Reviews

Fujifilm X-E5: two-minute review

The Fujifilm X-E5 is a significant leap forward for Fujifilm’s X-E series, elevating it from its budget-friendly beginnings to the loftier heights of the mid-range.

At $1,699 / £1,299 / AU$2,699 body-only it’s significantly pricier than its predecessor. But that hike brings with it some serious upgrades – and not only in the shape of the 40.2MP X-Trans CMOS 5 sensor (which is the same as the one you’ll find in the X100VI).

Design-wise the X-E5 nails the retro look, and with its aluminum top plate and minimalist controls it really feels like a premium product. Compact, handsome and lightweight, it’s ideal for travel and street shooters, and the new Film Simulation dial and customizable front lever give it added control finesse. That said, the camera isn’t weather-sealed and offers limited grip, making it less suited to challenging environments or big lenses.

The viewfinder and touchscreen feel slightly outdated, too. The OLED EVF is small and lacks the crispness I’ve seen on some rivals, while the flip-up screen can be obstructed by accessories in the hot shoe, which could be an annoyance for vloggers and video shooters. That said, I found both to be functional for stills photography.

The X-E5 can be purchased in a bundle with this nifty, space-saving 23mm pancake lens. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

The star addition to the feature list is in-body image stabilization (IBIS), appearing for the first time in the X-E line. It’s a game changer for low-light shooting and handheld video, at least compared with the X-E4. The autofocus system has been upgraded too, and now offers subject tracking not only for humans but animals, vehicles and more.

Shooting performance is solid: 20fps burst with electronic shutter (with crop), 13fps uncropped or 8fps with the mechanical shutter. And thanks to the inclusion of 20 of Fuji’s signature Film Simulation modes, it's easy to get incredible-looking shots straight out of the camera. The color science, as with all X-series cameras, is a real strong point.

Video quality is excellent, with 6.2K 30p and 4K 60p 10-bit capture, including access to F-Log profiles for added dynamic range. But there are caveats: the camera tends to overheat with extended video shooting, it lacks a proper headphone jack, and that tilting screen remains an ergonomic obstacle for self-shooters. For me the X-E5 is best thought of as a photography-first tool, with video as a very capable bonus feature.

In short, the Fujifilm X-E5 is a compact and beautifully built mirrorless camera that delivers superb images, reliable autofocus and welcome stabilization. It's not cheap, and it's not perfect (video-first shooters and all-weather adventurers should look elsewhere), but for travel, street and everyday stills photography, it's a delight.

Fujifilm X-E5: price and availability

• $1,699 / £1,299 / AU$2,699 body-only
• Significantly pricier than X-E4 was at launch
• Available in a kit with new XF23mm lens

The Fujifilm X-E5 was launched on June 12 2025, alongside a new pancake lens, the XF23mmF.28 R WR.

Pricing starts at $1,699 / £1,299 / AU$2,699 body-only, or $1,899 / £1,549 / AU$3,049 for a bundle with the lens. Perhaps the most notable thing about the price is how much higher it is than the Fujifilm X-E4’s was at launch: it cost $949 / £799 / AU$1,399 body-only, or $1,049 / £949 / AU$1,799 in a kit with a pancake lens. Yes, that was back in 2021, but this is still a significant increase that far outstrips inflation.

There are various factors that affect pricing, from general inflation to recently introduced tariffs. However, I think the main reason for the bump here is simply that Fujifilm deems the X-E5 is a more premium product than its predecessor – and given the improvements made to features and spec, it’s hard to argue with that.

It’s clear that the X-E5 isn’t the entry-level option the X-E4 was; this is now very much a mid-range option. I think the price reflects that, and I think the lens bundle in particular represents a pretty good deal.

• Price score 4/5

Fujifilm X-E5: specs

Sensor:

40.2MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR APS-C

Video:

6.2K 30p, 4K 60p, FHD 240p, 10-bit

Cont. shooting:

Up to 20fps electronic shutter, up to 8fps mechanical shutter

Viewfinder:

2.36m-dot OLED

LCD:

3-inch 1.62m-dot tilting touchscreen

Battery (CIPA rating):

Up to 400 shots or 45 minutes of video capture

Weight:

445g / 15.7oz

Dimensions:

124.9 x 72.9 x 39.1mm / 4.92 x 2.87 x 1.54 inches

Fujifilm X-E5: design and handling

• Weighs just 535g / 18.9oz with XF23mm lens
• Not weatherproof
• Tilting touchscreen and OLED viewfinder

The Fujifilm X-E5 sports similar rangefinder styling to previous models in the series, but with some big advances in design and build quality. As soon as I picked up the camera I realized it felt nothing like a plasticky 'budget' option; it’s solid and hefty, thanks to the new aluminum top plate, while the included braided rope strap looks and feels very modish indeed.

I still found the camera body to be compact and lightweight for a mirrorless model however, and with the new pancake lens attached it makes for a strikingly portable setup that I think would be perfect for street or travel photography. I should say, though, that despite its build-quality improvements this still isn’t a fully weather-sealed camera, so should be used cautiously in rainy conditions. I think that’s a shame, as it somewhat detracts from its travel-friendly nature.

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The compact size and flat body shape have an impact on ergonomics, of course; there’s not a great deal to grip onto here bar a small moulded bump at the front and back on the right side. With a small lens attached things feel comfortable enough, but I suspect fitting larger lenses will result in balance and handling challenges. This camera certainly seems designed for use with small primes and short zooms rather than longer, heavier lenses.

Controls-wise, things remain fairly minimalist, particularly on the rear of the camera – that’s always been typical of the X-E series and I think it suits the aesthetic well, and I had few problems accessing settings I wished to change.

There are a couple of notable additions I really enjoyed using: firstly, the Film Simulation dial on the top plate, which displays the current selection through a little circular window and supports up to three custom recipes plus the standard range of Fuji’s film-aping filters.

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Second is the lever on the front – a feature borrowed from X100- and X-Pro series cameras. It can be customized to suit the user’s preferences, adding a great deal of additional control to what appears to be a very controls-light camera.

The X-E5’s rear touchscreen and viewfinder feel outdated alongside other recent cameras. The screen, for instance, has a flip-up design rather than full tilt-and-swivel vari-angle, which means it can be blocked by anything mounted on the hot shoe when flipped up to face forward. Got a flash or shotgun mic fitted? You won’t be able to see much of the screen. Other than that, I found it bright, sharp and easy to use.

The OLED viewfinder is small and fairly low-resolution compared with say, the Fujifilm X100VI’s, and its eyepiece does little to block out exterior distractions. That’s not to say it’s not perfectly serviceable – it just seems a little behind the times.

Storage is courtesy of a single SD card slot alongside the battery slot on the bottom of the camera, while physical connections comprise a 3.5mm mic/remote input, a USB-C port for charging, storage and headphone hook-up, and micro HDMI.

• Design and handling score 4/5

Fujifilm X-E5: features and performance

• 5-axis sensor-shift IBIS now included
• Subject-detection autofocus recognizing animals, cars and more
• Continuous shooting up to 20fps

Perhaps the biggest feature upgrade the X-E5 boasts over its predecessor is five-axis in-body stabilization (IBIS). The X-E4 had no internal mechanism to counter camera shake, so IBIS is a significant boost to its capabilities.

The sensor-shifting mechanism adds up to seven stops of compensation according to Fujifilm, and I found it very useful for slower shutter speed photos (i.e., in low-light conditions) and handheld video capture. It would have been nice to have some longer lenses to test with it, but I have no complaints about its effectiveness with the 24mm pancake.

As well as the sensor-shift tech, users also have the option to use two further digital stabilization modes for video capture, which apply a successive crop to the image.

Continuous shooting has been slowed down slightly from the X-E4, albeit only in electronic shutter mode, and perhaps as a result of the X-E5’s higher sensor resolution, it can’t match the X-E4’s 30fps maximum speed. It can now shoot at up to 20fps in this mode (which applies a 1.29x crop to the image), at up to 13fps electronically with no crop, or at up to 8fps with the mechanical shutter (also uncropped). That’s perfectly respectable in my book, particularly as those speeds are now paired with a much improved autofocus setup.

The X-E4 had human face and eye detection and tracking, but the X-E5 adds subject detection for animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, bikes, airplanes and trains. In testing I found that it reliably tracked moving subjects across the frame, and as they moved towards or away from the camera or in and out of view. It might not quite match the speed and laser-like accuracy of the systems on the latest high-end Canon, Sony or Nikon cameras, but it’s a good, dependable setup.

Battery life doesn’t look particularly impressive on paper, with the X-E5 having a CIPA rating of 400 shots or just 45 minutes of video recording on a full charge. But in practice (shooting mainly photos) I found it felt fairly generous, and rarely had to recharge the camera during my time with it.

Perhaps yet more evidence that this is a photography-first camera is that it has a tendency to overheat and shut down when used to shoot longer video clips. I set the video quality to 4K 60fps and found that the X-E5 only managed to record 14.5 minutes before turning itself off to cool down.

• Features and performance score: 4/5

Fujifilm X-E5: image and video quality

• 40.2MP X-Trans CMOS 5 APS-C sensor
• 4:2:2 10-bit video up to 6.2K and 14-bit RAW photo capture
• 20 customizable Film Simulation modes

The X-E5 is built around a 40.2MP APS-C sensor that represents a fairly large resolution jump over the X-E4’s 26MP sensor. It’s the same sensor as you’ll find in the highly coveted Fujifilm X100VI compact, but instead of that camera's fixed lens you can use any piece of X-mount glass you like.

As well as its 40.2MP stills (which can be captured in JPEG or 14-bit raw), the X-E5 can capture video at up to 6.2K 30fps or 4K 60fps 4:2:2 10-bit quality, plus Full HD at up to 240fps for slow-motion playback.

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I’m hugely impressed with the X-E5’s photography performance. As mentioned above, it comes with a selection of film simulation modes (20 in all), allowing users to instantly give their images a style and aesthetic reminiscent of analog film types.

My personal favorite, going back to my time using the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 almost a decade ago, has always been Classic Chrome, and I found myself defaulting to it as my go-to setting for standard shots. But there are plenty of other interesting Film Simulations that I enjoyed testing too, like the desaturated Eterna Bleach Bypass and the ultra-punchy monochrome Acros, which can be set with yellow, red, or green filters to further enhance its look.

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There are plenty of options in the menus for adjusting these Simulation recipes in order to find results you like, or you can of course just shoot in raw and process the images yourself in Lightroom or similar. I also tried this, and found the huge raw files provided superb platforms for heavy image adjustments and corrections. Whether you want a camera that produces excellent point-and-shoot results or gives you the basis for heavy editing, the X-E5 fits the bill.

Video quality is also excellent, and offers videographers the same selection of Film Simulation modes as well as F-Log and F-Log2, two flat profiles that work as a solid base for color grading and correction in post-production. It also supports bit rates of up to 200Mbps. There are several reasons why the X-E5 isn’t ideal for video (the lack of a 3.5mm headphone socket, the tilting screen being blocked by anything on the hotshoe, the tendency to overheat), but actual image quality isn’t one.

• Image and video quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Fujifilm X100VI: Test scorecardFujifilm X100VI

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

A big price bump over the X-E4, but given the improvements it feels warranted.

4 / 5

Design

Stylish and compact, with more metal than previous X-E models – but not weatherproof.

4 / 5

Feature and performance

Image stabilization and autofocus are excellent, even if other aspects are a little more average.

4 / 5

Image quality

A superb sensor and winning color science deliver superb images straight out of the camera.

4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Fujifilm X-E5?

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Buy it if...

You want a chic, ultra-compact mirrorless camera
The X-E5 is small, lightweight and handsome – and its X-mount means it can be used with lots of excellent lenses, so it’s more versatile than most premium compact cameras.

You primarily shoot with small or lightweight lenses
Balance-wise, the X-E5’s body is more suited to small primes and zooms than larger, heavier lenses. If you’re a sports or wildlife photographer, you may find the handling unwieldy with those longer lenses.

You adore Fujifilm’s color science
Fujifilm’s Film Simulation modes are color magic, and the X-E5’s nifty selection dial makes them easier to choose (and use) than on any other Fujifilm camera to date.

Don't buy it if...

You’re primarily a video shooter
While video quality is excellent, the X-E5’s design imposes some limitations on videographers that may cause frustration. It’s fine for the odd clip, but making a film on it would be a struggle.

You need to shoot in all conditions
The lack of weather sealing is a concern here, particularly for those buying the X-E5 as a travel camera. It’s a pity it can’t be used in rain showers or in dusty desert conditions.

You're seeking a cheap entry-level camera
The X-E4 was relatively inexpensive, but the X-E5 feels like a mid-range model and comes with a price tag to match. Cheap it most certainly isn’t.

Fujifilm X100VI: Also consider

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

If our Fujifilm X-E5 review has inspired you to think about other options, here are two other cameras to consider…

Fujifilm X100VI
The X100VI is one of the most desirable compact cameras around, and it’s based on the same processor as the X-E5, but has a fixed lens. The X100VI may be a little less versatile as a result, but its 23mm f/2 lens, LED flash and better screen and viewfinder definitely make it worth a look.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X100VI review

Nikon Zf
Oozing retro charm, the Zf is available at a similar price to the X-E5 but comes with flagship-level stabilization, burst speeds, autofocus and more, with a raft of new features recently being added via firmware update. It’s also got a full-frame sensor, with all the advantages that brings.

Read our in-depth Nikon Zf review

How I tested the Fujifilm X-E5

• I used the camera and new XF23mm f/2.8 lens over two-week period
• I tested them in various lighting conditions
• I focused mainly on still photography, but shot video too

Fujifilm loaned me the X-E5 and new Fujinon XF23mm f/2.8 pancake lens for a period of two weeks, which gave me plenty of time to field-test the camera in a variety of situations, although the wide-angle lens meant I didn’t attempt any sports or wildlife photography (unless you count snapping some insects in my garden). I took the camera with me on various walks and trips, allowing me to test it in a range of lighting conditions and situations.

While the X-E5 supports both photo and video capture, I felt that I should concentrate mainly on the former, as the camera (particularly with this lens) feels geared more towards stills photography than amateur moviemaking. That being said, I did test the various video modes during my time with the X-E5.

First reviewed July 2025

When it comes to professional video editing, the first software that likely comes to mind would be Adobe Premiere Pro; some might come up with Avid Media Composer; Mac users would probably point to Final Cut Pro.

But did you know there’s another option that offers professional grade tools at an unbeatable price? That option is Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve.

It's not just one of the best free video editing software tools out there - it's some of the best video editing software we've ever tested, period. There are no compromises here. Packed with pro-grade features for creative professionals, for what you get here (absolutely loads), it's impressive that it doesn't cost a cent.

DaVinci Resolve: Pricing & plans

• You can’t beat free, especially for a professional-grade product, but if you want even more power, then grab the ‘Studio’ version for just under $300

Why does it have an unbeatable price? Put simply, because it's free. That’s right: you don’t pay anything to get your hands on a powerful video editor, which also comes with media management, impressive colour grading, compositing and sound editing tools, and not an ad or watermark in sight.

How can such a tool be free? Likely because it's heavily subsided by Blackmagic Design’s extensive hardware portfolio. But surely it must have some limitations, right? Well yes, there are, but frankly they may not be seen as a hindrance to most editors: the biggest limitation is restricting exports to 4K and 60fps.

If that clashes with your workflow, then you should consider DaVinci Resolve Studio, which raises the ceiling to 32K and 120fps, and includes a host of other advances features, including HDR10+ formats, digital cinema packages for theatrical distribution, including a host of advanced AI tools which have been released with version 20. Studio will cost you just under $300 - all future updates, large or small, are included in that one-off fee.

This review’s focus is on the free version, which you can download for your PC, Mac and Linux machine, which you can get by clicking here.

• Score: 4.5/5

DaVinci Resolve: Interface

(Image credit: Blackmagic Design // Future)

• A wealth of editing tools wrapped inside a very well organised interface, coupled with detailed online video tutorials. Perfect for pros and novices alike

DaVinci Resolve is a big app. As we’ve mentioned above, not only can you edit a video project with it, but you have access to other features that would often be offered as a separate dedicated program. In order to facilitate working with so many tools, Resolve is broken down into seven different categories, which are referred to as ‘Pages’.

These are organized in the order in which your project progresses: you import and sort out your clips in the ‘Media’ page, then use ‘Cut’ or ‘Edit’ to build your project; after that, ‘Fusion’ is where you assemble complex special effects, followed by ‘Color’ for colour correction, ‘Fairlight’ to work on your audio, and finally, ‘Deliver’ to export your work and share it with others.

It’s all very well designed and straightforward, with perhaps the exception of ‘Cut’ and ‘Edit’. Why would anyone need two separate pages to cut a movie? The answer is simple: one is to do quick work, while the other offers more tools and additional precision. ‘Cut’ can also be seen as an introduction to Resolve, for those with little to no previous experience with video editing.

You can easily switch from one to the other, using tools in ‘Edit’ that aren’t available in ‘Cut’, then moving back to ‘Cut’ to carry on in a simplified environment (you can still see the effects of the tools you used in ‘Edit’ even if you can’t access and alter these effects while in ‘Cut’).

If you’re an experienced editor, you’ll acclimatise to Resolve’s way of working in little time, but newcomers to this art might well feel overwhelmed by the sheer power at their disposal - this is not your basic run of the mill limited free app.

But don't panic and run for the hills, as this software can and does grow with your skills and confidence - being able to switch between the basic ‘Cut’ to the more advanced ‘Edit’ is testament to that. And to help you on your journey, Blackmagic Design offer a detailed series of tutorials, complete with project files, on their website, again, completely for free (click here).

• Score: 5/5

DaVinci Resolve: Features

(Image credit: Blackmagic Design // Future)

• So many new features designed to improve, enhance and add to your editing experience. Sadly (but unsurprisingly) the best ones are kept for paying customers

DaVinci Resolve was recently updated to version 20, and the number of new and improved features is huge - the list is far too long for us to discuss each in turn. Instead, you can check what’s new here. We’ll discuss here the ones that struck a chord with us the most.

Version 19 was released only a year ago, and the improvements are stark… although, as you’d expect, Blackmagic Design have unsurprisingly kept the best for their paid-for Studio version. Need another incentive to upgrade? How about getting Studio to automatically edit a Multicam project for you? Or get it to retime a score so it fits the exact length you’re after? Or how about feeding it a script and let AI edit a scene for you based on the clips you’ve imported, complete with multiple takes spread across multiple layers so you can choose between them?

But fret not: the free version of Resolve also comes with a host of new and very useful features, which will greatly improve your workflow. For instance, you can now (finally!) easily extract a multi-layered PSD file and work with its layers individually in the Edit page’s timeline (prior to 20, this was only possible in the Fusion page).

(Image credit: Blackmagic Design // Future)

You can record a voice over directly from the Cut and Edit pages, with controls located just above the timeline. You’ve even got numerous options, such as a countdown timer, being able to choose from all connected microphones (even your iPhone), where to save the recording and on which layer to display it, for instance.

The text tools have received some love too. Your text can (finally!) wrap inside a text box, and there’s a new ‘multi text’ clip within which multiple text boxes can be created, enabling you to create complex titles without cluttering your timeline.

If you’re working with multiple timelines within a single project, you’ll likely appreciate being able to open a second one in the source viewer. This is nothing new, but 20 allows you to also edit that timeline from there, enabling you to see two timelines at once, switch between them and edit either (to help you differentiate them, the playhead changes colour from red to blue depending on which timeline you’re in).

(Image credit: Blackmagic Design // Future)

And we’ve got just enough time to gush over the revamped keyframe tools. They’ve been greatly improved and are now available in multiple locations, depending on your preferred way of working.

You can see them top left, either as a list, or as curves (which makes it so much easier to tweak them - you can even hold down the shift key to restrict their movement, allowing for much greater precision). These keyframes are also available in the timeline itself, giving you a greater visual feel for how they affect the clips in question.

Let’s be honest: this is just scratching the surface. Blackmagic Design have worked hard to deliver a significant update to Resolve (and especially Resolve Studio), and despite the fact the best tools are reserved for paying customers, those on an extremely tight budget haven’t been abandoned.

Resolve is an incredibly powerful application, with complex tools, from video editing, to image compositing, colour correction and audio manipulation. If you’re serious about filmmaking but have to watch your budget, downloading DaVinci Resolve should be a no brainer.

• Score: 4/5

Should I try DaVinci Resolve?

(Image credit: Blackmagic Design // Future)

Try it if...

You need a professional grade video editing solution with advanced compositing tools, audio manipulation, extensive colour correction, and you’re on a seriously tight budget

Don't try it if...

You don’t like free software with no ads and no watermark. Seriously, the only reason you shouldn’t try it is if you’re not interested in video editing.

For more creative software, we've tested and reviewed the best video editing software for beginners and the best video editing apps for mobile devices.

There are many ‘royalty free’ websites out there that offer images, videos, and more which you can add to your projects. Some are free, and although you can get lucky and find what you’re after there, it’s little surprise that the best results all too often come from paid services.

Adobe Stock is the one we’ll be exploring in this review, to see how it compares in a pretty crowded field.

Adobe Stock: Pricing & plans

• Adobe Stock ain’t the cheapest, but it also ain’t the most expensive service out there either, and we like the fact they offer the option to either subscribe or to simply purchase credits for the occasional need instead

Pricing is a subjective thing: just how valuable is the asset you’re after? If you look at various competing services to Adobe Stock (like Getty Images or Shutterstock, for instance), you’ll see that prices vary wildly. Though not cheap, Adobe’s can be viewed as middle of the road.

As usual with Adobe products, you can pay a monthly subscription or sign up for a yearly contract paid monthly (like a phone contract). Depending on the plan, you’ll get a set amount of credits to use.

You can see the full plans here.

• Score: 4/5

Adobe Stock: Interface

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• A huge library of assets is at your disposal, with a powerful search tool and useful filters to help narrow down the results to a manageable level - and you can do all that without even logging in

Browsing through Adobe Stock’s catalog doesn’t require you to be logged in or have set up any kind of subscription, or anything like that. It’s a great way to explore and check what’s available before committing yourself.

The interface is pretty simple: all assets are organised by categories, which can be accessed from the top of every page, through a convenient menu: you can look through ‘Videos’, ‘Photos’, ‘Illustrations’, ‘Vectors’, ‘Audio’, ‘Templates’, ‘Fonts’, ‘3D’, and there’s even a ‘Free’ section.

That’s right: a large number of assets can be downloaded for free, including over a million photos and even over 55,000 4K video clips.

Looking through a category is worse than searching for a needle in a haystack: how can you hope to find the shot you’re looking for through literally hundreds of millions of choices? That’s where filters and a search field come into their own. Type in any keywords to narrow down your search, and if that’s not enough, reveal the filters sidebar on the left to trim down the results. You can choose, for instance, to only look for Photos, ignoring Illustrations and Vectors, or remove any Generative AI images.

One filter we particularly enjoyed was the ‘Undiscovered Content’ tick box. With it enabled, you’ll only see assets that have never been downloaded by anyone, which can be a little disheartening if you’re a content provider, but will ensure that the asset you used has a greater chance of never having been seen before.

Another benefit of this filter is realising that although Stock has over 140 million AI generated images, over 130 million of those have never been bought by anyone, which still gives some hope for humanity and the genuine creative process.

• Score: 4.5/5

Adobe Stock: Assets

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Acquiring assets is a matter of login in, purchasing and downloading them to your computer. There’s even a way to get Stock to generate new images based on a selected one

Getting assets couldn’t be easier, although you will need to log in with your Adobe ID in order to do so. If you don’t already have one, getting an ID won’t cost you anything. This applies whether you’re on a subscription, using credits, or downloading free assets.

Once you’ve found one you like, mouse over it to reveal a few buttons, including a big blue ‘Download’ one. Click on it, and it’s downloaded to your computer.

One of the other buttons lets you save assets to your library. This doesn’t commit you to buying anything, but is a good way to gather up those you like, and later refine your collection to only download (and purchase) the ones you need.

There’s also an ellipsis in the top right corner of every thumbnail. Within it, is a ‘Find Similar’ option, which uses that chosen image as the basis to locate other similar assets for you. Incidentally, you can also use the ‘Find Similar’ filter with one of your own images.

Another option is ‘Generate Variations’. Based on the selected asset and an optional prompt by yourself, Adobe will generate new options for you to choose from. They claim that should you choose one of those variations, the original artist will be compensated, which is fair and just.

• Score: 4/5

Adobe Stock: Contributing media

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Adobe makes it as easy as possible to contribute to their growing asset collection - once you’ve completed the relevant US tax forms. You can even upload content straight from Adobe Lightroom

Speaking of contributing, such a service only survives through regular intake of new assets, and is why you’ll find a ‘Sell’ option to the right of the menu at the top of every page.

Once you’ve filled in your details, including tax information, it’s just a question of selecting your images, and uploading them to the service, with the relevant description and tags (you can also do this directly from Adobe Lightroom).

There are some restrictions, such as specific file formats and minimum sizes, but aside from that, you should be good to go, and should someone purchase your work, the royalty rate is 33% for images and 35% for videos.

• Score: 4/5

Should I buy Adobe Stock?

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Buy it if...

You’re in the market for new assets, you enjoy browsing through a huge portfolio, and like the fact you can either subscribe or buy credits to get what you want.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not keen on adding yet more expense to your already struggling finances, or you’re not a fan of the Adobe ecosystem.

As its name suggests, Adobe Premiere Pro is for professionals, or at the very least, people who are super serious about video editing, and want control over every aspect of their project, right down to the individual pixel…

But what about the rest of us, those who want to create with something simple, but also have fun with the process? That’s where Premiere Elements comes in.

It's a consumer-grade alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for anyone who wants video editing software for beginners.

However, while the 2025 version comes with a great new interface, there's also a big catch we can't ignore: your purchase is limited to three years' use.

Adobe Premiere Elements: Pricing & plans

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• A good price for an easy to use video editing application. Well.. it would be a good price were your purchase not limited to three years - after which your licence expires. This isn’t a purchase: it’s a rental

Unlike Adobe’s professional portfolio, you don’t need to subscribe to the software in order to use it: you can grab Premiere Elements for just under $100 (or £87), or get it bundled with Photoshop Elements for $150 (£131).

You can download the software for Mac or Windows directly from Adobe by clicking here.

You’re even granted a 7-day trial to check out the software, although you’ll have a great big “created with trial version” plastered all across your clips during that period.

If you’re happy with what you see, you’ll need to redeem your purchase. Unfortunately there’s an annoying hoop you have to jump through, as you don’t get to put your code in the software itself, but online through a special page here.

And, frustratingly enough for us, even though we were logged in with our AdobeID and the code was recognised online, our software kept insisting it was still in trial mode. Hopefully this may just be an isolated incident, or linked to the fact ours was a review copy, but we would be remiss if we didn’t mention it here (we used our free 7 days to put the software through its paces, hence the unsightly watermark in the screenshots).

Sadly, there’s an even bigger issue we have to highlight: despite the fact you’re paying a one-off fee, and Adobe clearly refers to it as a ‘purchase’ that you are ‘buying’, you don’t get to own that software for as long as you want. Back in the day, that is what a “one-off fee” was.

As long as your computer’s hardware and OS remained compatible with the software, that fee would’ve been all you had to pay. You didn’t even need to buy any future upgrades if you didn’t want them. One fee, one app, job done.

But Adobe is changing that. That $100 (or $150 for the bundle) only gives you a license for 3 years from the date of purchase. After that, the software becomes inoperable.

So, this is no longer a purchase, but a long-term rental, paid in advance. That’s a very underhand way of introducing subscriptions to their non-professional apps.

If you’re looking for a cheap video editor, there are alternatives. For instance, DaVinci Resolve may look intimidating from a newcomer’s perspective, but it’s free, has no registration issues, and is way more powerful than Premiere Elements - although you will be venturing away from the Adobe ecosystem. Even Adobe's quick-and-easy Premiere Rush is free (see our Adobe Premiere Rush review here).

• Score: 2/5

Adobe Premiere Elements: Interface

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• A redesigned interface that still offers the same ease of use we’ve grown accustomed to, but with a sleeker finish, and more logical repositioning of tools

OK, enough ranting. Let’s take a look at the software. As before, the interface is split into three, depending on your skill level, from ‘Quick’, to ‘Guided’, to ‘Advanced’. ‘Quick’ is designed for both beginners and those wishing to edit fast. As such, it offers a reduced set of tools and options. ‘Guided’ provides a series of tutorials to help you learn more about the software and editing in general, while ‘Advanced’ offers the full range of what Premiere Elements has to offer, which is reflected by a more intricate interface.

You can also switch from light to dark mode, which granted is not new, but the fact you can do so without having to restart the program is a definite plus. So far so good. The main issue here though, is that compared to the last time we checked out the software, everything looks radically different. In fact, Premiere Elements now looks more like Premiere Pro, complete with a totally customisable interface including tearaway windows, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it may necessitate existing users having to reacquaint themselves with their software. It also does away with the simplified, less intimidating look, it had before.

Despite that, you should find Premiere Elements to be easy to use. For instance although ‘Quick’ offers fewer tools, they can be found in the same location in the ‘Advanced’ interface. This makes it easy to switch between the two. Editing in any interface is pretty much all about dragging and dropping, the sidebar on the right offers you many changeable parameters, which you can animate through the use of keyframes, even in ‘Quick’ mode.

All in all, Premiere Elements is an elegant and well designed video editor with more than enough tools to satisfy even the most demanding amateur.

• Score: 4.5/5

Adobe Premiere Elements: Updates

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Improvements to existing tools, and welcome new features. It might not look like a lot, but it’s all for the better, and we certainly can’t complain about that

Aside from the new coat of paint, Premiere Elements 2025 brings a few new tools to the table, while improving existing ones. One of these is the voice-over narration tool which is no longer in the sidebar, but can be triggered directly from the Timeline: you’ll find a microphone icon at the start of any audio layer. Click on it and the recording will start (after 3 seconds) wherever the playhead is located.

Premiere Elements 2025 hosts a load of new title templates in the left sidebar, including direct access to a hundred from Adobe Stock. All those we randomly checked were free to use.

The colour correction tool has been revamped, with a host of new changeable parameters, even allowing you to set the white balance by using an eye dropper to click anywhere on your footage. Simple and effective and actually used by many if not most of Premiere Elements’ competition, so it’s about time we’ve finally got it here. You’ll also find a bunch of new filters (referred to as Video Effects) which apply a colour style to your footage.

One new feature we particularly liked is the ‘Time Stretch’ tool. Retiming a clip is nothing new, but here Premiere Elements does it as effortlessly as possible. It comes as a new icon to the left of the Timeline, along with other editing tools. With it selected, when you drag the edge of a clip in the timeline, you no longer alter its in and out points, but you retime the clip.

You can tell (in ‘Advanced’, but puzzlingly not in ‘Quick’) what you’ve done thanks to a percentage value next to the clip’s name in the timeline. This is so incredibly easy to do. If you need to be more precise, right-click on the clip, and choose ‘Time Stretch’ from the menu to reveal a floating window from which you can type in a percentage, or specific duration.

And a very useful addition for those upgrading from an older version, is the fact projects created with a previous version can now be opened in this one. They will have to be updated, and some effects or filters won’t be preserved, but having to make a few fixes is a lot better than being denied access to the work you did previously.

• Score: 4/5

Should I buy Adobe Premiere Elements?

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Buy it if...

You need a versatile video editor that isn’t too complex while allowing you to have simple to advanced tools, depending on my needs and skill.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t like the idea that your software will expire in 3 years despite having paid for it, and the interface looks too much like the Pro version for your liking.

For more creative essentials, we've tested and reviewed the best video editing software, the best free video editing software, and the best video editing apps for mobile devices.

Premiere Pro is Adobe’s high end video editor, so it’s not for everyone. Heck, even regular old Premiere Elements can feel too powerful to some.

Isn’t there something incredibly simple that can work on both computers and mobile devices? Enter Adobe Premiere Rush.

As the name implies, it's all about cutting content quickly. It's ranked among our best video editing apps, with its emphasis on ease-of-use and simplicity for creating social media or marketing content. I took a look at the latest version to see how it fares.

Adobe Premiere Rush: Pricing & plans

• An app that’s free to use, is multi-platform, and easy to download and install. Can’t get much better than that

Getting your hands on a simple video editor is one thing, but everyone will ask, “how much will this cost me?”

And there’s good news here too: Adobe Premiere Rush is actually free. You do need to set up an Adobe ID in order to use it (if you don’t already have one), but this is free too. It also comes bundled free with other Adobe apps if you're already a subscriber.

You can download Rush for your computer via the Creative Cloud app, and for your mobile device via its app store or by clicking here.

Clean, simple and effective.

• Score: 5/5

Adobe Premiere Rush: Interface

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Premiere Rush’s interface remains very similar on various devices, and although icons may be located in different areas, it will take you seconds to transfer your skills from one machine to another

We were pleasantly surprised to see that the interface is remarkably similar whether you’re working on a computer, phone or tablet. It’s not identical, mind, as the aim is to play to each platform’s strengths, but at least the tools are grouped together.

For instance, those to control and manipulate Graphics. Effects, Colour correction, Speed adjustments, Audio and Cropping can be found top right on a computer, but at the bottom of the screen on a phone. Icons to control expanding the audio layers, revealing control tracks, cutting, deleting and duplicating a selected clip, are all on a sidebar lower left of the interface on a computer. Those tools will also be at the bottom of a phone’s screen, separated from the others by a divider line.

This may feel like the interface is different, but such changes are actually minor, and as the icons are identical, it will take you seconds to recognise what you’re after and learn where they are positioned when moving from one device to another.

Perhaps the biggest difference between devices is how the playhead behaves. On a computer, it acts as you would expect a video editor’s playhead to: click and drag it to another location to skim through your footage, or click on another location on your timeline for it to jump to that point. On a mobile device, that playhead remains fixed at the centre: the project itself moves left or right as you place your finger on the screen and drag left or right.

This plays to each device’s strengths, as a limited screen real estate demands compromises. One thing to bear in mind: you can only edit in the portrait orientation for a phone.

• Score: 4.5/5

Adobe Premiere Rush: Editing

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Rush’s way of editing is similar to CapCut or Final Cut Pro, and if you’re used to that, you’ll feel right at home, otherwise it will take you a few minutes to get used to it. But this is undeniably a powerful way to edit precisely and with speed

The aim of Premiere Rush is to help you create a project very quickly and with that in mind, it uses what Final Cut Pro and CapCut users would recognise as a ‘magnetic timeline’, which means when you alter the length of a clip in your project, you don’t end up with a gap between it and any clip that you’d added further along the timeline. Instead, they all move to fill that gap. Extend a clip and they’re all pushed forward. You can easily swap the order of the clips and no gap is ever left in your timeline. This actually helps you build an edit incredibly quickly.

By default, it looks like you can only work with a single layer of audio and video, which also helps give a user the impression that this is a simple app. Although you can certainly work with it like that, Premiere Rush actually supports up to 4 layers of video and 3 of audio, allowing you to place clips over others, thereby creating much more complex projects.

Incidentally, this magnetic timeline we described above, only works on the first layer. When you add a clip above another, that upper clip will actually attach itself to a lower one. Delete the lower clip and that upper clip will be gone too. Move that lower clip to another location, and this will also move the upper clip(s) connected to it. This is something worth bearing in mind as it could easily confuse a novice editor or one not used to this way of working.

• Score: 4.5/5

Adobe Premiere Rush: Effects

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• An acceptable range of effects, with some useful features, although some, like ‘Speed’ feel very primitive by today’s standards

Premiere Rush comes with a handful of effects, such as animated overlays, be they text layers, lower thirds, or animated transitions, and they are all applied on a second layer (meaning if you didn’t already know you could work with multiple layers in Rush, that would’ve been a big clue!) Each graphic is fully customisable with changeable parameters appearing when you select it (to the right on a computer, at the bottom on a phone).

Aside from those animated transitions, you’ll also find a handful of ‘standard’ ones in the Effects section, along with Pan and Zoom, and Reframe tools. We were somewhat disappointed the Pan and Zoom tool only worked on photos.

We quite liked that you can make colour adjustments, either based on filters or through manual alterations, and save those changes as new presets you can use and apply on other clips.

Sadly, we found the speed alteration tool to be very basic. We couldn’t detect any frame blending. Instead, the slower the clip became the more the video stuttered, as frames were simply copied to accommodate for the increased length.

• Score: 3.5/5

Adobe Premiere Rush: Sharing & syncing

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• You can upload your project to various social media sites, as well as saving a copy to your hard drive, but the loss of syncing between devices is puzzling and sorely missed

When it comes to sharing, you can export your project to your local drive, or upload it to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Behance. You even have access to some advanced format settings if you need them, which is great for pro users.

There is however a feature that is no longer present and feels like a great loss: you used to be able to sync your project between various devices, as long as they were all logged in to the same Adobe ID. This allowed you to work on your phone, and continue editing on your computer, and vice versa, giving you great flexibility. Sadly, Adobe nuked that functionality in 2024.

We could understand that this would’ve been seen as an advanced feature for a free app, but why not preserve it for those who pay for one of Adobe’s various subscription packages? Killing it for all was very disappointing.

• Score: 3/5

Should I try Adobe Premiere Rush?

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Try it if...

You’re looking for a video editor that’s easy to use, which is compatible across multiple devices, and is free

Don't try it if...

You need more powerful effects tools, don’t like the concept of a ‘magnetic timeline’, and don’t like the loss of functionality.

The Hinomi H1 Pro has more adjustability than I know what to do with. There are adjustments for nearly every portion of the chair. It's the kind of chair that if you need a chair, period, this one can solve what you need it for. The arms can fold up and away, or be dialled in to exactly what you may want, the backrest can be fine-tuned to fit your needs, the piston itself can be swapped for a taller one to suit all heights, and even if you don't have storage for a chair at your desk you can fold this chair in half, something I have never seen before, and you can then tuck it away under your desk space to save on that room.

Of all of the features that this chair packs into a reasonably priced chair, the folding is by far the best for me - it's a feature not even found on most of the best office chairs around.

While most people adjust the chair to fit the arms under the desk, others may adapt the desk to raise it slightly to accommodate the arms (if they have a standing desk). But, a third option arises with the H1 Pro: you can keep your desk exactly as is, and you can fold the chair completely away underneath the desk, making room for whatever else you may have planned in that space.

This is a fantastic solution if you're crammed for space, if your office is multi-purpose, or if you're particular about your workspace and want to ensure that others don't try to sit at your desk out of sheer confusion about what's happening to your chair.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Hinomi H1 Pro: Pricing and Availability

The Hinomi H1 Pro retails for around $580, with the ability to ship globally directly from Hinomi's website. You can also find this chair widely available on third-party sites, such as Amazon.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Hinomi H1 Pro: Unboxing & first impressions

The chair arrived nearly fully assembled, requiring only about 5 minutes of effort on my part to set it up. The build overall feels solid, though I was a bit weary of the abundance of plastic parts.

It may be because the grey color is a bit dull, since I opted for the flagship Ice Green colorway, or maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me, but at first glance, the grey looks a bit cheap, though it feels fine.

The Ice Green mesh feels comfortable, neither too rough on the skin nor too soft, yet firm enough to provide support as needed.

Hinomi H1 Pro: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

Weight Capacity: 300 lb
Adjustments: 3D lumbar (height + tension), 5D armrests, recline to 136°, seat depth, headrest
Tilt Angles: recline to 136°

The Hinomi H1 Pro also features a unique design. I don't know what it is. It does everything at once, but in doing so, it looks a tad gimmicky. However, the features it offers are helpful. That's where I can land; this chair may look different, but its functionality makes up for it. This is the chair that won't be in an executive's corner office, but it could be in their home office, providing the comfort they want.

The plastic design helps keep the weight down on the chair; however, under load and stress, I have occasionally heard a squeak, which I don't love. But, again, the flip to that statement is that this chair is rated for up to 300 lbs, and even when I put the chair to the test and had a friend of mine who is 305lbs sit down in this chair, there were no issues, no damage, no failures in functionality, nor discomfort. My friend asked if he could keep the chair, as most are not as comfortable, especially for people of his size.

I mentioned it briefly above, but another element that makes this chair interesting is its highly adjustable, nearly modular nature. The armrests can fold away entirely, the chair has a leg rest, and it has the option to fold flat. This is quite impressive for a single chair to accomplish all of this at once.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Hinomi H1 Pro: In use

I've had this chair in my ever-so-robust rotation of chairs for 123 days now. In that time, I've put in plenty of hours working in this chair, even for hours on end. So far, the chair has performed wonderfully. I haven't noticed any issues with the features, the adjustments, or the previously mentioned folding mechanism.

Although I was concerned that the plastic pieces would break easily, I have yet to experience any damage to the chair. With that being said, I've had some team members sit on this chair and mention that the lumbar support is not comfortable for them, no matter how many times I try to adjust everything for them.

Speaking of adjustments, the footrest has been great, the recline has been smooth and easy, the armrests have been pretty good as well, sometimes coming in clutch with needing to push an arm back and out of the way entirely for specific occasions.

I've used the folding feature more often than I expected. I thought I'd use it from time to time, to move things around or try it out. However, even in my home office/studio space, where I have plenty of room, I have found it highly convenient to fold this chair down and push it out of the way under a desk I'm testing, so I can bring in more gear to test. This ability would be invaluable for smaller home offices, guest rooms, condos, apartments, and other similar spaces.

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Sleek and minimal

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Very easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Practical for some

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Highly priced

⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Hinomi H1 Pro: Final verdict

The Hinomi H1 Pro is a highly adjustable ergonomic chair featuring comfortable mesh, a convenient folding ability, a legrest, and an excellent warranty. However, it may not look like the fanciest chair, but once you sit in it, you'll see just how comfortable and adjustable it is. If you're in the market for a chair that saves space while offering high levels of adjustability, check out the H1 Pro.

Happy Plugs Pro: Two-minute review

The budget headphones market is becoming increasingly competitive. As more manufacturers cut the cost of their cans, it’s now relatively easy to snag yourself a decent pair of over-ears for well under $100. And the Happy Plugs Play Pro definitely fit into this savings-conscious category.

These cans may not quite compete with the very best cheap headphones out there, but they still provide relatively strong audio and okay(ish) ANC (active noise cancellation). The Play Pro also rock an unfussy yet attractive design that looks classier than you’d expect at such a reasonable price. As for comfort, these are some of the most comfy headphones I’ve ever worn. Really.

Despite housing five internal mics to assist with the ANC, the Play Pro aren’t great at shielding your ears from external sounds. Getting any noise-cancelling features in a cheap pair of cans is obviously welcome, no question. Still, there’s no disguising that there are far better options out there – like the superb Earfun Wave Pro, which are actually a little cheaper than Happy Plugs’ headphones.

Battery life with the Play Pro is borderline stellar. Switch off ANC and you can squeeze 50 hours of juice out of these cans, which is more than respectable. It’s just a pity there’s no idle mode on show here, meaning you have to remember to switch them off manually or they’ll stay paired to your smartphone/tablet.

Whatever device you’re planning to pair the Play Pro with over Bluetooth, you should know Happy Plugs hasn’t provided any software to let you tweak or set custom audio profiles. With no app available, you’re stuck with the default audio experience the company has created. To the Swedish firm’s credit, the Play Pro actually sound pretty good, with these over-ears’ potent bass being a particular highlight.

I spent the better part of a month with these cheap – but, crucially, not “cheap-feeling” – cans and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed listening to them. If nothing else, I’ll always remember them for being the headphones I was wearing during the last walk I took my beloved husky on before I had to reluctantly rehome him.

The Play Pro’s reasonably well-balanced audio brought tears to my eyes as I was listening to my all-time favorite song – Sonnet by The Verve – thanks to their loud, fairly punchy soundscape. Here come the waterworks again.

Moving past my doggo sadness, I’ll also give props to the Play Pro for being excellent for hands-free calls. Happy Plugs claims its headphones have a radius of around 50ft, and I experienced no distortion or break up when talking on calls even when I was several rooms away from my phone.

If you don’t want to break the bank on your next set of headphones, the Happy Plugs Play Pro are a solid option that are well worth a look. There’s no denying the likes of the fantastic 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 are superior, though, while the Panasonic RB-M600 are also worth considering, along with the best over-ear headphones on the market.

Happy Plugs Play Pro review: Specifications

Drivers

40mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (quoted)

50 hours (ANC off) 35 hours (ANC on)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

253g

Waterproofing

IPX4

Happy Plugs Play Pro review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

• Released in March 2025
• RRP of $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$120 (approx.)

The Happy Plugs Play Pro currently retail for $59 / $59 / AU$120 (approx.) – though at the time of writing, availability is limited on the Happy Plugs store. They first launched after CES 2025, and are available in either no-nonsense White or Black colorways.

Be warned: they’re not all that easy to find. Currently, they’re unavailable on Amazon US or UK, though I did find them in stock from retailers like B&Q and Very here in my native Blighty. Seeing as the Play Pro haven’t been out for long, it’s hardly surprising they haven’t dropped below that initial price tag just yet.

Happy Plugs Play Pro review: Features

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

• Long-lasting battery life
• Middling ANC
• IPX4 waterproof rating

Look up “no frills” in the dictionary, and you’ll see a picture of the Happy Plugs Play Pro. Not literally, of course, but when it comes to features, it's safe to say these headphones are lacking.

Considering there’s no software or app support, these budget cans' biggest selling point has to be their excellent battery life. Once you juice these pups up, you won’t have to give your charger as much as a glance for days at a time.

With ANC turned off, I found the Happy Plugs’ claim that the Play Pro will last for 50 hours pretty much bang on the money. That’s some impressive sonic stamina for a pair of over-ears that cost less than $60. A word of caution, though – the review sample I’ve been testing wouldn’t enter idle mode when I accidentally left them connected to my iPhone 14 Pro.

Instead, you have to manually hold down the power button to send these cans to sleep. This is a flaw I discovered when I forgot my phone while going to see Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning recently, only to be greeted by a blue power light on the Play Pro once I got back to my apartment after 2 hours and 49 minutes of death-defying Tiny Tom stunts. The lack of a sleep mode is a missing feature that could prove annoying if you mistakenly leave them paired with a device overnight.

As for ANC, Happy Plugs’ cans are obviously no match for the best noise-cancelling headphones at such a change purse-friendly price point. They cost just $59, so I’m simply happy ANC makes the cut at all… even if the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

Do these cheap-and-cheerful over-ears keep out distracting indoor sounds? More or less. Once I clicked the noise-cancelling button – which allows you to switch between ANC and Transparency mode – and ramped the volume up to around 50%, my lobes were mercifully spared the din of my upstairs neighbor’s daily attempts to butcher ever last note of Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street on his saxophone.

The Play Pro’s ANC isn’t anywhere near as effective in outdoor surroundings. During many walks with these over-ears, I was constantly distracted by the rumbling of passing cars and screeches of vexed children, even when my favorite tunes were playing at 100% volume. I appreciate that Happy Plugs has managed to squeeze ANC into these aggressively priced cans, but the end results aren’t impressive.

While I’m giving the firm a pat on the back (albeit not a hearty one), kudos to Happy Plugs for making the Play Pro IPX4 waterproof rated. Granted, it’s been uncommonly warm and dry in my homeland of Scotland recently. Yet the one time I was caught in a brief downpour while wearing these headphones, the passing shower happily didn’t cause any audio distortion.

• Features score: 2.5/5

Happy Plugs Play Pro review: Design

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

• Pleasingly lightweight
• Supremely comfortable to wear
• Fold up design allows for easy storage

Wearing the Happy Plugs Play Pro is akin to giving your cranium a cuddle. These over-ears are light, breathable and come with foam cushions that are oh-so-kind on the lobes.

I’ve worn these affordable ANC cans for dozens of hours and I’m struggling to recall a more comfortable set of headphones I’ve either owned or tested. As much as I love my Apple AirPods Max, I usually find the cups start to irritate my ears after 90 minutes or so. By contrast, I can cheerily wear the Play Pro for hours on end and forget I still have these budget offerings clamped around my ears.

With a minimalist-yet-sturdy design constructed from matte plastics, these cans definitely feel like they should cost more than $59. The foam used on the cups and the middle of the Play Pro’s adjustable headband may attract a little sweat, but I can handle my ears getting a tad moist when the materials feel this comforting wrapped around my dome. I also dig the silver brushed metal that appears on the band should you extend it.

While it might be a slight stretch to describe the Play Pro as “premium”, they certainly don’t feel cheap. Tipping the scales at a svelte 253g, these cans are easy to carry around, and they’re made even more portable thanks to their fold-up design.

• Design score: 4/5

Happy Plugs Play Pro review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

• Resonant, ear-rumbling bass output
• Vocals can get drowned out
• A lack of software means no EQ tweaks

Unlike Goldilocks, that porridge-stealing scoundrel who had her pick of breakfast options, you’re stuck with the Play Pro’s out-of-the-box audio serving. As there’s no available app, fiddling with EQ settings is off the table. OK, I’ll drop the stupid Three Bears analogy.

At this price, I won’t overly slam Happy Plugs for not providing software options for its sub-$100 over-ears. That’s not just due to the price of the Play Pro; it’s also because these headphones actually sound pretty good even though you can’t tweak their audio profile.

Naturally, the soundscape these cans offer can’t rival the best headphones out there. Yet if funds are tight, you could do way worse than the Play Pro. Bass feels relatively weighty, mostly avoiding that dreaded tinniness often associated with budget headphones, while also stopping short of dominating tracks that rock deeper melodies.

My musical tastes normally run the gamut of old to, well… older. While testing the Play Pro, I forced myself to listen to tracks that were at least semi-contemporary to complement the ageing bangers that prop up my iPhone’s various playlists.

Enter Alex Warren’s Ordinary. The chamber pop mega hit feels like it has dominated the charts for a veritable ice age, even if it was only released this past February.

The stirring percussion of this love song’s chorus is the audio equivalent of the T-Rex’s approaching footsteps in Jurassic Park. And that’s before you get to the singer himself, who has a baritone so deep, it makes the late, great James Earl Jones sound like Alvin or one of his chipmunk bros. I love a lower register and the Play Pro’s bass performance instantly impresses.

Alas, vocals can occasionally get a little drowned out during songs with a lot of instruments. A recent playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 on my gaming PC inspired me to fire up snappy synthpop melody I Really Want to Stay at Your House by Rosa Walton & Hallie Coggins. Like Ordinary, the Play Pro handle the bass-heavy chorus sections with aplomb, however the song's flatter mid-sections come across as rather flat and muddled.

Not that vocal clarity is something these headphones are incapable of delivering. As someone who obsessively listens to podcasts on a daily basis, I found the Play Pro produced precise audio that was rarely difficult to pick out as long as the voices in question weren’t having to speak over background music.

And no, you spent three hours listening to a movie podcast about surprise ‘80s baby blockbuster, Look Who’s Talking. Don’t ask.

Generally speaking, the Play Pro sound loud and decently punchy. Mid-range audio doesn’t always come across as hugely accurate or detailed, but at this price I’m fairly content with the soundscape Happy Plugs has landed upon with these cans.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

Happy Plugs Play Pro: Value

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

• Quality cups and sturdy plastic
• Travel pouch is appreciated

Like to make a saving without massively compromizing on quality? The Happy Plugs Play Pro hit a pretty good sweet spot between price and performance. Sure, there are better sub-$100 cans out there – the aforementioned Earfun Wave Pro say hello – yet these perfectly decent headphones remain attractive at an alluring $59.

Well-built and with a carry pouch thrown in for good measure, the Play Pro are exactly the sort of affordable, commute-friendly cans you can throw in a bag and not worry about thanks to their price tag.

Sound is solid, their design assured without being garish, and battery performance above and beyond for a cheap pair of headphones. Yes, ANC could perform better, but it can just about get the ambient sound-slaying job done in the right circumstances.

Though I wish Happy Plugs had designed a companion app to allow me to create custom audio profiles, if a lack of such support was necessary to get the Play Pro in at $59 / £59 / AU$120 (approx.), then so be it. On the value front, the Swedish company has done a commendable job with these cheap yet reasonably classy over-ears.

• Value score: 4/5

Happy Plugs Play Pro review: scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Features

Impressive battery life, but zero software support and subpar ANC drag the score down.

2.5/5

Design

Fairly stylish, extremely comfortable and easy to reach media controls.

4/5

Sound quality

Punchy without hitting premium territory, big bass makes up for muddled mid-range performance.

3.5/5

Value

Sound is decent, materials don’t feel cheap, ANC makes the cut, and battery life excels.

4/5

Happy Plugs Play Pro: Should I buy?

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)Buy them if...

You want quality and comfort
Well-built, with foam ear cups that practically feel like cushions once you slip them around your head, these cheap headphones feel like they’ve been made with love. If you frequently go on long trips, you’ll love how comfortable these cans are.

You dig big bass
The Play Pro bring the bass… and then some. If you listen to a lot of R&B or like musicians with a Darth Vader-esque register, you’ll appreciate the audio output of these over-ears, which do a top notch job of emphasizing lower end tones.

Don't buy them if...

Quality ANC is crucial to you
There are so many headphones out there that do noise cancelling more effectively than the Play Pro. While ANC is reasonably effective in quieter indoor situations, go for a walk in a crowded area with these cans and you’ll hear every last bellow, laugh and tire screech.

You like to tweak EQ settings
As someone who constantly fiddles with the settings of his Sony Inzone H9, the lack of an app for the Play Pro really bugs me. If the default audio isn’t to your liking when you first unbox these over-ears, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Also consider

Happy Plugs Play Pro

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

Earfun Wave Life

Drivers

40mm

400m dynamic

40mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

50 hours (ANC off); 35 hours (ANC on)

100 hours (ANC off); 65 hours (ANC on)

60 hours (ANC off); 37 house (ANC on)

Weight

253g

246g

264g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2; 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.4; USB-C

Waterproofing

IPX4

N/A

N/A

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
The overlord of cheap over-ears sport super-strong sound quality, top-tier ANC for the price and exceptional battery life. For less than $100, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more durable, better-sounding pair of budget headphones. Bravo, 1More.
See our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review

Earfun Wave Life
At around $10 / £10 cheaper than the Play Pro, the Earfun Wave Life offer better ANC and longer-lasting battery life than Happy Plugs’ cans. Audio quality between the two is generally on par, though the winning Earfun app gives these over-ears the edge.
See our full Earfun Wave Life review

How I tested

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

• Tested for three weeks
• Used at home, outdoors and during commutes

I tested the Happy Plugs Play Pro over a three-week period. During that time I used these over-ears in different environments, spanning my ground-floor apartment, on walks through the center of my city and on public buses. I primarily connected the headphones to my iPhone 14 Pro – and to a lesser extent my iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) – to listen to my favorite tunes and various podcasts.

While listening to music, I ensured I covered a variety of genres, as outlined in the TechRadar testing playlist. I also tried to connect Happy Plugs’ cans to my Windows 11 laptop via a USB-C cable, but this only charges the headphones – you can’t listen to them over a wired connection.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: July 2025

Portable monitors have become increasingly popular as people are working more flexibly than ever before. Many jobs are allowing hybrid schedules, or the ability to work out of the office, remote work is booming, and some are even learning to make the most of their ability to work from anywhere, knocking out their work from a cafe, a lakehouse, a holiday/vacation location, or visiting family.

However, depending on what you do, some people prefer a screen larger than 14-16 inches for work. That's where portable monitors gained significant traction. Then, people came to realize that having a monitor as thin as a tablet, with a single cable to power it and run the display, can be extremely helpful in many scenarios, including more complex desk setups, niche setups, and semi-portable setups.

While most of the best portable monitors I've tested are more like an additional 13-18-inch screen, the UPerfect UMax 24 is a 24.5-inch panel, as thin as my iPad mini for most of its display, and more comparable to my MacBook Pro at its thickest. It's lightweight, features a built-in stand, and has minimal ports, yet offers enough functionality to get started. It boasts a QHD resolution with a 165 Hz refresh rate. In short, this thing is a beast. It's a desktop-sized monitor that's lightweight enough to bring with you just about anywhere.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )UPerfect UMax 24: Pricing and Availability

The UPerfect UMax 24 can be found on UPerfect's website for $439.99, currently on sale from $540. The UMax 24 can also be purchased from Amazon and a few other retailers.

The screen comes with a two-year warranty and global delivery, making it accessible to almost anyone who wishes to obtain one.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )UPerfect UMax 24: Unboxing & first impressions

I'll be honest, I didn't realize what I was getting into when I grabbed this monitor, nor did I understand how beneficial it could be. It was going to be a big display that wasn't powerful enough to be my main and not portable enough to take with me. Instead, I found that it was a fantastic in-between, giving me a near desktop-level monitor experience but in something that I can toss in the carrying case, easily carry with me around the house, or to a special location or on a road trip, or if needed I could even throw this in a larger bag like a suitcase and fly with it.

Right off the bat, I appreciate the dual USB-C inputs and the HDMI port, although I wish it were a full-size HDMI port instead of Micro-HDMI. However, I can look past that, and I love the kickstand. There is a VESA mounting point, but I'll discuss that further later. What would be super annoying is if this screen didn't have a way to hold itself up, but thankfully, this one does.

At first glance, this thing is impressive. And that feeling only continued once I plugged it in. Even the people around me when I plugged it in had to make comments. The matte display, rich 2K on a massive portable screen —everything. It's beautiful. Of course, I wish it were higher resolution, but I also understand why it isn't. At this size, not everyone wants a 4K display, and creating a 4K portable panel at this size would be more expensive and power-hungry. I'm sure that's just the start of it.

UPerfect UMax 24: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

Display: 24.5″ IPS
Resolution: 2560×1440
Refresh Rate: 165 Hz
Response: 10 ms
Brightness: ~320 nits
Color: 100% sRGB
Ports: 2× USB-C (Alt‑DP + PD), HDMI 2.0
Weight: 2.64 kg

The UMax 24 is well-built. The screen feels sturdy, the matte coating feels and looks of high quality, the bezel is relatively thin, and the kickstand is made of nice metal that stays in place nicely.

The ports come with some adapters to curve the ports around, pointing them towards the middle of the display rather than the outside, which helps enhance the elegant design of this display even more. Lastly, the kickstand tucks away neatly when not in use, making it disappear when not in use.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )UPerfect UMax 24: In use

I talked about my not-so-temporary setup on the second story of my home in previous reviews. This is the setup on the Tribesigns Mobile Standing Desk, which once featured the fantastic Dell Pro 32 monitor. After I finished my review on that display, I expected to change up this area and get rid of this desk. It felt either too built out or not built out enough for what I wanted to do with it. Overall, I didn't need another workspace, but then I remembered the UPERFECT UMax 24 monitor that I was testing as well, and I figured it would make a perfect addition to the setup.

I've tried a ton of setups with this now, I've used the monitor on the desk itself, with the kickstand holding it up. All around, this might be my favorite setup for this simple workstation. I have also tried with a few different monitor arms from MSI, such as their new MAG MT201D. I have also tried BenQ's monitor arm, the BSH01, and a few others, I can't remember the name of. All of these worked well, providing a few different styles and feels for this space. However, since I am going for a super minimalist setup here, driven by the minimalist monitor, I chose to stick with the display's built-in kickstand to hold it up.

Using this display as a workstation, a single monitor for my MacBook Pro has been great. It's crisp and smooth, and thanks to the USB-C connectivity, I can also use this with my iPad Mini, another iPad, a laptop, or even a Nintendo Switch if I want to.

I can run from my laptop of choice with a single USB-C cable to the monitor, and I can see everything. I can also run the monitor off my laptop's battery, and we can get to work very simply. I also wanted to charge while doing this, so I connected a cable to the second USB-C port and ran that line to the wallet outlet.

So far, this monitor has been great for writing content, emails, web browsing, project management, research, and more. While yes, there is a part of me that, of course, wishes this was a higher resolution, what I have noticed is that I don't mind the 2K resolution as much as I thought I would for this specific monitor. It feels right. it feels like if this were 4K it would feel wrong.

Using this monitor in a setup location is an experience. Setting one up in a semi-permanent location has been wonderful. It is, in fact, one of the largest portable monitors around, so it feels like it was meant for this kind of simple setup.

As I mentioned, I have also been able to take this monitor to one of the businesses I work with a handful of times. Carrying it in the second bag feels a bit clunky, but pulling it out and having all that screen real-estate has been fantastic.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Minimalistically massive

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Incredibly easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Highly practical for those who want more screen

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Priced well for the product

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

UPerfect UMax 24: Final verdict

The UPerfect UMax 24 has set out to do the unthinkable, create a portable display that is far larger than most portables, and yet also make it work well enough to be a semi-permanent to permanent setup.

If you're looking for a solid monitor for your desk, and you move a lot, work from anywhere, you have space or budget constraints, or you just like having fun tech, this portable monitor is great for you.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Two-minute review

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is an ideal desktop replacement with more than enough power to take on just about everything in PC gaming spaces and at max settings for the most part.

While there are some situations you might need to bring some settings down a smidge (cough*Cyberpunk 2077*cough), that’s only really due to the higher resolution OLED panel that only requires a bit of power.

Starting at $2,909.99 / £2,700 / AU$4,999, the Legion Pro 7i comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs, a 16-inch 2560 x 1600p OLED display, and up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and 2TB PCIe SSD storage.

Along with the performance and OLED screen are a nice assortment of ports, a full keyboard, and a responsive touchpad that is, unfortunately, not ideally aligned.

For some, especially those who don’t take their gaming laptops on the road all that much, this might be among the best gaming laptops out there. But poor battery life might make one take pause if you plan on getting a laptop that you want to use regularly untethered.

Still, if you have the cash and don’t plan on transporting your gaming laptop often (or have a big backpack), the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is worth a look, especially if you want a larger 16-inch screen for your gaming experience.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• How much does it cost? Starting at $2,909.99 / £2,700 / AU$4,999
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i might not be Lenovo’s most expensive gaming laptop – that honor goes to the Legion Pro 9i – but it’s still very expensive. Its most affordable price is a sizable $2,909.99 / £2,700 / AU$4,999.

Starting out with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD, pricing goes up from there. The review unit I have, upgraded with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and 2TB SSD, costs $3,559.99 / £2,990.00 / AU$6,839.00, while the maxed-out configuration of Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB SSD is a jaw-dropping $4,424.49 / £3,900.00 / AU$7,079.00.

As expensive as the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is, larger gaming laptops tend to come with an even heftier price tag. The Origin EON17-X v2 I reviewed last year started at $3,400.00 (about £2,610.00 / AU$5,120.00) for a configuration of Intel Core i9-14900HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, 16GB of RAM, and a 17-inch 1440p@240Hz screen.

Of course, you can customize the lid on the EON17-X v2 with whatever design you want, but this does make the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i look affordable in comparison.

• Price: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Specs

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

No matter which configuration you choose, the CPU you get is the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, a 24-core/24-thread processor with a peak frequency of 5.4GHz.

However, there is some wiggle room with the GPU where you can choose from an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, or RTX 5090, 32GB or 64GB RAM, and between 1TB or 2TB SSD storage.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i base configuration

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i review configuration

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i max configuration

Price:

$2,909.99 / £2,799.99 / AU$4,999.00

$3,559.99 / £2,990.00 / AU$6,839.00

$4,424.49 / £3,900.00 / AU$7,079.00

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX

Graphics:

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU

RAM:

32GB DDR5

32GB DDR5

64GB DDR5

Screen:

16" WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, HDR 1000 True Black, 500 nits, 240Hz

16" WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, HDR 1000 True Black, 500 nits, 240Hz

16" WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, HDR 1000 True Black, 500 nits, 240Hz

Storage:

1TB SSD

2TB SSD

2TB SSD

Ports:

HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (power delivery 140W), 3x USB-A, Headphone / mic Combo, RJ45

HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (power delivery 140W), 3x USB-A, Headphone / mic Combo, RJ45

HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (power delivery 140W), 3x USB-A, Headphone / mic Combo, RJ45

Wireless:

Wi-Fi 7 / BlueTooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 7 / BlueTooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 7 / BlueTooth 5.4

Camera:

720p with e-privacy shutter

720p with e-privacy shutter

720p with e-privacy shutter

Weight:

Starting at < 2.72kg / 6lbs

Starting at < 2.72kg / 6lbs

Starting at < 2.72kg / 6lbs

Dimensions:

21.9mm-26.6mm x 364mm x 275.9mm / 0.86″- 1.04″ x 14.33″ x 10.86″

21.9mm-26.6mm x 364mm x 275.9mm / 0.86″- 1.04″ x 14.33″ x 10.86″

21.9mm-26.6mm x 364mm x 275.9mm / 0.86″- 1.04″ x 14.33″ x 10.86″

Considering that the base configuration is still fairly expensive, it’s no wonder that all the configurations keep the more premium appointments. Specifically, no matter what you do, you’ll get that OLED 1600p @ 240Hz panel with HDR 1000.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Design

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• This is a big computer
• Large keyboard, touchpad aligned to the left
• Lots of ports including Thunderbolt 4

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is big. It is a 16-inch laptop, after all. It’s fairly imposing in its matte “Eclipse Black” finish with only Legion emblazoned on the back of the lid and Lenovo in silver on the top back as flourishes. It’s also a little over an inch at its thickest.

This is not the most portable of gaming laptops. So, while it makes for a great desktop replacement, leave plenty of space in your backpack if you plan on getting this.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Almost all the venting is underneath and back, so you don’t have to worry about hot air being blown onto you when gaming, assuming you’re using a mouse situated next to the laptop.

Besides the large 16-inch OLED screen, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i comes with a full-size keyboard complete with a ten-key numpad. There aren’t any standalone hotkeys, but plenty of keys have secondary functions, so I didn’t really miss them.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

The keycaps have a quality feel to them with a concave shape and textured feel that makes typing a relative pleasure. I do find the keyboard to feel a little big for some reason and find myself sometimes pressing the wrong button when reaching (mainly when gaming).

The touchpad is not oversized, but it’s set off to the left, which makes sense as the keyboard with the Numpad pushes the natural hand placement to the left as well. However, I’m not a fan of the touchpad’s placement – I would prefer it to be a bit more centered. At least, it’s accurate and responsive.

If you do want to use the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i as a desktop replacement, you’ll be happy to know that the port selection is fairly plentiful. It comes with an HDMI 2.1 port, a Thunderbolt 4 port, and a USB-C port, both of which support DisplayPort 2.1. There are also three USB-A ports and an Ethernet one, along with an eShutter button for privacy’s sake.

• Design: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Performance

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Strong performance that’s limited somewhat by the power-hungry panel
• Can run most games at max settings with speedy results
• Sound quality is pretty good

Considering the powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and higher-end Nvidia 5000-series GPUs – I tested the model with an RTX 5080 – not to mention a minimum of 32GB of RAM, the gaming performance here is going to be quite robust.

Now, all that hardware has to power the 16-inch OLED panel which has a 2560 x 1600p resolution with a refresh rate of 240Hz. That panel also manages 500 nits of brightness and has HDR 1000 True Black support.

So, that can knock off up to 20 or 30 fps from the Lenovo Legion 7i’s performance if you want to take full advantage of this laptop’s display. It’s worth noting that it also achieves a DCI-P3 of 100%, making this a sharp looking, vibrant display. I definitely preferred running games like South of Midnight, Starfield, RoboCop: Rogue City, and Cyberpunk 2077 at that higher resolution.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Synthetic Benchmarks

Benchmark

Score

Geekbench 6.4 Single Core

3,103

Geekbench 6.4 Multi Core

19,829

Crossmark Overall

2,163

Crossmark Productivity

1,998

Crossmark Creativity

2,525

Crossmark Responsiveness

1,727

25GB File Copy Transfer Rate (MB/s)

2,030.38

3DMark Fire Strike

34,434

3DMark Time Spy

16,928

3DMark Fire Strike Ultra

11,388

3DMark Time Spy Extreme

8,337

3DMark Speed Way

4,301

3DMark Steel Nomad

3,999

3DMark Port Royal

10,958

Speaking of, I was able to run all those games at basically max settings, including Ray Tracing where applicable, with smooth results and crisp, clear images. I didn’t experience any skipping, stuttering, or screen tearing. Any way you cut it, this is a powerful gaming laptop that will hold up.

If you look at our benchmarks, you can get a solid idea of what to expect. Cyberpunk 2077 with everything maxed will look good and will be smooth enough, but won’t really take advantage of that high refresh rate as it gets just an okay 30 fps on average on 1600p, so if you plan on playing at the display's native resolution, make sure to use DLSS for the best experience.

However, there are plenty of games where I can achieve up to and above 100 fps even before compromising on settings.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gaming Benchmarks

Game & settings

Frames per second

Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ultra High, 1080p)

45 fps

Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic, 1080p)

45 fps

Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, 1080p)

50 fps

Metro: Exodus (Extreme, 1080p)

63 fps

Monster Hunter Wilds (Very High, 1080p)

73 fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Very High, 1080p)

163 fps

Total War: Warhammer III (Ultra, 1080p)

144 fps

Web Surfing Battery Informant

4:37

PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Test

1:36

As mentioned before, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a four-speaker system. I didn’t mention that it supports Nahimic Audio, so you get some spatial audio support. Laptops often have mediocre audio at best, but this one sounds pretty good.

Besides the usual caveat that laptop speakers will never surpass dedicated headphones or speakers, the sound is full with plenty of clarity. There’s not a lot of rumble (to be expected, of course), but there’s not anything else missing from the frequency range.

Lastly, the webcam with its 5MP resolution looks good and is pretty smooth to boot. If you get this laptop to stream, you might not need to get a dedicated webcam. It’s also nice that it has a privacy eShutter button.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Battery life

• Suffers from the typical short battery life of a gaming laptop
• Doesn’t do a great job of retaining charge while in sleep mode

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Battery Test Results

Web Surfing Battery Informant

4:37 hours

PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Test

1:36 hours

The battery life on gaming laptops is typically not all that great. There are some exceptions, but a powerhouse sporting a 16-inch OLED screen with a 1600p resolution is not going to be one of them.

For proof, just look at our benchmarks. In our web surfing test, it lasted a whopping four and a half hours. That’s not great, but this isn’t a new MacBook Air that lasts almost 15 hours, nor is it supposed to be.

It’s not surprising that in the PCMark 10 gaming benchmark, it lasts just over an hour and a half. If you want extended cordless gaming, you should probably get a Steam Deck (or one of its competitors).

A little more concerning and a little more unexpected is the fact that the battery runs down even when in sleep mode. Now, this is not atypical, but there are plenty of laptops that don’t drop down to 35% battery life after being unplugged for a day, even though they haven’t been used.

• Battery life: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i?

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)Lenovo Legion Pro 7i scorecard

Category

Notes

Rating

Value

It may start at a hefty two grand asking price, but that’s not unusual for large screen gaming laptops.

4 / 5

Design

This laptop is massive, making it more of a desktop replacement than a portable gaming machine. At least, it has plenty of ports.

4 / 5

Performance

The gaming performance here is pretty great, only really limited by the fact that it also has to power an OLED screen.

4.5 / 5

Battery Life

The battery life is not great, though about what one would expect with a gaming powerhouse. However, it could do better holding a charge when asleep.

3.5 / 5

Final score

Despite a high cost and low battery life, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a very powerful machine, ideal for those wanting a gaming desktop replacement.

4 / 5

Buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i if...

You want a powerful desktop replacement
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is quite big, and it’s quite powerful. If you’re looking for something that can replace a gaming desktop, this model is more than capable.

You want an OLED screen
The OLED screen here comes with a higher resolution and frame rate, not to mention strong HDR support and DCI-P3 color coverage. If you want a good OLED screen with your gaming laptop, you’re certainly getting it here.

You can afford it
This laptop has the latest and greatest powerful components (at least for a laptop), so it comes with a hefty price tag. Consider this one if money is no object.

Don't buy it if...

You have a limited budget
If you have limited cash for a gaming laptop, then the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is going to be out of your price range, considering its starting price is around 2K.

You want good battery life
Gaming laptops typically don’t have good battery life, and this laptop is no different. If you want one that can last a while without being plugged in, there’s a short list of options out there that don’t include this one.

How I tested the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i

• Tested for a couple weeks
• Used it for work, gaming, and streaming
• Played different types of games

I used the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for a couple of weeks, playing all sorts of games including Battlefield 2042, RoboCop: Rogue City, and Cyberpunk 2077, to get a feel for what this laptop is capable of.

I tried them at max settings, including Ray Tracing where applicable, mainly Cyberpunk, to see where their limitations are. I wrote most of this article on it and used it for some day-to-day browsing and streaming.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is ideal for gamers who want a desktop replacement that can handle just about everything gaming-wise and have the budget to afford that kind of gaming rig.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

• First reviewed July 2025

The Haworth Upside Sit-to-Stand desk is a simple yet refined standing desk that can easily blend into most workspaces without looking overly extravagant or flashy.

Granted, it still costs a pretty penny, but it doesn't look overdone or gaudy. The Haworth Upside is understated, minimalist, and professional. But how does it stack up against the best standing desks I've reviewed? I tested it to find out.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Haworth Upside Sit-to-Stand Desk: Pricing and Availability

The Haworth Upside Standing Desk currently starts at $611, 15% off its original price of $719, as I write this paragraph. This price can range from around $1,000, depending on features, sizing, colorways, and whether you opt for the upgraded base type and paddle.

You can also add some accessories directly from Haworth, such as a power module, wire management clips, and a wire tray to catch all your cables and keep them tidy.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Haworth Upside Sit-to-Stand Desk: Unboxing & first impressions

The Haworth Upside Standing desk arrived super well-packaged in its box, ensuring that nothing would be damaged in transit to me. Once I started building, I was able to assemble my desk in just 18 minutes.

True, it's heavy, but I was able to do it by myself. One of the first things I noticed was the paddle. While intuitive, and many desks have had similar paddles, I wish there were a button of some kind so I could easily save multiple heights, just a press away. The paddle does work well, though, especially considering its purpose.

The desk itself is sharp. By sharp, I of course mean in design, as the corners are rounded, ensuring that they are not a sharp point, even though they are sharper than some of the softer-edged designs I have seen. I love the look of a sharper edge, but I also appreciate having them not be sharp to the touch.

Haworth Upside Sit-to-Stand Desk: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

Dimensions: 23x58 inches
Height Range: 22.6–48.7 inches (dual-stage electric)
Load Capacity: 150lbs
Top Material: Landmark high-pressure laminate
Base Color: Smooth Plaster powder coat
Warranty: 10 years standard; GREENGUARD/BIFMA certified  

This desk is simple, minimalist, and clean. I said it earlier, but that's the best way to describe this desk. There's no frills, nothing flashy, nothing distracting. It's a fantastic desk if you prefer a clean setup.

While you could, I probably wouldn't build out a super complex and fancy setup on this desk, but what I would love to do is have a clean laptop or iPad setup with a notebook, some physical books perhaps, maybe a single monitor setup, with a computer in a stand off to the side, and so on—a clean, simple setup, dedicated to focus and simplicity.

Adding to this simplicity, I love how clean the legs look, and I appreciate that they are more C-shaped than T-shaped. I prefer the C-Shape as it feels like there is more room for my legs. It also helps the legs appear closer to a wall if you are pushed up against it, making the legs look less bulky and stand out less.

The desktop appears to be resistant to scratches, yet it doesn't feel like I'd want to drop anything on it anytime soon. The wood feels a bit soft, but with how I use desks, I'm not too worried.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Haworth Upside Sit-to-Stand Desk: In use

I've had this desk in my rotation of desks for the last 124 days at the time of writing this review. So far, it's been functioning great. There haven't been any issues. I've used this desk for precisely what I mentioned above. It's been a fantastic laptop desk, I've gotten some dedicated writing done here, some project planning, some idea sketching with my iPad, some reading with physical books, and more. It's been an excellent desk for all of that.

The paddle controller was easy to get used to right away. Up is up, down is down. Easy enough. Since this desk appeared simple to me at first glance on the website, I chose the standard, simple paddle, which works just as expected. Up is up, down is down. Suppose you want to upgrade to the programmable paddle. In that case, it adds the ability to display the height and even set vibration alerts to remind you to move throughout the day, according to Haworth's website.

Moving up and down, even while holding the paddle, is smooth and effortless. The desk moves pretty quickly, but it's stable and relatively quiet. What more could you ask for in a standing desk?

Along with the Haworth desk, I also grabbed the Fern ergonomic chair (a review is coming soon) and the Elements 4-function table. This, paired with the Haworth Upside desk, makes for a powerful setup. The Elements 4-function table can serve as a footrest, a side table, an extension of the desk, or a riser for the desk. Expanding the functionality of your Haworth setup even further.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Minimalistically massive

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Incredibly easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Highly practical for those who want more screen

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Priced well for the product

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Haworth Upside Sit-to-Stand Desk: Final verdict

The Haworth Upside Desk is a beautifully simple electric sit-to-stand desk that makes me want to simplify even my most beautiful setup down to the essentials, streamlining everything. This desk is a great fit for home offices or if you have a private office where you can set up your own little space. If you prefer being able to click to a specific height, you'll want to opt for the more expensive paddle, but remember that it's still a paddle, just an upgraded one.

For more professional essentials, we've reviewed the best office chairs for ergonomics and comfort.

Velocity Micro's ProMagix HD80 is a powerhouse desktop computer, with a focus on professional users rather than gamers. That distinction is necessary because gamers notoriously require the best graphics available.

Unlike many of the best workstations I've seen, this computer does not boast the newest GPU; however, it does have a top-of-the-line CPU, ample RAM, solid storage, powerful ports, and effective cooling, making it an excellent machine for productivity and business work that may not be as graphics-intensive.

The GPU is no slouch, but it's not an RTX 5090, so don't expect to game at maximum settings. However, this is a work machine, and sometimes that distinction is still necessary, even in 2025, where the lines between work and home are more blurred than ever.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Velocity Micro ProMagix HD80: Pricing and Availability

The Velocity Micro ProMagix HD80 is a pre-built computer from Velocity Micro. They specialize in building computers to the specifications that are best suited for certain groups of people. A middleman that helps connect great computer hardware with consumers.

This model is meant for business productivity and is spec'd out to cost nearly $7,000. If you are interested in something like this, reach out to Velocity Micro or check out their website for their builds.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Velocity Micro ProMagix HD80: Unboxing & first impressions

The ProMagix HD80 packaging is very well done. It's packed in the box tightly to prevent damage in transit. The box is massive, and since I knew what was inside, I made sure to buddy-lift this box, rather than try to muscle it up myself and risk dropping it. Once I had everything moved to where I needed it, I opened the box and set up the items.

The case build looks fantastic, even on first glance. If you're not familiar with Velocity Micro, the brief answer is that they specialize in building custom PCs for gaming and workstations. They also offer builds like these, where they pre-select a great combination of gear to create a dream setup with a specific outcome in mind. This outcome, of course, is business productivity. One of the things that Velocity Micro is known for is its excellence, and let me tell you, taking a look at the build quality of this PC, I can agree that Velocity Micro has gone above and beyond in assembling this computer with precision, care, and intentionality.

The whole build is simplistic, but not in a cheap way. They intentionally chose to omit the RGB colorways everywhere except for the CPU cooler, as RGB is a pretty clear gaming aesthetic. To further the minimalist branding and loud design, a slight Velocity Micro badge is visible on the glass case, paying homage to the company that built this beast.

Velocity Micro ProMagix HD80: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (24-core, up to 5.70GHz Turbo)
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada, 24GB GDDR6
RAM: 64GB DDR5-6000 Kingston Fury RGB
Storage: 4TB Samsung 990 Pro + 2TB Kingston NV3 NVMe SSD
Motherboard: ASUS ProArt Z890-Creator (Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, 10Gb Ethernet)
Cooling: Velocity Micro 360mm liquid cooler + ARGB fans
PSU: 1000W 80+ Gold, Zero-RPM fan mode
Chassis: SX3 steel mid-tower (ATX/EATX), tool-less side panels

The ProMagix HD80 features a solid steel construction with mesh front and top panels, creating overall fantastic airflow for this machine. The internals of this PC feature clean routing and sleek, modular components that are easy to access, service, and upgrade in the future when needed.

The materials chosen are solid and intentionally understated. Velocity Micro understands that this is not intended for gamers; it's not designed for that purpose. It's intended for professionals.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Velocity Micro ProMagix HD80: In use

The design for the ProMagix HD80 from Velocity Micro is intended for creative professionals, specifically those who would use software such as Adobe, CAD, Revit, Blender, and similar applications. The Intel Ultra 9 effortlessly handles any workload I throw at it, thanks to its 64GB of RAM. For large files, the 6TB of storage works great, making it easy to store even massive files on this machine.

Another thing that this machine is excellent for is coding. I was able to run large databases, huge Postman files, and large codebases without any issue. The only spot that I began to notice issues was with GPU-heavy tasks or programs. The RTX 4500 is not the most cutting-edge GPU, but considering the focus of this machine, I'm not too upset. Plus, if you wanted one of the brand-new RTX 5090, you could pop one in here without hardly any work.

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Sleek and minimal

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Very easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Practical for some

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Highly priced

⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Velocity Micro ProMagix HD80: Final verdict

Velocity Micro's ProMagix HD80 is a beautifully crafted custom build that is ideal for professionals who need to have a machine that they know will perform even with intensive apps and programs, but it's also good to keep in mind that just becuase it's a powerful machine.

For more performance-driven machines, we've reviewed the best mobile workstations around.

If patience is a virtue, the reward for digital creatives is the arrival of the first relatively affordable monitors based on OLED technology. Enter the new 32-inch 4K Asus ProArt PA32UCDM.

At $1,899 or £1,599, this is far from a cheap display. But it's still much more affordable than, say, Apple's Pro Display XDR, which starts at $4,999 without a stand and makes do with inferior—by some measures, at least—LCD panel tech.

In some ways, that's not surprising. The Asus ProArt PA32UCDM uses the same 32-inch 4K QD-OLED panel sourced from Samsung that first appeared in gaming monitors over a year ago, including Asus's own Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM. Those monitors can now be bought for under $800.

What they don't offer, of course, is the full suite of professional-friendly features. And that's exactly what the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM delivers, features like a comprehensive list of colour space presets, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, hardware calibration, 10-bit colour and more.

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• Slick, minimalist styling
• Mostly strong feature set
• Connectivity isn't comprehensive

Specs

Panel size: 32-inch

Panel type: QD-OLED

Resolution: 3,840 by 2,160

Brightness: 250 nits full-screen, 1,000 nits peak HDR

Contrast: 1,200:1

Pixel response: 0.1ms GtG

Refresh rate: 144Hz

Colour coverage: 99% DCI-P3

HDR: VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack400

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm (bracket included)

Inputs: HDMI 2.1 x1, 1x Thunderbolt 4 with 90W PD, 1x Thunderbolt 4

Other: USB hub with 1x USB-A and 1x USB-C

Such is the capability of the latest QD-OLED gaming monitors, it's tempting to snag one for productivity work. One reason you might not is garish design. Gaming panels tend to have a slightly adolescent whiff. So, the slick, minimalist and professional aesthetic of the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM is an immediate win.

Some aspects of the design are reminiscent of Apple displays, including the hinge on rear, the sliding support and the neutral colour scheme. Speaking of Apple, while build quality is decent by most standards, the mix of metal and plastic definitely isn't as pleasing as the Apple Studio Display, let alone the much more expensive Apple Pro Display XDR.

For the record, this monitor offers height, tilt and rotation into portrait mode in terms of physical adjustment, but lacks swivel, which is a small pity. Elsewhere, the connectivity on offer is a bit of a mixed bag. On the upside, you get dual Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for display daisy chaining and 96W of power delivery, plus an HDMI 2.1 port with the full 48Gbps bandwidth.

However, the USB hub only offers a single USB-A and USB-C port, and Asus has fitted this display with neither a DisplayPort input nor a headphone jack. The former is arguably catered for courtesy of DisplayPort Alt Mode over the Thunderbolt interface. But for some setups, an actual DisplayPort socket would be handy. Likewise the absent headphone output.

Along with the broader display capabilities and specs, you get 10-bit per channel colour, Dolby Vision support, hardware calibration and a full suite of OLED panel protection features including a proximity sensor for automatically dimming the display when not in use. In the comprehensive OSD menu you can choose between four, eight and 12-hour panel refresh cycles.

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• Stunning HDR highs
• Limited full-screen brightness
• Needs calibration for demanding workflows

On paper, this display has so much going for it. It starts with the basic proposition of 4K resolution on a 32-inch display, which is obviously ideal for many pro workflows, provides plenty of working space and bodes well for aspects like font rendering.

To that you can add the various upsides of OLED technology, which is only now beginning to enter the pro display market. Notably, that includes perfect per-pixel lighting the likes of which no LCD monitor can replicate, ditto the exceptional pixel speed and near-perfect viewing angles. Oh and outstanding colour extension, particularly from Samsung's OLED tech, which benefits from colour-enhancing quantum dot technology, hence the "QD-OLED" moniker.

Combine that with the aforementioned 4K image detail and precision and, well, what a recipe. For the most part, what an experience, too. At its best, this is an exceptional display. Bright highlights in HDR video content, for instance, absolutely zing. The colour vibrancy is fantastic, too, and a clear step above LG's WOLED panels, which are the main alternative to Samsung QD-OLED. All of this is heightened by the glossy panel coating, which really lets the OLED technology sing.

This is not, however, a perfect display. For starters, It suffers the same limitations as all OLED panels, primarily limited brightness when large sections of the panel are being lit up. Asus provides a uniform brightness mode for SDR content. That allows for a maximum of 250 nits. For many uses and applications, that's enough.

However, it's a little less than you might want in bright ambient conditions. However, where the limited brightness performance is really apparent is with HDR content. The claimed peak 1,000 nit HDR capability is only available across 3% of the panel. Light up 10% of the panel and the brightness dips to 400 nits.

The consequence is that this monitor, like all existing OLEDs, can look utterly stellar when displaying a mostly dark image with small, super-bright highlights. But it can lack a little pop when rendering brighter scenes. Moreover, if you run the screen in HDR mode on the Windows or Mac desktop, there's significant brightness variation, when, for instance, you resize a mainly white application window.

For the record, the image detail and font rendering isn't as good as displays with greater pixel density, such as various 27-inch 5K2K panels and Apple's 6K Pro Display XDR. What's more, Asus's factory calibration does leave a tiny bit to be desired. It's a little over saturated out of the box and also very slightly crushes some shadow details.

Of course, if your workflows require the ultimate in accuracy, you'll be calibrating this monitor in any case and that eventuality is well catered for courtesy of a hardware 3D LUT, Asus's own ProArt calibration and support for third party calibration tools including CalMAN Autocal.

It's also worth noting that this is a very, very fast display. It supports 240 Hz refresh and offers a claimed 0.1ms response. This isn't a monitor aimed at gaming, but it's pretty much as good as gaming-centric monitors based on the same panel.

Finally, the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM does have a cooling fan that runs in max brightness HDR mode. But it's barely audible.

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The transition of OLED into monitors aimed at digital creatives and other pros has taken a little longer than expected. But it's now happening and this Asus display is an excellent showcase of what the technology brings.

Thanks to the perfect per-pixel lighting, at its best the HDR performance totally blows away any LCD-based monitor, even one with mini-LED full-array dimming. The colours are explosive, in a good way, the viewing angles pretty much perfect. Combine that with the 4K pixel grid and features like Thunderbolt 4 with daisy chaining support you have a very compelling display for creative tasks.

The brightness limitations of current OLED tech, however, mean that this isn't a cheap alternative for authoring pro-grade HDR content. Like all other OLEDs, it simply can't sustain sufficient brightness across enough of the panel. Slightly patchy factory calibration is another weakness, though only slight and mitigated by excellent calibration support.

All told, this is a very welcome addition to the pro monitor market. It's not perfect, but it does bring some genuinely new abilities to the class. Mini-LED monitors still rule for full-screen brightness. And for now, there aren't very many format and resolution options available with OLED panels in the pro market. But this is almost certainly just the beginning for OLED technology aimed at creative pros.

For more displays for creative professionals, we've rounded up the best monitors for photo editing, the best monitors for graphic design, and the best monitors for video editing.

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is an expensive and feature-light print-only inkjet with all the emphasis on print quality. It’s large enough to take 13” x 19" A3+ sheet paper, but small enough to share your desk.

There’s no touchscreen, no auto-duplex mode and the print speed is slower than its nearest rival, the Epson SureColor SC-P600. However, with ten cartridges delivering Canon’s industry-leading pigment ink through 7,680 nozzles, this could be one of the best large format printers enthusiast and professional photographers can buy.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Design and build

(Image credit: Canon // Future)Specs

Type: color inkjet photo printer

Functions: Print only

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: none

Print speed: A3+ in 4min 15sec

Max paper size: A3+, 13” x 19"

Print quality: 4,800 x 2,400 dpi

Memory: 1GB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 10 x 14.4ml cartridges

Dimensions/Weight: 639 x 379 x 200 mm (WxDxH)/31.7lb/14.4kg

The torpedo-shaped Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 looks very much like a scaled down version of the rugged and uncompromising Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100, which of course it is. While the flagship model takes A2+ sheets, its baby brother takes paper half that size and is cheaper by about a third. The compact design is the same, with two paper inputs and sturdy paper feed trays that fold neatly away to leave a compact unit that’s only 14 inches high and 19 inches deep. But be warned, with the flaps extended those dimensions grow to 16 inches and 33 inches.

The top-loading tray can hold up to 100 sheets of A4, or 50 sheets of A3 plain paper, while the rear-loading manual feed is for single sheets of any size up to A3+. The ten inkjet cartridges are tucked away inside and can be accessed somewhat awkwardly by lifting the printer’s bonnet. By necessity, the cavity and the cartridges are much smaller than those of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 I reviewed.

That upward-facing three-inch color display is not a touchscreen, unfortunately, and there are no frontal slots for a USB thumb drive, or the memory card from your Canon camera. At the rear are ports for a USB data cable and Ethernet cable. The whole unit is covered in textured plastic and it feels like it’s built to last.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Features & specifications

(Image credit: Canon // Future)

This is a pure photo printer, so there’s no scanner and few additional features. There’s no touchscreen, USB Host port or Bluetooth connectivity for instance and no auto-duplex mode. It might seem surprising that a printer costing over $700 can’t turn over a sheet of paper, until you understand that the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is all about image quality.

To achieve a maximum print resolution of 4,800 x 2,400 dpi a total of 7,680 nozzles spray minute droplets from ten individual inkjet cartridges. That’s 768 per color. In addition to the usual four colors, C/M/Y and photo black, you also have PC/PM/GY/R/CO and matt black. This makes for a much wider gamut and more natural and realistic shading.

Printing is rather slow at more than four minutes for one A3+ print, but Canon’s paper compatibility is especially versatile. The main input tray on top can handle any kind of paper from Canon’s 5” square photo paper to borderless A3+ prints of 13”x19”. Canon’s menu of paper presets offers no less than 29 choices, including Photo Paper Plus Glossy II, Premium Fine Art Rough and matt. You can load up to 100 sheets of A4 in this tray, or 50 sheets of A3.

There’s also a manual feed tray, which takes one single sheet at a time and here you can load envelopes or heavy card up to 380 g/m2 or 0.6mm thick. There’s actually a third input tray stored underneath the printer which makes it possible to print on blank CDs, for the few who still do that.

The only media this printer can’t handle is roll paper. Without the roll-adapters you find on some large format printers, you can only load sheets of cut paper. Fortunately, this does include 13-inch-wide banners of paper up to 70 inches long.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Setup and operation

(Image credit: Canon // Future)

The setup procedure is the same as most other inkjet printers, but it takes slightly longer as there are so many cartridges to load. The supplied quick-start manual is very brief and clear, but Canon also has a helpful iOS/Android app to help you get going. This app makes it easy to connect your phone to the printer’s 5GHz Wi-Fi, then the printer to your local Wi-Fi network.

Having loaded the ten supplied cartridges, plus some paper and chosen a language for the on-screen menu, you then have to wait a few minutes while the inks are agitated before you can print your first page. It does this automatically from time to time to ensure the best ink flow.

It’s a pity there’s no touchscreen interface, but the 3-inch color display and familiar navigation wheel buttons are large enough that accessing the onscreen menu to make your paper selection or set security options is quite easy to do at the printer. It’s worth mentioning here that Canon has ditched all internal polystyrene packaging in favor of more sustainable cardboard.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Performance

(Image credit: Canon // Future)

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 prints slowly, but the results are well worth waiting for. I found that connecting by USB cable (not included) was slightly faster than with Wi-Fi. Canon’s quoted print rate of just over four minutes for an A3+ photo proved accurate enough, and it’s the same speed if you print in black and white or color. While that sounds slow, we should remember that the printer is crunching the data of very large images and Canon’s L-COA PRO processor is actually working hard and more importantly, it’s not making mistakes.

If you were considering using this machine to double as your office printer for running out plain text documents, you might want to think again. Its black and white text output is unremarkable, except for its slowness. And without auto-duplex, you have to turn each sheet yourself. With color photos, on the other hand, the results are excellent across the board.

Black and white photos look especially impressive thanks to the use of matte black and grey inks in addition to photo black to help achieve strong contrast and improved greyscale. Color photos also look remarkably lifelike thanks to the wide color gamut, natural shading and fine detail reproduction. Just like the similar, Epson SureColor SC-P600, Canon is using nine inks to great effect. However, Canon’s additional cartridge containing the chroma optimizer appears to give it an advantage when it comes to the glossy finish. It really is hard to fault the Canon’s output onto coated photo paper and it makes the company’s longevity claim of up to 200 years light resistance believable.

Canon sells a very wide selection of printer paper, all of which is supported by this printer. I tried out Pro Platinum, Pro Luster, Plus Glossy II, Matte and Premium Fine Art. That last paper is quite thick and only works in the multi-purpose tray at the rear which has the flatter paper path. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but the glossier finishes tend to take the fullest advantage of this printer’s capabilities, in my opinion.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Consumables

The big catch with this superb photo printer, is the cost of its consumables. Canon’s 5100 cartridges are specific to this model and it costs around US$130 (or £150) for a new set and they’re not big cartridges.

The volume is just 14.4ml which is a fraction the capacity of the larger Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 at 80ml per cartridge. Canon’s estimates for the yield of these little cartridges is complicated by the fact that no two colors yield the same figure, but broadly speaking, you can hope to print up to fifty A3+ photos before needing to replace one or more of them.

That’s a higher ongoing cost than the Epson SureColor SC-P600, but Canon’s newly reformulated LUCIA PRO II pigment inks are industry leading in their longevity and the image quality looks superior. If you need to print a higher volume of photos, an ink tank alternative such as the excellent Epson EcoTank ET-8550 would be a better bet.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Maintenance

(Image credit: Canon // Future)

If left standing unused for long periods, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is as susceptible to drying out as any other inkjet and it has the usual maintenance programs built into the menu to solve this. These are basically cleaning cycles that flushes ink through the 7,680 nozzles to unblock them and given the cost of the ink, you won’t want to run these cycles too often.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Final verdict

(Image credit: Canon // Future)

Any enthusiast or professional photographer will appreciate the print quality of this premium A3+ photo printer. The nine reformulated LUCIA PRO II pigment inks plus the innovative chroma optimizer combine to give you exceptionally realistic images on coated photo paper. I’ll have to take Canon’s word about the industry leading 200-year longevity of its prints, but they certainly look great.

The printer itself feels robust and well designed with only the essential features such as Wi-Fi with AirPrint compatibility. There’s no touchscreen, no USB Host port and it can’t even auto-duplex, but it does have a very wide media compatibility that takes in everything from blank CDs and 4x6-inch photo paper, to rough A3+ card and 70-inch-long banners. The only thing it can’t print on are paper rolls.

The ink cartridges specific to this model are small and expensive, but if you don’t mind paying for prints that look as good as a professional print shop and last even longer, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is worth the investment.

For more print solutions, I've comprehensively tested the best small business printers and best home printers.

Psiphon is not a traditional VPN – it’s a censorship circumvention tool developed by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab. Created in 2006 to help citizens access blocked content in restrictive countries, Psiphon has gained plenty of traction among activists in censored regions like Myanmar, Iran, and China.

The service is completely free with unlimited data, but comes with a paid upgrade to access high-speed servers. We’ve found several use cases where Psiphon would be pretty handy, but it comes with some extensive caveats if you’re expecting the features you’d get from one of the best VPNs on the market.

Read on, and we’ll get into the instances where we would recommend Psiphon, and why we’d mostly recommend you look elsewhere.

Features

First up, we should point out that Psiphon doesn’t work like a VPN by default. Instead, Psiphon offers a unique hybrid approach combining VPN, SSH, and proxy technologies into a single circumvention tool.

It has two distinct modes: a proxy mode for basic web browsing and a VPN mode that tunnels all device traffic. When you boot up Psiphon, any app that runs through a SOCKS proxy is automatically configured to run traffic through the Psiphon servers. This mode is designed to access blocked sites, but it won’t disguise your browsing traffic. Anyone monitoring your network will be able to see the data you’re sending from your device.

On top of the default SSH tunnel used to power the proxy mode, you also have the option for “SSH+,” which automatically switches between different connection methods (SSH, HTTP, HTTPS) to maintain access when your proxy tunnel is blocked.

It’s an obfuscation technique that sends your traffic with an extra protocol built on top, essentially disguising your connection to the proxy as communication with a normal web server. There’s also a form of automatic multi-hop built in under the hood, which automatically routes your traffic through the best tunnels on the way to the endpoint you specify. This makes it particularly effective at bypassing the Great Firewall of China and other sophisticated censorship systems.

Split tunneling is available in a limited form. You can choose not to proxy local sites, but that’s about it. There’s no way to customise which apps use Psiphon and which don’t, as well as no way to specify individual websites you want the VPN to ignore.

The Android version includes a "MalAware" feature that detects certain types of malware in data traffic by comparing your requests against known IPs and domains that serve malware. It gives you a pretty specific readout of what threats you’re possibly being served with, although it’s not a full anti-virus solution. MalAware can only warn you; it can’t remove malware from your device.

If you’re unhappy with your current speeds, Psiphon uses a virtual currency system called "PsiCash" that you can either earn by watching advertisements or purchase to temporarily boost connection speeds.

Features score: 6/10

Server network

Psiphon operates a modest network of servers across just 28 countries, with the vast majority concentrated in Europe. There are just two servers available for North America and three in Asia.

If you want to connect to Africa, the Middle East, or Oceania, you’re out of luck. All of the servers are also country-level, so you won’t be able to switch if the server you’re connected to isn’t giving you the performance you want.

We suspect Psiphon operates several thousand servers, but it’s unclear what the exact number is. Given their relatively small global presence and slow speed results, we have to assume most of these are pretty outdated.

Server network score: 3/10

Psiphon displays its available locations in a list as opposed to on a map like many other VPN providers do (Image credit: Psiphon)Apps

Psiphon provides applications for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Although there are some methods available to run Psiphon as a Linux VPN, none of these are official. You’ll have to download a third-party solution instead that modifies the core Psiphon files, so go ahead at your own risk.

Design-wise, the Windows application features some particularly dated interface choices, which make it reminiscent of software from the early 2000s. It’s not pretty by any means, but it’s functional enough.

The options are clearly laid out from the dashboard, but the PsiCash menu is presented to you twice on the main page. However, once you get to the settings menu, the actual settings are buried within sub-menus that aren't clearly labeled, which makes it pretty complex if you aren’t already familiar with general networking concepts.

Psiphon's mobile apps feature an entirely different user interface from their desktop counterparts (Image credit: Psiphon)

,The mobile applications offer a somewhat more modern design but are also pretty clunky and unintuitive. On Android, you get additional features like the MalAware detection system and device-wide tunneling options. However, the iOS version is more restricted, making it the weakest version of Psiphon.

Installation is straightforward across all platforms and no account registration is required to use the basic service. However, if you want to purchase speed boosts, you must provide payment information and an email address.

Ultimately, all versions of Psiphon suffer from the same fundamental limitations: the absence of essential VPN features like kill switches, DNS leak protection, and reliable connection stability.

Apps score: 5/10

Ease of use

Psiphon is relatively easy to set up and use as long as you’re not installing it on Linux. You won’t need to provide any details to get the basic version of Psiphon up and running, so all you have to do is download and run an executable on Windows. That makes it highly portable if you need a VPN you can deploy in any situation.

On Android and iOS, you’ll need to install it from the Play or Apple store, but other than that, the process remains the same. All in all, it's a pretty decent VPN for beginners.

However, the automatic browser launching feature is pretty annoying, and there’s no option to turn it off. Worse, if you haven’t got a SpeedBoost enabled, it actually serves you ads from Psiphon’s partners. If you’re concerned about being tracked by advertising agencies, this is the worst tool you could use.

It’s also hard to find the server you want to connect to, as they’re not listed in alphabetical order. You’ll have to scroll through a list of random servers to find the correct one, which is just an unnecessary issue that seems fairly easy to fix.

Ease of use score: 5/10

Speed and performance

We recognise that Psiphon's a free service that’s being run with a very specific use case in mind: getting around content blocks for web content. However, the performance speeds we recorded on Psiphon’s free version were nigh unusable.

It shouldn’t be a surprise, as the free version is limited to just 2 Mbps, and these speeds make HD video streaming impossible. Page loading times were excessive, too, and video content buffered constantly. Frankly, Psiphon’s speed makes the service impractical for anything beyond basic text-based web browsing. It is not the fastest VPN on the block.

Things got a little bit better when we upgraded to Psiphon Fast, but even these speeds were significantly poorer than what we’d expect from top-tier VPNs. With Psiphon SpeedBoost enabled, we clocked maximum speeds of 35.9 Mbps.

This is just about workable if you’re only trying to stream a single 4K video, but with anything else taking up your bandwidth, Psiphon isn’t able to take the strain. Even with the SpeedBoost enabled, we found that connection stability on the VPN wasn’t particularly solid.

It’s also important to remember this is a temporary boost. You’re paying for this upgrade, whereas most top-tier VPN providers just give you unlimited data to play with for the sake of a subscription.

Speed and performance score: 1/10

Unblocking

We’ve been able to access some of the major streaming sites using Psiphon, but the speeds make it difficult to recommend as a streaming VPN.

It worked with Netflix US and UK, as well as Disney+, but that’s about it. Psiphon doesn’t have a particularly large set of servers to choose from, so we couldn’t do tests on some of the regional streaming sites we’d usually take for a spin. Even if we could connect, the speeds are so poor that it wouldn’t be worth sticking around to watch a show. Even on Netflix, our speeds were unwatchable.

To be clear, Psiphon's strength lies in bypassing government censorship rather than commercial geo-blocking. It has historically proven effective at accessing social media platforms, news websites, and communication tools in countries with heavy internet restrictions. While it’s worked in the past to uncensor sites for Chinese netizens, it’s unclear if it’s currently effective.

Torrenting support is practically non-existent due to speed limitations and the service's focus on web browsing rather than file sharing. The 2 Mbps speed cap makes downloading large files impractical, and the frequent connection drops in VPN mode further complicate P2P activities.

While torrenting does work, Psiphon blocks everything outside of a specific set of common ports for port forwarding, meaning you’d have to tunnel your torrenting use through the service if you wanted to get the best connectivity.. All in all, forget about using Psiphon as a torrenting VPN.

Unblocking score: 3/10

Privacy and security

Psiphon's privacy and security practices are actually somewhat of a mixed bag. If you approached it with modern VPN standards in mind, it would automatically fail.

There is no kill switch protection on any platform, meaning internet traffic continues unprotected when VPN connections drop. You also can’t specify which apps you want covered by the VPN tunnel, either.

The L2TP/IPSec protocol it employs is secure enough as it’s covered by AES-256 encryption, but it’s still considered less secure than modern alternatives like WireGuard or OpenVPN.

So, no kill-switch, no split tunnelling, and underpowered VPN protocols. If you’re looking for privacy, look elsewhere.

Psiphon is very upfront about the information it collects on its users (Image credit: Psiphon)

It’s also important to state that this is not a no-logs browser service. While Psiphon doesn’t collect browsing activity, it does collect and retain metadata related to the service, including connection times, device information, and bandwidth usage.

In some cases, this includes the domain visited. Psiphon also uses AWS in part to support its infrastructure, which creates a serious problem from a privacy point of view, as Amazon will log every IP that uses its services.

That’s somewhat worrying, considering Psiphon operates from Canada, which is a Five Eyes surveillance alliance member. In the event law enforcement from this jurisdiction comes knocking on Psiphon’s doors, it’s quite likely they’d be obliged to hand over a significant amount of data, which could correlate your activities from elsewhere on the internet.

That said, the most alarming privacy issue we’ve come across is a DNS leak in Psiphon’s VPN service. Psiphon claims it has taken particular care when choosing the DNS servers the app can connect to, ensuring they’re all picked from a vetted whitelist.

Unfortunately, we found that we could see our home IP address even with Psiphon active while using a DNS leak tool. We recognise that Psiphon isn’t built as a privacy tool, but DNS leaks simply aren’t acceptable when you’re offering VPN functionality.

On the plus side, Psiphon has undergone several independent security audits by reputable firms, including iSEC Partners, 7A Security, and, most recently, Cure53 in 2019. These audits found several flaws in Psiphon’s core VPN technology, all of which have since been fixed. Apart from the weaknesses identified, each audit has suggested that overall, Psiphon is quite secure.

Privacy and security score: 4/10

Track record

Since its 2006 inception at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, Psiphon has built a reputation specifically within the internet freedom community rather than the broader VPN market.

For example, during the 2021 Myanmar protests, Psiphon's user base surged from approximately 5,000 to 1.6 million monthly users, reflecting previous usage spikes after internet blackouts in Belarus and Azerbaijan. Clearly, in areas where internet freedom is on the line, Psiphon works.

That’s one reason you’ll have heard about it less than some of the big-name VPN providers. Psiphon is first and foremost a censorship bypass tool, rather than an all-in-one VPN. However, you also won’t have heard about it because there’s little to be said against Psiphon’s track record.

It hasn’t suffered any major security breaches, and the app has a completely clean rating when run through the CVE list, indicating that researchers in the wild haven’t found exploits for the app. That’s pretty impressive, considering Psiphon has been running for close to a decade and a half.

Track record score: 8/10

Customer support

Psiphon offers pretty minimal customer support. While there is a basic FAQ section on the website, it’s not easily accessible, and the dated nature of some of the questions suggests that it hasn’t been updated in a while.

There is no live chat or phone support, so if you’ve got an issue, you’ll need to send out an email request and hope someone gets back to you. One thing we did like is that Psiphon runs an email service that will send you back a bunch of country-specific links to download the app if your access to the main site is blocked.

It is somewhat odd, given Psiphon’s position as a VPN for users in restrictive countries, that there are no community forums and practically no useful user guides to help with installation.

Don’t expect extensive customer support from Psiphon. If you need a VPN that walks you through the setup process and keeps 24/7 customer support on hand, you’re better off investing in a premium VPN like ExpressVPN instead.

Customer support score: 3/10

Pricing and plans

Psiphon operates on a freemium model with the core service available at no cost. The free version includes unlimited data usage but caps speeds at 2 Mbps and includes advertisements whenever you boot up the VPN. Simple enough. What isn’t simple is Psiphon’s paid plan.

You can pay for Psiphon in two ways. On mobile, Psiphon can handle payment subscriptions through the app store. These are pretty self-explanatory: $2.99 per week, $10 per month, or $72 per year. These subscriptions remove advertisements and increase speed limits, although the performance you’ll get is significantly below the standard set by other premium VPN.

There’s also the PsiCash system, which we’re not a huge fan of. Instead of buying a subscription, PsiCash allows you to activate an on-demand boost to your VPN speeds. You have to purchase an amount of PsiCash, which is then credited to your account. You can then spend the PsiCash on temporary speed boosts for 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month.

The cost is significantly higher than just buying a subscription and requires you to create a separate PsiCash account to manage your funds, but it’s the only way to access the speed boost on Windows. PsiCash is somewhat unique in that you can also earn credits by watching ads, but we haven’t investigated this at length.

Pricing and plans score: 5/10

Should you use Psiphon?

It’s very difficult to recommend Psiphon as a generic VPN solution. It’s clearly built for a specific need, and it’s hard to say that Psiphon’s useless when it could be the lifeline for someone in a heavily censored country.

It’s been built to be super simple to download and deploy without any payment necessary, so we can see some use cases where it’d work. For example, if you're an activist journalist and need access to news and communication platforms at a moment’s notice, Psiphon may also be right for you.

Otherwise, there are a few serious things wrong here. The speeds are subpar for anything other than browsing the internet, there are several outstanding questions about both technical privacy and the privacy policy, and the payment scheme is confusing, to say the least.

If you need free VPN functionality, you should consider alternatives like Windscribe Free or ProtonVPN's free tier instead. Both of these providers offer better security practices and improved speeds.

Overall score: 43/100

Psiphon alternatives

1. NordVPN – from $3.39 per month
The best VPN overall
When privacy matters most, NordVPN delivers comprehensive protection with over 7,200 servers across 118 countries. The VPN app features an advanced Threat Protection engine that blocks malware and trackers both on your device and on your connection. Lightning-fast NordLynx protocol ensures smooth streaming and browsing on up to 10 devices simultaneously. At $3.39/month (2-year plan), you get premium security without compromise. Every plan includes a full 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $1.99 per month
The best cheap VPN
Break free from device limits with Surfshark's unlimited simultaneous connections, which are perfect for large households. Their 3,200+ servers across 100+ countries provide consistent access to global content. For security, CleanWeb technology blocks ads and malware automatically. Unique features like GPS spoofing and dynamic multi-hop routing make it a standout for privacy. Exceptional value at just $1.99/month (2-year plan) with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

3. ExpressVPN – from $4.99 per month
The best VPN for beginners
Experience VPN excellence with ExpressVPN's blazing-fast Lightway protocol and TrustedServer technology that runs entirely in RAM. With over 3,000+ servers to pick from in 105 countries, ExpressVPN offers high-speed connections nearly anywhere on the planet while quantum-resistant encryption keeps your data safe from prying eyes. User-friendly apps work flawlessly across all devices, backed by 24/7 expert support. Premium quality comes at $4.99/month (2-year plan) with a comprehensive 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

Ever since I moved my Tribesigns Mobile Height Adjustable Desk to the second story of my house, I have had the Dell Pro 32 in the dead center of the desktop. I didn't expect to like this monitor as much as I do. It would be an entry-level option with the technical specs of 4K, but it wouldn't be something I would want to use.

However, what I have discovered is that this display has quickly become one that I have come to love using. I expected to rotate this monitor out with the others I am testing, but instead, I have set those monitors up in other areas for now, so I could conduct a full review with this display.

The Dell Pro 32 Plus, in short, is a massive, yet affordable 4K USB-C hub monitor that is perfect for productivity. It's a business monitor. That's clear. And while it could be integrated into a larger setup relatively easily, this monitor screams simplicity, as in that scenario, it can do it all and do it well.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Dell Pro 32 Plus: Pricing and Availability

Dell's new naming structure with the Pro monitor can mean various things, but this P3225QE model is specifically a 32-inch 4K UHD (3840x2160) USB-C Hub Monitor.

You can purchase one for just $599.99 from Dell's website, or you can find it at a handful of third-party retailers as well. I've seen this monitor drop well below the MSRP for deals, so be sure to keep an eye out for them if you're in the market for a monitor.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Dell Pro 32 Plus: Unboxing & first impressions

The packaging for Dell is always pretty straightforward. They have recently adopted a more sustainable packaging style, which is a nice change. Still, I am always concerned about the reliability, as companies continue to move in that direction. Regardless, my monitor arrived in one piece, and I was able to set it up in a matter of seconds. Then, I took it to the Tribesigns desk, and that's where it has stayed for over 100 days.

This display is sleek. The base is still just alright, nothing fancy, but nothing wrong with it either, it's just not my favorite. The ports are easily accessible on the back; there are two ports within a pop-up on the left-hand side of the monitor for easy port access, and the buttons are off to the right. The bezels are minimal, with the Dell branding positioned small and centered on the bottom bezel. However, outside of that, this display is clean and sleek.

Dell Pro 32 Plus: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

Display: 31.5 inches
Resolution: 3840×2160
Color: 99 % sRGB
Brightness: 350 nits
Response Time: 8 ms (normal), 5 ms (Fast Mode)
Ports: DP1.4, HDMI2.1, USB‑C up (DP alt + 90 W PD), USB‑C + 3 USB‑A, RJ‑45

This display is classic Dell in my mind. A great basic monitor. Nothing overly flashy, nothing that's going to give out in a few years, but something that works, works well, looks clean and straightforward, and will work with just about any device.

Yes, Dell updated its naming conventions, but this is just Dell continuing to do what Dell does well.

The build quality is solid. Over the last 100+ days, nothing has broken, worn down, seemed loose, or damaged; nothing has malfunctioned. It's been a fantastic companion during this time.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Dell Pro 32 Plus: In use

As I mentioned above, I initially grabbed this display for a quick working session on the Tribesigns desk. However, that was over 100 days ago, and I have used this monitor extensively since then. When I say a lot, I'll admit that I have put in some intense late nights, working from home while my kids play, on this floor of our house, and even quite a few early mornings where I didn't want to go all the way down to my basement office to get some work done. It's been a busy season for me, and this monitor has helped me navigate it as the near-perfect 4K display, and a truly impressive competitor in the budget or basic tier of 4K displays.

In my time using this display, the picture and clarity have been spectacular. I have my MacBook Pro scaled all the way to "More Space", pushing every single pixel to the maximum so that I can fit the most content on my monitor. Since I work on a 13-inch MacBook Pro throughout the day, I take full advantage of a bigger display when I can. I haven't had any issues with scaling, with blurred text, or any other visual problems. Everything has scaled beautifully with macOS; everything is sharp and clear.

Directly behind my left shoulder, while I work at this desk, is a lamp. If this monitor weren't matte, I'd be blinded by the reflection of the light. However, because of the matte finish, I can work with very little distraction, and most of the time, I can work without even noticing the lamp.

Since probably the second week, maybe the first week of having this desk setup I have had the front ports visible and I have used it to plug in a USB-C cable to charge my Logitech MX Keys Mini, Logitech MX Anywhere, my iPad mini 7, or any other device I have that needs a quick charge. On the back, I have a cheap lightbar from Amazon plugged into one of the USB-A ports and then the lightbar is sitting atop the monitor shining down on the workspace, though I'm contemplating adding my BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 from my office up here. Beyond that, I have a USB-C cable running to my MacBook Pro, which is sitting in one of my favorite vertical laptop stands of all time, the Grovemade Wood MacBook Dock in Walnut. If I am running another laptop from this desk, I'll plug it into the same port, which is part of what makes a USB-C monitor so wonderful.

In these 100+ days I have had only one complaint, which is that on a super sunny day, if the sun is hitting the screen I have wished it would get a little bit brighter. However, outside of that, this display can do just about everything else needed and then some in the realm of business. I've even done some light gaming on this to see how it was and everything felt fine. But, in the professional space, this monitor can get just about everything you need done in a minimalist workspace, or as a part of a larger workspace if needed.

It's worth noting that this display is USB-C and not Thunderbolt, but then again, I have yet to notice a situation to where I would need Thunderbolt bad enough to expet my monitor to have it, especially not a basic monitor that is designed for business productivity work.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Minimalistically massive

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Incredibly easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Highly practical for those who want more screen

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Priced well for the product

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dell Pro 32 Plus: Final verdict

The Dell Pro 32 Plus knocks it out of the park with the essentials in what I'd expect in a 4K monitor as a whole, let alone one that is also at a reasonable price. This display has great color, crisp text and images, decent ports, great resolution, a clean and modern look and okay brightness. Truly, what more could you ask for in a USB-C monitor for that money? If you're in the market for a 4K USB-C display, as long as you're trying to work on it, rather than game, this display is one that should be considered in your research.

The midrange VPN provider market is a hotly contested one, with lots of great providers both free and paid jostling for position. VyprVPN is a provider that you might not be immediately familiar with, but it’s been around since 2010, which is longer than some of the biggest and best VPNs in the market.

We last reviewed VyprVPN back in 2023, and found it to be a decent enough option, but there were some caveats we hoped that the provider would improve. Has anything changed in the two years since? Sadly, yes, and not for the better, with a number of features being removed or limited.

We’re going to look at whether this venerable VPN provider is still one you should trust with your online privacy.

Features

VyprVPN is not the most feature-packed provider on the market, but it has enough to satisfy users who need a basic product to keep them safe online.

There’s public Wi-Fi protection, which will automatically boot the VPN if you connect to an unsecured network, very useful for business travellers and people on holiday, as the free hotspots in hotels, airports, and cafes are often frequented by opportunistic cybercriminals.

Android and desktop users get a far wider range of features and customization options than their iOS counterparts. The iOS client features almost no additional features, not even a kill switch, which will cut your internet connection in the event of your VPN dropping out, making sure that you don’t leak any unprotected information.

Some features are standard across all apps, such as public Wi-Fi protection, the ability to automatically reconnect the VPN if the connection is dropped, a choice of VPN protocols including IKE v2, OpenVPN, WireGuard and VyprVPN’s own “Chameleon” obfuscated protocol which is designed to be used in environments where VPN use is heavily monitored and/or blocked.

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

There’s also the option to choose between an “Advanced” connection, where you pick the server you want to connect to each time, or “Quick Connect,” where the VPN automatically picks a server from a region you choose in advance. Keep in mind, however, that there’s no way to pick a UK server with this option. Presumably, it gets lumped in with the “Europe” region.

Non-iOS users get more options, including split-tunneling, which VyprVPN calls “Connection per App”, the ability to choose the DNS server you want to use, including VyprVPN’s open zero-log VyprDNS, and the ability to have the VPN automatically start and connect when the device boots up, ensuring that you never end up browsing the net unprotected.

Features score: 4/10

Server network

VyprVPN currently offers 73 different locations to choose from around the world, with a decent spread of countries on offer. Its site claims that it has 96 servers, but that’s just not what we see in the app, which would suggest this is another area where VyprVPN has gone backwards in its offering.

Where VyprVPN further struggles compared to other providers is that almost all of these countries only have a single server. This means if you really need to access a particular piece of geo-locked content in, for example, the UK, and that particular server doesn’t work for you, then there are no other locations to try.

The only exceptions to this are the USA and Australia, which both have multiple locations – 8 in the USA and 3 in Australia.

Server network score: 4/10

Apps

Some VPN providers spend a huge amount of time on their Windows app to the detriment of other platforms, but VyprVPN has done a good job of making sure that all mobile platforms match their desktop counterpart.

The macOS and mobile apps look and feel almost identical to the Windows version, right down to the color scheme and layout.

Linux users are, as often happens, left with only a CLI setup option rather than an app, and even then, it’s tailored for only specific versions of Ubuntu. So, if you’re a Linux novice, you might be better off elsewhere.

The Apple versions of the app are rather bare-bones compared to the other options – disappointing news for folks on the hunt for an iPhone VPN. Some of that is down to Apple restricting access to the underlying operating system rather than any fault on the part of VyprVPN, but Apple isn’t entirely to blame here.

Other offerings from companies like Sufshark offer automatic connection, a kill switch, and even an Apple-friendly form of split-tunneling/whitelisting, so there are plenty more functions that could be here, but VyprVPN has seemingly chosen not to include them.

VyprVPN has done a good job of keeping its app clean and simple to use on all platforms, though the blinking snake eyes and pulsing ring while connected won’t be to everyone’s taste and can be rather distracting if you leave the app on screen.

Apps score: 5/10

Ease of use

VyprVPN’s apps are easy to use and some of the best beginner VPNs we've come across. There are two buttons, one showing the location you’ve picked, and the other that says Connect/Disconnect, and that’s it.

It’s not quite as foolproof as the big, friendly power button that so many other providers use, but it’s nice and straightforward.

It would have been nice to see a convenient drop-down of locations to pick from; instead, this is on a separate tab. That said, if you click on a new location, then it automatically connects the VPN, which is nice to see and makes trying out new servers a simple process.

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

The settings screen is cleanly laid out, with a small explanation for what each setting does to help newer users understand just what they’re changing, though, for some reason, the automatic reconnect description seems to be truncated on iOS devices, with the last word missing.

There’s even a small icon in the top right of the screen that shows you useful information about your VPN connection, including the status, how long you’ve been connected, what your VPN IP address is, and how much data has been uploaded and downloaded, which can be very useful for those traveling overseas on a data-limited connection.

Ease of use score: 6/10

Speed and performance

To measure how a VPN provider stacks up in the real world and where it places in our fastest VPN rankings, we measure download speeds multiple times, with multiple speed test sites and apps. These include SpeedTest, Cloudflare, and Measurement Lab, used across multiple sessions in US and UK locations.

VyprVPN’s WireGuard speeds were remarkably solid for much of our testing. We regularly saw speeds over 600 Mbps when connected to the UK, USA, Europe, and even the Japanese location, which is quite impressive as servers in Asian locations are often substantially slower than those in the Western parts of the world.

The same can’t be said for VyprVPN’s OpenVPN speeds. While it’s accepted that OpenVPN will always be slower than WireGuard, the results we saw were still far slower than we would expect.

UK speeds often dipped below 40 Mbps, US servers returned around 40-60 Mbps, and Asian speeds fluctuated between 25-40 Mbps. These results are similar to what we saw the last time we reviewed this provider, so while there’s been no improvement, the speeds haven’t gotten any worse, either.

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

To put these speeds into context, 4K streaming, for instance, requires connection speeds of 25 Mbps. So while you could stream high-def content with VyprVPN, you wouldn’t be able to do too much else without potentially encountering problems with buffering or the image quality suffering.

Connection speeds are important for downloading and streaming media, but another important factor is latency or “ping”. Your ping is a very important factor in online gaming as it measures the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the game’s server and back again. In other words, this is the amount of time it takes the game to fire your weapon after you click your mouse or tap on the screen.

Ping is measured in milliseconds (ms), and you want to always try and connect to a server that offers you the lowest ping possible. The lower your ping, the faster your in-game actions are received by the server, resulting in smoother and more accurate gameplay. If you’ve ever been in a multiplayer game and seen someone jerking when they move or seeming to teleport back and forward, that’s someone with a very high ping suffering from what’s commonly known as lag.

Speed and performance score: 6/10

Unblocking

Unblocking streaming services in other countries with VyprVPN is a bit of a mixed bag. We had some success in testing, with VyprVPN working with Disney+ in both the UK and the US.

Amazon Prime Video was a bit more hit-and-miss in both the US and the UK. We could stream most content, but not all. We had similar problems the last time we reviewed this provider, and it looks like these issues still persist. We had no luck with Netflix UK/US, too, and BBC iPlayer simply refused to load. All in all, VyprVPN isn't a viable streaming VPN.

VyprVPN fares better as a torrenting VPN. There are no specific servers for streaming or torrenting, so you can use whichever is closest to you. In testing, we were able to access common torrenting sites and download torrent and magnet files without issue. Connection speeds while downloading torrents were fine. Nothing spectacular, but they were quick enough to get the job done.

Unblocking score: 4/10

Privacy and Security

While better than some of the lesser-known VPN providers out there, VyprVPN could do a whole lot better when it comes to the security and privacy of its users. It’s a good thing to see it offering up-to-date VPN protocols, like WireGuard, as well as giving users the ability to choose from a variety of other options to fit their needs.

The WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols are supported across all platforms, and VyprVPN even has its own custom VPN masking protocol called Chameleon that can help bypass aggressive VPN blocking. VyprVPN even has its own private DNS servers you can use to make sure you’re leaving as little of a digital footprint as possible.

Unfortunately, that’s all the VPN offers. There’s no malware or ad blocking, no antivirus, no website filtering, no TOR over VPN, or even multi-hop servers.

VyprVPN does, at least, protect user data with strong encryption capabilities. It supports the industry-standard AES-256 encryption with Perfect Forward Secrecy. This is a technique that ensures that a different encryption key is used every time a connection is made, so even if an attacker did somehow obtain an encryption key, they would only be able to access data in that particular session before the key was rendered useless.

The company has also undergone a third-party audit, which was carried out by Leviathan Security. We always love to see a VPN provider willing to undergo an audit, as it shows the provider is serious about its privacy claims. It is, however, a shame that VyprVPN hasn’t had another audit carried out since this was completed back in 2018. That’s 7 years ago, and a lot has changed in that time.

Privacy and security score: 5/10

Track record

The biggest change with VyprVPN happened back in 2023. The company is now owned by Certida and is incorporated in the USA. Previously, it was based in Switzerland, so this is a loss in terms of user privacy and consumer protection.

The company also didn’t make any real effort to inform its users about this change, with nothing being published on the website to reflect the change of owner or location.

This seems to have gone hand-in-hand with a reduction in the level of service the company offers, with apps and support for NAS devices and routers vanishing from the company website (although the support portal still has manual setup instructions for routers) along with a reduction in the number of simultaneous connections for new users, dropping from 10 to 5, and URL filtering disappearing from the app as well.

All this means that while the price has remained unchanged, you’re paying the same amount for fewer features.

Track record score: 4/10

Customer support

VyprVPN has a dedicated support portal, where a knowledge base provides setup instructions, troubleshooting guidance, and specific advice for various device types, but it’s not the most coherent or up-to-date offering we’ve ever tried to use.

For example, on the front page there’s a link to the 'VyprVPN forum', but when you click on it, you get an 'Error 404: Page Not Found' error message. That dead link has been there since we last reviewed this VPN provider in 2023, suggesting there’s not a lot of active maintenance of the support site going on.

The rest of the support portal is quite well stocked with helpful content, though it would be nice to see the articles go into more depth to help users troubleshoot their problems. Some of the articles are little more than a couple of lines long, with not even a screenshot to help beginner users find their way..

If you can’t find what you need on the portal, there’s an AI support bot that can help out and point you to useful support topics. If you’d rather not use it, then you also have the option to send a message to the support team to ask for help, or to chat live with a support engineer if you need assistance then and there.

Customer support score: 1/10

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)Pricing and plans

VyprVPN offers three straightforward price plans. There are no other tiers, and you don’t get any additional features if you pay more money. Its prices are comparable to other mid-range VPN providers such as Proton or Windscrib,e and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you decide it’s not the right option for you.

• 2 years - $72
• 1 year - $60
• 1 month - $10

(Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

On the sign-up page, there’s some confusion over what you get for your money, with the main VyprVPN page stating you get 10 simultaneous connections, but the “Choose a plan” page states it’s only 5. On reaching out to support for clarity, we were informed that users who have signed up previously get 10 connections while new users get only 5.

This is not clearly stated anywhere on the main VyprVPN page, and even checking the support portal leads you to an article that tells you to contact the support team to verify how many connections are included in your subscription. This information should be front and center and clearly stated. It shouldn’t be something we have to dig to try and find.

Pricing and plans score: 5/10

Should you use VyprVPN?

As a VPN provider, VyprVPN’s overall offering is fine. It’s solidly average, and that’s both a strength and a weakness. If you need a VPN that won’t break the bank and has decent abilities for torrenting and unblocks the streaming sites you use, as well as offering adequate download speeds, then VyprVPN has you covered.

The problem is that so do dozens of other providers, some of which cost less and offer better features.

VyprVPN doesn’t do enough to make itself stand out in a market crowded with providers all eager for your money, and lets itself down in a number of ways. The features it offers seem to have diminished over the years rather than evolving; it’s unclear about the things it supports, and it doesn't make enough of an effort to keep its website up to date with accurate information about its product offering.

To sum up, VyprVPN isn’t a bad VPN, but it’s not a particularly good one either.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Astrill VPN sets itself apart from the big names in our best VPN rankings by offering specialized features that bypass internet restrictions. However, it's not cheap, and prices start at an eye-watering $30 per month.

There's a reason for the hefty price tag, though. Astrill VPN targets a niche market of folks who need advanced obfuscation technology rather than more casual users.

Astrill VPN's proprietary protocols are designed to bypass network restrictions, making it one of only a handful of reliable China VPNs. However, its dated interface, limited global server coverage, and high price point make it a tough sell if you’re looking for basic protection or streaming capabilities.

Features

Astrill VPN distinguishes itself with a specialized feature set designed primarily for unblocking websites in particularly restrictive internet environments. Beyond standard AES-256 encryption and DNS leak protection, Astrill offers two proprietary VPN protocols: OpenWeb, which disguises VPN traffic as regular web browsing, and StealthVPN, an advanced obfuscation protocol engineered to bypass sophisticated censorship systems through deep packet inspection avoidance.

We found that both are significantly faster than the industry darling, OpenVPN, but they cover your browsing traffic first. This means that you'll have to fiddle around with settings if you want OpenWeb to cover all of your internet connection and not just your browser.

Astrill VPN's premium tier offers a VIP package with multi-hop connections and priority servers (limited to 100 GB monthly per server), as well as optional dedicated IP addresses for more reliable access to services that block shared VPN IPs.

Both features require additional payment beyond the standard subscription. Business plans that include centralized management capabilities for organizations with 10+ users are also available.

The client includes customizable split tunneling for routing specific apps or websites through or around the VPN, and an "App Guard" kill switch on desktop platforms that can selectively block the internet connection for specific applications when disconnected. Unfortunately, this feature is absent from the iOS and Android apps.

Astrill’s "VPN Sharing" feature allows your primary VPN device to function as a VPN hub for other connected devices, essentially acting as a proxy for devices that can’t load a full VPN client onto them. Pretty handy if you’ve got IoT devices you’d like to keep protected. There’s also support for ASUS Merlin and DD-WRT routers with a control applet that simplifies VPN management.

Despite these strengths, Astrill VPN lacks increasingly common features like Smart DNS for streaming devices. There is an ad-blocker available with the OpenWeb protocol, although this seems to be an instance of AdBlock Plus baked into the app. We found that the biggest issue with Astrill VPN is that the service limits you to just 5 simultaneous connections (with only one router connection permitted), which feels particularly limited compared to competitors offering 8-10 devices (or Surfshark’s unlimited connections).

Features score: 4/10

Server network

Astrill VPN's server network is somewhat modest compared to the likes of NordVPN. The service offers strong coverage across the United States, with servers spanning both East and West coasts as well as several states in between. There’s also decent representation in Western Europe, including multiple locations in the UK, France, and Germany.

However, Astrill VPN’s coverage of Africa, Asia, and South America leaves plenty to be desired.

One unusual aspect is that Astrill VPN is among the few VPNs still offering servers in Russia. That’s a double-edged sword given the potential security risks that have led many providers to withdraw from the country. Considering that these are physical servers, not virtual ones, you may wish to think twice before connecting.

The real issue we had with the servers while testing out Astrill is that server labeling is inconsistently applied, with some locations clearly marked by city while others are just labeled with numbers. Frankly, it’s a confusing experience when you’re trying to place your pin on the map.

Server network score: 6/10

Apps

Astrill VPN provides clients for all major platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

The Windows, macOS, and Linux clients feature a minimalist, black-and-white interface that feels decidedly dated with a design reminiscent of the early 2000s. The desktop app is surprisingly compact, occupying just a small corner of the screen and remaining tethered to the taskbar by default. While this space efficiency might appeal to some users, it can feel cramped and limited compared to modern VPN interfaces.

The Windows client provides the most comprehensive feature set, including the unique "App Guard" kill switch that allows users to specify which applications should lose internet access when the VPN disconnects. While this is useful for isolating specific applications like torrent clients, it’s less intuitive than the system-wide kill switches offered by other VPN providers.

The mobile VPN experince is somewhat more modern, particularly on Android where the app features a dark blue interface that feels more contemporary than its desktop counterpart. The core functionality remains similar with a large connect button, protocol selection, and server menu.

That’s where the positives end, however, as both the iOS and Android apps feel like a cut down version of the full Astrill app. Notably, the iOS app lacks WireGuard support, offering only TCP and UDP connection options for OpenVPN. While both mobile apps provide options to keep the VPN connected when the screen is off and auto-reconnect if the connection drops, they lack the proper kill switch feature that's available on desktop platforms.

Apps score: 5/10

Ease of use

Despite its dated appearance, Astrill VPN provides a relatively straightforward user experience. The installation process is simple, and the main dashboard, while not visually impressive, places essential functions front and center making it difficult to miss the primary connect button.

The client also has a built-in speed test tool that allows you to check ping times and connection speeds to nearby servers before connecting, which is a useful feature for optimizing performance. However, our testing revealed discrepancies between Astrill VPN's internal speed measurements and actual performance when connected.

Advanced configuration options are accessible through dedicated menus, including privacy settings for DNS leak protection and WebRTC leak fixes. The organization is logical, if not particularly elegant, making it functional but lacking the polish of VPN providers like ExpressVPN.

Ease of use score: 7/10

Speed and performance

Astrill VPN delivers adequate, if not exceptional, performance for everyday browsing and streaming. In our testing, we recorded speeds of around 56 Mbps while connected to Astrill's UK VPN server over OpenWeb, compared to 70 Mbps on our test connection without a VPN.

That’s a 20% speed reduction. With WireGuard, this rose to 60Mbps, whereas our OpenVPN speeds were only 45Mbps.

The service's built-in speed test tool suggested performance comparable to our base connection speeds, but our real-world testing with independent tools showed this to be somewhat optimistic. Nevertheless, the speeds we achieved are more than sufficient for 4K streaming on services like Netflix, which requires only about 25 Mbps.

How we perform speed tests

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We test from two different virtual PCs, one in the UK and one in the US. We’re expecting big things out of NordVPN, as both of these servers have a 1 Gbs connection. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

Connection times are almost instantaneous through OpenWeb and StealthVPN, though we found they were unusually long through OpenVPN. You also can’t change your location without disconnecting from OpenVPN first, which made testing servers for our streaming setup a tedious process.

The VIP package promises enhanced speeds through priority servers and we found this was the case, boosting our download speed to 68Mbps. However, given the additional cost on top of an already premium price, the standard servers should be adequate for your needs unless you’re specifically looking for one of today's fastest VPNs.

Speed and performance score: 5/10

Unblocking

Astrill VPN has mixed streaming capabilities based on our recent testing. The service successfully allowed us to access US Netflix, but our experiences with regional Netflix content was a mixed bag. Unfortunately, we couldn’t watch content in Canada, UK, Japan, or Australia, so it's not exactly the best Netflix VPN on the market.

The VPN's performance with other streaming platforms is inconsistent. Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+ worked on the American servers we used, although we had to go through multiple server locations before finding one that works. We also found that BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video simply wouldn’t work no matter what we did.

When Astrill VPN does successfully connect to streaming services, the video quality is generally good. We were able to stream in HD and 4K without significant buffering. However, we did find that loading times when using the base tier of Astrill VPN could occasionally be a little longer than we’d like.

For torrenting, Astrill supports P2P on many of its servers (marked with a star in the server list) and delivers reasonable speeds. The port forwarding feature available with StealthVPN enhances torrent connectivity, though the lack of a kill switch on mobile platforms is a significant drawback if you’re looking for the gold standard of torrenting VPNs.

Unblocking score: 3/10

Privacy and Security

On the technical side, Astrill VPN offers strong encryption through AES-256 standards and supports multiple protocols including OpenVPN, WireGuard, and proprietary offerings: OpenWeb and StealthVPN.

The latter two are specifically engineered to bypass sophisticated censorship systems in restrictive regions like China. The desktop applications feature comprehensive leak protection, with our testing confirming no DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks when using the WireGuard protocol. Astrill VPN also provides built-in leak testing to check whether you’re exposed, but we’ve used third party tools to verify the results.

Astrill VPN makes strong claims about its privacy practices. Based in the privacy-friendly Lichtenstein (outside the Five Eyes surveillance alliance), Astrill should be well-positioned to protect user data.

As far as data retention goes, Astrill VPN states clearly in its privacy policy that it does not collect or store users' internet traffic, immediately deleting it from servers and removing IP addresses from connection logs as soon as sessions end. It claims to use RAM-only servers, which should completely wipe all networking data as soon as they’re unplugged. Therefore, if Astrill VPN’s servers are seized it’s unlikely law enforcement would be able to find any useful information about the provider's users.

However, we’ve found several concerning statements in the privacy policy. The service keeps records of users' last 20 connections, including connection time, duration, country, device type, and application version. While Astrill VPN claims this data is kept strictly for support purposes and is deleted after 30 days (or upon request), this is a level of logging that we’re not completely comfortable with.

Perhaps more worrying is that Astrill VPN's privacy policy hasn't been updated since May 2018. That’s an exceptionally long period without revision in the VPN world. Additionally, Astrill VPN has not commissioned any third-party audits to verify its privacy claims, making it difficult to independently confirm its practices.

Privacy and Security score: 3/10

Track record

Astrill VPN has been operating since 2009, making it one of the oldest active VPN providers in the industry today. It has traditionally positioned itself as a specialized VPN provider with a focus on bypassing censorship. In particular, Astrill VPN has built a reputation for consistently working in heavily restricted regions like China, where many VPN providers struggle to maintain reliable access.

However, Astrill VPN has not been as proactive as its competitors in demonstrating any security claims through independent audits or transparency reports. We’re also unimpressed with their current privacy policy, which has been gathering cobwebs since 2018.

At the very least, we can say that Astrill VPN has maintained a relatively low profile for the last few years. It hasn’t suffered from any major security incidents that we’re aware of, although without an independent security audit it’s difficult to say how secure its server architecture really is.

While Astrill VPN has made some notable contributions to the VPN industry with not one but two different proprietary obfuscation protocols, we get the sense that the service is a little outdated and hasn’t quite kept up with the modern feature set you’d get from a top-tier VPN.

Track record score: 4/10

Customer support

One thing we can’t fault Astrill VPN for is the level of customer support on offer. Astrill VPN claims that it provides 24/7 live support. This matches up with our experience, as we found that all of our interactions with Astrill VPN’s support were resolved very quickly by knowledgeable support agents.

Beyond live assistance, Astrill VPN maintains an extensive knowledge base in wiki format that goes well beyond basic setup instructions. The documentation covers everything from standard installation guides to advanced topics like DNS cache flushing, third-party client setup, router configuration, and even tutorials on BitTorrent and remote desktop support.

There are also plenty of video tutorials on the site in addition to written documentation. We found they were easy to follow and clearly showed how to activate individual features on Astrill VPN, which might be necessary given that the UI can be a little intimidating at first glance. Overall, top marks for customer support, arguably on par with some of the top-tier VPNs out there.

Customer support score: 10/10

Pricing and plans

Astrill VPN's pricing structure is significantly steeper than industry standards, starting at $30 per month for a monthly subscription. Even ExpressVPN, which is one of the most expensive options that regularly features on our best VPN lists , starts at only $15 monthly.

Longer subscriptions reduce the monthly cost somewhat: a one-year plan brings the price down to $15 per month ($180 annually), while a two-year commitment costs $12.50 monthly ($300 billed every two years). Even with these discounts, Astrill VPN remains substantially more expensive than competitors offering similar or better features.

The "VIP" add-on package increases costs further, adding $10 per month for just 100 GB of data on priority servers and multi-hop connections. We should point out that many competitors, including Surfshark, offer multi-hop in their standard packages for no additional charge. Astrill VPN does also offer private IPs as an add-on from $5 per month, which is a pretty reasonable price for your own dedicated IP that only you can use.

On the plus side, Astrill VPN does offer a wide range of payment options including major credit and debit cards, PayPal, bank transfers, and Bitcoin and Monero. It’s always good to see cryptocurrency payment options which provide a little bit more privacy when purchasing a VPN subscription, especially given that Monero is considered nigh-untraceable.

Pricing and plans score: 5/10

Should you use Astrill VPN?

After some extensive testing, we've concluded that Astrill VPN occupies a very specific niche in the VPN market. If you’re consistently encountering VPN blocks from your ISP or at your workplace, Astrill might work where other VPNs don’t thanks to an almost swiss army knife-like set of VPN protocols and options.

Similarly, if you’re working in a heavily censored region of the world like China, Astrill VPN is definitely worth checking out. There are also a few server location options, like Russia, that you won’t find on most VPN server lists, although that’s up to you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not.

Unfortunately, you’re paying a heavy premium to get access to these features. If you’re not interested in obfuscation, there isn’t much else there that justifies Astrill VPN’s $30 a month base price.

The dated VPN interface doesn’t exactly help matters either, and you might find yourself hitting against the upper limit of Astrill VPN’s simultaneous device connections pretty quickly. We’ve found that providers like ExpressVPN or NordVPN offer more polished experiences with broader server coverage at significantly lower price points.

Overall score: 52/100

Astrill VPN alternatives

1. NordVPN – from $3.39 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs you’ll find on the market. The massive network of 7,200+ servers across 118 countries ensures you'll always find a fast connection nearby, too. It’s perfect for preserving your internet privacy, as an independently audited no-logs policy and Panama jurisdiction means your data is kept truly private. Subscriptions start at $3.39/month (2-year plan), backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $1.99 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections on a single subscription, making it perfect for households with multiple devices. Nexus technology adds multi-hop capabilities through all 100+ locations on Surfshark’s server infrastructure, as well as a rotating IP feature that keeps internet services from being able to track you. Surfshark delivers premium features at a budget-friendly $1.99 per month on its 2-year plan. Every subscription includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. ExpressVPN – from $4.99 per month
The best VPN for beginners and the most secure
When speed and reliability matter most, ExpressVPN delivers. ExpressVPN uses the proprietary Lightway protocol to offer lightning-fast connections perfect for streaming and gaming across 105 countries. User-friendly apps make protection simple on everything from smartphones to routers. While pricier at $4.99/month on a two-year plan, what you get is a premium service with 24/7 live chat support, as well as a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee just in case you’re not happy with the service.View Deal

CyberGhost has been on the VPN scene since 2011 and, as you'd expect from a veteran, has built a solid service with a reliable roster of core VPN tools. Despite this, however, you won't find CyberGhost listed in our shortlist of the best VPNs overall – despite its impressive speed testing results and unblocking performance.

So, where does it fall short? Throughout our testing, we found that CyberGhost just isn't as proactive as the big dogs. There's a lack of new, innovative features, and its ad-blocking tool has plenty of room for improvement. Keep reading, and we'll dig into the good, the bad, and the ugly to see where CyberGhost stands amongst today's competition.

Features

CyberGhost won't be taking home any awards for new and novel VPN features, but the tools it does offer are all solid and secure.

Kicking off with the basics, we were glad to see that CyberGhost has its very own kill switch, which will cut the existing internet connection if the VPN drops out. This prevents IP leaks – and the kill switch works well in tandem with the DNS leak protection as a safety net, running in the background to catch mishaps before they happen. Unfortunately, unlike NordVPN’s, this kill switch is not configurable, which may disappoint power users looking to tailor their VPN experience.

We think that the Wi-Fi protection feature pairs up nicely with this set, too. It's a simple on/off toggle to activate and, once enabled, it'll let you know about changes to the internet connection and warn you if you're not currently connected to a VPN server.

You can tell the VPN what to do depending on the security status of the new network you connect to, too. For instance, prompting CyberGhost to ask before connecting to a server if the network is secure, or always joining a server if it's unsecure. This is pretty nifty, as it'll ensure that you don't accidentally expose identifiable details when switching from your home network to public Wi-Fi.

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CyberGhost has its very own split tunnelling functionality called Exceptions. Here, you're able to list the sites that don't use the VPN's encrypted tunnel. They'll be routed through your original internet connection instead – and you may want to add your online banking to this list, for example, or streaming services you use to keep up with local sports.

Another VPN staple is the connect-on-launch tool. There's some limited customizability, here, too, as we were able to select the server that the VPN automatically connects to and even nominate an app that'll launch, too. It's a nice time-saver that worked like a charm when we tested it, connecting to a US server and launching the Netflix app in one fell swoop.

The built-in ad, malware, and tracker blocking tool was surprisingly effective when we tried it out in real time. We found that it blocked 83% of ads – which is pretty impressive for a VPN tool, but it's not as powerful as a full-blooded ad-blocking solution. Ultimately, we don't recommend using it in place of one of today's best ad-blockers.

We attempted to access 156 common trackers with the tool, too, and saw that the app blocked 149, which is seriously impressive. These results put CyberGhost on par with Windscribe and Private Internet Access.

CyberGhost's malware blocking results weren't quite as rosy, as it only managed to block 55% of a set of 412 malicious URLs. Still, it's enough to be useful in a day-to-day context.

While it's encouraging to see that CyberGhost has stepped into the ad, malware, and tracker blocking, the VPN has fallen behind in other cybersecurity arenas. ExpressVPN, for example, boasts its own password manager, ExpressVPN Keys; NordVPN has an identity theft protection service; and Surfshark's Alternative ID tool can generate an entirely new online persona for you before you can sneeze, to reduce the risk of becoming embroiled in scams and data breaches.

CyberGhost, by comparison, doesn't bring any features of this calibre to the table. This won't be a deal-breaker for everyone, but when other providers are making such notable strides, it's a shame to see CyberGhost at the back of the field.

Features score: 5/10

Server network

CyberGhost has an impressive network of more than 11,500 VPN servers in 100 countries. This puts it squarely at the top end of the pack when it comes to coverage. NordVPN may only have 7,000 servers in total, but it serves a wider variety of 118 countries. Still, there's not much in it, and CyberGhost certainly isn't lacking global coverage.

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As is the case with most VPNs, the European region takes the lion's share of servers, though CyberGhost does its best to cover Central and South America, Asia, and Africa, too. We were pleasantly surprised to see servers in famously neglected regions, too, including Kenya, Bolivia, and Costa Rica. The fact that CyberGhost boasts server coverage in the high-censorship regions of China and Russia is especially noteworthy.

Finally, we think it's pretty cool that CyberGhost takes server requests. So, if you live somewhere that doesn't have a local CyberGhost server, it's worth asking for one. We can't confirm whether these requests are taken seriously or responded to, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil, right?

Server network score: 9/10

Apps

CyberGhost's apps straddle a fine line between sleek and somewhat threadbare. The VPN is compatible with pretty much every platform out there – Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, smart TV, and consoles included. Unfortunately, the Linux edition of the CyberGhost app is command-line only, and there's no indication of whether a GUI upgrade is in the cards. If that's a deal-breaker, you'll want to invest in Surfshark or PIA’s Linux VPN, instead.

As is the case with most of today's top VPNs, CyberGhost has its own browser extensions. Folks using the Chrome and Firefox browsers can add the tools in a few clicks, though it's worth remembering that the extensions only encrypt browser traffic and not the traffic of other apps you might be using on your device. Sadly, there's no extension for Microsoft Edge.

CyberGhost's apps have a distinct visual flair. We think that the black and gold looks awesome, and the Windows edition of the app looks like it could even be native to the platform. There's an emphasis on readability and open space that we find refreshing, and the screen isn't jammed with statistics, social media links, or flags. There's room to breathe, making CyberGhost a pretty solid VPN for beginners.

The desktop offering is intuitive and easy to navigate. Basic tools and settings are clearly labelled, and there are only three extra features to take note of – the ad blocker, DNS leak protection, and kill switch.

The mobile VPN apps look even better in our opinion, especially when using them in the portrait orientation. They're just as easy to navigate as their desktop counterparts, too, with simple tabs to tap on, though they are somewhat on the small side.

Unfortunately, the iOS and Android apps are light on features, especially compared to NordVPN and PIA's feature-rich and customizable offerings.

We were particularly irked by CyberGhost's device limit. Unlike ExpressVPN, CyberGhost doesn't issue a certain number of simultaneous connections, and instead limits the number of devices, total, that you can install the service on. Users have 7 device slots, and installing the VPN on a device consumes a slot. If you reach the 7-device limit, you'll need to unlink a device before you can install it on another, which is an extra bit of legwork that the majority of the competition just don't make you do.

Apps score: 6/10

Ease of use

CyberGhost's apps might not be full to bursting with a cavalcade of tools, but they're nice and easy to use. For some folks, this will be more important, and we had no trouble getting the VPN set up on our Windows 11 test machine and iPhone 13 mobile.

We found that it was easier to create a CyberGhost account and select a plan as the first step in the process, then download the corresponding app for the device you're using after logging in to the My Account page on the CyberGhost site.

Initially, the Windows installer failed to initialize, though it worked like a charm upon the second attempt. The installation process itself was quick and painless after accepting the usual terms and conditions.

Once we'd logged into the app, which is compact and stylish, we were greeted by a big one-click connect button, which is exactly what we like to see. A lot of VPN users won't need to explore any further than this homepage, as hitting the button will pair you with a speedy local server, allowing you to go about your day-to-day browsing with increased peace of mind.

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On the other hand, we found that it was easy to dictate which server CyberGhost connects to when clicking the connect button, and the full server list expands into a larger window with a single click. From here, we were able to favorite locations and check out the full roster of specialized streaming, torrenting, and gaming servers.

Our sole quibble with the CyberGhost Windows UI is that the settings are split into three discreet menus, each with a different icon in a different part of the app. We believe that it'd be better to merge these options into a single tab, reducing the amount of clicking around required to find specific tools and configurations.

We're happy to report that CyberGhost is a straightforward and sleek iOS VPN, too. Downloading the app from the App Store is a breeze, and we were prompted to log in, as usual, before seeing the home page and quick connect button.

The iOS and Android apps have access to dedicated IPs, protocols, and a mobile-exclusive connection checker. This is a nifty little extra that ensures that your network connection is stable and configured correctly, and it was responsive when we put it to the test - which is something to keep in mind if you run into issues and need a place to begin your troubleshooting.

Ease of use score: 8/10

Speed and performance

CyberGhost blew us away during our most recent round of speed testing, achieving a blistering 950+ Mbps when using the WireGuard protocol.

This effectively maxed out our 1 Gbs connection, and means CyberGhost is one of the fastest VPNs in the business, on par with the likes of Surfshark. We were also pleased to see that speeds didn't waver massively depending on the server we connected to – regardless of whether the location was near or far in relation to our UK home base, CyberGhost's performance remained stable and steady.

How we perform speed tests

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We test from two different virtual PCs, one in the UK and one in the US. We’re expecting big things out of NordVPN, as both of these servers have a 1 Gbs connection. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

Its OpenVPN performance wasn't quite as red hot, coming in at 460 Mbps, but this is par for the course. OpenVPN isn't as lightweight as WireGuard, consisting of more lines of code, and is usually favored by folks who want to prioritize security over speed.

Still, CyberGhost's result breezes past NordVPN's OpenVPN 173 Mbps performance, which is something to keep in mind if you know you'll be relying on the protocol most of the time.

As a final cherry on top, we found that CyberGhost's connection times are brisk, clocking in at about one second. That's a great result – who wants to spend time tapping their fingers and waiting for a VPN to connect, after all?

Speed and performance score: 10/10

Unblocking

We put VPNs through the wringer when it comes to unblocking streaming services, and part of that testing involves determining whether the VPN in question can access various Netflix libraries in the US, UK, Japan, Canada, and Australia, Disney+, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, 10Play, 9Now, and Channel 4. It's a tall order – but CyberGhost achieved a perfect score.

We didn't encounter a single obstacle when investigating these streaming platforms. Netflix loaded instantly, every time, and we were able to catch up on multiple WWE replays without a single buffering hiccup or drop out. This kind of reliability is seriously impressive, and makes CyberGhost a solid VPN for Netflix.

As we mentioned earlier, CyberGhost is a certified speed demon, too, and the content we access loaded in crisp HD, every time. After all, Netflix itself says that 4K streaming only requires a 25 Mbps connection – and CyberGhost brings 950+ Mbps to the table.

We're also glad to see that CyberGhost has its own Smart DNS service. This allows folks with consoles and smart TVs to enjoy the VPN's unblocking power, too, though it's worth noting that the Smart DNS tool won't encrypt your traffic like a full-blooded VPN.

CyberGhost is a decent torrenting VPN, but not at the top of our recommendations. The provider doesn't make a big song and dance about it, but it does offer P2P-optimized servers, listed under the "For downloading" tab in the server menu. These servers span 80 countries, which is plenty to choose from, and should help you find a nearby connection point to help maximize performance. Unfortunately, unlike PIA, CyberGhost doesn't come with port forwarding, which reduces the number of seeders you can connect with.

Unblocking score: 10/10

Privacy and Security

CyberGhost users have three VPN protocols to choose from – OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2.

As we touched on earlier, OpenVPN is your go-to if you value security over speed, whereas the speedy WireGuard protocol is a favorite of gamers and avid streamers. IKEv2, on the other hand, is ideal for mobile users, as it can handle changes in network connections without disrupting the VPN connection. Of course, if you can't make up your mind, you can always let CyberGhost choose a protocol on your behalf.

In addition to DNS and IP leak protection, which help keep your identifiable details out of the hands of third-party snoopers, CyberGhost lets you choose a random port. This makes it easier to use the VPN in airports and hotels, for example, as they usually restrict traffic to HTTPS.

CyberGhost is headquartered in Romania, which will register as an immediate green flag for privacy purists, as the country has no mandatory data retention laws and isn't a part of the notorious Five Eyes Alliance.

Because Romanian law doesn't force CyberGhost to record or store user data, it means that, if pressed by the authorities to hand that data over, the VPN couldn't, as it wouldn't have any data to fork over in the first place.

CyberGhost doubles down on its commitment to user privacy with a solid no-logs policy that ensures that no records are stored that could link users to their network activity. We investigated the policy and found that it was refreshingly easy to follow. It's not stuffed with techno-babble, and it takes the time to explain each term in plain, parsable language. Sure, it's on the lengthy side, but we'd take a long, simple policy over a short and impossibly dense one.

The provider even invited cybersecurity firm Deloitte to comb through this no-logs policy back in January 2024. Deloitte gave CyberGhost a big thumbs up, confirming that the VPN doesn't have an appetite for identifiable details and logs. Ideally, CyberGhost will repeat the audit at some point this year, and make the report accessible to everyone.

Privacy and security score: 7/10

Track record

In addition to the 2024 Deloitte audit, CyberGhost claims to be the very first VPN to publish a quarterly transparency report way back in 2011. These reports are published in the spirit of transparency and detail how many DMCA complaints the VPN has received, as well as the number of police requests for user information.

The reports can be difficult to find, but CyberGhost does an excellent job of cutting through the statistics for the layperson, highlighting figures that have risen or fallen in the period between reports.

CyberGhost's owner, formerly known as Crossrider, has raised concerns over the years. The company acquired CyberGhost in 2011 and was previously associated with malware distribution – essentially the antithesis of a VPN service.

Crossrider rebranded as Kape Technologies in 2017 and has since brought PIA and ExpressVPN into the fold. This murky past has deterred more than a handful of users but, since then, Kape Technologies has taken steps to promote transparency and trust with its continued transparency reports and independent audits.

Finally, on a brighter note, we love to see that CyberGhost launched a bug bounty program in 2022. Any expert who sniffs out a vulnerability in the service can earn up to $1,250 for their trouble.

Track record score: 7/10

Customer support

Right off the bat, we were glad to see that CyberGhost offers 24/7 live chat support. This means that, if you do encounter a hiccup here and there, you won't have to wait until business hours to begin troubleshooting the issue with in-house experts. Alternatively, there's the option to raise an email ticket via the support page.

You'll need to choose the right keywords to find what you're looking for in CyberGhost's knowledgebase (Image credit: CyberGhost)

If you prefer doing your own problem-solving, you'll be glad to see that CyberGhost has a well-stocked library of guides, tutorials, and articles. The setup guides are some of the best we've come across. They're illustrated with up-to-date screenshots, have simple and easy-to-follow steps, and cover most platforms – though Surfshark's guides are slightly more detail-rich, and are supplemented with handy YouTube tutorials.

Customer support score: 7/10

Pricing and plans

CyberGhost is a budget-friendly provider and, in fact, with prices on par with Surfshark, one of the best cheap VPNs on the block. Of course, you'll bag the biggest bargain by picking up a multi-year plan and paying upfront.

A 2-year CyberGhost subscription comes in at $2.19 – identical to Surfshark – and includes an extra 2 months of coverage for free. You'll be billed $56.94 for 2 years, then yearly from then on out.

NordVPN pricing

- 1-month plan: $12.99/month

- 6-month plans: $6.99/month

- 24-month plans: $2.19/month

If you're looking for a shorter-term commitment, you can opt for the 6-month plan at $6.99 ($12.99 upfront), or a one-month plan at $12.99. All CyberGhost subscriptions are covered by an especially generous 45-day money-back guarantee, giving you over a month to put the provider through its paces to see whether it's the right service for you.

You can pay for your CyberGhost plan using PayPal, Bitcoin or credit card, and more (Image credit: CyberGhost)

Oh, and if you fancy adding a dedicated IP to your plan, it's a simple add-on of $2.50.

We're impressed by the number of trials CyberGhost serves up, too. In fact, it has some of our favorite VPN free trials. Windows users can enjoy a 24-hour trial, Android users get a 3-day free trial, and iOS loyalists win big with a 7-day free trial. Better yet, none of these trials demand that you hand over any financial details.

Pricing and plans score: 9/10

Should you use NordVPN?

There are plenty of good things about CyberGhost. It's wickedly fast, unblocks every streaming platform you can think of, and is one of the cheapest providers in today's market. So, if you're an avid streamer, or spend a log of time plugged into online games, CyberGhost could be your holy grail – if you don't mind dealing with the pesky 7 device limit.

However, if you're looking for a VPN that's on the cutting edge of cybersecurity ingenuity, then CyberGhost won't cut it. Its basics are in order, but its functionality doesn't extend far beyond basic, and it doesn't seem like that's going to change any time soon.

NordVPN and Proton VPN, on the other hand, continue to innovate and release new tools and features, and may be better alternatives for true advocates of internet privacy.

Overall score 78/100

CyberGhost alternatives

1. NordVPN – from $3.39 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN is, frankly, the total VPN package. It's stacked with privacy-boosting features that reach beyond the bread-and-butter basics, and its Threat Protection suite effectively shooes away ads, trackers, and malware. NordVPN knows how to have fun, too, with a reliably quick performance and flawless access across all streaming platforms. It's hard to pinpoint an area where NordVPN falls flat – though CyberGhost's apps are arguably easier to navigate. Want to see for yourself? Make good use of the 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $2.19 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark goes toe-to-toe with CyberGhost when it comes to rock-bottom prices, but stuffs a ton of tools into the offering that CyberGhost can't match. The Alternative ID feature spins up an entirely new persona you can use in place of your real details, and subscribers get unlimited simultaneous connections they can use to protect all of their gadgets – or share the love with family and friends. Check out Surfshark's blistering speeds and minimalist apps with a handy 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

3. ExpressVPN – from $4.99 per month
The best VPN for beginners and the most secure
ExpressVPN is our go-to recommendation for VPN newbies, and boasts a foolproof installation and setup process. This intuitive experience extends through its apps, too, regardless of which platform you're using. While CyberGhost has ExpressVPN beat in terms of speed and price, ExpressVPN's offering is polished and places emphasis on security, with rock-solid encryption. Take the service for a risk-free test drive with a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

Windscribe's free plan is one of the most popular options on the market – and it currently sits in the #3 spot in our best free VPN rankings. With plenty of monthly data, a decent spread of servers, and a long list of security tools, it's easy to see why.

However, Windscribe Free falls short when compared to premium alternatives, including the paid Windscribe plan. If you want a free VPN that'll add an extra layer of security to your browsing sessions, well, it'll do the job nicely, and even toss in an ad and malware blocker for free.

If you want a robust VPN with sleek apps and access to servers around the globe, you might be disappointed. Keep reading, and we'll dig into Windscribe Free's offering in more detail.

Features

Windscribe Free gives users 10 GB of data per month to use as they see fit. This is fairly generous and should be enough to get you through four weeks, but it will run out quickly if you use Windscribe Free for streaming or online gaming. However, there is the option to post on X for an extra 5 GB a month or upgrade to unlimited data for $3 a month.

If you’d rather not shout Windscribe Free’s praises from the rooftops or provide an email during signup, you’ll still receive 2 GB of data a month. It’s a great option for the more privacy-conscious who find themselves in need of a reliable free service.

We were also glad to see that Windscribe Free offers unlimited simultaneous connections. That means you can share your login details with friends and family without worrying about how many people are using the VPN at any one time. The same goes for Windscribe’s paid plans, too, if you choose to upgrade.

Windscribe Free Windows app (Image credit: Windscribe )

Windscribe Free does a good job of ticking off all the core VPN features you'd expect to see. The kill switch, called Firewall, is front and centre on the Windows, Android, and Linux apps, and we found it incredibly easy to toggle on (or off).

The firewall is set to "Automatic" mode by default. This activates the firewall whenever you connect to a Windscribe Free server, ensuring that you remain protected if the VPN connection drops out, but it deactivates when you manually disconnect from the server.

For folks who want maximum protection, it's possible to toggle the firewall to "Always On". This blocks the internet unless you're connected to the VPN. We didn't find this to be hugely convenient, but it did guarantee that we couldn't use the internet without first being protected by Windscribe.

The same goes for Windscribe Free’s auto-connect feature, which we were able to customize, alongside the split tunneling functionality. The latter is a nice addition that’s often neglected by other free providers.

Windscribe Free's version of split tunneling is far more configurable than a lot of the competition, though it currently isn't available on iOS. There are two modes to choose from: "Exclusive" allows users to build lists of apps that won't route traffic through the VPN tunnel, which is how most split tunneling tools work.

"Inclusive" works slightly differently, and lets you build a list where only the apps on it will have their traffic routed through the tunnel. It's a real time-saver if you only intend to use Windscribe Free for a few specific purposes (like unblocking streaming platforms) and aren't hugely concerned about your privacy.

The star of the show is Windscribe Free’s ad and malware blocker, R.O.B.E.R.T. There are no hidden fees here as it’s included in the app and works quietly in the background to clean up your browsing sessions. During testing on our Windows 11 Chromebook machine and iPhone 13, we found that it was effective at steering us away from malicious domains and removing invasive ads.

During our review process, we assembled a list of 50 brand-new malware-hosting links and pitted Windscribe Free against them. The provider successfully blocked 46% of these threats - a decent result that beats some dedicated antivirus tools. VIPRE Antivirus Plus, for example, only blocked 34%, but Bitdefender managed to stop 80%. Still, this underscores the fact that you shouldn't rely on Windscribe Free as your sole security tool.

We were intrigued by Windscribe Free's claim that none of its tools are hidden behind a paywall. That's not the norm, after all, and we just had to put the boast to the test. Windscribe Free says that its premium and free users have access to the exact same roster of tools and, well, we found that this is mostly true.

For a start, free users miss out on port forwarding, which is readily available to paid users. You'll also need to pony up for a subscription to take advantage of Windscribe's full server network spanning 69 countries - and not the meagre 10 that free users have access to. Similarly, some advanced aspects of R.O.B.E.R.T are only available to paid users.

Features score: 7/10

Server network

Free VPNs don’t offer as many servers in as many places as premium VPNs – and Windscribe Free is no exception.

All of Windscribe Free's servers run entirely on RAM. This ensures that no files are left to linger in its storage for too long. Better yet, Windscribe Free had its server setup audited in 2024 to confirm that user privacy is adequately protected.

There are currently 10 countries to choose from: the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Switzerland, and Hong Kong.

This puts Windscribe Free on par with our top-rated free VPN, PrivadoVPN Free. The server distribution is heavily weighted towards Europe, which may be an issue for folks in Asia, Africa, or South America looking for a nearby VPN server to connect to in order to maximize their performance.

Windscribe Free's server location list (on Windows 11) (Image credit: Windscribe )

We think that including a free server in Hong Kong is a pleasant surprise, as very few VPNs typically offer servers in or around China, even if they charge a subscription fee. It’s also nice to see that Windscribe Free lets users actually choose which server location to join, unlike Proton VPN Free.

During testing, we found that Windscribe’s Free servers didn’t suffer from any discernible congestion, as the VPN doesn’t shunt free users into specifically designated free servers (which could cause slowdown).

Plus, Windscribe Free makes it perfectly clear which servers are restricted to paid users in the app, marking them with a star icon.

Server network score: 4/10

Apps

Windscribe Free is available for all of today’s most popular platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, and even Linux. In fact, we found Windscribe Free's Linux GUI to be one of the best on the market. It looks and feels just like the other desktop apps.

Additionally, Windscribe Free is compatible with Fire TV and Apple TV, and has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. Windscribe Free doesn't support routers, however, and you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to download the necessary configuration files.

During our day-to-day use, we found Windscribe Free’s apps to be basic and serviceable. The core features, like the on/off switch and server list, are easy enough to navigate, but the layout proved to be unintuitive – especially compared to the polished offerings from PrivadoVPN and Proton VPN.

We did enjoy that the experience remained similar across all platforms, although there are a handful of key differences to point out. The iOS app, for example, lacks split tunneling, and the Mac app doesn't support split tunneling for apps (meaning you can only exclude specified IP addresses or hostnames).

Finally, Windscribe Free's Android and iOS apps don't have a standard kill switch/firewall, but they do come with an Always-On VPN option, which works in a similar way.

Apps score: 7/10

Ease of use

Windscribe Free’s apps, while easy enough to set up and navigate, were not our favorite to actually use.

We found that the installation process was a piece of cake, however. Simply download the Windscribe Free app from the website, run through the installation wizard, and log in with credentials when prompted.

Windscribe Free opens as a small tile, similar to ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, and clicking on options, like the server list or settings, expands dropdown menus and new tabs to explore.

We found this to be relatively easy to navigate through – the large on/off button makes connecting to a server nice and quick, and it was great to see that Windscribe Free clearly states how much data remains for the month (and gives users the option to upgrade to a paid plan).

Some of the visual elements of Windscribe Free look pretty snazzy. When we chose a location, for example, the background of the app changed to a hi-res flag, and the location list drops down like a physical panel when you click or tap it.

During our testing process,, however, we did notice areas where the UI was not as intuitive as it could (or should) be – on both desktop and mobile.

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Windscribe Free's settings menu displayed on a Windows 11 machine. (Image credit: Windscribe)Image 2 of 3

Windscribe Free's settings menu displayed on a Windows 11 machine. (Image credit: Windscribe)Image 3 of 3

Windscribe Free's available protocols, as displayed on a Windows 11 machine. (Image credit: Windscribe )

For a start, changing VPN protocol isn’t signposted clearly. You need to tap or click the protocol to choose which one you use, and this might seem obvious, but VPN newbies may be unaware that this text is a clickable element at first glance.

Similarly, there’s an odd gap between the “Firewall” text and the actual toggle switch, which had us wondering, at first, if it was something else that wasn’t labeled.

Finally, Windscribe’s settings could be grouped more intuitively. Currently, users have to do a lot of scrolling to check out all of the options and toggles which, on a mobile device, gets tiresome quickly – especially when we were just looking for one setting in particular.

These are small design quibbles, but today’s top VPNs have truly mastered the art of crafting consumer-friendly apps that don’t raise these questions, which puts Windscribe Free on the back foot in terms of ease of use.

Ease of use score: 6/10

Speed and performance

Windscribe Free impressed us during our in-house performance tests. We recorded respectable speeds of 496 Mbps using the WireGuard protocol, marking it as one of the quickest free services available today. As you might expect, however, Windscribe's premium version was faster, clocking in at 785 Mbps.

We found that these speeds correlated to a smooth, seamless browsing experience where we forgot that Windscribe Free was even running in the background. This was the case regardless of whether we were connected to a local UK server or a transatlantic US server. This kind of consistency is fantastic, and even the lowest speeds we recorded, of 466 Mbps, are more than the average user needs for a stress-free browsing session.

One thing to note is that Windscribe Free did take over five seconds to connect to a server when we began our testing process. Subsequent connections only took a fraction of a second, however, which is what we’d expect to see, so we can’t totally knock the service.

Speed and performance score: 6/10

Unblocking

Free VPNs typically struggle when it comes to accessing streaming platforms, as they don’t have the resources necessary to evade VPN bans and blacklisting. Plus, with limited monthly data caps, free services aren’t all that suited to movie marathons or binge-watching.

The good news is that, for us, Windscribe Free accessed Netflix without any hiccups at all. We were able to browse through the UK, US, and Canada libraries without waiting an age for the page to load.

Similarly, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ worked like a charm alongside smaller regional services, including BBC iPlayer, ITV, Channel 4, and YouTube.

The picture quality of these streams was high-quality, too, and we didn’t experience any dropouts or stuttering, which is in large part due to Windscribe Free’s excellent speeds.

However, as mentioned earlier, streaming in HD or 4K gobbles up a lot of data, so you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to really enjoy Windscribe’s streaming capabilities (and its dedicated Windflix servers).

If you're looking for a solid VPN for torrenting, however, Windscribe Free doesn't quite achieve a perfect score. While the service allows P2P traffic across all of its free servers, the port forwarding tool is reserved for paying customers, which means you may run into issues when seeding files.

Unblocking score: 7/10

Privacy and Security

Windscribe supports a variety of VPN protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. WireGuard uses ChaCha20 encryption, and OpenVPN and IKEv2 use AES-256 encryption. The WSTunnel (OpenVPN over web sockets) and Stealth (OpenVPN over SSL) are also included in the mix, and are designed to bypass VPN detection.

We were able to switch between them easily – although the app did fail to connect at first when using the WireGuard protocol. After switching to IKeV2 and back again, however, the issue resolved itself.

This selection of protocols is pretty par for the course, and we found we had the best overall experience with WireGuard, as it’s a fantastic blend of speed and security.

OpenVPN is a better pick for the security-conscious, though you can expect slower overall speeds. IKEv2, as it automatically reconnects, tends to be the option of choice for mobile VPN users.

During testing, we found Windscribe Free’s R.O.B.E.R.T. tool to be especially effective. We didn’t encounter any ads while going about our day-to-day browsing while it was enabled.

It won’t take the place of a dedicated ad-blocker, but it’s a nice additional layer of security that can help save that precious data by preventing ads from loading and eating it up.

R.O.B.E.R.T. is also customizable, though we found that free users can’t tweak it quite as much as its paid counterparts. For example, R.O.B.E.R.T. allows free users to create just 3 custom rules for blacklisting sites and IPs, and customizable blocklists can only contain ads and malware, and not the adult content, cryptocurrency, social media posts, and more that paid users can add to the mix.

Windscribe’s censorship circumvention tool claims to be able to evade VPN blocks in highly restricted territories – though the service is cagey about how it actually works.

We appreciated that Windscribe Free offers other options for privacy purists, like the ability to pay with cryptocurrency. Plus, users have the option of whether to hand over an email address or not during sign-up. This gives users more control over how much identifiable data they hand over to the VPN.

Finally, Windscribe Free is quietly preparing for a post-quantum world by boosting its KEM (Key Encapsulation Mechanism) in TLS and OpenVPN protocols. In Windscribe's own words, this means: "Our encryption covers more than a 14-year-old boy with a bottle of Axe body spray".

Privacy and security score: 7/10

Track record

Windscribe Free abides by a clear no-logs policy that, refreshingly, is easy to read through and digest. It makes it clear that the VPN isn’t interested in collecting or storing identifiable data.

However, it hasn't always been smooth sailing. Back in June 2021, two Windscribe servers were seized by Ukrainian authorities, though the VPN asserts that it has: "[....] no reason to believe that the servers were compromised or that there was any unauthorized access before seizure."

Given that, on the disk of these two servers, there was an OpenVPN server certificate and private key, a bad actor could feasibly impersonate a Windscribe VPN server and capture and decrypt traffic. This is, however, extremely unlikely, and Windscribe Free invited third-party auditors to comb through its infrastructure to confirm its safety.

This is exactly what we like to see, but this audit took a seriously long time. Windscribe intended to complete the audit in 2021, but the full audit wasn't released to the public until the summer of 2024.

It is also worth noting that, according to recent release notes, there's a "known issue" with the Circumvent Censorship feature – where it does nothing when using the TCP protocol. That could be a major issue for folks living under an oppressive regime who were drawn to this tool, and we'd prefer it if Windscribe Free warned users about the issue when they select TCP and enable Circumvent Censorship. Currently, the only way to figure out that this hiccup even exists is by reading the release notes, and not everyone is going to do that.

Windscribe is headquartered in Canada, a country that’s part of the infamous Five Eyes Alliance, an intelligence-sharing network. Windscribe claims that this “doesn’t matter”, but given the scope of past NSA surveillance, it’s something that users should decide for themselves.

Track record score: 6/10

Windscribe explains that there's no long-term logging, save for what's necessary to work out data usage (Image credit: Windscribe)Customer support

Windscribe Free offers all of the most common avenues of customer support you’d expect from a VPN: live chat, email ticketing, FAQs, and a knowledge base.

During testing, our first port of call was Garry, Windscribe’s AI chatbot. It was able to point us in the direction of well-written articles related to our problem. When it comes to responses from the support team beyond Garry, however, Windscribe warns that it ‘aims’ to reply to your initial ticket within "24 hours", and that "Free users might wait a little longer than Paid users."

Windscribe has also built a chatty userbase in its years of operation, and users have the option of joining the conversation on Reddit and Discord if they want to do some community troubleshooting.

Customer support score: 6/10

Pricing and plans

Windscribe Free doesn't cost a penny, though users have the option to upgrade at any time.

A monthly subscription costs $9.00, which makes the yearly plan a better budget-saving option at $5.75 a month. Windscribe also lets users create their own plan, if they're so inclined, charging $1.00 a month per location.

These prices are pretty steep. Even ExpressVPN, the most expensive VPN in our top rankings, comes in at $4.99 per month (for a 2-year plan). Ultimately, if you're after a feature-rich VPN service that can handle ads, trackers, and malware, it's worth checking out NordVPN, instead, which costs just $3.09 per month if you pick up a 2-year plan.

Pricing and plans score: 4/10

Should you use Windscribe Free?

Windscribe Free is a decent free VPN that has your back if you need VPN protection for absolutely no cost. The addition of R.O.B.E.R.T., a wide selection of server locations, and speeds that rival premium providers make it a fairly tempting option – but it’s let down by its apps.

We found Windscribe Free’s interface to be clunky, especially on mobile, which could be a deal-breaker for VPN newbies looking for the best VPN for beginners. In that case, you’d be better off with Proton VPN or PrivadoVPN, both of which offer more user-friendly apps.

However, if your main use case is scrolling through social media, checking emails, and other day-to-day activities, Windscribe Free will serve you well, so long as you're not using it for anything mission-critical.

Overall score 60/100

Windscribe Free alternatives

1. PrivadoVPN – from $1.11 per month
The best free VPN overall
PrivadoVPN is our favorite free VPN. It packs a lot of functionality into its free plan – and, like Windscribe, is able to reliably access streaming platforms. Add sleek apps into the mix, as well as a 10 GB monthly data allowance, and you have a free service that truly ticks every box.View Deal

2. Proton VPN – from $4.49 per month
The best secure free VPN
Proton VPN Free can't quite keep up with PrivadoVPN Free when it comes to streaming, but if privacy is your main concern, you'll want to check out its full roster of tools. It's also worth noting that Proton VPN doesn't impose a monthly data cap on its free users, meaning you won't have to ration out your browsing, and a recent update made its Windows and mobile apps even easier to use. What's not to like?View Deal

3. Surfshark – from $2.19 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
If you're open to a paid commitment, Surfshark is a stellar choice that won't break the bank. In exchange for as little as $2.19 a month, you'll have access to servers dotted all over the globe, a full security suite, and the fastest speeds we've ever recorded in our in-house testing. As a result, Surfshark is one of the very best Netflix VPNs on the market. You can try Surfshark out in your own time, risk-free, with a handy 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

Windscribe Free FAQsWhere is Windscribe based?

Windscribe is headquartered in Canada. From a privacy perspective, this raises concerns due to the country's involvement in the Five Eyes Alliance intelligence sharing network. Windscribe's free and paid plans both adhere to a no-logs policy, however, though we'd like to see the provider invest in a third-party audit of the policy and its apps.

How to get free Windscribe data?

Windscribe Free gives users 10 GB of data per month. However, it's possible to claim an extra 5 GB of monthly data by posting about the service on X.

On paper, Hide.me Free boasts an impressive offering – unlimited data, customizable tools, and a truly free VPN that’s more than just a trial. There are a handful of limitations – par for the course for a free VPN – but Hide.me Free’s strong core features and server array are strong counterpoints.

Ultimately, if you're on the hunt for a free service that has your privacy in mind and will watch your back as you go about your usual browsing, Hide.me Free has the right features and pretty nifty apps.

Features

Hide.me Free, like its premium counterpart, gets the VPN basics right. We were impressed when tried out the number of VPN protocols available and found IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard, SSTP, and SoftEtherVPN. We also liked that we could select a “fallback protocol”, which the VPN used if our first choice failed to connect – which it didn't, incidentally.

However, the availability of these protocols varies depended on the platform we tried, which were Windows, Android and iOS.

Platform

WireGuard

OpenVPN

IKEv2

SSTP

SoftEther

Windows

✅

✅

✅

✅

✅

Mac

❌

✅

✅

❌

❌

Android

✅

✅

✅

✅

❌

iOS

✅

✅

✅

❌

❌

IPv6 support
All of Hide.me Free’s apps boast full IPv6 support, which is a leg up on other free providers that offer a vague checkbox feature claiming to prevent IPv6 leaks – if they address it at all.

Hide.me Free is the only free service on our list that allows users to connect using IPv4, IPv6, or both. If you’re unfamiliar with IPv6, this won’t matter that much, but if you are – and if your ISP allows you to use IPv6 – Hide.me Free will work with it right out of the box with no risk of IPv6 leaks.

Still, this is way more control than we see even from the likes of our best VPN overall, NordVPN.

Auto-connect
Hide.me Free’s auto-connect tool is one of the best we’ve ever tested, too. Available on desktop apps and Android and iOS, we enabled it with a simple toggle we could further customize it to allow us to select different actions when connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi, secured Wi-Fi, or Ethernet networks.

The options for each are: “Connect or Disconnect”, “Ask what to do”, or “Ignore Network”. This is a nice array of options. So, if security is your primary concern, you could configure the auto-connect tool to ask whether you want Hide.me Free to automatically connect whenever you join an unsecure network – like the free Wi-Fi you find in cafes, airports, and hotels – so you don’t accidentally join a dodgy hotspot that lacks encryption or, in the worst case scenario, is a bogus connection monitored by a data-hungry bad actor. This is especially useful for folks who commute to work or have a vacation on the cards.

Each time the app made one of these automated decision, it then added the name of the network and the decision it made to a list. That's better reporting than most VPN apps, which typically expect you to maintain that list yourself or manually add networks to a trusted list as you access them.

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(Image credit: Hideme.Free)

Split tunneling
We were glad to see that Hide.me Free offered split tunneling for Windows, Mac, and Android, though the feature is currently missing from iOS. Like the auto-connect tool, Hide.me Free’s split tunneling is highly customizable, allowing users to pick and choose which apps or sites use the VPN tunnel and which don't.

So, using the split tunneling tool, you could route traffic headed to your streaming app/site of choice through your regular internet connection, and not the encrypted Hide.me Free tunnel.

This will reduce the amount of traffic the VPN has to deal with on its limited data budget and ensure that you can actually enjoy your content without any buffering or lag.

Kill switch
Hide.me Free has a reliable kill switch that we weren't able to trip any time we tampered with the VPN protocol software to cause it to disconnect. It never registered any leak of our real IP. That's a must for any credible free VPN.

The kill switch is available on all platforms, including iOS, unusually. It’s not always easy to find, though – it’s named “Network Protection” in the Android settings, for example.

In addition to a simple on/off toggle, users can also configure a script inside the app that’ll launch whenever the kill switch is triggered (cutting your internet connection) or disabled. You could use this to create an alert warning you that the kill switch was triggered, or forcibly close a process or launch an app.

Why is this useful? Well, imagine that you always leave your VPN on at home, connected to a nearby server. What happens if that connection drops out? Usually, a VPN will display a notification to let you know, but what if you wanted something else to happen?

If your VPN is connected to a local network, you might want to send a notification to other devices connected to it or, to prevent communication across a now unsecured connection, you might want to close some apps and programs. Hide.me Free makes this possible via scripts – a series of commands that give you more control over how the app responds to a kill switch failure.

Other features
Hide.me Free also boasts obfuscation – but we found that it was pretty basic. Still, it might help you establish a secure VPN connection if you live in a privacy-unfriendly country (like China or Russia) where VPNs are routinely sniffed out and blocked. If you’re looking for the most reliable VPN for China, Hide.me Free probably shouldn’t be your first choice, but it may help with less intensive VPN blocking, and we’re glad that the option is there for free users.

The lock setting allows users to lock the VPN app whenever it’s minimized or after a specified number of minutes has passed. It works like a mobile device App Locker: select a PIN and rest assured that, without this PIN, nobody will be able to unlock (and interfere with) your VPN.

It might seem like security overkill, but it ensures that friends, family, and other nosy individuals can’t happen across your device and adjust your VPN settings. You wouldn’t want a sibling to disconnect the VPN while you’re torrenting, right? Network Lock puts a stop to this kind of meddling.

As mentioned earlier, Hide.me Free gives users unlimited data to play with – there are no monthly caps and no hard limits. Admittedly, that’s a huge bonus that means you won’t have to carefully ration out your VPN usage over the month. Hide.me Free does have its hangups, however, that mostly hinge around the differences between its free and premium plans.

Missing features and hangups
Hide.me Free users are limited to a single simultaneous connection. That means only one person, on one device, can use the VPN at any given time. This is pretty much par for the course when it comes to free VPNs, although Windscribe Free is a notable exception to the rule, offering unlimited connections for free and paid users.

Free users won’t find support for port forwarding or SOCKS5 proxy, either. There’s no option for TOR over VPN, and multi-hop is restricted to paid users.

On a more technical note, Hide.me Free also lacks support for downloading OpenVPN or other manual configuration files (like WireGuard keys). This makes it a lot more difficult to use the VPN with a router. Lots of routers work with OpenVPN but, more often than not, they also require a configuration file that tells them exactly how to set up the connection and the IP address of the server they’re trying to access. Without this file, we can’t recommend Hide.me Free as a fully-fledged router VPN.

Features score: 7/10

Server network

We were unable to discern the total number of VPN servers in Hide.me Free’s network but, as free users are restricted to a small subset of locations, this isn’t a huge stumbling block.

Hide.me Free gives users access to servers in 7 countries: Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, USA. It is worth noting that Hide.me claims that free users have 8 locations to choose from but, on our Windows testing machine, we only saw the 7 listed above. Singapore is often listed as a free location, but during our testing, we saw it marked as Premium-only.

We took a closer look at the free locations to determine whether the listing in the app matches the likely real location of the server. We’re happy to say that all 7 locations are accurately listed, although the Finnish servermay be in Estonia.

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(Image credit: Hideme.Free)

As with other VPNs, Hide.me Free allows users to add servers to a favorites list for easy access and set specific servers as the default, so the VPN automatically connects to them when the big “Connect” button is clicked or tapped. It’s a nice time-saving measure we’re glad to see included.

One notable aspect of Hide.me Free’s server array is that 6 of its 7 locations are based in Europe, with the 7th being in the US. Lots of free VPNs have blank spots on the map, so this isn’t entirely surprising, but today, we find that most top-rated free VPNs have at least one server location in Asia.

For example, Windscribe Free has coverage in Hong Kong, and Proton VPN Free has servers in Japan. Extending the range of the server network benefits everyone, giving folks outside of Europe access to nearby servers, improving their overall browsing experience, and offering people elsewhere the opportunity to location-hop and check out a new region of local content.

Servers score: 6/10

Apps

Hide.me Free is available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. This is a decent spread, and it’s nice to see that Hide.me doesn’t neglect its Linux userbase. We were also glad to see that Hide.me Free has its very own Firefox, Chrome, and Edge browser extensions, too.

There are also Hide.me Free apps for Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV. We’d like to laud this selection, but it is, unfortunately, irrelevant, as the free version isn’t quick enough to keep up with HD streaming.

Overall, nothing major is missing from Hide.me Free’s app offering, which is impressive for a free service, as are the three browser extensions.

The only hiccup to note is that the missing access to the OpenVPN files means that it's not going to work as a VPN for your router.

Apps score: 8/10

Ease of use

First things first, we were impressed that Hide.me Free doesn’t require any registration or sign-up to use. We simply downloaded the app from the provider's website and followed along with an installation wizard. In fact, across all platforms, we didn’t run into any trouble when installing Hide.me Free.

The more we dug into Hide.me Free’s usability, however, the more cracks appeared. We installed Hide.me Free on a device that we’d previously used the paid edition on, and it automatically logged in, presumably because it didn’t remove our old credentials when uninstalling.

The dashboard warned us that our plan had expired and that it was time to upgrade, and there was no obvious “use free version” button – or even a hint that a free version existed.

Eventually, we double-clicked a server location in the location list, and a new “Trial Expired” screen appeared. It gave us the option to “Downgrade to a free plan”. When we hit downgrade, we were finally able to use Hide.me Free.

Of course, most users won’t be affected by this issue as they’ll be installing the app on a device that hasn’t used Hide.me before. Still, if you’re one of the unlucky few who has, it’s an unnecessary hassle. Hide.me could make life way easier by offering a “Downgrade” button to everyone with an expired plan rather than forcing them on a digital goose chase.

(Image credit: Hideme.Free)

We also experienced an odd quirk where, once the app had installed and displayed the “Finished” page, the app launched immediately. Most VPNs wait until you’ve closed the page to do this, so the app appeared before we’d even closed the installer. It’s odd, but it didn’t cause any issues.

Once the Hide.me Free Windows app was up and running, we were greeted by a quick tutorial that introduced us to all the most important sections of the app. If you’re an experienced VPN user, this won’t be all that useful, but anyone on the hunt for a good VPN for beginners will appreciate the easy-to-digest signposting.

Overall, we found Hide.me Free’s Windows app to be rather overcomplicated. It looks more like an operating system desktop than a simple app. The dashboard is designed to be customizable – it can contain all kinds of widgets that users can edit and reposition to suit their needs.

(Image credit: Hideme.Free)

One widget displays the currently-selected location and connect button, another holds the map of Hide.me Free’s locations, and a third contains your account information. There are even widgets listing your favorite servers, streaming servers, account information, a “Privacy Search” button that allows you to make searches from within the app, and a long list of links to Hide.me Free’s social media channels.

It’s a great idea in theory, and we always like to see customization, but it’s also almost entirely unnecessary. We didn’t need the dashboard to constantly tell us that we were using the free version, and we didn’t find ourselves needing immediate access to Hide.me’s X account. Plus, there’s already a link to the map view in the left-hand sidebar, rendering the one in the dashboard redundant.

We didn’t see any massive benefit to the dashboard. If anything, it actually makes the app look worse than the competition because the widgets have fixed sizes, meaning there’s a lot of wasted white space. Compare that to the super-compact Windscribe Free VPN UI which takes up no more room on desktop that it does on mobile.

Still, there are plenty of ways to avoid the dashboard. Clicking the “Locations” option in the sidebar takes you to a simple location list. From here, you can double-click any free location to join a server and, once you’re done, double-click again to disconnect.

When we tried Hide.me Free on iOS, we found that the layout is much more conventional, which was a plus for us. The iOS app is well-designed and works similarly to premium mobile VPNs. Joining a server is as easy as tapping the “Connect” button, and users have the option of selecting “Best location” to choose another free location.

Regardless of the platform we used, Hide.me Free did a good job of underscoring which features are available to free users and which aren’t. We selected the SmartGuard ad blocker, for instance, and the app warned us that our experience was “restricted”.

(Image credit: Hideme.Free)

Digging into Hide.me Free’s advanced tools, we found that they’re organized unusually. Almost every other app we’ve tested puts options like auto-connect and split tunneling in a settings menu, but Hide.me Free lists them (and other significant tools) in their own Features menu. If you’re used to diving into the settings to find these things, you might miss them at first, but it’s nothing a bit of exploration can’t fix.

Hide.me Free’s actual settings menu is nice and easy to parse. It mostly consists of simple on/off options. The technical settings, however, are laid out a little differently across platforms, which can make it difficult to find the specific setting you’re looking to tweak.

Fortunately, Hide.me Free’s menus have a search box – which we found rather unique. It’s a great addition to the mix that makes hunting down tools quick and easy, so long as you know what you’re looking for. So, if you’re searching for a DNS setting but can’t find it, just type “DNS” into the search box, and Hide.me Free will display every setting that includes “DNS”.

During our testing, when we went about our regular browsing, we encountered a lot of CAPTCHA tests. These tests went on for a long time, too, often cornering us into 7 or 8 rounds of selecting the squares containing motorcycles or chimneys. This ground our browsing to a halt – and given that Hide.me Free also throttles speeds, it makes for a less-than-ideal everyday experience.

More CAPTCHAs usually means that the IP addresses on Hide.me's free servers aren't as fresh as they might be – either through age or the number of customers on those free servers using them – and that's not a great sign.

Finally, when we weren’t using Hide.me Free and made a big change to our network configuration (by connecting to a second VPN, for example), the Hide.me Free dashboard would suddenly appear. We hadn’t clicked on it or switched to it – it simply popped up.

We can only assume that the Hide.me Free Windows app thinks it’s solely responsible for our network settings and, if something changes, it’s the app that’ll take charge. It doesn’t matter all that much, however. We simply minimized the dashboard and went about our business as usual. It’s another small interface irritation, however, and it could become seriously frustrating if it happens regularly.

Ease of use score: 5/10

Speed and performance

We put Hide.me Free's speeds to the test using our 1 Gbps connection and the WireGuard protocol. The service achieved pretty decent results, clocking in at 415 Mbps on our Windows machine and 25 Mbps on Android.

While this isn't quite as quick as Proton VPN Free and Windscribe Free, both recording 900 Mbps, it's still more than you need for easy-breezy day-to-day browsing.

How we perform speed tests

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

We test from two different virtual PCs, one in the UK and one in the US, using a 1 Gbps connection. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

It is worth noting that, during the course of our hands-on testing, we did notice inconsistencies in Hide.me Free's speeds. Initially, our testing machine reported that we had been throttled to a measly 1 Mbps, but subsequent testing proved more fruitful.

It's uncertain whether this vacillation in results will repeat but, if it does, it could cause issues for free users attempting to use Hide.me Free to stream, torrent, or check out social media feeds – as 1 Mbps just isn't enough to keep up with resource-intensive activities.

Speed and performance score: 6/10

Unblocking

As part of our real-world tests, we tried streaming Netflix and YouTube, and were successful on both occasions. The only caveat here is that we were forced to reload Netflix before the page loaded fully, and we did experience some buffering when initially tuning in to content. After about five minutes or so, however, the experience settled and remained smooth.

We'd still recommend looking to a paid service for the most reliable access to today's top streaming platforms (and smaller regional services), but Hide.me Free impressed us by holding its own.

Hide.me Free isn’t our first-choice torrenting VPN, either, despite the fact that all of its free servers appear to support P2P activity. You’re better off with PrivadoVPN or Proton VPN. Hide.me Free also lacks a port forwarding option – you’ll have to subscribe to the paid version to check it out.

Unblocking score: 6/10

Privacy and security

Hide.me Free uses AES-256 and ChaCha20 via WireGuard. There are a lot of protocols to choose from when you open up the app, though we typically recommend WireGuard, thanks to its blend of speed and security. We’re also glad to see that Hide.me Free ditched less secure options, like L2TP, a long time ago.

We also believe that Hide.me Free is geared more towards technical users and folks who want to learn about VPN technology and cybersecurity. This is most visible in the provider’s blog, where the company regularly posts in-depth articles covering essentials like encryption.

Digging into Hide.me Free’s server infrastructure, there was no real technical detail to be found, but the Network page on the provider site claims that: “Our servers are hand-picked, security-hardened and self-maintained… To protect our users’ privacy, we control and run a self-managed VPN network without any involvement of outsiders. Every server stores sensitive cryptographic keys in a temporary storage to minimize attack surface.”

Terms like “hand-picked” and “security-hardened” don’t raise any eyebrows. “Self-maintained” and “self-managed without any involvement of outsiders”, however, does. It seems unlikely or, worse, misleading. Unless Hide.me Free is running its own data centres, others will, at least, have physical access to the servers.

Servers storing keys “in a temporary storage” fit with them being RAM-based. We suspect that, if it’s true, Hide.me Free would simply claim as much. Instead, perhaps the provider means that the keys are stored in a folder of temporary files, which is always emptied when the server closes or starts.

Hide.me Free hasn’t implemented full post-quantum encryption, but it has achieved a degree of quantum resistance with its custom dynamic WireGuard configuration. Currently, Hide.me is working to deliver a better and more complete post-quantum solution.

Hide.me Free generates a random username and an internally-assigned (not public) IP address when users connect to a server. Any data related to their session links solely to that ID. The company says that this means usage data remains anonymous and unconnected to your real, public IP address.

Like a lot of VPNs, Hide.me Free’s apps include crash reporting and related telemetry features which might send app usage and troubleshooting information back to the company. This data is anonymized and not linked to you personally. It helps Hide.me determine if a lot of users are having problems connecting to a certain country – not that you, in particular, are.

Finally, as a cherry on top, Hide.me had its no-logs policy successfully audited in 2024. This is a good foundation to build on, and we’d like to see the service commit to annual audits of its policies, apps, and servers.

Privacy and security score: 6/10

Track record

Hide.me was founded over 13 years ago and is currently based in Labuan, Malaysia, and owned by a Malaysia-based IT security company, eVenture Ltd. The provider also has a second office in Zagreb, Croatia, according to its LinkedIn page.

The VPN makes some impressive claims, including that it was the first BSC VPN to offer IPv6 and WireGuard support, and that it was one of the first services to implement WireGuard in a privacy-friendly way.

In mid-2024, Hide.me published the results of a privacy audit conducted by Securitum. The security consultancy inspected server configurations, interviewed Hide.me staff, reviewed deployment procedures, and more. Hide.me didn’t publish the full report, unfortunately, and instead published a summary of the results. The good news is that the summary still contains plenty of detail.

Overall, the audit was positive with Securitum stating: “As a result of the audit, it was confirmed, that declared by Hide.me no-logs policy is indeed applied, and the audit did not reveal any issues on VPN container that could lead to a compromise of user privacy.”

We’re happy to see Hide.me invest in its transparency, but there’s more that could be done. We’d like to see Hide.me undergo more regular audits of different types (covering the provider’s apps, for example) and publish the full report afterwards.

The only blemish on Hide.me’s record we found was a Mac app bug discovered in 2019. The bug possibly allowed a privilege escalation, a type of exploit that malware could use to acquire extra rights on your system, perhaps infect your device, or cause other issues. This is bad as security vulnerabilities go, but it’s not uncommon; NordVPN had three of these reported in 2018.

Track record score: 7/10

Customer support

A lot of free VPNs don’t offer customer support to their user base. The good news is that Hide.me Free bucks this trend, and customers have access to 24/7 technical support.

There are also community forums. These are a handy resource for folks who prefer to do their own troubleshooting, and other users are generally happy to share their own experiences and ideas that you simply won’t hear from customer support. Unfortunately, these forums aren’t as active as they could be, so you may end up waiting a while for a response.

(Image credit: Hideme.Free)

Hide.me Free’s support site contains a huge number of detailed articles, which is great, but there’s not a lot of material for beginners. The FAQ page warns that “port 25 is blocked for security reasons”, for instance, but doesn’t attempt to explain what port 25 is, why it matters, or why a user should care.

Fortunately, if you have any burning questions or want to clarify your confusion, free users get full access to the Hide.me Free support team. We opened a live chat session, reached position 1 in the queue, and an agent joined us within seconds. When we raised an email ticket, we received a helpful reply in under half an hour, which is impressively quick – and a much faster response time than we’ve seen with many paid VPNs.

Customer support score: 8/10

Pricing and plans

As Hide.me Free is the limited version of the full-fat Hide.me subscription, the plan naturally comes with notable omissions that are only available to paying customers. These include:

• Access to 91 server locations
• 10 simultaneous connections
• Port forwarding
• SOCKS5 proxy
• SmartGuard ad, tracker, and malware blocker
• Bolt "Fast Proxy" technology (speed booster)
• Multi-hop

A 2-year plan comes in at $2.69 a month - which makes Hide.me's premium offering one of the more reasonable options on the market. Still, Surfshark has it beat at $1.99 a month and a long list of innovative security-boosting tools. In comparison, Hide.me doesn't quite stack up.

Pricing and plans score: 5/10

Should you use Hide.me Free?

Hide.me Free does a decent job of holding its own against other free providers on the market, but the truth is that you can get a lot more for nothing elsewhere. The clunky Windows dashboard really lets the service down – other providers do it better.

On the other hand, if you can handle having a single device connection and deal with a few hiccups during setup, Hide.me Free’s customizable tools and features are some of the best on the market.

Being able to use the service without handing over an iota of personal information is an impressive plus, too. So, if you’re looking for a free VPN that’ll have your back during your day-to-day browsing, with an audited no-logs policy, Hide.me Free could be worth investigating.

Overall score: 64/100

Hide.me Free Alternatives

1. PrivadoVPN – from $1.11 per month
The best free VPN overall
PrivadoVPN is our favorite free VPN - and its premium version is one of the best options on the market. It's a much more reliable pick than Hide.me Free when it comes to streaming and, as an added bonus, it even offers P2P-optimized servers in 10 countries. The only downside to keep in mind is that PrivadoVPN Free caps users' data to 10 GB per month - which won't go far if you regularly stream, torrent, or game online.View Deal

2. Proton VPN – from $4.49 per month
The best free VPN
Proton VPN Free is a seriously security-first service that packs a ton of nifty tools into its free package. You won't have to deal with ads, you'll have access to a top-notch kill switch, and sleek apps for all platforms. Proton VPN Free doesn't impose any caps, either, giving you unlimited data to play with.View Deal

3. Surfshark – from $2.19 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark is a premium provider, sure, but it's also the very best cheap VPN we've ever tested. For a measly monthly fee, you get a massive raft of functionality – unbeatable speeds that are ideal for streaming, torrenting, and gaming, ad and tracker blocker, and unlimited simultaneous connections. Plus, you'll be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee, letting you try the VPN in your own time before committing to a subscription.View Deal