In this article, I’ll review ZenMate, a VPN developed in Germany which is very popular in Turkey (with more than 40 million users). While it all started with the launch of free browser extensions (for Chrome and Firefox), it now offers a full VPN service. These extensions have helped popularize the service. But since, the VPN has come a long way. Let’s find out more about the features of ZenMate VPN.
ZenMate, a VPN which gets better and better
I tried their services once last year, when I read about it, but I was not impressed. Indeed, I thought it didn’t offer enough features to make a full ZenMate VPN review. So I decided not to spend too much time on it. But many of you asked me what I thought about it. That’s why I decided to give it a second chance. So I got in touch with the team behind ZenMate. First of all to get a trial version. And then to get an exclusive discount for you, the readers of TheBestVPN.UK.
And I must say that they’ve really improved their VPN, especially on the server performance and ease of use. Now we’re talking! Of course, ZenMate is not a VPN with a full set of settings. So if you want a fully tweakable software I won’t recommend it. But in the category of plug and play VPN, for casual users, it’s one of the best VPN now. Indeed, within a few clicks you’ll be able to encrypt and protect your device’s connection. And then forget all about it.
Give Zenmate a try now and take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ZenMate: Plans and Pricing
Nothing fancy here, ZenMate VPN offers 3 classic plans: monthly, bi-annual or annual. The price of their annual package is very competitive, especially with 5 simultaneous connections! But their monthly price is quite expensive… Almost the same price as ExpressVPN. But with less features… So I’d definitely go for their annual plan. Because you can find cheaper VPN with similar features for just a month. While there’s no free trial anymore, you can try ZenMate for 30 days with their Money Back Guarantee that makes it totally painless.
Not sure if I should mention it here, but there used to have a free ZenMate plan… You know I usually loathe free VPNs, for security reasons. But a serious VPN with a free plan is always welcome! And now, the only way to use ZenMate for free is to use their browser extensions.
ZenMate discount: Save a few bucks (they’re not using pounds yet…) with this special discount. Enjoy! This is valid until the end of the year.Summary sheet for ZenMate
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Does it register your activities? | No, you're safe with a strict no-log policy |
| Is it safe for torrenting? | Yes, you can use it for P2P |
| What Netflix catalogue is available? | US, FE, DE, UK |
| Simultaneous logins | Up to 5 connections simultaneously |
| How many countries do it cover? | 74+ |
| On what platforms is it available? | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Money-back guarantee policy | 30 days |
| Available protocols | OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP, PPTP |
| Type of traffic data? | Unlimited |
| Type of Cipher | AES 256 bits, the most secure encryption in the World |
| How many IP Addresses does it provide? | This provider does not disclose the number |
| How many servers are available? | 3,500+ |
Give Zenmate a try now and take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The VPN ZenMate in details
A simple & clean interface
I warned you from the start of my ZenMate review: Don’t expect too much customization. Indeed, when you open the client (after login), ZenMate offers you to connect to the country with the fastest server for your location. But you can always choose another country by clicking on the country button. Thus you’ll access a list of about 30 countries, including United Kingdom, with servers that you can use. FYI, I have no idea how many servers ZenMate offers…
By clicking on the star icon, on the right side of the client, you can add the country to your favourites. That way, it will appear at the top of the list of countries available on ZenMate.
A few standard settings
If you’re looking for a VPN where you just have to click a button to start an encrypted connection, this VPN is for you. But if you want to configure it on a router, modify the protocols or ports, or tweak the settings, keep looking. Indeed, I’d advise you to look for another VPN because ZenMate does not allow to do any of that.
It’s only possible to decide whether the VPN starts at computer startup, or not. And to activate the Kill Switch feature (renamed here EverSecure). I remind you that the latter allows the VPN to block all your traffic in case of sudden loss of connection.
Furthermore, there’s another point which can be annoying: There is no list of servers available. Therefore, it is not possible to connect manually. And you have to use their application on all your devices.
Give Zenmate a try now and take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee.
P2P, torrenting and logs
ZenMate is produced in Germany, therefore you’ll get the famous Deutsche Qualität. In addition, Germany is one of the few European countries where strong privacy laws apply. These laws sometimes even prohibit storing user logs on their servers. For more details, let me quote the official statement of ZenMate: We do not have any log. German law does not oblige us to safeguard the data or transmit data of any kind to third institutions. So you’re safe on this side
However, the German authorities are among the toughest on torrents and P2P. So does it influence ZenMate’s policy? In fact, we don’t know … Because this VPN doesn’t mention anywhere that you can or cannot download torrent, for a marketing purpose I imagine. I tried and I can tell you the torrents are not blocked. So just make sure to download anonymously and you should be just fine!
Browser extensions
Like other VPNs (ExpressVPN, PureVPN etc.), ZenMate offers extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Opera. These protect only the data exchanged from your browser. To download ZenMate extension, go to your browser’s extensions tab.
Although these can help you access restricted websites, I don’t really like browser extensions. Indeed, they protect only the trafic of your browser. Therefore, I’d rather recommend their VPN client, which is safer and protect you against IP leaks. Most leaks come from the inefficiency of the browser, not the extension itself. But the result is that your IP may be in the clear.
Video streaming
ZenMate quality and speed are good enough to watch online streaming in high definition. Therefore you can use it to watch UK TV from abroad. And if you want to watch American Netflix, no worries. ZenMate got your back!
