Tuxler VPN Review 2024 — Free, But Not Worth The Risks

Tuxler is a free service that assigns you a residential IP address to mask the fact you are using a proxy. That means no one will notice you are using an anonymity service. A residential IP address is simply an IP associated with a home address instead of a business. This makes Tuxler ideal for any home user who wants to unblock access to a service such as Netflix.

It is reasonably priced and is hailed for its end-to-end encryption. However, it allows you to use other users' IP addresses, and there is limited information on how they ensure this practice is secure.

Tuxler's takes its free services a notch higher then other free VPNs. They give you unlimited bandwidth, meaning you get smooth streaming without buffering. You can securely surf websites blocked in your home country and connect to US proxies to stream from your preferred video services.

In addition, Tuxler's speeds are relatively fast. You can upgrade to the premium version at a small fee for faster speed, which according to the provider, is 4X better.

While Tuxler excels in some levels, there are some serious concerns about its privacy and security features, which are very critical when it comes to users' safety online. This review will take a look at all the levels it excels at and those it doesn't. The vpnMentor website is a good place to start if unsure about choosing the best VPN for your needs.

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Streaming — Unblocks Streaming Platforms Including ESPN, Netflix, and Hulu

While Tuxler has some excellent advantages for free services, its speeds are a major cause of concern as you will struggle to stream, especially in HD. I tried streaming some BBC IPlayer, ESPN, Kodi, HBO Go, and Hulu HD content, and I experienced a bit of buffering from different servers. Upon trying the same on Netflix, the platform detected I was tunneling through a VPN. In addition, I noticed that Tuxler couldn't work around the geo-blocking measures of most streaming platforms. Thankfully, there are a couple of VPNs that can offer you all the flexibility you need to stream comfortably from any location.

Unblocked: Netflix, ESPN, HBO, and Hulu

With Tuxler, you can unblock and view content that is only available to people of specific regions. This is an advantage if you wish to enjoy localized content on services such as HBO, Hulu, and ESPN. However, its poor speed may limit your streaming experience.

Tuxler helped me unblock HBO

I seamlessly unblocked HBO from multiple servers in the USA. There was no buffering, and the quality was excellent. I really enjoyed the series.

Tuxler helped me unblock ESPN

I also managed to unblock ESPN and stream successfully. However, I experienced some buffering when connected to different servers. It also took a little bit longer for the video content to load. The quality of the video was also not impressive.

I was able to unblock Amazon Prime Video, too

I also managed to stream on Amazon Prime Video when connected on different US servers despite experiencing some delays at the start—the video content took longer to load. There was also a bit of buffering, but the experience got better as I continued to watch.

Blocked By: Netflix US and BBC iPlayer

Tuxler delivers a different experience when it comes to Netflix US. It doesn't work around its geo-blocking measures and maybe on other platforms. While I managed to connect to Netflix US, eventually, I got blocked, and part of the reason for that is because the platform detected that I was re-routing IP. Tuxler continuously assigns new IPs when the current one is unavailable, and their servers can assign you one in a different location or country. That could have contributed to Netflix managing to block my access.

I had a similar experience with BBC iPlayer. Any attempt to stream BBC iPlayer from outside the UK was not successful. When connected to a server outside the UK, there is even a notification on the platform reminding me that streaming is only possible from the UK.

Speeds — Inconsistent and Unreliable in Most Cases

Tuxler speeds are inconsistent and unreliable in most cases. Speed is very critical when uploading content. It determines how fast your content can upload— and if you are streaming or torrenting, you want to make sure your VPN can offer good speed. You will even have a worse experience when on the free tier as it is super slow. The premium version either isn't the best option as it will still get you disappointing results.

Tuxler is slower than most VPNs

Most reviews on Tuxler's speed reveal users are not happy with this VPN's speed. I checked its speeds on a 10 Mbps testing connection, and the results weren't impressive. When connected to a server in the UK, it delivered 890 Kbp, 2.4 Mbps when connected to a server in France, 2.5 Mbps when connected to India, and 2.1 Mbps when connected to a server in the USA. As you can see, Tuxler results in speed reduction, upload speed reduction, and variation in pings.

The distance from your location to the server you are connecting impacts your speed. When connecting to a server that is miles away, you will likely experience slow speed. So for the best experience, it is best to choose servers that are near you. With Tuxler, even when connected to nearby servers, its speeds weren't that fast. I could have forgiven them for poor security if their speed were better, but I lack the courage to do that.

So generally, Tuxler needs to consider improving speed to get closer to the premium services of the best VPN services.

Are Tuxler’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? No

Tuxler isn't ideal for gaming. According to the Federal Communications Commission, a download speed of anywhere between 3 to 4 Mbps is ok for gaming. However, it is worth noting this recommendation is for one person and doesn't account for other activities or devices that may be using your bandwidth when you are gaming. Generally, this speed won't be enough if you share your bandwidth with other devices simultaneously.

If you wish to enjoy gaming while sharing your bandwidth, then you may want to consider an option with 25 to 50 Mbps for gaming. Now, we just saw how Tuxler could be disappointing when it comes to speed. It can get you to speeds below 2 Mbps, meaning your connection won't meet the minimum speed requirements across game systems. For that reason, it isn't ideal for gaming, and I would recommend you consider one of the VPNs rated best for gaming.

Server Network — Small-Sized Network with Multiple Residential IPs

Currently, Tuxler has 3,000 servers in 92 locations with 70,000 IP addresses to choose from. The Tuxler app can automatically select the server for you when you choose "Any Country" and "Any City." If you wish to get an IP address from a specific location, the app also allows you to choose a specific country and city.

While 64 is a good number, there are other VPNs with more strategically placed servers. Keep in mind the more servers a VPN has in different countries, the more reliable it is when it comes to speed. That way, you don't have to worry the server you are connected to will have slower speeds.

While Tuxler tries to lure users using the numerous residential IP addresses it offers and further claims to have millions of locations — that just isn't as good as having lots of servers.

One thing worth noting is that each time you are using Tuxler, your device becomes a server, and Tuxler uses your IP and bandwidth to offer services to other users. This may not look bad but wait until some malicious people use your IP to fulfill their mischief and you find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

So despite luring people with the numerous server location and IP addresses, you need to be careful when using this VPN as your safety is not guaranteed.

Security — Military-Grade Encryption but No Info To Support That

TuxlerVPN uses end-to-end encryption to keep users' data secure; however, there is little information about the kind of transfer protocol they use to achieve that. I contacted Tuxler, and they confirmed they use military-grade encryption (AES-256-bit encryption).

Tuxler’s support told me it uses military-grade encryption

The AES-256 encryption is impenetrable and one of the most robust encryption standards available commercially. But you need to be careful when using Tuxler since there is no information on its website about which form of encryption and protocols the company uses.

What is more worrying is that TuxlerVPN lacks a kill switch which is a very basic feature. Without this feature, your connection remains online even when VPN protection fails, risking your security. Besides, there is little information on the Tuxler website regarding DNS leak protection, IP leak protection, the authentication algorithm, and the Stealth VPN features. Without all this information, you will unlikely make an informed decision prior to downloading and installing this VPN.

Privacy — Insecure, Unreliable, and Incoherent

Tuxlers make it clear about all the information it collects. The company collects information regarding your online activities such as browser, devices, online activity, and payment details. But there is no information about the data logged when using its extensions apps.

A closer look at its privacy policy revealed that Tuxler's shares your details with third parties such as advertisers. You need to be worried about VPNs that share users' information with third parties, especially today when data is a valuable resource. Besides, considering Tuxler is a US-based VPN where surveillance is highly heightened, this VPN may get you into trouble for failing to offer the desired level of privacy.

Torrenting — Insecure and Risky

Tuxler claims to support torrenting and P2P but doesn't reveal which servers are optimized for that. So you may have to try a few servers to figure out which works well for you. However, considering its low speeds, it is still not the best option on the market for you. Besides, it lacks a kill switch which makes torrenting too risky. So if you need a reliable torrenting VPN that will allow you to torrent safely and anonymously, Tuxler shouldn't be on your list.

Does Tuxler Work in China? Yes

Tuxler works in China. The Tuxler support team confirmed that their VPN works in China and has encryption but didn't give further details. I tried connecting, and I did that successfully.

Customer support told me Tuxler works in China

However, it is worth noting that Tuxler is still not the best option if you plan to get through the Great Firewall of China, as it would put you at risk because of weak security and privacy features. It is also not ideal for working around censorship in countries that censor the internet. And since there is no information about the company's commitment to defeating censorship, it is best to use a VPN that pledges to do so.

Simultaneous Device Connections — Limited

Tuxler doesn't support simultaneous connections, which can be frustrating if you wish to share your account details. For that reason, it is not ideal for a family or a group that wishes to browse safely and anonymously. Thankfully there are many great options out there that may allow you to connect up to 10 simultaneous connections on a single account.

Device Compatibility — All Major Operating Systems and Browsers

Tuxler is compatible with all major operating systems. You can download it for your Windows or Mac PC. I found it to be pretty much the same on these two operating systems. It is also available as a browser extension on Firefox and Chrome and delivers the same experience on both browsers. So far, the Chrome extension has been downloaded by over 70,000 users and rated 4.3 out of 5, while the Firefox is rated 3.4 out of 5. Tuxlers currently lacks iOS and Android versions, so you may want to keep that in mind if you intend to use your phone to browse.

The Tuxler app is easy to use

My experience with Tuxler on all operating systems was great. The user interface was friendly, and I easily switched from one corner of the app to the other. I commend the Tuxler technicians for their great work. They really nailed it.