Namecheap VPN Review 2020 – Is It Secure & Worth Buying?

Namecheap VPN is a US based VPN service that supports torrenting but does not unblock US Netflix. Hence, the service has only received 2.5 stars rating. To know about its major pros and cons, read this review in detail.

Namecheap VPN is a brainchild of a famous web hosting service Namecheap. This US-based VPN service exists in 50 major countries of the world through 1000+ servers across 75+ locations. However, the server network is still on the lower side as other VPNs like PureVPN and Surfshark are offering thousands of servers worldwide.

The good thing is their pricing plans are customer-oriented as you can avail its 3-year plan at the cost of only $1.88/mo. Moreover, they offer limited number of privacy features like Internet Kill Switch, DNS Leak Protection, torrenting support and 5 multi-logins alongside 256-bit military-grade encryption.

The service is not compatible with Linux and does not have attractive security perks like dedicated IP, split tunneling and so on. Furthermore, they have to improve their performance in other areas like speed and streaming because the provider does not unblock US Netflix.

These are some of the major reasons I have given this service 2.5 out of 5.0 stars rating in this Namecheap VPN review.

My Rating Criteria

I rated Namecheap VPN as per my own rating criteria given below:

1. Jurisdiction – Where is Namecheap VPN located?
2. Security – Is Namecheap VPN safe to use?
3. Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?
4. Servers – Are they P2P Compatible?
5. Speed – Is Namecheap VPN good in terms of speed?
6. Streaming – Does it work with Netflix & other streaming services?
7. Compatibility – Namecheap VPN Apps and Supported Devices
8. Pricing – What is the cost of Namecheap VPN?
9. Trustworthiness – Trustpilot Ratings, Reddit Reviews & Support

Jurisdiction – Where is Namecheap VPN located?

Namecheap VPN mainly resides from the US hence, the service is unsafe.

There is no denying jurisdiction is one of the most crucial factors that decide the success of any VPN service in the future. As far as the Namecheap jurisdiction goes, its headquarter is based in the US, which is a founding member of 5 eyes alliance.

It means the service would have to abide by the US’s data retention laws in true letter and spirit. Furthermore, they have to log their users’ information according to the requirements of data retention laws.

Security – Is Namecheap VPN safe to use?

Yes, Namecheap VPN is safe to use since the provider offers impressive tunneling protocols like OpenVPN and IKEV2 alongside 256-bit military-grade encryption. But, the provider isn’t much ideal because of its jurisdiction. Similarly, the service needs to add more tunneling protocols such as PPTP, SSTP, and others in its armory.

In terms of security, these protocols are enough when it comes to protecting your crucial data from the vicious eyes of ISPs, online hackers and other unwanted personnel.

Additional Security Features

Apart from offering attractive tunneling protocols and encryption features, Namecheap does offers some excellent privacy features. These features are:

Namecheap VPN Kill Switch

The service offers an exclusive Kill Switch feature that helps you keep your identity safe in case your VPN suddenly stops working for any reason.

Scramble

This feature works just like a stealth protocol that helps you bypass network traffic sensors imposed in numerous oppressive countries. You can enable the Scramble mode option on your OpenVPN connections quite easily.

Does Namecheap VPN keep logs?

No, Namecheap VPN does not keep the logs of its users’ information as it states on its official website. However, not all things are rosy with the privacy policy of Namecheap VPN. As I already mentioned, the provider has to follow US data retention laws therefore, Namecheap is bound to keep an eye on your online activities.

Surprisingly, they have allowed third-party tracking partners to gather information about their users as much as possible. Moreover, the official site uses cookies to record their subscribers’ session browsing information. Above all, Namecheap VPN complies with court orders such as subpoenas and UDRP/URS processes too.

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Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?

Namecheap VPN is a leak-free service. The service does not reveal your actual whereabouts be it IP, DNS or WebRTC information. I tested its leak protection feature through ipleak.net, DNSleaktest.com  and IP8.com. Luckily, I did not encounter any leak problem at all.

Here are the screenshots as proof:

IP Leak:

I connected to its Australian servers and the service did not expose my actual IP address online:

DNS Leak:

The same went for DNS leak testing that I performed using DNSleaktest.com. 

WebRTC Leak:

I also tested its WebRTC leak protection feature while using IP8.com a WebRTC leak testing site and received the following result:

Servers – Are they P2P compatible?

Namecheap VPN offers 1000+ servers in 50+ countries across 70+ locations. The provider is following the footsteps of popular VPNs like PureVPN or Surfshark as these VPNs deliver servers to their users in a huge number. However, the service has not elaborated if it offers virtual servers or not.

Does Namecheap support torrenting?

This review unveils that you can use the service for all your torrenting needs. However, you should avoid downloading copyrighted content since the service follows different court orders in the right way. Despite the fact that Namecheap enables you to download your desired torrents, but there are some impressive VPNs in the market that let you perform torrenting tasks securely from anywhere.

Speed – Is Namecheap VPN good in terms of speed?

The US based provider offers below-average connection speeds to its users. While writing this Namecheap VPN review 2020, I tested its speed performance on its Australian server. During the testing phase, I used 15 Mbps internet connection and was able to get 3.99 Mbps download speed in return:

After connecting to the Australian server:

Unfortunately, I was unable to connect to the US and Canadian servers despite making several attempts. This is the reason I only conducted speed on its Australian server.

Streaming – Does it work with Netflix and other streaming services?

Namecheap VPN does not work with US Netflix. You will have to use another VPN to accomplish your media streaming cravings through Netflix. Apart from Netflix, you cannot not use the service to access Hulu and Amazon Prime Video as well.

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Compatibility – Namecheap VPN Apps and Supported Devices

Namecheap is compatible with all the leading platforms including Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. In addition, the service also supports Routers as well. Apart from this, the provider offers an impressive 5 multi-logins feature to its users.

You can configure Namecheap VPN on your routers via OpenVPN right away. However, there is one downside too as you cannot install the app on your Linux device.

Namecheap VPN for Windows

If we talk about its Windows app, the app is quite simple and easy to use. Apart from this, you can connect to any server of your choice with a single click. The installation part is pretty easy as you can complete the whole process within a few minutes. Likewise, you can choose either IKEv2 or OpenVPN protocol on your Windows devices instantly.

Namecheap VPN for Mac

The same goes for the Mac platform too as you can use the app without facing any issue whatsoever. Like Windows, the downloading and installation process would not take much of your time. Similarly, you may select your desired protocols like OpenVPN or IKEv2.

Namecheap VPN for Android

The Android app works quite well as it offers an exclusive world map feature that you can easily zoom whenever you want. Furthermore, you can use the standard scrolling list that allows you to select your desired locations. When you login to the Android app, you can enable or disable the reconnect option through a settings panel.

Namecheap VPN for iOS

The dedicated app is compatible with the latest versions of iOS. Hence, you can protect your crucial whereabouts while on the go. Like other apps of Namecheap, its iOS app provides a simple user interface and works like a charm to say the least. However, you will not be able to find much-needed features like split tunneling on its iOS app.

You can download and install the iOS app by visiting the official site that will redirect you to the App Store directly.

Pricing – What is the cost of Namecheap VPN?

Namecheap VPN provides three types of affordable pricing plans to its users. Here is the list of these pricing plans that includes:

If you compare its pricing plans thoroughly, you can get 68% discount upfront by availing its 3-year plan. Therefore, Namecheap could be easily assumed as one of the cheapest VPNs available in the industry.

On the other hand, you can buy Namecheap VPN via different payment options including Bitcoin, PayPal and credit cards.

Refund Policy

The service also offers a generous 30 days money-back guarantee you can use to get your refund within a month after the subscription.

Namecheap VPN Free Trial?

You can enjoy an amazing free trial feature when you subscribe to Namecheap VPN through Google Play Store or iTunes provided that you have made a $0.00 purchase.

Trustworthiness – Trustpilot Ratings, Reddit Reviews & Support

Namecheap VPN has to improve its goodwill on a famous customer review site Trustpilot. At present, you cannot find a single user review about the pros and cons or overall performance of Namecheap VPN.

Namecheap VPN Review Reddit

Is Namecheap the right choice for users those who want to protect their footprints online? After reading different Redditors’ comments, the service needs lots of improvement. The service does not help users unblock Amazon Prime Video. However, you can opt Namecheap for accessing the US Netflix media library from anywhere.

To my surprise, some users want to compare Namecheap VPN with Private Internet Access.

Customer Support

On support front, the provider has ticked all the required boxes in the right way. Here is the list of different options you can use:

• Ticket
• Knowledgebase
• FAQs
• Live chat

When you want to solve your general queries that relate to billing, installation and other attributes, you can use their impressive live chat feature. On the other hand, you can avail the official support of Namecheap through different options like knowledgebase, FAQs, and tickets too.

Comparison between PureVPN and Namecheap VPN

If you want to discover the major attributes of PureVPN and Namecheap VPN, you can go through the below-mentioned table:

Alternatives to Namecheap VPN

Here are the other VPN services you can try out if you do not want to continue using the service for any reason:

Do I Recommend Namecheap VPN?

No, I don’t recommend Namecheap VPN to users.

The reasons are obvious as they are offering only two types of tunneling protocols as compared to other VPNs such as PureVPN or Surfshark that offer numerous tunneling protocols along with different levels of encryption. Moreover, the jurisdiction is a part of 5 eyes which is not so much conducive to users’ privacy.

They are not compatible with the famous platform Linux too. Likewise, they do keep logs of their users. That said, there are some upsides as well that you can contemplate in the form of affordable pricing, server spread, and impressive customer support.

Based on the above Namecheap VPN review, the service has earned 2.5 out of 5.0 stars rating overall. Feel free to share your thoughts about the service or explore our unbiased VPN reviews 2020.