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Affordably priced with loads of security features, newcomer Atlas VPN is making waves in the cybersecurity industry
Everyone wants security. From our homes to our cars to our personal belongings, we do our best to keep everything safe. But are you doing enough to stay safe online?
Here’s the short answer: Most people aren’t.
The inner workings of the internet are a mystery, but the good news is you don’t need to be an IT pro to protect yourself digitally. One of the best tools for doing so is the virtual private network (VPN). If you want to get technical, you can read our VPN buyers guide, but the Cliffs Notes version of “How does a VPN work” is this: They increase your privacy by anonymizing and encrypting your data.
Did You Know: It’s likely that your internet service provider (ISP) makes a fortune selling your data without your consent. A VPN will put a stop to that pretty quickly, though.
But not all VPNs are created equal. If you’re like most folks, you simply want an affordable VPN that will increase your security online. Atlas VPN might be just what you’re looking for.
Atlas VPN’s dashboard
Before we address the all-important question — what does Atlas VPN cost — let’s first talk about what you’re going to be purchasing. We go into a lot more detail in our Atlas VPN review, but here’s a 30,000-foot look at the service:
Let’s talk about that last item because it’s worth a little explanation. SafeSwap is a novel feature — Atlas is the only VPN provider, to our knowledge, that provides it — that continuously shuffles your IP address while you browse. Traditional VPNs use a single static IP address for your connection, but with SafeSwap, it makes it even harder for onlookers and interlopers to get into your digital business. In all honesty, that feature alone is worth the price of admission.
Atlas VPN SafeSwap explained
That’s a pretty respectable list. Atlas VPN really does check a lot of boxes for us. But that begs the question: How much does it cost?
Here’s some good news about pricing: Atlas VPN does not cost much! It is one of the more affordable VPNs on the market today, on par with VyprVPN and Surfshark.
Pro Tip: Atlas VPN is one of those providers that always seem to be running some sort of sale or promotion. If you’re looking to save big, consider signing up for their newsletter before you purchase. You never know; you might luck out.
Like most VPN providers, Atlas VPN is subscription-based, and the longer you sign up for, the lower your monthly rate will be. Sign up for three years, and you’re going to essentially be paying for your subscription with pocket change. Here’s the Atlas VPN cost breakdown:
Subscription term | 1 month | 1 year | 3 years |
---|---|---|---|
Cost per month | $10 | $2 | $1.39 |
Savings | N/A | 75% | 86% |
So Atlas VPN checks most of the boxes as far as features go, and it’s definitely on the affordable side. So what’s the rub? Is it difficult to sign up for and use?
When we put Atlas VPN to the test, we found that the purchasing process couldn’t be easier. Enter some basic information, enter your credit card info, download the software, and you’re off to the races.
One thing to note, though — and this might be a tick mark in the negatives category for some folks — Atlas VPN doesn’t accept cryptocurrency as payment. You’ll have to keep your bitcoins for another day if you go with this provider.
Pro Tip: While some people think paying with crypto makes your activity untraceable, that’s actually not the case. All it does is add a layer of anonymity between you and the provider. Technically speaking, it’s “pseudo-anonymous.”
So how is it to use on a day-to-day basis? Again, we’re happy to report there’s very little to complain about. Atlas VPN is extremely user-friendly, almost to a fault. There’s no technical jargon to wade through, and there are no intimidating network-y settings to mess with. Some folks might be a little upset with the lack of customizability — if you’re looking for that, check out our Private Internet Access review — but for the everyday user, Atlas VPN’s simplicity is tough to beat.
Atlas VPN’s Mascot
So it’s got great features, it’s affordable, and it’s easy to set up and use. Is there anything negative we can say about Atlas VPN?
What good would we be if we didn’t give you the whole story? For all of its strengths, there are a few downsides to using Atlas VPN.
The first is something we’ve already briefly touched on: There’s not a whole lot of room to customize this service. They really leaned into creating a product that’s so simple that your grandma can use it, but that always comes at the expense of having some buttons to push and levers to pull. If you’re a digital tinkerer, you might not be too pleased with Atlas VPN.
FYI: Atlas VPN does not have an integrated kill switch; it’s a feature you’ll have to click on. Make sure you do that. If you’re browsing and your VPN service is interrupted for any reason, you’ll want your internet connection to immediately disable as well.1
Also, if you’re a Mac user, you might consider your options. While the service works okay on a Mac, several notable features are missing, including peer-to-peer file-sharing optimizations. Streaming, yes. Torrenting, no. If you’re an Apple die-hard, you might consider checking out our guide to the best VPNs for Mac users.
And finally, if we’re really searching for things to criticize, their mobile app felt a little sluggish at times. Certainly not a fireable offense or anything, but it was enough for us to tap on our phone in a slightly frustrated manner.
So there you have it: the good and the bad of Atlas VPN. So what’s our call here? Is this service worth it?
As we said above, Atlas VPN checks many boxes for us. It’s fast, reliable, secure, and pretty affordable. While there are some drawbacks that may impact a small percentage of the internet-faring population, we feel confident in saying that average, everyday users will have very few complaints about this provider.
You get what you pay for when it comes to VPNs. If you’re looking for flashy features and James Bond-level security, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you’re in the market for a relatively cheap VPN that’ll get the job done, you could do a lot worse than Atlas VPN.
That said, we always encourage our readers to comparison shop. Just because we like a service doesn’t mean it’ll be perfect for you. A great place to start is our guide to the top VPNs. There, you’ll find something for just about every privacy-minded internet denizen.
In our tests of Atlas VPN, we found very little to complain about. They’re secure, reliable, and affordable.
While they’re not the least expensive option out there, Atlas VPN is definitely one of the more affordable VPNs on the market today.
Atlas VPN offers many sales throughout the year. Sign up for their newsletter or check their website to take advantage of the savings.
A month-to-month subscription to Atlas will cost $9.99. If you sign up for one year, the monthly price drops to $2.49. If you sign up for three years, you’ll pay just $1.39 per month.
In our tests, Altas worked well with Netflix. They also offer particular servers that are optimized for streaming.
What Is My IP Address. (2021). A VPN Kill Switch Is a Special Feature that Protects Your Privacy.
https://whatismyipaddress.com/vpn-kill-switch