MonVPN Review & Test (2024) - Why It's NOT For Everyone

monVPN is a small service that claims to be “simple and reliable”. So far so good. But can it live up to these not-so-lofty ambitions? Or are there better VPNs out there for the same price or less? (Spoiler: there are).

I tested the VPN’s unblocking capabilities, speeds, server network, and I went through its security and privacy features to see what it has to offer.

Sadly, it didn’t match up to my expectations. monVPN has a few redeeming features, but they’re overshadowed by some hefty reliability issues and one of the worst VPN websites I’ve come across...

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Streaming — Good Unblocking, but Poor Quality Stream

monVPN does a good job unblocking most streaming services. I was able to access US versions of Netflix, Hulu, ESPN/ESPN+, Peacock, Disney+, and HBO Max with no problems. The only streaming service that it could not unblock was Amazon Prime Video.

monVPN’s US medias TCP server proved to be the most reliable in terms of streaming quality and speed. This server is often listed as the fastest connection, and I recommend using it for streaming. But using servers in different countries posed some issues.

Connecting to other servers would often result in sluggish loading times and poor streaming quality. I was still able to unblock some streaming services, but it was difficult to get decent enough speeds for stable viewing on most other servers.

Unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, ESPN/ESPN+, Peacock, Disney+, and HBO Max

monVPN successfully unblocked Netflix, Peacock TV, Disney+, HBO Max, ESPN, and Hulu. I used the US medias TCP server, and it provided me with a quick and reliable connection.

monVPN was able to unblock Netflix in multiple countries, including the US

I was able to stream shows and movies on Hulu with monVPN without issues

monVPN allows you to access geoblocked sports on ESPN/ESPN+

Blocked By: Amazon Prime Video

monVPN was unable to unblock Amazon Prime Video. I tested multiple servers in different countries, and each time my VPN connection was detected by the site.

Amazon Prime Video identified the VPN and blocked my access

Overall, I can’t recommend monVPN for streaming. Even if it did unblock most of the platforms I tested, the connection was spotty and wouldn’t even allow me to watch in SD most of the time. Check out these top VPNs for streaming if you want to keep up with the latest titles.

Speeds — Significant Slowdown

My connection speed was impacted significantly.

I went through and tested my connection with monVPN and without it. I found that my connection was, at best, about 40% the speed of my local connection.

At worst, I saw my speeds plummet to under 10% of my base speed when connected to the VPN’s network. General browsing won’t be noticeably affected, but you will be able to tell when it comes to more intensive tasks like gaming, streaming, or downloading content.

I started out with a download speed of 589 Mbps, 10 Mbps upload, and a ping of 32 ms. On the Ashburn server, I noticed a 58% decrease, while the Fairfax location slowed me down by 75%. I had very bad results on the second Ashburn server, where I experienced a 98% drop. If my base speed was slower, regular browsing would have been almost impossible.

monVPN’s speeds are slow and inconsistent

Since it’s so slow, I can’t recommend monVPN for any other online activity besides regular browsing. However, you can take a look at these superfast services that won’t slow you down.

Are monVPN’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? — No

monVPN’s ping was way too high for a smooth gaming experience. My connection speeds did technically meet the minimum threshold for online gaming, but the experience was far from ideal.

At first, I was able to hop into Rocket League with no ping or latency issues. However, there were moments when my speeds would drop drastically, resulting in lag. These moments were frustrating and happened even on the fastest servers. It put me at a serious disadvantage to other players.

I do not recommend competitive gaming while using this VPN. Instead, take a look at these best VPNs for gaming.

Server Network — Slim Selection

monVPN has just 40 servers in 30 countries. I noticed that 18 servers are located in France, but its offerings in other countries are much more limited.

In fact, most of its servers are in Europe. There are 4 servers in Asia, two in the Middle East, and a total of 6 in North America. The other servers are spread out among a handful of countries, with most having two servers each. The US was the only outlier with four servers in total.

The small network could explain a lot of monVPN’s problems. Small networks often lead to congestion, as the VPN’s users crowd onto the few available servers. You might also find that your connection suffers if monVPN doesn't have any servers near your true location. All of this means slow speeds for you.

Security — Frequent Crashes That Can Leak Data

monVPN protects your data — when the app is working properly. Unfortunately, the application froze a lot, and that left me unsure that my connection was secured.

Switching between servers often resulted in crashes, which at times had to be resolved with a PC restart or manually closing the program and OpenVPN through my task manager. There is a kill switch, but it becomes useless when the app fails completely. That means your data could be exposed every time the VPN crashes.

I was able to choose from a range of security protocols. The VPN offers OpenVPN, OpenVPN+XOR, OpenVPN+TOR, VMess, SSTP, and SOCKS5. The problem is that SSTP is an old and insecure protocol, while SOCKS5 is a proxy that doesn’t encrypt your connection. This leaves OpenVPN as the only solution, which is not ideal for all operating systems and devices.

Additionally, monVPN only has 4096-bit encryption, which falls short of the more secure AES-256 encryption that other VPNs offer.

While the VPN was up and running, there were no IP or DNS leaks when I tested servers from the US and Canada. But the frequent service failures meant I had little confidence that the VPN was actually safe to use.

Privacy — Basic No-Logs Policy

monVPN’s privacy policy is fairly simple. I had to dig into the “Terms & Conditions” page to find out everything, but — essentially — the VPN claims not to store or pass on any of your activity logs.

It does retain some information about you, but it was all fairly normal from what I could see. Your email address, name, and country of origin are kept to create your account. Your correspondence with customer support is also logged. None of that is unusual for a paid service, though.

I also found out from monVPN’s terms and conditions that it’s based in the privacy-friendly Seychelles. This is good news for your online safety; the Seychelles aren’t included in the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance — an international government surveillance pact. So monVPN can’t be legally forced to hand over any of your data, even if it was logged.

Of course, like a lot of smaller VPN services, monVPN has never been independently audited. It claims it doesn’t keep logs, but we can only take the company’s word for it. If complete anonymity is your goal, I’d recommend you check out these VPNs with strict no-log policies and additional measures to protect your privacy.

Torrenting — P2P-Friendly But Not Secure

monVPN only allows P2P torrenting on its servers in Canada, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It blocks the use of Emule on all servers.

The problem is that the app crashed frequently during my tests, leaving me exposed. When you connect to a P2P network (such as BitTorrent), your IP address is shared along with the files you transfer. If the VPN fails to hide your real IP address, then it could be visible to other peers, which is a major security risk.

Even when it works, monVPN’s speeds made uploads and downloads pretty frustrating.

If you’re looking for a VPN to keep you safe during P2P transfers, take a look at these best VPNs for torrenting.

Does monVPN Work in China? Not Recommended

According to the support team, monVPN can bypass China’s Great Firewall and access geoblocked content from around the world. There are special instructions for installing the application and using it in China, which can be found on the FAQ page.

However, it doesn’t have the best security features, and the unreliable app may suddenly disconnect you from the network and leak your sensitive data. So I can’t recommend it for China. Instead, take a look at these VPNs that are sure to bypass the Great Firewall.

Simultaneous Device Connections — 10 Supported

I was able to connect 10 devices simultaneously with monVPN. The FAQ page has direct links and installation instructions for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux systems.

The VPN website doesn’t mention this, but its mobile apps don’t give you the same servers as its desktop apps. There were plenty of servers I could access on my laptop that I couldn’t find on my Android device.

If you’re mainly a mobile user, this is a frustrating discrepancy. There are better Android VPNs and iOS VPNs that don’t limit your service.

Device Compatibility — Not Comprehensive

monVPN has dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

It lacks native support for iOS, consoles, and plug-and-play devices such as Amazon Fire Stick. However, the VPN can be installed manually through third-party tools like OpenVPN Connect.

It was easy to install the app on my mobile device and sync my account. Manual installation is a bit trickier. That being said, I followed monVPN’s step-by-step guide to router setup with OpenVPN and it didn’t take me too long to get it working.

Overall, monVPN’s compatibility offering is basic. It works with the main platforms but lacks the more comprehensive support you get with bigger VPNs.