Does Astrill VPN Work in China? Yes, With This Trick
Users can get a dedicated IP from China for just $5 a month. These IPs are called “Supercharged” and are offered in 6 locations in this country. The word “Supercharged” is here to imply that they’re optimized for speeds and performance, which is crucial in a country like this.
Astrill vpn in china
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Does Astrill VPN Work in China? Yes, With This Trick
The Chinese Great Firewall is a painful spot for many VPNs. With its frequent updates, it’s only getting stronger, managing to kill pretty much any provider. Plenty of users online mention Astrill VPN as the most reliable choice for China.
In fact, you’ll often see people claiming that only this provider works 100% of the time. But does Astrill VPN work in China as many users say? The answer is YES. However, to make Astrill VPN work in China, you still need to know a few things. Some of them are outlined in our Astrill VPN review. In this article, however, we’ll focus on its ability to work in this censored country and talk about why it’s so successful compared to other providers.
Is Astrill VPN Working in China?
As said at the beginning, this provider is among the most reliable Chinese VPNs. If we compare it to CyberGhost which has no obfuscation, it’s easy to see why this provider works. It indeed utilizes obfuscation to conceal your VPN traffic and make it look like “normal” traffic.
In 2023, our testers did quite a lot with this provider in China. They reported immense success with the service, as it easily bypasses the Great Firewall and allows for unblocking censored sites. In addition, Astrill VPN is safe and offers excellent security features with a no-logs policy.
The situation is clear. Astrill VPN is working in China!
Why Is Astrill VPN Working in China?
Now, we promised that we’ll explain why this provider is so good in this country compared to its many rivals. Let’s quickly go through some crucial features that make this provider incredibly reliable for circumventing censorship.
OpenWeb & StealthVPN
The highlight of this provider lies in the presence of in-house protocols. We’re talking about proprietary protocols made by this company. If you take a look at NordLynx from NordVPN, you’ll see how great it is, even when talking about bypassing censorship and firewall restrictions.
Well, Astrill VPN developed OpenWeb and StealthVPN, both of which the company nearly perfected. These two protocols are made with added obfuscation, which is why Astrill VPN works in China. StealthVPN, in particular, is known for some impressive results.
This protocol, when enabled, allows users to enjoy the free internet in this country 10/10 times. Even OpenWeb, another TCP-based protocol, works flawlessly. It has multiple layers of encryption and authentication, allowing it to be among the safest options.
In addition, OpenWeb uses AES-256 encryption, which is the highest level. StealthVPN, on the other hand, supports both UDP and TCP protocols. It’s based on OpenVPN in its core but thanks to obfuscation, even the most advanced firewalls can’t detect it.
Our tests indicate that both protocols are very reliable. We had no IP or DNS leaks while using them and they worked incredibly well in China and plenty of other similar countries. Best of all is that both protocols are available for major platforms, such as:
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
- macOS
- Linux
- Routers (StealthVPN)
This allows you to use Astrill VPN in China regardless of the selected device.
Bank-Grade Encryption
Speaking of encryption, Astrill VPN takes no chances. AES-256 encryption is the base of every protocol and it’s the same level of encryption used by the banks and military across the planet. However, it’s worth noting that, when using OpenVPN, you can select the level of encryption.
Users can then opt for 128-bit or 196-bit encryption for performance gains. A lower level of encryption means faster speeds but with modern VPNs, that’s not always the case. Thus, if you’re using Astrill VPN in China, our suggestion is to stay with OpenWeb/StealthVPN and the default level of encryption.
Plenty of Servers in Asia (Close to China)
Is Astrill VPN working in China, after all? Well, it’s pretty clear that it does. Unlike its competitors, the provider takes the utmost care of people in China. It has 10 Gbps, RAM-only servers across nearly 60 worldwide countries. But the point is that a big portion of the server fleet is in Asia.
These servers are here by default and aren’t paid additionally. We found plenty of them in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and other neighboring countries. However, there are two more features we’d like to discuss. One is the ability to buy a dedicated IP.
Users can get a dedicated IP from China for just $5 a month. These IPs are called “Supercharged” and are offered in 6 locations in this country. The word “Supercharged” is here to imply that they’re optimized for speeds and performance, which is crucial in a country like this.
Another feature is a VIP add-on. It’s extremely expensive and costs from $10 to $100 a month, offering from 100 to 1,000 GB of traffic a month. These servers offer reduced latency and blazing-fast speed for people in Asia, especially gamers.
A VIP add-on prioritizes performance above all and even includes MultiHop for added security. It will allow you to double your encryption by routing your traffic through two servers, resulting in additional privacy online. Once again, Chinese residents will find this feature very handy.
No-Logging Policy
The Chinese authorities have no problem trumping your privacy. They’ll monitor your every step online, read your messages, and spy on your voice/video calls. Besides, TOM-Skype, a popular Chinese version of Skype, is made with this in mind.
Well, Astrill VPN maintains a no-logging policy, so storing your personal data isn’t a thing. Astrill VPN is working in China well because it respects your privacy and is based in Seychelles. With no obligatory data retention laws in this country, the company isn’t coerced into storing logs.
Its no-logging policy is crystal-clear and the provider is against storing sensitive info. This includes your IP address, DNS requests, geolocation, timestamps, connection logs, etc. Alas, the VPN has no external audits like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, which is still one of the main downsides.
Various Security Features
Aside from advanced protocols, the VPN has a boatload of security features we mentioned in our Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN comparison. One of them is WireGuard, a protocol used by many providers for its speed, security, and connection stability.
The provider even has OpenVPN, which comes with tons of customization options. Chinese users will like its ad blocker which can also block malicious sites. Astrill VPN is working in China well also because it has an automatic kill switch.
It will shut down all traffic to prevent potential leaks, preventing the Chinese authorities from tracking you online. Other notable features include split tunneling, also called application or website filter. This will allow you to tunnel only selected apps or sites while the others will remain intact.
Astrill VPN is fully compatible with Onion over VPN, making it great for browsing the darknet. Plus, the VPN Sharing feature lets you share the VPN connection with other devices at no additional cost or hardware requirements.
Fast Speeds
Astrill VPN isn’t the fastest VPN by any stretch. However, it holds its ground against the best VPNs pretty well, offering solid speeds across the board. Its 10 Gbps servers are very fast, especially when using WireGuard or OpenWeb protocols.
If you want a faster VPN, consider ExpressVPN. But keep in mind that Astrill VPN is working in China a bit better, so it’s a better option in this country.
Unlimited Connections
Finally, Astrill VPN comes with unlimited simultaneous connections. This is overwhelmingly important in China. You want every device to be protected by the VPN at all times. Thanks to this feature, all your devices will be encrypted and ready to get on the internet without limits.
How to Use Astrill VPN in China?
Using a VPN in China often requires a few tweaks. It’s not the same as, let’s say, using a French VPN where you just need to connect and call it a day. Due to the Great Firewall, enabling certain features and turning on obfuscation is often required.
Thankfully, Astrill VPN makes this process very simple and requires no special knowledge to be used in China. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Subscribe to Astrill VPN. This is a premium-only VPN and offers NO free trials of any sort.
- Install the VPN on your device. We recommend using either Windows or macOS apps, as they’re the most feature-rich and have everything the provider has to offer.
- Open the app and sign in with the email/password you provided in the first step.
- Now, choose either StealthVPN or OpenWeb protocol before you connect. Users reported that StealthVPN works well but OpenWeb is also great for circumventing censorship. Try StealthVPN first and if you have issues, switch to OpenWeb. Don’t use WireGuard because it’s not going to work.
- Finally, connect to the server you want and enjoy going online safely and anonymously.
A Cheaper Alternative to Astrill VPN: ExpressVPN
So, is Astrill VPN working in China in 2023? Yes, it is, but it has a few annoying issues. For one, it’s very expensive. Its monthly plan costs $30 a month, while even the longest 2-year plan will have you pay $300 upfront. You’ll agree that 90% of people won’t be able to afford it.
And even if they could, paying $300 for a VPN service sounds silly. Another thing is that Astrill VPN has no third-party audits and the user experience isn’t very polished. For China, though, it’s extremely reliable and currently represents the best choice.
But if you’re like most other people and you can’t afford it, perhaps, it’s good to know about ExpressVPN. It’s just a slightly less reliable provider in China. However, it also has obfuscation and in some cases, it can work just as well as Astrill VPN compared to CyberGhost which won’t work at all.
What Does ExpressVPN Offer?
As a formidable alternative, ExpressVPN offers 3,000 servers in 94 countries – more than Astrill VPN. We found it to be surprisingly good for streaming, torrenting, and bypassing various firewalls. For example, it’s also a reputable VPN for Hong Kong, as it offers plenty of servers there.
If you’re in China, for example, you’ll get a big number of servers in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, and even Japan. This allows you to connect to nearby servers and enjoy excellent speeds. While we’re at it, ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN – bar none – even faster than Astrill!
Users of this provider enjoy 4K movies and shows on Netflix, with torrenting being fast thanks to the Lightway protocol. This protocol uses obfuscation and ExpressVPN actually works in Turkey, Russia, the UAE, Iran, and plenty of other censored countries.
What’s also impressive is security. This provider uses TrustedServer technology, a name for RAM-only servers. In addition, there’s Private DNS for taking care of your DNS requests and ensuring your ISP isn’t spying on you. Of course, AES-256 encryption and a kill switch are also available.
They’ll fully encrypt and protect your traffic, preventing it from being traced by hackers and snoopers. Like Astrill VPN, ExpressVPN also supports OpenVPN, plus, it has in-built SmartDNS for unblocking streaming sites in the US and the UK.
To cut it short, it’s a better and more reliable provider as a whole. And price-wise, it’s significantly cheaper. Just take a look at its 49% discount and 3 free months for the annual plan below. You’ll manage to snatch ExpressVPN at just $6.67 a month compared to Astrill’s annual plan at $15 a month!
Not to mention ExpressVPN’s 30-day refund policy for all plans. With Astrill, all purchases are definite and you can’t get a refund. With ExpressVPN, you have more freedom and you can use it risk-free. Take your time and read our article about why ExpressVPN is so safe and secure – you’ll be amazed.
Does Astrill VPN Work in China – Conclusion
For people wondering whether Astrill VPN is working in China, we can confidently say YES. Truly, this is an amazing provider that not only works in the country but also has plenty of great add-ons to complement your experience.
It’s a premium provider, but a very expensive one, which makes it unaffordable for the majority of users. Those who can afford it, however, swear by Astrill VPN and claim it’s the #1 VPN for China. Thanks to OpenWeb, StealthVPN, and super-fast Chinese servers, it’s easy to see why it’s so good.
But if you’re on the other side of the spectrum and you find it too expensive, don’t fret. You can always choose ExpressVPN instead, although it’s slightly less reliable in China. It’s ~60% cheaper than Astrill in the annual plan and allows for a 30-day money-back guarantee.
It’s even better if you don’t strictly need a VPN for China, as ExpressVPN is a far better provider outside of this scenario.
Astrill VPN Review
Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He’s tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more.
Additional Testing by David Hughes Fact-checked by JP Jones
Our Verdict
Overall Rating:
8.24 8.2 / 10
How is this calculated? Close
We calculate the VPN service’s Overall Rating by combining the ratings of several testing categories. Each category is weighted as follows:
- Privacy & Logging Policy: 20%
- Speed: 20%
- Security & Technical Features: 15%
- Streaming: 15%
- Ease of Use: 10%
- Torrenting: 5%
- Server Locations: 5%
- Bypassing Web Censorship: 5%
- Customer Support: 5%
Astrill VPN is a good VPN service all-round, but the very best for bypassing internet censorship in countries like China. The VPN is fast, private, and works with US Netflix, but it’s also more expensive than all of its competitors. We recommend Astrill for users in heavily-censored countries, but if you’re a beginner or a casual user you should consider a cheaper and less complex VPN.
Ranked #15 out of 55 VPNs
Astrill VPN Category Ratings
- Streaming
Astrill VPN Pros & Cons
Pros
- 100% reliability in China, the UAE, and Turkey
- OpenVPN, WireGuard plus custom protocols
- Extra features like ad blocker, leak protection and kill switch
- Servers optimized for P2P traffic and torrenting
- Based in privacy-friendly Seychelles
- Works with US Netflix
Cons
- The most expensive VPN service
- No refund policy
- Slower than other popular VPNs
- Doesn’t unblock HBO Max, Amazon Prime, or Disney+
- No transparency reports, warrant canary, or audit
- No web browser extensions or mobile kill switch
Why Trust Our Review?
We’ve spent thousands of hours testing and reviewing 55 VPN services using our impartial review process to recommend you the best VPN software.
Here are some of our key VPN testing statistics:
| Total Hours of Testing | 30,000+ |
| Weekly Speed Tests | 3,000+ |
| VPN Services Reviewed | 55 |
| Streaming Platforms Tested Daily | 12 |
| IP & DNS Leak Tests Performed | 9,500+ |
| How Much We’ve Spent On Testing | $25,000+ |
Founded in 2009, Astrill VPN is one of the longest-running VPN services available. It’s owned and maintained by Veloxee Corp, and its development team is headed by cryptographers.
Astrill VPN is primarily an anti-censorship tool, and it serves this purpose very well. We regularly test the VPN using our server in China, and its StealthVPN protocol continues to bypass the Great Firewall of China on every attempt. There is no doubt that Astrill is the best VPN for China.
However, not everything about this VPN is positive. In this updated review, we’ll explain how Astrill VPN collects some logs, and it doesn’t unblock many streaming services. It’s one of the most advanced VPNs we’ve tested, but it’s also the most expensive.
We’ve reviewed every aspect of Astrill VPN using our comprehensive testing methodology. You can read our full test results in the table below, or you can compare Astrill’s performance with other popular VPNs later on in this review.
Who Should Get Astrill VPN?
Get Astrill VPN if:
- You need to bypass internet censorship. Astrill VPN has never failed to bypass the Great Firewall of China in our testing and is unmatched when it comes to circumventing censorship.
- You want a VPN with advanced features. Astrill is a fully-featured VPN service with an in-built ad blocker, split tunneling, SOCKS support, and the option for a dedicated IP.
- You need a VPN for torrenting. Astrill is a great choice for torrenters. It includes P2P-optimized servers, an effective kill switch, and port forwarding support.
Avoid Astrill VPN if:
- You’re looking for an affordable VPN. Astrill is the most expensive VPN of all 55 that we’ve reviewed — this includes top-rated services like ExpressVPN and NordVPN
- You want to unblock geo-restricted streaming services. Astrill VPN can unblock US Netflix and Hulu, but that’s it.
- You want a beginner-friendly VPN app. Astrill’s apps aren’t the most visually appealing and can be difficult to use for less tech-savvy users.
Astrill VPN Key Data
Add to compare
| Data Cap | Unlimited |
|---|---|
| Download Speed | 92Mbps |
| Logging Policy | Some User Logs |
| Data Leaks | No |
| Jurisdiction | Seychelles (Privacy Haven) |
| Servers | 107 |
| IP Addresses | 110+ |
| Countries With Servers | 56 |
| US Netflix | Yes |
| Torrenting | Unlimited |
| Simultaneous Connections | 5 |
| Works In China | Yes |
| Support | 24/7 Live Chat |
| Cheapest Price | $12.50 /mo over two years |
| Official Website | Astrill.com |
Privacy & Logging Policy
Astrill Logs Some Connection Data
Privacy & Logging Policy Rating
How is this calculated? Close
We analyze and dissect the VPN service’s logging and privacy policy. A VPN should never log and store:
- Your real IP address
- Connection timestamps
- DNS requests
Headquarters outside of 14 Eyes or EU jurisdictions are also preferable.
Astrill’s logging policy is reasonably private. The VPN logs some sensitive, identifiable data for the duration of your connection, including your IP address. However, this information is permanently deleted after each session. This allows the VPN to maintain its performance without threatening your privacy.
Ranked #10 out of 55 VPNs for Privacy & Logging Policy
Here’s a table summarizing all of the information that Astrill VPN logs:
| Data Type | Logged by Astrill VPN |
|---|---|
| Browsing Activity | No |
| Device Information | Yes |
| DNS Queries | No |
| Individual Bandwidth Usage | Yes |
| Individual Connection Timestamps | Yes |
| ISP | No |
| Number of Simultaneous Connections | No |
| Originating IP Address | Yes |
| Account Information | No |
| VPN Server IP | No |
| VPN Server Location | No |
| Date of Last Connection | No |
You can read Astrill VPN’s privacy policy on its website.
It’s not ideal that Astrill logs your IP address, but this information is only kept during your VPN session, and is then permanently deleted.
This maintains the app’s performance without compromising your privacy. All VPNs need to handle a minimal amount of information in order to function; in this case, Astrill needs it to regulate the number of devices simultaneously connecting from one account.
This is a poor excuse considering other VPNs, like ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN, monitor device connections without logging your IP address.
Astrill also tracks the total number of bytes transferred for network maintenance and expansion. This isn’t personally identifiable, and presents no threat to your privacy, either. Astrill reassures the user that:
“The very design of our VPN server software does not allow us to see which clients accessed what websites even if we wanted to.”
Astrill does, however, log your last 20 connection records to help customer support identify and troubleshoot problems. This includes:
- Connection time
- Connection duration
- Country
- Device type
- Astrill client version number
None of this is personally identifiable, either, and if your Astrill account is inactive for 30 days this information is automatically deleted. You can also request to delete this data manually by contacting [email protected].
Although none of the data stored is identifiable, it is unreasonable from a VPN service that advertises itself as no-logs.
Astrill would benefit from commissioning an independent audit into its logging practices. This would eliminate all doubts about its safety. We’d also like to see regular transparency reports so that users can see any requests for data that the company has received from government agencies.
We were impressed by the privacy-friendly payment method options Astrill VPN offers. You can purchase an Astrill subscription with cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, for increased anonymity.
This isn’t as anonymous as Mullvad VPN’s approach of allowing customers to send cash to its office, but it’s still impressive.
Astrill VPN Is Owned by Veloxee Corp
Astrill VPN is currently under the ownership of a corporate entity called Veloxee Corp.
The subsidiary company, Astrill Systems Corp., was built and continues to be run by a team of cryptographers, programmers, and networking engineers.
The company isn’t particularly transparent, but it has serious security credentials; there’s never been a server breach, security leak, or controversy surrounding the company.
Based in a “Privacy Haven” Jurisdiction
AstrillVPN is incorporated in the privacy stronghold of the Seychelles, registered in the capital of Victoria on Mahé Island.
This is an ideal jurisdiction in which to base a VPN company because it is not subject to intrusive data retention laws or mass surveillance agreements between intelligence partners like the NSA (US), GCHQ (UK), ASIS (Australia), and CSIS (Canada).
No one can force Astrill VPN to hand over your data to foreign governments.
Bypassing Web Censorship
Astrill VPN Reliably Works in China
Bypassing Censorship Rating
How is this calculated? Close
We routinely test if the VPN can bypass strict internet restrictions in China using our remote-access server in Shanghai.
Other important factors we consider include obfuscation technologies and the availability of servers in neighboring countries (for faster connections).
Astrill is the best VPN for bypassing censorship. It comes with a StealthVPN protocol and Smart Mode that are specifically designed to beat website blocks and internet shutdowns – and they work a100% of the time. We test Astrill VPN on our own China server and can confirm its 100% success rate.
Ranked #1 out of 55 VPNs for Bypassing Web Censorship
Astrill is the best VPN service for China and other highly-censored countries in 2023.
Its proprietary StealthVPN protocol and Smart Mode features are both designed to bypass state censorship, website blocks, and internet shutdowns.
We’ve confirmed Astrill’s effectiveness inside China by testing it on our own server in Shanghai.
We connected remotely, installed Astrill, and tested the VPN from within China, very similarly to any other computer that uses the internet from within the country.
In the video below, we use Astrill to unblock censored websites in China:
In our tests, Astrill unblocked Netflix and Instagram in China.
Since the very first tests, the VPN has proven itself to be reliable and consistent, which is why it continues to be our top recommendation for China.
Our findings are corroborated by the anti-censorship website greatfire.org, which shows that Astrill is one of the most stable VPNs in China.
Astrill doesn’t let you use OpenVPN on connections in China, but its proprietary protocols remove the need for it anyway.
Here’s how Astrill’s reliability in China compares with other top VPNs:
| VPN Service | % Reliability (12 Months) |
|---|---|
| Astrill VPN | 100% |
| ExpressVPN | 64% |
| Windscribe | 85% |
| Surfshark | 18% |
Evading China’s Great Firewall is a benchmark test for any VPN that markets itself as an anti-censorship tool. If a VPN works in China, it’s likely to work in other highly-censored countries, too. This means Astrill also works in countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and UAE.
Astrill’s Stealth VPN & Smart Mode
Astrill is particularly effective against censorship due to its proprietary protocols.
This feature is designed to evade deep packet inspection (DPI) and firewall blocks – the two main internet censorship methods used by The Great Firewall to block websites in China.
StealthVPN is not available on iPhone or iPad due to “limitations from Apple.” For this reason, we don’t recommend Astrill for use in China on iOS devices. Instead, we suggest using ExpressVPN on your iPhone or iPad.
Astrill has another feature called Smart Mode, a split tunneling feature available only on the OpenWeb protocol and only in China.
Smart Mode uses regional IP addresses in China to evade censors, while secretly tunneling and unblocking international websites.
Smart Mode is ideal for accessing messaging applications like WhatsApp and streaming services like YouTube.
EXPERT ADVICE: Smart mode is ideal for users within China who want to access local sites while connected to a VPN. StealthVPN is better if you want to connect to the global internet and access international websites.
What Is the Best Astrill Server for China?
Astrill also offers specially-optimized SuperCharged servers, sometimes called China-optimized servers.
These servers are designed to maximize speeds and lower latency for users in China. There are also nearby servers in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, which means you can evade censorship and retain optimal speeds at the same time. These are the best Astrill VPN servers for China.
SUMMARY: Astrill is an excellent VPN for China. Its proprietary connection protocols and large server network work to unblock popular websites and keep your browsing activity safe, making it ideal for Chinese residents, visitors, or users in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Security & Technical Features
Impressive Security & Advanced Features
Security & Technical Features Rating
How is this calculated? Close
A secure VPN must offer OpenVPN or WireGuard protocols, AES-256 encryption, and a working kill switch.
To calculate this rating, we also factor in additional security settings and features.
Astrill VPN is undoubtedly safe to use. In fact, it has one of the most impressive security packages of any VPN. It uses the AES-256 encryption cipher with the option of four different tunneling protocols (including OpenVPN and WireGuard), and it also offers port forwarding, a kill switch, leak protection, and safe access to the dark web without Tor.
Ranked #7 out of 55 VPNs for Security & Technical Features
You can see a complete list of the VPN protocols, encryption ciphers, and extra technical features that Astrill VPN offers in the table below:
Protocols Encryption Security Advanced Features
| Protocols | Available in Astrill VPN |
|---|---|
| IKEv2/IPSec | No |
| OpenVPN (TCP/UDP) | Yes |
| Proprietary | Yes |
| WireGuard | Yes |
| Encryption | Available in Astrill VPN |
|---|---|
| AES-128 | No |
| AES-192 | No |
| AES-256 | Yes |
| Blowfish | No |
| ChaCha20 | No |
| Security | Available in Astrill VPN |
|---|---|
| DNS Leak Blocking | Yes |
| First-party DNS | Yes |
| IPv6 Leak Blocking | Yes |
| Supports TCP Port 443 | Yes |
| VPN Kill Switch | Yes |
| WebRTC Leak Blocking | Yes |
| Advanced Features | Available in Astrill VPN |
|---|---|
| Ad Blocker | Yes |
| Dedicated IP | Yes |
| Double VPN | No |
| Smart DNS | No |
| Static IP | No |
| SOCKS | Yes |
| Split Tunneling | Yes |
| Tor over VPN Server | No |
| Tracker Blocker | No |
Astrill Offers Multiple Proprietary Tunneling Protocols
OpenVPN and WireGuard are both trustworthy and open-source VPN connection protocols, and each one excels in different areas. Astrill offers them alongside StealthVPN and OpenWeb – two proprietary options – which provides a great balance between standardized and bespoke security.
Astrill offers the choice of four connection protocols.
OpenWeb is a proprietary protocol based on TCP, designed for fast streaming and browsing across the web. Rather than encrypting the traffic leaving your entire device, OpenWeb only tunnels traffic from popular web browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Chrome, and Chromium.
You can configure OpenWeb to encrypt traffic from other applications too, and also to share your OpenWeb connections with iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. This is useful in case mobile VPN protocols are blocked by your ISP or network administrators.
EXPERT ADVICE: If you switch servers or turn your VPN off when using the OpenWeb protocol, Astrill will automatically disconnect all applications. You can prevent these disconnections by going to Settings > Advanced > Keep Connection.
StealthVPN is Astrill VPN’s flagship proprietary protocol. It adds a layer of obfuscation to your already encrypted internet traffic, allowing you to bypass firewalls undetected.
It’s a stable and reliable protocol that works with both UDP and TCP protocols. It uses RSA-2048 certificates for authentication and the AES-256 cipher to encrypt your data.
Reliable & Advanced Kill Switch
Astrill’s kill switch works well to prevent IP leaks and cut your entire internet connection should the VPN connection fail. In this case, a pop-up window appears asking if you want to restore your internet connection or reconnect the VPN before continuing.
There’s also a feature called App Guard available on Windows, which Astrill describes as an “enhanced” version of a kill switch. This feature lets you block specific apps from connecting to the internet in the event of a VPN disconnection, while everything else works normally.
It works even when the Astrill desktop app is not running, and is enabled automatically on system startup.
Astrill’s advanced kill switch is called App Guard.
We ran both Astrill’s standard kill switch and App Guard feature through our kill switch testing tool to verify their effectiveness. The tool detects IP leaks by constantly monitoring your IP address and geo-location during an internet disconnection.
As shown in the screenshot below, Astrill’s normal kill switch failed to hide our real IP address during a VPN server change. This is more of a usability issue than a security one, as Astrill requires you to manually disconnect from your VPN server before connecting to a new one.
Top-rated VPNs, like PIA, allow you to switch between VPN servers without interrupting the VPN connection.
Astrill’s standard kill switch doesn’t activate while changing VPN servers.
Astrill’s kill switch did prevent our real IP address from leaking during a sudden VPN disconnection, which is the more important test.
App Guard concealed our IP address during both a VPN server change and a VPN disconnection. We recommend enabling App Guard at all times to maintain your online anonymity.
Astrill doesn’t support a VPN kill switch on either of its mobile apps. This is a significant drawback for mobile users, and we’d like to see this rectified in a future update.
IP, DNS & WebRTC Leak Tests
We tested Astrill VPN for any compromising IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks by connecting to a US server. We found no leaks of any kind.
Astrill VPN didn’t leak our IP address, WebRTC, or DNS.
Our test confirmed that Astrill doesn’t leak any of your personal data. It’s a safe, secure, and reliable VPN that will hide your IP address without fail.
Advanced Features Vary by Subscription
Astrill has more additional technical features than most VPN services, but their availability depends on your pricing plan.
You’ll need to purchase Astrill VIP to access the full suite of Astrill’s advanced features, which costs $10.00 a month extra.
Here’s a summary of how Astrill and Astrill VIP’s technical features differ:
| Feature | Description | Astrill | Astrill VIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onion Over VPN | Opening any .onion website in your regular browser automatically routers your traffic to the Tor network via the VPN tunnel. | Enabled on all servers by default | Enabled on all servers by default |
| DNS Server Customization | Allows you to choose between the default Astrill DNS servers, Google DNS, CloudFlare DNS, and more. | Available (Desktop only) | Available (Desktop only) |
| Multi-Hop Servers | Routes your traffic through two VPN servers instead of one, for increased anonymity. | No | Yes |
| VIP Servers | VPN servers optimized for fast speed and reduced latency, aimed at gamers and users in Asia. Capped by a monthly data limit. | No | Yes |
In addition to either plan, you can purchase a dedicated VPN IP address for an extra fee of $5.00 per month. This is a VPN IP address that only you can connect to and use. This allows for secure remote access and complete agency over your IP address.
Unlike other VPN services, Astrill automatically forwards ports to your dedicated IP, so all VOIP and P2P applications will work without additional configuration.