Ran Greenberg
New-Media and online expert, Venture Capitalist and investor
Astrill and Buffered are two well-known VPN providers respected for their security and ability to bypass geoblocks. Both services are effective for unblocking US Netflix and similar websites and place no restrictions on P2P traffic. A 24/7 live chat support option and dedicated apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android are also available with either provider’s service. In addition, both Astrill and Buffered allow up to five simultaneous connections per user. If you change your mind after subscribing to either of these two VPNs, Astrill offers a 7-day refund policy, whereas Buffered has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all new subscriptions. However, Astrill’s server network spans more countries – over 60, compared to 37 for Buffered. Features like split tunneling, Onion over VPN, and Stealth VPN are also only available with Astrill VPN. Before you decide which VPN is better for you, read on for a more detailed, categorical comparison.
Features
8.5
Pricing
6.0
Ease of Use
8.8
Reliability & Support
8.4
Features
8.6
Pricing
6.0
Ease of Use
8.8
Reliability & Support
8.4
Rating
Features
8.5
8.6
0.0
Pricing
6.0
6.0
0.0
Ease of Use
8.8
8.8
0.0
Reliability & Support
8.4
8.4
0.0
Reviews
Review by our expert
Katie Kasunic
Technology Researcher
8.0
Astrill’s marketing team does a great job of advertising it as one of the best VPNs out there — but are they telling the truth about how good it is?
I went ahead and tested its every feature and analyzed its privacy policies and security measures to see if it’s good enough to recommend. I also paid good attention to its server network, speeds, torrenting support, gaming, streaming and fi...
Been using it for a long time.. but have to goI have been using Astrill for more than 10 years. Never had a problem. A couple of times I used the chat for support and it was excellent.
However this is probably going to be my last year. Reason .... price.
With the virus crisis I am unemployed and can not afford it. They do not give any kind of discount and keep raising the price year after year.
I am not in China so I suspend it, I do not need all those features.
Latest negative user review
Chris
2.0
Astril are not interested in keeping regular customersI agreed. Astrill increases the price year after year. I have been using Astril for 5 years. I paid 75 USD to 120 USD. I have a friend that paid 400 USD one time! If you don't delete history and cookies they show the high price. Tricky! They don't have a special price for regular customs. THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN KEEPING REGULAR CUSTOMERS. Too greedy! Done with them too!
Update: Buffered VPN merged with Encrypt.me. We have thoroughly tested Encrypt.me, and you can find everything you need to know in our review.
Buffered VPN has a lot to offer due to its user-friendly interface, fast connection speeds, and reliable security. One thing it can't do is unblock Netflix, you'll need a premium vendor like NordVPN for that.
In addition to dedicated apps available for a...
I considered a number of VPN's before going with Buffered which I find excellent.No issues in any aspect, On the rare occasions that I required assistance (in the initial set up stage), the Help Desk was outstanding. Would highly recommend Buffered to anyone considering using a VPN
Latest negative user review
Trev
2.0
They are no moreAfter being a customer for more than 2 years and paying a premium price for a good service. THEY DON'T EXIST ANYMORE.. No warning, just logged in one day and my app doesn't work and they have changed their website name. STAY AWAY, sounds dodgy.
Astrill’s marketing team does a great job of advertising it as one of the best VPNs out there — but are they telling the truth about how good it is?
I went ahead and tested its every feature and analyzed its privacy policies and security measures to see if it’s good enough to recommend. I also paid good attention to its server network, speeds, torrenting support, gaming, streaming and fi...
Update: Buffered VPN merged with Encrypt.me. We have thoroughly tested Encrypt.me, and you can find everything you need to know in our review.
Buffered VPN has a lot to offer due to its user-friendly interface, fast connection speeds, and reliable security. One thing it can't do is unblock Netflix, you'll need a premium vendor like NordVPN for that.
In addition to dedicated apps available for a...
Been using it for a long time.. but have to goI have been using Astrill for more than 10 years. Never had a problem. A couple of times I used the chat for support and it was excellent.
However this is probably going to be my last year. Reason .... price.
With the virus crisis I am unemployed and can not afford it. They do not give any kind of discount and keep raising the price year after year.
I am not in China so I suspend it, I do not need all those features.
Don Bartlem
10.0
I considered a number of VPN's before going with Buffered which I find excellent.No issues in any aspect, On the rare occasions that I required assistance (in the initial set up stage), the Help Desk was outstanding. Would highly recommend Buffered to anyone considering using a VPN
Latest negative user review
Chris
2.0
Astril are not interested in keeping regular customersI agreed. Astrill increases the price year after year. I have been using Astril for 5 years. I paid 75 USD to 120 USD. I have a friend that paid 400 USD one time! If you don't delete history and cookies they show the high price. Tricky! They don't have a special price for regular customs. THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN KEEPING REGULAR CUSTOMERS. Too greedy! Done with them too!
Trev
2.0
They are no moreAfter being a customer for more than 2 years and paying a premium price for a good service. THEY DON'T EXIST ANYMORE.. No warning, just logged in one day and my app doesn't work and they have changed their website name. STAY AWAY, sounds dodgy.
Buffered’s small network does not affect its overall performance, as it still offers strong encryption, advanced security features, and effective bypassing of tough geo-restrictions. Meanwhile, Astrill offers an attractive VPN service with a variety of security features and dedicated apps for all major platforms.
Buffered’s small network does not affect its overall performance, as it still offers strong encryption, advanced security features, and effective bypassing of tough geo-restrictions. Meanwhile, Astrill offers an attractive VPN service with a variety of security features and dedicated apps for all major platforms.
Buffered is great for downloading torrents anonymously, as it offers several dedicated P2P servers that provide very fast connections for downloading. Astrill also allows torrenting on its network and provides dedicated P2P servers for the purpose.
Buffered is great for downloading torrents anonymously, as it offers several dedicated P2P servers that provide very fast connections for downloading. Astrill also allows torrenting on its network and provides dedicated P2P servers for the purpose.
By offering a user-friendly app with a firewall-based kill switch that keeps your online activity protected at all times, Buffered provides a very reliable Windows service for PC users. Meanwhile, Astrill also has a Windows app that features split tunneling and IPv6 leak protection.
By offering a user-friendly app with a firewall-based kill switch that keeps your online activity protected at all times, Buffered provides a very reliable Windows service for PC users. Meanwhile, Astrill also has a Windows app that features split tunneling and IPv6 leak protection.
Buffered’s Android app is very easy to install and set up and includes “always on” functionality that keeps your VPN connection active even when the app is in the background. The standout feature of Astrill’s Android app is a Smart Mode that allows you to decide which apps or traffic types should connect through the VPN.
Buffered’s Android app is very easy to install and set up and includes “always on” functionality that keeps your VPN connection active even when the app is in the background. The standout feature of Astrill’s Android app is a Smart Mode that allows you to decide which apps or traffic types should connect through the VPN.
If you appreciate a dedicated app with easy access to 24/7 live chat support, 256-bit encryption, and a diagnostics tool, you’ll enjoy using Buffered VPN for your Mac. Meanwhile, Astrill’s app for MacOS includes access to dedicated IP addresses and split tunneling.
If you appreciate a dedicated app with easy access to 24/7 live chat support, 256-bit encryption, and a diagnostics tool, you’ll enjoy using Buffered VPN for your Mac. Meanwhile, Astrill’s app for MacOS includes access to dedicated IP addresses and split tunneling.
The standout features of Buffered’s iOS app are its firewall-based kill switch and highly intuitive user interface. With Astrill VPN, you can expect an iOS app that’s packed with advanced features like Onion over VPN, split tunneling, and DNS leak protection.
The standout features of Buffered’s iOS app are its firewall-based kill switch and highly intuitive user interface. With Astrill VPN, you can expect an iOS app that’s packed with advanced features like Onion over VPN, split tunneling, and DNS leak protection.
Buffered provides a high-speed US server that’s reliable for unblocking US Netflix and similar American websites and apps. Astrill also provides US servers, along with a dedicated streaming feature that reliably unblocks Netflix and Hulu.
Buffered provides a high-speed US server that’s reliable for unblocking US Netflix and similar American websites and apps. Astrill also provides US servers, along with a dedicated streaming feature that reliably unblocks Netflix and Hulu.
The Bottom Line
Ran Greenberg
New-Media and online expert, Venture Capitalist and investor
In spite of having a small server network, Buffered wins this contest by providing a high-quality VPN service without restrictions on your use. As a new VPN provider, Buffered reliably gets past geo-restrictions that are usually tough to crack, like the geoblocks on US Netflix. Buffered also has the kind of modern security setup you would expect to find in a top VPN service.
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