NovaVPN Review 2024: User-Friendly, But Short On Features

NovaVPN has private DNS servers and a solid no-logs policy, but is it as secure as it seems? The server network is a bit small but it's able to unblock Netflix and a few more popular sites, including some in China.

The P2P optimized servers make torrenting a breeze but the lack of a kill switch for mobile could put your data at risk if the VPN fails. Overall, it will need a little work before it can compete with trusted services, especially since it only offers some of its features on specific devices.

Streaming - Can It Unblock Netflix? Yes

I was able to unblock several popular streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, 9Now, Amazon Prime, and more. I was also able to gain access to a couple of sites in China, like Sohu. Speeds were fast enough to stream reliably in HD, so you can watch movies without worrying about buffering.

I was unable to watch BBC iPlayer which surprised me considering it was able to access sites in China, a country notorious for internet and VPN restrictions.

Unblocks: Netflix, Hulu, 9Now, Sohu, and more

I was able to stream several popular sites reliably in HD

Blocked By: BBC iPlayer

NovaVPN was unable to break through BBC iPlayer's geoblocking

Speeds

Download speeds were fast enough to view content in HD on all of the servers I tested and upload speeds were really good in most areas, the ping speeds were far too slow for gaming on most of the servers.

Speeds decreased significantly from base speeds even while connected to a US server

After connecting to a server in the US my base download speeds dropped by 98%, I decided to try another location to see if the speeds would be better. I connected to a server in Maryland as shown in the graph, the download speed was still 90% slower than my base speed. I prefer no more than a 20-30% drop in speeds, that way my daily activities like browsing, streaming, and uploading massive amounts of photos to the cloud aren't interrupted. To give you an idea of standard speeds for these activities, check the list below.

• Streaming in HD: 5Mbps download
• Streaming in UltraHD: 25Mbps download
• Video Chat: 1.2-50Mbps upload, 150ms max ping
• Gaming: 20-100ms ping, 5Mbps upload, and 15-50Mbps download
• Uploading to social media: 5-15Mbps upload

Luckily, the upload speeds weren't affected as much and only suffered a 21% drop. The pingback was also in the acceptable range for gaming.

Download speeds continued to decrease for both the UK and China servers I tested, 95% and 97% respectively. Upload speeds for the UK were only 11% slower than my base speed, which is excellent for being so far from my true location. On the other side, understandably, the ping speeds increased above acceptable levels for gaming in both the UK and China.

Usually the Australian servers give me the worst download speeds but NovaVPN's Australian server produced faster speeds that the nearest location I tested in the US! I was very surprised, I was able to stream Netflix Australia and 9Now in HD and in some cases UltraHD. Gaming and video chat are out of the question but you could comfortably upload large photo files without issues.

Is NovaVPN Fast Enough for Gaming? Not On Most Servers

The download and upload speeds on most servers are acceptable for gaming but the high pingback speeds could create issues with lag and disconnects. Ping is the amount of time it takes for your data to travel from your device, to the server, process, and travel back to your device again. If pingback is too high, you will have major latency issues.

If you love gaming, you may be better off checking out a VPN that's proven reliable for gaming.

Security & Privacy - Basic VPN Features

There are a couple of impressive security features including optional DoubleVPN and a kill switch. Double VPN offers twice the encryption, which means twice the security. It also offers an Auto On feature in Settings, for Android and iOS.

I was also able to choose between TCP and UDP for encryption. Generally, UDP gives better speeds for streaming but TCP is more reliable as a whole (even if it slows you down a bit). Either way the service features military-grade encryption to help protect your data as it travels the web.

NovaVPN has a solid no-logs policy and the IP/DNS leak test I performed showed it doesn't leak your address or requests.

NovaVPN didn't leak my IP address or DNS requests

Is NovaVPN Safe for Torrenting?

There weren't any IP address or DNS request leaks, so your tracking shouldn't be an issue. It also offers P2P optimized servers in multiple locations. Add private DNS on all servers that helps further reduce the risk of leaks and its secure enough to torrent anonymously.

On the downside, the kill switch is only available for Windows. If you want a VPN with a kill switch for multiple apps, that works well for torrenting try one of these.

Server Network

NovaVPN has 48+ servers in 8 countries including (but not limited to) the UK, Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America.

While the server network is a bit small, the wide distribution of servers worldwide offers plenty of connection opportunities. It also offers P2P optimized servers in the Netherlands and Russia.

Does NovaVPN Work for China? Yes

I was able to easily access Chinese news sites, including Sohu. Keep in mind the kill switch isn't available for mobile though, if you're a citizen of China using NovaVPN you could end up in hot water if the server fails. Server speeds were also fairly slow during non-peak hours, so it may be hit or miss during high traffic.

Simultaneous Device Connections

NovaVPN allows you to connect to up to 6 devices on one license. A nice feature if you want to cover multiple devices without the extra cost, or have multiple users in one household.

Device Compatibility

The website for NovaVPN says it's compatible with macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android. The fine print in its knowledge base clarifies that a bit further, saying it only supports macOS 10.12 or later and Windows 7 or later. While most mac and Window enthusiasts have upgraded to one of these versions, it's worth noting for anyone still running Vista or El Capitan.