Star VPN review
Star VPN is a below-average virtual private network service that boasts bold claims about its performance yet doesn't share details about its underlying technology. We recommend avoiding it and instead going for transparent and well-performing VPN providers.
Star VPN is a bare-bones service that can change your location and get around tough digital blockades – reportedly, even in countries such as China. It offers apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.
At first glance, it appears as an average VPN provider without any unique selling points. Ultimately, it’s leagues away from our top VPN products in 2024.
For the purpose of this Star VPN review, however, we’re focusing exclusively on the Android product, so security protocols (which affect speeds) might differ across platforms.
Security and privacy
Star VPN seems to use a custom security protocol that uses a TLS certificate (the updated version of SSL, deemed far more secure) but apart from this, there seem to be no notable standout encryption features.
Even some of the more commonly-found security tools (such as a kill switch, or anything to reduce the user’s vulnerability when it comes to DNS leaks) are absent.
As such, the lack of information makes it hard to list down anything (or even the lack of anything), since you get:
- Unknown protocols
- No kill-switch
- No unblocking of streaming services
- No special features or an option to download patches or add-ons
However, it seems that the app isn’t using OpenVPN (considered by many to be one of the most secure) which can offer 256-bit encryption.
Ultimately, there’s no need for a VPN to be vague about its security: even some of the worst VPNs are still upfront about how they do what they do, albeit with a defensive tone. This seems to stand out as a cause for some concern.
Those who need the security and privacy that a reliable VPN offers, including torrenting protection, and unblocking streaming platforms, should choose from our best overall VPNs instead, like NordVPN.
Does Star VPN keep logs?
There’s no shortage of VPNs that claim a strict no-logging policy, and even swear by it in their advertising – but a quick look at their privacy policy or some sleuthing into where they’re registered (or who owns the company) speaks a completely different story.
Star VPN, however, keeps its promises, at least from a legal standpoint: Star VPN’s Privacy page makes it plain that no personally identifying information is collected, and no traffic logs are kept or stored.
Apps and extensions
While you’d be tempted to call Star VPN “mobile-only”, given its lack of service for PCs running Windows or Linux, you can still use the service for Mac (in addition to the mobile apps for phones running iOS and Android). In summary, custom apps for Star VPN are available on
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
The app is easy to use wherever you choose to download the VPN client, however, and the interface is uniform across all the platforms; there’s a big button to connect and a drop-down menu to change the server. Since there are no other features, there’s no other clutter on the app.
Unblocking Netflix and other streaming platforms
Unfortunately, Star VPN is completely unable to bypass geo-blocking to get you to watch your favorite TV show – be it the geo-restriction on Netflix or Hulu, we were unable to get around any sort of streaming service’s blocking, and other user reviews seem to back up this opinion.
A VPN will that focuses on unblocking Netflix, usually, or one with an eye on Roku or Amazon Fire, will advertise the fact, especially given how it’ll probably take a lot of effort to make sure it stays that way, given things such as Netflix’s great VPN ban.
Best VPNs for Netflix
P2P and torrenting
Star VPN only allows a P2P connection on three servers: Canada, France, and the Netherlands. It fares better than VPNs that do not support torrent downloads at all.
Again, however, the lack of a kill-switch is a downside: a kill-switch essentially stops all incoming and outgoing connections in the case of your VPN connection faltering, so as to protect your actual identity (by way of your IP address) being exposed.
Ultimate, even while there’s no special protection offered to facilitate secure torrenting (such as SOCKS5 proxy, which many notable top-tier VPNs will make note of using in their service), the speeds (as previously discussed) make Star VPN a good choice for torrenting, especially given the low price.
Customer support
The extensive list of Star VPN’s customer support options is as follows:
- An email address listed on the website
… and that’s it. There is no form, or even direct link, meaning you’d copy and paste the email address manually into your client or browser. There’s an FAQ section, but it doesn’t venture beyond basic and obvious explanations (which are still heavily summarized).
No live chat or phone support is a definite thumbs-down in Star VPN’s overall ranking, as creating distance between a company and a customer in a “trust industry” such as the VPN industry isn’t the best of decisions.
Pricing
Star VPN is available in a free or a premium version, at the prices of:
- $9.99/month
- $2.99/month, paid yearly
- $0 a month, for the free version
These prices aren’t marked up across platforms, which is a plus, and are in fact calibrated in different markets for more standardized, competitive pricing.
There’s no mention of a money-back guarantee or refund policy, but you can sign up for a free 7-day trial; you’d still commit to a monthly, but you can cancel anytime before the free trial is up. You will not be charged until the free trial is up.
Compared to both the top VPNs and the worst-performing VPN services, Star VPN is priced satisfyingly, ultimately being very affordable, and offering a reasonable free trial and a commendably reliable free service.
Bottom line
Star VPN is a VPN that’s good for very casual users with very casual needs.
Examples we can think of would be students who play video games in universities using it to get around wifi filters, as well as citizens of countries with regressive Internet policies.
It’s a simple app that gets the job done. That being said, it’s nowhere near what our #1 choice in NordVPN has to offer.
Pros
- Essentially free to use
- Good number of servers in diverse countries
- P2P allowed on three dedicated servers
Cons
- Poor customer support
- Lackluster security features
- Vague information on protocols
