iTop VPN is a free VPN service which has been launched in 2016. Currently, it has about 10 million users who have been attracted with its claim of being the best free VPN. This claim is pretty much bold and it has caught our attention as well. Through this article, we shall find out more about this VPN, iTop VPN and test them out.
iTop VPN: Short Review
iTop VPN is a mid-tier type of VPN. It comes with decent features and good security setup. In fact, it implements a no-logging policy and it has a built-in ad blocker.
This VPN service provider has about 1800+ servers located all over the world. Moreover, it has the ability to unblock geographical restricted streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu.
As for downsides, there have been reports of users experiencing DNS leaks and their approach is vague in terms of VPN protocols. Their pricing also needs to be reviewed and lastly they do not have live chat support in case you would need tech support.
Pros
- 256-bit encryption
- Solid no-logging policy
- Beginner-friendly apps
- Automatic kill switch
- Easy to install
- Split tunneling
- Free limited version
- Built-in ad blocker
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Good server network
- Works with Netflix and other streaming platforms
- Allows torrenting
Specifications
- Price: $1.66/month
- Connections: 5
- Operating systems: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
- Payment Methods: Paypal and Credit Card
- Torrenting Options: Torrenting allowed
- Logs: Zero logs
- Money back-guarantee
- 1 year free with 2 -year subscription
Speed – How Fast is iTop VPN?
iTop VPN is not as fast as other top-notch VPN service providers which is why we would give it a score of 6.5 out of 10. It has uneven speeds and there are some reports of lagging.
Speed Test Results for iTop VP
We have tested iTop VPN on Windows and connected to different servers in different countries.
| Server | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps | Ping (MS) |
| No VPN | 94.5 | 94.8 | 5 |
| Australia | 46.43 | 93 | 272 |
| Brazil | 30.2 | 93.21 | 195 |
| Canada | 79 | 93 | 97 |
| Germany | 62.18 | 93.09 | 11 |
| Japan | 52.27 | 93.03 | 237 |
| Netherlands | 70.87 | 92.71 | 5 |
| United Kingdom | 71.8 | 92.9 | 12 |
| United States – New York | 50.64 | 93.03 | 87 |
| United States – Los Angeles | 60.89 | 93.21 | 142 |
Upon seeing the data provided above, we could say that it is not the fastest VPN service providers. Though that is the case, it is not the slowest either. However, be prepared for its speed being all over the place. Hence, we discourage you from using its automatic server picker as when we have tested this feature, it did not do well for us.
Upon testing different location servers, we could say that the Dutch location is much better than the German server. Its pings are acceptable except for Australia, Brazil and Japan.
Its connection times ranged from 14 seconds to one minute. This, we could say is not ideal since you will have to wait longer if you plan to connect to a more distant server.
Speed during daily use
This would depend on the server that you have connected to. If you are connected to a server near where you are located, then, you would not have any problems streaming content from streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube clips.
We have also tested this VPN on games like Minecraft and MTG Arena and we could say that the speed is decent enough for you to be able to enjoy the game as long as you connect to a nearer server location. This is the same with torrents.
Safety – How Secure is iTop VPN?
In terms of security, this VPN, iTop VPN is
- Unclear about VPN protocols
- Encrypts data with 256-bit cipher
- Implements no-logging policy
- Has an automatic kill switch
- Registration process would require you to provide your email address and payment method
- Unfortunately iTop leaks data
Protocols
Protocols of iTop is a bit confusing. Hence, we have tried to contact their customer support. Unfortunately, they were not that helpful. Hence, we have tried to use OpenVPN (TCP/UDP) and we could say that this has backed their claims about military-grade encryption. TCP is great when it comes to firewalls and other VPN blockers. UDP is faster but it could easily be blocked. Unfortunately, iTop does not have WireGuard and IKEv2. As for its claim for military-grade encryption, sadly, we were not able to confirm if they have AES-256.
Logging and Privacy
Based in Hong Kong which unfortunately gets a lot of constant pressure from China, iTop VPN unfortunately is not in a good location. They also apply US legislature to its US based clients which means they would be under the member of 5 eyes alliance. Though this is the case, iTop is safe due to its airtight no-logging policy. Keep in mind, however, they would still record the following information:
- Service data: your name, email address, order reference, how you use the service, device information, OS version, crash logs
- Cookies: you could block on your browser
- Third party tools: Google Analytics, social media cookies and third-party payment processor
These information, luckily, would not identify you nor would be able to trace online traffic back to you.
Kill Switch
A Kill Switch is a feature wherein in case your connection drops, your VPN’s kill switch would be activated. This means, even when your connection suddenly stops, your online activities would still be protected and kept private. iTop has this feature and it is enabled by default.
DNS Protection
This feature would prevent malware from changing DNS settings. This feature is also enabled by default and it is suggested for you to ensure that this feature would be kept in your background.
Security Reinforce
This feature would scan your computer and it has the ability to reduce the risk of your device being hacked. This feature is perfect for beginners.
Browser Privacy
This feature would be able to boost your privacy as it has the ability to erase your browsing history. For paid users, you will have an auto-clean option.
Does iTop VPN leak your data?
Upon testing iTop, as mentioned earlier, unfortunately, has leaked DNS requests which is generally not good for a VPN service provider. This is also unacceptable to some.
What Information Does iTop Need?
iTop VPN free could be used without its users having to register. However, for those who have subscribed to premium plan, you would need to create an account which means you will need to provide your email and payment info. This VPN also allows you to sign up through your Google or Facebook accounts. Though this is the case, we discourage you from doing this.
Usability – How User Friendly is iTop VPN?
iTop VPN is perfect for those who are just beginning to use VPN. It is user-friendly and at the same time it comes with advanced options as well.
Pros
- Installation is easy and fast
- User-friendly and packed with features
- Split tunneling and built-in ad blocker
- Decent value for money
Cons
- The website is confusing and it sometimes lags
- Crypto payments are not accepted
- Customer support needs to be improved
iTop VPN’s website and installation process
- Visit iTop VPN’s official website
- Click My Account found on the top-right corner
- Sign up with your credentials
- Select your preferred subscription package
- Verify your email address
- Click My Account to access your dashboard
- Download the installation file
- Click download
- Follow the on-screen instructions
iTop VPN’s Appearance and Ease of Use
iTop VPN is easy to use with its intuitive interface. Its home screen has an on/off button which comes with information below it. Moreover, you would be able to see your real and assigned IP, protocol and even your current server. It has settings which could be accessed through its hamburger menu which could be found on the top right corner. On the said menu, you will be able to find the following settings:
- General Settings – is where you would be able to find different launch options and language settings
- Protocols – where you could choose your VPN tunnel
- Notifications – where you could customize your iTop VPN notification scheme
- Update – where you could choose manual and automatic updates
- Auto Connect (VIP) – auto connect options
This VPN supports about 22 languages.
Split Tunneling
Through the split tunneling feature, you would be able to access the internet directly without having to go through encrypted tunnel. This feature is perfect for sites you would like to exempt and are highly trusted apps and sites. Through this feature, you would be able to increase your connection speed and at the same time save bandwidth. The good news is iTop VPN provides inclusive and exclusive split tunneling. Hence, if you would wish to use this feature, you will need to list which apps you would like to go through VPN and which ones you would like to exempt from going through VPN.
Ad Blocker
AdBlocker is a very useful and convenient feature. It has the ability to stop annoying ads and pop-ups on the sites that you are viewing. AdBlocker is perfect to be used on popular torrenting sites and other streaming sites. What is more amazing about Ad Blocker is that you could create an ad block whitelist for sites that break due to ad blocking.
This feature in iTop VPN is a premium feature. For you to be able to activate this feature all you have to do is to navigate through Privacy Protection and then select Advanced VPN.
Pricing and Payment Methods
iTop VPN has different type of pricing compared to other VPN service providers. In fact, there are some promotional packages which could be accessed only through random pop-ups. Though that is the case, they also have some regular visible plans which could be seen in a dedicated page.
- 12 months – $3.99/month or $47.99/year
- 24 months – $2.50/month or $59.99 every two years
- 24 months + 12 months – $1.66/month or $59.99 every three years
They also have a three month plan which is priced at $17.99. This package is perfect for those who would not want to overcommit. For payment method, you could use credit card or pay them through PayPal. Unfortunately, they do not accept cryptocurrency.
As for their free plan, keep in mind that this is a limited plan wherein you could only use up to a maximum of 700MB per day. Other than this, iTop did not mention other limitations.
Unfortunately, using their free plan has some downsides as well:
- Has only 10 servers
- 700MB daily cap
- Slower speeds
- Sometimes you will have to queue up for connection
- No streaming servers
- No access to a lot of features
- No customer support
Customer Service
iTop VPN customer support or service is not the best. They do not have live chat which means you will not be able to get an instant response to your concern. Moreover, their average response time to any of concerns or questions is about two days. The most that you could get from iTop VPN in terms of customer support is through their ticket option called feedback which to most customers is not a very satisfying solution.
Server Network – Can iTop VPN Unblock the Internet?
iTop has about 1800 plus servers all over the world. It has the ability to unblock geographical restrictions imposed by streaming platforms including Netflix US. Furthermore, this VPN allows its users to torrent. In fact, they have specialized P2P servers. The only downside is that rather of having dedicated IPs, they have static shared IPs.
Number of Servers and Locations
Currently, iTop VPN has about 1800 plus servers all over the world. If you think that this is not enough, then, we highly recommend that you check out Private Internet Access. They have about 30,000 plus servers all over the world.
If you wish to check which servers iTop VPN have, all you need to do is to click all servers option found on the top part of the screen.
On their screen, you will find useful information such as latency and load indicators which you will be able to find in each server location. Another convenient feature of iTop is that you will be able to create list of favorite servers and this could done just by clicking the star found next to the server.
List of iTop VPN Server Locations:
- Americas: Brazil, Canada, Mexico and US
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK
- Asia: Bangladesh, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, UAE
- Oceana: Australia
- Africa: Egypt, South Africa
iTop VPN and Streaming – BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Netflix and Hulu
iTop is well-known for its impressive unblocking abilities. In fact it could bypass geographical restrictions imposed by most streaming platforms including BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix and many more.
Aside from the mentioned popular streaming platforms, iTop could also unblock restrictions of Crunchyroll, Hotstar, Sling TV, Twitch, Pluto TV and many more.
iTop VPN and Torrents
Though there have been a lot of write-ups and articles claiming that iTop VPN does not support P2P file sharing, unfortunately, this is not true as iTop VPN supports P2P file sharing. In fact, it has five dedicated P2P servers which would find in its app’s main screen. Keep in mind, however, these dedicated P2P servers are only for premium users.
Streaming and torrenting using distant servers would give you a slower experience which is why we recommend for you to pair uTorrent with servers that are nearer to your current location.
Dedicated IP Address
Though there are other VPNs that offer dedicated IPs, iTop VPN only has static IPs. This means you would get the same IP address every time you connect to a specific or same server. For example, if you connect to US server, every time you would connect to US server, you will get the same IP address. Moreover, you must keep in mind that it is not only you who would be using the same IP address but other users as well.
If you wish to use dynamic shared IP, on the other hand, we highly suggest that you check out CyberGhost VPN. Through dynamic shared IP address, though you would be sharing with other users, your IP address would change every time you get a new connection.
Experience Wth iTop VPN
Though iTop is not the best VPN, many, including us like their services. Upon testing several features, we could say that iTop VPN is a strong mid-tier VPN. Its security is pretty much solid features. Its speed on the other hand varies but they are acceptable. Its unblocking feature of geographical restrictions is highly impressive. Moreover, it is easy to use. The only downside that we could find with iTop VPN is its DNS leaks which could be a huge privacy concern.
