Reading Time: 5 minutes
Based in US [UNSAFE]
Price $4.17/mo
Servers 3 Servers only
Logs Keeps connection logs
Multi Login 3 Devices
Refund 30-days
Recommended NO
Website Disconnect.me

What kind of VPN company would name its brand ‘Disconnect’?

A company, motivated by a basic principle ‘that people should have the freedom to move about the internet – and their lives without anyone looking’ uses the word ‘Disconnect’ in a gesture to disconnect people’s data being used, sold, or shared.

A deep thought actually. But does Disconnect VPN manages to walk the talk in New Zealand?

Disconnect VPN does not keep usage logs in New Zealand, that’s for sure but it doesn’t have any special features that could be worth NZ$6.80/month.

It has only 3 servers that are too slow and doesn’t unblock Netflix in New Zealand. This isn’t the VPN I would recommend to my readers.

I would recommend ExpressVPN or Surfshark instead. They have good speed and a good price.

Read our full Disconnect VPN review in New Zealand for more information.

Read for more VPN reviews for many VPNs.

Disconnect VPN Review in New Zealand – Rating Criteria

On the basis of the below-mentioned factors, I have based my Disconnect VPN review in New Zealand:

  1. Pricing – How much does Disconnect VPN cost in New Zealand?
  2. Security – Encryption & features
  3. Jurisdiction – Is it located in a 5-eyes country?
  4. Speed – How fast is Disconnect VPN?
  5. Streaming – Does it work with Netflix in New Zealand?
  6. Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?
  7. Trustworthiness  – Logs and customer support
  8. Compatibility – Apps and supported devices

Pricing – How much does Disconnect VPN cost in New Zealand?

Disconnect Premium VPN has an overpriced pricing plan in New Zealand. There are 3 different plans, let’s have a look:

Each of these plans covers 3 devices at a time.

Other than the premium version, they have two other plans.

The basic plan (free) is actually tracker protection and not a VPN which is available for browser extensions i.e. Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Samsung Browser.

Another plan is for only iOS and Android phones. Disconnect Pro for Samsung does not use VPN technology in New Zealand. However, iOS does include SmartVPN features encrypting browsers and apps. It is not the same as a VPN because it encrypts only HTTP and DNS traffic.

Payment Methods

Disconnect VPN only accepts credit card payments in New Zealand. But the good thing is that it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Other than that, if you want to get your hands on awesome discounts, check out our list of the best VPN deals of 2023 right now.

Security – Encryption & features

It uses AES-256-bit encryption which is the strongest in the industry.

It also enforces Diffie-Hellman, an algorithm that establishes a shared secret between the sender and receiver, and uses Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). It only uses OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols in New Zealand. It doesn’t have a PPTP or L2TP protocol.

Jurisdiction –Is it located in a 5-eyes country?

It is based in San Francisco, California. I am totally overwhelmed with the positive intention of this company and its vision of greater transparency, but I can also draw one conclusion, it is located in the US.

We are all aware that the US is an active member of a 5 eyes intelligence-sharing country. Companies that come under these surveillance countries have to reveal information about their customers when asked by US authorities.

Otherwise, the US has the right to issue warrants or subpoenas. That way, companies have no other option than to abide by these rules.

If you want to know which VPN does not fall under 5, 9, or 14 eyes countries, then read our jurisdiction guide for more details.

Servers

There are only 3 server locations i.e. USA, UK, and Japan. But currently, they are adding new server locations.

A server count of 3 technically means it has a small setup and you don’t normally block websites that are located in other countries other than the three mentioned above. It also means they do not have obfuscated servers. These servers are used to unblock websites in countries that have strict online restrictions such as China, Russia, Iran, etc.

Have a look at our obfuscation server guide to see which VPN unblocks websites in New Zealand.

Speed – How fast is Disconnect VPN?

I connected to their only US server to check for speed. It has such poor server speed. It is certainly not for streaming.

My internet speed before the VPN: was 33 Mbps

My internet speed after VPN: is 6.36 Mbps

Here is the speed test result:

Disconnect-VPN-Speed-Test

Streaming –Does it work with Netflix in New Zealand?

  • Unblocks Netflix? – No, it does not unblock US Netflix in New Zealand because it has only 1 server located in the US
  • Kodi – It works exceptionally well with Kodi in New Zealand. However, it does not end up on our list of the best free VPN for Kodi even though you can easily learn using a VPN with Kodi.
  • Torrenting – It does not have P2P support in New Zealand, so downloading torrents with this VPN could be very risky.

Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?

Gladly, it did not leak any IP address or DNS. I tested for leaks using its US server. Also, you can check our guide on how to get a US IP address in New Zealand.

Here is the leak test result:

IP Test

Disconnect-VPN-IP-Test

DNS Test

Disconnect-VPN-DNS-Test

WebRTC Test

Disconnect-VPN-WebRTC

Virus Test

I checked for viruses in the Disconnect VPN Windows client. I could not find any virus.

Here is the test result:

Disconnect-VPN-Virus-Test

Trustworthiness – Logs and customer support

While testing Disconnect VPN Review in New Zealand, I found that it does keep connection logs, but not usage logs in New Zealand.

After I reviewed Disconnect VPN’s privacy policy in New Zealand, I got to know that they are committed to protecting users’ privacy, but they do collect a minimum amount of information.

This minimum information pertains to personal info that users themselves provide to Disconnect at the time of subscription. Your personal information is removed from their records within 30 days if you request to do so.

Here is the summary of its privacy policy:

Pirvacy-policy-Disconnect-Premium-VPN

If you read it closely, clause No. 3 states:

We share your personal info only when legally required, or when reasonably necessary to prevent harm in an emergency situation.

It means, it will share your personal information with authorities if you are found doing something illegal that causes harm to others in New Zealand. Using this VPN for illegal purposes such as downloading torrents etc is certainly not recommended.

You can look at our privacy policy guide to learn more about VPNs that do not store logs.

Transparency Report

Disconnect VPN has not yet disclosed its transparency report in New Zealand, which is a report that details how many times the government has asked to reveal users’ data. However, Disconnect VPN is transparent with who runs the business. Casey Oppenheim is the CEO of Disconnect VPN and is also a Board Member.

Not many VPNs disclose the ownership information, and that is something I liked about it. But the big question is the following statement available in its Privacy Policy section:

We will comply with a request for user data when the law requires it.

This certainly means that it will hand out your data if the authority asks for it.

Learn more about Transparency VPNs and what their reports look like.

Customer Support

While I performed the Disconnect VPN review in New Zealand, I learned that they do not have a live chat feature, but it does have a full-page FAQs section that covers almost every burning question from the user’s perspective.

Other than that, they have provided their email to contact them personally.

Compatibility – Apps and supported devices

Here you can look at Disconnect VPNs device compatibility:

  • Browser Extension – Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Samsung Browser
  • Mobile – iOS and Android
  • Desktop – Windows and Mac OSX

VPN Comparison between Disconnect VPN and ExpressVPN in New Zealand

Here is a list of features on the basis of which I have compared the two VPN services. Let us know which one is best in New Zealand:

Features ExpressVPN Disconnect VPN
Price NZ$11.13/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) - Save up to 49% with exclusive 1-year plans + 3 months free NZ$6.82/mo
Servers 3000+ in 94 Countries 3 Servers only
Compatibility All Devices Windows, Android & iOS
Jurisdiction The British Virgin Islands United States
Logging Policy Zero Logs Keeps connection logs
Customer Support Live Chat & Email Support Email & FAQs
Trust Pilot Score 4.6 3.2
Website ExpressVPN DISCONNECT

Alternatives to Disconnect VPN in New Zealand

To use VPN services other than Disconnect VPN (recommend ExpressVPN on the basis of top-notch features), explore our list of other VPN reviews that consists of:

Do I Recommend Disconnect VPN in New Zealand?

No, I certainly do not recommend Disconnect VPN in New Zealand.

There’s nothing good about this VPN in New Zealand. It has only 3 servers and none of it is fast enough. Disconnect VPN charges NZ$6.82/mo for their mediocre features that aren’t worth it in New Zealand.

It is based in the US and clearly writes in its privacy policy that it would have to turn over users’ personal information if the government wants it. That makes me think, No, I would not compromise on that policy. This is not a good VPN to use in New Zealand.

Based on the above Disconnect VPN Review in New Zealand, I would rate this VPN a 1.0/5.0 because of its poor performance.