7th April 2015
Summary:
EarthVPN is a great option for protecting sensitive personal information, while giving you access to all of your favorite content anywhere in the world.
Pros:
- fast connection
- low monthly rates
- easy to use software
- unlimited bandwidth
Cons:
- only e-mail support available
- no referral program
- roundabout set up process
Overall Score: 79.5/100
This score is much lower than the 97/100 scored by our top rated VPN – Express VPN.
Overall, EarthVPN offers its customers great service, at a great price.
To check out their monthly rates and all they have to offer, go to their website here: Earth VPN
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VPNs are a great way to protect your online privacy and get access to any content you want, anywhere in the world.
Often times, governments will take it upon themselves to censor internet content and restrict access to many websites and online services.
In addition to government internet surveillance, your information is at risk of being compromised by hackers, especially on public networks.
There are tons of VPNs out there to choose from, and it’s hard to know which one is going to work the best for you.
Here, I’ve reviewed EarthVPN, a company that claims to have lightning fast connections with great customer service, and low monthly rates.
We’ll be the judge of that. Let’s see how they do in this break down.
Will EarthVPN Work on My Operating System?
The first thing you want to look at when you start shopping around for a VPN provider is whether their software is compatible with your operating system.
Particularly if you use several devices that you want to protect, you’ll want a provider that covers a variety of systems.
EarthVPN is actually compatible with all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android.
It’s great for people that use a bunch of different devices, because it will work seamlessly between them all.
Rating: 5/5-Works on all major operating systems
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What Kind of Features Does EarthVPN Have?
The features of VPN providers are what sets them apart from the competition. They’re also what make up the bulk of their service value, so pay special attention this one.
It’s a board-reaching category, but if you go over a company with a fine toothed comb, you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
Feature #1: Multiple Connections
If a VPN provider allows you to connect to more than one device simultaneously without signing up for an additional service plan, that’s a good thing.
The more connections they let you have, the better (especially if you have kids and are spending time in a country with content restrictions).
EarthVPN is awesome, because it allows up to three simultaneous connections, at absolutely no extra charge.
This means you can check your account balances on the airport Wi-Fi, while your toddler watches Dora the Explorer on Netflix, all under the same low monthly rate.
Rating: 4.5/5-Allows 3 connections
Feature #2: Money Back Guarantee
If a company is willing to put their profits on the line and give you a money back guarantee, it doesn’t just give you peace of mind – it tells you that they stand behind what they’re selling.
EarthVPN offers its customers a 7-day money back guarantee, no questions asked. If you decide their service just isn’t right for you, you can get a full refund within a week of your purchase.
Rating: 5/5-Can get a full refund after a week!
Feature #3: Number of Servers
The more servers a provider offers, the more chances you have of being able to connect, no matter what corner of the world you’re in.
If you travel a lot, this is a category you’ll want to pay special attention to. The best time to protect yourself with a VPN is when you’re on the road using public networks.
With EarthVPN, you get access to servers in 151 cities and 32 countries all around the world, with locations primarily in Europe and North America.
However, there are a few servers scattered throughout the other continents as well, in cities like Beijing, Cape Town, and Sao Paulo.
Rating: 4/5-Servers on 6 continents
Feature #4: Referral Program
You won’t see this feature listed too often, so don’t be discouraged if the VPN you’ve got your heart set on doesn’t offer it.
However, it’s worth noting that some VPN providers do offer special kickbacks for referring their service to other customers.
Unfortunately, this isn’t something EarthVPN offers, so they won’t be getting any points for this category.
Rating: 0/5-No kickbacks for referrals
Feature #5: Data Logging
The whole point of using a VPN in the first place is to protect your privacy, so whatever you do, don’t sign up with a company that’s going to keep logs of your activity.
Though most VPN providers see the conflict here and don’t log your data, always make sure to double check this.
EarthVPN never logs any of their users’ data, understanding that privacy is the name of the game here.
Rating: 5/5-No data logging
Feature #6: Bandwidth
If you’re addicted to House of Cards, or must have a good run with your Pandora radio station, chances are you’re going to need plenty of bandwidth to get you through a month’s worth of service.
Always make sure that your provider is going to give you enough bandwidth to go about your usual online activity.
EarthVPN gives all of their customer’s completely unlimited bandwidth with all of their service plans, so you never have to worry about hitting a cap. Now that’s getting your money’s worth.
Rating: 5/5-No bandwidth limits, ever.
How Secure Is It?
Sure, a VPN that can get you into the American Netflix or bypass a block to stream the game at work is great, but one that won’t protect your information is just a rip off.
Don’t settle for anything less than the best when it comes to your security. EarthVPN offers complete protection, with 256-bit encryption, and an L2TP security protocol for added peace of mind.
All of this means you can use the VPN while you’re on the go, without ever worrying about sensitive information being stolen on private networks.
Rating: 4.5/5-The best encryption money can buy
What’s the Set Up Process Like?
For plenty of people, VPNs are a relatively new concept.
Though the idea is pretty simple, you’d be surprised how many providers out there can over-complicate the process, and frustrate their customers before they even have a chance to use them.
EarthVPN’s set up isn’t the most straightforward I’ve ever seen, but it’s not too terribly difficult.
You have to download the software that’s compatible with your operating system, which is easy enough. The trouble comes in when you have to install it.
The file is downloaded as a zip file.
Before you can install the software, you have to extract the files, and before you can do that, you have to run the installation wizard as the administrator.
Got all that? For those of you who have some experience working with zip files, it’s probably a total walk in the park.
But this one loses points for requiring the user to have any prior knowledge of how these things work. The ideal software will be simple enough for even the least tech-savvy people to install.
Rating: 3/5-Set up may be difficult for an average Joe
Is it Easy to Use?
Once you get the software installed, hopefully it’s easy enough to use that you’re not immediately contacting customer support.
EarthVPN’s software – once you have it set up – is very user-friendly, and simple to navigate.
It has a few more options on it than I think are necessary, but then again, this also gives you the option to really customize your connection settings.
Rating: 4/5-Looks complicated, but pretty easy to use
Logging In
Logging in with EarthVPN’s software was very straightforward. After they accept your credentials, you’re immediately taken to the software’s dashboard to set up your connection.
Changing Servers
I loved how easy it was to switch between servers on EarthVPN’s software. You just select your country, and then a server closest to your location, and hit connect.
I tried a server farther away from me at first, and the connection wouldn’t work, so make sure it’s within a few hundred miles of you or you may not have any luck.
What If I Need Help?
Customer service is hugely important for VPN users.
Even the best software has its hiccups, and when you’re in the middle of something, the last thing you want to do is wait around all day for tech support to get back to you.
24/7 Support?
Having support available to your round the clock is great, especially when you’re flying in and out of time zones.
It’s incredibly frustrating to need some help, and have to wait until standard business hours to get it.
EarthVPN offers 24/7 customer service every day of the year to its users, so you’re never in the dark for long.
Rating: 5/5-Customer service any time, day or night
Channels
What this category refers to are the ways in which you can get in touch with customer service.
While most offer at least e-mail support, many have a live chat feature on their site, and some even have call centers for phone support.
EarthVPN only offers e-mail service, with a ticket system on their website.
Basically, you submit a service request in their support section, and customer service rep replies to your inquiry through the support portal on their web site.
Rating: 3/5-No live support feature
Customer Support Test
I wanted to see how efficient EarthVPN’s customer service was for myself, so I ran a support test to gauge their response time and politeness.
I tried to contact them at two very different times, once during standard peak business hours, then again in the middle of the night. Here are the results.
E-mail Support Test #1-Thursday/3:17 p.m.
I received a response to my question really quickly, which was great, but it was obviously an automated one.
The answer to my question was pulled straight from the FAQ’s section of the website, and it clearly wasn’t a real human being doing the communicating.
Not only that, but the information didn’t do anything to actually help me solve the problem. What a letdown.
Result: 31 minutes
Rating: 1/5-Fast response, but not a real service rep
E-mail Support Test #2-Thursday/11:31 p.m.
Once again, even at such a late hour, I got a really quick response from the customer service team.
However, once again, it was clearly a section of the FAQs copied and pasted into a response e-mail, with a service rep’s signature at the end.
While the information covered the gist of what my question was about, it didn’t account for the fact that I may have been new to the software and having a hard time figuring it out on my own.
If the FAQs section was helpful, I wouldn’t have had to contact them in the first place. This makes EarthVPN lose major points, because the claim of 24/7 customer service isn’t really accurate.
Result: 32 minutes
Rating: 1/5-Fast, AUTOMATED response
Overall, I was seriously let down by EarthVPN’s customer service.
It’s clear that they’re using an automated system to answer customer questions, and that there’s not a real human on the other end of the conversation.
In my opinion, if you’re not going to offer a live chat or phone option, your e-mail responses better be prompt and helpful.
Overall Service Rating: 2/10-Misleading service claims
How Fast is EarthVPN?
No matter what your online activities, a VPN with a fast connection is an absolute must.
One that bogs down your system or slows down your internet is going to drive you nuts, and make things like streaming and downloading completely maddening.
I ran a couple of speed tests to see how EarthVPN did when compared to my standard internet connection.
Without EarthVPN
With EarthVPN
As you can see, the connection with EarthVPN was only marginally slower, and didn’t really affect my internet speed that much.
For the access and security this VPN offers, the sacrifice in speed is pretty minimal.
Rating: 4.5/5-Only a slight difference in speed
How Much Does EarthVPN Cost?
Limitless bandwidth and a hundred connections won’t mean a thing if you’re paying an arm and a leg for service every month.
The bottom line is, VPNs exist in a seriously saturated market, which means these companies are competing for your business. Don’t sell yourself short by paying exorbitant monthly rates.
EarthVPN has one of the lowest monthly rates I’ve ever seen, especially for the number of features they offer.
Their plans are just $3.99 month to month, or about $3.33 a month when you purchase a whole year at once. Those prices are pretty much unbeatable.
Rating: 5/5-Amazing value
The X-Factor
The X-factor is essentially the thing you notice the most about the company that really defines their service.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a good thing, but whatever it is, it’s what makes them memorable.
For EarthVPN, it’s definitely their attitude towards their customers.
Everything from their low monthly rates, to the numerous features they offer, to the customizable options on their software tells me that they want you to get the very most for what you’re paying.
They may not be the flashiest software out there, and they may have limits to their customer service options, but it’s clear that they value their customers’ business, and want to keep everyone happy.
I really loved not just the quality of their service, but their whole attitude towards me. They definitely make you feel like more than just a number.
They put you in total control of your connection, with features in their software like an option to automatically disable your internet access when your VPN connection is dropped. Now that’s thorough.
Rating: 20/20-Great customer retention qualities
Conclusion
EarthVPN has a lot of great features, and is a great value for the money. Let’s recap the good, the bad, and the excellent:
The good stuff:
- compatible with all operating systems
- allows 3 simultaneous connections
- sizeable network of servers
- 7-day money back guarantee
- no data logging
- unlimited bandwidth
- ultra-secure connection
- easy to use and switch servers
- 24/7 customer service
- fast connection
The bad:
- no referral program
- only e-mail support available
- set up is a little complicated
What sets them apart:
- super low monthly rates
- connection customization options
- tons of features for the money
Overall Score: 79.5/100
Overall, EarthVPN is a great deal for the money, and offers top of the line security with a fast connection that will get you to any online content you want, no hassles.
