Turbo VPN At a Glance

Turbo VPN offers a free and paid service, both of which are focused on getting you connected without much fluff. It’s a standard VPN service, offering five simultaneous connections on the paid subscription and a generous free plan.

The free service is the star of the show, but Turbo VPN’s paid subscription isn’t too expensive. Here’s what you’ll pay after the seven-day free trial:

  • One month: $11.99
  • Six months: $39.99 every six months
  • One year: $59.99 every year
  • Two years: $99.99 every two years

Turbo VPN secures your connection with AES-128 encryption and hides your IP address for the free plan; premium users are protected by AES-256 encryption, the company confirmed to Forbes Advisor. It offers the OpenVPN protocol for connections, which is widely used across the VPN industry and considered a trusted protocol.

Unlimited Free Plan

Turbo VPN stands out in the crowded VPN market with an unlimited free plan. Although the app pushes users to sign up for a seven-day free trial (and eventually, a subscription), you can use it free of charge without any limits on speed or bandwidth.

The free plan is supported by ads, which periodically pop up while you’re using the app. Free users don’t have access to the full server list, but Turbo VPN still provides locations in the U.S., UK, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Singapore and India.

A Lot of Servers (But Not a Lot of Locations)

Turbo VPN offers over 21,000 servers on its paid plan, but they aren’t distributed very well. Across the free and paid plans, Turbo VPN offers 21 locations at the time of writing. Other Turbo VPN reviews claim anywhere from 26 to over 50 locations, so the exact number may change from time to time.

The number of countries is even slimmer. Our count shows only 11 countries: the U.S., UK, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Singapore, India, Russia, Japan, Argentina and Mexico.


A No-Logs VPN Service?

Turbo VPN claims on its App Store page that it follows a strict no-logs policy. The definition of a “strict no-logs policy” is messy across VPN services, as most participate in some level of data collection, even if that data can’t identify you. That said, Turbo VPN stretches the definition even beyond its vague boundaries.

The privacy policy on Turbo VPN’s website starts with what the service doesn’t collect. That includes your IP address, connection timestamps and your browsing history. Shortly after, Turbo VPN talks about what it does collect, which is at odds with the first section.

Turbo VPN collects anonymous data, including “success of VPN connections, VPN location you connected to, your country, and your internet service provider.” So, Turbo VPN doesn’t log your IP address, but it still logs where you’re coming from, where you’re going and who is facilitating that connection.

The privacy policy says that “you cannot be identified from this abstracted data,” but the fact remains that many other VPN services, at least publicly, don’t collect this information.

The free plan makes the privacy matters worse. Turbo VPN doesn’t target advertisements based on your data, but it allows third-party advertising partners to “set and access their own cookies, pixel tags, and similar technologies,” as well as “collect or have access to data about you.”

We’re not claiming malice, but it’s important to remember that Turbo VPN offers an unlimited free service. That carries some caveats that run counter to the purpose of a VPN, and those caveats aren’t really accounted for under a “strict no-logs policy” claim.


Fine Print

Outside of its privacy policy and marketing bullet points, Turbo VPN shares very little information about itself.

Its parent company, Innovative Connecting Pte. Ltd., is based out of Singapore and manages several other free VPN and proxy apps. It, too, shares very little information.

The lack of transparency doesn’t inspire trust. And trust is a key factor when it comes to choosing a VPN service.

Further obfuscating matters, Turbo VPN’s shares the same name with another VPN, which is owned by a Cyprus-based company called Airsharp Ltd. The popular VPN apps are run by the Singaporean company—not the Cyprian company.



How Turbo VPN Stacks Up

Turbo VPN NordVPN TunnelBear
Price $59.99 per year or $11.99 per month $68.85 per year or $12.99 per month $39.99 per year ($3.33 per month)
Number of Servers 20+ 5000+ 1,000+
Simultaneous Connections 5 6 5
Dedicated IP No Yes ($5.83 per month or $70 per year) No
Learn More - On NordVPN's Website -
Read Reviews - Read NordVPN Review Read TunnelBear Review

Turbo VPN doesn’t look bad in a number of areas but putting it up against some of the top VPNs on the market starts to reveal its weaknesses. At around $60 per year and $12 per month, it’s in line with NordVPN and TunnelBear. It doesn’t always offer the same features for the cost, though.

NordVPN stands out as the strongest provider. It includes an extra simultaneous connection and offers a dedicated IP address add-on. NordVPN also benefits from a lot of social proof. It has 4.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot out of 5,560 reviews—whereas Turbo VPN doesn’t have a Trustpilot page. (The Cyprus-based TurboVPN does.)

With a slim server network and no dedicated IP option, TunnelBear is lacking. Both TunnelBear and Turbo VPN offer a free plan, which earns them some extra points. However, TunnelBear’s free plan uses a limited bandwidth model while Turbo VPN supports its free option through in-app ads.

You’ll spend the same price for all three services on the annual end of things (and across most of the VPN market, for that matter). With the cost equal, it becomes clear that an option like NordVPN offers more for your money than Turbo VPN.

NordVPN is perhaps the most generous comparison to Turbo VPN, too. Private Internet Access is cheaper and offers a larger server network. CyberGhost is also cheaper, and it comes with more simultaneous connections. In short, Turbo VPN charges the same or more than the competition without really justifying that cost.


Compare Turbo VPN With NordVPN

Turbo VPN

Turbo VPN
2.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Price

$59.99

Encryption

AES with 128-bit keys

Number of servers

21,000

Turbo VPN

$59.99

AES with 128-bit keys

21,000

Pros & Cons
  • Generous free plan
  • Large server network
  • Limited server locations
  • Worrying ads
  • Lacking unique features
  • No dedicated IP option
  • Limited to five simultaneous connections on the paid plan

NordVPN

NordVPN
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$68.85 per year ($124.35 per year upon renewal)

Compatibility

Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android TV

Maximum number of devices

Six

NordVPN
Learn More Arrow

On NordVPN's Website

$68.85 per year ($124.35 per year upon renewal)

Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android TV

Six

Pros & Cons
  • High number of servers (5,500)
  • Ability to install VPN to router
  • Dedicated internet protocol (IP) address add-on available
  • 24/7 support
  • Ad-blocking and antivirus are included features
  • Steep discounts available for multi-year plans
  • More expensive than top competitors, such as ExpressVPN, for the monthly plan
  • Fewer server connections than competitors
  • Cost for dedicated IP is higher than some competitors

Is Turbo VPN for You or Your Business?

The best VPNs on the market are flexible, offering up functionality for remote workers, small businesses and everyday web surfers. Turbo VPN is for personal use, and its marketing reflects that.

The killer is the lack of a dedicated IP option. Even as a security tool, businesses need a dedicated IP address to interface with remote workers and configure cloud-based apps. Turbo VPN doesn’t have that functionality, leaving it suitable for personal use such as unblocking content from other countries.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Turbo VPN safe?

It’s not entirely clear how safe Turbo VPN is. The company’s website is sparse and does not instill the sense that privacy is the main concern. Its “no-logs policy” is equally vague.

Turbo VPN did confirm to Forbes Advisor that free users are protected by AES-128 level encryption, and premium users get AES-256. But this is information that should be front and center for all to see.

A lot of trust goes into choosing a VPN service. Turbo VPN says it is secure, but there are other VPNs in the same price range that have been independently audited for security.

Is Turbo VPN free?

Turbo VPN offers a free service that’s supported by ads. The free plan is limited in a number of ways, only allowing you to connect a single device and limiting the number of server locations you have access to.

 

Turbo VPN also offers four paid options. For $11.99 per month to as much as $99.99 every two years, the paid versions offers multiple simultaneous connections, access to the entire server network and no ads.

Does Turbo VPN hide your IP address?

Turbo VPN hides your IP address from external sources, and it doesn’t log or monitor your IP address while you’re connected. That makes your internet connection nearly impossible to track, but there’s a little more going on if you use Turbo VPN’s free service.

 

The ad-supported free plan allows advertisers to use cookies and other tracking measures through advertisements. So, although Turbo VPN hides your IP address, you can still be tracked if you’re using the free service.

Are VPNs illegal?

VPNs are legal in most countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Certain countries, such as China and Russia, have laws against using a VPN to bypass banned websites.

Regardless of the country you’re in, doing anything illegal while you’re connected to a VPN is still illegal.

How do I connect to a VPN?

The process for connecting to a VPN varies, depending on your device and operating system. Generally, you need to download the VPN’s app or software, enter your username and password and select a server. For more detailed instructions, check out the VPN’s website or contact customer service.