Atlas VPN Review 2022 – Is This Budget VPN Worth It?

Atlas VPN is an up-and-coming service that is getting lots of attention in the “budget” VPN category. To be clear, the prices are great, and they even have a limited “free” plan — but is it worth your time?

This Atlas VPN review dug deep to answer this question based on numerous tests with speeds, VPN apps, reliability, streaming support, and more. While I liked a lot of what I found, there are also some drawbacks you need to first consider.

Atlas VPN Overview

Before we dive into the details of this Atlas VPN review, we can first touch on the Pros and Cons of Atlas VPN.

So let’s kick off this Atlas VPN review by first looking into the background of Atlas VPN.

Background check

With all of our VPN reviews, we first do a background check of the company. After all, when you use a VPN, you place a lot of trust in the service to properly handle your traffic and not do anything shady in the background. So let’s examine the background of Atlas VPN.

Atlas VPN is a no-logs VPN service that is based in the United States (we’ll discuss the problems of US jurisdiction further below). It officially launched in 2019 and has made a name for itself as a budget, freemium VPN service.

In October 2021, news broke that Nord Security acquired Atlas VPN. This puts a major, high-profile cybersecurity company behind Atlas VPN. Nord Security is also the company behind both NordVPN and Surfshark, as well as other security products, such as NordPass and NordLocker.

Atlas VPN has a clean track record. It has not suffered from any data scandals (that I could find) and it has also passed third-party security audits. It passes the background check with flying colors.

Atlas VPN apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS

Atlas VPN currently has dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. While this is a great lineup for an up-and-coming VPN, you will notice that Linux and routers did not make the list (more on that below in the Cons section).

Overall, the VPN apps with Atlas VPN worked well. I did have some issues with using the WireGuard protocol in the Windows app, but other protocols worked.

Windows VPN app

Most of the tests for this Atlas VPN review were carried out on the Windows app.

Above you can see that the server list is broken down into three categories:

• All servers (every server in the network)
• Streaming servers that are optimized for streaming services
• Privacy Pro servers that incorporate additional privacy features

The Windows VPN app was easy to use and also offers some great settings and features, which we’ll discuss more below. Our guide on the best VPN for Windows examines other options as well.

Atlas VPN macOS app

The Atlas VPN macOS app also performed well in all VPN tests. It did not have any bugs, failures, or data leaks. You can see in the image below that the basic layout was the same that we saw above with the Windows VPN client.

Atlas VPN also put up excellent speed test results with the macOS VPN app with WireGuard enabled. Now let’s look at the mobile apps.

Android and iOS VPN apps

Lastly, we also need to discuss the mobile apps available with Atlas VPN. They offer apps for Android and iOS. These mobile apps include the basic features and settings we found above with the desktop apps. If you need a VPN for Android, Atlas VPN may be worth considering. It currently has a good 4.5 rating on the Google Play Store.

Lastly, the iOS app also offers access to all of the basic and premium servers, plus all of the features we find elsewhere. If you’re looking for the best VPN for iPhone in the “freemium” category, it may be worth checking out.

Strong security and encryption standards

When you select a VPN service, you don’t want it to cut corners with security. If that happens, you may end up with a situation like the Windscribe security breach where a foreign government gets access to the VPN’s private keys and potential access to snoop traffic.

Fortunately, we see that Atlas VPN is following industry best practices with robust encryption and secure VPN protocols. This table summarizes Atlas VPN’s encryption and VPN protocols:

Encryption Cipher	AES-256
VPN Protocols	WireGuard & IKEv2
Hash Authentication	SHA-384
Leak protection	VPN kill switch

It’s great to see Atlas VPN is prominently using the WireGuard VPN protocol in all apps. Interestingly, we also see that it does not support OpenVPN, which was previously the longstanding leader for VPN protocols.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, the newer WireGuard protocol offers numerous advantages over OpenVPN, particularly in the area of speed. You can see in the OpenVPN vs WireGuard comparison that WireGuard was significantly faster with all servers tested.

Changing protocols within the VPN app is simple. You just need to go into the Settings and then click on Protocols, as you can see in the screenshot below. For the best speeds and reliability, WireGuard would be the ideal protocol to select.

Note: If you want access to more VPN protocols, particularly with OpenVPN, you could consider other industry leaders, such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN.

Atlas VPN speed tests

For this Atlas VPN review, I purchased a premium subscription in order to test servers in different regions. All speed tests were conducted using the WireGuard protocol with the desktop VPN apps on a 500 Mbps connection.

Test #1: Los Angeles, USA

For the first test, Atlas VPN clocked in at 156 Mbps.

Given that this test was conducted on a 500 Mbps line and I was using the WireGuard protocol, it’s not a great result. Let’s try a few other locations.

Test #2: New York, USA

Next up was an Atlas VPN server in New York. The speed test results were better at 232 Mbps.

This in more in line with what we’d expect under the testing conditions, but certainly a long shot from the fastest VPNs we have tested.

Test #3: London, UK

Finally, I also ran a test with a server in the UK. The result was about average at 154 Mbps download speeds.

Overall, these speed test results are about average. With other VPNs that support WireGuard, we have also seen big differences in speeds, as you can see in the ProtonVPN vs NordVPN comparison where NordVPN came out on top. There are certainly faster VPNs on the market, but there are also slower VPNs out there.

Atlas VPN’s extra privacy features

Despite being a budget VPN, Atlas VPN still packs in lots of useful features. Let’s examine these features in more detail.

Tracker Blocker

This feature actually blocks more than just trackers. It also blocks ads and malicious websites when the VPN connection is active. To enable Tracker Blocker within the VPN app, simply click on Assistant and then select Tracker Blocker as you can see in the screenshot below.

We see other VPNs with ad blocking features, including both NordVPN and CyberGhost (but some VPNs do it better than others).

Data Breach Monitor

You can also see in the screenshot above there is a “Data Breach Monitor” feature you can select. This feature is relatively simple. It allows you to enter your email address and then it will check whether that email address appears in databases of known data breaches. This works the same way as the HaveIBeenPwned data breach checker tool that is maintained by cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt. This does not expose your email address to third parties.

SafeSwap and MultiHop+

Two other additional privacy features worth discussing are SafeSwap and MultiHop.

According to Atlas VPN’s website, SafeSwap “allows you to have many rotating IP addresses without having to switch between different VPN servers.” With other VPNs, you’ll only get a new IP address when you disconnect and then reconnect to another VPN server. With Atlas VPN, the SafeSwap feature can constantly rotate IP addresses without disconnecting the VPN.

The MultiHop+ feature allows you to route traffic over multiple locations. Here is Atlas VPN’s explanation:

MultiHop+ passes your internet traffic through multiple random servers in different countries instead of one, a process called VPN chaining. This way, your data is protected with several layers of encryption. Additionally, the exit VPN server keeps rotating, making it near impossible to track your online activity across the web

You can simply click on the Privacy Pro servers, and then select MultiHop in the region of your choice:

See all of Atlas VPN’s security features here >>

Cheap prices, plus a free plan

Atlas VPN definitely fits into the cheap VPN category, with prices well under $4 per month. It currently has three paid pricing plans, as well as a limited free plan. The prices for the paid subscriptions are still quite reasonable. The two-year plan offers the best deal at only $2.05 per month.

See all prices and discounts here >>

All of the Atlas VPN paid plans come with a full 30 day money-back guarantee.

Atlas VPN free plan

Atlas VPN also offers a limited “free” plan with the following restrictions:

• 10 GB of data per month (this will not take long to use up)
• 3 server locations
• No access to premium features
• No access to streaming or Privacy Pro servers

Once you use up the 10 GB of data, you are still left with the choice of which paid VPN to use. Nonetheless, the free option could function as a free trial VPN, allowing you to test the service without paying anything upfront.

Works well for streaming

Many people are using a VPN for streaming today, especially to access a wide array of content from around the world. However, some VPNs shine in this area, while others fall behind the rest.

Atlas VPN does well with streaming and unblocks the major libraries:

• Netflix – We regularly test different VPNs to find the best VPN for Netflix. Atlas VPN currently works with most of the major Netflix regions.
• BBC iPlayer – BBC iPlayer is notoriously tricky to unblock. However, Atlas VPN is currently a VPN that works for BBC iPlayer streaming.
• Amazon Prime – The last area to look at is Amazon Prime, which is one of the easier services to unblock. Fortunately, Atlas VPN works for this as well. You can see other VPNs for Amazon Prime here.

It’s important to remember that you need to first select the Streaming services if you want to be able to access streaming websites, as you can see here:

Support for streaming devices (FireStick and Android TV)

Another major category that falls under streaming is using a VPN with Firestick and Fire TV devices. Most of the best VPNs for Firestick offer a dedicated app. Atlas VPN shines here too, with a dedicated app for Amazon Firestick and Fire TV. Simply download the app to your Firestick device and enjoy full access to streaming.

Lastly, you can also use Atlas VPN on Android TV devices with a dedicated app as well. In short, if you enjoy streaming, Atlas VPN has you covered.

Now that we have covered the Pros, let’s examine the Cons of Atlas VPN

Based in the United States (bad privacy jurisdiction)

Choosing a VPN in a good jurisdiction matters. We have documented many reasons over the years for this, but a good overview can be found in our guide on the Five Eyes alliance, which is a group of countries that work together to spy on people.

There have also been many cases over the years showing the downfalls of operating a VPN from the United States:

• Just recently, a court settlement forced TorGuard to block torrenting on all servers in the US. Other US-based VPNs have also lost in court when it comes to lawsuits over torrenting on the VPN’s network.
• A few years ago, news broke that “no logs” IPVanish was logging users for criminal investigations.
• Back in 2013, there was an infamous case where Lavabit was forced to hand over encryption keys or shut down (it chose the latter).

Does jurisdiction matter to you?

It all depends on your threat model and adversaries. If your primary focus is on streaming Netflix while on vacation and preventing your ISP from logging everything you do online, Atlas VPN is probably a great fit. And it’s also a great value with the current prices.

If you want the maximum amount of privacy, however, I’d recommend considering a verified no logs VPN that is not based in the Five Eyes.

No support for Linux or routers

Earlier in this Atlas VPN review we talked about VPN apps for all the major operating systems. However, there were two noteworthy exceptions:

• Linux – Atlas VPN offers zero support for Linux. This is especially surprising given its focus on privacy and security features. See these other best VPNs for Linux.
• Routers – Not having any support for routers is also strange. However, since Atlas VPN does not support OpenVPN, which is needed for most VPN routers, it also makes sense. We have a guide on VPN routers that discusses various options.

Small server network

The last con we need to discuss in this Atlas VPN review is the server network. Now, being a relatively new and growing VPN service, it’s understandable that Atlas VPN does not have a massive global network like we saw in the NordVPN vs PIA comparison.

So here are the current numbers:

Servers	750
Countries	34
Locations	40

This is pretty limited when compared to some of the larger VPN services that boast thousands of servers and coverage in over 50+ countries. For example, you can see this in our Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison with each VPN having servers in 60+ countries.

However, this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most users. If you are getting the speeds and access you need, there are no problems.

Atlas VPN review conclusion

Overall, Atlas VPN performed well for this review. It is a polished app that has a lot to offer. And with the cheap prices, this VPN delivers value.

As always, however, you should keep jurisdiction in mind. Atlas VPN operates in the United States, which has a very precarious history when it comes to privacy issues. This is the one big drawback I currently see with Atlas VPN — perhaps they can re-locate sometime in the future.

For now, you can check out Atlas VPN here, or see our other VPN reviews here.