✅ Astrill VPN is one of the best VPNs for bypassing censorship (like in China) and delivering top-tier speed, but it comes with a high price and no refunds. Great for power users, expats, and gamers…less ideal for casual users.

📌 TL;DR – Why Choose Astrill VPN in 2025? 🚀

🔐 Astrill VPN is a high-performance, no-compromise VPN built for users who demand speed, privacy, and censorship bypassing, especially in China and other restricted regions.

🌏 Trusted by expats and power users, it offers proprietary StealthVPN tech, port forwarding, and Smart Mode, but comes at a premium price and with no refunds.

⚡ Blazing-fast speeds, elite security, and advanced tools make it ideal for gaming, torrenting, and unblocking global streaming content.

🌐 Try Astrill VPN Now

Astrill VPN is a premium VPN service known for its blazing speeds and advanced features. It’s particularly popular among privacy-conscious users, gamers, and expats – especially those in countries with heavy internet censorship (like China).

Astrill has a reputation for being one of the few VPNs that works reliably in China, and it offers a host of power-user features that set it apart. However, it also comes with a premium price tag and a few quirks that might give casual users pause. In this in-depth Astrill VPN review, we’ll cover everything from security and speed to pricing and how it compares with other top VPNs.

Astrill VPN Pros & Cons

Pros:

• ✅ Excellent speeds: Its network of high-performance servers means minimal lag and buffering
• ✅ Works in China: Astrill is one of the few VPNs that reliably bypasses China’s Great Firewall, thanks to its proprietary StealthVPN protocol designed for high-censorship countries
• ✅ Strong privacy: Strict no-logs policy
• ✅ Advanced features: Smart Mode, site & app filtering, multi-hop double VPN
• ✅ Crypto payments & support: Pay anonymously with Bitcoin or Monero

Cons:

• 👎🏼 Very expensive: On average, plans are 2-3 times more expensive than other top brands like ExpressVPN or Surfshark
• 👎🏼 Outdated interface: Not very beginner-friendly
• 👎🏼 Limited connections: Only 5 simultaneous connections allowed
• 👎🏼 No third-party audits

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🔒 Security & Privacy: No Logs, High Control

⚠️ Important: No third-party audit yet, but zero-logs policy & strong encryption make it a solid choice.

Highlights:

• AES-256 encryption on all protocols
• No traffic logs (only session info, deleted on disconnect)
• Kill switch + App Guard (per-app kill switch)
• DNS, WebRTC, IPv6 leak protection
• Crypto payments incl. Monero
• RAM-only servers for added privacy
• Proprietary StealthVPN hides VPN traffic completely

Security is one of Astrill VPN’s biggest strengths. It uses industry-standard strong encryption across the board – specifically AES-256 encryption for all major protocols. Astrill offers a variety of VPN protocols, including OpenVPN and the modern WireGuard, but also two proprietary options: OpenWeb and StealthVPN.

ℹ️OpenWeb is a unique TCP-based protocol Astrill developed, which is extremely lightweight and allows instant server switching without re-connecting.
StealthVPN is Astrill’s special sauce for evading censorship – it’s essentially an OpenVPN variant with an extra layer of obfuscation to make VPN traffic undetectable by deep packet inspection (perfect for places like China or UAE).
Both OpenWeb and StealthVPN use robust AES-256 encryption and were built to fly under the radar of firewalls.

One thing to note: Astrill has not undergone a third-party audit of its no-logs policy or infrastructure yet. Many leading VPNs now invite independent firms to verify their security and privacy practices. Astrill hasn’t done this, so while there’s no specific reason to doubt its claims, we have to rely on the company’s word and past track record. The good news is that Astrill has been around for over a decade with no breaches or scandalous incidents reported. Still, the addition of a public audit in the future would be reassuring and bring Astrill on par with the transparency standards set by some competitors.

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🚀 Speed & Performance: One of the Fastest VPNs

💡 Tip: Astrill uses bare-metal servers only, giving you speed most VPNs can’t match.

Key Points:

• Consistently top-tier speeds (great for streaming, torrenting, gaming)
• Instant server switching with OpenWeb protocol
• No bandwidth caps
• Built-in server speed test & ping display
• VIP Add-on available for even lower ping (esp. Asia)

Astrill provides a global network of servers across 58 countries, with over a hundred locations covering every continent. The server list includes multiple cities in the US and Europe, and a notably large number of servers in Asia-Pacific (which many VPNs lack).

All of Astrill’s servers are dedicated bare-metal machines with optimized hardware – no low-performance virtual servers. This focus on high-end hardware is reflected in the VPN’s performance: Astrill is widely regarded as one of the fastest VPNs in the industry.

Independent tests often record excellent throughput speeds with Astrill, sometimes even the best among tested VPNs. In real-world use, this means if you have a fast base internet connection, Astrill will help you retain as much of that speed as possible, even when encrypted.

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🌏 Works in China: One of the Few That Does

🇨🇳 Pro Tip: Astrill VPN China access is extremely reliable – ideal for expats, travelers, and businesses.

Why it’s great for China:

• StealthVPN: Obfuscates traffic to avoid detection
• Smart Mode: Routes only international traffic via VPN
• Dedicated VIP servers in Asia (China, HK, Taiwan)
• Mirror sites & .onion for download inside China
• Works in other censorship-heavy regions (Iran, UAE)

One of the biggest reasons people gravitate to Astrill is its track record in censorship-heavy countries. AstrillVPN is often cited as one of the few services that consistently works for bypassing the Great Firewall of China.

If you’re an expat, traveler, or resident in China, you know that many VPNs struggle to stay operational there – services get blocked frequently. Astrill, however, has made a name for itself by largely staying one step ahead of Chinese censors. Its StealthVPN protocol is specifically engineered to hide VPN traffic.

Unlike standard VPN protocols which can be identified and throttled or blocked by China’s firewall, StealthVPN wraps the data in a way that looks like regular HTTPS web traffic, so it doesn’t raise suspicion. The Astrill team also seems to proactively update and tweak their methods whenever China implements new blocks.

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🎮 Gaming & Streaming: Lag-Free and Geo-Free

🎯 Idea: Use Astrill’s VIP servers for ultra-low latency in competitive gaming.

Gaming Perks:

• Optimized routing to reduce ping
• Works great with console sharing via VPN hotspot
• Fast enough for 4K streaming
• Unblocks: Netflix (US, UK, etc.), Prime Video, Disney+, iPlayer

Torrenting Support:

• Allowed on all servers
• Port forwarding supported
• Optional private IPs for seeding or P2P tools

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📱 Apps & Usability: Packed with Power Features

🧰 Note: Clunky UI, but loaded with tools for advanced users.

Available Apps:

• Windows, macOS, Linux
• iOS, Android
• VPN routers (ASUS, DD-WRT, OpenWRT)
• Up to 5 devices per account

Best Features:

• App/site filters (advanced split-tunneling)
• VPN sharing: turn your PC into a VPN hotspot
• Instant server switching (OpenWeb only)
• 24/7 live chat with <15 min average response

Astrill provides apps for all major platforms, and even support for some niche setups. There are dedicated applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS (iPhone/iPad), Android, and also an app for flashed VPN routers.

⚠️One minor quirk we noticed: when connected to certain Astrill servers, Google would sometimes assume we’re in China and show Google search in Chinese. It’s likely due to Astrill’s traffic routing or DNS; it wasn’t a major problem (you can manually go to your country’s Google).

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💸 Pricing Breakdown: High Cost, No Refunds

🚫 Warning: No money-back guarantee!

Plan	Price	Billed
Monthly	$30.00/month	Every month
1-Year	$15.00/month	$180 annually
2-Year	$12.50/month	$300 every 2 yrs

Add-Ons:

• VIP Servers: +$10/month – 100 GB traffic, lower ping, Multi-Hop
• Private IP: +$5/month – fixed IP w/ open ports
• Crypto accepted: BTC, ETH, XMR (for anonymous signup)

Our Take:

Considering the cost, Astrill is best viewed as an investment for users who really need what it offers. For someone in the US or EU who just wants to stream and browse safely, Astrill’s price is hard to justify when other reputable VPNs are available for a fraction of the cost.

However, for a user in China who absolutely needs a reliable VPN every day, $10–$15 a month (on a long-term plan) might be a small price to pay for uncensored internet – in that scenario, the value proposition shifts. It’s all about your specific needs and budget.

We’ll discuss alternatives in the next section, but keep in mind: Astrill positions itself as a premium, no-compromise service, and its pricing and policies reflect that. There’s no free tier or free trial. So, be ready to pay if you decide to go with Astrill.

 💡Tip: Before committing to a long-term subscription, we’d recommend starting with a 1-month plan (even though the per-month cost is higher). This way, if you’re not happy with the service, you only spent $30 as opposed to $180 or $300.

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🆚 Astrill vs Other VPNs

⚖️ Comparison: Astrill wins on speed & censorship, but loses on price & UI.

Feature	Astrill VPN	NordVPN	ExpressVPN	Surfshark
Price (2yr plan)	$12.50/mo	~ $3.99/mo	~ $3.49/mo	~ $2.49/mo
Free Trial, Guarantee?	❌	✅ 30-day money-back	✅ 30-day money-back	✅ 30-day money-back
Works in China	✅ Best	⚠️ Spotty	✅ Good	⚠️ Unreliable
Max Devices	5	10	14	♾️ Unlimited
Port Forwarding	✅	❌	❌	✅
Multi-hop VPN	✅ (VIP only)	✅	❌	✅
Audit Verified	❌	✅	✅	✅

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📥 Astrill VPN Download & Setup

📲 Fast Setup: Simple download with guides available for all platforms.

How to get started:

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⭐ Final Verdict: Is Astrill VPN Worth It?

✅ Verdict: Yes, if you need elite-level VPN for China, gaming, or torrenting. No, if you want a budget-friendly or beginner VPN.

Choose Astrill if you:

• Live/travel in China or censored regions
• Need port forwarding or private IPs
• Want the fastest, most stable performance
• Are okay paying extra for elite features

Skip Astrill if you:

• Just want to stream casually
• Need a modern, user-friendly interface
• Prefer a refund window or lower cost

❓ Astrill VPN FAQ

Not sure if Astrill VPN is the best VPN for you?

Check out our in-depth reviews of all of today’s best VPNs: All VPN Reviews