Let’s continue dissecting VPNs. Next in line is Le VPN, which is an online privacy service based in France. A trustworthy VPN provider, Le VPN was developed by a team of renowned information security specialists and launched in the year 2010. Since then, it has spread its reaches over various countries in Europe and other parts of the world. The review that follows aims at acquainting you with the basic features of Le VPN as a VPN provider and answers your queries as to whether you should be using it or not.
Pricing Plan
Le VPN offers a single package with all the relevant features – the pricing of the plans differs from the period that you signup for. Naturally the greater the span, the higher the discount that you get. Subscription for a month costs around 9.95$ while the annual subscription is toned down to 4.95$ per month, which is quite a reasonable rate. A six-month plan is also available, and it costs around 7.5$ for each month. The payment can be made through credit cards, Bitcoin or through PayPal, which is considered to be a safer option.
Features
Le VPN has a large number of servers spread across almost 114 countries. In comparison to many of its contemporaries, the number is huge! The countries which fall under this list are “Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Emirates, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Moldova, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
It has added an extra feather to its cap with the development of the HybridVPN service. An interesting concoction of a VPN connection and a SmartDNS service, it forces you to pass your traffic through a VPN tunnel that acts as a brilliant ‘filter’. At the same time, it unlocks all the websites and other material on the internet that is often blocked in a certain location for the sake of geo-restriction. As a result of this, you are anonymously able to navigate through all kinds of media on the internet without facing any form of censorship or restriction. Combined with this is the cumulative effect of a SmartDNs service, which helps you maintain your connection at an optimum speed, while accessing geo-restricted services all over the world. Quoting from the official website itself:
“So, for example, let’s say you are in Vietnam and you want to watch a US TV channel like NBC, which blocks its live online broadcasting for viewers outside of the US. At the same time, you want to protect your Internet connection, hide your IP address and you also require the fastest Internet speed for your browsing. What you can do is connect to our HybridVPN server in Vietnam and enjoy the fastest browsing speed for Vietnam while watching American NBC online through an anonymous and highly secure HybridVPN connection.”
It provides you with unlimited bandwidth and free software for Virtual Private Network, developed as a result of a fruitful collaboration with Viscosity.
It can be used on various Operating Systems, simultaneously over two devices. For Apple devices, there is an iOS app that you can use according to your convenience. For better user experience, it spans over multiple protocols like OpenVPN and L2TP over IPSec, and PPTP. Speed tests have shown optimum speeds, which, although aren’t brilliant but are decent enough for a VPN connection.
However, before arriving at a decision, the best way to weigh in the pros and the cons is to go through the free trial, which the company offers through a 7 day money back guarantee. If you aren’t satisfied with the service provided by them, then you can cancel your subscription within the first seven days and avail a refund. Hear about this from what they have to mention in their privacy policy:
“Clients are eligible for refund only for 7 days as of the date of first activation (which excludes any refund in case of renewals or new accounts if the user has already tried our Le VPN Service) of the Le VPN Service. Indeed, we offer a 7-day money back guarantee for new subscriptions, except for subscriptions purchased by mobile payment methods (for instance through App Store or iTunes) which cannot be refunded (Refunds of iOS or iTunes in-app purchases (if user subscribes to the Le VPN Service from our app) should be processed directly with App Store or iTunes). If we cancel or suspend your account with us due to a breach by you of these Terms of Use or our Privacy Policy we will not refund any fees to you.”
Going by the standards of the company, a high level of security and immense respect for privacy can be expected from them. And they do not falter on these grounds.
Firstly, they are vocal about the fact that they do not keep any traffic logs. It is well outlined in their ‘Terms Of Use’, that they only collect as much data as is required. During registration, it is a must that you provide them with your username, email address, an encrypted password, and the IP address. They ask for your first and last names, company name, postal address and phone number, and nothing beyond that. During transactions, they take the requisite financial details. None of this information is shared with third parties.
Their VPN servers are secured by AES-256 encryption to assess the traffic that makes its way through the VPN. They see to it, that your anonymity is strictly maintained virtually and that you are oblivious to the prying eyes of your ISP, among others.
Summing it up in their own words – “When you are connected to Le VPN, no one can access your computer without passing through our protected servers, which are fortified with numerous safeguards to keep unauthorized users out. We understand the importance of creating and maintaining a formidable and secure network, and we have engineered our servers accordingly.”
Customer Support
The best part of the support offered is that Le VPN is now providing 24/7 live chat support in a total of 4 languages. With Le VPN, all non-subscribers can access a Knowledge Base. Search for a tiny link hidden in the footer of the official website, and after you have clicked on the link, you can navigate through basic topics outlined under the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ tab. The Knowledge Base allows you to go through the instructions for installation of the software on your specific Operating System. For subscribers, there is a Client Area where one needs to type in his or her login details and get further access into it.
On the other hand, the ticket system is easily accessible to subscribers. You can opt for submitting queries related to either ‘Technical Support’ or ‘Sales and Billing’ option. Or, you can contact them by submitting a message with your respective contact details. Plus, you can reach out to them through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Plus.
Conclusion
Le VPN’s strategy to provide a brilliant experience is well developed and detailed. Its features are noteworthy – especially the combined HybridVPN service. Along with that, the prices are affordable and the customer service provided is excellent. There aren’t many flaws to pinpoint at, and this is very evident from the successful manner in which they have spread their presence all around the globe. As a secure and user-friendly VPN provider, Le VPN definitely proves to be a trustworthy choice. After all, there’s a lot going on in its favour!