If you ’re concerned about hack , scammers , and government activity spies intrude on your concealment , a stagger internet can aid keep your on-line activities anon. . However , the fastest and most popular VPNsuse waiter networks controlled by private companies .
NymVPN is different , using blockchain technology in a motley internet of severally operated servers with strong encoding to assert security department and multi - server connection to ensure concealment . It ’s not the onlydecentralized VPNavailable , but it might be one of the easiest to use .
I was intrigued enough to research NymVPN and test this novel service . I balance subscription Price against features , ease of use , privacy , protection , and support to help you adjudicate if it ’s the correct VPN for you .
Specs
Tiers and pricing
NymVPN offers three subscription terms , and you may deliver more if you bear for one or two years in advance . The average monthly price for a $ 132 two - year plan is $ 5 , while an annual subscription is $ 84 , which works out to $ 7 per month .
Whileyou can find much good VPN great deal , deal pricing is n’t NymVPN ’s main focus . The society aims to put privacy and security first with some inevitable tradeoffs .
NymVPN does n’t proffer a innocent version or a run . The least expensive style to test the service is with a $ 13 monthly subscription . Every plan supports up to 10 devices and works cross - political platform .
You do n’t have to make up to protect your privacy if you could swallow a few restrictions . The best costless VPNs offer unlimited useand do n’t show ads .
Design
NymVPN instalment was fast , and the Windows app was open and ready to use in less than a minute . It defaults to truehearted mode , which uses WireGuard to speed up browse and cyclosis . anon. style provides the most privacy and is recommended only for e-mail , messages , and payments .
If you have n’t used a multi - hop VPN before , you might be surprised that NymVPN has two fix menus . The entry point is where you ab initio connect to the electronic internet . The way out stop is the country and host that online services see as your locating .
The big green Connect button starts the service , which lead several seconds . A message at the top lets me know when I ’m connected to NymVPN . Like most other VPNs , the big dark-green button turns blood-red and becomes a Disconnect ascendency .
A gear icon at the top left opens a background panel with option to auto - start , language selection , and a alternative of light or dark modality . The app windowpane is resizable , but NymVPN ’s simple intent does n’t postulate much space .
Features
NymVPN is n’t meant to be the fastest cyclosis VPN / and I find performance to be somewhat slow even in Fast mode . However , a fastness trade-off becomes satisfactory when concealment and anonymity are my primary considerations . If I had no concerns about trailing , I could simply entrust my VPN off to graze , stream , and download at full speed .
immobile modal value create an inscribe connection tunnel within another tunnel , a two - hop VPN connection that makes tracking much harder . It use AmneziaWG , an obfuscated WireGuard communications protocol variation .
Some otherpopular services like Proton VPNuse single - hop with an optional two - hop modal value , but with NymVPN , two is the minimum . The upshot of NymVPN ’s secrecy focussing is a very good , anonymous connection that ’s a flake deadening .
I get 900 Mbps downloads and uploads over Ethernet without a VPN . With NymVPN ’s flying mode , the adept performance I could get was with an entry full point at a nearby server in the U.S. and an exit point in the Netherlands . WithSpeedTest , I measured 317 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up . Download speed was reduced by 65 % .
To maximize uploads , staying within my own borders with a Canada - to - Canada connection proved best . I measured 94 Mbps down and 23 Mbps up . That ’s still quite slow , making it clear I should n’t opt NymVPN for speeding .
It ’s all about keeping my online activity and my identity hidden . That ’s why a putting to death switch is always on . If the connexion ever drops accidentally , NymVPN block net access to prevent leaking selective information over an insecure connection .
While servicing likeNordVPN include advanced features like rip - tunneling , port furtherance , and malware block , NymVPN currently lacks those options . More features are coming with split - tunneling and blockers planned for the 2nd quarter of 2025 .
NymVPN ’s Anonymous mode agitate security to the extreme point with a five - hop connector that pass through a mixnet , obfuscating activity , and ensuring a single server breach ca n’t expose your data point .
I could n’t get Anonymous mode to work on my Windows microcomputer since it has so much background internet activity that I miss enough bandwidth for browsing . I try on my iPhone instead and found the upper was good enough for NymVPN ’s urge usage — messaging , email , and defrayal apps .
I manage to launch the lightweight Netflix speed trial at Fast.com and measured 45 Kbps in Anonymous mode . My native velocity over a weak Wi - Fi connection was 82 Mbps . That intend five - hops cut performance by 94 % .
Still , if I were place by hackers or government spies and demand stark anonymity and privacy , Anonymous mode could be worth reverting to dial - up hurrying .
Support
NymVPN has wide software documentation that I could crop to discover answers without hold back . Still , I wanted to test reception meter for questions that need personal aid .
NymVPN has a support chatbot that ’s uncommitted 24/7 , but I quickly stumped it by asking it to compare a mixnet to a standard VPN . The bot offered to connect me to an agent , and I agree .
The reply came within a few minutes , and I found the agent to be favorable and helpful . I bugger off connectedness , range , and tidy sum of data point to help oneself clarify the deviation in NymVPN ’s modes of operation .
mesh hours are Monday through Friday , 1:00 AM to 5:00 PM GMT . While that ’s 16 hours daily on weekends , the hours might seem rummy to U.S. client , starting at 6:00 PM PT and melt down overnight until 10:00 AM the next morning .
WhenI reviewed Surfshark ’s VPN , I relish faster 24/7 support useable even on the weekend . It ’s also faster and costs less .
Privacy and security
It ’s clean that NymVPN puts privacy first . No data is call for , and even payment are anonymous . The ship’s company perish an audited account by Cure53 , a well - known independent security system research business firm .
NymVPN is ground in Switzerland , out of the legal power of government intelligence - sharing alliances . The full - time use of multi - hop encrypted tunnels with obfuscation and added noise take NymVPN one of the most untroubled and individual VPNs available .
Is NymVPN right for you?
NymVPN wo n’t appeal to everyone , and if you ca n’t yield any lag , it ’s not the correct pick . The best VPNs balance stop number and privacywith a single - hop encrypted tunnel that will process better for most masses .
If you ’re on a tight budget or suffer from subscription fatigue , NymVPN might be too expensive . There aregreat VPN deals that could allow enough privateness , and even somegood free VPNs that get the job done with no fee .
Still , I might select NymVPN if I felt I was being spy on , targeted by hackers , or in peril from an oppressive regime . The two - year subscription is affordable , and a monthly subscription lets you choose more security when it ’s most need .
That make NymVPN a suitable alternative when privacy and anonymity is indispensable .
