The team at Pornhub launched their own VPN service in May, 2018. It looks like they partnered with AppAtomic to provide a full range of apps. VPNhub offers both a free and premium version of the service. In our review, you will learn just how well VPNhub protects your privacy and secures your data. Note that you must first register for VPNhub through their Android or iOS app. While the service is available for Windows and Mac, those apps do not include a link to register for an account yet. Since the service just launched we would expect that to change in the near future.
VPNhub Free and Premium Pricing
You have the option to use either the free or premium version of VPNhub. We suggest you connect with the free service on iOS or Android to test the network. From our location, the only server available on iPhone was in Las Vegas. This is likely dependent on your current location. As you’ll see later in our review, the app displays other locations but they are only available for premium users. If you would like to upgrade the price is $12.99 a month.
Oddly enough, we have heard the accounts cost less on Android devices. While the service costs $12.99 a month or $89.99 a year when ordered via the Apple app store, you can sign up through Google Play for $11.99 a month. Interestingly, it did not show a yearly price. The Google Play webpage for the app shows a price range of $8.49 to $74.99 for VPNhub. Perhaps the price will be coming down, but for now, the $12-$13 price point leaves VPNhub at a disadvantage over long-standing VPN services like IPVanish and PIA.
VPN Server Locations
One of the first things you will notice when visiting the VPNhub website is the lack of information compared to other VPN providers. The site consists of a single page of information along with an FAQ. In order to determine the server locations, we launched the iOS app and viewed the list. Here’s a full list of the server locations available to premium subscribers.
- United States – Ashburn, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Seattle
- Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
Free VPNhub users only have access to a single server location. We found the free service to be quite fast but I would expect that to change as more users join the network. The pricing page mentions the advantages of the premium plan to include no ads, more locations, and faster servers.
Customer Support
The only mention of technical support is on the FAQ page of the VPNhub website. The FAQ walks you through changing your passwords or resetting it if you forget your password in the future. Otherwise, you will want to direct any technical questions to their support team. You can contact them via email at support@vpnhub.com for assistance. They ask that you provide the email address or Google account used to register for the service. Considering the popularity of VPNhub at launch you can expect some delay in response.
VPNhub Speed Test
Since most users will start with the free version of VPNhub, we used it to test the speed of their network. To say the response was impressive would be an understatement. Please consider that at the time the app only had about 5k downloads so the network wasn’t being used yet. It’s quite possible that you will receive slower speeds as more users join the network. We would expect this to be the case for free users but it was a pleasure seeing the service perform so well.
- VPNhub US speed test – after connecting to a VPN server in Las Vegas we tested our Internet speed and found it to be 65 Mbps download and 3.30 Mbps upstream.
VPNhub: Hands-On Testing
After downloading the Windows app we quickly found that there was no way to register for an account. That seemed quite odd as the website has links to download the VPNhub app for Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android. While the Windows app installed just fine, the log in screen asked for an email address and password. There was a link to reset a forgotten password but the screen lacks the option of registering for an account. Their website also lacks a registration screen. We would assume this will change soon given the attention the launch is getting but for now you will need to start on Android or iOS.
After installing the VPNhub app for iPhone, you will be greeted by a series of introduction screens. Most of them promote the premium version of the service. You can tap on “Skip” in the lower left-hand corner to move into the app. You will be greeted with one more screen that gives you the option to try the premium service. At first, it might appear there is no other choice but if you look closer you’ll notice an “X” in the upper right-hand corner. Tapping it will move you into the setup phase. Here you will agree to allow the app to add VPN configuration to your device.
Once the VPN set up completes you will have the opportunity to connect to the VPNhub network. Free users are only given the choice of a single server location. In our case, the app chose a server in Las Vegas. While that’s some 2k miles away the performance was still quite good. You can still take a look at the other locations available to premium members. You will need to sign up for paid access if you want to switch your IP address to another country. In our case, we connected to Las Vegas and tested our IP address to confirm it had changed. Everything worked as expected.
Conclusion
First and foremost is the question of whether or not VPNhub will protect your online privacy. Since the service is being offered by the Pornhub team we will assume the audience is focused on staying anonymous while browsing the web. In that respect, I would never suggest a free VPN service. There have been too many horror stories of free VPNs being used for nefarious reasons and/or selling information. That’s not to say anything negative about VPNhub, but every company has to make money somehow. If a service is free you are likely the product. The same is true for anything offered for free online.
Where does that leave VPNhub? If you are looking for a premium VPN service then you have a lot of options. We wouldn’t recommend paying $12-$13 a month for a service that is limited compared to IPVanish and PIA. However, if you enjoy Pornhub and want to support their efforts then a paid subscription to VPNhub may be the right answer. It’s too early to tell whether or not VPNhub will stand out in the crowded VPN space. For now, I would recommend looking at all the options before deciding on a VPN. This is especially true for those who have never used a VPN before.
