City VPN Assessment (2024): Is it a Protected & Dependable VPN to Use?

Whereas City VPN’s accessible free variations look attractive, the service itself lacks each fundamental and superior options anticipated out of recent VPNs. It’s additionally held again by a questionable privateness coverage, lackluster VPN efficiency, and the absence of any unbiased audits.

On this article, we dive deeper into City VPN to see whether or not it’s best for you and your group.

City VPN pricing

City VPN is the one supplier I’ve tried to this point that doesn’t have a premium desktop model. As an alternative, its premium plan is unique to its cellular app on Android and iOS. City VPN advertises itself because the “only 100% Free” VPN on this planet — referring to its desktop purposes.

SEE: 6 Greatest VPNs for Gaming in 2024 (TechRepublic)

If we check out its premium plans on cellular, its costs are literally pretty reasonably priced.

Nevertheless, the one noticeable distinction between City VPN’s paid and free plans on cellular is the addition of extra areas. There doesn’t appear to be any additional options with its paid model, so I don’t suggest going for any of those paid plans.

As well as, City VPN as a complete lacks a ton of baseline VPN capabilities we anticipate out of recent VPNs, like a kill swap or break up tunneling. We’ll speak about that intimately later.

SEE: Can a VPN Be Hacked? (TechRepublic)

Personally, I feel City VPN can be higher off if it supplied a premium model for its desktop as nicely. Conventionally talking, customers on desktop can have extra use circumstances for a VPN than these on cellular.

That being mentioned, it’s legitimate if City VPN desires to distinguish itself as a fully-free desktop choice. This was made clear to me once I first appeared via City VPN’s official web site, with most of its inner hyperlinks promoting its Free VPN service, no matter platform.

Sadly, absolutely free VPNs are sometimes not your best option since they’re recognized to both report or promote person information to make a revenue. To be taught extra, learn our comparability between Free VPNs vs Paid VPNs.

Is City VPN secure?

I can’t take into account City VPN a secure and safe VPN given its questionable privateness coverage, information logging, lack of third-party audits, and fewer than ultimate DNS leak safety.

Earlier than diving in, one constructive with City VPN’s safety features is its use of 256-bit encryption by way of the OpenVPN protocol. OpenVPN is widely known as a extremely safe VPN protocol, and I’m glad to see it right here. With that, let’s look into some privateness and safety points with City VPN.

In response to City VPN, it has a “complete no-logging policy,” which supposedly permits customers to browse the web with out having their on-line exercise being traced. Sadly, there may be merely no proof to show this declare, be it via an unbiased audit or a third-party analysis. I discover this particularly disappointing since equally reasonably priced VPNs like Non-public Web Entry or Surfshark each have third-party audits that again up their no-logs insurance policies.

I additionally discovered a couple of provisions in City VPN’s Privateness Coverage regarding. Per its coverage, City VPN collects on-line identifiers comparable to “Cookie ID, IP address or similar unique online identifiers generated, advertising ID.” The VPN says this information is collected for analytic and promoting functions — which probably means promoting your information to advertising and marketing firms.

As well as, City VPN will even acquire net searching information, search engine outcomes web page, net pages visited, clicked stream information, and details about the content material seen by customers of its cellular app’s free model.

In response to City VPN, the information collected, usually, “is aggregated Non-Personal Data, however, sometimes Web Browsing Data contains terms that could be considered as Personal Data, this is why we filter and scrape this data to remove any Personal Data before it is used.”

To me, this is just too a lot information to surrender, particularly for software program like VPNs which might be supposed to assist maintain your information hidden. It additionally stands immediately in distinction to its personal no-logs claims.

I additionally acquired unlucky outcomes by way of DNS leak checks, the place City VPN had two DNS leaks after I ran it via a spherical of checks. Under is a screenshot of one of many leaks, the place I used to be related to City VPN’s India server. As proven, the DNS leak check additionally discovered a server from the US.

With this, I discovered that City VPN misses the mark fully relating to offering a safe and privacy-centric VPN expertise.

Key options of City VPN

City VPN foregoes numerous options I anticipate out of VPNs in 2024. It lacks a kill swap, break up tunneling, and advert blocking — performance that’s built-in or current in most VPNs at the moment. That being mentioned, it has a couple of standout options which will sway you in attempting out its service.

Free model for a number of platforms

City VPN’s largest promoting level is its free model that’s accessible on a number of platforms. If you happen to have a look at its product tab on its website, City VPN makes an exerted effort to indicate customers that it accommodates a ton of platforms.

At current, it has a free VPN for Home windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. You may also use City VPN without spending a dime via a router or as an unblock proxy.

Personally, I feel having a premium VPN model for desktop would do City VPN nicely, particularly since its paid plan is just accessible on cellular. This may enable them to supply extra safety and extra options to energy customers on a devoted laptop.

To City VPN’s credit score, I like having the choice to make use of a free VPN. You simply have to grasp that you just received’t get the identical degree of safety or characteristic set when utilizing a free service. I envision this to be helpful for particular person customers who want to vary their IP deal with momentarily as a option to entry geo-blocked content material.

Limitless units

City VPN additionally permits for limitless machine help, letting customers join quite a lot of units concurrently with out paying a value.

Not all VPNs provide limitless machine help, with some suppliers having a most of 5–10 units related unexpectedly. I admire City VPN offering limitless machine help — particularly with its free model. This may allow you to join your laptop computer, smartphone, and different units with out worrying a few machine restrict.

Free VPN servers with limitless bandwidth

I additionally give props to City VPN for providing its free VPN servers with no information restrict or no restriction by way of server choice.

In different free VPNs I’ve tried, both a bandwidth restrict is put in place or there’s no option to choose which VPN location you’re ready to connect with. Out of the field, City VPN permits customers to pick from its suite of 60+ server areas in its free model.

Velocity and efficiency: How briskly is City VPN?

As a disclaimer, I examined City VPN’s free Home windows model for this evaluate, so I’m not in a position to give an evaluation of speeds with its paid cellular plans. Throughout my testing, I discovered City VPN to be sluggish and sluggish by way of general VPN velocity.

This concerned being related to one in every of its servers whereas doing my traditional workflow as a author: having a number of tabs open for analysis, utilizing Google companies like Docs and Drive, and streaming the occasional 1080p video.

Websites have been sluggish to load, and there was a noticeable dip in connectivity in comparison with my web service supplier. I additionally discovered City VPN struggled to shortly set up new connections when switching to a brand new server, requiring a superb few seconds earlier than it correctly related to a brand new location.

Sadly, the story is similar relating to sustaining VPN connections. Once I tried connecting to its France server, for instance, I saved experiencing random disconnections even after the app confirmed I used to be related.

For velocity checks, City VPN doesn’t fare any higher. In comparison with my ISP, City VPN recorded a 79.7% drop for obtain velocity and a 67.1% lower for add velocity.

Sadly, City VPN’s free model performs simply as I anticipated for a free VPN: offering sluggish speeds and unstable connections.

City VPN servers and areas

For its server suite, City VPN’s free model gives entry to round 60+ VPN areas. On its paid model, City VPN says it gives 530+ servers in 80+ international locations. In fact, this quantity could fluctuate as time goes on.

On the entire, City VPN’s location/nation unfold is first rate and falls inside the common in comparison with different VPNs. Nevertheless, having solely 530+ servers might be too small to anticipate quick and dependable speeds, particularly if many customers connect with the identical server areas without delay.

If velocity is a precedence for you, I like to recommend different choices like NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

I can commend City VPN for offering a web based portal the place customers can view whether or not their desired VPN location is supported by the service.

City VPN app expertise

I used to be fairly underwhelmed with City VPN’s in-app expertise. Once I first began utilizing City VPN’s Home windows app, it turned instantly obvious that it’s a very fundamental VPN utility.

City VPN has a bare-bones interface, solely having a Play/Cease button and a server record on the fitting. That’s just about it. To its credit score, it is vitally simple to make use of and I can see rookies having no hassle utilizing City VPN.

Nevertheless, whereas I normally admire a VPN that gives a easy and minimalist expertise, I feel City VPN has too little to supply by way of options and performance. There’s no additional safety features like a kill swap, advert blocking, or break up tunneling. For a free model, that could possibly be acceptable, however its paid plan additionally doesn’t provide these options.

I additionally discovered switching to new servers clunky, having situations the place it wouldn’t connect with a server correctly or have servers randomly disconnecting.

City VPN execs

• Has a free model.
• Limitless units.
• No information restrict on free plan.

City VPN cons

• Shops person logs.
• No third-party audits.
• Lack of fundamental VPN options.
• Sluggish speeds.

Who’s City VPN greatest for?

To be agency: I don’t recommend anybody use City VPN at this time limit. However in the event you’re so inclined, City VPN is greatest for particular person customers that want to vary their IP deal with in a pinch, most likely to unblock geo-restricted content material whereas touring or one thing comparable.

Apart from that, I like to recommend avoiding City VPN altogether. It logs a regarding quantity of person information, doesn’t have any unbiased audits to substantiate its no-logs coverage, and is unable to supply good VPN speeds.

City VPN is a main instance of why free VPNs could be dangerous software program to make use of, particularly with the excessive probability of logging or person information assortment. It additionally lacks fundamental VPN options like a kill swap and break up tunneling, whereas having negligible characteristic additions with its paid plan.

Even with its free variations, different choices like Proton VPN or conceal.me VPN present a lot better worth and performance. For different high quality free VPNs, try our round-up of the Greatest Free VPNs and the Greatest VPNs with Free Trials.

Options to City VPN

Surfshark

For customers seeking to have an all-around VPN, I like to recommend Surfshark. It gives good worth with its 100-country server community, quick and constant VPN speeds, and reasonably priced pricing. Surfshark additionally helps limitless simultaneous machine connections, making it a superb choose for extra budget-oriented customers or companies.

In my expertise, Surfshark additionally has one of many higher person interfaces, providing each an intuitive and well-designed desktop utility.

If you wish to be taught extra, learn our full Surfshark evaluate.

Proton VPN

For privateness lovers, I recommend Proton VPN. It’s based mostly in privacy-friendly Switzerland, which has a few of the strongest privateness legal guidelines on this planet. This implies your information can have a further layer of safety, particularly towards authorities interference. Proton VPN additionally has a fully-fledged free model that gives zero information limits out of the field.

SEE: How A lot Does a VPN Price? (TechRepublic)

Of my three strategies right here, Proton VPN additionally gives the biggest server fleet, with a large 6,580+ servers throughout 112 international locations. I discover this particularly useful to people who need a VPN to unblock geo-restricted content material on-line.

If you wish to be taught extra, learn our full Proton VPN evaluate.

conceal.me VPN

For tinkerers and energy customers, conceal.me VPN is an effective choose. It has a customizable VPN expertise, permitting customers to set sure automated actions, like having custom-made configurations per VPN protocol or having management with how the conceal.me utility launches. I really feel it is a good match for people that prefer to personalize and tailor their software program to their liking.

conceal .me VPN additionally features a handy StealthGuard characteristic that acts as its personal model of a kill swap. This routinely blocks any connection or site visitors that’s not protected by way of the VPN service.

If you wish to be taught extra, learn our full conceal.me VPN evaluate right here.

Assessment methodology

My evaluate of City VPN concerned an in depth evaluation of its options, value, and real-world efficiency. I had hands-on time with City VPN’s free model on my Home windows laptop computer.

To judge City VPN, I scored it on every little thing from its safety protocols to pricing. Specifically, I took under consideration 5 most important pillars, every having corresponding weights:

• Pricing (20%).
• Core VPN options (30%).
• Ease of use (15%).
• Buyer help (30%).
• Professional evaluation (5%).

From this rubric, City VPN acquired a ranking of 1.7 out of 5 stars. I additionally appeared into precise person suggestions and different respected evaluations to spherical out my ultimate suggestions concerning City VPN.

SEE: The right way to Run a Cybersecurity Danger Evaluation in 5 Steps (TechRepublic Premium)

For velocity and efficiency, I used Ookla’s public Speedtest to measure obtain and add speeds. I additionally ran City VPN via DNSLeakTest a number of occasions to test for any DNS leaks. Lastly, I thought of which forms of companies or particular person customers would greatest profit from utilizing City VPN.

To be taught extra about how we evaluate VPNs, learn our full VPN Assessment Methodology.