Banana VPN has been around since 2007 and it focuses on offering a simple and secure VPN solution. While the service may lack the variety of features and server locations that other providers offer, Banana VPN offers effective performance and ease of use. The provider is committed to offering an easy to use option that will allow customers to bypass geographical blocks and censorship, in order to access websites and services that are not available in their country. Banana VOIP is ideal for users in the Middle East and Asia since it provides an effective way of accessing VoIP services and censored websites in these regions. Here we will find out more about what Banana VPN offers.
Security and Privacy
Banana VPN supports a variety of protocols, giving you more flexibility to choose an option that suits your needs. You can select L2TP, SSTP, PPTP or OpenVPN, which is the best option for users who are looking for the best level of security. While they don’t offer specific details about the encryption used, they promise to protect users’ data with at least 128-bit encryption. This may be not be strong enough for people who need top protection for their online traffic, but would be fine for those who simply want to enhance their privacy while they browse internet or stream content.
It should be noted that although Banana VPN promises not to keep any logs of their customers’ online activities, they log information like session duration, bandwidth and other connection details. This information is kept for 2 weeks. They don’t accept anonymous payment methods like Bitcoin and when you create an account, you are asked to provide your full name, your email address and even your physical address. Furthermore, they mention that in some cases, they may ask customers to provide a copy of their photo ID or credit card. Although according to Banana VPN, this is done to prevent fraud and ensure the security of their system, this is really bad news for anyone who is concerned about privacy. If your main reason for using a VPN is to protect your personal information and enhance your anonymity online, you will need to look elsewhere.
Features
Banana VPN works with Mac, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS devices. However, they don’t have dedicated VPN software or apps. Once you subscribe to the service, you will receive an email with your login credentials. This information will help you to set up the VPN manually on the platforms supported. There are instructions available that will help you to complete the process. Banana VPN promises to be a convenient option for accessing Skype, Google Talk and VoIP applications in any country in which these services are blocked. Their VPN is also set to bypass restrictions that prevent you from visiting websites, including popular social media and streaming platforms like Facebook and YouTube. If you have to deal with firewalls at school, or at work that don’t allow you to access games or social media sites, Banana VPN would also come handy.
Banana VPN offers a limited selection of servers (14) across 7 countries: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Canada. This is a very small network, specially when compared to the leading providers. However, they cover key locations that many users want to answer. You can get a US or UK IP, if you are mainly interested in accessing services and sites that are only available in these countries. It is also possible to get dedicated IPs for VoIP or gaming.
In terms of speed, Banana VPN delivers satisfactory results, in spite of their small network. This is another factor that makes it a good option for VoIP services. In most cases, you will be able to reach over half of your standard bandwidth and enjoy consistent performance. Banana BPN offers unlimited speeds and bandwidth, but it should be noted that P2P is not allowed. Overall, the features are fairly basic and you won’t get options like Kill Switch. Still, Banana VPN covers the main functions that you would expect from a VPN.
Plans
You can subscribe to Banana VPN for $14.99 per month, but during checkout, VAT is added and the final price ends up being $18.14, which is quite high, specially when compared to other services in the market. For six months, you pay $60, but the actual price paid inlcuding VAT is $72.60, which means that the monthly price is $12.10. A full year of service costs $100, $121 with VAT, which reduces the monthly cost to around $10.08. The price may be one of the main downsides of Banana VPN. After all, it is possible to find cheaper options that offer more features and a larger network of servers.Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that they don’t offer services to customers in some countries including Nigeria, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq and Cuba. They only accept card payments.
Customer Support
The website is very simple, but it offers clear information about the service and what it offers. You can find answers to some of the most common questions and instructions to set up the service on the platforms supported. If you need to reach out to them, you can do it via email or using the contact forms on the website. Customer support is available very day between 8 AM and 10 PM UK time. You can expect a response within 24 hours or less.
Conclusion
Banana VPN is a good option for users who are looking for a basic and effective VPN service for VoIP, browsing, gaming or streaming. The service will allow you to bypass restrictions effectively and it also will protect your connection from eavesdroppers. You can keep your online traffic protected from your ISP and other parties that may want to access your information. However, don’t expect top security or privacy. Banana VPN is not the right choice if keeping sensitive information protected is crucial for you. Additionally, the price is considerably higher than what other providers charge. They do offer some discounts for monthly plans, but even half price would be high considering the limited features supported and the small selection of servers.