In 2019, a hacker accessed my email accounts plus other personal information of mine. I don’t know how, but a likely explanation is my frivolous use of my local coffee shop’s unsecured Wi-Fi.
Public Wi-Fi is a feeding ground for cybercriminals, and I became their meal, putting my information at risk. I knew I needed to find a solution that wasn’t “stop visiting the coffee shop”, and AzireVPN might have helped.
In this AzireVPN review, I’ll give you my honest thoughts on this service.
| vpnAlert Rating: | 7.1 of 10 ⭐ |
| Better alternative: | Click here to find out more |
| Jurisdiction: | Sweden |
| Encryption: | OpenVPN, Azire’s very-own WireGuard |
| Servers & Locations: | 24 servers, 6 countries |
| Logging policy: | No logs |
| Live chat: | No |
| P2P & Torrenting: | Allowed |
| Platforms: | Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, macOS, routers |
| Simultaneous Connections: | 5 |
Overview of AzireVPN
In 2012, Swedish company Netbouncer AB created the AzireVPN service.
In Netbouncer’s own words, they want “to become a market-leading VPN service to help people avoiding censorship and interception.”
While not at the level of services such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN, Azire is continually stepping up their game in an attempt to join the high ranks.
If you need the best security a VPN can offer, look elsewhere.
However, if you want a cheap VPN that performs well for the price, then you might consider Azire.
As of this review, AzireVPN accepts most major credit cards, Paypal, and even eight different forms of cryptocurrency including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Though, there is no lifetime deal, only a monthly, quarterly, yearly, and two-year subscription.
Pros
- Affordable
- Uses strong encryption protocols
- Modern, intuitive layout
- Quick customer support
Cons
- Slow speeds
- A limited number of servers and locations
- Under Swedish jurisdiction (14 Eyes Alliance)
- Risk of leaking your IP
Features and Benefits of AzireVPN
Presentation and First Impressions
Immediately, AzireVPN woos you in with their clean, flat layout.
The soft purple hue of their site screams inviting, and this continues for the rest of their website.
The home page starts with Azire’s prices and monthly options.
It’s a bit tasteless in my opinion, but I’m willing to look past it.
As you scroll down the home page, you’ll find all the information you need about the service, from server locations to the encryption protocols they use.
While I couldn’t find much information about the details of their encryption protocols regarding SSL and AES, AzireVPN does say that their own protocol, Wireguard, uses AES-256 encryption.
Azire does make it clear in their FAQs page that there is absolutely zero-logging on their service.
However, AzireVPN is under Swedish jurisdiction, and Sweden is part of the 14 Eyes Alliance, an alliance between 14 countries allowing them to share information with each other.
This means that if you commit a crime through AzireVPN, Sweden can notify your country(if yours is one of the 14), and you can get in trouble, since Azire has to hand over personal information if requested.
This isn’t something you want from your VPN considering its whole purpose is to conceal your information from everyone except you.
Security Protocols
The protocols available make Azire somewhat special.
They use OpenVPN but also Wireguard, their original VPN protocol. Wireguard isn’t bad either, it’s actually really good and uses the latest security and AES-256 encryption.
Azire also offers SOCKS5, a proxy protocol.
While proxies don’t encrypt your information like VPNs do, they do encrypt your browser. It’s a nice extra feature to have… if you need it, of course.
Issues With AzireVPN
Theoretically, Azire should have a winner on their hands.
However, reality is often disappointing, and it’s no different here.
Azire suffers IP leaks, which happens when the service fails at hiding your IP address from others.
This puts a major dent in this service’s reliability, as the possibility of an IP leak only increases paranoia on the user’s end.
Server Locations
AzireVPN has a very small roster of servers under their belt, only having 24 servers in 6 countries.
This is a massive downgrade from the premium services that it claims to compete with. However, I digress.
The locations of said servers span across these 6 countries:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Sweden
- Norway
- Spain
- Canada
Unless you live in one of these countries, you may want to side with a VPN that offers a more robust list of servers, lest your speed may suffer. Speaking of which…
Speed and Performance
| Location | Ping (ms) | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 142 | 34.24 | 10.44 |
| CA | 130 | 9.42 | 1.56 |
| EU | 39 | 53.50 | 44.66 |
As the chart shows, both download and upload speeds take major hits, with the EU server showing the least impact.
If AzireVPN owned servers in more locations, it may alleviate the problem just a bit, but the reality as of now is AzireVPN is way too slow to compete with high-end VPNs.
However, their Wireguard protocol is much faster than OpenVPN, and I hope to see Azire advertise it more.
Torrenting and P2P
Azire claims to treat torrenting and P2P file-sharing as regular traffic, and I see no reason to say different.
Attempts at torrenting were successful, only suffering from the slow speeds I mentioned. Otherwise, AzireVPN is a good, cheap choice for torrenting.
Streaming/Netflix Use
It’s an impressive feat when a VPN bypasses the security of streaming services, since Netflix and others are very mindful about VPNs.
However, AzireVPN passes this test, allowing the viewing of Netflix and Hulu, plus other streaming services.
SmartDNS
AzireVPN shows no indication of the use of SmartDNS, which is a true shame.
With them offering a proxy service, there was genuine hope for SmartDNS service as well.
However, Azire has shown true growth since 2012, so maybe they’ll entertain the idea one day.
Ease of Use/Support for Devices
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- MacOS
- Android
- Some routers
This seems impressive at first glance, but other VPN services support other devices such as smart TVs and smart devices like Amazon Echos.
Again, this list may grow as Azire becomes more present in the VPN market, but as of now, AzireVPN leaves a lot to be desired support-wise.
It is nice that Azire allows 5 simultaneous connections though.
And AzireVPN offers an easy-to-use, simple design and interface that anyone can figure out.
Customer Support
I have a grudge against any service that doesn’t allow communication through live chat, including AzireVPN.
However, they make up for it by having a quick and responsive support team.
On their Support page, they include links to common questions and problems.
If these don’t solve your problem, then there is an email form you can fill out.
When I attempted a support inquiry, I got an answer in 5 hours.
This is much quicker than some major companies I’ve dealt with, but I still prefer instant gratification.
What Others Have to Say About AzireVPN?
My opinion of AzireVPN is only one man’s thoughts, so I think it’s only fair that other opinions and views on Azire should be represented.
What do others have to say about AzireVPN?
Has the service left a good impression on users?
Most importantly, does AzireVPN leave enough of a mark to compete with high-end VPNs like they aim to?
What Should You Consider Before Getting a Service Like AzireVPN?
VPNs operate for the sole purpose of keeping your device information uncompromised on a network, private or public.
They’re good to have for peace of mind and easing your anxiety about your security.
A VPN might be a good fit for you if you spend a lot of your time on public networks. Since anyone can snoop around for information on a public network, a service that encrypts your data back-and-forth like a VPN can potentially save your information and identity.
However, if you don’t spend much time outside your house and stay on your (hopefully) secured network, then there may not be much of a reason to buy a VPN.
Also, if you are security-conscious enough to not do any personal transactions or log-ins on a public network, then a VPN may only act as a scarecrow, as it doesn’t actually do anything, but wards off threats that don’t know it.
Before subscribing to a VPN, think about your needs:
- Do you spend a lot of time on public networks?
- Is your home network secure enough?
- Are you security-conscious and need the best security possible?
AzireVPN Alternatives
AzireVPN is not the whole package, but one VPN service rarely is.
If you find that you need a faster, more secure, or more feature-rich VPN, then take a look at these alternatives to AzireVPN.
NordVPN – Premium Security
Owning the title of another high-end VPN, NordVPN differs from AzireVPN for the same reasons that ExpressVPN does: fast speeds, more security, higher price, and more servers.
NordVPN can support up to 6 devices at once, unlike the 5 of Azire and ExpressVPN.
Similarities
- Modern layout
Differences
- NordVPN is much faster
- NordVPN allows 6 simultaneous connections; AzireVPN allows 5
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the high-end VPN services that AzireVPN hopes to compete with one day.
As of now, ExpressVPN has no disadvantage when paired against AzireVPN besides price, with ExpressVPN being a lot more expensive.
The price is justified though, with ExpressVPN offering live chat support, a lot more servers in more countries, and a fast connection. If money is no concern to you, check out ExpressVPN and see if it fits the bill for you.
Similarities
- Both allow 5 simultaneous connections
- Intuitive, simple layout
Differences
- ExpressVPN is much faster
- AzireVPN is less secure due to IP leaks
- AzireVPN is cheaper
- ExpressVPN offers live chat support
CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost shares similarities to the other two alternatives I mentioned, however there is one difference to the rest that I need to mention.
This is the fact that CyberGhost VPN is outside the jurisdiction of the 14 Eyes Alliance.
However, this comes at the cost of premium pricing and slow speeds, though not as slow as AzireVPN.
If you care more about the government not having access to your information, then CyberGhost may be your best bet.
Similarities
- Easy-to-use interface
Differences
- CyberGhost is not required to turn over personal information if requested
- CyberGhost allows 7 simultaneous connections, depending on the subscription
Final Word
VPNs are meant as a way for you to keep secure and hide your IP address, whether you’re at home or at the local coffee shop.
AzireVPN claims to solve this problem and aims to compete with premium VPN services, however, it misses its mark.
AzireVPN’s slow speeds, risk of leaking your IP and lackluster list of servers keeps it from being something great.
I don’t recommend it.
Instead, I think you should go with NordVPN if you want a great overall service, and CyberGhost if you want a service that’s not compelled to turn over information.
