FeatherVPN is an easy-to-use Android-only VPN. Its website states that FeatherVPN is great for streaming and is one of the fastest VPNs available. I set out to determine if these claims are too good to be true.
I tested all of FeatherVPN’s key features to determine if it can compete with premium VPNs. This includes conducting several speed tests and its ability to get around geo-restrictions. On top of that, I looked into its security features and privacy policy to see if this VPN keeps your data safe online.
In short, I can’t recommend FeatherVPN. It slows down your speeds significantly and doesn’t have a strict no-logs policy. Plus, it lacks essential security features such as a kill switch, and its customer support doesn’t respond. If you want superfast speeds, peace of mind that your data remains private, and excellent customer support, check out this list of the top VPNs.
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Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings
Pros
Cons
FeatherVPN Features — 2024 Update
4.5
💸
Price
|
4.95 USD/month
|
📆
Money Back Guarantee
|
30 Days |
📝
Does VPN keep logs?
|
Yes |
🖥
Number of servers
|
141+ |
💻
Number of devices per license
|
3 |
🛡
Kill switch
|
No |
🗺
Based in country
|
United States |
🛠
Support
|
email |
Streaming — Unblocks a Few Popular Platforms
4.0
I could access only a few streaming platforms, like Netflix US and Amazon Prime Video. I couldn't unblock Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, or BBC iPlayer. When I managed to stream content, I had to lower the quality to watch without buffering.
Unblocked: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube
I unblocked the US and Finland's Netflix libraries using its US and Europe server locations. I watched A Perfect Pairing on Netflix US with short load times. However, its servers in Asia couldn't unblock Netflix libraries in Asian countries.
My choice of Netflix catalogs was limited since FeatherVPN doesn’t let you choose many specific countries. If you’re looking for a VPN that can access Netflix worldwide, I recommend checking out this list of VPNs that work best with Netflix.
However, its US server allowed me to unblock Amazon Prime Video and watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power uninterrupted.
Although the image quality wasn’t the best, I could stream The Rings of Power without buffering
I could also use FeatherVPN’s servers to access YouTube. But, due to the slow speeds, I had to reduce my picture quality to 720p, so I could watch videos without delays.
Blocked By: Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer
While FeatherVPN could access Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max, it couldn’t load any videos. I could log in to Hulu during my tests, but when I tried to click on a video, it wouldn’t play. The same thing happened when I tried HBO Max.
No matter how long I waited, the videos never loaded
Even though the VPN didn’t get detected, its speeds were too slow to use with most streaming platforms.
I tested FeatherVPN’s US, Europe, and Asia server locations, but none could unblock Disney+
Lastly, there are no UK servers, so I couldn’t access BBC iPlayer. If you’re looking for a VPN that can unblock the best streaming services, I recommend checking out this list.
Speeds — Significant Speed Drops on Local and Long-Distance Servers
2.0
FeatherVPN slows you down on all of its servers. Although the VPN’s website states that it can improve your speed by 2-10x, it actually does the opposite. I tested all 3 of its server location options (US, Europe, and Asia).
In my speed tests, I checked for 3 different things:
- Download speed is how fast your internet connection receives data from the internet. This is measured in megabits per second (Mbps) and affects how fast websites load, streaming quality, etc.
- Upload speed tells you how fast you can send data to the server. It’s also measured in Mbps and is important for posting on social media, video calls, emails, etc.
- Ping lets you know how long your data takes to travel. It is measured in milliseconds (ms). The lower your ping, the more responsive your connection will be, which is really important for gaming.
As a basis for comparison, I first tested my usual speed without a VPN connection.
No VPN connected (Helsinki, Finland):
Download speed (Mbps) |
66.9 |
Upload speed (Mbps) |
55.7 |
Ping (ms) |
99 |
After that, I connected to FeatherVPN's server locations in the US, Europe, and Asia. My speeds dropped substantially on all of its servers. Although a slight speed loss of around 10-20% is expected when using a VPN, I lost an average of 75%. Plus, my ping was much higher than when I had no VPN connected.
Depending on where you live, it might be impossible to find a server near you
US server location:
Download speed (Mbps) |
11.1 (83.4% decrease) |
Upload speed (Mbps) |
4.87 (91.3% decrease) |
Ping (ms) |
180 |
Europe server location:
Download speed (Mbps) |
21.3 (68.2% decrease) |
Upload speed (Mbps) |
17.4 (68.7% decrease) |
Ping (ms) |
10 |
Asia server location:
Download speed (Mbps) |
13.3 (80.1% decrease) |
Upload speed (Mbps) |
5.46 (90.2% decrease) |
Ping (ms) |
240 |
Overall, FeatherVPN does not perform as promised regarding its speeds. This is very disappointing, especially since you can get a superfast VPN like CyberGhost or PrivateVPN for nearly the same price. This list shows you the fastest VPNs that let you stream without annoying slowdowns.
Are Feather’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? No
2.0
FeatherVPN’s local server location allowed me to game, but I had consistent lag. Its long-distance server locations were so slow they gave me error messages. You need a ping of 100ms or lower to play fast-paced games online.
I was surprised to see that the ping rate for the EU server was much better than my original ping without a VPN, averaging only 10 ms. However, the slow download and upload rates make this irrelevant. The terrible delays meant it was impossible to play Counter-Strike — I would immediately get shot without even getting a chance to move.
On its long-distance servers, my ping ranged between 150 and 250 ms, which is too high for online gaming. I recommend checking out this list if you need a fast VPN for gaming without lag.
Server Network — Not Possible to Choose Specific Server Locations
4.0
FeatherVPN only offers 3 server locations: the US, Europe, and Asia. And, unlike top VPN providers like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, FeatherVPN doesn’t let you choose specific countries. You can only select a continent (or a country in the US’s case). This was annoying since it only allowed me to consistently access geoblocked content from 1 country (the US).
When I tried its European location, I could only get a server in my actual location — Finland. Also, its servers in Asia didn’t work. My geolocation kept showing me as in the US. The website doesn’t tell you how many servers it has or the exact locations of its servers. This frustrated me, especially when I couldn’t get any answers about this from support (they never responded).
FeatherVPN doesn’t have the option to choose servers in South America, Australia, South America, the Middle East, or Africa. There are definitely better options for people living in those parts of the world. If you're looking for a VPN with a global network, you can find them on this list.
Security — Missing Essential Features
6.0
FeatherVPN lacks certain important security features. For example, the app and the website don't mention anything about FeatherVPN having a kill switch. This is a crucial security feature since it protects your online data if the VPN connection suddenly drops. There is also no split tunneling available, so you can't choose which traffic you send through the VPN. That's too bad because that feature could have helped minimize the speed losses.
It also doesn't really let you customize any of its security settings. Although I could toggle certain buttons on and off (such as the ones for auto-connect and using weak WiFi), I couldn’t change any settings like protocols or encryption levels. You can check out this list if you're looking for a VPN with advanced, customizable features.
Encryption
FeatherVPN uses the latest ChaCha20cipher. This means it uses 256-bit encryption, which protects your online data from being read by third parties. It’s used by banks and militaries worldwide and is virtually unbreakable. So when it comes to encryption, FeatherVPN has got you covered.
Protocols
According to FeatherVPN’s website, the VPN uses TLS1.3 as its protocol. This is the latest version of one of the most used security protocols on the internet. The protocol uses Perfect Forward Secrecy, meaning it has dynamic encryption keys. So even if an encryption key were discovered, none of your data would be compromised.
However, I was disappointed that the OpenVPN protocol was not available. This is the gold standard in security — it is open source, meaning it's constantly updated.
Leak Test Results
I tested all its server locations several times and FeatherVPN passed all my tests on ipleak.net.
Your real IP address will remain private when using FeatherVPN
While I'm disappointed it lacks many security features, I'm glad it did well in these leak tests. This showed me that it will effectively mask your real location.
Privacy — Logs and Shares Your Data
1.0
FeatherVPN doesn't have a strict no-logs policy. Your online information (like browsing history) isn't kept private. On top of that, the VPN is headquartered in the US, part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. This is a group of countries that spy and share information about their citizens.
Although it mentions that you can request to have your personally identifiable information deleted. However, the website also states that it can disclose information about you if it's deemed reasonably necessary to enforce its terms and conditions or protect its business operations or users.
According to its privacy policy, FeatherVPN collects your:
- Name
- Email
- Password
- Anonymous traffic connection information so that they can detect and fix issues with the VPN service
- Server load and uptime metrics so that they can route your traffic to the best possible VPN exit point
- And other “anonymous information”, which is a bit vague
Its policy basically says it can share your information for any reason it chooses
What really upsets me is that your personal data can be used for marketing purposes. This means that your data isn’t safe with FeatherVPN. Plus, the VPN hasn't released a third-party security audit either. Check out this VPN list that have audited privacy policies and won't share your personal data.
Torrenting — Slow and Unsafe
1.0
I had very slow speeds while torrenting with FeatherVPN. It would take me over 10 hours to download just a 1.6 GB file, even when using a server near me in Europe.
I had even slower speeds when I tested its US and Asia server locations
Since the VPN doesn’t have a strict no-logs policy, it also can’t guarantee your privacy while torrenting. This means that FeatherVPN isn’t the best choice for P2P networks. Instead, I suggest you check out our top VPNs for torrenting.
Although the act of torrenting is permitted in the majority of countries, it's against the law to download files protected by copyright. vpnMentor does not endorse any illicit activities. Therefore, I advise you to acquaint yourself with your country's specific regulations regarding torrenting prior to engaging in such activities.
Does FeatherVPN Work in China? No
There’s nothing on FeatherVPN’s website about it working in China. Support never answered when I asked about it, either. This means we can’t ensure that the VPN is usable in China and other restrictive countries such as Russia and Turkey. When it’s this tough to find out, I assume the VPN won’t work in China. You can try a premium VPN to get past the great firewall of China.
Keep in mind that if you want to use a VPN in China, you’ll have to download it before entering the country. Only approved VPNs are legal in China — the government blocks other VPN services. However, it’s uncommon for the authorities to go after the people who use them. We encourage you to read up on the laws in your country, so you can avoid accidentally breaking them.
Simultaneous Device Connections — Connect up to 3 Devices
It is possible to use FeatherVPN on 3 devices simultaneously. However, if you sign up for its 1-hour, 1-day, or 7-day plan, you'll only get 1 device connection. This is a very restrictive number compared to top-tier VPNs — most offer at least 5 device connections.
During my tests, I asked my roommates, who both have Android devices, to stream different movies with Netflix at the same time. I didn't experience any performance issues, so that's good.