Avira Phantom VPN Review

Avira Phantom VPN

$10.00/month

6.6

Pricing & Subscription Plans

8.0/10

Ease of Use

9.0/10

Speed & Server Locations

2.0/10

Security & Privacy

8.5/10

Streaming

2.0/10

Online Support

8.8/10

Additional Features

8.0/10

Pros

• Supports OpenVPN and IPSec
• 256-bit AES data encryption system
• German Telemedia Act & GDPR-EU Compliant
• Acess Netflix US and other video streaming services
• Supports P2P & Torrent
• Has Internet Kill Switch
• Has Adware & Malware Blocker
• Has DNS leak protection and IPV6 leak protection
• Pay subscription plans in 22 different currencies

Cons

• Limited server locations
• Slower server speeds
• No split tunneling

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Avira Phantom VPN Review

Avira Phantom VPN is one of the main software products being offered by Avira Operations GmbH & Co. KG. Yes, you heard it right. I know the brand sounds familiar since they are offering cybersecurity software products to the public since 2006. Avira is well-known for its anti-virus software that was developed earlier in 1986 through its predecessor company. If we sum it up, Avira has more than 30 years of experience in delivering cybersecurity products in the industry. For their Avira Phantom VPN software alone, the company has experienced more than 1 million downloads and subscriptions already. Currently speaking, Avira has approximately 500 employees worldwide. Read the full Avira Phantom VPN Review to learn more.

Jump to:

Pricing & Subscription Plans
Who is it for?
Ease of Use
Speed & Server Locations
Security & Privacy
Streaming
Online Support
Additional Features
Conclusion

Pricing & Subscription Plans

I found out that Avira Phantom VPN has 4 subscription plans. The first option is the free subscription plan which can give me 500 MB to 1 GB worth of monthly internet traffic. If I just download the software directly and use the VPN platform without registering for an account, I only get 500 MB worth of internet traffic while using the VPN. But if I register for an account, then my monthly internet traffic is increased to 1 GB. However, I found out that there is no internet kill switch program with the free VPN option. Moreover, I just have to warn you that only 1 VPN server can be used in the free plan.

There is also a paid monthly subscription plan (Pro) for $10.00 per month. There is also a yearly subscription plan (Pro) for $78.00 per year. On top of that, there is also a monthly mobile plan (Pro) for $4.99 per month via in-app purchase in Google Play or Apple Store. All of the paid Avira Phantom VPN Pro subscription plans have an internet kill switch program as well as access to customer support on top of the basic VPN services.

Both the free and paid pro subscription plans can accommodate unlimited simultaneous connections. I can pay my monthly subscription plans through PayPal or credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and JCB. I can also pay through 22 different currencies including USD, AUD, JPY, GBP, CNY, and many more.

Who is it for?

If you are a person who wants a free monthly VPN service worth 1 GB of internet traffic, then Avira Phantom VPN is best for you. If you are a person who looks at the experience of a VPN provider, then Avira Phantom VPN will pass your standard with flying colors. If you want to pay through multiple currencies, then Avira Phantom is your best option. If you want unlimited simultaneous connections, then I would recommend this VPN provider. Generally speaking, Avira Phantom VPN is also for people who want to experience encrypted and anonymous web browsing. It is also for people who want to bypass geo-restrictions, internet censorships, and VPN blockers. 

Ease of Use

Avira Phantom VPN is very easy to use based on my experience. As a matter of fact, I can download, install, and use the desktop client version of the Avira Phantom VPN without registering for an account if I’m using the free VPN option. The desktop client version is also very easy to use. The graphic user interface is easy to operate and maneuver. In fact, once the VPN platform through the desktop client version is open, I can easily secure my internet connection by clicking the “Secure my connection” button in the graphic user interface. Once I do that, I will then be connected to the VPN closest to my location or in most cases to the VPN server that I previously selected.

I can also change my virtual location by clicking on the virtual location setting right on top of the green “Secure my connection” button. Once I clicked the virtual location setting, I can immediately select the country or the specific server location I wish to connect to. At the upper right corner of the graphic user interface, there is a small circular icon that represents the various settings I can modify instantly. Once I clicked that, I will be redirected to the settings page of the graphic user interface. Settings include:

• Select virtual location
• Auto-connect VPN for Wi-Fi networks
• Display settings
• Block all internet traffic if VPN connection drops
• Block malicious sites and contents
• Lunch at system start
• Send diagnostic data

There are also 2 other buttons at the topmost part of the graphic user interface namely “Get Pro” and “Register. I can use Avira Phantom VPN on Windows, MacOS, as well as in mobile devices running on Android and iOS. There are also web browser extensions available for Google Chrome and Opera.

Speed & Server Locations

I found out that there are 46 server locations in 33 different countries strategically placed across geographical regions and continents worldwide. There are 13 servers locations found in the United States alone. It includes 1 special USA VPN server dedicated to video streaming services. The USA VPN servers represent 28.26% of the total server locations of Avira Phantom VPN. There are 2 server located in the United Kingdom. The rest of the countries where Avira Phantom VPN servers are present have 1 server location each.

Countries, where there are VPN servers, include the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Avira Phantom VPN uses an unlimited bandwidth system for the paid subscription plans.

Check the actual VPN server speed test results I conducted below. I just need to inform you that most of the VPN servers are only available in the Avira Phantom Pro VPN version.

Security & Privacy

Once connected to any of the Avira Phantom VPN servers, my original local I.P. address becomes hidden and is automatically masked by the VPN system. It then issues a separate virtual I.P. address which is used by Avira Phantom VPN to spoof my location and fool anyone who might want to track my exact location. My internet connection becomes encrypted too using the almighty 256-bit AES data encryption system.

I also discovered that Avira Phantom VPN uses the OpenVPN tunneling protocol on computers running on Windows OS and on mobile devices running on Android OS. I also found out that the VPN provider uses the IPSec protocol on MacOS and iOS devices. This best VPN service provider complies with the rules and regulations of the German Telemedia Act and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR-EU). Logging policies indicate that Avira only collects bandwidth usage. It does not collect data from users without consent. It also does not sell data to 3^rd parties. It does not store logs of original I.P. addresses, DNS requests, or any detail that could compromise my internet privacy and data security.

Streaming

I found out that there is a special USA VPN server dedicated to video streaming services. I tried and tested it and confirmed that I can bypass geo-restrictions and VPN blockers placed by Netflix US. In fact, all of the USA VPN servers of Avira Phantom can view and watch Netflix US shows. However, it took a longer time before the specific video or Netflix movie I selected and clicked played. In fact it took at least 14 seconds before the video started. I also experienced video buffering while watching. In fact, when the video finally played, the video quality was very poor. This means that the US servers were performing poorly especially when used for video streaming services. They are very slow. However, since there is a dedicated VPN server for streaming in the USA, I assume that it can also bypass geo-restrictions from other video streaming services primarily located in the USA.

Online Support

After searching for the online customer support system of Avira Phantom VPN, I found out that it has a knowledgebase and comprehensive answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on its website. There is also a webpage for the community forum as well. In order to talk with the technical team of Avira Phantom VPN, I need to pay for the paid pro subscription plan first. Should I need to speak with a data protection officer, I can contact the personnel at datenschutzbeauftragter@avira.de.

Additional Features

Avira Phantom VPN has an internet kill switch, adware and malware blocker, mobile applications, P2P & Torrent, DNS leak protection, and IPV6 leak protection.

Internet Kill Switch

The internet kill switch prevents me from connecting to the internet if my VPN connection is suddenly disrupted and dropped. It shuts off my Wi-Fi or Ethernet access automatically if the VPN connection is dropped. The feature works well based on my experience.

Adware & Malware Blocker

When I activate the adware and malware blocker, all the unsolicited ads that might appear on a website suddenly disappears. It also prevents other malware such as viruses and ransomware from penetrating my local computer as well. Web data harvesting trackers are blocked as well.

P2P & Torrent

All of the VPN servers of Avira Phantom VPN support P2P and torrent. This means that I can download and upload files securely over the internet. I could also download and upload torrent files as well.

Mobile Applications

I can download the Android and iOS versions of Avira Phantom VPN. However, I need to pay for a mobile subscription plan so that I can use it effectively. I can secure my internet connection even when connecting to public Wi-Fi because of this feature.

Other Features

The VPN provider has DNS leak protection and IPV6 leak protection.

Conclusion

My internet privacy and data security is established whenever using Avira Phantom VPN. In fact, the VPN system is totally secured because of 256-bit AES encryption. It masks my original I.P. address and issues a false one whenever connected to the VPN. Because of this, anonymous web browsing is possible for me. It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections. The VPN platform is also easy to use, operate, and maneuver. I can also bypass geo-restrictions and VPN blockers placed by Netflix US. Video streaming experience when connected to the US servers is well and good. However, when tested in various VPN locations, I can see a noticeable decline in terms of download and upload speeds. The subscription prices are within the acceptable prevailing rates in the market. While Avira Phantom VPN is strong in terms of privacy and security, I can think of many VPN options that I can use as a substitute because of the low-speed performance it showed.

I hope I answered all your questions within this Avira Phantom VPN Review. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section down below!