Shellfire VPN Review

Shellfire VPN

$11.95/month

4.7

Pricing & Subscription Plans

4.9/10

Ease of Use

6.0/10

Speed & Server Locations

2.0/10

Security & Privacy

7.0/10

Streaming

9.2/10

Online Support

2.0/10

Additional Features

2.0/10

Pros

• Has 128-bit AES & 256-bit AES data encryption
• Supports OpenVPN, PPTP, IPsec, UDP, and TCP
• Circumvent DPI firewalls and VPN blockers
• Has mobile applications for Android & iOS
• Access Netflix US, Hulu, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, USA Network, and Crunchy Doll

Cons

• High subscription prices
• Limited number of servers
• Very slow VPN server speeds
• Graphic User Interface (GUI) is outdated and hard to maneuver
• Desktop client version has some bugs
• No user manuals & knowledge base
• No additional features
• 1 connection only is allowed
• Collects substantial user information and records connection logs including websites accessed and the original I.P. address used

Go To Shellfire VPN

ShellfireVPN Review

Shellfire VPN is one of the virtual private network providers that have been continuously helping the public to have secure and encrypted internet access while providing the best internet privacy services. As a matter of fact, this best VPN service provider has extensive experience in providing internet anonymity and security services since it started operating in 2002. It first ventured to web hosting services before Shellfire VPN decided to expand its core offerings as a VPN provider. As of this moment, there are already 250,000 people trusting Shellfire VPN as evidenced by the number of active VPN subscriptions. The virtual private network was founded by Max Behr and Florian Gattung. They are both CEOs in the company itself. Shellfire Gattung & Behr GbR is located at Rosenweg 18, 61118 Bad Vilbel, Germany. Read the full Shellfire 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

As I looked at the pricing structure of Shellfire VPN, I found out that there are 4 subscription plans that the VPN provider is offering. First, there is a free lifetime subscription plan which gives you access to VPN servers in Germany and in the United States of America. In the free lifetime account, the number of servers that can be accessed is very limited. On top of that, the free lifetime subscription plan only implements a 128-bit AES encryption which is lower than the current standard. On the other hand, the monthly, yearly, and 2-year subscription plans come with a 256-bit AES encryption and can access VPN servers in 37 countries.

The sad thing that I discovered is that only 1 connection is allowed at once. If you try connecting more than 1 device simultaneously, the VPN connection on other devices will not push through. There is also a money-back guarantee that lasts for 14 days starting from the day of the subscription purchase. Check the price table below for more details.

 I can also easily pay for my chosen subscription plan through bank transfers, credit cards, PayPal, cryptocurrencies, Sofort, and Pay-Per-Phone. There are 3 currencies that are accepted. I can easily select whether to pay with USD, Euro, or British Pound. Of course, the preferred currency is still the USD. Bank transfers take between 0 to 3 days before account activation. Cryptocurrencies take around 15 minutes before account activation. PayPal and credit card payments allow instant account activations.

Who is it for?

Shellfire VPN is for people who want to have free but limited access to virtual private network services. It is also for people who accepted the fact that even the paid subscription plans can only accommodate 1 connection at once.

Ease of Use

It is easy to download the desktop client version of Shellfire VPN on my computer based on my experience. I just need to click the “Download” menu option so that I can be redirected to another page where the download buttons are present. I can download the Windows OS version or the Mac OS version. On top of that, I can download the Shellfire VPN on Android & iOS mobile devices. But in my case, I downloaded the Windows OS version. The process took 35 seconds. I also need to inform you that Shellfire VPN routers are being sold as a separate product for $133.05.

It is also easy to sign up for an account and pay for a subscription plan. I just need to go to the “Prices” menu, select a subscription plan, and click the “Order Now” button. It will redirect me to a page wherein I can type my e-mail address and chosen password. I just need to fill up that part and then I just need to select the payment method before clicking the secondary “Order Now” button. After that, I just need to wait for further instructions and verification via e-mail.

However, the Graphic User Interface (GUI) of Shellfire VPN is not that good. It seems to be outdated and hard to manoeuvre based on my experience. The desktop client version also has some bugs as I tested it.

Once I’m inside my account through the desktop client version of Shellfire VPN, there is a circular gear icon that symbolizes the various settings than can be personalized. Once I clicked the icon, a smaller screen appeared with the various available settings menu options. The settings include:

• Save login data
• Login automatically
• Save VPN choice
• Start on boot
• Connect automatically
• Show status site after connection has been established
• Language (English, French, or German)

These options have boxes that can be checked and unchecked to activate or deactivate the said settings option. Once I finished modifying the settings, I just clicked the “Save settings” button to finalize the changes.

Aside from the settings mentioned above, there are also other things that can be modified such as the following:

• Connection (Connect or Disconnect)
• Server List (Change VPN location)
• Map (Show encryption route whenever connected)
• USA Streams

These settings are further discussed under security and privacy section as well as the additional features section of this particular review.

Speed & Server Locations

I found out that Shellfire VPN has servers in 37 countries spread throughout 6 different continents worldwide. According to the VPN provider, they offer unlimited bandwidth for their VPN service. However, it is evident that the VPN servers have very slow speeds based on the actual test. It is also important to note that I observed that I can do unlimited server switching on the VPN platform too.

Countries where Shellfire VPN servers are located include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Check the actual server speed tests I conducted in the table below.

Security & Privacy

I can protect myself against hackers and defend myself against illegal surveillance and espionage by connecting to the Shellfire VPN platform. All I have to do is select one of the 37 VPN servers that are available from the list in the desktop client version of Shellfire VPN and then click the “Connect” button. Once connected to the VPN server, I noticed that my original I.P. address has been hidden and has been replaced with one of the I.P. addresses connected to the VPN server. I can also change my connection type from UDP to TCP and vice versa.

I also found out that Shellfire VPN uses a 256-bit AES encryption in the paid subscription plans. However, for the free lifetime subscription plan, the encryption is only 128-bit AES. On top of that, I also found out that Shellfire VPN supports OpenVPN, PPTP, IPsec, UDP, and TCP. The Shellfire VPN Router that is sold as a separate product uses the Wireguard VPN protocol.

The VPN provider also claims that it Implements a zero-logging policy. However, it is a big fat lie if you dig into the privacy policies, disclaimers, as well as terms and conditions of the VPN provider. Shellfire VPN indeed collects, records, and stores user’s data as well as connection logs including websites accessed and the original I.P. address. On top of that, there is also a disclaimer wherein the VPN provider will not be held responsible if the encryption is cracked or information the VPN gathered leaks out to the intelligence gathering and surveillance agencies. This means to say, that Shellfire VPN is not entirely safe.

Streaming

I was able to bypass geo-restrictions as well as circumvent DPI firewalls and VPN blockers implemented by Netflix US. I waited for 14 seconds before the video I selected initially loaded and played. It might be longer than when connected to other VPN providers but I still had a smooth video streaming experience with Netflix US while connected to Shellfire VPN. I had not experienced a technical issue and there was no trace of any video buffering at all. The server speed is still okay and works relatively fast when streaming shows from Netflix US. Aside from Netflix US, I can also bypass VPN blockers and DPI firewalls of video streaming services such as Hulu, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, USA Network, and Crunchy Doll.

Online Support

The online customer support system is also outdated too. There are no user manuals and knowledgebase. Even the answers to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) are not so helpful at all. There is limited information. There is even no live chat support system. All the VPN provider has is e-mail customer support system. I can contact the VPN provider by sending an e-mail to hosting@shellfire.de. There is also a phone number provided but I’m not sure if it entertains technical related concerns. Just dial +49 (0) 6101 659 252 40.

Additional Features

There are no additional features that Shellfire VPN can offer except the existence of mobile applications. It does not have Internet Kill Switch and it does not have a VPN split tunneling option. It also doesn’t have a multi-hop routing option.

Mobile Applications

Shellfire VPN is available in both Google Play Store and Apple Store. This means that Shellfire VPN has mobile applications running on Android OS and iOS. I can encrypt my internet traffic even when connecting to public Wi-Fi through my mobile phone.

Conclusion

I can protect myself against hackers and defend myself against illegal surveillance and espionage by connecting to the Shellfire VPN platform. By doing so, I can encrypt my internet connection and hide my real location by masking my original I.P address. Therefore, I can do anonymous web browsing while connected to the VPN. I can also bypass geo-restrictions as well as circumvent DPI firewalls and VPN blockers implemented by Netflix US and other video streaming services.

While there is a free lifetime subscription plan, VPN server access is very limited. Even with the paid subscription plans, the number of available VPN servers is very limited too. The VPN provider also does not allow simultaneous connections. From these facts alone, I can say that the current subscription prices alone are very expensive. On top of that, the online customer support system is also very weak.

The server speed tests that I conducted also revealed that Shellfire VPN has a very slow VPN connection on most of its servers. It also collects substantial user information and records connection logs including websites accessed and the original I.P. address used. Moreover, there are no advanced features at all. I also encountered a few bugs when testing the VPN provider. I certainly do not recommend Shellfire VPN.

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