Øyvind Bringedal

Last Updated: 18/12/25

• Offers both unlimited free tier and budget-friendly premium plans starting at $1.99/month
• Based in privacy-friendly Romania, outside surveillance alliances
• Promises military-grade encryption and strict no-logs policy
• Smaller player competing against established VPN giants

Planet VPN has emerged as an intriguing option in the crowded VPN marketplace, offering both a genuinely unlimited free tier and affordable premium plans. Based in Romania—a privacy-friendly jurisdiction outside international surveillance alliances—this service promises military-grade encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and access to a global server network. But how does it stack up against established competitors? This review examines Planet VPN’s features, performance, and value proposition to help you determine if it’s the right choice for your privacy and security needs.

Servers & Server Network

• Premium: 1,260 servers across 60+ countries;
• Free: Only 11 locations (5 primary servers)
• Significantly smaller network than competitors (NordVPN: 8,700+ , PIA: 35,000 )
• 27% speed loss on nearby servers, 56% on distant ones
• Free servers heavily congested with slower speeds

Planet VPN operates a modest but strategically distributed server network. Premium users gain access to over 1,260 servers spanning 60+ countries worldwide, providing reasonable global coverage for most use cases. The network includes servers in key locations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with server load indicators helping users identify the fastest available connections.

However, this network is considerably smaller than industry leaders like NordVPN (8,700+ servers in 129 countries), Private Internet Access (35,000+ servers), or ExpressVPN (3,200 servers in 105 countries). The limited server count can result in congestion during peak hours, particularly on popular server locations.

Premium subscribers benefit from the StarGuard protocol on all servers, which maintains better speeds on nearby connections while providing obfuscation. Testing shows approximately 27% speed loss on nearby servers and 56% on distant locations—reasonable performance for everyday browsing and streaming, though not quite matching top-tier competitors.

The free tier restricts users to just 11 server locations (with 5 primary free servers), which experience significantly more congestion and slower speeds due to the high volume of free users. Free servers showed speed reductions comparable to premium distant servers even on nearby connections, making them suitable primarily for basic browsing rather than data-intensive activities.

Planet VPN Plans & Pricing

Planet VPN offers competitive pricing that makes it accessible for budget-conscious users. The premium plans include:

• 3-Year Plan: $1.99/month (billed as $95.55 once), including 1 year free
• 1-Year Plan: $3.99/month
• Monthly Plan: $9.99/month

All premium tiers include identical features—the only difference is the billing cycle and total cost. Payment options include major credit cards and cryptocurrency (Bitcoin and others) for enhanced privacy.

The service provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for yearly plans and a 14-day guarantee for monthly subscriptions. However, there’s an important caveat: refunds are only granted if the customer support team cannot resolve your specific technical issue, rather than being a straightforward satisfaction guarantee.

Compared to competitors, Planet VPN’s long-term pricing is highly competitive. It undercuts NordVPN ($3.96/month), matches Surfshark ($1.99/month), and significantly underprices ExpressVPN ($2.79/month). However, the trade-off comes in the form of a smaller server network, fewer advanced features, and occasional connection reliability issues.

• 30-day money-back guarantee (yearly) but only if support can’t fix your issue
• Accepts cryptocurrency for anonymous payments
• Matches or beats competitors on price but lacks some advanced features

Streaming & Gaming with Planet VPN

• Successfully unblocks Netflix but fails with Disney+, Hulu, Max, BBC iPlayer
• Frequent disconnections interrupt streaming and gaming sessions
• Acceptable latency for casual gaming on nearby premium servers
• Excellent for torrenting with P2P-optimized servers and strong security

Planet VPN delivers mixed results for streaming and gaming applications. On the positive side, the service successfully unblocks Netflix and provides generally good video quality with fast load times on nearby servers. However, it struggles with many other popular streaming platforms including Disney+, Hulu, Max, BBC iPlayer, and 10 Play, limiting its appeal for users wanting comprehensive streaming access.

Connection stability proves to be a significant challenge. Users report frequent disconnections that interrupt streaming sessions and gaming experiences, forcing them to reconnect and potentially lose progress in live gaming scenarios. Some servers simply refuse to connect at all, requiring users to cycle through multiple options to find a working connection.

For gaming, nearby premium servers provide acceptable latency thanks to the StarGuard protocol’s optimization, making casual online gaming feasible. However, the unreliable connections can be frustrating during competitive gameplay where consistent connectivity is crucial. The free tier’s slower speeds and higher congestion make it unsuitable for gaming or HD streaming.

Torrenting performance is notably better, with P2P-optimized servers delivering strong download speeds and the kill switch providing essential security for file-sharing activities. The strict no-logs policy and full leak protection add peace of mind for privacy-conscious torrenters.

Premium Plan Features

• 256-bit encryption with proprietary StarGuard protocol for speed and obfuscation
• simultaneous device connections across all major platforms
• Built-in kill switch and P2P-optimized servers for torrenting
• Priority support with 24/7 live chat (availability varies)

Planet VPN’s premium subscription offers several compelling features for users seeking enhanced security and global access. The service provides access to over 1,260 servers across 60+ countries, a significant upgrade from the free version’s limited selection. Premium users benefit from military-grade 256-bit encryption to protect their data and the proprietary StarGuard protocol, which maintains fast speeds while concealing VPN traffic from ISPs.

The premium service supports up to 10 simultaneous device connections, covering Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and major browser extensions including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. A built-in kill switch automatically blocks traffic if the VPN connection drops, preventing IP leaks. Premium subscribers also gain access to P2P-optimized servers for torrenting across all server locations, with notably faster download speeds than standard servers.

Pricing is competitive, with long-term plans offering substantial savings. The three-year plan costs around $1.99 per month (currently offering a discount of 80% ), while monthly subscriptions run approximately $9.99. Premium plans include priority customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee, though refunds are only granted if the support team cannot resolve your specific issue.

Free Plan Features

• Truly unlimited bandwidth with no speed throttling, time limits, or data caps
• No registration, email, or personal data required
• Retains premium security features (256-bit encryption, kill switch, StarGuard protocol)
• Limited to 11 server locations with slower speeds and ad-supported

Planet VPN’s free offering stands out by providing truly unlimited bandwidth with no speed throttling or time restrictions—a rarity among free VPN services. Users get access to 11 server locations (5 main free servers) with the same security features as premium, including 256-bit encryption, the StarGuard protocol, and a kill switch.

The free plan requires no registration or personal data collection and supports up to simultaneous connections. It’s based in Romania, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction outside the 5/9/14 Eyes surveillance alliances, and maintains a strict no-logs policy that’s been independently audited.

However, free servers are slower than premium ones due to higher user congestion, and the service is ad-supported. The limited server selection also restricts access to geo-blocked content, and streaming performance is inconsistent compared to premium options.

Best Alternatives to Planet VPN

For those seeking alternatives, several established VPN services offer competitive features:

• NordVPN: Best overall with 8,700+ servers, excellent streaming, minimal speed loss
• Surfshark: Best value at $1.99/month with unlimited connections
• ExpressVPN: Best user experience with 105-country coverage
• Proton VPN: Best for privacy with Secure Core and Swiss jurisdiction
• Private Internet Access: Best for transparency with 35,000 servers and open-source code

NordVPN consistently ranks as a top choice, offering over 8,700+ servers across 129 countries, excellent streaming support, advanced security features like double VPN, and speeds that barely slow connections by more than 6%. Plans start around $3.96/month on long-term subscriptions.

Surfshark provides exceptional value at $1.99/month for two-year plans with unlimited simultaneous connections, making it ideal for families. It includes ad blocking, cookie pop-up blockers, and an Alternative ID feature for privacy.

ExpressVPN excels in user-friendliness and global reach with 3,200 servers in 105 countries, though it’s pricier at around $2.79/month for 15 months. It offers automatic protocol selection and excellent streaming performance.

Proton VPN prioritizes privacy with Secure Core servers, full-disk encryption, and impressive speeds. It’s based in Switzerland with strong privacy protections and offers a generous free tier with no data limits. It also offers a large server network of 17,250+ in 125 countries.

Private Internet Access offers over 35,000 servers with transparent, open-source code and competitive pricing around €1.99/month. It supports unlimited devices and excels at torrenting.

Conclusion: Planet VPN Review 2026

Key Takeaways:

• Best for: Budget users needing basic privacy and occasional VPN use
• Strengths: Unlimited free tier, competitive pricing, strong privacy protections
• Weaknesses: Connection reliability issues, limited streaming support, smaller server network
• Consider alternatives if you need consistent performance for streaming/gaming

Planet VPN presents an interesting proposition in the VPN marketplace: a truly unlimited free tier for basic users and competitively priced premium plans for those needing broader access. Its strengths include genuine no-logs privacy protections, Romanian jurisdiction outside surveillance alliances, strong encryption standards, and generous device allowances. The free plan stands out as one of the best available for occasional VPN use without financial commitment.

However, significant weaknesses temper this appeal. Connection reliability issues—including frequent disconnections and servers that won’t connect—undermine the user experience. The limited server network (particularly for free users), inconsistent streaming support beyond Netflix, and occasional app stability problems place Planet VPN behind established competitors in overall performance and features.

For budget-conscious users primarily interested in basic privacy protection, secure browsing on public Wi-Fi, and occasional streaming, Planet VPN’s premium service offers reasonable value. The free tier is excellent for testing the service or for users with minimal VPN needs. However, serious streamers, gamers requiring reliable connections, or users wanting comprehensive features and bulletproof reliability should consider investing in proven alternatives like NordVPN, Surfshark, or ExpressVPN despite their slightly higher costs. The difference in performance, features, and consistency often justifies the additional expense for users who rely heavily on VPN protection.

FAQs Planet VPN