Speedify offers ways to improve your live streams that you won’t find in many other VPNs. It lets you combine several connections to improve speeds and provide fallbacks if one connection faces issues. You can merge mobile, WiFi, ethernet, and even Starlink connections.
It’s a good option for heavy live streamers but costly and falls short in a few areas. Speedify’s server network is small, which doesn’t make it the best VPN for torrenting or securely accessing streaming platforms. Plus, there are a few privacy issues, and it’s incompatible with many devices. If you’re not into live streaming, I’d try one of the top VPNs for much less money first.
Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings
Pros
Cons
Speedify Features — 2024 Update
5.5
💸
Price
|
4.99 USD/month
|
📆
Money Back Guarantee
|
30 Days |
📝
Does VPN keep logs?
|
No |
🖥
Number of servers
|
57+ |
💻
Number of devices per license
|
5 |
🛡
Kill switch
|
Yes |
🗺
Based in country
|
United States |
🛠
Support
|
Email support |
📥
Supports torrenting
|
Yes |
Streaming — Optimized for Live Streaming and Video Calls
5.0
Speedify lets you combine multiple internet connections, which is helpful for live streaming. This is because when one connection falters, Speedify automatically switches to another one. For example, you can combine a mobile hotspot with your WiFi connection. Many customers testify that this is effective and truly improves their streams.
However, it’s not necessarily the best VPN for securely accessing popular streaming platforms from anywhere. Speedify doesn’t market itself as a VPN for that purpose. Its website even suggests using split tunneling to watch certain platforms without encryption, which defeats the purpose of using a VPN for safe streaming. Plus, its network is small.
It’s also much more expensive than most “streaming” VPNs. This is understandable since it provides some fairly unique features. But, they’re not really worth the price unless you engage in frequent video calls or online streams that you need to be perfect.
There are VPNs that make it possible to safely access the top platforms from anywhere for a lot less. I recommend you check out our list of the best VPNs for streaming if you’re more interested in binge-watching than live streaming.
Editor’s note. The VPNs we recommend generally follow strict no-logging policies. This prevents them from viewing your online activities. This means you’re solely responsible for how they’re used. My team and I urge you to uphold all copyright laws.
Speed — Offers Several Unique Features to Improve Speeds
7.0
This is obviously a big selling point for Speedify, and it offers several features to enhance speed that you won’t find in many other VPNs:
- Channel bonding. This combines multiple internet connections together with the potential to increase speeds. It claims to “dynamically spread individual packets amongst your available internet connections” to improve rates while live streaming or torrenting.
- Pair & Share. For mobile users, this allows you to combine several mobile networks together for better rates. They market it as a great way to improve speeds while on road trips or other situations where you’re away from WiFi for long periods of time.
- Configurable connection priorities and limits. You’ll be able to set data and rate limits for each network, and tell it which ones it should prioritize.
- Speedify TCP Multiple. The VPN connects through its own priority protocol with several variations. “TCP Multiple” lets it connect to a server up to 8 simultaneous times, which it claims can improve speeds even on a single network.
While these are impressive features, its small network could still cause slowdowns. Speedify doesn’t let you know exactly how many servers it operates, which makes me suspect its network is quite small. Even with all these improvements, overcrowding could still affect your speeds.
Plus, if you can’t find a nearby server, your connection rates will very likely drop. This happens with any VPN because the farther your data has to travel, the slower your speeds become.
As I said, Speedify is quite expensive. We’ve tested several VPNs for years that consistently offer fast speeds at a more affordable price. If you’re interested, take a look at our list of the fastest VPNs that offer lower subscription rates.
Gaming — Claims to Improve Gaming Experience With Multiple Connections
5.0
Speedify states that it can provide an optimized experience for desktop, mobile, or console gamers. On desktop, it suggests combining your WiFi network with an ethernet connection or a neighbor’s (or a 4G dongle). Mobile gamers are encouraged to use their 4G and mobile networks in conjunction.
For console gamers, it advocates for using “Connectify Hotspot”, which acts as a virtual router software. This will create another connection you can combine with your normal WiFi or ethernet connection to potentially improve speeds.
The most important aspect of your speeds while gaming is ping rates. This lets you know how long it takes your data to travel. It’s measured in milliseconds, and you’ll want your rates below 85ms to enjoy smooth gameplay. When it gets higher, there will be a delay (also known as lag) between your inputs and your character’s actions.
I do worry that its small network could increase ping since distance severely affects ping rates. Speedify could be a good gaming option, depending on what country you live in. But, if it doesn’t have servers near you, I suggest you try one of the best premium VPNs for gaming.
Server Network — Unknown Number of Servers
4.0
Speedify offers servers in 36 countries, but it hasn’t revealed exactly how many total it operates. This isn’t a good sign as most VPNs are proud to brag about these numbers. However, support staff did tell me it’s approximately 300-1000+ servers. The low hundreds would be disappointing, while 1,000 servers isn’t terrible.
It states that it only uses virtual servers. This means you won’t know where the server you’re connecting to is physically-located. While it’s not necessarily a privacy concern, servers that are farther away than you expect will cause increased speed loss.
The company rents all of its servers, but doesn’t say if they’re RAM-only. When a VPN owns its servers, it gets rid of a middleman who could potentially access your data. RAM-only servers delete all of their information with each reboot, for added privacy.
Dedicated servers are offered as a paid add-on with some restrictions. For example, you can only choose one location per month, and they come with a 3TB bandwidth restriction. These provide you with a static IP, and Speedify also claims that they’re faster than its public servers since they have their own “allotment of CPU and memory”, and can’t get crowded.
This is one area where Speedify really falls short of its competitors. If you’re looking for a VPN with a wide network of worldwide locations, check out this list of options with large server networks.
Security — Provides the Necessary Features
6.5
Speedify provides all the features you expect in a modern VPN. I’m impressed by this because you might expect a unique VPN like Speedify to skimp on extra security features since its main focus is on optimizing live streams.
It utilizes either AES 256-bit encryption or ChaCha. These are both powerful encryption levels, with AES being used by militaries and banks around the world. I do wish it was a bit more clear about when it switches between these, but I’m fairly certain it changes depending on the specific protocol configuration you choose.
The VPN also comes with leak protection and several DNS options. You can choose between “Auto, Quad9, CloudFlare, OpenDNS, AdGuard, and Custom”. The “AdGuard” option is an adblocker of sorts although it just blocks entire websites with ads, so I wouldn’t expect it to be too useful.
Kill Switch
This is a necessary feature that every VPN needs to keep you safe at all times, and Speedify has it. The kill switch blocks your internet connection if the VPN disconnects suddenly. That makes sure you never go online without encryption.
Proprietary Protocol
Speedify uses its own protocol, so you can’t connect through OpenVPN or WireGuard. I love it when VPNs offer unique protocols, but it’s always better when they’re provided alongside the old standbys. OpenVPN is considered the safest protocol since it’s open-source and always being checked for vulnerabilities. WireGuard is considered the fastest option, while also being safe.
The Speedify protocol can be used with the following configurations:
- UDP is for slow and unreliable connections. Speedify recommends it for gaming and live streaming.
- TCP is for the highest maximum speeds. However, the company only suggests using it on fast, reliable networks. “Multi TCP” can also use simultaneous connections to the same server for increased speeds as mentioned above.
- HTTPS is recommended for restrictive networks. It doesn’t provide obfuscation (which hides your VPN use), but Speedify believes it has a better chance to work on less open networks like you find at schools or offices.
- Auto chooses one of the above options for you. This is the default, and the VPN claims it’s the best option but doesn’t go into specifics on how it chooses your settings.
Bypass (Split Tunneling)
Bypass lets you choose what traffic uses the VPN tunnel and what doesn’t. It can be quite useful in the right circumstances. For example, I like to keep my banking app out of the VPN tunnel, so I don’t get locked out.
Privacy — Decent Policy With Some Concerns
6.0
Speedify’s policy says most of the right things, but I wish it was a bit more clear. The main problem is that the policy itself is somewhat vague, and I had to search through other parts of its website to be reassured about some of the things it said. Support did not respond to my queries on the matter.
It’s likely that Speedify will be trustworthy with your data, but its location and lack of an audit could give you pause. Unfortunately, it's headquartered in one of the worst countries when it comes to online surveillance, and none of its privacy claims have ever been proven.
Does Speedify Keep Logs? No
The VPN claims it won’t store your IP address or record any of your online traffic. I appreciate this, but I just wish it was all stated clearly within its policies.
The policy simply says it "receives" your IP address
It also records when connections are made, how long they last, and how much data is used. This is common for most VPNs since anonymized data like this is necessary to keep their infrastructure running.
Was Speedify Audited? No
There have been no independent audits of Speedify to prove its privacy claims. The top VPNs allow third-parties to investigate their technology and practices. Then, they publish the reports for anyone to see and detail how they made any necessary adjustments. This is one of the few ways a VPN can truly back up what it says.
You can read about the top no-logging VPNs in this list to find several providers that have undergone reputable audits.
Based in US
Its headquarters are in the US, a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between governments to share information on their citizens. Not only that, but the US is well-known for its surveillance practices. This means it’s possible that Speedify could be asked to change its policies in the future.
Does Speedify Work in China? Maybe
Support staff told me there’s a chance it could work in China, but there’s no guarantee.
I wish it had a FAQ on the website on this topic
While the Chinese government has banned several VPNs, there haven’t been any publicly-disclosed cases of them going after individuals. Still, we recommend reading up on the laws before choosing to use a VPN in any country as we don’t condone any illegal activities. If you decide to try a VPN in the region, choose one of the VPNs that still work in China.
Torrenting — Only Supports P2P on Specialty Servers
5.0
It’s nice that Speedify has P2P-optimized servers, but you can’t torrent on its other locations. Another drawback is that you can’t choose between these specialty servers. Under “Automatic Selection” in the server list, you have to pick “Torrent Friendly Server”, and you’ll be connected to a P2P server of Speedify’s choice.
So, Speedify might offer good torrenting and seeding rates, but only if you happen to get a nearby server. The VPN also offers port forwarding, which can improve torrenting speeds. However, this only comes with its dedicated IP addresses for an added cost.
The best VPNs for torrenting allow you to utilize P2P networks safely with all of their worldwide servers. I suggest you try one of these top torrenting VPNs for much less per month if P2P is your main concern.
White torrenting is legal in most countries, downloading copyrighted files isn’t. We ask that you please only access torrents in the public domain.
Installation & Apps
5.5
Installation & Apps — Might Have a Learning Curve
Speedify will probably take a bit of getting used to, even if you’ve tried a VPN before. This is because of its unique features. For example, to speed up your internet with multiple connections you may have to create a hotspot with your phone while connecting to your WiFi. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but it’s not like most VPNs that let you get started with a few clicks.
On the other hand, the interface of the app is beautiful. I love the slick look of its apps, and I wish more VPNs would focus on making their applications nice to look at since you’ll be using them all the time.
Setup & Installation
You should have no problems getting set up. The download page is easy to find on Speedify’s website, and you only have to follow a few instructions to get it installed.
There's also a .dmg file if you don't want to use the App store
The desktop apps can be downloaded from its website, while you have the option to get the Mac and Android apps from their respective stores. Apps for iOS and iPads must be installed through the App Store.
Device Compatibility
Speedify is available for the major operating systems, but it only supports mobile and desktop devices. It does not have apps or configurations for smart TVs, gaming consoles, streaming devices (like Rokus or Firesticks), or routers. There are also no browser extensions.
To be fair, I understand why it doesn’t have applications for these devices. Since you’ll be combining multiple network connections to improve your live streaming speeds, it would be difficult to get it functioning properly on less customizable gadgets.
Setting up a VPN on your router is a great way to protect all your devices at the same time. This even lets you protect non-compatible devices like any brand of smart TV. To find VPNs that are easier to use on all your tech, check out our list of the best VPNs for routers.
Desktop — Apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux
The Mac app can’t use the kill switch, otherwise it’s the same as the Windows application. This means each one can use split tunneling, and all its other security features. This is quite disappointing because I don’t consider a VPN without a kill switch to be safe. To find better options, I suggest you test out one of the best VPNs for Macs.
You’ll have to use the command line with the Linux app, and you miss out on the kill switch. While most Linux users are handy with a CLI, the lack of a kill switch is just as upsetting here. You can find a VPN Linux app with a graphical interface and a kill switch in this list.
Android and iPhone (iOS)
I’m impressed that Android and iPhone users get all the features offered for Windows devices. So, you can stay protected with its kill switch, DNS configuration options, split tunneling and more. It’s rare that a VPN provides mobile apps that are just as good as its PC offerings, so this is a big plus for Speedify.
Simultaneous Device Connections
Speedify comes with 5 device connections per account with most of its plans. There are also options to add more devices, but it gets quite pricey as I’ll explain in the next section. This is the standard amount that most VPNs offer, but there are some that offer more or even unlimited connections with standard subscriptions (like Private Internet Access).