AdGuard VPN Review 2024: Is the Free Version Any Good?

AdGuard Software Limited is best known for its ad blocker. However, it also offers a fully-fledged VPN service with a few interesting features. Our favorite thing? It has a free limited version.

AdGuard VPN's free plan traffic cap ruined the experience for us. We didn't mind limited speeds, servers, and connections, but only 3 GB per month was a deal breaker for us. 

Even the premium plan had issues with unblocking Netflix Australia and slowed down significantly with the Australian server. We also wish AdGuard offered 24/7 live chat support so we can troubleshoot whenever needed. 

AdGuard overview

Price	$2.99-$11.99/mo
Free version	Yes
Max # of connected devices	10 (2 with the free version)
# of servers	Unlisted in 59 countries (10 with the free version)
VPN protocol	AdGuard
Encryption	AES-256
No-logs policy	No logs
Headquarters	Cyprus
Netflix access	Yes

Our experience

We tested AdGuard VPN apps for Windows and Mac. Installing them was quick and effortless. The clients are simple, beginner-friendly, and easy to navigate. 

Using the apps is as simple as picking a server and clicking the large Connect button. The home screen also gives server recommendations based on your location. We particularly liked the addition of Dark Mode.

The apps worked well, and we didn’t experience any bugs or sudden disconnects. The menu system is straightforward, and everything is easy to find. We had zero problems locating features and options we wanted to test.

Who is AdGuard VPN best for?

• Recommended for casual VPN users on a budget.

AdGuard VPN’s free version can unblock Netflix U.S., BBC iPlayer, and similar services. It can also help you bypass network restrictions in your school or workplace. However, 3 GB per month is not a lot — it translates to only three or four hours of streaming, depending on the quality.

AdGuard’s free VPN includes U.S. and U.K. servers, which is good news if you want these streaming libraries. The 20 Mbps speed cap, on top of the 3 GB bandwidth limit, will further restrict your streaming quality.

We recommend the free version if you occasionally want to unblock a movie or show unavailable in your country. However, it's too limited to ensure long-term privacy and security. 

Instead, you can buy the unlimited version if you're looking for 24/7 VPN protection. It unblocked most of the regional libraries we tested and maintained decent speeds without a speed limit. Alternatively, you can skip the guesswork and pick one of the best VPNs.

AdGuard VPN prices and subscriptions

AdGuard VPN might appear affordable, but it's actually pricier than Surfshark, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access. Its feature set is decent but not rich enough to justify the current price tags. That's why we wanted to test the competitiveness of its free version — could it outshine Proton VPN free, for example?

Here's a quick comparison of AdGuard's free and premium VPNs:

Feature	AdGuard VPN Unlimited	AdGuard VPN Free
Simultaneous connections	10	2
Bandwidth	Unlimited	3 GB/mo
Server locations	70+	10

Paying for AdGuard VPN will remove the traffic limitations and increase your device count from two to 10 . However, you won't get much else apart from a slew of DNS servers. 

Granted, you can use them to block ads, adult content, malware, and phishing, but a bundled service like Surfshark One can do all this. We also recommend skipping content-filtering DNS servers for dedicated parental control apps.

All in all, AdGuard VPN isn't the best deal. If you want a free VPN with unlimited traffic, go with Proton VPN. 

Plan	1-month plan	1-year plan	2-year plan
Price per month	$11.99/mo	$3.99/mo (billed annually)	$2.99/mo (billed every two years)

AdGuard VPN features

AdGuard VPN a few decent features – from proprietary stealthy protocol and split tunneling to its DNS service. However, it can’t rival the advanced options of the biggest VPNs on the market. 

Server count and countries

• Unlisted in 59 countries

AdGuard VPN operates servers in 59 countries and 70+ locations worldwide. It doesn't share the number of servers, though, which indicates a less-than-impressive network. 

AdGuard’s free VPN offers servers in 10 locations:

• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Poland
• United Kingdom
• United States (Dallas, Miami, and New York)

As mentioned, AdGuard offers a variety of DNS servers. You’ll mostly use them for geo-unblocking, but they can also block ads and filter content. They’re not as nuanced as dedicated apps, but they performed well during our testing.

Using AdGuard DNS Family Protection will activate SafeSearch and Safe Mode in your browser. This can protect your children and other family members from explicit and disturbing content.

The client doesn't let you create a list of favorites for easier access. You also can't see real-time server loads to avoid crowding. However, the available pings will help you find the fastest server for your location.

No-logs policy and headquarters

• AdGuard VPN logs policy: No logs
• AdGuard VPN headquarters: Cyprus

AdGuard VPN operates from Cyprus, which puts it outside the Eyes alliance. Since we're talking about an EU country, the GDPR rules also apply to your data.

The company boasts a no-logs policy, so we've reviewed its privacy policy to see what user data it collects:

• Your email and password during registration
• Billing info through Paddle
• Your traffic volume and subscription duration
• If you're having problems with AdGuard VPN, you can allow it to log anonymized diagnostic data to help you.

AdGuard VPN also uses cookies on its website and records communication with customer support. Therefore, we never recommend sharing personal data with customer support agents.

After our investigation, we can say that AdGuard maintains a safe logging policy. It doesn't log your activity or any data that could identify you as an individual. That said, we'd like to see this confirmed by an independent audit in the future.

VPN protocols

AdGuard VPN protocol is a proprietary tunnel with stealth and AES-256 encryption. This allows it to mask your VPN traffic while keeping you anonymous.

Kill switch

When enabled, a kill switch will cut your internet access the moment your VPN loses connection. This prevents your info from leaking out.

You can find AdGuard's kill switch from the Settings tab, then by selecting App settings. 

DNS servers

AdGuard includes a number of DNS servers for the following purposes:

• AdGuard DNS: Blocks ads and trackers
• AdGuard DNS Family Protection: Blocks adult content and enables Safe Search and Safe Mode
• AdGuard DNS Non-filtering: Provides a secure and reliable connection
  
• OpenDNS: Blocks malware and phishingg 

Some of AdGuard's DNS servers can also block malicious websites. However, they only follow a list of known malware hotspots; they won't block new threats until they're updated to include them. So, DNS servers can never replace a reliable antivirus program.

Exclusions

AdGuard's split tunneling allows you to exempt apps and sites from VPN protection. It prevents speed drops caused by unnecessary encryption. 

For example, you can watch YouTube unprotected while using a VPN to download torrents. You can also conserve your bandwidth with a free version.

AdGuard VPN test results

We test VPNs for speed, security, stability, and overall performance. Check the final results of our hands-on testing below.

Speed tests

• Speed test results: AdGuard passed its speed tests but slowed down significantly with an Australian server connection.
  

We tested AdGuard VPN on a PC laptop running Windows 11 from a physical location in the U.S. We first measured our benchmark speed without the VPN.

We then tested servers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia. to see how they would affect our original score. 

Test type	No VPN	US to US	US to CA	US to UK	US to AU
Download speed	332.38 Mbps	336.81 Mbps	295.93 Mbps	333.98 Mbps	133.69 Mbps
Upload speed	114.27 Mbps	92.68 Mbps	24.02 Mbps	16.21 Mbps	4.36 Mbps
Latency (ping)	25 ms	16 ms	96 ms	220 ms	418 ms
Download speed % difference	N/A	1.33%	-10.96%	0.48%	-59.78
Upload speed % difference	N/A	-18.89%	-79.00%	-85.81%	-96.18%
Latency % difference	N/A	-36%	284%	780%	1,572%

With the U.S. and U.K. server connections, our speed actually got slightly faster. The download speeds weren't impacted as heavily as our upload speeds, but our browsing wasn't heavily impacted until the Australian server connection. This isn't too surprising, since your speed can slown down the further your server is from your physical location. 

The ping values were high in the U.K. and Australia, so AdGuard might not be the best choice for online gaming. But at least we didn't experience any debilitating lag or unexplained disconnects during our tests.

Netflix tests

• Netflix test results: AdGuard unblocked U.S., Canada, and U.K. libraries but failed to unblock Netflix Australia. 

A good VPN lets you access the best Netflix libraries and avoid internet service provider (ISP) throttling. Your internet provider can see your streaming and might slow you down to conserve bandwidth. They can also see your VPN traffic but can't know what you're doing due to encryption.

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

We tested AdGuard VPN with Netflix while connected to servers in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia. For the first three server locations, Netflix worked like normal. We were able to stream shows with ease as if we were physically located in the server locations we selected. 

However, once we connected to a server in Australia, Netflix caught on to our VPN use. No matter where we clicked, Netflix flashed a pop-up to request we turn off our VPN service. There was only one server option for Australia, so this ended up being a dead end. 

DNS leak tests

• DNS leak test results: AdGuard VPN passed its DNS leak tests.

A Domain Name System (DNS) converts readable domain names into IP addresses. A DNS leak can reveal your IP address, location, or the sites you want to visit. 

We didn’t experience any DNS leak tests. Our data remained anonymous at all times.

WebRTC leak tests

• WebRTC leak test results: AdGuard VPN passed its WebRTC leak tests.

Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) allows web browsers and mobile apps to communicate in real-time and send voice, video, and generic data to each other. A WebRTC leak indicates the unwanted visibility of your IP address.

During our AdGuard VPN testing, we didn’t experience any WebRTC leak tests either. 

Kill switch test

• Kill switch test results: AdGuard VPN passed its kill switch tests.

AdGuard VPN includes a kill switch feature. If your connection drops, the kill switch will block access to the internet. This is particularly helpful if you're using public Wi-Fi, so you can keep your device and data safe from unwanted third parties.

We started with a Chicago server and made the switch to a server in Atlanta. AdGuard VPN didn't leak our actual IP address.

AdGuard VPN compatibility

We want our VPNs to cover as many popular platforms as possible. Here's AdGuard VPN's compatibility list:

• Windows
• macOS
• iOS
• Android and Android TV
• Routers (indirect protection from gaming consoles and Apple TV)
• Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera

AdGuard VPN customer support

AdGuard's official website offers a support center where you can:

• Read the FAQs
• Access the knowledge base with setup manuals
• Discuss problems with its community on Reddit and Telegram
• Report issues and suggest new features on GitHub
• Get the latest news from the AdGuard blog

We would still prefer a 24/7 live chat with competent support agents. The only "real" way to contact the AdGuard support team is via email, and the wait times are very long. Customer support is another aspect where AdGuard fails to live up to more popular VPNs.

Top alternatives

AdGuard VPN is a mid-tier service that can't compete with more popular providers. That's why we wanted to recommend some alternatives with better price-to-value ratios.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is AdGuard VPN good?

AdGuard VPN is a mid-tier VPN with some interesting features. We liked its geo-unblocking capabilities, which allowed us to unblock some regional libraries. However, it struggled to unblock Netflix Australia and only appears to have one server location in Sydney. 

Its impressive collection of DNS servers can also hide your IP and block ads, malware, and unwanted content. The AdGuard VPN protocol is secure and stealthy, allowing you to hide your VPN traffic. The company doesn't log any dangerous info, and it's located in Cyprus.

That said, AdGuard’s free VPN is severely limited due to its 3 GB monthly cap. As such, you can use it to stream for a few hours or browse a bit longer. Going premium isn't worth it when you can just opt for one of our alternatives.