VPN Gate Review 2020

You can find out the performance of dozens of other VPNs in our VPN reviews 2020 page.

My Rating Criteria

I tested VPN Gate with my own created 8 steps criterion that includes:

My Rating Criteria

1. Pricing – How much is VPN Gate?
2. Security – Protocols, Encryption & Features
3. Jurisdiction – Where is this VPN Based?
4. Speed – On the Lower Side
5. Streaming – Does it work with Netflix, Torrenting & Other Streaming Services
6. Leaks – IP, DNS, WebRTC & Virus Tests
7. Trustworthiness – Logging Policy, Customer Support & Reddit Reviews
8. Compatibility – Does it support  all platforms & Devices

Pricing – How much is VPN Gate?

VPN Gate is free and it will remain that way throughout its existence. The individuals behind this brilliant venture have no plans on introducing paid plans.

This is something unusual as we have previously seen ‘free VPNs’ venture into paid pricing plans. However, it seems as if money is not the motivational factor for the good people in Tsukuba University.

Security – Protocols & Encryption

As VPN Gate servers are run by worldwide volunteers, each server can support different protocols including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec,  or SSL-VPN. However, I didn’t find PPTP protocol, which is not a big issue since PPTP is an obsolete technology anyway.

VPN Gate has an interesting mechanism for tunneling protocols and encryption. Here, is how it works:

Server operators of VPN Gate have the freedom to choose which encryption they would like to use on their server. They can use anything up to the 256-bit military-grade encryption.

Therefore, you are never too sure which encryption level is being used until you test the VPN yourself. It varies on server to server.

Jurisdiction – Where is this VPN based?

VPN Gate is a freemium privacy solution and a subsidiary of SoftEtherVPN that was introduced in Japan.

The VPN service was initially launched as a research project of University of Tsukuba, Japan.

Recently, internet freedom in the country has declined to certain extent as the official authorities have started banning manga piracy sites.

As a result, law enforcement agencies have arrested numerous copyright violators. Therefore, you should not use VPN gate for downloading copyrighted material.

Servers Network

VPN Gate offers a massive servers infrastructure consisting about 6000+ public VPN relay servers that are distributed across prime regions of the world.

The exact number of public VPN relay servers keeps on changing, but on average VPN Gate offers around 12 to 13 active servers in the US.

These servers are located across New York, Florida, Texas, and more cities.

They are also available in other countries like Ukraine, Georgia, UK, Germany, Canada, Poland, Japan, Philippines, Brazil, Norway, India, Mexico and Thailand.

Moreover, you can use VPN Gate in China too.

Speed – On the Lower Side

The server speed of VPN Gate is not good enough at all. I explored this reality when I connected to its US server. I used 24 Mbps internet connection and after connecting to its US server, I received mere 3.98 Mbps connection speed.

I noticed a considerable drop of more than 80% in speed:

Streaming – Does it work with Netflix, Torrenting & Other Streaming Services

VPN Gate is an impressive option when it comes to unblocking US Netflix securely. That said, connection speeds at times can hamper your streaming experience a great deal.

Torrenting

A VPN with L2TP/IPSec is considered as a safe and perfect solution to download torrents anonymously. This Japanese service offers L2TP/IPSec, but you shouldn’t use VPN Gate for torrenting purpose.

As VPN Gate servers are run voluntarily by worldwide users, your online activities might get shared with ISP or copyright trolls. Thus, in VPN Gate review, I suggest users to steer clear of VPN Gate especially for torrenting activities.

It is important to know for all streaming fans that VPNGate works exceptionally well on Kodi.

When it comes to unblocking Live TV Channels or safe streaming, it is a go-to option, So is the best VPN Kodi.

For more torrenting VPNs, visit best VPN for torrenting 2020.

Leaks – IP, DNS, WebRTC & Virus Tests

VPN Gate is secure as it does not leak your IP, DNS and WebRTC information. Moreover, its app did not reveal any virus or malware during the testing phase.

IP Leak:

DNS Leak:

WebRTC Leak:

Virus Test:

I checked its Windows file to see if it exposed any virus or not. Fortunately, it did not expose any malware.

Trustworthiness – Logging Policy, Customer Support & Reddit Reviews

You may easily find the logging policy of the VPN Gate on the server list page. Here, the providers make it clear that they keep logs for two weeks.

Other than that, VPN Gate also maintains a strict anti-abuse policy. For that purpose, it records connection logs that include:

• Time and date
• IP address, ID and VPN server’s destination hostname
• Type of action (disconnect and connect)
• Choice of VPN protocol (L2TP, SSL-VPN, SSTP or OpenVPN)
• Hostname and Original IP address of the source VPN client computer
• VPN Client software-name, id and version
• Debug data of communication errors and number of bytes and packets during the VPN connection

All this information ends up on the university’s logging server through all of VPN Gate servers.

While examining customer service for this VPNGate review, I wasn’t able to find any 24/7 live chat or helpline for timely customer support.

But, as a free VPN service, VPN Gate offers a detailed discussion forum where users can find basic information about VPN Gate.

VPN Gate Reddit Reviews

Some redditors asked “Is VPNGate safe“? The replies showed that people trust this service.

Interestingly, reddit users also recommend VPN Gate for unblocking Japanese Netflix. Now, although this quite possible, the slow speed of the VPN might hinder the streaming experience.

Check more VPN reviews by Reddit users here.

Compatibility – Does it support all platforms and devices?

VPN Gate is available on a range of platforms. Users can freely use the VPN on Windows, Android and iOS.

However, they will need to manually setup this VPN on these devices.

Windows users can use VPN Gate on their laptops and desktops to get protected against prowling hackers, snoopers, identity thieves, state-surveillance and more cyber threats.

While conducting this review, I found no official VPN Gate client for iPhone, iPad or other iOS devices.

Unlike iPhone, VPN Gate does not offer a native app for Android. Furthermore, the service does not have extensions for browsers such as Opera, Chrome and Firefox.

The provider has not specified if it supports routers, smart TVs or gaming consoles as well.

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