Namecheap VPN is a well-known brand in the domain and web hosting market. The company’s services increased in late 2018. A virtual private network was one of the additions (VPN).
While it may seem risky to entrust your VPN to a firm from a different industry, there’s no reason to suspect Namecheap. This is due to the fact that it runs on StackPath’s servers. IPVanish, StrongVPN, and Encrypt.me are all owned by the same firm.
It’s a more reasonable VPN on the market, and there’s even a free Namecheap VPN version for a month. So, what exactly does this VPN provide?
Let’s take a closer look at it now!
Namecheap VPN Advantages
Namecheap VPN has a number of appealing features:
You probably don’t want your real IP address to be revealed if you’ve opted to utilize a VPN. When you go online, using Namecheap’s virtual IP masks your true location. During your surfing sessions, the organization commits to maintaining it as safely as possible.
On/Off switch
I’ll go through Namecheap VPN’s security features in greater detail later, but one feature I must note now is its kill switch. Your data will be exposed if you use a VPN to browse the web and lose connectivity to the server. The kill switch prevents this from happening.
Your device will be instantly unplugged from the internet if you lose connection to the server while using Namecheap VPN. Your data will be safe. However, this functionality is only available on the app’s desktop edition.
Bandwidth is limitless
This might be the app for you if you utilise various streaming providers. Why? It does not, however, have a data limit. This implies that you may use Namecheap VPN to access services like Spotify and Netflix as much as you like. In other words, there are no limitations on what you can browse, watch, or download from the internet.
Unlimited simultaneous connections
Simultaneous connections are supported by some VPNs, but only for a limited number of devices. Namecheap VPN provides a unique approach to VPNs. There are no limitations on how many connections you can use at once. If you have additional family members who wish to use a VPN, this might be useful.
Namecheap VPN’s Advanced Features
Auto-connect
You don’t have to connect to the same server every time you launch the app if you’re utilizing the service over various online sessions. Instead, there’s an auto-connect feature that allows you to rapidly alter your virtual location each time you run it. I tested this capability with the Brussels server using the one-month free Namecheap VPN version, and it worked well.
Auto-start
You may also have the software start automatically when you turn on your computer. You don’t have to configure the option in your Task Manager because it’s a simple toggle on/off operation. You may use it in conjunction with the auto-connect option to assure the safety of your actual data.
Details should be recorded.
The Namecheap VPN software also has a log information feature that you may enable or disable. Although this function does not immediately improve your experience, it might be useful if you run into a problem throughout your session. If you enable log information, you’ll be able to improve your troubleshooting experience.
The information gathered by this function is only available to you.
Namecheap VPN Locations and Servers
The Namecheap VPN server network ranges in size from modest to big. According to the website, there are over 1,000 servers dispersed across 50 sites.
The ones accessible in the Windows version of the programme are as follows:
- Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland are all represented.
- India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates are all located in Asia.
- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Peru are all in South America.
- Canada, Mexico, and the United States make up North America.
- Oceania includes Australia and New Zealand.
- Nigeria and South Africa are two African countries.
They’re located all over the world, with a large number of sites in the United States (17 cities) and the United Kingdom (5 cities). In addition, several locales, such as Costa Rica, Latvia, and Taiwan, are not available with most VPNs.
Namecheap VPN’s speed
When writing this Namecheap VPN review, I used Speedtest by Ookla to see how it performs in terms of speed. VPN services frequently result in a reduction in performance. The speed of your connection is determined by the VPN servers used by the service and their location. When you connect to adjacent ones, you usually obtain faster speeds.
So, these are the speeds I was able to get using the software. Let’s take a look at my basic speed in Serbia before we go.
Users who have posted Namecheap VPN reviews online have only good things to say about the app’s speed. This was validated by the first test I did.
I connected to a server in Zagreb, Croatia, which was close by. Both download and upload speeds dropped by 8%.
Then I switched to a server in Maidenhead, United Kingdom. It was one of the servers recommended by the app based on its speed. While browsing the web, the ten per cent decrease in download and upload speeds were nearly imperceptible.
I also wanted to see how quickly my connection would be if I connected to a server in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where a more significant drop is predicted. A 52% reduction is tolerable. My upload was only 14% lower.
So, in terms of speed, is Namecheap VPN a decent VPN? Yes, it is correct. Overall, speeds are excellent, and the VPN is excellent for web surfing, streaming, and gaming.
Namecheap VPN’s Privacy and Jurisdiction
The firm has a no-log policy, although it does gather certain information. Is it safe to use Namecheap VPN if you want your real information to stay private? The answer is yes, but it takes some investigation to be certain. There’s a large section explaining what information Namecheap saves when you go to the Privacy Policy website.
Essentially, the only information kept by the corporation is the model of your gadget and the version of your operating system. It’s for the aim of diagnosing and upgrading the software, according to the site’s information. As a result, your personal information should not be tracked. When creating this Namecheap VPN review, it’s also important to consider the rules that the firm must follow.
The headquarters of Namecheap is in Phoenix, Arizona. Because the United States is one of the founding members of the Five Eyes Alliance, your data will never be completely protected. The government has the authority to monitor all of your internet activities, and no VPN provider can completely avoid this.
Namecheap VPN Security and Protocols
When you pay for a VPN, you want the most secure options available. While the Namecheap VPN for Android and iOS has certain flaws, its security on the PC is excellent.
The firm uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is the industry’s gold standard. It also has the no-log policy that I mentioned previously. While Namecheap gathers some of your information (browser and OS version), your browsing history and other actions are kept private.
The encrypted DNS feature is available in all of its in-house apps. You have the option of using OpenVPN or IKEv2 as tunnelling protocols. The similarities between the mobile and desktop versions of Namecheap VPN end here. Additional security features include a kill switch, DNS leak prevention, and public Wi-Fi protection in the Namecheap VPN Mac, Windows, and Linux programmes.
However, none of these is available for Android or iOS. As a result, while you may expect to be safe when using Namecheap VPN on your PC, the protection you get on your phone is quite rudimentary.
Results of the Namecheap VPN Leak Test
You don’t want your VPN’s IP and DNS addresses to be exposed. Is Namecheap VPN capable of this?
On the IP Leak website, I tested Namecheap VPN for Windows.
This is how it fared.
First, I connected to the Maidenhead server in the United Kingdom. After the exam, I had no problems.
After that, I connected to a server in Brussels, Belgium, that I had never used before. It was also a success.
Then I connected to a South American server. The one in Bogota, Colombia, to be precise. Once again, no problems were discovered.
This section of my Namecheap review was a success overall. When I conducted IP and DNS leak tests on the software, I found no flaws.
Is Namecheap VPN good for Torrenting?
I also tested Namecheap VPN’s torrent capability while writing this evaluation. When utilising this VPN, I didn’t see anything that would prevent me from using uTorrent for peer-to-peer sharing. Here’s what it did when downloading Night of the Living Dead from the Internet Archive in 1968.
This is the speed I was able to achieve with my primary connection.
After that, I tried torrenting while connected to Namecheap VPN servers.
First, I connected to Maidenhead’s UK servers and began downloading. It was one of the places the app suggested based on its quickness.
The server in Lisbon, Portugal, was the next one I tried.
When utilising a VPN, some performance loss is to be expected, and the Namecheap VPN software operates just as you’d expect. In fact, I achieved identical speeds with some of the market’s more costly alternatives. Remember that downloading copyrighted media is illegal in certain countries, and you shouldn’t do it even if you’re using a VPN like Namecheap VPN.
Is it possible to circumvent geoblocks with Namecheap VPN?
Some countries have stricter internet privacy rules than others. A decent VPN service might be extremely useful in this situation. However, not all VPNs are efficient when it comes to circumventing geo-restrictions imposed by them.
As a result, another critical aspect of our Namecheap VPN review is whether the service can get beyond these limitations. Namecheap VPN does not operate in China and can not get beyond the Great Firewall. It also lacks any servers located in the country. Other nations with similar attitudes toward internet privacy, such as Russia and Turkey, are in the same boat.
User-Friendliness
Namecheap is a massive corporation with over 11 million registered users all over the world. Its app is sleek and professional, as one would expect. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS, and it can even be installed on your network.
The Namecheap VPN desktop client interface I tested included a “best available” location option, which makes it simple to select the quickest connection possible. Your current connection is also displayed by the app. It’s a useful tool for ensuring you’re connected to the Wi-Fi you want, rather than a shady choice nearby.
When it comes to the various alternatives accessible, the app keeps things simple. You can choose the virtual place you want to visit manually. You may also choose from Namecheap’s network of servers to indicate your preferences. The tag “best available place” is then applied to them.
You can also specify whether you want the programme to track your user activity. Only you can see the data it collects, and it’s used to improve your troubleshooting experience. If you need assistance with how to use Namecheap VPN, you can find all the necessary links within the software. The Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Send Feedback, and Live Chat pages are among them.
On the other hand, unlike some of the top VPN services, Namecheap does not offer browser extension plugins for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or other popular browsers.
Customer Service
When you visit the company’s website, you’ll see that it provides excellent customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Unlike other VPNs, Namecheap does not allow you to contact its customer service representatives through email. Instead, they may only be reached via the live chat feature.
You can even access it with a single click when using the Namecheap VPN for PC. When I contacted customer service, one of the representatives responded in less than a minute. Another amazing thing to highlight is that with only a few clicks, you can have the transcript of your whole chat emailed to your email.
Namecheap VPN Cost:
Before you have to provide your payment card information, you may use Namecheap VPN for free for a short time. Everything you get when you upgrade to premium is included in the one-month free version. Then, for $5.88 a month, you can renew it.
But it isn’t the company’s sole promotional offer.
If you sign up for the one-year plan right away, you’ll just have to pay $12, or $1 per month. After that, you can renew it for $34.56 every year.
So, what Namecheap VPN offers are there?
They are as follows:
- Plan for a month-$5.88
- for a year at $34.56 ($3.88/month)
A 30-day money-back guarantee is also available from the manufacturer. So, if you’re not satisfied with the service, you may request a refund with no questions asked.