ZenMate Review
A Virtual Private Network is essential for any internet user. VPNs secure your internet network by encrypting your data and protecting you from cyber threats. Issues like geo-restrictions and IP throttling vanish into thin air with a reliable VPN. VPNs use servers located in many regions to bypass geo-restrictions.
Therefore, you can stream content from all around the world by simply connecting to a server. Furthermore, you can protect yourself from copyright laws and torrenting consequences by changing your IP address. The reasons to use a VPN are many, but the question remains as to which VPN is a good enough investment. In this review we will discuss Zenmate VPN and whether it is worth buying. Keep on reading to find out!
Zenmate was founded in 2013 by Kape Technologies. This VPN has more than 3800 servers in 70 countries and its headquarters are in Germany. While Zenmate offers a lot of features it doesn’t have any unique characteristics. It can bypass geo-restrictions so that you can get unlimited media content.
Furthermore, it offers a kill switch and protection against DNS leaks. If you need to use a VPN for privacy reasons, Zenmate does not have a reliable privacy policy seeing as it is very vague. An advantage of Zenmate’s is that it offers unlimited simultaneous connections so you don’t need to worry about that.
Zenmate also has a free browser extension available but it is very limited when it comes to protocols on that extension. We will explain all of Zenmate’s advantages and disadvantages down below.
What Does ZenMate VPN Offer?
Unlocking Geo-restrictions
If you are a person who is interested in media and streaming blocked content, then Zenmate is right for you. We ran a few tests using Zenmate VPN with streaming websites. This is what we found:
Zenmate offers its users optimized servers for a list of channels and streaming services including:
- HBO Max
- Amazon Prime
- France TV
- TF 1
- Zattoo
- Crunchyroll
- NBC
- YouTube TV
- ZDF
- Disney+
- BBC iPlayer
- Yle
- Zattoo DE
- Rai Play Diretta
- Netflix (DE, FR, IT, JP, US)
- Rai Play
- Comedy Central
- ARD
- ORF
- Hotstar
- GloboSporTV
- ESPN+
- Fox Sport
I tested the Netflix US streaming service with Zenmate. I selected one of the optimized servers that also promise streaming speed. Bypassing Netflix’s VPN ban was easy and effortless. So you can go ahead and use Zenmate VPN for Netflix.
Furthermore, testing BBC iPlayer also worked smoothly. All I had to do was select the UK server on Zenmate and connect. The streaming was also buffer-free.
The downside is Zenmate VPN is not suitable for bypassing Hulu, Kodi, ITV Hub, or Amazon Fire Stick. You might bypass this by installing Zenmate on your router. However there are other VPNs that bypass these streaming sites in an easier manner.
Does ZenMate VPN Offer High Speed?
Zenmate VPN has unlimited bandwidth; which means you won’t face any throttling or lags while streaming. It also has good speeds in close and distant servers. I connected from my own location to distant servers including the US and Canada. The speeds were consistent and reliable.
Furthermore, I also connected to Asian servers to test nearby connections. This also worked smoothly and there were no lags. The gist of it is that Zenmate’s speed is reliable for streaming and other online activities.
I measured the servers’ speed using three criteria: download speed, upload speed and ping. Download speed is the speed of the media you download. Whereas upload is the speed of the media you upload to a network. And finally, ping is the time it takes for data to travel from and to your network device.
In near servers, the speed is better and more suitable for streaming and gaming. Whereas you might face some lags in the distant servers. That is because data takes longer time to travel.
Does ZenMate VPN Offer Security?
While Zenmate offers good security protocols, it is selective when it comes to devices. It provides better options for Windows, Android, and Linux than macOS and iOS. You get the OpenVPN protocol for Windows, Android and Linux. OpenVPN is excellent when it comes to speed and security.
Zenmate uses AES 256-bit encryption for its deskptop and mobile clients. However, the browser extension uses AES 128 encryption. This encryption is faster but it is less secure than AES 256.
When it comes to DNS leaks, Zenmate does its job. I tested DNS leaks in UK, Italy and Germany and the results were positive. It is important that you don’t have DNS leaks because otherwise your ISP can view your online activity nonetheless.
Zenmate also presents its users with a way to prevent WebRTC leaks. These leaks happen in web browsers and are dangerous because they can expose your IP address. The Zenmate extension browser has a WebRTC Protect feature to protect you from that. When it comes to ads, Zenmate’s browser extension has a built-in malware and tracking blocker features. These features are useful because they block any malicious activity and malware from your sessions
Another advantage that Zenmate VPN provides is a kill switch. It is highly advisable to keep your kill switch on at all times. A kill switch turns off your internet connection if the VPN stops working. This helps you prevent any data breaches or IP leaks.
Even with all these features available, Zenmate does lack certain security options. One of these options is the multi-hop feature which helps you reroute your data through two VPN tunnels. Another similar feature is the Double VPN feature that passes your data through two VPN servers consecutively. Zenmate also lacks the option of split-tunneling. Therefore, you cannot select which app or website you want the VPN to work on.
Another downside to this VPN is that you cannot have a second layer of privacy by using TOR browser. This browser does not work with Zenmate VPN.
Zenmate’s Privacy Policy
As mentioned before, Zenmate’s privacy policy is questionable. According to its website, Zenmate does collect some of your personal information:
“We do not share, sell, rent, or trade your Personal Data with third-parties other than as disclosed within this Privacy Policy. We may disclose your Personal Data to any member of our group of companies (this means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company, and all its subsidiaries) insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy”. Furthermore, “We may share certain Personal Data with trusted vendors to carry out a transaction you have requested.”
Also, Zenmate’s servers are not self-owned which means third parties are also interfering with your personal data.
Does Zenmate Work in China?
The simple answer is no. Zenmate does not bypass the China firewalls or the various VPN bans. However, Zenmate does not lie about that and does not sell their service in China. Other countries that Zenmate VPN does not guarantee are Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Does Zenmate Facilitate Torrenting?
Zenmate offers optimized torrenting servers to speed up downloads. These servers support P2P downloading using several Torrent clients. All you have to do is select the ‘for downloading’ filter on the Zenmate client application.
This means that you are selecting an optimized server to help you torrent. Make sure to always have your kill switch on so that your IP address does not leak.
Device Compatibility
Zenmate VPN is compatible on most devices including:
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Apple TV
- Routers
- Xbox
- Playstation
- Firestick TV
- MacOS
- Microsoft Edge
- Chrome
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android Smart TV
- Firefox
- Chromebook
- Raspberry Pi
- Nintendo Wii
- Android
Furthermore, the Zenmate VPN set-up is straight and easy to navigate. All you have to do is download the Zenmate client on your device and select your protocol and server. The servers are divided into categories: for streaming, for downloading and all servers.
Pricing and Customer Support
Zenmate VPN offers three subscriptions: monthly, yearly and 3-years. The 3-years plan is the most affordable plan at $1.64/a month. This VPN offers a 7-day free trial. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, bank transfer and more. A 30-day money back guarantee is also available. Zenmate also has a 80% discount on a 1-year plan for students.
When it comes to customer support, the live chat support is available at all times and the agents are helpful and reliable. There is also an email form that you can fill or website guidelines to read that help answer your questions.
Conclusion – ZenMate VPN Review
All in all, Zenmate presents its customers with a variety of features but also lacks in some areas. You get a large network of servers, and these servers are optimized for streaming and torrenting. However, your privacy is not guaranteed because there are third parties present. Zenmate can and does collect your IP address and other personal data.
Furthermore, Zenmate VPN has a kill switch, anti-malware features and a browser extension. The streaming and loading speeds are strong and good enough for anything you might need. Zenmate does not work with Tor browser and does not offer a double VPN or multi-hop features. Subsequently, you might want to try the 7-day trial before committing to this VPN.
