TotalVPN Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

Quite Fast and Reliable on Local Servers

The speeds of TotalVPN are excellent on nearby servers, and they are also quite respectable on some of the more remote ones. However, I did encounter some sluggishness on extremely far-flung servers in Australia and Singapore.

Speed Test Results

Speeds from TotalVPN are about par with what I’ve come to expect from VPN services generally. While the VPN connection wasn’t exactly lightning-fast, it didn’t slowdown my computer either.

To get a feel for how TotalVPN performed, I linked to four different servers in different locations (Wichita, Manchester, Paris, and Perth) and compared the results to my home network’s speed. With native download and upload speeds of 23.85 Mbps and 10.73 Mbps on my home network, respectively, I was eager to test out TotalVPN.

I noticed a 35% decrease in speed on average when connecting to US-based servers. Using a France-based server, I was able to achieve an average download speed of 13.4 Mbps, a decrease of 43%. Trying out UK-based servers resulted in a shocking 40% slowdown for me.

When I connected to an Australian server, my speeds plummeted by a staggering 65%. While this isn’t quite as good as it could be, it’s still very respectable considering how far away Australia is.

TotalVPN, in general, offers fast speeds on nearby servers and keeps respectable speeds even when connecting to servers that are further away. Despite this, I did not experience any discernible lag while streaming content or browsing the web from extremely distant servers.

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Server Network — Limited Number of Servers

In terms of network size, TotalVPN is on the smaller side, with only 50 servers spread across 30 countries. Safe Connect’s inability to connect to city-level servers — a feature I’ve come to expect from dependable VPN services — makes this limited coverage all the more disappointing.

TotalVPN may be small, but it has servers in all of the major online-activity hubs. Particular emphasis is placed on Western Europe and North America, with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany being among those covered.

Just four server locations can be found in Asia and Oceania collectively. There is one server in each of Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. Poor coverage is evident in the absence of any servers in Africa and the sole South American option is Brazil.

If you live in a country that is not supported, or if you frequently travel and need access to servers in multiple locations, check out our Cyberghost review. Cyberghost’s network spans over 100 different countries with localized servers.

Security — Military-Grade Protection

TotalVPN has all the standard fare when it comes to security options. It comes in combination with an effective antivirus program, malware blocker, and adblocker in one convenient package, providing you with everything you need to surf the web safely. In addition, you’ll have access to a Password Manager and a Data Breach Check. Notably absent are more sophisticated options like split tunneling and multihop.

TotalVPN’s website is sparse with information, which is to be expected given that the product’s intended consumers are unlikely to be well-versed in the specifics of cryptography, authentication protocols, and session log analysis.

TotalVPN has the following security features:

• 256-bit AES encryption – Using the same type of encryption employed by banks and governments, this function renders your data unreadable to outside parties.
• IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols – How data is transmitted from your device to the VPN server is determined by the protocol used. Both IKEv2 and OpenVPN are quick and reliable VPN protocols. Windows users have the option to switch between the two protocols, whereas macOS, iOS, and Android platforms offer no such option.
• Kill Switch – TotalVPN has a kill switch that will immediately disconnect the VPN if the connection suddenly drops, keeping your data safe at all times. Unfortunately, this kill switch is only available on the Windows client. If the VPN connection on your iPhone or Android device suddenly dropped, your ISP would be able to monitor your every move.
• Total Adblock – A powerful ad blocker is included with TotalVPN. In my tests, the ad blocker successfully prevented the majority of advertisements from loading on ad-heavy sites like news and social networking sites.
• Total Webshield – TotalVPN has a built-in web filter that is preconfigured to prevent access to malicious sites and monitor your online behavior. The tool filters out malicious websites, crypto mining URLs, and “low trust” websites.

I also appreciate that there is complete security against IPV6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. I ran leak tests on servers located in 20+ countries to evaluate the effectiveness of TotalVPN’s leak protection, and I did not come across any leaks during my testing.

Privacy — Keeps Data Logs

TotalAV is a UK-based company, which is bad news because the UK is known for collecting information on its citizens. The United Kingdom plays a pivotal role in the international intelligence-sharing groups known as the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes Alliance. This raises immediate concerns for me because it suggests the company may be compelled to disclose user information in the future.

Even though TotalAV’s VPN service isn’t mentioned in the company’s privacy policy, I was able to learn that it logs IP addresses to tailor the user experience based on things like the user’s location, language preference, and device type. The website’s explanation for this practice isn’t clear, and neither the website nor the company’s customer service team could provide a better explanation. In addition, TotalAV logs your email address for signup and billing, as well as your bandwidth for security, network operations, and customer support.

TotalVPN does not record data about the files you download or the websites you visit, but it does record your IP address and is headquartered in a 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances country. Alternatively, if you’re after a proven no-logs VPN, ExpressVPN offers top-tier privacy and security features for complete peace of mind.

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Torrenting — Unsafe for Torrenting

TotalVPN is compatible with all major torrent clients and allows P2P file sharing on its non-US servers. However, I do not advise using it for P2P or torrenting due to its intrusive logging policy and UK-based headquarters. Because of this, you shouldn’t rely on it to keep your torrent downloads private.

TotalVPN’s logged information could easily be used to reveal your true identity. Tests showed, however, that TotalVPN fully supports torrenting across all of its servers, and the service’s lightning-fast upload speeds made P2P file sharing a breeze.

Alternatively, ExpressVPN allows torrenting across all of its 3,000+ servers, offers top-tier security, allows port forwarding via a dedicated router app, and boasts the fastest download speeds in the industry.

No matter which VPN you use, downloading copyrighted files is illegal, and I don’t condone breaking the rules of any country. Before you begin torrenting, it is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the laws that apply.

Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.

Does TotalVPN Work in China? No!

TotalVPN is unable to get around censorship in China or any other nation with similar restrictions because it lacks obfuscation tools. It’s no surprise that TotalVPN falls short when it comes to evading government censorship, as only the best VPN services can reliably do so.

But even if that weren’t the case, TotalVPN’s excessive logging policy makes it a terrible VPN to use in countries with strict censorship. TotalVPN tracks your IP address, GPS location, and biometric data, making it easy for governments to identify you. I highly suggest using ExpressVPN if you find yourself in a country that restricts access to the web.

Keep in mind that using a non-government-approved VPN is illegal in China. However, there haven’t been any cases of tourists being penalized for using a VPN. Instead, the country makes use of tools that technologically block many VPNs from working over there.

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Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.

TotalVPN provides multiple channels of contact for its customers, including email, live chat, and phone support. Note that there is no guarantee that live chat will always be accessible in all countries. Any time I tried to access it, I was redirected to a blank page.

When I contacted the customer support team via email, none of my messages were responded to. However, a support agent reached out to me and made an effort to fix my problem when I requested a refund. As a gesture of goodwill, the agent even activated some premium options at no extra cost. I insisted on getting a refund, and it was processed the following business day.

Make use of the telephone support line in the event of any pressing issues. Otherwise, you can refer to the extensive support articles, knowledge base, and FAQs on TotalAV’s website. All aspects of software operation, from installation and troubleshooting to account and billing, are covered in these materials.

In addition to its customer support options, TotalAV has an active social media presence on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. You can follow them on these platforms to get updated information and you can also ask questions there.

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