X-VPN review: Cheap VPN with great streaming – but slower speeds

Best Prices Today: X-VPN

• Free plan: Yes
• Price: $2.99/month (2-year plan)
• Devices: 5
• Protocols: Everest, WireGuard, OpenVPN
• Server locations: 10,000 servers
• Money-back guarantee: 30 days
• Logging policy: No-logs (audited)

I’ve spent an long time poring over Mac VPN details to help pick the best of the best, and in that time, X-VPN popped up on the periphery with many concerns over how the service handled privacy.

While I can’t speak for earlier versions of X-VPN, reviewing it in 2026 makes it clear it’s a solid product that has outgrown those concerns for the most part.

The Singapore-based VPN does a great job of getting around geoblocks, while also offering a series of safeguards to keep your Mac (and other devices) safe and protect your identity.

There’s a free plan, which is always welcome, but it’s naturally limited to a small subset of server locations, while there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for its competitively-priced premium option, too.

If you are happy to upgrade, it’s a pretty transparent service in terms of security, too, with a no-logs policy backed up by an external audit.

Privacy aside, its Everest protocol is a great unblocker for just about any service. It’s not open source (such is the nature of proprietary protocols), but it does a great job at making social media and video content available just about anywhere.

For more options see our round up of the Best VPN for Mac and Best VPN for iPad & iPhone.

Features & Apps: How easy is X-VPN to use and what features does it include

The best VPN services meet you where you need them, and X-VPN does a great job of doing that. It has options for macOS, iOS (and iPadOS), Android, Windows, and game consoles.

X-VPN also abides by the long-tested VPN app philosophy of having a big ol’ button to press when you’re ready to connect, something that offers an enjoyable simplicity.

I’m also pleased to see, despite the low price, that there are some more powerful features included in the paid tier.

There’s a password manager, leak tests for DNS and IPv6, and an IP address checker, as well as the option to route your traffic through two VPN servers to further obfuscate traffic. 

A kill switch comes as standard for dropping connections if the VPN connection drops out, while Split Tunnelling is available for routing some traffic via a VPN.

It’s a shame there’s a five-device limit, however. While we’re not expecting Surfshark-esque unlimited devices, it’s lower than more well-known rivals like ExpressVPN, which starts at 10.

While we’re nitpicking, there are some grammatical errors on the X-VPN site that don’t inspire confidence. It’s a small thing, but in such a competitive field and when choosing who to entrust with your digital privacy, phrases like “All human deserves a free internet” might make you think twice about subscribing.

Performance: How fast is X-VPN in real-world use?

One of X-VPN’s biggest selling points is its proprietary Everest protocol, which claims to be a great way to get around geoblocks to access content from elsewhere in the world.

In our testing, we found that pretty accurate: I was able to switch between Netflix libraries and storefronts with ease, although the 10,000 server locations aren’t as spread out as some of its rivals. For example, UK servers are based in London and Manchester, whereas other rivals offer more than just a few major cities.

I do appreciate that there are servers for specific needs; however, like streaming-specific options or ones earmarked for torrent downloads.

Sadly, the fly in the ointment here is speed. X-VPN offers a ‘smart routing AI’ for finding the ‘fastest server’, but that isn’t always the case. In fact, connecting from the U.K. to the U.S. knocked off around 60% of our download speeds in testing, which is a higher drop than we’re used to. 

A representative from X-VPN told us the company has formed an optimization task force and is rolling out additional 10Gbps servers. That should bear fruit around July 2026, but for now, it’s a steep speed drop despite the positives of getting around geoblocks.

A note on Everest: The protocol here isn’t open-source, which is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, users can’t examine the code of Everest, potentially working on improvements, but on the other, it can’t be easily cracked by bad actors, either. 

If it were to be opened up to the world, it would likely lose some potency as streaming services and web providers work to restrict its capabilities, but for now, it does a great job of getting around content blocks.

Thankfully, OpenVPN and WireGuard are supported as alternatives should you run into any compatibility issues.

Privacy & Security: Is X-VPN safe and private to use?

AES-256 encryption is provided as standard, while all servers are RAM-only so data is instantly removed. That’s something of a bold step for more traditional users, however, who will no doubt feel secure just knowing the company runs a no-logs policy that’s backed up by external auditors.

Better yet, you don’t even need to log in with the free plan to get the benefit of the VPN. That means you can use it without even giving away your email address.

X-VPN’s Transparency Report showed the service saw over 239,000 DMCA requests, and 65 law enforcement enquiries, with none of them being responded to with identifiable user data.

There’s a Dark Web Monitor built in, too, which looks for instances of your data appearing on the Dark Web so you can stay vigilant.

Pricing and plans: Is X-VPN good value for money?

While X-VPN is naturally a better service when you’re paying for it (as is the case for just about anything in life, VPN or otherwise), it’s nice that its free plan exists.

It offers a way to test the waters without needing to even give away your email (spoof or otherwise). That means you’re getting access to a VPN without giving any information away.

When it does come time to pay, $69.99 covers you for two years (that’s $2.99 per month), and you can pay with Bitcoin for added anonymity.

It’s refreshing to see an affordable VPN with so many features, too, as covered earlier. Many of those are often tied to higher tiers with other services.

Should you use X-VPN?

Device limits and breadth of server locations aside, X-VPN is a much better service than you may have been led to believe in recent years.

Its Everest protocol is great for just about any unblocking, and the low price (and free plan) make it easy to recommend for new VPN users, as long as you’re ok with some degree of speed drop.

Best Prices Today: X-VPN