Betternet VPNs Review

Free and Premium Paid Subscriptions

Betternet is an extremely popular VPN provider, serving some 6 million customers worldwide. Most users employ the company's free service, but Betternet also offers premium services for a monthly or annual fee. Here's a summary of how the two Betternet versions compare:

Security

Unlike some VPN providers, Betternet offers basic AES 256-bit encryption of your data only. Most VPN services layer on additional types of encryption to secure your data, including Secure Hash Algorithms and Transport Layer Security. That's one significant drawback of Betternet's app. That's one reason the tech press often reports that Betternet isn't very safe to use.

In addition, Betternet maintains logs on user activity which limit privacy—privacy is the main point of using a VPN—and can also result in data breaches. Some of the more sensitive types of data logged by VPN providers include browsing history and URLs visited. Other data is less benign and collected in aggregate. But Betternet does not offer a clear explanation of its logging policy on its website.

Performance

One of the first questions users ask about VPN services is, "Is it fast?" Download and upload speeds with any VPN may vary, depending on such criteria as your location and regular internet connection. Betternet doesn't publish any information on the speeds it delivers, but independent third-party speed tests indicate that Betternet isn't among the fastest VPN services out there.  On average, across all locations, Betternet delivers 52 Mbps download speeds. Various tech journal reviews of the Betternet product also suggest that speeds are very inconsistent. Ping rates are high with the product, which may cause unacceptable delays during internet calls, live streaming, and gaming.

Many streaming services block users from accessing content when they're using a VPN. Betternet does a pretty good job of getting around that, though. It will generally unblock content on such sites as Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max. However, it can't gain you access to Netflix content, which may disappoint some users. 

Reputation

Betternet is not rated by the Better Business Bureau. Users on Trustpilot award the company just 2.1 out of 5 stars. Problems with billing and canceling service, as well as reliability issues are cited by customers as reasons for their poor reviews. To be fair, though, the company's Trustpilot score is based on just 40 or so reviews.

Betternet is one of a number of brands owned and operated by Aura, a company founded in 1996 that offers a range of consumer services related to online safety and privacy. Aura earns an A+ rating from the BBB and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. It's important to note, though, that those reviews include feedback on a wide range of Aura products, including its well-regarded identity theft protection service Identity Guard.