RusVPN Review 2021 - Keep This in Mind Before Buying

RusVPN stands for “Reliable, Unlimited, Secure,” promises it fulfills — for the most part. It operates 1,260+ servers across 50+ countries, with military-grade encryption and an automatic kill switch. It doesn’t log any of its users’ data.

I put the VPN through a series of tests to determine if it delivers on its claims, assessing its speeds, security, privacy, streaming, and more.

RusVPN’s apps are available in 5 languages on Windows and up to 11 on iOS. Overall, it seems like a good choice for security and privacy, but not the best for streaming. Its speeds are great with nearby servers, but if you connect from a far distance, they significantly decrease.

Depending on your specific use for the VPN, you may want to compare RusVPN with alternative premium VPNs in the market. The good news is, you have plenty of opportunity for testing since RusVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all of its plans.

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RusVPN Features — Updated in October 2021

Streaming — Unreliable for Unblocking Streaming Sites

RusVPN fails to unblock several streaming platforms, including Netflix. When it did manage to bypass geoblocks, I couldn’t reliably watch in HD. I had fairly frequent buffering, and I can’t recommend this provider for watching your favorite movies and shows online.

Unblocked: Disney Plus

I was pleased that RusVPN worked successfully with Disney Plus.

I’ve found that this streaming site is particularly difficult to access, but RusVPN had no problem

However, in order to access this site, I used a US server called United States 31 which unfortunately gave me poor speeds. This resulted in quite a bit of lag and delayed loading times. I was hoping to speak with an agent regarding this issue. However, during this time, RusVPN’s live chat was not available.

Blocked By: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer

RusVPN didn’t work with the other streaming platforms I tested it with, most notably Netflix. I used 4 different US servers to test it with Netflix. Most of the streaming platforms sent an error message, saying it detected my VPN.

I could tell it wasn’t working with Netflix since the library didn’t adjust to the new regions. Even when I tried searching for US-specific titles, they were not available.

First, I connected to a US server. I searched for The Twilight Zone, which is available in Netflix’s US library, but it was not present.

Netflix only showed me titles similar to The Twilight Zone

Radium Girls was not accessible either. Without these titles present, this was a major indicator that RusVPN was not working with Netflix US.

This produced the same result, showing me similar titles to Radium Girls

So next, I tried it with Netflix UK. I searched for Only Fools and Horses but this was not present.

Unfortunately, the UK server also did not update Netflix’s region for me

Netflix Japan should have Doraemon: the Movie — however, I did not find this in the library while connected to RusVPN in Japan.

Only similar titles to Doraemon were given to me as options

Then I tried it with BBC iPlayer in the UK with no success.

I was hoping to access this popular UK streaming site, but it did not work

And Amazon Prime Video picked up on my VPN use as well.

Once again, I received a notification telling me that the streaming site picked up on my VPN use

Having said this, I did manage to access Wikipedia, Reddit, Instagram, Vkontakte, and LinkedIn while connected to the VPN. It does live up to its claims for some non-video-based unblocking capabilities.

If streaming is a priority for you, there are some VPNs I can recommend for accessing just about any platform.

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Speeds — Superfast Nearby but Slow Distant Servers

RusVPN’s nearby servers produced excellent speeds, but its distant server speeds were very slow. Connection speed is one of the most important things to consider when you’re choosing a VPN. This has a major impact on streaming quality, your ability to game, and website loading times while you browse.

The important measurements of speed are:

• Download speed — determines the quality of your streaming and how fast you can download data. It’s measured in Mbps.
• Upload speed — measures the amount of traffic you can send. This is usually slower than download speed and is also measured in Mbps.
• Ping — vital for gaming, you’ll want as low ping as possible. It’s the time it takes for a server to respond, measured in ms.

Local Speeds

I measured my base speed against the connection speed of the nearest RusVPN server first. It’s normal to experience some slow-down when you connect to a VPN, because your data needs to travel farther to reach the server. It also takes extra time to encrypt and decrypt it. However, the difference should be barely noticeable with a premium VPN.

When you’re browsing local sites, you’ll get the best connection speed by connecting to a server close to your physical location. My base speed before connecting to RusVPN was 92.99 Mbps download, 19.14 Mbps upload, with a ping of 7 ms.

RusVPN does not have any server locations in my country (New Zealand). The closest I could find was in Australia. This produced a 55% speed drop, which is quite significant. However, 41 Mbps is generally more than enough for anything you want to do on the internet. I put a few searches into Google and checked my Facebook notifications just to test the normal browsing experience. The web pages loaded within a few seconds, and I could even watch Youtube videos with minimal buffering.

The only server which gave me good speeds was the one closest to me

However, while connected to the second closest server to me (Indonesia), I lost almost 90% of my speed. When I tested RusVPNs UK and US servers, they also produced about 9 Mbps.

I tested out these speeds to see what it would actually be like when browsing with 9 Mbps. I loaded 2 chili recipes from allrecipes.com and the Spiderman: No Way Home official teaser on Youtube. Unfortunately, I experienced long page loading times; the recipes both took about 10 seconds to load completely. With the movie trailer, I was interrupted by buffering twice — for about 5 seconds each time.

These interruptions were a bit frustrating for me. My usual internet speeds are fast and I’ve tested alternative VPNs that do not cause these types of speed drops. I personally wouldn’t recommend RusVPN if you need to connect to a server far away from your location. There are tons of other VPNs with global server networks that have consistently fast speeds.

Are RusVPN’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? Not Always.

Since RusVPN’s speeds were only fast with its nearby servers, you won’t have success in playing globally. For most gamers, a ping below 120ms is desirable, but this was only possible on nearby servers. Considering the significant ping increase with its distant servers, you’re sure to encounter too much latency which will not work with gaming.

You’ll be able to use the VPN on your Xbox, Playstation, and more by setting up RusVPN on your router. This will enable any device connected to your WiFi to be securely routed through the VPN. It offers additional protection against DDoS attacks and other malicious online threats related to gaming.

If you’re a super competitive gamer, I’d recommend checking these top gaming VPNs.

Server Network — Decent-Sized Network

With a RusVPN subscription, you get full access to 1,260+ servers in 50+ countries. It includes several key locations, like the US, the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. I was also pleased to find that RusVPN now offers server locations in South America and Africa, too.

You’ll get a large pool of IP addresses to choose from, so there are no problems here provided the servers work. However, even with servers in these locations, I was not able to consistently access their corresponding content.

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Security — Strong Encryption

RusVPN carries some robust encryption protocols which proved trustworthy in my leak tests.

Encryption and Protocols

You’ll get military-grade AES-256 encryption and the choice between protocols, including OpenVPN (2048-bit RSA, UDP/TCP), IKEv2, L2TP, and PPTPs.

It didn’t appear to select OpenVPN by default, which is definitely the most sensible option here. P2TP is quite up to scratch, and PPTP is an older protocol that doesn’t offer the same level of protection. IKEv2 can be an option, as it’s fast and suitable for mobile devices. If you set up the VPN using OpenVPN Connect, you’ll always be sure that you’ve got the most secure connection.

IP, DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC Leaks

The VPN kept my IP address and DNS requests secure. When I connected to its US server, the leak detecting tool showed my IP address in the US. It gave me a different DNS address (in Czechia). However, there were no traces of my actual location in New Zealand.

Leaks tests look for the following:

• IP leaks — your location can be exposed, making you susceptible to online threats.
• DNS leaks — risk your private internet traffic that can be intercepted.
• WebRTC — the peer-to-peer communication between your browser and the web pages you visit can slip outside the safety net, and mistakenly reveal your IP
• IPv6 — some data isn’t sent through the VPN ‘tunnel’, potentially falling into the wrong hands. Most VPNs disable it entirely.

The leak detector picked up no hints of my actual IP address

I wanted to double-check that you can rely on this, so I also tested it in the UK.

Both times I tested it proved that my location was not being leaked by RusVPN

Kill Switch

I tested out the kill switch and it proved successful. Its kill switch is essential for maintaining your secure connection. Should the VPN suddenly disconnect, your whole connection will be terminated to avoid detection.

While browsing on Chrome, I suddenly disconnected RusVPN’s US server to switch to Canada. Immediately, my internet connection was cut; RusVPN notified me that the kill switch was actively protecting my data from being leaked.

This setting is super easy to enable and disable within the app

DoubleVPN

This feature splits your traffic between two separate tunnels, giving you an extra layer of encryption. The webpage description explains that “your traffic is routing through two different servers (instead of one) and therefore gets encrypted twice”. The best way to imagine this is if you shredded a document, and split the pieces between 2 trash cans — it’s extremely unlikely anyone would be able to put it back together again.

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Privacy — Transparent Policy and Strict No-Logs

The VPN outlines its terms and doesn’t appear to misuse your data. It’s important to research VPN policies before using them, to avoid your data being handed over to 3rd party advertisers, or worse. I don’t condone using a VPN for any illegal purposes of course, but this is still a reassurance that your private info won’t be sold on.

Location

Based in the Commonwealth of Dominica, RusVPN is outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. This reinforces the trust that your data cannot be passed on, and will remain strictly private.

RusVPN Doesn’t Keep Logs

The policy is transparent enough to determine that RusVPN won’t hold onto your information. It does state that their legal department will be in touch should you download any material with copyright infringement. This is common practice for VPN providers. Again, I don’t condone illegal downloads — so long as you’re using the VPN lawfully this isn’t a concern.

It’s not evident that RusVPN has undergone independent security auditing. This is a sure-fire way to boost confidence in a company that handles your online traffic, and I’d like to see this done in the future.

Torrenting — Supported and Safe

RusVPN references torrent downloads on its webpage, suggesting they are allowed. Provided you are only downloading files without copyright infringement, you shouldn’t have any problems. On top of this, torrenting is completely illegal in some countries, so I advise that you read up on your local rules and regulations to avoid getting penalized.

Additionally, torrenting can make you vulnerable to various cyber threats. For safe torrenting, I can recommend RusVPN. It offers strong security features like encryption, a kill switch, and no-logs to keep you protected from malicious online threats and hackers.

I found it to be pretty fast for torrenting. I was able to download Mabel’s Strange Predicament (copyright-free film) in just over 2 minutes while connected to its US server.

I used its US server to access uTorrent

In conclusion, RusVPN provides the security, privacy, and support needed for torrenting.

Does RusVPN Work in China? Yes.

My team contacted RusVPN’s support and they confirmed that it works in China. Not all VPNs have this capability, so this speaks for RusVPN’s level of security. It also makes it a good option if you’re planning a trip to China. However, you need to install the apps before you arrive since they will not be available for download from China.

Most VPNs fail to work in China, so I can recommend RusVPN for traveling purposes

Simultaneous Device Connections — Up to 10

RusVPN allows 10 simultaneous device connections, which is more than many VPNs provide. I tested this while connected to Australia and accessing YouTube on my Windows laptop. I also connected my iPhone and tablet to RusVPN at the same time. Having multiple devices connected didn’t compromise my connection speeds. I was still able to quickly load and watch videos.

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Device Compatibility — Multi-Platform Support

RusVPN has a good range of device support and installation options. It was easy to determine what options there were, and determine the best way to use the VPN. The browser extensions are free but offer limited server choices. However, you can easily sign up to your premium account in the browser extension to unlock RusVPN’s full server network.

You’ve got dedicated apps for Windows, macOS/OSX/iOS, Android, and Linux. Browser extensions are available for Chrome and Firefox, with manual setup options for OpenVPN and routers.

The ability to install the VPN via OpenVPN is a bonus. This will automatically set you up with the strongest protocol available. By enabling RusVPN on your router, you’ll be able to use any WiFi device with it including smart TVs. I’d like to see Opera and Internet Explorer extensions added too.