Freedome VPN, developed by the esteemed Finnish security firm F-Secure, is a dependable and straightforward VPN solution. It is known for its ease of use, cross-platform compatibility, and lightweight nature. Despite its relatively modest network of 27 servers across 21 locations, Freedome offers respectable speeds and unrestricted bandwidth. It supports streaming services and P2P activities, making it a versatile choice for various users.
Features
F-Secure, a veteran in the security industry since 1988, delivers Freedome VPN as part of its extensive product lineup. Freedome VPN stands out for its user-centric approach to privacy. The service offers a fully functional five-day free trial without requiring any personal information such as email or phone numbers. This trial allows users to test the service across multiple devices with no limitations, a commendable feature in today’s privacy-focused landscape.
Freedome VPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, with its mobile app reflecting the simplicity and functionality of the desktop version. The user interface is intuitive, featuring a prominent Connect button and easy navigation through server locations. The app automatically suggests the optimal server for performance based on the user’s location, ensuring a seamless experience with minimal lag or glitches.
The VPN does not impose bandwidth limits and permits both streaming and P2P activities. However, users should be cautious with server selection, especially avoiding servers in countries with stringent anti-piracy laws, such as Germany, France, Japan, the UK, and the US, for P2P usage.
Freedome includes a tracker-blocking feature with an interactive visual map to display blocked trackers. While this feature is intriguing, its practical value may be limited. The application is designed for ease of use, focusing on essential features without offering customization options such as protocol or encryption choices, a kill switch, or leak protection.
The official website provides a comprehensive knowledge base and download section, along with support options including live chat and regional phone numbers. Note that support is available only during standard business hours.
Pricing
Freedome VPN offers a straightforward pricing structure:
- A five-day free trial is available with no registration or bandwidth restrictions.
- Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Payment options include credit/debit cards, wire transfer, and PayPal, but do not support Bitcoin.
- The service provides unlimited data usage.
The paid plans are differentiated by the number of simultaneous device connections:
- The annual plan for three devices is priced at €39.90.
- The plan for seven devices costs €69.90.
- The two-year plan for seven devices is available for €89.90.
Performance Tests
During peak hours, Freedome VPN demonstrated impressive performance. While my initial speeds without the VPN were not optimal, Freedome managed to maintain minimal latency and offered substantial improvements in download speeds. Notably, upload speeds increased up to five times while connected. I experienced reliable connectivity with US and UK servers.
Speed Test Results:
- Before Connecting to Freedome:
- [Insert pre-connection speed statistics here]
- When Connected to US Server:
- [Insert US server speed statistics here]
- When Connected to UK Server:
- [Insert UK server speed statistics here]
Security Tests
The security tests revealed mixed results:
- Freedome VPN did not exhibit DNS leaks.
- However, there were WebRTC and IPv6 leaks.
F-Secure provides a detailed explanation of the absence of WebRTC leak protection and offers straightforward methods to address this issue.
When evaluating streaming services with a VPN, the real test often reveals the shortcomings of many PR campaigns.
I was pleased to find that Freedome successfully unblocked both BBC iPlayer and Netflix US.
Privacy
F-Secure demonstrates a strong commitment to privacy. Their user experience is exemplary, with their FAQs, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service being concise, clear, and straightforward.
They do not maintain logs that could link users to their browsing destinations. However, they retain temporary logs of VPN session duration, data volume, device ID, and public IP address from which the connection is made for up to 90 days. This retention is aimed at safeguarding the network against abuse. Additionally, their Track Mapper feature, which logs tracking data to build a map, is optional, and users are assured that the data is deleted.
F-Secure’s transparency in explaining its practices is commendable, setting a standard that many other companies could benefit from emulating.
Security
Conversely, F-Secure’s encryption protocols are detailed in their community FAQs, which may not be the most intuitive location for such fundamental information. They utilize AES-128 and AES-256 encryption. However, there is no information available regarding OpenVPN or any custom settings that might include it as an option.
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