PandaVPN – not to be confused with Panda Security’s Panda VPN – is a small VPN with a surprisingly large server network, covering some 60+ countries around the world. However, I did notice that they had servers in China and Russia — and this was a red flag for me.
VPN servers in Russia and China can come under the scrutiny of government and authorities, meaning user data is never really private nor protected. Knowing that PandaVPN operates in these countries led me to question if this VPN is really safe to use.
I knew I had to dig a little deeper to find out more about this little-known VPN. So I went through its background, features, and policies to uncover exactly how it worked and how safe it really is.
Short on Time? Here’s a 1-Min Summary of My Results
- Large server network. PandaVPN has an impressive number of server locations around the world. Find out which countries are covered.
- Sadly, it’s not a reliable streaming VPN. See what happened when I tested PandaVPN on 5 major streaming platforms.
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Streaming — Doesn’t Work With Most Major Platforms Like Netflix
PandaVPN claims to be able to unblock all major streaming platforms, but real user reviews online say otherwise. I personally couldn’t get the VPN to connect at all so I cannot guarantee it will work for you. If you’re looking for a VPN for streaming, you might want to try other providers that have been proven to work.
Server Network — Surprisingly Large Network for a Small VPN
PandaVPN has server locations in 60+ countries, including the US, UK, Russia, and China. It’s hard to find VPNs with servers in China and Russia so this might be a bonus point if you’re looking to access content that’s geo-restricted to those countries.
That being said, there’s a reason why lots of VPNs don’t have servers in China and Russia. Servers in those countries are subject to anti-privacy legislation, so can’t guarantee your privacy and safety. It’s safer to use a server in a neighbouring country if you want full anonymity.
I was able to choose Smart Connect to find the best server for my location, or manually choose from the list of countries or streaming-optimized servers. PandaVPN also has one game proxy server in Japan that gives you access to Japanese gaming servers.
Security & Privacy — Zero Logs but Unclear Origins
PandaVPN’s privacy agreement states that the VPN has a strict no logs policy and does not log or store any of your identifying information. I wasn’t even required to input my email address when signing up for the service. Instead, PandaVPN generates a random account number for you. This is great for maintaining your privacy and did go some way towards allaying my concerns over the VPN’s Chinese and Russian servers – if a VPN doesn’t store any information about you, it has nothing to hand over to a government agency or anyone else. Sadly, you can’t pay for the VPN using cryptocurrency, which would have added another level of security to the payment process.
PandaVPN uses 256-bit AES encryption – the highest level possible – to lock down your traffic against hackers or snoopers. It claims to use a kill switch too, which should cut off your internet if you lose connection to the VPN (to prevent any of your information from becoming exposed). However, it’s unclear which of its apps have the kill switch feature. I could not see any security settings on the macOS app that I tested.
PandaVPN’s website says that it’s based in the Seychelles – outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. However, during my research I noticed some users expressing concern that the VPN actually originates from China or Hong Kong. I did some digging and found that the company’s GitHub commits are logged in Chinese. On Twitter, on the other hand, the company claims to be American – with their HQ in the US. Both China and America are famously anti-privacy countries so the confusion over the VPN’s origin raises some red flags. It calls into question the trustworthiness of PandaVPN’s logging policy.
Simultaneous Device Connections — Not as Generous as Others
PandaVPN gives you 3 simultaneous device connections. I was disappointed with this as it’s not as generous as many other VPNs, which usually offer at least five or more.
Having just 3 simultaneous connections does limit how much you can use the VPN – especially if you live in a large household where several people might want to connect at the same time.
You can add additional device connections but only if you have to pay for additional licenses.
Device Compatibility — Most Major Platforms Covered
PandaVPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. It also has an app for Android TV.
I was disappointed to see no games console support and no router support – especially as the VPN has a gaming-optimized server.
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of countries with servers | 15 |
| Number of servers | 500 |
| Number of IP addresses | 500 |
| Does VPN keep logs? | No |
| Does VPN include a kill switch? | Yes |
| Number of devices per license | 3 |
