TotalVPN Review (2024): Is It Any Good?
TotalVPN is a middle-tier VPN service that is surprisingly good at unblocking Netflix. It’s part of TotalAV’s security suite, with the star of the show being TotalAV antivirus. However, TotalVPN holds its own, being able to change user virtual locations without leaking any data.
Experts across the internet agree that TotalVPN has lots of room for improvement, but it’s a handy choice if you need a VPN for casual use.
Read our full TotalVPN review below to learn more about this service and its features.
TotalVPN: Pros and Cons
What We Like:
- Good for unblocking Netflix, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, and more
- Comes bundled with other security tools, including an antivirus and malware blocker
- Perfect for beginners, thanks to its easy-to-install and user-friendly apps
- Good choice for downloading P2P torrents since its servers support torrenting
- You can test the VPN using its 30-day money-back guarantee
What We Don't Like:
- Small server network, meaning your options of IP addresses are limited
- It lacks advanced security features like dedicated IPs and a Double VPN
- It doesn't have a free version
TotalVPN is a useful virtual private network for anyone looking for a VPN service as part of a security suite. It comes with the popular TotalAV antivirus and other features, such as an ad blocker.
Our TotalVPN review revealed that TotalVPN does well in the basics: changing your IP address and encrypting your traffic. We recommend it for novice users who need a VPN to simply browse the internet.
However, TotalVPN does have a small server network and doesn’t offer some advanced security features like a Double VPN. Moreover, TotalVPN does not offer a free service. But, those looking to be free users of a reliable VPN provider can always opt for a good free VPN.
Visit TotalVPN to learn more about its features.
| đź’µ Price | From $1.59 a month |
| 📱 Operating systems | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| đź’» Connections | 6 |
| đź’ł Payment methods | PayPal, Credit card |
| đź”’ Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| đź“Ą Torrent options | Torrenting allowed |
| đź“… Money-back guarantee | Money-back guarantee, 30 Days |
| đź“‹ Logs | Connection Logs |
| 🎬 Works with |
|
Note:
TotalVPN by TotalAV is different from totalvpn, an unrelated provider with a very similar name. This review is about TotalVPN by TotalAV.
How Much Does TotalVPN Cost?
You can’t purchase TotalVPN as a standalone VPN. It’s bundled with TotalAV’s antivirus, system tune-up utilities, and malware protection. The cheapest package is the Internet Security package, which costs $39 for the first year ($3.25/month) for up to five devices. Note that it renews at $119/year after that.
We recommend this plan if you need a complete security suite of tools, including a VPN, for personal use or a small family.
You can also get TotalVPN in TotalAV’s Total Security plan. This adds an ad blocker (Total Adblock) and Password Vault (a password manager). This plan costs $49 ($4.08/month) and renews at $179 after the first year. It also covers up to six devices. Unfortunately, there isn’t a TotalVPN free plan.
If you’re looking primarily for a VPN, the Internet Security plan should suffice.
- TotalVPN Premium (for the first year) $1.59mth Deal View offer
- TotalVPN Standard (for the first year) $2.42mth View offer
You can pay for TotalVPN in multiple ways:
- Credit/debit cards: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover
- PayPal
Do you get your money’s worth with TotalVPN?
TotalVPN offers value for money if you consider all the other security tools that come with it. However, as a VPN all by itself, there are other VPNs, chiefly NordVPN, that provide more features and better performance for bargain prices.
Does TotalVPN Work With Streaming?
During our TotalVPN review, we discovered that TotalVPN is an excellent VPN for streaming, matching some of the best streaming VPNs. The results of our streaming tests with TotalVPN can be found in the table below.
| Platform | Can TotalVPN unblock it? |
|---|---|
| Netflix (US) | âś” |
| Netflix (UK) | âś” |
| Disney Plus | âś” |
| Hulu (US) | âś” |
| BBC iPlayer | âś” |
| Prime Video | âś– |
| HBO Max | âś” |
In our tests, TotalVPN unblocked Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer with ease. Amazon Prime Video proved to be difficult to unblock for TotalVPN.
TotalVPN and Netflix
TotalVPN is a great VPN to unblock Netflix libraries. For example, we watched many seasons of The Office on Netflix UK without any instance of buffering.
Similarly, through our VPN connection, we watched several seasons of Supernatural, a Netflix America exclusive, while connected to TotalVPN’s US servers.
No matter the US server we connected to, we got into Netflix US.
Torrenting With TotalVPN
TotalVPN doesn’t have dedicated servers for torrenting. However, during our TotalVPN review, we were able to download torrents regardless of the server we chose.
Also, TotalVPN protects your traffic while torrenting. We checked this by connecting to ipleak.net and clicking “Activate” under the “Torrent Address Detection” section.
We added magnet links from LimeTorrents, one of the best torrenting sites, and observed that only the IP address of the VPN was showing. Since our original IP address didn’t show, it proves that TotalVPN protects your IP while torrenting.
TotalVPN Servers and Locations
TotalVPN has over 50 servers in 30 countries. Compared to the best VPN services on the market, this server network is paltry. Most of its servers are in the US and Europe.
Here’s a breakdown of TotalVPN’s server spread:
- America: Brazil, Canada, the US, Chile, and Mexico
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland
- Asia-Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore
- Africa and The Middle East: Israel
TotalVPN doesn’t have any specialized servers. These servers are optimized for specific purposes, such as streaming and torrenting. They usually offer better performance than standard servers. If you want specialized server locations, choose NordVPN.
How Fast is TotalVPN?
TotalVPN is not the fastest VPN, but it offers some good download speeds, as we discovered through our TotalVPN review. Thanks to its download speeds, we surfed the internet, streamed Netflix, and played YouTube videos without delays.
However, we noticed significant lags while uploading files. A file that took NordVPN two minutes to upload took TotalVPN eight minutes. That said, we played online games without any buffering wheels. So, TotalVPN works well for any download-related activity.
Speed test results for TotalVPN
We conducted our speed tests from our office in the Netherlands for this TotalVPN review. First, we checked our internet connection speeds without a VPN to get baseline speeds. Afterward, we connected to different TotalVPN servers and took note of the speed dropoff. Our speed test results are in the table below.
| Server | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Ping (ms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | Â 205.44 | Â 241.74 | Â 4 |
| Netherlands | 186.73 | 152.61 | 6 |
| US East (New York) | Â 137.63 | Â 9.4 | Â 95 |
| US West (San Francisco) | Â 132.48 | Â 6.32 | 179Â |
| UK (London) | Â 174.73 | Â 102.57 | Â 12 |
| Japan | Â 98.73 | Â 7.18 | Â 213 |
| Australia (Perth) | Â 57.21 | Â 4.2 | Â 226 |
| Germany | Â 179.34 | Â 72.62 | Â 35 |
| Brazil | Â 76.45 | Â 5.44 | Â 214 |
| Canada | Â 76.45 | Â 5.44 | Â 96 |
| France | 188.29 | 61.59 | 19 |
It’s clear that TotalVPN has reasonably fast download speeds. France, the fastest location, kept at least 90% of our original speeds. The servers in Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany, maintained at least 90% of our download speeds. In practice, we could download large files and stream movies without issues.
However, things turned for the worse when we checked upload speeds. Our speeds were nearly wiped off, maintaining less than 10% of our initial speeds in several testing locations, including the US, Canada, Brazil, and Japan. Unsurprisingly, uploads were noticeably slow compared to using faster VPNs like NordVPN.
Our ping increased significantly in faraway locations, including the US, Japan, and Brazil. However, even though TotalVPN is not the best gaming VPN, we did manage to play online games like Call of Duty without significant lags.
Is TotalVPN Safe?
TotalVPN is a safe VPN because it keeps your data private. Your original IP address and DNS servers won’t be available to snoopers when you connect to a TotalVPN server. Plus, it offers top-notch encryption and reliable VPN protocols.
Does TotalVPN leak your data?
From our tests, TotalVPN doesn’t leak any user data. It doesn’t suffer from IPv4/IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks, making it an excellent choice to spoof your location and browse anonymously.
During our TotalVPN review, we ran our leak tests using our IP address tool. The result showed that TotalVPN indeed changed our IP and didn’t leak our data related to our original location.
We ran WebRTC and DNS leak protection tests using browserleaks.com, and the results were the same: TotalVPN doesn’t leak your data.
Can you sign up to TotalVPN anonymously?
To create a TotalAV account, you need your email address, password, and payment method. To stay anonymous, you can use a temporary or private email address.
Unfortunately, TotalVPN doesn’t accept cryptocurrencies. This payment method helps you remain anonymous since you won’t share any personal details. If you want to buy a VPN with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, we recommend NordVPN. It accepts multiple cryptos, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), and Dogecoin (DOGE).
Logging policy
TotalVPN is headquartered in the UK, which is part of the Five Eyes alliance. This is an intelligence-sharing arrangement that allows Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States to share information about citizens.
We checked TotalAV’s policy and observed that it logs sensitive user data like IP addresses and other unique identifiers. For example, the policy states that “if you access your account from a mobile device, that mobile device may also provide us with details of your location.”
Unfortunately, TotalVPN doesn’t have RAM-only servers, which is becoming standard fare in the VPN market. These servers remove any user data upon every server reboot. Also, TotalVPN has yet to undergo an independent audit of its server infrastructure. Audits lend credence to a VPN’s claims.
Protocols and encryption
TotalVPN offers two protocols: IKEv2 and OpenVPN. IKEv2, which is excellent for mobile devices, is the default protocol. However, during our TotalVPN review, we discovered that if you switch to the OpenVPN protocol, you will get the best speeds and security.
TotalVPN’s protocols are paired with AES-256 encryption, which is virtually uncrackable. In our experience, the protocols encrypt user data properly, and changing our VPN protocol was seamless.
Kill switch
TotalVPN has a kill switch, and it’s available on Windows. However, it’s not available on the Android app.
TotalVPN’s kill switch is a system-wide kill switch. This means that when the kill switch is activated, your entire device won’t be able to connect to the internet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an app-level kill switch, so you won’t be able to allow or restrict specific apps from VPN protection.
We tested the kill switch and can confirm that it works as promised. It disconnected our laptop from the internet until we reconnected to a VPN server.
Also, we checked if our IP leaks before the kill switch kicks in. We used pagerefresher.com and our IP address tool to monitor changes in our IP while we disconnected from the VPN. Impressively, only the IP address of the VPN server showed, indicating that the kill switch works as promised.
Is TotalVPN Easy to Use?
Overall, TotalVPN is an easy-to-use VPN. You can download TotalVPN and install it in minutes. The interface is also clutter-free. The servers are well-organized and easy to find. However, connecting to the servers is sometimes a hit-and-miss process.
There’s a TotalVPN app for major operating systems: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. However, it’s not available on Linux.
TotalVPN on Windows
We found TotalVPN’s Windows app to be easy to install. We downloaded the TotalAV app from TotalVPN’s website and got it up and running in a few minutes.
Note that TotalVPN is part of TotalAV’s security suite, so there are many tools aside from the VPN in the app. To locate the VPN, select “Internet Security” (the fingerprint icon) and click on “VPN.”
The homepage of the VPN section contains a list of servers you can connect to. Beneath, there’s a green “Connect” button, which lets you connect to any of the servers.
During our tests for this TotalVPN review, on a few occasions, TotalVPN’s servers refused to connect. However, when we closed and reopened the app, we got those servers to work. TotalVPN’s customer support could not provide an explanation for the server mishap.
If you want a VPN with servers that connect without hassle, try NordVPN. In our experience, you can connect to any of its 6000+ servers on the first attempt. Moreover, NordVPN offers some great discounts for new subscribers.
TotalVPN on Android
TotalAV’s Android app is a stripped-down version of the Windows app. The VPN section is just a collection of available servers and a large power button in the form of a shield. Even though the app was simple to use, we don’t consider TotalVPN the best Android VPN.
Unfortunately, there was no option to change protocols or activate the kill switch. That said, it’s a decent choice if you just need a VPN to spoof your location.
Customer Service
TotalVPN offers decent customer support. It has a knowledge base, but it focuses on the antivirus feature. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find a section on Safe Browsing VPN, which contains a few troubleshooting guides about TotalVPN. They are helpful, but users would be better off with extensive guides and video tutorials.
You can reach out to the customer support representatives through email. From our experience, the best email to reach agents at is billing@totalav.com. However, priority support is available for paid users.
You can also get live chat support, but it’s only available to paying customers. Plus, you must answer several account verification questions before talking to a live agent.
TotalVPN’s money-back guarantee: How to get a refund
Getting a refund from TotalVPN isn’t hard. All you have to do is send an email to billing@totalav.com. A customer service representative will be in touch with details about your refund as long as it’s within the stipulated 30 days.
We tested TotalVPN’s refund policy while conducting our TotalVPN review and got a refund within seven days.
What Reddit Users Think About TotalVPN
Reddit comments about TotalVPN are few and far between.
Some have written about TotalVPN as a total rip-off, but it’s hard to determine which TotalVPN was being discussed since there have been different VPNs with similar names.
However, there are also many positive comments about TotalVPN. For example, this Redditor describes TotalVPN as being able to help them “access applications, websites, entertainment, streaming, torrenting and much more safely.”
Do We Recommend TotalVPN?
We recommend TotalVPN if you need a VPN provider to change your virtual location, unblock websites, and have basic security while browsing.
However, if you need a VPN to provide top-draw security features, reliable streaming performance, and fast speeds, we recommend NordVPN. It ranks #1 in our overall best VPN providers list for good reason. It has exceptionally fast speeds and can unblock virtually any streaming service, including Netflix.
Do you still have questions about TotalVPN? Check out the most common questions about TotalVPN and our answers.
TotalVPN is a decent VPN that can change your online location and unblock websites. However, it’s not the most reliable VPN and lacks advanced security features. There are several top VPN providers with a more robust privacy policy and enhanced security features.
A VPN protects your location and encrypts and anonymizes your data, keeping your information away from hackers and all kinds of third parties. A VPN may not be able to protect you from malware, but some top providers like NordVPN, do come with malware protection features.
We recommend NordVPN over TotalVPN because it’s faster, has a larger server network, boasts advanced security features, and is more reliable at unblocking streaming services. To find out more read our full NordVPN review.
What Our Experts Think About TotalVPN
This is the worst vpn on the market. It advertises false claim and tries desperately to get your money without promising what it delivers. I would never advertise or this place, even if my life depended on it . its a waste of money,
We're sorry to hear you've had such negative experiences! It isn't our all-time favorite VPN either, but we found it gave some useful basic protection, especially since it's part of a bigger security suite. If you still have a subscription with them and want to end that, you can always contact TotalAV's customer service through email. If you're looking for a VPN that follows through and performs well, we can recommend NordVPN or, if you're looking for a full security package, Surfshark One.