AxsVPN’s low price makes it seem like a good VPN to try. It claims to work great for streaming global content while protecting your online data. This sounds like a solid VPN, but is it cheap because it’s not very good?
To find out, I performed extensive tests on all AxsVPN features. I checked to see how many streaming platforms it can unblock and if it’s fast enough to watch your favorite TV shows and movies without buffering. Leak tests let me know if it really keeps you safe online. I also looked into its privacy policy to see if it’s trustworthy.
Based on my results, I do not recommend AxsVPN. While it’s decent for unblocking streaming platforms, its network is unreliable. On top of my connection issues, it reduced my speeds a ton on every server. The customer service is hit-or-miss and doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee. If you want to try a fast VPN with a vast server network risk-free, check out this list of the best VPNs around today.
Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings
Pros
Cons
AxsVPN Features — 2024 Update
4.0
💸
Price
|
1.99 USD/month
|
📆
Money Back Guarantee
|
30 Days |
📝
Does VPN keep logs?
|
No |
🖥
Number of servers
|
900+ |
💻
Number of devices per license
|
5 |
🛡
Kill switch
|
Yes |
🗺
Based in country
|
Canada |
🛠
Support
|
Via email |
📥
Supports torrenting
|
Yes |
Streaming — Can Access All Major Platforms
6.0
AxsVPN is excellent at unblocking platforms, but if you have a low internet speed, you might be unable to watch content. In my tests, I was never blocked by any streaming website. I didn’t experience buffering and got high-quality video playback on servers worldwide. However, I have an extremely high-speed connection.
You’ll have to use the Best Server feature with an average connection speed. I asked my colleague to test it since her internet speeds are closer to the worldwide average. She could only stream by clicking on Best Server to get the nearest location. Every other server reduced her speeds by so much that streaming was impossible.
This means you’ll be only able to enjoy local streaming platforms if your connection is average or slower. That’s too bad because AxsVPN unblocked every platform I tested. If you’re looking to stream worldwide content, I can’t recommend AxsVPN unless your internet is blazing-fast.
Unblocked: Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer
I could unblock Netflix libraries in 5 different countries (US, UK, Australia, France, and Canada). The Australia server is nearly 15,000 km away from my actual location. But I could still load movies on Netflix Australia in 2 seconds because of my 350+ Mbps connection. The only minor issue I had was with the Japan server. It only unblocked the Netflix Originals library rather than the Japanese content.
Streaming was a little worse with Disney+, but still good. I unblocked 3 Disney+ libraries. It worked just as well with Netflix US and UK, but on the Canada server, it took me 10 seconds to load Andor. However, I was happy the show played straight through with no interruptions once it started.
I had no issues unblocking HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. Accessing Amazon Prime Video was a pleasant surprise because I have problems accessing it with most VPNs. Connected to AxsVPN, a Vikings episode instantly loaded and played back in HD. Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max gave me perfect video without interruptions.
AxsVPN really impressed me with its streaming performance. Unfortunately, it won’t work as well if your connection isn’t lightning-fast. I recommend testing out the free version first to see how it works for you. If you have any issues, check out this list of the best VPNs for streaming. They’re even better at unblocking platforms and give you fast speeds for buffer-free streaming on every server.
Speeds — Slow on Most Servers
4.0
AxsVPN will significantly reduce your speeds on any server. I tested 9 different servers around the world, and they slowed me down no matter the distance. The fastest server still dropped my speed by 65%.
My speed tests looked at 3 categories:
- Download speed. This lets you know how quickly you can receive information. It’s important for loading sites, streaming, torrenting, etc. This is recorded in megabits per second (Mbps).
- Upload speed. This is how fast you can send information. It determines the rate you can send emails, post to social media, etc. It’s recorded in Mbps too.
- Ping. This tells you how long it takes information to travel. It’s key for gaming, where you want your inputs registered instantly. Ping is recorded in milliseconds (ms), and you want it to be low, ideally under 100 ms.
This table shows you the results of my tests and how much AxsVPN reduced my speeds:
|
Download |
Upload |
Ping |
Base speed (Austin, TX) |
365.05 Mbps |
273.61 Mbps |
13 ms |
US Central |
110.38 Mbps
70% drop |
121.7 Mbps
54% drop |
30 ms |
US East |
50.58 Mbps
86% drop |
113.01 Mbps
59% drop |
61 ms |
US West |
47.24 Mbps
87% drop |
55.14 Mbps
80% drop |
71 ms |
Canada West |
44.88 Mbps
88% drop |
59.02 Mbps
78% drop |
125 ms |
Fake Antarctica |
128.66 Mbps
65% drop |
64.88 Mbps
74% drop |
65 ms |
France |
102.84 Mbps
72% drop |
166.06 Mbps
39 % drop |
222 ms |
Australia |
86.35 Mbps
76% drop |
93.38 Mbps
66% drop |
225 ms |
Chile |
87.47 Mbps
76% drop |
151.23 Mbps
45% drop |
197 ms |
Japan |
47.46 Mbps
87% drop |
81.08 Mbps
70% drop |
154 ms |
I also asked my colleague in South Africa to test it. Her average download speed is around 47 Mbps. The Best Server feature dropped her speeds by 66%. Her speeds were reduced by 87% on the US Central server (14,000+ km away). So, you’ll get similar drops no matter your base connection speed.
I have tested slower VPNs, and these speeds still let me stream HD videos without interruptions. But if your base speed is low, you’ll have more problems. You can find the fastest VPNs in this list if you want to maintain fast speeds.
Are AxsVPN’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? No
2.0
AxsVPN isn’t a good choice for online gaming. To test it, I used the Best Location feature to get the lowest ping. I was impressed that I could get a match in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in only 12 seconds. But while the map was loading, Steam stopped responding several times due to the slow speeds.
The match did eventually begin, but it was very choppy. When I tried to shoot, it took a full second for the character to respond. The game froze 4 different times, and I had no chance to play competitively. These results surprised me because 50 ms or lower is considered a great ping rate for gaming. I had 30 ms, but there was still significant lag. If you need a VPN for first-person shooter games, I recommend you check out this list of the top VPNs for gaming.
Server Network — Small With Unreliable Connections
2.0
There are only 900 servers in 58 countries, and I had many problems connecting. The first time I downloaded the app, I couldn’t get the VPN to connect. I had to reinstall it to get any server working. After that, it worked for the day. But the next day, I had to restart my laptop to get it to connect.
It mostly uses Windscribe’s servers, with a few of its own. I asked support if AxsVPN rents servers. They told me it only activates the servers it owns when there are slower than usual connections. Support also told me that the servers owned by AxsVPN are RAM-based. That means they delete the information saved on them every time they restart. However, since you never know when you will use these servers, you can’t rely on it to improve your privacy.
I like that you can use 10 countries with the free service. You can access servers for the US, Canada, the UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania with a free account. Besides that, I’m disappointed by AxsVPN’s servers. You can get a VPN with a huge network of reliable servers here.
Security — Decent but Missing Some Features
2.0
AxsVPN can successfully hide your true location. I performed leak tests on 5 different servers, and it passed each one. It also comes with AES 256-bit encryption. This is the same encryption level used by militaries and banks, and it’s nearly impossible to break. AxsVPN also has an automatic kill switch that will block your connection if the VPN ever disconnects. I’m glad it comes with this feature, but I can’t explain why it’s not listed on its website. I had to ask support to find out about it.
Unfortunately, you don’t get a lot of security features other top VPNs have. For example, there is no split tunneling. This lets you choose what traffic moves through the VPN. I like using it to keep up with local news while streaming content from another country. AxsVPN doesn’t have double VPN either, which can give you additional security. Each app only comes with 1 protocol too. IKEv2 is used for iOS, and the other apps have OpenVPN.
Overall, AxsVPN can provide you with online safety. But if you're well-versed in VPNs and looking for the most comprehensive range of security features, there are more suitable alternatives.
Privacy — Strict No-Logs Policy but It’s Located in Canada
6.0
AxsVPN has a great privacy policy, but it hasn’t been verified. It claims it won’t store any of your information, including your IP address, the sites you visit, or time stamps. Since it doesn’t keep any of your vital information, you don’t have to worry about it selling or sharing anything. However, I wish there was proof that it sticks to its policy.
I like that it deletes any information related to your account as soon as you cancel
It hasn’t had independent audits or published any transparency reports. Many VPNs use these to let you know they follow their privacy terms. AxsVPN hasn’t had any of these or had its claims proven in court, so you have to take its word for it. Because of this, there are other VPNs I trust more to handle my vital information.
Plus, AxsVPN’s headquarters are in Canada, part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. This is an intelligence-sharing agreement between governments to exchange information it has on their citizens. The VPN’s policy is solid for now, but I just worry that it could be forced to change in the future.
Torrenting — Slow P2P Downloads
6.0
You can use AxsVPN for torrenting, but your downloads will take a long time. I reached 900 kB/s speeds connected to the VPN while downloading a copyright-free movie. With my base connection, I can torrent at 10 mB/s. That would let me complete a 1.62 GB file in about 6 minutes. AxsVPN’s speed would take an additional 30 minutes to finish.
Torrenting is legal in most countries, but it’s illegal to download copyrighted files. My team and I don’t condone any illegal activities. I recommend reading the laws in your country before you decide to use P2P networks. You can try the best VPNs for torrenting with super fast download speeds here.
Does AxsVPN Work in China? No
I couldn’t confirm if AxsVPN works in China. Customer support never answered the question after I sent several emails. I just have to assume it doesn’t work in that country. The Chinese government has banned several VPNs, but it usually goes after the technology. There haven’t been any reports of tourists getting in trouble for VPNs. If you decide to use a VPN in China, check out this list of VPNs that can get past the Great Firewall.
Simultaneous Device Connections — 5
AxsVPN lets you connect on a decent number of devices at the same time. I tested this by streaming with my Windows Laptop, Fire HD Tablet, and Android phone at the same time. The quality held up on all my devices, and the extra connections didn’t add any buffering. Some VPNs give you more connections (or unlimited), but 5 is the minimum amount I consider acceptable.