Atlas VPN review 2023

AtlasVPN is a relatively new VPN that we’ve recently come across. AtlasVPN was founded in 2019 and has recently been acquired by cybersecurity company Nord Security. The company is behind one of the best VPNs on the market – NordVPN. AtlasVPN is a rising competitor for many established VPNs because we were thoroughly impressed with what it has to offer.

AtlasVPN currently has a rather small amount of servers, 750+ in 43 locations to be more specific. That’s not a whole lot but should be enough for most users. It also has all the usual VPN features, including traffic encryption, a strict no-logs policy, split tunneling, a kill switch, and even a feature that protects from malware and blocks ads. It even offers a free version (even if it’s limited) which is quite rare.

Let’s look at what features AtlasVPN offers in more detail, and review the VPN overall.

AtlasVPN 2023 Features

Web traffic encryption

AtlasVPN uses AES-256 to encrypt your web traffic. That essentially means that the data is unreadable to anyone, whether it’s your internet service provider (ISP) or someone maliciously trying to spy on you. Because your traffic would be encrypted, you can safely use public/unprotected Wi-Fi. It’s generally not a good idea to access sensitive accounts or reveal any personal information when using public Wi-Fi because anyone could be watching. But the connection is safe when using a VPN.

Strict no-logs policy

A strict no-logs policy is one of the most important VPN features. When you’re browsing online without a VPN, logs of your activities can be kept by your ISP for a certain period of time. That doesn’t mean someone is actively monitoring what you’re doing, it just means that if there was a need, law enforcement could get access to that data. This isn’t something many of us have to worry about but keeping in mind that some governments are notoriously against any kind of opposition, it could be dangerous for activists if logs of their online activities are kept.

AtlasVPN has a strict no-logs policy, which means it does not collect/keep data that could identify you. AtlasVPN has also been audited by a third party, which means you can be certain that no data is collected.

Split tunneling

The split tunneling feature allows you to split your traffic. One part of your traffic would go through the VPN, while another would not. This can be a useful feature when some apps have difficulty working while you’re connected to a VPN. Using split tunneling, you can set a certain app to access the Internet regularly through your ISP, while also maintaining the VPN connection for another app. Whether you need split tunneling is questionable but it’s nice that the feature is there in case you do.

Kill switch

A kill switch is an essential feature for any VPN. It’s basically a safety measure that prevents your data from leaking in case your connection to the VPN is dropped for some reason. For example, if you were browsing a certain website when the VPN disconnected, your real IP address would not be leaked because your access to the Internet would be blocked by the kill switch. You’d either have to disable the VPN or reconnect in order to access the Internet again. Connection to the VPN could be dropped for all kinds of reasons, including issues with your network, server problems, and interference from anti-virus programs.

This feature does not appear to be enabled by default in AtltasVPN so you’d need to go into settings to turn it on.

MultiHop+

AtlasVPN has a MultiHop+ feature that tunnels your connection over multiple rotating VPN locations. According to the official website, the feature allows your online activities to be hidden behind several VPN locations and encryption layers. This boots your privacy, anonymity, and security.

Malware/ads/tracker blocker

According to the official website, this feature will block ads and websites that distribute malware, as well as keep you safe from phishing scams. It will also stop third-party trackers from being able to gather insights about your online activities, as well as block intrusive ads.

It’s worth mentioning that the feature is not a substitute for an anti-virus program. AtlasVPN should be able to block known malicious content to some extent but it’s not at the level of a professional anti-virus program.

Data breach monitor

AtlasVPN’s data breach monitor is another useful feature to have. The feature essentially checks the Internet for your leaked personal data. If your data is ever part of a data breach, you would be notified with the details. There’s not much you can do once your data is out there, but you will at least know to be more cautious with unsolicited emails, phone calls, etc. You will also know to immediately change your password in case some unsecured service leaks it.

Streaming service unblocker

AtlasVPN is able to unblock streaming services to some extent. It will not work with all servers and locations, but you should be able to access streaming services and their libraries in the most popular locations, like the US.

Customer support

If you have issues with setting up the VPN, AtlasVPN has detailed articles explaining what to do step by step. Premium users can reach customer support via chat, and both free and premium VPN users can use email.

AtlasVPN Interface/design in 2023

AtlasVPN has a pretty simple interface so it’s easy to use. You can choose from a wide list of available servers, and the VPN suggests the best servers for streaming if that’s what you’re intending to do as well. VPNs can often be cluttered with additional features, making it difficult for less tech-savvy users to get the hang of them. But AtlasVPN is very user-friendly so whatever your skill level is, you should have no issues. The design is standard for VPNs so it doesn’t stand out too much.

Performance

It’s inevitable that your connection will slow down when you’re using a VPN but some VPNs offer better speeds than others. AtlasVPN seems to be doing quite well in this regard because it had pretty good speeds, peaking at around 100Mbps.

AtlasVPN Price in 2023

Depending on which subscription plan you choose, AtlasVPN can be very affordable. The monthly plan is rather expensive and currently priced at $10.99/month. While many other VPNs cost around the same, they also offer five to ten times more servers for users to choose from. But if you’re willing to pay in advance, it’s ultimately cheaper to buy either the 1-year or 3-years subscription plans. There currently is a 70% discount for the 1-year plan so the price for the first year is $39.42 ($3.29/month), then $131.88/year. The 3-year plan has an 83% discount + 3 months free, so for $71.49 ($1.83/month), you get 39 months of VPN usage. That’s a pretty great deal. The only downside is that you have to pay the whole sum in advance. But if you’re planning on using a VPN for a while, it’s worth it.

AtlasVPN is primarily a paid VPN but it does offer a free version. Free AtlasVPN gives access to 3 locations on an unlimited number of devices, with no speed limits. However, there is a 5GB/month data allowance. The free version still protects your privacy by not keeping logs and encrypting traffic. So if you’re okay with only having access to 3 locations and limited data, you can use the free version.