ZenMate VPN is a VPN service that may not consistently meet the expectations of all users. It does have the ability to unblock certain streaming platforms like Netflix, allows for torrenting, and offers a cost-effective long-term plan. Nevertheless, its options for tunneling protocols are limited, the speeds are not particularly impressive, and it operates within a country that is part of the Five-Eyes surveillance alliance. If you prioritize a combination of fast and secure connections, there are numerous private VPN solutions available that guarantee exceptional speeds, such as NordVPN. In this ZenMate review, I’ll throw some light on the service explaining its every aspect in greater detail. Streaming performance, features, security, apps, and customer support – all will be covered.
About Zenmate VPN
With its rapid connectivity and user-friendly interface, ZenMate quickly gained popularity after being established in 2013. Currently headquartered in Berlin, Germany, ZenMate recently achieved a significant milestone of 45 million installations worldwide. ZenMate offers a VPN connection through an IPsec protocol, accessible via a desktop client, browser extension, or mobile app. Noteworthy features include a guaranteed no-log policy, over 3600 servers in more than 74 countries, built-in DNS leak protection, and the Kill Switch feature.
ZenMate is suitable for both tech-savvy individuals and those less familiar with technology, as it boasts an intuitive interface and an abundance of features. With a wide range of country locations and satisfactory speeds, ZenMate is certainly worth considering for browsing and general security purposes.
Pricing
Although ZenMate does not provide a free trial, it compensates by offering a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Presently, it presents a premium plan in three different options: one month, one year, and three years. The cost of a monthly subscription is $10.99 / 10.99€, while the six-month subscription is priced at $5.39/month ($32.34) or 5.39€/month (32.34€) for European users. Opting for an 18-month subscription upfront provides the best value for money, with the monthly fee reducing to only $2.22 / 2.22€!
Speed & Reliability
Wasting time while waiting for a web page to load is completely unnecessary. Thankfully, ZenMate VPN eliminates this issue by providing fast connection speeds. For the optimal browsing experience, it is recommended to connect to a server that is geographically close to your location. To assess the performance of ZenMate VPN, we conducted a SpeedTest and attempted to connect to a US server located halfway across the world. Prior to using the VPN service, our download speed was measured at 12.62 Mbps and our upload speed was 0.85 Mbps. Connecting to the US server resulted in a slight decrease in speed, with a loss of only 2.91 Mbps. This speed reduction is still impressive and more than sufficient for video chats.
Zenmate VPN Specifications
| 💸 Price | 1.99 USD/month |
| 📆 Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
| 📝 Does VPN keep logs? | No |
| 🖥 Number of servers | 4700+ |
| 🛡 Kill switch | Yes |
| 🗺 Based in country | Germany |
| 🛠 Support | 24/7 Live Chat Support |
| 📥 Supports torrenting | Yes |
ZenMate pros & cons
Privacy & Anonymity
ZenMate prioritizes anonymity and privacy, as evidenced by its support for Advanced Encryption Standards (AES). This encryption method, used by the federal government and Fortune 500 companies, is a testament to the security offered by ZenMate. Browser extensions utilize AES 128-bit encryption, while mobile and desktop clients employ AES 256-bit encryption.
In terms of security protocols, ZenMate VPN offers a range of options including 1Kev2, L2TP, and OpenVPN. This versatility sets ZenMate apart as one of the most flexible VPN services available. Another essential feature provided by ZenMate is the Kill Switch. This fail-safe security measure automatically terminates your session if your signal becomes unsecured. By doing so, it adds an extra layer of protection and ensures that your private and sensitive data remain uncompromised.
According to ZenMate, they have a strict policy of not keeping any logs. They assure that as soon as you click the button on their app, all your online activities become anonymous. This ensures that your browsing history and sensitive data remain private, and you can feel confident that no undesirable individuals will have access to it. Additionally, ZenMate guarantees that advertisers cannot use your preferences and personal information to flood you with ads related to your browsing history and interests.
Is ZenMate worth getting?
ZenMate is a VPN service that has some strengths, although it is considered to be average overall. It excels in certain areas such as its well-optimized OpenVPN TCP version, reliable kill switch, support for torrenting and P2P connections, and affordability. Additionally, the customer support is prompt and helpful in resolving issues. These positive aspects indicate that with effective management, ZenMate has the potential to become a top-tier VPN similar to Surfshark or NordVPN. On the other hand, there are some drawbacks to using ZenMate. Since it has teamed up with CyberGhost, it lacks its own unique user interface and distinguishing features on its Windows app and other versions. The VPN also falls short in terms of tunneling protocols and lacks essential features like split tunneling in its apps. Moreover, the slow speeds further diminish its appeal.
Platforms & Devices
With just one ZenMate account, you can secure an unlimited number of devices. It works seamlessly with iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and OpenVPN. Additionally, it is compatible with popular web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and certain Chromium-based browsers. Thanks to its OpenVPN protocol, ZenMate can be easily installed on various gaming consoles and operating systems like Ubuntu and Raspberry Pi.
Server Locations
Experience the convenience of connecting to ZenMate VPN’s 3600 servers spread across more than 74 countries worldwide. One impressive feature of ZenMate VPN is its Smart Locations, which allows you to effortlessly choose a server while browsing a particular website.
Performance
Let’s make it clear that VPNs don’t have a speed – it’s all about how much a VPN slows down your baseline connection. Connecting to the internet through a VPN server means your data takes a longer route to its destination and back. Then there’s encryption, which also slows your connection down. With that in mind, let’s see how “fast” ZenMate actually is.
Baseline: 1 ms/300 Mbps download/300 Mbps upload
| Location | IKEv2 | UDP | TCP |
| US (NY) | 111/250/12 | 105/49/257 | 107/146/227 |
| US (FL) | 133/275/20 | 130/54/64 | 143/65/178 |
| US (LA) | 130/222/20 | 159/28/271 | 159/93/138 |
| UK | 50/273/46 | 49/44/236 | 44/224/284 |
| Germany | 39/292/56 | 37/83/77 | 36/187/42 |
| Japan | 295/236/4 | 279/17/166 | 312/38/40 |
| Singapore | 227/223/15 | 296/12/154 | 453/72/104 |
| Australia | 271/225/11 | 281/40/13 | 336/46/52 |
| Lithuania | 5/282/288 | 5/138/300 | 5/264/261 |
| India | 163/8/1 | 180/3/1 | 174/5/1 |
| Argentina | 273/3/3 | 281/2/2 | 333/1/0.2 |
The IKEv2 protocol offers good speeds. Despite having pretty steep drops in India and Argentina, the average download speed drops were only 30%. The upload speeds weren’t as impressive, reducing the connection by 85% on average. However, the ping times were dramatically increased, so much so that it would be enough to exclude this option if you’re looking for a VPN for gaming.
Usually, it’s quite easy to tell UDP and TCP apart. The latter is much slower, but in this case, ZenMate flipped the rulebook. The average TCP download speed drop is 65%, while the upload speed drops off by 60%. The results could have been better, but the results are somewhat skewed by the perennially-slow Brazil and India.
UDP speeds were poor across the board. The average UDP download speed drops were 86% and 53% for upload speeds. The same problematic locations played a role, and ping times were high.
Customer Service
Upon visiting ZenMate’s support page, one immediately notices the absence of a live chat feature. This may deter some individuals, particularly those in need of immediate assistance. However, we decided to utilize their contact form and were pleasantly surprised to receive a response within 15 minutes. Apart from this, the page contains an abundance of articles pertaining to topics such as getting started, addressing common queries about features, troubleshooting steps, and more.
Summary
Final Verdict — A Reliable VPN with Some Imperfections I was thoroughly impressed by the extensive features and capabilities offered by ZenMate, especially considering its affordable price. It is quite remarkable that a VPN of this cost can provide such exceptional streaming performance. Additionally, it delivered impressive speeds on servers located nearby, exhibited a dependable network connection, and proved to be highly effective for gaming and torrenting purposes. Above all, ZenMate prioritizes user safety and ensures a secure online experience.
While there are a few downsides, they do not outweigh the positive aspects of this VPN. I do wish that ZenMate would enhance its privacy policy and undergo an independent audit to further enhance its credibility. Furthermore, the absence of customer support is disappointing, particularly since the VPN used to excel in this area. Apart from these minor drawbacks, I have no significant complaints about ZenMate and would confidently recommend it.
