AceVPN falls short of expectations for a reliable VPN service, and I would advise against downloading this app. While it does offer 256-bit AES encryption along with DNS and WebRTC leak protection, it lacks several crucial security and privacy features expected from a high-quality VPN.
To begin with, AceVPN does not include a kill switch, a fundamental security feature. Its no-logs policy has never undergone independent auditing, and it lacks advanced features such as RAM-only servers, IPv6 leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy. Furthermore, users won’t find useful extras like split tunneling or ad-blocking capabilities.
Another downside is AceVPN’s lack of dedicated applications. Users must manually configure third-party apps, which is both time-consuming and inconvenient. The service operates servers in only 27 countries, with just one dedicated P2P server, and its streaming capabilities are poor. Full server access is restricted to users of the more expensive plan, while basic plan subscribers are limited to servers in just three countries.
Additionally, AceVPN only permits a single device connection, which is far below the industry standard of 5-10 devices. The service is also overpriced and comes with a limited 7-day money-back guarantee, whereas most VPN providers offer a 30-day guarantee. In comparison to other VPNs available in 2024, AceVPN falls behind in security, speed, streaming capability, and ease of use.
Overall Rank: #81 out of 82 VPNs
Number of Servers: Unknown
Number of Devices: 1
Starting Price: INR 330 / month
Free Plan: Yes
Money-Back Guarantee: 7 days
AceVPN Full Review — Limited Features & User Experience
After thoroughly testing AceVPN over several weeks, I can confidently say that it ranks among my least preferred VPNs. It lacks critical features like a kill switch, native apps, and streaming compatibility. With only one P2P server, slow speeds, and an absence of other essential security features, AceVPN is simply overpriced for what it offers.
AceVPN Plans & Pricing — Overpriced with Short Money-Back Guarantee
AceVPN offers two paid subscription tiers (Premium VPN and Ultimate VPN) alongside a free plan. However, it does not support simultaneous connections, limiting users to one device at a time, while most top VPNs allow between 5–7 simultaneous connections.
- Premium VPN: Offers access to servers in 3 countries (US, UK, and France, totaling 27 locations) but excludes access to the P2P server.
- Ultimate VPN: Includes all Premium VPN features, plus servers in 27 countries, P2P support, and remote installation.
Even AceVPN’s cheapest plan remains more expensive than leading VPN services like ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN, which are not only more affordable but also offer significantly better features.
The pricing on AceVPN’s website can also be misleading. Testing from different locations revealed that the final price at checkout is consistently higher than what is initially displayed.
The free VPN plan comes with restrictions: you must apply for it, and if you’re a blogger or webmaster, you’re required to create a backlink on your site — essentially writing a review of AceVPN before even using the service, which is an odd condition.
AceVPN’s payment methods are limited to PayPal or mailed checks, which is both unusual and inconvenient, as most top VPNs accept credit cards and cryptocurrencies.
The 7-day money-back guarantee is far below the industry standard, and AceVPN also charges an additional fee for refunds, something unheard of in the VPN market.
AceVPN Features — Basic Security, But Lacks a Kill Switch
AceVPN offers the following standard security features:
- 256-bit AES encryption: Ensures that your data is secure with bank-grade encryption.
- No-logs policy: Claims to not log your traffic or IP address.
However, the absence of a built-in kill switch is a significant drawback. This feature is crucial in preventing data leaks if the VPN connection drops. While it’s possible to set up a manual kill switch, it’s an inconvenient and cumbersome process.
Final Verdict
AceVPN is overpriced, lacks critical features, and offers very little value in comparison to top-tier VPNs. Competitors such as ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN provide better security, more features, faster speeds, and a much more user-friendly experience at a lower cost.
AceVPN offers manual configuration options with multiple VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec. However, it lacks support for WireGuard, a protocol known for its superior speed compared to the others.
The service also includes a Stealth VPN protocol, designed to provide obfuscation by concealing VPN traffic. Unfortunately, I was unable to test this feature due to an error when attempting to download the “Stealth VPN” server files, which prevented manual setup.
AceVPN does offer DNS and WebRTC leak protection, although it does not include IPv6 leak protection, which requires manual deactivation. In over 10 leak tests, no issues were detected. While AceVPN covers basic security features such as encryption, a no-logs policy, and leak protection, the absence of a kill switch—an essential security measure—is a significant drawback. Additionally, AceVPN lacks several advanced features offered by leading VPN providers, such as split tunneling, Tor support, ad-blockers, and perfect forward secrecy.
Leading VPN services like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access offer these essential security features, including built-in kill switches, along with more advanced protections such as RAM-only servers and comprehensive leak protection.
AceVPN Privacy & Security — US-Based with a Basic No-Logs Policy
AceVPN follows a no-logs policy, claiming it does not track users’ IP addresses or online activity, such as the websites visited or files downloaded. However, unlike ExpressVPN, this policy has not been independently audited, raising concerns about its reliability.
The service collects your email address and payment information at signup, and while it requests additional personal details like your physical address, phone number, and full name, these fields can be filled with fictitious information without issue. AceVPN also provides a transparency report, showing that it has not received any government data requests to date.
Being headquartered in the US, a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances—a collective of countries that share surveillance data—raises privacy concerns. Nevertheless, if AceVPN’s no-logs policy is dependable, it would not be able to disclose user information even if requested by authorities.
Overall, AceVPN’s privacy measures are moderate. Its location within the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances raises some concerns, and while it follows a no-logs policy and releases transparency reports, the lack of an independent audit of this policy is a significant shortcoming. Several other VPNs provide far more robust privacy protections.
AceVPN Speed & Performance — Sluggish on Both Local and Distant Servers
In my tests using a Windows PC, AceVPN’s performance was underwhelming. I conducted speed tests on servers in all 27 countries where AceVPN has a presence, and the results were disappointing—speeds were noticeably slower on both nearby and distant servers.
Before connecting to AceVPN, I ran a baseline speed test to gauge my regular internet speeds. Since AceVPN does not feature a quick-connect option that automatically links you to the fastest server, I manually selected the nearest US server. Unfortunately, my connection experienced a 60% reduction in speed, which significantly slowed web browsing, with websites taking over 10 seconds to load and HD YouTube videos requiring 5–10 seconds to buffer.
On more distant servers, the performance dropped even further, with a 97% reduction in speed. HD videos took over 20 seconds to load and suffered from continuous buffering. Additionally, my VPN connection frequently dropped.
To verify these results, I asked a colleague in Romania, a country with exceptionally fast internet speeds, to conduct similar tests. He confirmed the same slowdowns, indicating that AceVPN’s server performance is consistently poor.
In comparison, top VPN providers like ExpressVPN maintain consistently fast speeds across all servers, with minimal slowdown, even on distant servers. Other leading services like Private Internet Access, CyberGhost VPN, and NordVPN offer similarly strong performance, with speed reductions ranging between 10-35% across their server networks.
AceVPN Servers & IP Addresses — Small Network with Limited P2P Support
AceVPN operates servers in 27 countries, which is relatively small compared to top competitors. For instance, ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, and CyberGhost VPN operates in 100 countries. AceVPN’s servers are concentrated in Europe, Asia, and North America, with only a single server in regions such as Canada, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, and Egypt.
Although AceVPN allows torrenting, this feature is restricted to just one dedicated P2P server. In contrast, ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access permit torrenting across all their servers, while CyberGhost VPN offers a broad network of servers optimized specifically for P2P activity.
In summary, AceVPN’s server network is limited in both size and functionality. It does not disclose exact server counts or specific locations, and its P2P support is constrained to just one server. Other leading VPNs offer a significantly larger number of servers, broader geographic coverage, and far better support for torrenting.
AceVPN for Streaming and Torrenting — A Poor Choice for Both
AceVPN performs poorly when it comes to streaming. It fails to work with popular platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. While it does support smaller streaming services such as VRV and Crackle, the performance is subpar. In my tests, websites took over 15 seconds to load, and videos required more than 30 seconds to start, making the experience frustrating.
AceVPN markets its streaming feature as “Unblock TV / Smart DNS,” claiming that this “free service” allows access to over 115 streaming channels without speed loss or buffering. However, this feature is only included in its paid plans, which raises questions about the transparency of its “free” claim.
The Smart DNS feature allows users to access VPN services on devices that typically do not support VPNs, like gaming consoles. However, setting it up is complex and time-consuming, detracting from the user experience.
For torrenting, AceVPN is equally disappointing. While it supports popular P2P applications like qBittorrent and Vuze, it only permits torrenting on one server with painfully slow speeds. Downloading a 1.23 GB file took more than four hours. Moreover, torrenting is only available with the Ultimate VPN plan, which comes at a significantly higher cost. Many VPNs offer torrenting across multiple servers without additional fees, making AceVPN’s offering less competitive.
In summary, AceVPN is a poor choice for both streaming and torrenting. It doesn’t support major streaming platforms, limits torrenting to one slow server, and charges excessively for these limited features.
AceVPN Ease of Use — Lack of Native Apps Makes Setup Inconvenient
AceVPN lacks native apps, which means users must manually configure the VPN on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, or Linux through third-party apps. Although AceVPN provides tutorials for each platform, the manual setup process is tedious and inconvenient.
During testing, setting up AceVPN on Android and iOS was particularly challenging. I had to use a third-party app for Android and manually configure settings on iOS. Even after completing these complex steps, AceVPN’s performance was poor. Many servers were non-functional, and connecting to the working servers often took multiple attempts.
On Windows, the experience was similarly frustrating. The manual setup via a third-party app was time-consuming, and there were no user-friendly features like a quick-connect button or a search function for finding specific servers. As with the mobile versions, connecting to servers was unreliable, often requiring more than 10 attempts.
AceVPN’s Smart DNS feature allows VPN usage on devices that do not typically support VPNs, such as gaming consoles. However, the setup process is complicated and time-intensive, making it far from convenient.
Overall, AceVPN is difficult to use. Its lack of native apps, complex setup process, and persistent connectivity issues make it an inferior choice compared to other VPNs that offer easy-to-install apps and better performance.
AceVPN Customer Support — Limited and Unhelpful
AceVPN’s customer support is below standard. While it offers email support, setup tutorials, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides, there is no live chat option, and the support articles provide minimal assistance. Although AceVPN claims to offer a help forum, I was unable to access it after multiple attempts.
While the setup guides are useful, the troubleshooting guides failed to resolve my connectivity issues. Some FAQs also contained outdated or incorrect information, further diminishing the support experience.
My experience with email support was underwhelming. Responses took more than a day, and the replies were often vague and unhelpful. On several occasions, I didn’t receive a response at all.
In short, AceVPN’s customer support is lacking. The absence of live chat, limited support resources, and slow or unhelpful email responses make it difficult to resolve issues efficiently. Leading VPN providers like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN offer much better customer support, with 24/7 live chat and more comprehensive help sections.
Is AceVPN Worth Considering in 2024?
No, AceVPN is not a VPN worth considering in 2024. Although it includes 256-bit AES encryption and a no-logs policy, it lacks essential features such as a kill switch, which is standard in top-tier VPNs. Additionally, there are no native apps, requiring users to rely on third-party apps for setup, which is both frustrating and time-consuming.
While AceVPN provides WebRTC and DNS leak protection, it lacks other advanced security features such as IPv6 leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and RAM-only servers—features that are included in top competitors like ExpressVPN. Furthermore, it does not offer extras like split-tunneling or an ad blocker, both of which are standard features in VPNs like Proton VPN and Private Internet Access.
AceVPN’s limited server network is another drawback. Although it does not disclose the total number of servers, it only offers server locations in 27 countries. Torrenting is restricted to a single P2P server, and full server access, including torrenting support, is only available with its expensive Ultimate plan.
Another major downside is AceVPN’s lack of support for simultaneous connections. Most VPNs allow 5 to 7 connections at once, but AceVPN provides none. Moreover, its plans are overpriced, and it only offers a limited 7-day money-back guarantee.
Final Verdict
AceVPN is a subpar VPN Service that falls short in nearly every aspect. With poor streaming and torrenting support, an inconvenient setup process, lackluster customer service, and an absence of key security features, it’s difficult to recommend. Instead, consider more reliable VPN services like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, or Private Internet Access, which offer superior performance, better customer support, and a wider range of features.
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