Timeweb VPN Review 2024: Keep in Mind Before Buying

Timeweb is a relatively new VPN owned by one of Russia’s most reputable hosting providers. The VPN claims to provide a fast and secure service for all major operating systems at an affordable price. But is there anything that makes it stand out among the hundreds of VPNs?

To find out, I thoroughly tested its features. I tested how secure it is, along with its speeds and unblocking abilities, and checked out how good it is for gaming and torrenting. I also learned which devices it supports and how easy it is to install, set up, and use.

I can’t recommend Timeweb VPN. Its only strengths are its decent speeds and helpful live chat support. Unfortunately, the VPN comes with Russian servers that can’t unblock any international streaming service. It also logs too much data and has no security options besides WireGuard’s built-in features. Meanwhile, you can get a private and secure VPN with thousands of servers for a similar price.

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The VPN is not good for streaming international content. While I could access a few platforms with the server in Kazakhstan, none of them worked with the Russian server. You only get a Russian server by default with your subscription. This means you won’t be able to access any streaming service unless you manage to persuade customer service to transfer your VPN subscription funds into a virtual private server rental in another location.

As there are no other locations to choose from, you won’t be able to access local content unless you’re from Russia. This means you can’t access Netflix US, Netflix UK, or Netflix Japan. Additionally, Russia has banned many websites and apps, so you won’t be able to use Spotify or Instagram either.

If you only intend to stream Russian content and access services like Rutube, Kinopoisk, or Ivi, Timeweb VPN is a good choice. It also has excellent speeds, and I could watch Dad on Ivi in full HD (1080p) without interruptions. However, if you want to watch international content, you need a VPN with a global network.

Unblocked: Netflix Kazakhstan and Amazon Prime Video

I accessed Netflix without issues using a virtual server in Kazakhstan. Netflix blocks most VPNs, so I was surprised that Timeweb VPN could access it easily. I was also able to stream Amazon Prime Video with the same server. My speeds were fast enough for watching movies in the highest quality too.

Blocked By: HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+

I couldn’t access any international streaming service with the Russian servers. However, my VPN use wasn’t detected. I simply got an error message that HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ aren’t available in my region.

Netflix suspended its services in Russia; no one knows if they’ll be available again

I can’t recommend Timeweb VPN for streaming. Its Russian server couldn't unblock any global streaming service I tested, and the one in Kazakhstan only worked with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Additionally, it only unblocks the Netflix library for Kazakhstan, which includes only a small portion of movies and shows offered on Netflix US. To access international content, pick one of the best VPNs for streaming from this list.

Timeweb VPN is fast. It didn’t reduce my speeds by a lot, and I could use it for all my online activities. I hardly noticed I was using a VPN. While testing, I had access to two server locations — Russia and Kazakhstan. Neither one slowed me down by more than 30%.

While testing Timeweb’s speeds, I looked into the following factors:

• Download speed shows you how long it takes for data to reach your device and is measured in megabytes per second (Mbps). This is important for loading videos and websites, downloading files, and streaming.
• Upload speed refers to how fast you can send information and is also measured in Mbps. This includes posting a photo and uploading a video.
• Ping rates let you know how much time it takes for a message to go from your computer to a server and back. It’s essential for online gaming, especially for fast-paced games. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms).

WireGuard is known as one of the fastest encryption protocols, so I wasn’t surprised by the decent results. Additionally, all servers are in Russia, so if you live far away, you won’t be able to find one nearby to optimize your speeds. While I’ve seen slower VPNs, there are providers that are much faster. I recommend using one of the fastest VPNs available today.

Timeweb VPN gave me a ping rate between 100 ms and 150 ms. This is alright, but it could be better. Generally, a ping of 100 ms should be okay for online games, but anything over 85 can cause lag. So, there might be better choices than Timeweb if you're into fast-paced shooter games like Call of Duty, where quick reaction times are essential.

What's more concerning is the limited server network. With only 3 locations, it's likely you won't find one near you to optimize your speeds. To get a VPN that lets you play games lag-free on tons of servers around the world, check out this list of the best VPNs for gaming.

The VPN only has servers in Russia. However, you can also get a virtual private server in Poland or Kazakhstan, but you need to arrange this with customer support. Otherwise, you get assigned a Russian IP by default.

You only get access to three static IP addresses. Unfortunately, there isn’t any information about this on Timeweb’s website. While there are advantages to using a static IP (like seeing fewer CAPTCHAs), it’s also less private than a shared IP address. Plus, when a VPN has shared servers it usually means you get access to many more.

So, if you need a dedicated IP address in Russia, this VPN can provide it. However, as it only comes with minimal security features and poor privacy, I recommend choosing a premium VPN with servers in Russia and dozens of other countries instead.

Timeweb doesn’t have any security features. Its security level depends on the tunneling protocol you choose upon setting up the VPN. There are two options — L2TP and WireGuard.

The L2TP VPN protocol has been around for a long time. However, it’s rarely used nowadays, as it’s unsafe. It reroutes traffic but doesn’t encrypt it. That’s why most VPNs pair L2TP with IPSec to make it more secure. As Timeweb VPN uses no encryption over the L2TP protocol, I recommend avoiding it and setting up the VPN through WireGuard.

WireGuard, on the other hand, is a highly secure VPN tunnel. While most premium VPNs use military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, WireGuard encrypts your data using ChaCha20. This is a newer and simpler algorithm, but it’s deemed to be just as secure as AES 256-bit encryption. However, WireGuard doesn’t come with built-in obfuscation like the widely-used OpenVPN protocol, so your ISP and the sites you visit might still be able to see you’re using a VPN.

Despite only basic security, Timeweb VPN didn’t leak my ISP DNS

Timeweb is also missing many options that other VPNs have, like split tunneling and multi-hop servers. The WireGuard app does have a kill switch to block your internet connection if your VPN gets disconnected, so at least it can protect against data leaks. However, you can get a VPN with military-grade encryption and additional security features for a similar price.

Timeweb VPN doesn't provide a private service as it retains a significant amount of your data. There's no distinct privacy policy for the VPN, which led me to inquire about it from customer service. The representative provided limited information, but it was sufficient to deduce that the VPN doesn't adequately protect privacy.

It worries me that Timeweb doesn’t tell you how long it stores your data

Additionally, the service only uses WireGuard, which isn’t ideal for privacy. WireGuard is designed to store user IP addresses on servers indefinitely. Most premium VPNs were hesitant to use WireGuard because of this, and they only started to offer it after being able to find solutions to deploy it while still protecting user privacy.

If you want to remain private online, I suggest avoiding Timeweb VPN. Instead, choose a VPN with a strict and verified no-logs policy.

While the VPN doesn’t block P2P activity and has decent speeds, I don’t recommend it for torrenting. It lacks basic security features, which makes downloading files very risky. Additionally, the VPN has a questionable privacy policy and stores too much of your data. To download safely, get one of the best VPNs for torrenting from this list.

My team and I don’t condone any illegal activities. While torrenting is legal in most countries, downloading copyrighted materials is not. Make sure to only download content that’s in the public domain.

Does Timeweb VPN Work in China? Probably Not

It’s unclear whether the VPN works in China. There’s no information about that on Timeweb VPN’s website. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test it myself because I’m not in China. I did ask a support agent, and he told me they haven’t tested it either, so he doesn’t know. Considering all this, it’s safer to assume Timeweb VPN can’t be used there and pick one of the tested VPNs that still work in China.

Many VPNs are blocked by the Great Firewall. However, while the Chinese government blocks certain VPNs, it doesn’t usually go after the people who use them. Still, before using a VPN in China, make sure you read up on the local laws and regulations to avoid breaking them.

Simultaneous Device Connections — Unknown

You get three WireGuard configurations plus the L2TP setup instructions, each leading to a separate IP address. I was also told that the number of WireGuard configurations can be increased upon request. When I had issues with the Russian servers, I got another configuration for a Kazakhstan server free of charge.

I prefer the VPN to allow more connections. Meanwhile, most premium VPNs offer at least 5 simultaneous connections, plus you get better security features and more servers. If you want to protect all your devices simultaneously, check out this list of the best VPNs with multiple device connections.