PandaVPN Review

PandaVPN is a virtual-based network solution by Panda Security. The vendor is well-known for creating outstanding software for home and business use. These include antivirus, password manager, PC clean-up tools, and more. 

The company’s VPN has some pretty neat features - geo-blocking workarounds, fast streaming, and torrenting. 

PandaVPN also shines when it comes to security. It uses AES 256-bit standard to encrypt connections. 

In addition, you will also find the Catapult Hydra protocol by Hotspot Shield. You’ll enjoy fast speeds, high data throughput, and robust privacy. It is additionally 2.4x faster than OpenVPN for long-distance connections. 

That’s just the start. Other features we’ll examine in this PandaVPN review include: 

• Ease of use
• Performance
• Customer support  

Let's get this show on the road. 

PandaVPN Features

For this PandaVPN review, I have outlined its best features.

Multi-user

Unlike most VPNs, with this one, you can use up to five devices at once with a single subscription. So, feel free to include your friends and family.

This is also available on the free version of PandaVPN. On the downside, it comes with a limit of 150MB daily. Either way, it gives you a chance to test the waters before upgrading.

Cross-platform Support

PandaVPN was previously available for Windows and Android. In 2019, however, the company went ahead to release a version for macOS. It, later on, followed this up by providing iOS support. 

Unfortunately, there are no options for Linux. If you own one, consider going for ExpressVPN, HideMyAss, PrivateVPN, or CyberGhost.

Surprisingly, you won’t find PandaVPN extensions for Chrome and Firefox. 

Unlimited Bandwidth

As mentioned earlier, PandaVPN has a free version with limited data. The cool thing is premium plans come with unmetered bandwidth. Not on one or two, but five devices. 

So, you’ll be able to browse, stream, and download without limits. But you should be careful not to abuse the service. The company may review prices to account for increased traffic.  

Resource Usage

PandaVPN for PC uses few resources when active. The CPU and RAM usage averages around 0.5% on computers. And that was on a 4GB, 2.0 GHz dual-core computer. 

The experience is also similar for smartphones. With it being active for 24 hours, the battery was drained by less than 5%. The devices also hardly slowed down when the app was active. 

Stable Connectivity

The PandaVPN app lacks a kill switch. So, if your connection drops, your location will be exposed. 

But there is no cause for alarm if you have a strong connection. The application works rock solid even when used to an extreme. Likewise, performance remains stable when using a third-party proxy service. 

Gaming/Multimedia Mode

The gaming/multimedia mode frequently appears in PandaVPN user reviews. The feature optimizes the user experience. 

Here’s how it works:

It tracks computer usage to pause notifications when you’re in full-screen mode. Besides that, the application reduces resource consumption by stopping some functions.  

Auto-start

You can configure the application to run automatically anytime your PC restarts. In short - PandaVPN pings to your server of choice. It randomly picks one, if you haven’t.

Unfortunately, this solution doesn’t auto-reconnect when your internet goes down. You’ll need to do it yourself. But, you do get automatic updates for consolation.  

PandaVPN Advanced Features

PandaVPN also has some advanced goodies up its sleeve. Here’s the breakdown: 

Free Antivirus

PandaVPN comes with free antivirus. It provides you with basic protection against cyber threats. 

The solution also uses the cloud to clean infected files. Unlike rival applications, it reduces the workload on your device.  

PandaVPN, however, lacks firewall and ransomware defense. It will cost you $23.49 extra and above to access these features per year.  

On the other hand, you get USB protection at no extra cost. The solution scans any external storage that you hook onto your PC. 

Proxy Connections

PandaVPN has a safe proxy feature for power users. You can use it to connect to third-party tunneling services across the web. This can include your company’s network or a private server.

This boosts your security. For example, web hosts provide dedicated IP addresses. 

You can also block access to unwanted websites. As a result, it will redirect users to a resource of choice online. 

Process Monitor

PandaVPN offers a process monitor addon. The tool logs URLs that your applications open on the internet. Moreover, it blocks any suspicious resources from access online.

The toolkit has a beautiful dashboard that provides detailed stats of all activities. You can also select the Reports option to view more information. From here, use the block button to stop malicious processes.

PandaVPN Servers and Locations

PandaVPN has servers in 23 countries around the world. The majority are in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Africa and the Middle East are, however, not on that list.

That’s far less compared to services such as FastestVPN, CactusVPN, VuzeVPN, and others. These have a vast pool that gives you extended freedom of choice.

But that’s not all. 

This vendor doesn’t state exactly how many servers it operates. We couldn’t get a clear answer even after asking customer support.

PandaVPN Speed

Users praise PandaVPN in their reviews for having incredible performance. So, I had to test it.

I first began by selecting regions of reference for the tests. I chose London, UK, and Boston, USA.

My base test without the VPN gave good speeds for both regions. 

Here are the results for London:  

Boston, Massachusetts, gave me the following: 

The results after turning on the PandaVPN free version were almost as spectacular. 

For download, speeds fell by around 6.16Mbps for London, UK. The upload, however, improved slightly by 0.59Mbps. 

The situation was different for Boston, MA. In this case, download and upload fell by 2.87Mbps and 3.68Mbps, respectively. 

One thing to note about these tests is the high ping. For gaming, you need an average of around 50ms for a lag-free experience. The good news is there are faster VPNs for gamers out there. 

Nevertheless, PandaVPN user reviews often feature positive feedback about its solid download speeds. It works great for streaming media and torrenting. More on this later. 

PandaVPN Privacy and Jurisdiction

PandaVPN’s headquarters are in Marbella, Spain. The country is part of the Fourteen Eyes Alliance. It comprises nations that are notorious for spying and sharing intelligence about their citizens.

But:

PandaVPN has a zero-log policy on both its free VPN and premium version. That means it doesn’t store any of your activity logs. Apart from that, it promises not to collect any personal identifiable information (PII). Examples include IP address, location, and contact details. 

Or does it?

A little digging in its privacy policy, however, tells a different story. Panda claims that any info you provide is at your own risk. 

And, get this – it will use it as per the European Union General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

PandaVPN for Android also comes with sketchy terms. The vendor insists it has to collect device location, camera, and gallery data. The truth is some of these features are necessary for anti-theft to work.

But the question is, why hide the details in fine print? 

PandaVPN Security and Protocols

PandaVPN has a questionable security policy. But that doesn’t affect the safety of its service. As said earlier, it uses the Catapult Hydra protocol by Hotspot Shield. Unlike other technologies, it’s fast, secure, and consistent.

Other benefits of this tech include: 

• AES-256bit encryption
• Swift in establishing connections
• Less data transfer
• 2.4x times faster than OpenVPN 

The protocol is, however, not open source to be subject to independent security checks. But Hotspot Shield claims that it uses third-party experts to test its safety. In fact, cybersecurity companies such as BitDefender and McAfee use it for service delivery.

PandaVPN Leak Test Results  

PandaVPN is also safe when using a stable internet connection. 

The leak test showed our VPN’s IP throughout.

PandaVPN and Streaming Services

PandaVPN works with Netflix and other streaming services alike. As mentioned earlier, its download speeds do come in handy for this one. You’ll experience no buffering when watching videos in 4K. 

The rest of the platforms that it supports include: 

• Hulu
• HBO
• BBC iPlayer
• Disney+ 
• Amazon Prime Video

In addition, PandaVPN works with YouTube. You can use it to watch geo-blocked videos hassle-free. That also includes access to ad-free premium plans.   

How Good Is PandaVPN for Torrenting?

You can use PandaVPN to download torrent files. Its fast speeds make it an excellent choice for peer-to-peer (P2P) tasks. 

But remember this:

There’s no kill switch, so you shouldn’t use it to get illegal content. Once your IP leaks, it will be easy work for law enforcement. 

Can PandaVPN Bypass Geo-Blocks?

PandaVPN does an incredible job in accessing geo-blocked content online. 

But: 

We don’t advise using the PandaVPN app in countries that ban such services. It doesn’t have stealth mode for maximizing privacy. 

Such a feature modifies traffic from your device to appear normal. That way, it makes it challenging for firewalls to detect you. 

Ease of Use

It’s super easy to use PandaVPN on desktop computers. 

The iPhone-like interface comes with quick access shortcuts to apps.

PandaVPN looks different on mobile phones. But you still get to enjoy the same seamless experience. All you have to do is open the hamburger menu button to access the features. 

Other options you get to enjoy on smartphone devices include: 

• Antivirus – It protects your phone from viruses and malware. 
• Family – You can use this tool to track the movements of your loved ones. 
• Anti-Theft – It assists you in tracking your phone if stolen. 
• App Lock – Protects your apps with a password. 
• Privacy Auditor – This tool shows you the type of data that applications are collecting from you.  
• Task Killer – Provides a shortcut for closing resource-hungry software. 
• Call Blocker – Blocks unwanted calls. 

I couldn’t find a PandaVPN free trial. You can, however, enjoy most features on the free plan.

Customer Support

This vendor outsources its customer support services to Anytech365. The company has regional offices in Spain, Morocco, Denmark, and the US. Apart from being accessible 24/7, there’s nothing good about it. 

Here’s why:

The agents take days to respond via email. You can cut down the waiting time by reaching them via phone. Sadly, all they do is try to upsell services to you without providing help.

Privacy concerns also came up when preparing this PandaVPN review. Customers claim the support staff has access to personal data. So, that’s another reason to think twice before settling for this vendor.

PandaVPN Price

PandaVPN for PC and mobile devices costs as follows: 

• Free – $0
• One month – $6.99/Month
• One year – $3.19/Month
• Three years – $1.49/Month

Paid plans include up to a 70% discount at the time of writing this PandaVPN review. The payment options include PayPal and credit card. 

Regrettably, there’s no way to pay with cryptocurrency. The company also doesn’t provide any refunds. 

PandaVPN Review – Verdict

So, is PandaVPN a good VPN? 

The solution casts no doubts when it comes to speed. It works great for browsing, torrents, and streaming. 

It also has exceptional security, thanks to Catapult Hydra protocol. The technology uses military-grade encryption to keep you safe.

But.  

As you’ve seen in this PandaVPN review, there are some huge issues. The application doesn’t have a kill switch to shield you against sudden internet outages. 

The vendor also has suspicious policies that place your identity at risk. Additionally, the absence of shield mode exposes you to more danger.

Overall, this product is ideal for casual use. But there are better options on the market.