StrongVPN | Review and cost 2024

StrongVPN is a particular VPN. And it’s been for a while now. It’s a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: In some aspects, it’s a really great VPN, with a nice coverage of the USA and a good usability in China. But in some others, it’s simply not up to the competition, like for the number of server switch is limited… However, the software underwent a makeover. And things might have changed! So here’s my detailed StrongVPN review:

StrongVPN, a love/hate relationship

Strong VPN has been on the market for decades, with their first version launched in 2005. Behind this Virtual Private Network is an American company from South Lake Tahoe, California. While starting as a computer store in 1994, they’re now experts in information security. And their strong point (got it? STRONG point – STRONG VPN… anyway), is to have implemented ad-hoc packets, to allow their customers to overstep network restrictions.

Let’s take the example of China: With any of their packages, you can go through the famous Great Firewall. Meaning no more restrictions! So you have access to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and all the other websites that are generally banned in China. And it’s a real advantage. Because with the VPN ban, most services aren’t working in China anymore.

Furthermore, with this latest version, it seems the server switch limits have been canceled! So you can switch between servers as many times as you want. And this is really a good news, because limitations on server switches are something from the past…

But unfortunately, it doesn’t cover that many countries: Only 20 countries so far. And it hasn’t improved since my latest update of this Strong VPN review… Therefore, if you want a VPN that works in China, but with more server options, I would recommend VyprVPN. So you’ll be able to unlock more geo-restricted content.

StrongVPN now offers native apps on PC (Windows and Mac only, but you can set it up manually on Linux). And on mobiles: Android and iOS (iPhone and iPad).

Strong VPN: Plans and pricing

On their website, StrongVPN offers only 2 plans: A yearly subscription or a monthly subscription. As usual, the yearly subscription plan is the cheapest, of course. Because you can get a significant discount: you can save over 40% on the monthly plan. While some VPN always offer new plans and promotions, not them. Indeed, despite a makeover of their site, their offer remains the same.

However, there’s been some improvements. First, their money-back guarantee increased from 5 days to 30 days! And it’s a good news. I was complaining it was much too short. But now it’s great to try their services in real conditions, risk free. Because if you’re not satisfied, you can easily cancel the subscription and get a refund.

Second, they’ve increased their simultaneous connections to 5. So you can protect all your devices. Or you can share your connexion with friends. Before there were only 2. And that was not enough.

Summary sheet for StrongVPN

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, UK, FR, CA, AU, DE
Simultaneous logins Up to 12 connections simultaneously
How many countries do it cover? 35+
On what platforms is it available? Android, iOS, Windows, MacOs, Router, Fire TV
Money-back guarantee policy 30 days
Available protocols WireGuard, L2TP, SSTP, OpenVPN, IPSec, IKEv2
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? 59,500+
How many servers are available? 950+

The VPN StrongVPN in details

Simple client to use

First of all, the makeover of their VPN client was a must… Because the interface was really outdated. And not user friendly. I realized when I updated this Strong VPN review. But now it looks minimalist. And it shows just the information you need, with a nice stylish design. You can connect to the Best Available Location in only 1 click, which is just perfect. And if you want to change the location, just select the country you want to connect from and then click on Connect.

Limited options

If you click on the cogwheel, you’ll find the options. And if you’ve used this VPN in the past, you can see that they simplified them a lot. Indeed, you can’t change the DNS or change ports anymore. But you can enable the kill switch. And you can still choose the VPN protocol. As usual, I’d recommend OpenVPN. And you can enable Scramble to bypass VPN censorship. But if you can access all your content without it, don’t activate it. Because you’d have a slower connection.

American and English TV compatibility list

I recommend StrongVPN to watch USA TV streaming. It’s a specialist with over 200 servers in the USA alone. Below is the list of the website guaranteed to work well:

CBS http://www.cbs.com
Hulu http://www.hulu.com Paid subscription required
Netflix http://www.netflix.com Paid subscription required
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/vod Paid subscription required
ABC http://www.abc.com
FOX http://www.fox.com
NBC http://www.nbc.com
NBC Sports http://nbcsports.msnbc.com
theWB http://www.thewb.com/
MTV http://www.mtv.com
South Park Studios http://www.southparkstudios.com/
adultswim.com http://www.adultswim.com Cable subscription required
tbs.com http://www.tbs.com Cable subscription required
TNT http://www.tnt.tv Cable subscription required
trutv.com http://www.trutv.com Cable subscription required
Rhapsody http://www.rhapsody.com
Crackle http://www.crackle.com
Rdio http://www.rdio.com/
vevo http://www.vevo.com
CinemaNow http://www.cinemanow.com
Spotify http://www.spotify.com
HGTV http://www.hgtv.com Cable subscription required
FoodNetwork http://www.foodnetwork.com Cable subscription required
USA Network http://www.usanetwork.com Cable subscription required
PBS Video http://video.pbs.org
BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk
Channel 4 http://www.channel4.com
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
msn Video http://video.uk.msn.com/
ITV http://www.itv.com
Pandora http://www.pandora.com
ABC Family http://abcfamily.go.com/ Cable subscription required
ABC News http://abcnews.go.com
TV.com http://www.tv.com
ESPN http://espn.go.com Cable subscription required
Sky.com http://www.sky.com
NBC Olympics http://www.nbcolympics.com
PBS KIDS http://pbskids.org
LOVEFiLM http://www.lovefilm.com Paid subscription required
WWE.COM http://www.wwe.com

Proprietary DNS

A good point to mention in my StrongVPN review is that they’re using their own tweaked DNS servers. Thanks to these changes to their servers, it is currently impossible to be blocked in some countries at high risk of censorship (China, Russia, Turkey, Iran, North Korea).

Also, you can use StrongDNS to get a secure Open Internet worldwide. With Strong DNS, you use their DNS to access the content you want. This way, your devices will seem to be connected from the USA.

But you should be aware that your connection is not encrypted and not protected. And you keep your own IP address. This is not a VPN service.

The main strength of StrongDNS that you can use your complete broadband. This DNS is perfect for watching American TV channels from out of the United States. If your goal is to watch Netflix, this is right for you!

StrongVPN
StrongVPN is a particular VPN, it's a bit like the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: In some aspects, it's a really great VPN, with a nice coverage of the USA and a good usability in China. But it sucks for other thing, like the number of server switch is limited.
6.8 Total Score
StrongVPN Review: Very Good

StrongVPN is a very good VPN if you want to surf from the United States and watch American TV streaming. You can use it from countries with Internet censorship without any problem. Don't mix between StrongVPN and StrongDNS.


PROS
  • Perfect to connect the US
  • Works in countries with high levels of censorship
  • Proprietary DNS
  • Value Pack for the US, the UK, Canada and the Netherlands
CONS
  • Limited or paid server switches
  • Few countries covered
  • Only subscriptions of 1 month or 1 year
Privacy and Security
7
Features
7
Speed and Performance
6
Value for money
7
Ease of use
7
Wade

You can call me Wade, a genuine internet enthusiast, often dubbed the embodiment of the online world. With a Computer Science Bachelor's Degree and extensive internet marketing experience, I take pride in my profound expertise in the digital realm. My fervent passion lies in exploring the depths of the digital world while staying updated on every Internet security development. I aim to empower users to safeguard themselves and their data. For insightful content on internet security and the latest tech news, please feel free to contact me via this email: wade@thebestvpn.uk

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