FrootVPN Review 2024: Good For Torrenting But Not Much Else

FrootVPN is an overly technical VPN service. While it has a user-friendly Windows app, installing it on all other operating systems requires several complex steps.

On top of a difficult installation experience, FrootVPN faced challenges with internet speeds and unreliable customer service. Only tech-savvy individuals who are interested in torrenting or P2P support may find the hassle of FrootVPN worth it.

FrootVPN review at a glance

Price	$3.33-$9.99/mo
Free version	No
Max # of connected devices	5
# of servers	150+ servers in 32+ countries
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP
Encryption	2048-bit
No-logs policy	No logs
Headquarters	Seychelles
Netflix access	No

Our experience with FrootVPN

It didn't take us long to realize that FrootVPN has an incredibly complicated installation process. FrootVPN only has a native app for Windows. Any other operating system had to go through several additional steps to use FrootVPN. We wanted to use it on Android, and these were the steps we underwent to install it.

1. Find the installation tutorial for your device in the Knowledge Base.
   

   

2. Choose which VPN protocol you want to use.
3. Download the relevant third-party VPN app (it will tell you which one in the guide).
4. Go back to the FrootVPN website and go to Server Info. Pick which servers you want to use. Don’t download all servers. You can choose to download them all, but you'll regret it. (You'll see why in a bit.) Make sure you are downloading servers with the relevant VPN protocol.
5. Then click Download Configuration Files.
   

   

6. A ZIP file is downloaded. Unzip the file.
7. Go to the third-party VPN app and individually install each server. You need to enter your username and password for each server you install (which is why you don't want to download the entire server base). This process may take several minutes, depending on how many servers you are installing.
   

   

8. FrootVPN is ready to use.

It's an extremely complicated process when other VPN providers have an app you just download and log in, and all of the servers are already installed. You don't even need to think about which VPN protocol to use since the provider will choose the best one for you.

For the non-techies, the FrootVPN installation is a nightmare. Even for us, it was a bit of a logistical mess.

Once FrootVPN was properly installed, our problems didn't end there. We noticed our computer started to run slowly whenever the VPN was on. The app itself felt a bit cluttered, even though there were no fancy tools.

Overall, FrootVPN didn't win us over with its complicated installation process and unfriendly user experience.

Who is FrootVPN best for?

• Recommended for torrenting and P2P support

FrootVPN is a technical VPN, especially if you're using a non-Windows device. The installation process requires some technical know-how. 

On the plus side, FrootVPN marks which servers are available for torrenting, making it easier for those interested in P2P. 

Ultimately, FrootVPN is best left for people with technical knowledge and who want to use VPNs for torrenting.

FrootVPN prices and subscriptions

FrootVPN offers plans on a monthly, three-month, and annual basis, and all of the starting costs are a bit on the pricey side. FrootVPN only offers VPN services; it doesn't have any premium security features like ad blockers or dark web scanning.

In our opinion, FrootVPN is overpriced for what you get compared to premium VPN services with similar pricing. You may save money on a VPN by using a different provider.

Plan	1-month plan	3-month plan	12-month plan
Price per month	$9.99/mo	$3.99/mo (billed quarterly)	$3.33/mo (billed annually)

FrootVPN features

FrootVPN has a few notable features, but it's also worth taking a look at what it's lacking. Here are the features that stood out to us.

• Kill switch: A kill switch will drop your internet connection if you lose contact with your VPN. However, it's only available on the Windows app with FrootVPN.
• Unlimited bandwidth and speed: There are no restrictions to how much bandwidth you can use while using FrootVPN.
• 2048-bit encryption: FrootVPN uses 2048-bit encryption, which isn't as strong as the industry standard of AES 256-bit encryption.
• Torrenting support: Torrenting and P2P is allowed on FrootVPN servers, and it marks which servers are available for torrenting.
  
• Split tunneling: Split tunneling is a core VPN feature, but FrootVPN doesn't have it.

Server count and countries

• 150+ servers in 32+ countries

FrootVPN has 150+ servers in 32+ countries. This is a small number of locations compared to other providers. 

For example, Surfshark has 3,200+ servers in 100 countries. The small number of servers may make it harder to find and connect to a server that isn't overwhelmed with too many requests.

It does offer servers that are optimized for streaming. We noticed certain servers are labeled for Netflix or BBC iPlayer. Unfortunately, these servers didn't actually help us unblock Netflix when we tried using them.

No-logs policy and headquarters

• FrootVPN logs policy: No logs
• FrootVPN headquarters: Seychelles

FrootVPN has a no-logs policy — it won't track IP addresses, DNS requests, or other personal browsing information. While the privacy policy is reassuring, we couldn't find an independent third-party audit to verify its no-logs claims. (Audits are conducted by third parties to make sure that a VPN provider is truly not keeping logs of your online activity.)

FrootVPN is located in the Seychelles, so it only responds to Seychelles authorities. When choosing a VPN provider, it's important to consider local data protection laws. While Seychelles is not in the Five Eyes alliance or any other mass surveillance group, it can still ask for information from companies.

Kill switch

A kill switch can stop you from accidentally browsing the internet without proper VPN protection. However, the kill switch is only available on the Windows app.

You can find the kill switch by opening your settings and hitting the kill switch tab.

VPN protocols

FrootVPN advertises that it has OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP as available protocol. However, PPTP and L2TP are considered obsolete by many providers, including NordVPN. So OpenVPN is the only viable protocol. 

FrootVPN test results

During our evaluation, we tested to see if the VPN successfully masked our IP address. We also tested our internet connection speeds and whether we were able to use the VPN while watching Netflix. Here are our results.

Speed tests

• Speed test results: Other than the U.S. server, FrootVPN slowed our speeds significantly.

When you connect to a VPN, you may see a slight drop in speed. The VPN requires some bandwidth to operate. When testing for speed, we want to avoid VPNs that significantly impact internet connections.

We tested FrootVPN on a Lenovo laptop running Windows 11 from a physical location in the U.S. We connected to multiple servers based around the world, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.

Test type	No VPN	US to US	US to CA	US to EU	US to AU
Download speed	94.34 Mbps	83.71 Mbps	50.38 Mbps	29.54 Mbps	47.85 Mbps
Upload speed	94.60 Mbps	86.69 Mbps	84.42 Mbps	42.61 Mbps	86.57 Mbps
Latency (ping)	3 ms	39 ms	42 ms	118 ms	194 ms
Download speed % difference	N/A	-11.27%	-46.60%	-68.69%	-49.33%
Upload speed % difference	N/A	-8.36%	-10.76%	-54.96%	-8.49%
Latency % difference	N/A	-1,200%	-1,300%	-3,833.33%	-6,366.66%

When we connected to a U.S. server, FrootVPN performed modestly. It only dropped our download speed a little over 10%, though it did significantly increase our latency.

Once we connected to servers outside of the country, FrootVPN drastically lowered internet speeds. While using it, our computer ran slower than usual. We had to turn off FrootVPN to run at a normal speed.

All the servers we used significantly increased our latency. With high latency, you'll experience a lot more buffering and lag while streaming and gaming, which could make for a frustrating online experience. 

Netflix tests

• Netflix test results: FrootVPN failed to unblock any of the Netflix libraries we tried.

We struggled to watch Netflix while using FrootVPN. When we initially tested it, we were at least able to unblock Netflix Canada and Australia, but the video quality was grainy.

This time around, we couldn't unblock any Netflix libraries at all. One of the issues we had was that Netflix buffered endlessly and didn't load at all. 

	US to US	US to CA	US to UK	US to AU
Did it work with Netflix?

It was also hard to troubleshoot the issue since we simply couldn't just connect to another server. We would have to go back to the FrootVPN website, download a server file, and then install it on the third-party app if we wanted to connect to a different one.

DNS leak test

• DNS leak test results: FrootVPN passed its DNS leak tests.

The most crucial test of a VPN is whether it can successfully mask your IP address. We conducted three  tests to ensure user data was secure. 

First, we ran a DNS leak test. The Domain Name System (DNS) leak test evaluates if the DNS requests are being sent to the right servers. 

FrootVPN passed the test and didn't leak our DNS information.

WebRTC leak test

• WebRTC leak test results: FrootVPN partially passed its WebRTC leak test.

The second test we conducted to ensure user data was secure was the WebRTC leak test. Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) enables real-time voice and video connections to be established through your browser.

We were surprised by FrootVPN's results. Our IP address wasn't revealed, but the site seemed to realize we were using a VPN. So we'll consider it a partial pass.

Kill switch test

• Kill switch test results: FrootVPN failed its kill switch test.

FrootVPN has a kill switch on its Windows app, so we were able to test if it works. A kill switch will stop your internet in the event that your VPN connection drops. This is helpful if you're using public Wi-Fi to keep your device safe from hackers and other unwanted third parties.

After enabling the kill switch, we tried to switch FrootVPN servers. FrootVPN didn't allow us to just switch the server, we had to disconnect entirely because the server was on.

Unfortunately, disconnecting from our server immediately leaked our real IP address. We figured the pop-up would ensure that our data wasn't leaked, but that wasn't the case.

FrootVPN compatibility

FrootVPN claims to be compatible with all devices, but that's a little misleading. Technically, it only has a native app for Windows. For other operating systems, you need to download a third-party application and separate server configuration files. This is a tedious task that isn't user-friendly.

Here is a list of devices that are compatible with FrootVPN.

• Windows
• Linux
• macOS
• iOS
• Android
• Routers

FrootVPN customer support

FrootVPN offers live chat, a knowledge base, and email (in the form of a support ticket). 

Live chat

FrootVPN claims to have 24/7 customer support, but that wasn't our experience. During our testing, we had a question about server availability and decided to open up chat support. We were surprised to receive a notice that the support team was offline during business hours on a weekday.

Knowledge base

FrootVPN has a knowledge base, but it's largely dedicated to installation guides for various devices. There are some general FrootVPN FAQs as well as a section on how to cancel your FrootVPN subscription.

Email

You can submit questions through a support ticket and the support team will get back to you via email. The response time should be within 24 hours. 

Top alternatives

FrootVPN isn't for everyone. Luckily, there are several other premium VPNs available that might be a better fit for you. Here are some of our top-tested VPN picks.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is FrootVPN good?

FrootVPN falls short of being a good VPN. Despite having strong torrenting support, it doesn't have core VPN features like split tunneling, for example. FrootVPN also lowers internet speeds, lacks native apps for easy installation, and doesn't have reliable customer support.

Non-techies should avoid FrootVPN while technically minded individuals may only want to use it for torrenting and not everyday use.

FrootVPN may not meet your needs, but there are plenty of other easy-to-use VPNs available. Our recommended alternatives offer quick installation, boast fast speeds, and can unblock regional streaming content.