Speed
|
5.0 / 10 |
Servers
|
3.0 / 10 |
User Experience
|
2.0 / 10 |
Support
|
1.0 / 10 |
Pricing
|
5.0 / 10 |
VPN Monster Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?
VPN Monster Overview
VPN Monster promises to unblock any website or server, which caught my attention since even the top VPNs sometimes struggle with unblocking many streaming platforms. To see if this Russia-based VPN lives up to its expectations, I signed up for its free trial and was able to use the VPN with some restrictions.
Bear in mind that this review is based on my observations using the free trial. When I bought the subscription, I couldn’t get the paid version to work. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend you buy VPN Monster as there’s a good chance the app might not work.
After my trial expired, I bought the subscription and reinstalled VPN Monster’s app on my Mac so I could enter the activation code for the paid plan. However, a loading screen appeared and went on for hours, and I couldn’t get past it. I translated the error message into English and it said “No internet connection,” even though my internet was working fine.
VPN Monster offers only a 7-day money-back guarantee, which is far below the industry standard. It does, however, provide a free, limited version of the VPN that you can use for up to 35 days to test it out thoroughly before committing. Again, I wouldn’t recommend you buy the VPN because it didn’t work for me.
Don’t Have Time? Here’s a 1-Minute Summary
- Unblocks a few streaming platforms. VPN Monster can’t unblock some streaming platforms. See the entire list of unblocked streaming services.
- Good speeds. VPN Monster offered good speeds on nearby servers, though there were server restrictions. See which servers you can use with the free trial.
- Decent security. VPN Monster provides military-grade encryption with the OpenVPN encryption protocol. Learn more about its Double VPN feature.
- Good privacy features. VPN Monster provides WebRTC DNS/IP leak protection and has a no-logs policy. View its privacy policy.
- Poor user experience. VPN Monster’s app is in Russian and is hard to use. Learn how to set up VPN Monster on your device.
- Free trial. VPN Monster offers a 3-day and 35-day free trial with a 7-day money-back guarantee. See its refund policy.
VPN Monster Unblocks Netflix, HBO Max, and YouTube (But Can’t Access Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+)
I wasn’t surprised to find out that VPN Monster couldn’t unblock many streaming services. I signed up for its 3-day free trial and only had access to 4 servers – Norway, Luxembourg, the US, and Hungary. Despite using a server in the US, I couldn’t access my US-specific streaming platforms, including Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.
I could access and stream Netflix, HBO Max, and YouTube, but I encountered some buffering while streaming, especially when on distant servers.
I reckoned this was because of the server restrictions on the free trial, so I decided to subscribe to the paid version to get access to more servers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get VPN Monster’s app to work after making the payment.
Netflix, HBO Max, and YouTube: Unblocked
Using VPN Monster’s free trial, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to access most of my streaming services given the server limitations. Nonetheless, I decided to put VPN Monster’s free trial to the test. I successfully logged into Netflix and watched Space Force in HD without buffering.
That was a great start, but then, when I accessed my HBO Max account and streamed Friends, the video quality dropped to SD. I was a bit puzzled by this since I used the same US server as I did when streaming Netflix.
I wanted to try out the servers in Hungary and Norway to see if they deliver good speeds. Since I’m not based in either of those countries, I asked my colleague in Hungary to do the test. He couldn’t stream Netflix without buffering using the server in Hungary. As for the other server in Norway, I used it to stream YouTube. The video buffered initially, but not after that. However, the video quality kept dropping frequently.
BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Prime Video, and Hulu: Blocked
My team and I continued streaming tests and tried accessing Disney+, Prime Video, and Hulu, but none of them worked with VPN Monster. I received an error message prompting me to disconnect from the VPN every time. Clearly, the streaming platforms could detect I was using a VPN and didn’t allow me to stream.
I couldn’t access BBC iPlayer since I’m not located in the UK, so I asked my colleague who lives there to test the VPN out. Also, VPN Monster doesn’t have servers in the UK in its free trial, so she had to get the paid version. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get the VPN to work either.
Next, I connected to a server in the US and tried accessing my Disney+ account, but I couldn’t get past the login page. The screen just went blank. I refreshed the page multiple times and got the following error message.
Disappointed at this point, I wanted to see if VPN Monster could unblock Amazon Prime Video. The website opened, but it detected that I was using a VPN, and didn’t let me stream. It showed me the same error message again and again. The same thing happened when I accessed Hulu.
If you want to stream all these services without any problems, I strongly recommend using ExpressVPN. With thousands of servers spread across the globe, ExpressVPN lets you access your favorite streaming platforms anywhere in the world.
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Speed
- 5.0
/ 10
VPN Monster Is Fast on Nearby and Mid-Range Servers
VPN Monster doesn’t have many servers on its free trial, to begin with, so evaluating its performance based on just 4 servers was tough. Throughout my research and testing, I found that the VPN Monster offers good speeds on nearby and mid-range servers. However, its performance drops on long-distance servers.
Speed Test Results
VPN Monster’s paid packages include 120 servers across 40 countries, but I could only access its free trial, which includes 4 servers.
It’s also important to mention that I frequently travel between North America, the Middle East, and South Asia. Currently, I’m in a country that isn’t on VPN Monster’s list of servers. During my test, there weren’t any nearby servers either, but only two mid-range servers: Luxembourg and Norway.
My baseline download speed was 11.16Mbps. When I connected to mid-range servers in Luxembourg and Norway, I got speeds of 9.89Mbps and 9.07Mbps, respectively. That’s a speed drop of 11.3% and 18.7%, which isn’t that bad. I could stream Netflix in HD on both servers without having any buffering whatsoever.
When I connected to the long-distance server in the US, I wasn’t able to run the same Ookla speed test I did for the other two servers. I couldn’t find an optimal server even though I was able to surf the internet perfectly well.
I ran a different speed test called FAST and found out that my speeds on the long-distance server had dropped by 49.8%, and I wasn’t able to stream Netflix and YouTube in HD.
VPN Monster has a nifty feature that automatically connects you to the best available server. It definitely works because it connected me to the server in Luxembourg, and you can see I got the best speeds on that server.
Overall, VPN Monster offers great speeds on nearby and mid-range servers. Its long-distance servers aren’t good if you’re an avid streamer, but if you just want to surf the internet, they’ll work just fine.
The only drawback of VPN Monster is that you only get 4 servers in the free trial, which aren’t effective in unblocking your home region’s content. In comparison, CyberGhost has optimized streaming servers and a large global network for exceptionally fast speeds on both nearby and distant servers.
Why Most Speed Tests are Pointless & How We Correctly Test VPN Speeds
Speed determines how fast content uploads, so if you're torrenting or streaming, you want the speed to be somewhat identical to your regular internet speed. Since a VPN encrypts your data, it usually takes a bit longer to send your data back and forth, which can slow down your connection. However, if your ISP deliberately slows down your connection (also known as throttling) a VPN might increase your internet speed. Testing a VPN is somewhat pointless because new servers pop up and affect speed. Your speed can also differ according to your location, so your speed test might not match ours. Having said that, we tested the speed in numerous locations to provide you with the average.
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Servers
- 3.0
/ 10
Server Network – Gets the Job Done but Could Be Better
VPN Monster offers 4 servers in its free trial: Luxembourg, Hungary, the US, and Norway. If you go for the paid plan, you can choose from 120 servers across 40 countries. However, it’s very likely you won’t be able to log in to the paid version after buying it.
Although 4 servers are enough for you to try out the service, other VPNs provide dozens of servers in their free trial. So, I would say this puts VPN Monster at a disadvantage. On the other hand, I found that, unlike most other less-known VPNs, VPN Monster offers unlimited bandwidth. That’s an excellent feature if you want to stream and torrent using the free trial.
Also, VPN Monster organizes servers based on ping. The lower its ping, the faster it is. You’ll see the lower ping servers on the top. Its Smart Connect feature automatically connects you to the best available server.
VPN Monster’s server count isn’t ideal for accessing regional content when you’re traveling overseas. If you’re looking to get past these server limitations, ExpressVPN is an excellent option, as it has a server count of 3,000 in 105 countries.
Security – Limited Encryption Protocols but Airtight Security
VPN Monster provides the OpenVPN protocol (TCP/UDP) with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption. Although OpenVPN is fast, secure, and open-source, some users prefer having a range of protocols to choose from. Unfortunately, VPN Monster doesn’t provide that luxury.
On the other hand, it offers exceptional security thanks to its Double VPN feature. Double VPN adds an extra layer of security by routing your internet traffic through two servers instead of one, encrypting your data twice.
Apart from that, VPN Monster includes a kill switch, which automatically disconnects your device from the internet if your connection to the VPN server drops for any reason.
Overall, I was impressed by VPN Monster’s exceptional security features because they provide airtight security and preserve your anonymity at all times.
Privacy – Good Privacy Features but No Evidence of No-Logs Policy
VPN Monster claims to have a strict no-logs policy, which means it doesn’t store your data. That’s great, but I couldn’t find any evidence of this as VPN Monster hasn’t had any independent audits. So, you’ll just have to take its word for it.
I read its privacy policy and found that VPN Monster does store some of your data, including your email, cookies, and order status. I was a bit concerned because you can be tracked with cookies, but VPN Monster claims it only stores cookies to avoid re-registration of the free trial.
However, I was glad to find out that VPN Monster is based in Seychelles. That means it isn’t restricted by strict Russian data laws and is also outside the jurisdiction of the Five Eyes Alliance.
Apart from that, VPN Monster uses the WebRTC protocol that blocks any leaks of your actual IP address when you’re connected to the VPN. Plus, you can enable its “Hide VPN” feature so that websites don’t detect that you’re using a VPN. Also, VPN Monster has a feature that changes your device’s time to the time zone of the server’s location you’re connected to.
Overall, VPN Monster has many privacy-centric features. Its privacy policy, however, is still questionable at best because VPN Monster hasn’t undergone any independent audits to back up its claims.
Torrenting – P2P-Optimized Servers Provide Good Torrenting Speeds
VPN Monster doesn’t support torrenting on all servers. If you’re using the free trial, you’ll get torrenting support on servers in Luxembourg, Norway, and Hungary.
To test VPN Monster’s torrenting performance, I connected to the server in Luxembourg and torrented a 3.5GB file. I got fast download speeds, and the file was downloaded in about 6 minutes. Then, I connected to the server in Norway and downloaded the same file, which took about 8 minutes.
I also tried connecting to Hungary but got no connectivity at all. I wasn’t able to surf the internet, stream, or torrent. Meanwhile, the server in the US didn’t offer torrent support, so I wasn’t able to test VPN Monster’s torrenting performance on long-distance servers.
Overall, VPN Monster offers good torrenting speeds on nearby and mid-range servers. On long-distance servers, however, you may get frequent speed drops. If you’re looking for top speeds no matter the location, these premium VPNs are the best choice.
My team and I don’t condone illegal torrenting, so it’s always wise to check the rules and regulations in the country you’re in before torrenting.
Does VPN Monster Work in China? No!
I extensively researched whether VPN Monster works in China and found conflicting answers. While some review sites mentioned that it might work in China, most others said it doesn’t.
VPN Monster’s website says it doesn’t have servers in China, so I assumed it wouldn’t work there. However, I decided to contact VPN Monster’s support team to settle this debate once and for all. I submitted a ticket to VPN Monster’s support team and received a response after 13 hours.
Unfortunately, the response I got from the team was not valuable at all. The agent told me to try out VPN Monster in China myself, and I found that very unprofessional.
Server Locations
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User Experience
- 2.0
/ 10
VPN Monster is a Russian VPN service that targets Russian-speaking clientele. That’s why its app is in the Russian language and can be extremely hard to navigate. I effectively employed VPN Monster on my Mac without facing any challenges throughout the process of downloading, installing, and using its Mac application. It’s important to mention that adapting to the Russian interface might necessitate some initial adjustment.
Simultaneous Device Connections – Allows up to 6 Devices at a Time
VPN Monster can be used on up to 6 devices simultaneously. I was able to use it on my Mac and iPhone at the same time. During my testing, I observed a few speed drops while streaming on my iPhone, though.
Although 6 devices are enough for anyone who uses a VPN rigorously, if you want to connect more, I recommend you use IPVanish as it lets you connect unlimited devices on a single subscription.
Device Compatibility – Compatible With Most Platforms
VPN Monster is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers. It has the same user interface on Windows and Mac, which helps you navigate the app since it’s in the Russian language. Its native Android app is also in Russian.
I had some problems installing VPN Monster on my iPhone, though, since it doesn’t have a native app on iOS. Instead, I had to manually set up VPN Monster on OpenVPN Connect and download the configuration files. It was a hassle, but the instructions on VPN Monster’s website were self-explanatory.
You can set up VPN Monster on your router, but the router should support the OpenVPN protocol, TLS authorization, and configuration files with the .ovpn extension.
Ease of Set-Up & Installation – Email Verification on Desktop and Mobile
VPN Monster is easy to set up on your desktop computer: Windows or Mac. If you want to test it out first, you could either sign up for the 3-days free trial or the 35-days free trial. For the former, you just need to sign up with your email address, and you’ll get an activation code that will activate the app. For the 35-days free trial, you’ll need to sign up with your email and phone number.
Get VPN Monster in 3 Easy Steps
- Create an account for VPN Monster and fill out your details.
![Screenshot of VPN Monster's 3-day and 35-day free trials]()
- Download VPN Monster App on your device. Note: Translate the website to English.
![Screenshot of operating systems compatible with VPN Monster]()
- Enter the activation code on VPN Monster’s app.
![Screenshot of where to enter activation code on VPN Monster's app]()
If you want to access VPN Monster’s client dashboard, you can easily do so by clicking “Cabinet” and entering your login credentials on the following page. Remember to translate the website to English before you do so.
Once you have done that, you’ll be redirected to your dashboard, where you can upgrade your plan, download configuration files for setting up VPN Monster manually, among other things.
You can upgrade your plan, download config files, contact customer support, and more on the client dashboard.
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Support
- 1.0
/ 10
VPN Monster doesn’t have a live chat option on its website, which I think it should, considering how difficult it is to use its Russian app. Instead, it offers a ticket system where you can email your queries and wait for a response from the support team. The good thing is that you can submit your ticket in English as well as Russian.
While submitting a ticket was easy, VPN Monster’s support team can take a while to reply. The website doesn’t mention the support team’s working hours, so there’s no way of telling when you’ll get a response. I got a response after 13 hours, and the response was lacking in technical help and in professionalism.
Apart from that, it has an FAQ section that provides answers to technical queries, mostly troubleshooting guides. I found the FAQ guide useful because it helped me understand why the kill switch wasn’t working on my colleague’s Windows app. I found out that it was because of the firewall, which was turned on by default.
How We Test Customer Support and Why Should You Care
We personally test the customer support team of every VPN we review. This means asking technical question through the live chat feature (where applicable) and measuring the response time for email questions. Whether you need to connect to a specific server, change your security protocol, or configure a VPN on your router, finding a VPN with quality customer support should be important to you.
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Pricing
- 5.0
/ 10
VPN Monster offers 3 paid packages: all of them provide the same features. The only difference is that you’ll get a discount on the 6-months and 1-year packages, but not on the monthly package.
Apart from its paid packages, VPN Monster also provides two types of free trials: a 3-day free trial and a generous 35-day free trial. You can use them without giving your credit card details. All you need to do is sign up with your email for the 3-day trial and your email plus phone number for the 35-day trial.
I was also impressed to find out that VPN Monster supports a range of payment options, including credit card, PayPal, Qiwi Wallet, UMoney, WebMoney, and even Bitcoin.
On the contrary, I wasn’t so happy to find out that VPN Monster only provides a 7-day money-back guarantee, whereas the industry standard is 30 days. I doubt VPN Monster provides refunds as I couldn’t even access its paid app after paying for it, nor did I get a response from customer support.
I went through VPN Monster’s refund policy thoroughly and found that there is a catch. First, the refund doesn’t apply to renewals, which is reasonable. However, what caught my attention was the fact that VPN Monster’s refund terms may change at any time without informing you.
VPN Monster offers the following plans
Final Verdict
VPN Monster does not stack up to the competition. Its poor support, shady refund policy, and non-working paid version disappointed me. Even the free version comes with some caveats. While it does offer unlimited bandwidth, you are limited to just 4 servers. Its unblocking capabilities were sub-par, and I experienced slow speeds with distant servers.
VPN Monster only has 1 encryption protocol, which isn’t suitable if you’re looking for flexibility in choosing your protocol. Apart from that, it doesn’t have a native app on iOS, so if you want to use VPN Monster on your iPhone, you’ll have to use the OpenVPN Connect app and VPN Monster’s configuration files.
Most importantly, you may not be able to use the VPN after paying for it (as what happened with me), and worse yet, customer support will leave you hanging. Don’t expect any refunds either.
I strongly advise you to not pay for VPN Monster and instead, use its free trials if necessary.
FAQs About VPN Monster
Is VPN Monster good?
No, it’s likely VPN Monster’s app doesn’t work after you pay for its subscription. It’s better that you use its free trial instead. Although the free trial offers only 4 servers, it provides good speeds on nearby servers, enough that you can stream and torrent without any problems.
It also uses OpenVPN as its encryption protocol, which is one of the best in the VPN industry so far. Plus, its security features such as Double VPN and a kill switch add an extra layer of security, helping preserve your anonymity at all times.
Can I use VPN Monster for free?
Yes, VPN Monster offers a 3-day free trial as well as a 35-day free trial. To avail the 3-day free trial, you just need to sign up using your email address. For the 35-day trial, you have to sign up with both your email and phone number. After that, you’ll get an activation code on your email, which you can use to access VPN Monster’s app for free.
Apart from that, VPN Monster offers a 7-day money-back guarantee. If you’re looking for a completely free service, there are some safe and reliable free VPNs available.
Is VPN Monster really safe?
Yes, VPN Monster is safe to download, install, and use. I used it on my Macbook and iPhone without any problems. However, I stumbled upon some review sites that said VPN Monster’s Windows app contains malware. Nothing of the sort happened when my colleague installed the app on his Windows desktop, though.
Also, VPN Monster claims to have a no-logs policy but doesn’t have the evidence to back it up since it hasn’t undergone any audits. That makes its privacy policy questionable. On the other hand, it’s based outside the Five Eyes Alliance jurisdiction and Russia’s strict data laws.
| Seychelles | |
| 2015 | |
| No | |
| 6 | |
| 7 days guaranteed |
