ioloVPN says it helps you access the internet in full privacy. It also claims to offer high speeds, a no-logs policy, and strong security. Since the company also provides various PC security and performance software, I had high expectations that it could deliver on these claims.
So I tested every aspect of the service including speeds, unblocking capabilities, security features, privacy policy, torrenting, ease of use, and more.
While it performed well in one area, the rest of my results were disappointing. Not only does the VPN not live up to most of its promises, but is far behind the best VPNs currently available. Even worse, I looked into iolo’s privacy practices and I found that it might not be safe to use.
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Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings
ioloVPN Features — 2024 Update
4.0
💸
Price
|
3.75 USD/month
|
📆
Money Back Guarantee
|
30 Days |
📝
Does VPN keep logs?
|
No |
🖥
Number of servers
|
193+ |
💻
Number of devices per license
|
5 |
🛡
Kill switch
|
No |
🗺
Based in country
|
United States |
🛠
Support
|
Live chat |
📥
Supports torrenting
|
Yes |
Streaming — Good Unblocking Capabilities
ioloVPN unblocked most of the streaming sites I tested — but not all of them. I was especially impressed that it unblocked some streaming sites that have very strong geo-restrictions and VPN detection technologies. In fact, only a couple of platforms remained blocked.
Unblocks: Netflix US, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock TV, BBC iPlayer, iTV Hub
ioloVPN accesses Netflix US on some servers. It took me a while to find a US server that worked though, so you might need to try a few first. Other servers I tried were too slow for streaming. Only the New York and California servers were fast enough, and even they failed to give me the 25 Mbps you need for UHD viewing.
While I was happy to watch Netflix US, I could not unblock any other libraries.
I could only stream in HD on the servers that worked
Some US servers let me bypass Disney+’s strict VPN blocks too, and I streamed Turning Red (though only in SD, my connection couldn’t handle the site’s 1080p setting).
I could watch shows on Disney+ in SD
After accessing Disney+, I also used the US servers to unblock HBO Max. Again, only some of the US servers worked with the platform.
I had to try a few servers to find ones that works for HBO Max
However, all the US servers I tested unblocked Peacock TV. I could stream without any issues or delays every time.
My connection remained stable and I had no buffering while watching Peacock
When I switched to the UK servers, I accessed BBC iPlayer on my first try. I could stream Peaky Blinders using the site’s “Highest available” quality.
I could stream on BBC iPlayer in high quality
I remained connected to the UK server and opened ITV Hub. The platform worked right away.
ITV didn’t notice I was using a VPN
Blocked By: Hulu and Amazon Prime Video
I tried to access Hulu using multiple US servers, but I couldn’t bypass the platform’s strong geo-blocks. I got an error message that says Hulu is available in the US only and can't be used with a proxy service.
I couldn't even sign in to Hulu
ioloVPN couldn't help me unblock Amazon Prime Video either. No matter which US server I used, the platform wasn’t fooled by the VPN.
I wasn’t able to view shows on Amazon Prime Video US
All things considered, ioloVPN gave me good streaming results though my connection was never fast enough for UHD. Finding a server that unblocks US-specific platforms also takes some work.
If you want a service that can bypass all geo-blocks at high speeds, checkout these VPNs that reliably access Hulu and other platforms without buffering.
Speeds — Significantly Slows Down Your Speeds
ioloVPN provides decent speeds in some locations, but a lot of the servers were too slow for most online activities.
The VPN advertises super-fast speeds, so I expected to experience no more than the usual 10-20% speed drop that you get with premium VPNs.
Before testing, my base connection (my regular internet speed without using a VPN) was 50.24 Mbps download, 2.37 Mbps upload speeds, and a 7 ms ping.
First, I tested the Best Location feature, which connects you to the fastest servers based on your actual location. For me, that was Turkey. The speeds were disappointingly slow, with 19.86 Mbps download, 0.59 Mbps upload speeds, and 86 ms ping.
Then, I tested some popular European locations, such as the UK and Germany, several US servers, Canada, South Korea, and Australia.
It was challenging to find a consistently fast server
Strangely, locations that are closer to me (like Germany and the UK) slowed my speeds down by up to 77%. Other servers that are more distant (like in the US), were faster.
My guess is that the most popular servers, (such as the UK, Australia, South Korea, and some US locations) get overcrowded, which results in significant slowdowns.
Here are my full speed test results:
Location |
Download speed |
Upload speed |
Ping |
Base speed |
50.24 Mbps |
2.37 Mbps |
7 ms |
Turkey |
19.86 Mbps |
0.59 Mbps |
86 ms |
England |
11.84 Mbps |
0.77 Mbps |
54 ms |
Germany |
20.27 Mbps |
1.26 Mbps |
45 ms |
USA, NY |
23.98 Mbps |
1.25 Mbps |
125 ms |
USA, Florida |
2.29 Mbps |
0.26 Mbps |
167 ms |
USA, Arizona |
7.84 Mbps |
0.23 Mbps |
172 ms |
USA, California |
19.25 Mbps |
1 Mbps |
186 ms |
Canada |
6.50 Mbps |
0.25 Mbps |
188 ms |
South Korea |
1.57 Mbps |
0.09 Mbps |
314 ms |
Australia |
11.86 Mbps |
0.09 Mbps |
285 ms |
Overall, ioloVPN gave me disappointingly slow speeds on most servers, entirely opposite of its promise. My speeds were so slow on some servers that I couldn’t browse or stream without buffering.
These VPNs are a better alternative if you're looking for blazing-fast speeds to perform all your high-bandwidth activities (including streaming and gaming) without delays.
Server Network — Few Servers and Poor Location Coverage
ioloVPN has a small network of 193 servers in 193 countries. The majority of its servers are located in Europe and America and it covers only a handful of locations in Asia and Australia.
These are the server locations:
Continent |
Country |
Europe |
England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine |
Americas |
Canada, US, Brazil, Mexico |
Asia |
Israel, India |
Oceania |
Australia |
The VPN does not provide information about the server network on its website. It does say that it has server clusters, rather than single servers in the covered locations. This means that several servers handle the traffic for each location.
The server list is available in its app in the menu tab under “Advanced Settings,” which I find unusual as most VPNs clearly display their locations. The VPN is set to automatically choose the best and fastest server for you based on your real location and its current server load. I like that it remembers your last-used location the next time you connect.
All the servers I tested connected quickly (under 10 seconds) and provided me with a stable connection. However, at one point, I experienced a “serious system error” and couldn’t connect to any server. Luckily, the problem was resolved and I could connect again after 15 minutes. Other than that outage, the VPN worked fine and I didn’t experience any other issues.
Security — Very Basic Features
The service uses 256-bit encryption, which is the industry standard and is virtually impossible to break. This means your traffic and online activity are protected against hackers and third-party monitoring.
However, I couldn’t find any information about the protocols the VPN uses. I tried asking customer support but never got an answer to my email or live chat queries. From what I could tell, there’s no kill switch or any other additional security features like split-tunneling, ad/tracker blockers, RAM-only servers, or perfect forward secrecy.
Passed IP/DNS Leak Testing
I tested the VPN for data leaks, and I’m happy to report there were none. ioloVPN successfully concealed my IP address and DNS requests, and stopped WebRTC leaks.
My real location remained private
While the VPN passed my leak tests and provides good encryption, it lacks a lot of the vital security features provided by most services. For peace of mind, I recommend you try a premium VPN with robust security features.
Privacy — Collects Your Data
Unfortunately, ioloVPN logs lots of data. The VPN claims it has a no-logs policy. However, I found out that it potentially collects a lot of information about its users.
The first problem is that the VPN doesn’t have a specific privacy policy. There’s only a general policy for RealDefence LLC (the VPN’s parent company) that covers all of its products.
ioloVPN's website only has one FAQ answer that states the service does not monitor your online activity and so wouldn't be able to share any data with the authorities. Upon reading through its privacy policy, it clearly states that it may collect information from logs, the device you're using (including the operating system), and software on your computer, to name a few.
I dug deeper and was shocked to read that the company admits to collecting plenty of personal and device information through its software and services, including:
- Contact information
- Payment information
- Information collected through “log files”
- Customer service and demographic data
- Information collected from third-party providers
- Other transaction-related data
There’s another concerning section in the policy explaining that, under the California Consumer Privacy Act, the company also collects data in the following categories:
- Identifiers
- Commercial information
- Financial data
- Internet and other network or device activity (including browsing history and information on interaction with a website/app or ad)
- Geolocation data, and much more
The company claims this data is “generally” anonymous and aggregated, which isn’t very reassuring. Even worse, the policy states that the company may sell, transfer, or disclose your personal data to their service providers, affiliates, licensees, partners, and other third parties.
ioloVPN’s parent company reserves the right to share and sell your information
Since there’s no separate privacy policy for ioloVPN itself, RealDefence’s terms potentially allow them to harvest your data from the VPN if they want to. The language used is all very vague and there’s no legal guarantee that the no-logs claim on the website is true.
This is especially worrying as RealDefence LLC is located in California. The US is part of the 5 Eyes Alliance — a group of countries that collects and shares information about its citizens with members. Theoretically, any information the VPN collects about you could be handed over to the US authorities — and other Alliance member states.
I can’t recommend a VPN that potentially logs your data and is located in the US. If you value your privacy I suggest you choose a VPN that follows a verified no-logs policy.
Torrenting — Allowed, but May Not Be Safe
ioloVPN can be used for torrenting, but I recommend you do so with caution.
There’s no info about P2P traffic on the VPN’s website, so I contacted support via live chat to find out. The agent confirmed you can use the service for torrenting but didn’t provide additional info. So I can’t confirm whether you can use all servers or only certain ones.
However, I don’t recommend using this service for P2P transfers. It lacks a kill switch, so your identity may be exposed to the P2P network if the VPN drops. Plus, the privacy policy is questionable, meaning all your torrenting activities may be logged.
Keep in mind that a VPN is first and foremost a way to keep you safe online and should never be used for downloading copyrighted materials — my team and I don’t condone any illegal activities.
If you’re looking for a P2P-friendly VPN, take a look at these services for fast and safe torrenting.
Does ioloVPN Work in China? Not Clear
I couldn't find any information on whether ioloVPN works in China. I tried contacting support but never got a definitive answer. My emails also went unanswered. The agent ignored this particular question when I tried live chat.
For unrestricted internet access in China, pick one of these VPNs that are proven to bypass the Great Firewall.
Simultaneous Device Connections — Up to 5
ioloVPN allows you up to 5 simultaneous device connections with one subscription.
You can’t use the VPN on as many devices as other VPNs — PIA allows up to 5, while IPVanish covers an 5 number. However, I find the number sufficient for me.