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vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
Advertising Disclosure

vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

iTop VPN Review 2024: How Safe & Reliable Is It Really?

Our Score: 6.7/10
Ranked 38th out of 198 VPNs
Editor's Note: iTop VPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Doris Muthuri Updated on 5th June 2024 Fact-checked by Matthew Amos Senior Writer

Offering free and premium plans, iTop advertises itself as the best VPN on the market, with over 10 million users worldwide. That’s a bold claim, so I wanted to know if it keeps you safe and performs like the top VPNs. To find out, I thoroughly tested all its features.

Ultimately, iTop VPN is a decent choice with great potential. It offers good speeds and robust security features, but it’s imperfect. The free plan is also worth a try, but it has data restrictions and a limited network. However, I still recommend you try one of the best VPNs available. They offer better streaming capabilities, superior speed, and 24/7 customer support.

Try iTop Risk-Free >>

Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

Pros

Cons

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iTop VPN Features — 2024 Update

6.8
💸 Price 2.60 USD/month
📆 Money Back Guarantee 60 Days
📝 Does VPN keep logs? No
🖥 Number of servers 1800+
💻 Number of devices per license 5
🛡 Kill switch Yes
🗺 Based in country Hong Kong
🛠 Support Email support
📥 Supports torrenting Yes

Streaming — Above-Average Capabilities

7.0

The global vpnMentor team and I tested servers for various local streaming services, and confirmed that iTop VPN’s premium version worked with many streaming platforms. It performed well enough for a smaller VPN, but it definitely isn’t “the best VPN on the market” in this category. We were also unable to stream on any platforms with the free account, which is pretty common for free servers.

Important. Neither I nor my team endorse any form of copyright violation. The iTop VPN adheres to rigorous no-logging policies, ensuring it does not monitor or view your online activities. Consequently, the onus of utilizing iTop VPN falls squarely on you; you must adhere to all relevant rules and guidelines.

Works With: Peacock, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN, Paramount+, and BBC iPlayer

I seamlessly watched The Best Man: The Final Chapters on Peacock with iTop's general US servers and the Peacock-optimized locations from my hotel room in Dallas, Texas. As expected, I had the best experience streaming with the specialized servers.

Screenshot of Peacock player streaming The Best Man: The Final Chapter while connected to iTop VPNI only had to wait for around 7 seconds to load my video

In my next test from the US, the VPN maintained its performance with Amazon Prime Video, Paramount, Crunchyroll, and YouTube TV. My colleague in the UK was also able to easily stream several videos on BBC iPlayer. I was surprised that the server optimized for Hulu worked well with Disney+.

Most of the servers that I tested from the US were fast enough for HD streaming, but I did experience significant buffering while testing Amazon Prime Video with the New York #1 and Chicago servers.

Doesn't Work With: Hulu, Netflix, and Max

No matter which server I tried from the US, I couldn’t get Hulu to work. Honestly, it’s quite disappointing because iTop has 2 servers specialized for Hulu. However, Hulu is known for blocking VPN IP addresses, even those that are from the US. This is because some people use VPNs to stream content not available in their country.

Screenshot of Hulu player detecting and blocking iTop VPNSupport said that it should work seamlessly with Hulu, so you might get lucky

None of the servers I tested from Texas, US, worked with Netflix and Max. If you want to watch Netflix and other platforms available in your country, look at these VPNs that work with all the top streaming platforms.

Speed — Fast Unless Servers Are Very Far Away

7.4

The premium iTop servers gave me some impressive nearby results. However, my speeds dropped significantly on servers 10,000 km away from my location.

On the other hand, free servers are quite slow. I tested all of them, and some decreased my speeds by up to 95%. This was regardless of how far away they were. The free plan also restricts your daily data limit to 700MB. That’s actually not bad for a free VPN, but it will still only let you stream for around an hour depending on quality.

To ensure accurate results, our dedicated speed expert conducts multiple tests from a single location in the UK with the same connection. The chart below creates averages of at least 10 tests per server.

Screenshot of a speed chart showing results on various iTop VPN serversWe lost 5% of our average speed nearby and 45% on distant servers

To complete the review, I conducted tests on twelve servers myself and was impressed by my consistently high speeds.

Screenshot of Ookla speed tests done with no VPN and while connected to iTop VPN's German serversSeveral of its servers didn’t lower my speeds at all even at mid-range

However, my speeds on distant servers didn't perform as well. I encountered a 95% speed drop on servers in Kazakhstan, 10,300 km away. For context, iTop’s average long-distance speed is comparable to the best VPNs. The only problem is that very distant servers can have dramatic speed drops like this that you don’t see in its top competitors.

If you want a VPN that will give you better speeds at a distance, check out this list of the fastest VPNs.

Gaming — Too Much Lag on Most servers

5.0

Even with decent ping rates, I couldn’t use iTop for satisfactory gaming experiences. A ping below 80 ms is typically ideal for gaming without lag. If your ping is higher than that, you will likely see a noticeable delay between when you press a button and when your character responds. This makes it impossible to perform at your best and reduces the game's overall enjoyment.

Screenshot of Roblox being played while connected to iTop VPNI had problems controlling my character, and the window kept freezing up

Every VPN increases your ping to some extent due to encryption and rerouting. While using iTop, I could still enjoy slower-paced card games like Minecraft, with occasional choppiness, but it wasn't a significant problem.

However, other VPNs perform better in minimizing lag. You can check out this list to find a VPN that works better for gaming.

Server Network — A Large Network for Premium Plans

8.0

With a premium subscription, you can access 1,800 servers in 100 countries. This is a fairly substantial network for a VPN its size. Most of the servers are in Europe and Asia, but it also has decent distribution in the Americas. However, you might struggle to find a nearby server if you’re traveling in Africa.

Some countries with city-level servers include: the UK, Spain, Russia, and Germany. The US has the most city-level locations. These let you pinpoint your location more accurately and find the fastest nearby servers.

Some VPNs come with a little more, but this is a solid selection list for a small VPN. In locations like Japan, Canada, or Iceland, you won’t know what part of the country you’re being connected to, which can affect speeds.

Screenshot of Total AV VPN app highlighting some of the US city-level server listYou can add servers to a favorites list, and there’s also a search function

The servers are separated into major categories: streaming, gaming, downloading, and social. There’s also the All Servers tab, where every standard VPN server is visible. I liked how easy it was to find the optimized servers for each activity too.

If you don’t have a server preference, a Smart Location feature is available in the All Servers tab. This feature picks a server that provides the best performance based on your location. I can’t confirm whether or not iTop VPN owns all its servers. I contacted customer support to confirm, but I never received any response.

I also appreciate that it offers a dedicated IP without any additional cost. This is helpful if you need a static location for activities like running a website.

The free account gives you limited server access — depending on your device. On Windows, I could access 17 servers — 11 VPN servers, 4 streaming servers, and 1 social server. All other servers were blocked and required a premium account. I could only access “Auto servers” on the Android app, which weren’t labeled to show their location.

Security — Keep You Safe Safe Online

8.6

iTop may not offer as many features as the leading VPNs, but it's safe to use. It successfully passed all of my leak tests, making it an excellent option for newcomers to VPNs who want a trouble-free service. However, some of the advanced features are only available to paid Windows users.

I do hope it includes the WireGuard protocol, obfuscation, and double VPN in the future. However, it does offer some unique options. For example, you can choose public DNS providers like Google or Verizon to combine with your encryption (an uncommon but useful feature).

Encryption

You’ll get robust AES 256-bit encryption with iTop VPN. This is the same encryption level used by all the top VPNs, and it’s nearly impossible to break.

Security Protocols

It offers an okay selection of protocols: OpenVPN TCP for secure online shopping and banking, OpenVPN UDP for faster gaming and streaming. You can also easily switch between them.

A snapshot showing how to change iTop VPN protocolsYou can also use the :Auto mode” if you don’t have a preferred protocol

The Android app doesn’t allow you to switch protocols. So, I couldn’t tell which protocol I was using.

Kill Switch

I was pleased to see that iTop VPN offers a kill switch. Kill switches automatically disconnect you from the internet if your VPN connection drops, preventing any of your location or browsing data from being leaked.

DNS Leak Protection

The VPN has strong protection against IP and DNS leaks too. I tested iTop with an independent tool for DNS and IP leaks. It successfully hid my IP address, and there were no leaks.

A screenshot of IP leak test results showing iTop protecting my IP addressI tested dozens of servers, including the free ones, and my IP address never leaked

There’s also an IP Checker that shows your IP address in real-time. If you connect to any server, it will display your virtual IP address and location. It also comes with IPv6 and WebRTC protection, which is pretty standard these days, but I welcome it.

Split Tunneling

You can use this feature to select which traffic goes through the VPN tunnel. This can be handy if there's specific local content you want to access without the VPN. For instance, I prefer to exclude my banking app from the VPN tunnel.

Security Reinforce

Security Reinforce is an additional data security tool that comes with the Windows app. It analyzes your device and suggests ways to improve your security, stop data leakage, and keep you safe from potential hackers or malicious bugs.

This tool also comes with a premium version that makes an even deeper analysis of the system (called “Deep Reinforce”) and suggests additional ways to increase your PC’s security. It’s a nice feature although many computers have equivalent functions packed-in.

Adblock

The ad block function can safeguard your computer against ransomware and malware by stopping links to harmful websites. You have the option to configure the ad blocker to permit ads on specific websites based on your preferences. This feature is accessible to both free and premium users.

In premium, you can turn on Auto Block and enjoy safe browsing at all times. If you want to, you can further configure it and whitelist websites that you know are safe. I switched on Auto Block, and it helped me avoid a fair number of annoying pop-ups and ads.

Privacy — Good Policy but a Little Unclear

6.6

While it seems pretty privacy-friendly, I wish iTop had a specific policy for its VPN. Right now, it just has a privacy policy for all of its products. This includes things like its password manager and data recovery service, which require more data. So, it’s a little vague in some places. The policy also hasn’t been audited to prove its claims are true.

Does iTop VPN Keep Logs? No

iTop only retains your email address and data usage as personal information. You can also opt to register with a new email for additional privacy.

A screenshot of iTop privacy policy showing the data that it collectsIt uses cookies to collect basic information when you visit the site

It also stores cookies when you visit the site and information you give support to troubleshoot issues. This is normal for almost all VPNs. You can protect yourself on its website by connecting to a VPN. However, my issue is that the VPN doesn’t explicitly state what it doesn’t store.

It implies that it doesn’t keep IP addresses or browsing activity, but I’d prefer if it were stated outright. If you’d feel more comfortable with a VPN that has a clearer privacy policy, check out these verified no-logs VPNs.

Was iTop Audited? No

I could find no proof that iTop VPN has had its apps or policies audited. When I contacted customer support for more information, I didn’t get a response. The top VPNs have reputable third-parties verify that their policies are followed. I hope iTop undergoes this process in the future.

Based in Hong Kong

Hong Kong falls outside the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance and doesn't have any data retention laws. The 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance is an agreement between several governments to share data on their citizens. It always makes me uneasy when a VPN is headquartered within its jurisdiction, so I was happy that iTop isn’t.

Does iTop VPN Work in China? No

Unfortunately, iTop doesn’t work in China. I contacted support to check, but the agent confirmed that it doesn’t.

A snapshot with iTop agent confirming that it doesn't work in ChinaObfuscation technology and additional protocols help other VPNs connect in China

I wasn’t really surprised. From my experience, not many VPNs can unblock your international accounts from China.

The Chinese government doesn’t normally go after tourists for using VPNs. However, I always recommend reading up on the laws, so you don’t break them unintentionally. If you choose to use a VPN in the country, read this list of the best VPNs for China.

Torrenting — Great Speeds With Solid Security & Privacy

8.8

I was happy to find that iTop VPN allows torrenting and peer-to-peer traffic. It even has servers specialized for torrenting — these are labeled as P2P servers in its apps. However, these servers are only available to paid subscribers.

I tested the optimized servers as well as several regular servers, and on each attempt, I could download large data files quickly and effortlessly. On average, it took me about 7 minutes to download a 700 MB file. This is only slightly slower than my speeds with no VPN connected. It also offers robust security features, such as a kill switch, so it’s a good option for torrenting.

However, neither my team nor I endorse downloading copyrighted files. I recommend you always confirm that you’re downloading files in the public domain to avoid breaking the law.

Installation & Apps

6.0

Installation & Apps — Easy to Setup but Less Features on Mobile

iTop VPN is straightforward to install and use. It has an attractive purple color scheme, a simple interface, and I appreciate that all the premium and free features are clearly labeled. Once the app is downloaded, you’ll just press install. On top of that, you don’t even need to create an account to start using the free version.

Setup & Installation

I found the apps to be highly intuitive and user-friendly. Even first-time VPN users can enjoy the app thanks to the smooth interface and ready-to-use setup.

Screenshot of iTop VPN's download page highlighting the Windows sectionThe Mac, iOS, and Android apps need to be downloaded from their own stores

More experienced users can explore the various security settings and then set up the app according to their needs.

Device Compatibility

You can use iTop with Windows, Android, MacOS, and iOS. There are no native apps or alternative options for installing the app on other operating systems or routers. Considering that other VPNs offer apps for all major platforms and even routers, this lack of compatibility is far from ideal.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer a smart DNS feature, which lets you change locations on any device with proxy settings. There are also no browser extensions. Although, it does offer some features related to them. For example, its “Browser Privacy” feature cleans up cookies and searches for other vulnerabilities. There’s also a private iTop browser, among many additional options you can access with its other security programs.

To change locations on a smart TV, gaming console, or protect all your devices at once, look into this list of the top VPNs for routers.

Desktop — Apps for Windows and Mac

Apps for Windows and Mac look slightly different but have similar features and are all super intuitive and easy to use. The apps are the same with free and premium plans too. The one difference is that you can only connect to the servers labeled free if you’re using the free plan.

A snapshot of iTops list of servers showing both free and VIP serversWhen you click “Recommended,” you will find the best servers based on your location

I found the Windows app to be pretty easy to navigate, even for beginners. You simply need to find your preferred server and click Connect. If you don’t have a preferred server, just click Smart Location, and iTop will connect you to the most efficient server available.

Android and iPhone (iOS)

The iPhone and Android apps are vastly inferior to the Windows and Mac apps. They come with zero of the cool features iTop has. You can only connect to servers automatically chosen for you.

That means there’s no kill switch, protocol switching, split tunneling, optimized servers, and more. The only good thing is it’s labeled as containing ads in the store, but I’ve yet to see any.

This is disappointing, and I recommend you choose one of the best VPNs for mobile to stay safe on the go.

Simultaneous Device Connections

You get 5 simultaneous device connections with one premium account. I find that this is enough to share one account among members of a small household. You can also use the free version on as many devices as you want. The bad news is that iTop offers pretty limited device compatibility, so it might be hard to make the most of these simultaneous connections.

Pricing

5.4
2-Years
$ 2.60 / month per month
6-Months
$ 8.44 / month per month
1-Month
$ 12.99 / month per month
Editor's Note: iTop VPN and this site are in the same ownership group.

Pricing — Cheap Long-Term Plans, but Expensive Upon Renewal

iTop comes in 2 versions, free and premium. The premium version's short-term plans are pretty expensive compared to some top VPNs, which offer better security features and more device compatibility.

The premium option has 3 plans — monthly, for half a year, or for the full year in advance. As expected, the yearly plan offers the biggest savings. However, while the initial subscription prices may seem appealing, the auto-renewal prices can be pretty high. The price is really only fair for the first subscription, which is always discounted.

The service accepts payment through debit/credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers, which might not suit everyone's preferences. Other VPNs accept more methods, such as cryptocurrencies, which improve your privacy.

It is backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free. If you later decide it’s not for you, then you can try to ask for a refund. It also offers partial refunds for the 2 longer terms.

Unfortunately, it never responded to my requests for a refund. This is one more area where iTop can’t compete with the best VPNs that all have reliable policies.

Reliability & Support

4.4

Reliability and Support — No Chat Support

I was disappointed that iTop VPN doesn’t offer chat support. However, it provides an in-app Feedback support page that works pretty well. They also have ticketing support, but I found the process of filling a query pretty long and annoying. At first, I couldn’t even figure out what the required version number was.

I contacted customer support several times through the in-app feedback page, and they only responded sometimes. When I did get a reply, it took nearly two days, and the answers were brief without detailed explanations. If I had a bigger problem, I would probably have to wait a few more days for clarification. I’d much rather use a VPN with 24/7 live chat support.

itop-vpn-customer-support-email-p2p-serversA chat support function could have given me answers much faster

However, you can also contact support through email, and its knowledge base is pretty decent. There are links to FAQs, step-by-step guides, and more. There’s also a blog that offers a lot of content in different languages.

Compare iTop VPN With The Top Alternative VPNs
Our Score: 9.9
Our Score: 9.7
Our Score: 9.6
Our Score: 9.5
Editor's Note: Transparency and impartiality are important to us when bringing you our best selection of VPNs. Some of the industry-leading products on our list, including Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company. The VPNs we choose are derived from a thorough testing process.

The Bottom Line

Final Verdict — Worth a Try, but Some Areas Need Work

There’s a ton to like about iTop VPN. The paid version offers a solid server network, strong security features, and fast nearby speeds. It’s an excellent option for torrenting as well. The free version is pretty limited but not bad for casual browsing.

However, it didn’t work with Netflix, and its mobile apps are seriously lacking. Speeds also drop significantly on servers at long range, and I was never given a refund, which made me question the reliability of its policies.

So, it’s a decent choice, but many of the best VPNs cost the same and have fewer drawbacks. They can give you more servers, faster speeds overall, and better performance for streaming and gaming. I recommend you try one of our top-ranked VPNs that excel in more categories and have proven money-back guarantees.

  • Fast speeds on nearby servers
  • Solid security with a kill switch
  • Worldwide server network
  • Intuitive apps

FAQs on iTop VPN

Is iTop VPN safe?

Yes, iTop VPN is safe. It offers robust security features such as military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection. The VPN also passed all of my leak tests.

Can iTop VPN work with Netflix?

No, it didn’t support streaming on Netflix. None of its optimized, free, or regular premium servers allowed me to watch any movies or TV shows. It did work with several other streaming platforms, like Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

Will iTop VPN slow my speeds down?

Yes, you'll get a steep speed drop when connecting to a faraway server, but it’s fast on nearby servers. There were even some close servers that didn’t reduce our speeds at all. However, when servers got over 10,000 km away, sometimes our rates would fall by 90% or more.

Is iTop VPN good?

It’s good, but not one of the best. It offers solid security features, and its speeds are pretty decent. I was also pleased with its attractive interface. However, many other VPNs offer better streaming, more features on mobile, and 24/7 live chat.

Can I use iTop VPN for free?

Yes, you can use a limited version of iTop VPN for free. However, you can only access a total of 17 servers — 11 general servers, 4 streaming servers, and 1 social server. Your data usage is also restricted to a daily data limit of 700MB.

Is iTop VPN legit?

Yes, iTop VPN is legit. It’s a company founded and operated in Hong Kong, and it hasn’t been involved in any significant controversies. The privacy policy is good too, if somewhat vague, and it comes with top-notch encryption and solid security features.

Money Back Guarantee (Days): 60
Mobile app:
Number of devices per license: 5
We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
iTop VPN User Reviews (User reviews are not verified)
4.0
Based on 3 reviews in 2 languages

Write a Review on iTop VPN

Please rate VPN.

All Speed Streaming Security Сustomer service
Jimmy
Jimmy
2/10
Obligatory installment to get rid of a pop-up

I got a pop-up from my driver updater telling me to use iTop VPN which couldn't go away by any other means. So I was obligated to install it. Ridiculous service and ridiculous partnership; you can't do this.

John Gogaf
John Gogaf
2/10
VPN is controlled by China (CCP). It like give your information and system access to China (CCP).

The company is based in China. By China law, all companies based in China need to give CCP (Chinese Communist Party) full access at any time. They are required by China law to log everything you do. You are much safer with no VPN than this one.

Miloš Cikatricis
Miloš Cikatricis
8/10
Super VPN

Dobre zrychluje internet a vo VIP móde široká škála IP. Adries, automaticky pripojí na najlepšiu IP adresu. Výhoda že po kúpení možnosť použiť až na 5-tich licenciach. Dá sa zhodnotiť že je to jedna z vydarených VPN-niek!

About the Author

Doris is a tech writer and a cybersecurity researcher for vpnMentor. She is enthusiastic about educating people about their rights to online freedom and provides actionable ways to protect their data.

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