Betternet VPN was conceived as a free VPN. However, maintenance costs and other expenses have forced the brand to offer a premium service (more on that later).
All in all, Betternet does have some features and straight forward UI, but the overall impression of this product is rather negative.
The app offers 256-bit encryption and is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android and has browser extensions for Mozilla Firefox and Chrome. There is no kill switch, speed is quite slow and the service is not compatible with Netflix.
Betternet VPN makes money through videos and ads in its free mode. It allows people to connect up to five simultaneous devices. VPN uses OpenVPN encryption and has around 50 servers in 10 countries in premium version (free version allows only 4 locations).
Betternet Logo
Unfortunately, this service lacks DNS leak protection, auto-connect, split tunneling and advanced configuration options.
Keep in mind that this is not a real VPN application and it won’t encrypt completely your bandwidth (e.g. BitTorrent, games, FTP client) to do so you have to download Free VPN client or buy a VPN service or check at least our comparison of best VPNs for Chrome.
Pricing & Discounts – How much does Betternet VPN Premium Account cost?
Betternet Free VPN is a freemium service. The free version shows ads through videos. By clicking on the “Watch a video and connect” button inside the Betternet app, you can watch a short video. Every time you watch a video, you help them earn money.
Upgrading to premium plan you suppose to have better speed. The service starts at $11.99 per month, and that, believe us, is extremely expensive! Considering that you would be able to get a regular top-notch VPN service for this price.
Betternet Free VPN Pricing
There are some discounts for long-term plans, as it usually happens in the VPN industry. Six months cost $23.99 (or the equivalent of $3.99 per month,) while the yearly mode checks in at $35.99 (or $2.99 per month.)
There is also an option to get the 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, but with the condition that you haven’t exceeded 50 MB. That's very tricky because 50 MB is almost nothing!
User Interface – Is Betternet VPN easy to use?
Betternet Free VPN is easy to use but that's about it. The overlook is a bit outdated and not finished. There are no advanced features and the main focus is to upgrade you to a paid plan.
Betternet Free VPN Interface
List of available location is quite limited as well and mainly to our surprise, the USA location is missing!
Betternet Free VPN Location List
As other VPNs for Chrome, installation is without any hassle and Betternet has an extra bonus point for not making registration required.
Does Betternet VPN for Chrome Unblock YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Amazon Prime, & BBC iPlayer?
During our testing, Betternet VPN~ worked well with YouTube, Google, and Facebook. Unfortunately, we have not been able to connect to Netflix and Hulu.
Betternet VPN for Chrome doesn't unblock Netflix
The same problem we had with BBC iPlayer but that wasn't a big surprise since BBC iPlayer blocks nearly all VPN services, except HideMyAss VPN which recently even announced new feature IP Stickiness for Improved Netflix and BBC iPlayer streaming.
How to add Betternet VPN to Chrome Browser?
Adding Betternet VPN to your Google Chrome Browser is easy, all you need to do is follow these 3 simple steps below
- Go to Betternet Chrome Web Store Page.
- Click the button “Add to Chrome” in the right upper corner of the overlay window.
- All done! Enjoy Betternet VPN for Chrome ?
Conclusion
Betternet Free VPN has solid encryption (AES 256-bit) and no-logging privacy policy. It is a freemium service that makes money through ads in its free version. On the other hand, Betternet is quite slow (especially for torrenting). doesn’t work with Netflix a have no advanced features. The paid plan is really expensive and has tricky money back policy.
In case you are seeking for more privacy and encryption of all your internet connection, including other apps than your browser. You should rather check our comparison of Best VPN solutions out there.
- Free version available
- Good encryption and OpenVPN protocol available (L2TP/IPSec, too)
- No-logging policy
- Easy to use
- Very slow, especially for torrenting and streaming
- Low number of servers and countries available
- Some DNS and WebRTC leaks
- The ads in the free version can be annoying
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Overall6
