Astrill VPN Review

Astrill VPN: What Sets It Apart

Astrill VPN is a censorship-bypass specialist built for China and other restrictive regions. Its proprietary Stealth protocol disguises VPN traffic as ordinary HTTPS, surviving deep packet inspection that kills most competitors. At $30 per month, it charges 3 to 5 times more than mainstream providers for a narrowly focused product.

Founded in 2009 and incorporated in the Seychelles, Astrill optimized hard for one customer profile. The company developed two proprietary protocols, Stealth and OpenWeb, specifically to penetrate state-level firewalls. When China tightens its Great Firewall before sensitive political dates, Astrill historically maintains connectivity while mainstream VPNs go dark.

That singular focus comes with trade-offs everywhere else. A 76/100 trust score reflects the lowest ranking among all 22 providers we tested. The server network, privacy practices, speed performance, and pricing all lag behind competitors that cost a fraction of the price. Astrill solves one problem exceptionally well. It solves most other problems poorly.

Astrill VPN Speed and Performance

The Speed Lab measured Astrill at 400 Mbps, ranking 19th out of 22 providers tested. That headline number tells only part of the story. Latency hit 180 ms in our tests, which creates noticeable lag during video calls, gaming, and real-time collaboration.

Windows users face the worst performance. Our testing revealed a 4,800% latency increase on the Windows client compared to baseline. Upload speeds dropped 71 to 80% across platforms. These numbers make Astrill unsuitable for tasks that depend on responsive connections or upstream bandwidth. Uploading files, streaming on Twitch, or running video conferences will suffer.

Protocol choice matters significantly with Astrill. The Stealth protocol prioritizes obfuscation over raw throughput. It wraps traffic in layers of disguise that add overhead. OpenWeb performs faster for general browsing but offers less protection against deep packet inspection. WireGuard and OpenVPN are available as standard options, but they defeat the purpose of choosing Astrill in the first place. If you don’t need obfuscation, faster providers exist at lower prices.

For users inside China, context changes the calculus. A 400 Mbps connection that actually works behind the Great Firewall beats a 900 Mbps connection that gets blocked entirely. Speed benchmarks measured from unrestricted networks miss this critical reality. The relevant comparison is not Astrill versus NordVPN in London. It is Astrill versus no internet access at all.

Astrill VPN Security and Privacy

Astrill’s Seychelles incorporation places it outside the Five Eyes and Fourteen Eyes intelligence alliances. No mandatory data retention laws apply. On paper, this is favorable. In practice, the company’s own logging behavior undermines the jurisdictional advantage.

Session Logging Remains the Primary Concern

Astrill’s privacy policy explicitly states the company records session data. This includes your IP address, connection timestamp, device type, and application version. Every session. Every user. This is not passive metadata captured by infrastructure. It is actively retained information that links your identity to your VPN activity.

Compare this to Mullvad, which retains nothing and survived a police raid with nothing to produce. NordVPN’s no-logs policy has been independently verified by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Astrill has never submitted to an independent security audit. No third party has verified what the company does or does not store.

Encryption and Protocol Details

Astrill supports AES-256 encryption across its protocols. The Stealth protocol layers obfuscation on top of OpenVPN, making traffic appear as standard HTTPS. A kill switch exists on desktop clients and blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops. DNS leak protection is built into the apps.

These are competent security features. They meet industry standards without exceeding them. The absence of an independent audit, combined with confirmed session logging, means you are trusting Astrill’s word rather than verified evidence. For users in China who need a functioning VPN, that trade-off may be acceptable. For privacy-focused users with other options, it should not be.

Astrill VPN Streaming and Content Access

Astrill accesses Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer in our testing. Performance was inconsistent across server locations. Some U.S. servers connected reliably to Netflix. Others failed or required multiple reconnection attempts.

The 300+ servers across 57+ countries provide reasonable geographic coverage for streaming. However, competitors like ExpressVPN and NordVPN maintain 3,000 to 6,000+ servers and deliver more consistent results. Astrill lacks the dedicated streaming server infrastructure that larger providers have built.

SmartDNS is not available as a standalone feature. Users who want to access streaming on devices that don’t support VPN apps, like smart TVs or gaming consoles, have fewer options with Astrill. Router-level installation works but adds complexity.

The 180 ms latency creates buffering issues on high-definition streams. 4K content requires sustained bandwidth and low latency. Astrill can deliver the bandwidth at 400 Mbps but struggles with the latency requirement. Expect occasional buffering, especially on servers geographically distant from your location.

Astrill VPN Device Compatibility

Astrill offers native apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. Router support covers common firmware including DD-WRT, Tomato, and ASUS Merlin. The 5 simultaneous device limit sits below the industry average. NordVPN allows 10. Surfshark allows unlimited.

The desktop apps are functional but dated. The interface lacks the polish of competitors like ExpressVPN or CyberGhost. Navigation works. Settings are accessible. But the design reflects a product that prioritized protocol engineering over user experience.

Mobile apps receive mixed user feedback. The iOS app performs adequately. The Android app occasionally requires manual reconnection after network switches. Neither app matches the stability of top-tier competitors.

Browser extensions are not available. This limits flexibility for users who want to route only browser traffic through the VPN while keeping other applications on their direct connection. The router installation option partially compensates by covering all devices on a network, but it consumes 1 of 5 allowed connections.

Who Should Use Astrill VPN

Astrill serves one audience exceptionally well: people who live in, work in, or travel to China and need reliable internet access. Business travelers making regular trips to mainland China will find Astrill’s Stealth protocol more reliable than most alternatives. Expatriates in China who need consistent access to Western services represent the core customer base.

Users in Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, and other countries with aggressive VPN blocking may also benefit. Astrill’s obfuscation technology was built specifically for these environments. If your government actively blocks VPN protocols, Astrill’s track record matters more than its speed ranking.

Everyone else should look elsewhere. The $30 monthly price buys less capability than NordVPN at roughly $3 to $4 per month on a 2-year plan. The 180 ms latency makes it poor for gaming. The 71 to 80% upload loss makes it poor for content creation. The session logging makes it poor for serious privacy. The 300+ server count makes it limited for geographic flexibility.

If you want speed, choose a provider ranked higher than 19th out of 22. If you want privacy, choose a provider with verified no-logs policies. If you want streaming, choose a provider with dedicated streaming infrastructure. Astrill is the right tool for a specific job. It is the wrong tool for almost every other job.

Frequently Asked Questions

AllHow it worksSpeed & StreamingSafety & PrivacyPricingSetup & Support

How does Astrill VPN’s Stealth protocol bypass China’s Great Firewall?

Astrill’s proprietary Stealth protocol wraps OpenVPN traffic in layers that disguise it as ordinary HTTPS, letting it slip past the deep packet inspection China uses to detect VPN traffic. Astrill also offers OpenWeb, a faster proprietary protocol with less obfuscation. Founded in 2009 and incorporated in Seychelles, Astrill has historically maintained connectivity during Great Firewall crackdowns when mainstream VPNs go dark.

How does Astrill VPN perform in independent speed testing?

Astrill ranks #19 of 22 in our Speed Lab, aggregated from independent labs, one of the weakest showings we recorded. Windows users see the steepest drop, with a 4,800% latency increase compared to baseline, and upload speeds fall 71 to 80% across platforms. That tradeoff happens because the Stealth protocol prioritizes evading deep packet inspection over raw throughput.

Does Astrill VPN keep logs of my activity?

Yes, partially. Astrill’s privacy policy explicitly states it records session data, including your IP address, connection timestamp, device type, and app version, for every session. The company claims this data is deleted once the session ends, but that claim has never been independently audited. Compare that to providers like NordVPN, whose no-logs policy has been verified by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Is Astrill VPN legal, and where is the company based?

Yes, Astrill VPN is legal in most countries, including China, where using a VPN itself isn’t illegal even though the government restricts unlicensed providers. Astrill is incorporated in Seychelles, outside the Five Eyes and Fourteen Eyes intelligence alliances, with no mandatory data retention laws. However, no independent audit has verified how the company handles the session data it does collect.

How much does Astrill VPN cost?

Astrill’s cheapest rate is from $12.50/month on its longest 2-year plan, while its standard monthly rate runs $30/month, among the highest of any provider we’ve reviewed. That premium buys 300+ servers across 57+ countries and 5 simultaneous device connections, roughly 3 to 5 times the cost of mainstream competitors for a network built around censorship bypass rather than broad server coverage.

Can I get a refund if Astrill VPN doesn’t work for me?

Astrill backs every plan with a 7-day money-back guarantee, shorter than the 30-day window many competitors offer. That narrow trial period matters if you’re testing whether the Stealth protocol actually holds up against your country’s specific censorship methods, since firewall behavior can shift and a week may not be enough to confirm reliable, long-term access.

How many devices can I connect with one Astrill VPN account?

Astrill’s standard plans cover 5 simultaneous device connections, below what providers like NordVPN (10) or Surfshark (unlimited) offer. Native apps exist for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux, and router support covers DD-WRT, Tomato, and ASUS Merlin firmware, though installing on a router consumes one of your five allowed connections rather than counting separately.

Does Astrill VPN work with Netflix and other streaming services?

Astrill accessed Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer during testing, but results were inconsistent across server locations, with some U.S. servers connecting reliably and others failing outright. Astrill also lacks a standalone SmartDNS feature, so devices that can’t run VPN apps, like smart TVs or consoles, have fewer options here than with providers offering dedicated streaming infrastructure.

What security features does Astrill VPN actually include?

Astrill uses AES-256 encryption across its protocols, including Stealth, OpenWeb, WireGuard, and OpenVPN, plus a kill switch on desktop clients that blocks traffic if the connection drops, and built-in DNS leak protection. These are competent, industry-standard features, but Astrill has never submitted to an independent security audit, so its no-logs and data-deletion claims remain unverified by any third party.

How should I set up Astrill VPN before traveling to China?

Download and install the Astrill app before entering mainland China, since both app stores and Astrill’s own site can become inaccessible once you’re behind the Great Firewall. Once installed, select the Stealth protocol rather than WireGuard or OpenVPN, since Stealth is purpose-built to disguise traffic as regular HTTPS and survive the deep packet inspection that blocks standard protocols.

What if Astrill VPN feels too slow for video calls or gaming?

Switch away from the Stealth protocol to OpenWeb, which trades some obfuscation for less overhead and faster performance. On local servers, gaming latency was low enough for casual play in testing, though titles like Call of Duty: Warzone and Rainbow Six Siege refused to connect entirely while Rocket League and Apex Legends worked normally. A VIP server add-on offers lower latency for competitive play at extra cost.

What happens if Astrill gets blocked despite the Stealth protocol?

Try switching to the OpenWeb protocol as a backup, since it uses a different obfuscation profile than Stealth, or reconnect to Astrill’s China-specific Supercharged servers, built specifically for Great Firewall bypass. No VPN guarantees permanent access as censorship tactics evolve, but Astrill’s proprietary protocols have historically maintained connectivity during crackdowns when mainstream competitors have gone completely dark.