Proxy.sh Review

Every once in a while a VPN solution comes along that hits most of the right notes. This is one of those solutions as our Proxy.sh review will show. We’ll be going over the security features, privacy practices, and any other pertinent information users might want to know.

This solution is great for a wide range of privacy applications, yet it’s also versatile and good for entertainment purposes.

Security features

Proxy.sh has a strong suite of security features:

• Solid AES-256-bit encryption with SHA-512 authentication and a 4096-RSA Handshake
• Two anti-Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) features for high-censorship countries: Obfsproxy (Tor integration) and XOR patched OpenVPN
• A secure tunneling protocol – OpenVPN
• DNS leak protection
• IPv6 leak protection
• Multi-hop (costs extra)
• Kill switch

Having this level of security makes Proxy.sh very promising right off the bat. Few VPN services offer their users this much firepower. Generally speaking, this should be enough even for the most demanding groups – journalists, political activists, hackers, etc.

Does Proxy.sh keep logs?

Almost every VPN company out there claims that they keep no logs of their users’ data. In many cases, a deeper look reveals concerns. Proxy.sh seems to be legit in this sense – their Privacy Policy doesn’t have a long list of data that they log.

With that said, logging via the VPN client is only mentioned in one sentence, which is somewhat vague:

Proxy.sh does not collect or log any traffic or use of its proxy technologies including virtual private networks.

It is unclear, for example, whether that statement covers the logging of various “non-personally identifiable” data, such as timestamps, or amount of data transferred.

Proxy.sh is registered in Seychelles, which is a privacy-friendly location. That’s a good sign for those who want perfect anonymity, as are features like the ability to turn your login credentials into an anonymous hash.

Speed and performance

All VPN services reduce your speed, it’s just a matter of how much. Proxy.sh seems to cause minor speed loss: their large number of servers and good country coverage allows them to deliver good speeds to a wide range of locations around the world.

Proxy.sh boasts 300 servers in 57 countries, which is a very strong server presence and makes this a very attractive option.

Ease of use and multiplatform support

The Safejumper VPN software (Proxy.sh’s custom VPN client) supports the 5 major operating systems. They also have OpenVPN solutions for a wide range of devices and a range of other services such as VPN routers.

Safejumper is available on:

• Windows
• macOS
• iOS
• Android
• Linux

There’s an extensive list of guides available on the Proxy.sh website, informing users on how to install and use the service on platforms where the custom app is unavailable. Safejumper itself is straightforward and easy to use, although there are quite a few advanced security features newbies may struggle with.

Unblocking Netflix and other streaming platforms

Although Proxy.sh claims that their service is effective for bypassing geo-blocking on Netflix, lots of users report difficulties accessing content on Netflix US. The company also makes claims about unblocking Hulu and other services, which are largely confirmed by user reports.

P2P & torrenting

The security features and speeds available with Proxy.sh are very strong, and make it great for torrenting. The service does not discriminate against P2P traffic and even offers some bonuses that are awesome for torrenting in particular. That includes the SOCKS5 proxy, which you can set up directly on your torrent client, and the kill switch (to protect against connection drops).

Online censorship in China and elsewhere

As previously mentioned, Proxy.sh offers not one but two anti-DPI features: Obfsproxy and XOR-patched OpenVPN. The Great Firewall of China uses DPI to seek out VPN traffic on the network and block it. To get around this, VPNs offer features that camouflage the traffic as something else – both of the above mentioned features do exactly that.

Yet this is only part of the reason why Proxy.sh should be good for China and other censorious countries. The service also has a great list of server locations, including many Asian countries. That means good connection speeds in the region and beyond.

Customer support

The customer support options offered by Proxy.sh could benefit from some sort of live communication option. Currently, the provider offers:

• Support tickets
• Guides
• FAQ

Although the written materials on the site are comprehensive indeed, there’s no way to solve simple issues quickly. Many of the top VPN services on the marketing have begun offering a 24/7 live chat option for this exact reason.

Pricing

Proxy.sh has a wide range of plans:

• 3-day plan (Quick plan): $2.00 (2 countries)
• 1-month Basic plan: $5.00/month (5 countries)
• 1-year Basic plan: $39.96 ($3.33/month) (5 countries)
• 1-month Solid plan: $10.00/month (57 countries)
• 1-year Solid plan: $90 ($7.50/month) (57 countries)
• 1-month Pro plan, including lots of bonus features: $20.00/month
• 1-year Pro plan, including lots of bonus features: $199.92 ($16.66/month)

In addition to these subscription options, you can also buy certain features (add-ons) separately:

• Boost – access to a dedicated network of 7 extra fast server locations across 5 countries: $1/month
• Multi-hop – chaining VPN servers for extra security: $5/month

While the prices are on the higher end, Proxy.sh offers an unlimited refund policy. Yes, that’s right, you can ask for a refund at any point and they guarantee that you will receive it. The only requirement is that it must be technically possible to issue the refund, meaning you can’t pay in Bitcoin (which is otherwise an available payment option).

Bottom Line

This VPN solution is highly ethical and provides a wide range of strong security features. While we’re not fans of the complex pricing system and the lack of a high-velocity customer support option, it seems Proxy.sh has a lot of potential. Let’s see how it manages to materialize.