AzireVPN Review & Test 2024: Keep in Mind Before Buying

AzireVPN was established in 2012 by a Swedish company called Netbouncer AB. AzireVPN has a small server network (only 26 countries), which is the main reason why it cannot compete with first-class providers; however, it has a wide range of sound options too. AzireVPN offers reasonable and affordable pricing options. But, it has a 7-day money-back guarantee to try it out and apply for a refund if you are not satisfied with the service.

AzireVPN uses the WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols to encrypt and secure your online activity, which are the most advanced options available. It guarantees a strict no-logs policy. It is very solid and transparent regarding the privacy policy, most likely the strongest selling point of this VPN provider. Set-up and installation are relatively easy and quick. Speeds are decent while connected to the nearby location servers, which is good news for those using a VPN for online gaming and torrenting. AzireVPN can unblock many popular streaming services, like Netflix or Disney+, not without issues, though.

The biggest disadvantage is the lack of the kill switch - a security option that is a must for many users. Also, detected DNS address leaks could be a deal-breaker for many. User experience leaves a lot to be desired too. If security is high on your priority list, check out these 100% secure VPNs here. Some of the features, like a constant necessity to log in before connecting to a new server, are pretty annoying. Those of you who need a reliably working VPN in China have to look elsewhere, as it cannot bypass the very restrictive Chinese firewall.

The main page of AzireVPN states: “We have been working hard since 2012 to fight censorship and restrictions on the Internet”. If privacy is your top concern, this might be a VPN for you. Below you can find out what else AzireVPN is capable of and what the missing features are.

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Streaming — Unblocks Some Popular Streaming Services, Netflix Included, but Not All of Them

AzireVPN bypasses the geo-restrictions of several popular streaming services. Some of the servers I tested can unblock Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, although not all of them. I had no problems with unblocking Disney+. Hulu doesn’t work on any American server available.

Unblocked: Netflix US and Other Local Libraries, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video

I tried to unblock Netflix through the macOS app that runs on the OpenVPN protocol, and it went rather smoothly. Only one out of three US server locations worked with Netflix. I had no issues unblocking US Netflix with the New York server and could watch New Girl in high quality. The Chicago and Miami servers didn’t come through.

Similar to Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or Sky, Netflix constantly works to block VPN connections, so it is common for some servers to be blocked by the streaming sites. Another point worth mentioning is the small server network of AzireVPN. Having a limited number of IP addresses to choose from makes it easier for streaming services to block the VPN.

AzireVPN’s New York server connection was able to unblock the US Netflix

Accessing Netflix was reasonably easy and fast, even though you have to try several servers out. The ones that worked the best for me were New York, Toronto, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. The streaming quality was good on every server I checked except for Thailand - it kept buffering initially but stabilized slowly to a rate that was not perfect but watchable.

I noticed an interesting issue while trying to open other local libraries from Europe was the IP addresses mix-up. When I connected to the server in London, my Netflix was Dutch. Being connected to Madrid and Berlin servers, Netflix showed me the top 10 series in Switzerland. I asked the customer service representative what the reason behind it is. They said that some databases need to be updated and assured me it is only a temporary issue.

A mix up of IP addresses occurred while trying to unblock Netflix local libraries in Europe

Unblocking Disney+ with AzireVPN went very smoothly. I watched Loki in high quality when connected to the servers in New York, Toronto, and Stockholm. I was always brought to the US library, which doesn’t make much of a difference as Disney+ offers similar content in every available location.

I could watch Loki without buffering

Trying to watch Amazon Prime Video was more troublesome, although not impossible, as other review pages claim. I could access it using servers in New York, Paris, and Berlin. The quality while watching The Boys TV series was satisfying. When connected to the UK, Canadian and Thai servers, a window popped up asking to disable any proxy programs or VPN connections and try again.

Bypassing geo-restrictions of Amazon Prime Video was possible, but only a few servers allowed me to do so

Blocked By: Hulu, BBC iPlayer

The attempts to bypass streaming media blocks of Hulu were unsuccessful. I tried all servers available in the US - New York, Chicago, and Miami ones, and every time I received an error message saying I need to stop using an anonymous proxy or VPN.

AzireVPN cannot unblock Hulu

I was not able to test unblocking BBC iPlayer by myself; that’s why I reached out to customer support. They told me accessing this streaming service from the UK server is not available at the moment.

The UK server of AzireVPN is not able to bypass BBC iPlayer’s geo-restrictions

Speeds — Mostly Fast and Consistent

AzireVPN has mostly fast and consistent speeds, although they differ depending on the server connection. The speed test I performed examined 3 things: download speed, upload speed, and ping.

Download speed refers to the rate at which your internet connection can retrieve data from the internet, such as loading web pages, streaming, etc. It’s measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Upload speed refers to the rate that your internet connection can allow data to be sent from your devices to the internet, such as posting on social media, video calling, sending emails, etc. It’s measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Ping is how quickly your connection reacts - the speed at which your device gets an answer after sending a request. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms).

It is preferable to have download speeds of at least 15 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 1 Mbps. The lower your ping is, the better for online gaming. Local server connections usually have better speeds and lower ping compared to long-distance servers. An exception was the Canadian server which had a download speed that was almost as good as my base speed.

I started with testing my base speed without the VPN turned on to compare it later with VPN speed tests results. The results in Istanbul, Turkey were:

Nearby Servers

The speed test results on the nearby servers showed that my speed was lower but still above average.

Dutch server:

Italian server:

German server:

Nearby location servers (Netherlands, Italy, Germany) slowed my speed down, but it was not enough to affect my online activity

Long Distance Servers

The speed test results on the long-distance servers were very diverse. I experienced minor slowdowns when it came to the download speed when connected to the server in Canada. The US server results were similar to those in Europe. Only the ping was visibly higher. The test showed that my speed was significantly lower only in Thailand.

Canadian server:

American server:

Thai server:

Some faraway servers (Canada, US) slowed my speed minimally, another (Thailand) showed a big difference in speeds

Are AzireVPN’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? Yes, if You Are Connected to a Nearby Server

AzireVPN speeds are fast enough if you are connected to a nearby server and too slow on faraway ones. Ping amounts of 100 ms and below are considered suitable for online gaming. The ping speed on all of the European servers tested was between 50-75 ms, which is very good for gaming.

The different situation was while connected to the long-distance AzireVPN’s servers. Ping range from 145 to 331 is too high for a smooth gaming experience. If online gaming is on top of your priority list, check out the best VPNs for gaming here. A point worth mentioning here is that AzireVPN doesn’t work with gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox.

AzireVPN’s Italy server let me play RuneScape without lag

Server Network — A Very Small Network Size

The size of the AzireVPN network is surprisingly small for a VPN provider. It has 80 servers distributed around 19 locations in 26 countries. Most of the servers are located in Europe and North America; there is also one Asian site covered. What is visible is the lack of server representation in the Middle East, Russia, Australia, Africa, or South America. The number of IP addresses is undisclosed.

AzireVPN’s server selection page

There is a reason behind AzireVPN’s small network size. It puts the reliability and security of the VPN network at the top of its agenda. Their team operates the servers completely self-maintained, with no third party involved. They do all installations, upgrades, and maintenance by themselves. Another point worth mentioning is that all their servers are bought, not rented. They are being monitored constantly “for their uptime, general usage, and latencies.”

AzireVPN’s server locations:

Security — Most Up-to-Date Security Options Available, However, the DNS Is Leaking

When it comes to security, AzireVPN meets the challenge of providing the best protocols available, but it has some security flaws.

Security Protocols

AzireVPN uses several protocols: SOCKS5, OpenVPN, and WireGuard. SOCKS5 is an Internet protocol that permits the exchange of network packets between a client and a server. It is mainly used to bypass geo-restrictions while staying connected on the same VPN tunnel in another location. It supports TCP Port 443 for secure data transfer.

Another security feature is first-party DNS servers that prevent your IP address from being exposed to third parties. The experts find OpenVPN as the most secure protocol you can find with only several minor issues that are easy to resolve. WireGuard is a new, promising, open-source protocol. It is supposed to be the fastest and most secure option available; however, it is still under the research stage.

AzireVPN’s Android app runs on WireGuard without further configuration, but this protocol is available for other devices too. However, even though WireGuard is available on Android, the AzireVPN team warns that “the application is still experimental and should not be used as a replacement of OpenVPN yet.” Windows and macOS apps run on OpenVPN protocol, which, in my opinion, is the best option - very secure, tried, and tested. It uses AES-256 encryption which is practically unbreakable.

AzireVPN’s team has a different opinion: WireGuard is the best protocol in their mind

AzireVPN’s service offer is impressively transparent

Leak Test Results

I ran DNS leak tests for servers in the US (New York and Chicago), Germany (Berlin and Frankfurt), and Sweden (Stockholm and Gothenburg). AzireVPN was able to hide my original IP address successfully, however, it failed when it came to the DNS address.

When a VPN is leaking, it will point to the country I live in, which is precisely what happened. That means it is a security flaw that allows DNS requests to be revealed to the internet service provider’s DNS servers. What is a plus, AzireVPN has full IPv6 support.

AzireVPN leaks DNS address

No Kill Switch

A feature that is greatly missed in AzireVPN’s service is the kill switch. For some reason, it is available for the Android app only. The lack of it might be a deal-breaker for many other devices’ users. A kill switch continuously tracks your connection to the VPN server and automatically disconnects your device if the VPN connection accidentally goes down to ensure no leak of your data. More demanding users should be happy to see AzireVPN offers customizable security options: NAT configuration files available using UDP and TCP. While TCP is more reliable, UDP is generally a better option for streaming and gaming.

Privacy — Safe and Transparent

AzireVPN puts a lot of effort into maintaining privacy and transparency on a high level. It is owned and maintained by Netbouncer AB, located in Stockholm and operating under Swedish jurisdiction.

Sweden is a part of the so-called “Fourteen Eyes” - an alliance of intelligence operations infamous for spying on citizens’ allegations. Even though Sweden might not be the most privacy-friendly country, AzireVPN promises to “never share or sell your personal data with any third parties.”

AzireVPN’s Privacy Policy explicitly says what information they collect. It explains why, for example: “When you purchase one of our packages, we collect a payment identifier number from the payment provider. A payment identifier number is used to track the payment status and refund the transaction”. Interestingly, you won’t find any confusing jargon there typical for this kind of document. It is written very clearly and concisely.

AzireVPN has a strict no-logs policy and doesn’t keep any kind of logs that could be used to identify a customer. According to their Terms of Service, AzireVPN does NOT log:

• any traffic or user activity,
• timestamps, or any information relating to when a user connects/disconnects from the service,
• any bandwidth on the servers,
• the original IP addresses of the users when they connect or their AzireVPN IP address when they use the service,
• the number of sessions,
• DNS requests on the servers.

Their no-logs policy is backed up by a blind operator system. An open-source rootkit is created for a VPN provider that wants to keep its customers’ connections private. The blind operator mode removes the ability of an ordinary system administrator to query the content of the endpoint and allowed IPS fields from WireGuard. It also disables the ability to run live network monitoring tools.

Blind operator mode is available for AzireVPN’s users

AzireVPN doesn’t use server farms or virtual servers, the company owns all the servers in their use. Moreover, to ensure the customers’ privacy, they claim to select locations with protective or non‑invasive laws. That could explain the tiny server network size. Netbouncer AB, co-founded by Linus Larsson, who is also a father of a web agency called Nessla AB, seems to be committed to transparency. They publish regular warrant statements to assure the users that no searches or seizures at the company’s location have taken place so far. To show how much they are committed to transparency, they publish the full company address and even invite you to grab a coffee in their office.

The only disappointing thing here is no audits. That means AzireVPN has not used an outside organization to review its security features and privacy policy. An independent third-party verification adds an essential element of proof to the offered service. Without it, we can only take AzireVPN’s word for everything they say.

Torrenting — Easy and Fast, but Not Completely Safe

Torrenting is only safe when using a secure VPN because it hides your actual IP address and geographic location. If you have torrenting on your mind, a good VPN is a must.

AzireVPN’s servers support P2P downloading using applications like BitTorrent, even though they are not torrent-optimized. “BitTorrent, peer‑to‑peer and file‑sharing traffic is allowed and treated equally to any other traffic on all of our servers in all of our locations,” the website claims. However, torrenting with AzireVPN is not entirely safe because there’s no kill switch option available. If your VPN connection accidentally drops, your IP address will be exposed.

To check how it works, I connected to the server in New York and found a 1.7GB video file with around 100 seeders available. The download was completed in 13 minutes without any speed problems. My IP address was not exposed, my DNS address, however, was leaking while torrenting, which doesn’t make it a safe option.

DNS address is leaking while torrenting

Does AzireVPN Work in China? No

AzireVPN does not work in China. The support says it is “because of the special state of the Internet in this country.” China’s Internet censorship system, called the Great Firewall of China, is advanced and excessive. VPNs with no effective obfuscation can’t bypass it. Nevertheless, even if AzireVPN worked in China, the connection wouldn’t most likely be too fast. There are no servers available in the direct neighborhood, like Hong Kong or Taiwan. The closest one is in Thailand, and it’s the only AzireVPN server in Asia.

Customer support cannot guarantee AzireVPN will work in China

Simultaneous Device Connections — Up to 5 Devices

According to AzireVPN’s website, “A total of 5 devices can be connected simultaneously, regardless of the device, operating system or tunnel. They can be connected to the same location using the same tunnel, port, and protocol if wished. It is also possible to configure our service on a router, allowing any number of devices to use the same tunnel”.

There is an option to customize your offer if you need more than five devices connected simultaneously. I tried to connect five devices simultaneously: two Android smartphones, two MacBooks, and a Windows PC and was pleased to notice the connection speeds were almost unreduced.

Device Compatibility — Major Operating Systems Excluding iOS

AzireVPN supports all major operating systems and devices such as Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and some routers that run OpenWrt and LuCi, OpenWRT, DD-WRT, and pfSense. Setting it up on your router will make it work on all your devices.

The Android app, which is the only one that runs on WireGuard without further configuration, has a split tunneling feature. It lets you route some of your app traffic through the encrypted VPN tunnel while other apps access the internet directly.

Surprisingly, the iOS app is not fully available. It is possible to download a beta version of this app and test it. You can install the beta app on up to 30 devices. AzireVPN doesn’t work on other platforms, like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Nintendo, PlayStation, Roku, Xbox, or Smart TVs. Browser extensions are also not available.