Netmap Review & Test 2024 - Keep This in Mind Before Buying

Netmap offers advanced tools and outstanding functionality, and even unblocks popular services like Netflix.

Netmap supports five encryption protocols — PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2, TOR node, and OpenVPN.

There are four subscriptions available — Basic (weekly), Medium (monthly), Business (tri-monthly), and Enterprise (bi-yearly). Subscription length is the only variable, meaning you get the full arsenal of features regardless of which option you choose.

Payment methods include Bitcoin, WebMoney, and a Russian service called InterKassa. Strangely enough, credit cards aren’t listed as an option on the website, but you can use your credit card with InterKassa.

Speaking of features, Netmap comes chock-full. You get 32 servers in 23 countries, unlimited traffic, zero logging, and support for all major operating systems on desktop and mobile.

The most impressive extra of all, however, is the dedicated IP. It allows you to have a static IP address, as opposed to obtaining a different one every time you launch the VPN. The best part? It comes at no extra cost, which is relatively rare.

The client itself requires advanced skills. Configuration for the various protocols is manual, and often times you’ll need to download separate GUIs/config files that work in tandem with the VPN. In short, it’s a tedious hands-on approach that can easily confuse VPN newbies. However, there is an Android app and a Windows app that does make it easier, but it is still not as simple as other VPN interfaces.

As for speed, we noticed some drops during our tests, but the connection didn’t slow down significantly as we tried various locations. In short, don’t expect a boost in performance, but you won’t have any trouble streaming and torrenting either.

Speaking of streaming, Netmap’s compact IP range and dedicated IP addresses have allowed it to fly under the radar of vigilant platforms like Netflix. Of course, this can take an unfortunate turn at any time, but Netmap should currently access a good deal of geoblocked content. If you want a service that updates regularly to stay on top of Netflix VPN blocking methods, we recommend a premium vendor like ExpressVPN.

There’s another reason for Netmap’s incognito presence, and it may be worrying to some: the VPN appears to be based in Russia, or a Russian-speaking country. As you may know, Russia more or less banned VPNs by law in November — this may pose a risk to Netmap’s longevity, or worse.

Even though the firm reached out to us and insisted they weren't situated in Russia, they did not provide us with their real location. This certainly leaves us with a significant degree of skepticism.

Another point worth mentioning is Netmap’s website domain. This domain (.su) used to be the Soviet Union’s very own — today, it has a reputation of being a cybercrime haven due to shoddy terms of use, easy registration, and overall lack of attention from authorities.

Don’t take this the wrong way — Netmap is a reliable VPN, but it certainly isn’t without its interesting quirks. Adding to them, the website itself is translated in a rather strange manner — there are typos, sentences in broken English, and some pages are still in Russian. For example, the connection instructions has screenshots where the Russian interface makes it very hard to understand what’s actually going on.

Transparency is essential when it comes to a good VPN, in our eyes. We think you'd be safer choosing one of these tried and trusted VPNs instead, who don't hold back any information and only offer the very best features around.