The business is based in Russia.
The Russian jurisdiction does make matters a bit confusing. Two years ago, the President, Vladimir Putin, signed a law that imposed restrictions on proxy avoidance tools. VPNs are included in this, yet they are not directly banned. Rather, access to banned sites with the use of a VPN is restricted. It’s not really clear what this means in terms of a VPN company being based out of Russia, rather than the user being in Russia, and so it all adds to the mystery surrounding Browsec.
After all, the company themselves don’t seem to be overly forthcoming about their business history or location. It doesn’t really fill me with confidence!
Where are Browsec’s servers?
At the moment, you have the choice of a paid or free plan. If you go for the latter, you are going to have the option of servers in four locations only: the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK, and the US.
However, if you go for the paid version, you’re going to have access to approximately 600 servers that are spread across more than 40 locations.
One thing that I don’t like is that you’re not able to see where the servers are situated on a city-level, and you also cannot choose specific servers.
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Speeds
When looking for a VPN to use, you expect that your speeds are going to suffer a little bit. However, the free servers are pretty much terrible in the speed department. In fact, I am not sure that I have ever come across servers slower than them!
Thankfully, the paid service is a lot different, with fast speeds available. The difference between the two is shocking! While it is good that there are great speeds on the paid version, it really does render the free VPN virtually useless. After all, you are not going to be able to get much done with such slow speeds.
Security
I always spend a lot of time evaluating the security side of things when looking for a VPN, and I started off by delving into the encryption offered by Browsec, which was a great start. They use the industry-standard, AES-256 encryption, which is about as strong as it gets. This is military-grade protection, so you don’t need to worry about anyone seeing what you get up to online.
One thing that Browsec is definitely missing is a kill switch. A kill switch ensures that your information is protected at all times, even if your connection drops out. Without a kill switch, you could be exposed if your VPN connection were interrupted, and so it is always disappointing when this is not offered with a VPN service.
One feature that you are going to be able to make the most of, though, is split tunneling. It is known as Smart Settings within the VPN’s interface. With this feature, you will be able to determine which sites use the VPN and which don’t.
Does Browsec collect logs?
While the security on offer is pretty strong, one area of concern with Browsec is with regard to their logging policy. The company does not make any claims about being a no-logs VPN, so we can assume that they definitely do collect some information! After all, if they were a no-logs company, they would advertise this prominently.
After doing a bit of digging on the website, I was able to see that Browsec does admit to collecting personal data. However, they state that the information is stored in aggregate, which means that it is mixed up with details from all of the other VPN users as well.
Nonetheless, what I don’t like is that Browsec are extremely vague with regards to the personal data they collect. The terminology used is not clear and does not give any indication of what information is stored and isn’t. This sets off big alarm bells for me!
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Ease of use
This is one of the areas where Browsec does sign brightly! The mobile apps and browser extensions are only going to take a matter of seconds to download.
If you are going to be using either the iOS or Android app, you are going to be required to create an account, even if you’re only using the free VPN. This can be a little bit frustrating when you consider that the purpose of using a VPN is for anonymity. Nevertheless, it is a feature that is noticeable with a lot of VPNs today.
No matter whether you opt for the paid or free service, you should find that the interface is intuitive and clear, so usability is no issue.
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Torrenting
If you are looking for a VPN to use for torrenting purposes, this is not going to be the VPN for you! P2P sharing is not supported at all, unfortunately. If you need a VPN that supports torrenting, it is worth looking into the likes of ExpressVPN or NordVPN, which I have reviewed in full.
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Unblock streaming services
I tried out Browsec with a number of different streaming services, and the results were pretty mixed. I was happy to see that I could unblock the US version of Netflix not only on the paid version but on the free version too!
However, I could not unblock any other streaming services on the free version of Browsec. The paid version fared better, as I was able to unblock BBC iPlayer and some additional libraries on Netflix. I was not able to unblock Hulu or Disney+, though.
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Compatibility
In terms of compatibility, there are apps for iOS and Android devices. You can also expect Browsec to be compatible with the majority of mobile devices and browsers.
You can check out my “reviews by device” if you would like more information on the best VPN for a specific device.
You are able to install the free Browsec VPN on as many devices as you would like. If you utilise one of the browser extensions, you’re not going to need to sign in, which means accounts are not tracked.
If you do go down the paid route, you have the option of connecting five devices to the VPN at the same time. This is pretty standard in the industry in terms of simultaneous connections.
Games consoles and streaming devices
When using Browsec for gaming purposes, you will definitely want to stay away from the free servers. The throttling is too much! The paid service, on the other hand, is certainly fast enough for gaming, so you should not expect to experience any lags that will harm your gaming experience.
One thing you do need to remember is that if you are using one of the browser extensions from Browsec on your PC, you are only going to be able to utilize the VPN on games that are browser-based. This means that if you download a PV game, you won’t be covered, nor will your gaming consoles.
Browser extensions
There are browser extensions available for Opera Browser, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome.
Customer support
Another area where Browsec really do need to up their efforts is in the online support department. Live chat is not available, which is always a disappointment. If you need any help or assistance, you are not going to be able to get it instantly, even if you do pay for the Browsec VPN.
If you do need assistance, you’re going to have to use the email ticket system. I have used this numerous times, and I have always had a reply within 24-hours.
Browsec could do with adding some more resources to their website. There is a FAQ section on the company’s site. However, this is very limited and it does not provide a lot of helpful information. Browsec should really think about adding some guides and tutorials so that people will be able to make the most of their VPN service.
Pricing
You have two options available when it comes to Browsec VPN: a free version or a paid version.
If you opt for the premium version, you will save 33%, paying the equivalent of $3.33 per month, yet this will be required upfront, so it will be one payment of $46.62. If you do decide to go for the monthly option, it will cost you $4.99 per month. There is a two-year plan available as well, which works out at just $2.99 per month, meaning an upfront payment of $71.76. You can pay via credit card, debit card, or PayPal.
There are some significant differences between the free and premium account. If you opt for the premium account, you’re going to benefit from much higher speeds. In fact, this will go from 1 mbps on the free account to 100 mbps. With speeds so slow on the free version, it probably isn’t even worth thinking about.
Another key difference between the paid version and the free version is the number of server locations. The free account comes with four server locations: the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the Netherlands. With the premium account, you’re going to get access to 42 premium locations, including the likes of Chile, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Denmark, and many more.
Summary
All things considered, I wouldn’t really recommend Browsec. Yes, a free VPN can always be tempting, yet the limitations are vast, and so it is really not worth it in my opinion. With regard to the pain version, I feel like there are much better options out there for you to spend your money on. Read some of my reviews for a helping hand on this and you will see what I mean!
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