PandaPow VPN Review
[Presented by BestCloudBest.com]
Wondering how to protect your privacy and security online? You need a “Virtual Private Network” (VPN), however, it’s hard to choose one from many VPNs. PandaPow, a Hong Kong-based VPN is one of them.
What should you look for when choosing a VPN? We evaluate VPNs using yardsticks like privacy and security features. We review its speed, compatibility, user-friendliness, and customer support. Additionally, we check whether a VPN unblocks geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix and allows P2P/torrenting. Finally, we review its price.
We have reviewed PandaPow using all of these yardsticks. Can this VPN meet your requirements and should you buy a subscription? In this review, we answer these questions in detail. Read on.
The features of PandaPow VPN
What does PandaPow offer? We now evaluate its features.
Your privacy at PandaPow VPN
You probably consider privacy as an important factor when you buy a VPN subscription. In that case, you need a VPN that successfully masks your IP address, encrypts the Internet traffic, and refrains from logging your activities online
PandaPow masks your IP address and encrypts Internet traffic. This VPN records your IP address when you use its service. It tracks the time when you connect to this VPN. PandaPow also tracks the total amount of data transferred and the speed.
This VPN states in its privacy policy that it doesn’t record the activities of its VPN users. It tracks your IP address and connection time though, therefore, it keeps a partial log.
PandaPow collects your name and email address when you buy a VPN subscription. This company states that it doesn’t sell or rent your personal information. PandaPow commits to secure your personal information. We find that this doesn’t pose any privacy risks to its users.
PandaPow is subject to the jurisdiction of Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong is part of China, this territory earlier enjoyed autonomy. Hong Kong enjoyed this autonomy as part of the “One Country Two Systems” arrangement. The surveillance and Internet censorship imposed by China didn’t apply to Hong Kong. We considered it a privacy-friendly territory at that time.
However, the recent actions by the Chinese government have eroded the autonomy of Hong Kong considerably. We can’t consider Hong Kong a privacy-friendly territory anymore.
Many questions now arise, which are as follows:
· Will the Chinese government now force PandaPow to keep logs and share them with the government?
· Will PandaPow hand over its users’ data to the Chinese government when they are compelled to do so?
· Can PandaPow maintain transparency about its operations and logging going forward?
PandaPow already keeps partial logs. Since it’s a Hong Kong-based company, we find that its users might face privacy risks. We don’t consider PandaPow privacy-friendly.
Is your data secure at PandaPow VPN?
Along with privacy, you probably consider security as an important factor when choosing a VPN. VPNs that provide secure VPN protocols and strong encryption can help. Such VPNs should also prevent data leaks and provide advanced security features.
PandaPow supports OpenVPN, the most secure VPN protocol. It supports L2TP and IPSec, which are secure VPN protocols too. PandaPow supports PPTP too, which isn’t a secure protocol. We recommend that you use OpenVPN.
This VPN provides AES-256 encryption with 2048-bit authentication. We are happy to see that since this is military-grade encryption.
PandaPow can’t prevent IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. We consider this a key disadvantage. Leading VPNs prevent such leaks, and PandaPow lags in this area.
PandaPow doesn’t offer a kill switch. A kill switch blocks the Internet connection as soon as the VPN connection drops unexpectedly. This keeps hackers away even when the VPN connection terminates suddenly. All leading VPNs offer a kill switch, and they are ahead of PandaPow in this regard.
While PandaPow offers basic security features, it has drawbacks. It doesn’t offer a kill switch, moreover, it can’t prevent IP/DNS/WebRTC leaks. Leading VPNs offer far better security features than PandaPow.
Where are the servers of PandaPow VPN located?
After privacy and security, you will likely prioritize speed when choosing a VPN. You need a VPN that has enough servers in all key geographies. The VPN provider should invest in high-quality infrastructure too.
PandaPow has 100+ servers in 16 countries. It has servers in the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.
PandaPow doesn’t have a presence in Latin America and Africa. This VPN offers good speed. If you access it from Latin America or Africa, then you could experience a slightly slower connection. However, PandaPow invests in high-quality infrastructure. Therefore, you can expect good speed most of the time.
What devices are supported by PandaPow VPN?
You might have various kinds of devices, and you want a VPN that supports all of them. PandaPow supports Windows and Mac among desktops, and the company has custom apps for them. PandaPow supports Linux too, however, it offers manual configuration guides for that. Note that this VPN supports the Linux Ubuntu distribution.
Among mobile platforms, PandaPow supports Android and iOS. This VPN provider offers custom apps for both of them. We find that PandaPow supports all key platforms.
PandaPow supports Chromebook and Blackberry OS 10 too, and the company provides manual configuration guides for them. This VPN allows 3 simultaneous connections.
PandaPow doesn’t support routers. We find no manual configuration guides for routers. However, PandaPow sells “PandaPow WiFi” at additional cost. It’s a VPN-enabled router, and you need to pay $99 per annum. You can connect any Internet-enabled devices to it.
We are happy to see PandaPow supporting all key platforms. However, we find that $99 per annum for a VPN-enabled router is expensive!
Unblocking streaming services using PandaPow VPN
Popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer impose geo-restrictions on their content. These streaming companies do that to meet their business objectives, however, many people want to bypass these restrictions. They use VPNs for this.
These streaming companies know this though, and they aggressively block VPNs. PandaPow can sometimes unblock Netflix, however, it can’t do that consistently. If you want a VPN that can consistently unblock all popular streaming services, then explore other leading VPNs.
Can you torrent using PandaPow VPN?
PandaPow allows P2P/torrenting. Its privacy policy indicates that the company won’t allow illegal sharing of copyrighted material, and that’s fine too. These say only one part of the story though, and we don’t recommend you use this VPN for P2P/torrenting.
P2P/torrenting can be tricky. Some countries have banned these services, moreover, you can get into copyrights-related issues even in countries that allow P2P/torrenting. You need to know the applicable laws before accessing such services.
Even if you inadvertently access P2P/torrenting sites in an illegal manner, you would want to avoid being tracked. Hackers monitor these sites and regularly target their users. ISPs throttle your Internet connection if they detect you are accessing such sites. You want to avoid all of these challenges.
You probably want a VPN that allows secure access to P2P/torrenting sites. Such a VPN shouldn’t log your activities. PandaPow keeps partial logs including tracking your IP address, therefore, it’s not suitable for P2P/torrenting.
Moreover, PandaPow doesn’t offer a kill switch. It the VPN connection drops when you are accessing P2P/torrenting sites, then hackers can track your activities. This again makes PandaPow unsuitable for P2P/torrenting. We recommend you explore other leading VPNs to access P2P/torrenting services securely.
Bypassing the “Great Firewall” of China
PandaPow works in China. That’s certainly an advantage. Not many VPNs can bypass the “Great Firewall” of China.
The Chinese government imposes stringent Internet censorship, and people try to bypass it by using VPNs. However, the Chinese government uses advanced technologies like “Deep Packet Inspection” (DPI) to identify and block VPNs. Only a few VPNs can bypass such censorship, and PandaPow is one of them.
However, we can’t say whether PandaPow can do this in the future. This VPN is subject to the jurisdiction of Hong Kong. Recent moves by the Chinese government have eroded the autonomy of this territory. VPNs registered in Hong Kong will likely face pressures from the Chinese government. They will likely comply with the Internet censorship regime if they want to continue in the business.
We recommend you look for other market-leading VPNs if you want a VPN that consistently works in China.
What's the price of PandaPow VPN
We now review the pricing plans offered by PandaPow. This VPN offers 3 pricing plans, and all of these include all features. These plans are as follows:
· Monthly: You pay $9 per month.
· 3-months: PandaPow charges you $24 every 3 months, therefore, your monthly average cost is $8.
· Yearly: You pay $84 per annum, which means that your monthly average cost is $7.
PandaPow calls these plans its “PandaPow Classic VPN” plans. These include VPN apps.
PandaPow also sells “PandaPow WiFi”, its VPN-enabled router. It costs you $99 per annum. This is a completely separate plan from the above-mentioned plans. If you buy this router, then you can connect all your devices to it. You don’t need to install VPN apps, and you don’t need to subscribe to any PandaPow Classic VPN plans.
PandaPow accepts popular credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, etc. It also accepts PayPal, WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay, etc. This VPN provider offers a secure payment process. PandaPow offers a 24-hours free trial and 7-days money-back guarantee.
For the features it offers, we find PandaPow expensive. We also find PandaPow WiFi expensive. You can find more comprehensive VPN products and services that are cheaper than PandaPow.
The pros and cons of PandaPow VPN
PandaPow offers the following advantages:
· It supports secure VPN protocols and offers strong encryption.
· This VPN offers good speed.
· PandaPow supports all key platforms.
· It offers user-friendly custom apps for most of the key platforms.
· PandaPow offers good documentation.
· PandaPow offers a 24-hours free trial and 7-days money-back guarantee.
This VPN has a few disadvantages too, which are as follows:
· PandaPow keeps partial logs.
· This VPN is subject to the jurisdiction of Hong Kong. The recent moves by the Chinese government eroded the autonomy enjoyed by Hong Kong. VPNs registered there might be pressurized to provide data about their users to the Chinese government. This poses a potentially high privacy risk.
· PandaPow can’t prevent IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
· This VPN doesn’t provide a kill switch.
· PandaPow can’t unblock popular streaming services like Netflix consistently.
· This VPN isn’t a good choice for P2P/torrenting since it keeps logs and lacks a kill switch.
· PandaPow doesn’t offer live chat support, moreover, its customer support team doesn’t respond to emails promptly.
· PandaPow doesn’t provide manual configuration guides for routers. It sells a VPN-enables router instead, which is expensive.
· PandaPow is expensive for the products and services it offers.
A few quick facts about PandaPow VPN
We now summarize a few quick facts about PandaPow, which are as follows:
· PandaPow is a Hong Kong-based VPN.
· This VPN keeps partial logs.
· While PandaPow supports secure VPN protocols and strong encryption, it doesn’t prevent IP/DNS/WebRTC leaks.
· PandaPow doesn’t offer a kill switch.
· This VPN has 100+ servers in 16 countries, and it offers good speed.
· PandaPow can’t consistently unblock Netflix.
· This VPN isn’t a good choice for P2P/torrenting. That’s because it keeps partial logs and it doesn’t provide a kill switch.
· PandaPow supports all key platforms and provides easy-to-use custom VPN apps for most of them.
· This VPN allows 3 simultaneous connections.
· PandaPow offers good documentation, however, its customer support team doesn’t respond to emails promptly.
· PandaPow doesn’t offer live chat support.
· This VPN offers a 24-hours free trial and 7-days money-back guarantee.
· This VPN sells “PandaPow WiFi”, a VPN-enabled router. It doesn’t provide manual configuration guides for routers.
Is PandaPow VPN easy to use?
You would want a user-friendly VPN. You need a VPN that offers easy-to-use custom apps for all key platforms, good documentation, and a user-friendly website.
The PandaPow website is easy to use. You can find all the key information easily, and the website displays important menu options prominently. For example, you can easily locate guides, FAQs, pricing information, VPN apps, etc.
The website provides an easy process to buy a VPN subscription. PandaPow offers custom VPN apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. You can install and use these apps easily. While this VPN doesn’t provide custom apps for platforms like Linux, it provides manual configuration guides.
If you opt for the PandaPow WiFi, then you don’t even need to use a VPN app. You only need to connect your device to it.
PandaPow provides the ease of use that you need.
How is the customer experience at PandaPow VPN?
PandaPow offers easy-to-use custom apps for most of the key platforms. It offers a stable connection too, therefore, you won’t need much customer support. However, customer support is a key consideration for many users. Users that aren’t tech-savvy consider it very important.
PandaPow VPN offers platform-specific guides for all key platforms. This VPN provides troubleshooting guides and comprehensive FAQs too. We reviewed some of its documentation and found them useful.
On its website, PandaPow displays a button that gives the impression of live chat support. However, this VPN provider doesn’t provide live chat support. This button lets you send messages to its customer support team. You can contact its customer support team via email too.
We sent a few straightforward questions using both channels. Even after 2 business days, we are yet to receive a response. While PandaPow offers good documentation, its customer support team isn’t prompt. This VPN lags behind its leading competitors in this regard.
What's the jurisdiction of PandaPow VPN?
PandaPow is subject to the jurisdiction of Hong Kong. Due to the “One Country Two Systems” arrangement, the Chinese government allowed considerable autonomy to Hong Kong earlier. The Chinese government didn’t impose surveillance, Internet censorship, etc. in Hong Kong earlier.
This has changed recently. The recent moves by the Chinese government erode the autonomy of Hong Kong. We can’t confidently say whether the Chinese government will force PandaPow to keep extensive logs. You need to also prepare for the possibility of PandaPow sharing data with the Chinese government.
We find that the jurisdiction of PandaPow is now a risk. This VPN keeps partial logs, which compound the risk.
Does PandaPow VPN keep any logs of your activity?
PandaPow keeps partial logs. While it doesn’t log the online activities of its VPN users, it records their IP addresses. This VPN records the connection times, the amount of data transmitted, and the transmission speed too.
We can’t consider this as a “no logs” policy. If a VPN records the IP address and the connection time of its users, then it’s keeping limited logs.
PandaPow is subject to the jurisdiction of Hong Kong. The Chinese government recently tightened its control over Hong Kong, which enjoyed autonomy earlier. This compounds the privacy risks arising from limited logging. We don’t consider PandaPow suitable to protect your privacy.
Technical security at PandaPow VPN
PandaPow supports OpenVPN. We like that since OpenVPN is the most secure VPN protocol. PandaPow supports L2TP and IPSec, and these protocols provide good security too. Although this VPN provider supports PPTP, you don’t need to use it. PPTP isn’t a secure protocol. With AES-256 encryption and 2048-bit authentication, PandaPow provides strong encryption.
This VPN can’t prevent IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. PandaPow doesn’t provide a kill switch. All leading VPNs prevent data leaks and offer a kill switch, therefore, PandaPow lags behind them.
The conclusion of our review
PandaPow keeps limited logs. This VPN is subject to the jurisdiction of Hong Kong. Due to recent political events, Hong Kong doesn’t enjoy the autonomy it had earlier. Due to these factors, we don’t find PandaPow privacy-friendly. While this VPN supports secure VPN protocols and strong encryption, it can’t prevent data-leaks. PandaPow doesn’t offer a kill switch, therefore, we don’t find its security features satisfactory.
With over 100 servers in 16 countries, PandaPow offers good speed. This VPN can’t consistently unblock Netflix. It allows P2P/torrenting. We don’t recommend you use it for this though. This VPN keeps partial logs and it doesn’t offer a kill switch. These factors make it unsuitable for P2P/torrenting.
PandaPow supports all key platforms, and it offers user-friendly custom apps for most of them. This VPN provides good documentation. However, its customer support team doesn’t respond to emails promptly. PandaPow doesn’t offer live chat support.
This VPN is expensive, and its VPN-enabled router is expensive too. PandaPow offers a 24-hours free trial and 7-days money-back guarantee. We don’t recommend you buy PandaPow. However, you can take advantage of its free trial to see if this meets your requirements.
