Turbo VPN Review 2023: Is It Safe and Reliable?

Speed. Privacy. Easy to use. Turbo VPN makes bold promises. But does this rapidly expanding VPN deliver on quality and security?

In our extensive Turbo VPN review, we dive deep on features, reliability, and downsides. Read on for a comprehensive evaluation of Turbo VPN’s risks and benefits in 2023.

Introduction

Launched in 2018 by Singapore-based Innovative Connecting, Turbo VPN has attracted over 300 million users through its free version. It claims benefits like AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and blazing connection speeds.

However, researchers and audits have flagged concerning privacy practices and performance issues. We thoroughly tested Turbo VPN across areas like speed, streaming access, support, and trustworthiness.

This Turbo VPN review covers it all – capabilities, limitations, and whether the controversies outweigh the convenience. Let’s evaluate if Turbo VPN warrants your time and investment in 2023.

Turbo VPN Review: User Experience & Device Support

Simple, Streamlined Apps

Turbo VPN aims for beginner-friendly apps. The one-click connect button instantly starts the VPN. The uncluttered interface displays your new IP address and connected server.

While handy for new users, the apps lack more advanced configuration options. Turbo VPN does offer split tunneling and a built-in speed test. But we hope to see specialty modes for activities like gaming or video streaming.

Available on All Major Platforms

Turbo VPN offers native apps for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. This device support ensures access on all your gadgets.

However, they do not offer router installation. Advanced users often prefer routing all network traffic through a VPN router for complete protection.

The streamlined apps simplify setup for new users. But power users may desire more personalized preferences and settings.

Turbo VPN Review: Security & Privacy Concerns

Turbo VPN promises robust encryption and privacy protections. But audits and researchers have revealed alarming security practices:

Privacy Violations Contradict No-Logging Claims

• Extensive logging despite advertising a strict no-logging policy
• Presence of hidden tracking codes in apps sending usage data to analytics firms
• Failed to prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks exposing private user information
• Unclear ownership and physical location of VPN servers

These issues contradict Turbo VPN’s marketing around user privacy. Their actual practices do not match advertised policies.

Ties to Restrictive Cyber Laws in China

Turbo VPN’s parent company Innovative Connecting is based in Singapore. However, the company has ties to China and appears to comply with their restrictive cyber laws.

This raises concerns around government surveillance and censoring of unfavorable content. Chinese cyber laws require retaining user logs and restricting access to blacklisted websites.

Overall, we have serious doubts about entrusting privacy and security to Turbo VPN. Independent audits reveal too many discrepancies between their claims and actual practices.

Turbo VPN Review: Speed & Performance

Blazing fast speeds are a major selling point emphasized in Turbo VPN’s marketing. But do their connections live up to the hype?

We rigorously tested speeds from multiple angles:

• Ookla Speed Test: 73 Mbps (decent but not spectacular)
• FTP Upload Speed: 6.1 MB/s (suitable for light use)
• 4K Video Streaming: frequent buffering and stalling
• Web Browsing: noticeably slower loading media sites
• Online Gaming: 81ms latency, lag making competitive games unplayable

While acceptable for casual browsing, Turbo VPN cannot deliver the insane speeds advertised. Their infrastructure appears to congest rapidly under bandwidth-heavy uses like streaming or gaming.

Turbo VPN Review: Streaming & Torrenting Capabilities

VPNs like Turbo VPN promise access to restricted streaming platforms and file-sharing sites. How does Turbo VPN actually perform?

Unreliable Access to Streaming Services

Turbo VPN’s ability to bypass geographic blocks is inconsistent at best:

• Netflix: Worked briefly on some servers before being blacklisted
• BBC iPlayer: Constant buffering and error messages
• Hulu: Completely blocked
• Disney+, HBO Max: No access

If your main goal is unblocking streams, Turbo VPN is unreliable compared to top options like ExpressVPN or NordVPN known for getting around blocks.

No P2P or Torrenting Allowed

Turbo VPN prohibits file-sharing and torrenting on their entire network. This limits usage for those who need to download large files anonymously.

Again, leading competitors offer special P2P-optimized servers. Turbo VPN fails to support this common use case.

Turbo VPN Review: Server Network Analysis

The global server network is the backbone of any VPN. How does Turbo VPN’s infrastructure compare?

Turbo VPN runs just 1000+ servers in about 70 countries worldwide. Compare that to industry leaders:

• ExpressVPN: 3,000+ servers in 94 countries
• NordVPN: Over 5,500 servers in 80 countries

With far fewer server locations, you’ll struggle to find fast connections and reliably bypass geographic restrictions. Top VPNs offer 3-5x more options.

Turbo VPN does have servers in high-demand locations like the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and major European countries. However, their smaller network cannot match the flexibility of the top providers.

Turbo VPN Review: Privacy Practices Still Murky

Despite recent policy updates, Turbo VPN’s commitment to protecting user privacy remains unclear:

• Unable to independently verify they delete logs after 7 days as claimed
• No transparency around physical control of servers
• No public third-party audits of practices and policies
• No clarity on how they handle government data requests

Turbo VPN has not done enough to rebuild trust after researchers exposed contradictions in their privacy promises. We cannot recommend relying on them to keep your data safe.

Turbo VPN Review: Customer Support Needs Work

Considering Turbo VPN serves over 300 million users, their customer support is underwhelming:

• Live chat unable to resolve setup and connectivity issues
• Slow ticket response with templated copy-pasted replies
• Limited self-help resources like setup guides and FAQs

Turbo VPN needs to invest more in support staff and quality user assistance worldwide. Industry leaders like ExpressVPN provide excellent 24/7 live chat and phone support.

Turbo VPN Review: Pricing & Value

Turbo VPN offers a free version along with premium subscription plans:

Free Version

The free plan is nearly useless considering its limitations:

• Data capped at 2-15GB depending on country
• Speed throttled to 2Mbps
• Ads are constant and extremely disruptive

With an unusably tiny data allowance and invasive ads, the free version only exists to upsell you.

Premium Plans

 

• Monthly plan: $9.99 per month
• 1 Year plan: $49.99 total

Without any multi-year deals, their premium plans offer no discount for long-term commitment. The pricing also does not compare favorably to leading VPNs.

For example, ExpressVPN is $6.67 per month for an annual subscription. Turbo VPN lacks competitive value.

The Verdict: Too Many Red Flags

While easy to set up and use, our intensive Turbo VPN review uncovered too many issues:

❌ Alarming privacy and security practices
❌ Speed and performance do not meet claims ❌ Unreliable access to streaming services
❌ Tiny server network compared to rivals ❌ Mediocre customer support

📌 Free version is nearly useless 📌 No special value on paid plans

We advise against relying on Turbo VPN for anything beyond basic web browsing given their troubling track record. For robust security and speeds, choose a leading VPN like ExpressVPN or NordVPN instead.

Unless Turbo VPN makes major improvements, we cannot recommend trusting them to protect your data and privacy. You deserve better for your security.

Have you tried Turbo VPN? Share your experience in the comments!