Ultrasurf Review

Ultrasurf is a bare-bones free service for bypassing online censorship. It offers dedicated VPN apps for mobile devices, a Chrome browser extension, and a Windows desktop client. The service was founded over 20 years ago and focuses on taking down digital borders and keeping users secure.

Being a free product that was created with the sole intention of helping users bypass internet censorship and geo-blocking, it may not, however, be the best service to use for things like streaming online video and downloading torrents.

Ultrasurf is a simple, yet capable tool that is easy to use and does an acceptable job at encrypting internet traffic, no matter where users happen to be. But for the question: is Ultrasurf really a VPN?

It would be unfair to compare Ultrasurf to conventional VPN products because it doesn’t claim to be one. Instead, it’s described as anti-censorship freeware and is arguably useful only for a specific use case.

However, the rise of premium VPN services set customer expectations through the roof. For example, they expect minimal connection speed loss, safeguards in the form of kill switches, and access to foreign streaming content. Additionally, they need fully-featured VPN apps for every conceivable device, not just mobile phones.

Unsurprisingly, these and other perks become available only if you commit to a paid subscription. Thankfully, a subscription to NordVPN, the #1 VPN on the market isn’t even that expensive. Best of all, your purchase is insured with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test the product without risk.

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Ultrasurf Overview

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How is Ultrasurf different from premium VPNs?

Ultrasurf is a solid option if you need to urgently bypass online censorship and hide your online activities. It’s a convenient tool that’s compatible with mobile devices, Chrome browsers, and Windows computers. Plus, it embodies the plug-and-play methodology and doesn’t require complicated installation or registration. Instead, you simply download it, flip the switch, and voilà.

However, its simplicity is also its downside. Unlike other VPNs, users can’t customize the experience in any way. For example, you can’t pick your desired server location, enable a different tunneling protocol, or enjoy extra features (VPN kill switch, ad blocking, etc.).

Additionally, the service isn’t optimized for speed or unblocking foreign streaming content on services like Netflix. Plus, Ultrasurf doesn’t provide 24/7 customer support to help resolve the inevitable issues with online censorship. Finally, you’re out of luck if you need digital security for a device without an Ultrasurf dedicated app.

In conclusion, Ultrasurf is a one-trick pony, while premium options like NordVPN are the entire circus – appealing to all audiences.

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Is Ultrasurf safe to use?

In short, yes, Ultrasurf is safe to use. Ultrasurf works by tunneling your entire traffic through their secure and encrypted TLS tunnel. On Android and iOS, it essentially works like any other VPN application and secures you by hiding your real IP address and giving you a new one. For now, there are only servers in the US, but that’s expected as the Android app is only in beta.

Assuming that you are using Ultrasurf in the prescribed way, it will do a great job at masking your IP, and protecting your identity from getting into the wrong hands. If used as intended by the developers of this great tool, Ultrasurf does many things to ensure online safety – and the price (free) is unbeatable.

Good to note: Although Ultrasurf was created with the sole purpose of circumventing internet censorship, that does not necessarily mean they condone illegal online activity. In fact, right there in their privacy statement, they make it very clear that they do not want anyone using their tool for illegal activities.

Does Ultrasurf log your data?

According to Ultrasurf’s website, some information is tracked when you visit their website, but that’s standard practice. However, there is no mention of data logging on their Android app. Furthermore, the app itself does not have any kind of explicit privacy policy available, which isn’t surprising since it’s still in beta and being developed.

To get to the bottom of this, we contacted Ultrasurf directly and were assured that the app does not store any logs.

Apps and extensions

Ultrasurf supports the following platforms:

• Windows
• iOS
• Chrome Browser
• Android

Apps are a bit limited with Ultrasurf, as there are only options for Windows, iOS, Chrome browser, and Android users.

The app for Windows is a small executable file that needs no installation. The good news is that you can put Ultrasurf on a thumb drive and deploy it on the go. Many people use this method to protect themselves at internet cafes and on public wifi.

The Android app is also easy to use, and can be found on the Google Play Store by searching for “Ultrasurf VPN.” Similarly, the iOS version is available on the Apple App Store.

Extensions are an important part of using Ultrasurf. Browsers can sometimes cause serious leaks despite whatever privacy service a user has employed. The most notable of these is the WebRTC leak which is known to be an issue with Google Chrome. Even when using a very strong VPN, WebRTC can cause your identity to leak.

Since Ultrasurf uses the Incognito Mode of Google Chrome as its vehicle, it is important to install a WebRTC blocker/disabler and allow it to run in Incognito Mode.

Does Ultrasurf work for Netflix?

Netflix users who are trying to stream content from the US Netflix servers are going to get some mixed results when it comes to their user experience. Since Ultrasurf is based in the States, it is possible (most of the time) to access the American version of Netflix from outside the US.

That sounds like good news, right? Well, the service can be a little unreliable when Ultrasurf’s servers are overloaded, which equates to poor viewing quality, or none at all.

Customer support and pricing

When it comes to customer support, Ultrasurf is not really as up to the challenge as other more established VPNs in the industry. Maybe that’s because it is a free service, or maybe it’s because of the fact that the tool is so simple in nature.

At any rate, when users experience questions, problems, or difficulties, there are a couple of places that they can look for answers:

• support tickets
• email

As for pricing information, that one’s simple. Ultrasurf is completely free, always.

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Bottom line

Ultrasurf VPN is a fantastic tool that does more than you might expect from such a small file. It is a tool that could really be helpful in specific situations and the fact that it is small, light, free, and portable makes it almost a no-brainer to keep a copy around for those times when you need it.

Ultrasurf is a service that has its fair share of limitations, but there are many positives that come with the service as well. As Ultrasurf was created to get around China’s firewall, it remains one of the only good free options that work, and it is portable and easy to install.

As for cons, it does not really work for many of the things that people use VPNs for, like torrenting and Netflix. Thus, we offer NordVPN, the best VPN provider in 2024.