There is no shortage of options when it comes to VPN services and one of the solutions that you can try is Celo VPN, a provider based in Australia that focuses on simplicity. Celo VPN may not have an extensive list of servers available and in fact, it is a very small VPN compared to other options available in the market. However, that doesn’t mean that it is not a solution that could suit some people. If you don’t require advanced features and don’t mind a limited selection of servers, Celo VPN may be good enough for you.Privacy and Security
Privacy and Security
If you are looking for a VPN, you are probably concerned about privacy and want a service that can truly protect you from the risks that lurk online. Online surveillance, hacking and tracking are some of the issues that internet users around the world face. A good VPN is meant to protect you against these issues and to be bale to do so, it needs to offer high encryption. Celo VPN can keep your information secure with AES-256 encryption, which is a high standard used across the industry. Celo VPN also supports OpenVPN, SSTP and L2TP/IPSec, which are well-known protocols. Generally, iOS uses IPSec, but OpenVPN is the option that is recommended in most cases. It is secure and reliable, so whenever it is available, it is the best choice.
Regarding privacy, the good news is that Celo VPN doesn’t keep logs of your online activities. Its policy states that there are no logs collected of what you do when you are connected to the internet. This refers to the websites you visit, your conversations, the content you stream, etc. However, Celo VPN does keep some logs including your email address and payment information. It is also important to note that Celo VPN is based in Australia, a country that is part of the Five Eyes. This is a spying alliance that also includes United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada. These countries collect data and share it between them, so if your main concern is privacy, it is advisable to choose a provider that is based outside these locations.
Features
Celo VPN is compatible with leading platforms like Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. The downside is that there is no dedicated client, so you will have to follow the instructions to set up the VPN manually. Having a dedicated app makes the process easier, so it is a pity that Celo VPN doesn’t offer this option. Still, the fact that Celo VPN provides detailed instructions should be enough to help you to get the service ready and running on your device. You can also use the service on gaming consoles and routers and for these, Celo VPN also offers helpful tutorials for the setting up process. It is possible to use 5 devices at the same time with a single Celo VPN account.
While overall, the service is easy to use, the set up process is more complicated than we would like it to be. However, this is not the main issue with Celo VPN, after all, as we previously mentioned, there are detailed set up instructions available. The problem with Celo VPN is that instead of showing the exact location of their servers, they just provide country codes. The small network and the limited list of locations supported (they have less then 20 servers in 15 countries) can affect your browsing experience. Another issue is that in order to switch to a different server, you first need to disconnect from the one you are currently connected to. Once you have disconnected from a server, you will be able to connect to a new one. However, in the meantime, your connection won’t be protected. If you are using Windows, Celo VPN offers a kill switch, which will shut down all internet traffic while you are not connected to a VPN. This will prevent that your real IP address and your online traffic get exposed. However, if you are using any other platform such as Mac, there is no kill switch supported.
While this is disappointing, Celo VPN offers other features that can make you consider them. For instance, they offer free protection against DDoS attacks, as well as free SOCKS5 and Shadowsocks Proxy. Celo VPN also supports IPv6 and it includes a solution to block ads and malware. Another advantage is that the service works with Tor, which allows you to increase the privacy and anonymity of your traffic. In addition, Celo VPN allows torrenting, so you will be able to download content securely, Another point in favor for Celo VPN is that it passed leak tests. No DNS or IP leaks were detected. Unfortunately, in most cases the speeds of the service are not good enough for streaming or downloading content. The speed depends on different factors, including the location you connect to and where you are connecting from, but in general, don’t expect impressive results from Celo VPN.
Plans
Celo VPN plans start from $7 per month and the monthly cost can be reduced as you extend the length of the subscription. For instance, for six months, you pay $35, which makes the cost per month about $5.83. One year costs $66, so the price per month is reduced to $5.5. There is also a free trial available that allows you to check the service for two days. You can pay with cryptocurrencies, cards, PayPal and more.
Customer Support
You can reach out to the customer support team via email, live chat and social media. The website also features a section where you can find help with the most common queries. Unfortunately, the responses are slow and in most cases, they are not very detailed.
Conclusion
Celo VPN offers affordable prices and a good set of features, including strong encryption, DDos protection and a privacy policy that states that no logs are kept. However, if you compare it with other providers, it doesn’t offer the best value for money. Also, the fact that it is based in Australia would cause concern among those who want the highest level of privacy as possible. The lack of dedicated software, the disappointing speeds and the limited selection of servers may make you reconsider if Celo VPN is really worth trying. It does has its pros, but there are other options that we would recommend to check before this VPN.