CactusVPN Ratings

Overall Score 7.3
8.0

Security

7.0

Speed

6.5

Servers

8.0

Support

7.0

Price

General overview

CactusVPN is just another service in the crowded market of VPNs. It provides enough features and security protocols required for secure and fast activity and unblocks various streaming platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video, to name a few. The service was founded in Moldova and has been in the market since 2011.

Though the company didn’t communicate, it has moved its headquarters to Canada, which is a part of a global surveillance alliance. However, CactusVPN claims they have a strict no-logs policy, but without any third-party audit, this seems to be a suspicious guarantee. The service provider allows you a unique unlimited device connection per license and has apps for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Fire TV, and Wi-Fi routers.

CactusVPN’s apps are straightforward to use. Beginners could easily use the service without any hurdles or confusion. A kill switch and a wide range of security protocols make the service an excellent choice for torrenting. Overall, CactusVPN has covered you in all aspects; It provides a reliable private networking service with economical pricing plans.

Score 8.0

Security

CactusVPN offers a variety of security protocols and features, making it a secure and dependable VPN service. It uses military-grade AES-256 encryption, the most advanced encryption, to stop hackers or your ISP from monitoring your traffic. The company operates seven significant protocols OpenVPN (TCP & UDP), WireGuard, SSTP, SoftEther, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and PPTP. Across its apps, the OpenVPN protocol isn’t available on macOS nor TCP Port-443, ensuring you hide your identity from the government or corporations.

A kill-switch feature prevents your internet from exposing your IP if your VPN connection drops. Moving on to the more unique features, the desktop client has an app killer. This feature lets you decide which program should be closed in case the VPN connection drops. However, there aren’t such advanced features except for Split-tunneling and Smart DNS. CactusVPN also successfully protects against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks.

Score 7

Speed

CactusVPN is comparatively fast on local or same-country locations. On local servers, you might experience only a 9% to 10% drop in download and upload speeds. The VPN is also miraculously fast on global servers. It performs fastly in distant European countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands, averaging 84Mbps to 87Mbps download and upload speeds.

Besides, connections to Australia, Asia, and the US might suffer up to a 70% drop in speeds. Thus, it is inconsistent in day-to-day browsing, gaming, or torrenting. Overall, CactusVPN’s speeds aren’t comparable to top-tier VPNs but are reliable.

 

Score 6.5

Servers

CactusVPN offers only 36+ servers that are available in 22 countries. The VPN provides 28+ city-level servers and 39 different IP addresses. However, VPN’s network isn’t extensive but gives decent coverage in Europe and US. The service also offers a few servers across Asia, but their performance varies based on their proximity to server locations.

Furthermore, CactusVPN comes with the catch: SmartDNS feature, which could unblock 340+ streaming sites. However, this is just a proxy used to unlock content but isn’t a secure service. Famous platforms which SmartDNS unblocks are Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video – to name a few.

Cactus VPN has a small server network. Thus, P2P traffic is only allowed in Europe and a small part of Asia. However, it offers all the necessary features for secure and fast torrenting. The only hurdle you could face would be your physical location. If you aren’t residing in Europe, you might face some difficulties.

Score 8

Support

CactusVPN’s customer support is excellent and untroublesome. It offers a variety of support features to get help and address your problems efficiently and knowledgeably. For example, a Set-up Tutorial helps you operate the software on your respected device—FAQs option to address users’ general issues. Moreover, there is also a ticketing and email option for a direct link with the technical staff. The only missing piece in the puzzle is VPN’s live chat option. Its availability will surely make a difference if they bring that support function.

 

Score 7.0

Prices

CactusVPN offers four different competitive pricing plans to customers. You can access all the stated features and a SmartDNS proxy in all subscription plans. The provider’s pricing plans are economical and easy to consider, especially for newbies. Following are the subscription plans offered by CactusVPN:

  •  1-Month plan costs $9.99/per month
  • 3-Months plan costs $23.99; billed $7.99/per month
  • 1-Year plan costs $69.99; billed $5.83/per month
  • 2-Years plan costs $94.99; billed $3.95/per month

Refund Policy

All the plans come with the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.

Payment Methods

CactusVPN accepts various payment methods; these include:

  • PayPal
  • Credit Cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express, WebMoney, and Union Pay).
  • e-payments (Ali Pay, Przelewy24, iDEAL and Boleto Bancario)
  • Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoins & Altcoins)

Company Information

  • Company name: Cactus VPN
  • Company incorporation country: Canada
  • Years in market: 11
  • No-logs: Yes

Overview - Conclusion

CactusVPN is overall a decent choice for individuals. It allows streaming, offers excellent customer support, and provides relatively fast speeds. However, VPN offers a small server network, and its logging policy isn't trusted.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is VPN?

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an application that hides your IP address and encrypts all the data traffic routing through your selected VPN server. The VPN lets you change your IP address to make you digitally present in another location without taking care of any snooping eyes.

2. How is VPN a helpful service?

By purchasing a premium VPN service, you can bypass restricted content, hide your actual IP address, anonymously download or upload, and protect your identity when searching for any sensitive information.

3. Does Cactus VPN offer dedicated IP addresses?

No, Cactus VPN doesn’t provide dedicated IP addresses. Instead, you get shared IP addresses which will lead to mixed traffic.

4. Does their free trial have any limitations?

No, Cactus VPN doesn’t limit its free version’s features and benefits. You are allowed to use all protocols, surf freely with Ad-Blocker and enjoy multiple simultaneous connections. The only difference between the free and premium versions is that the free version is active for 3-days only.