PandaPow VPN Review 2022

Last updated: November 4, 2023
William Sams
William Sams
PandaPow is a reasonable service with good security and performance but its pricing plans are too high. Netflix works but the provider need to add more servers. A more detailed analysis is available in this PandaPow VPN Review 2022.

BV-PandaPow-VPN-Review

Jurisdiction Hong Kong
Price $7.00/mo on a 1-Year Plan
Servers 120+ VPN in 16 Countries
Logs Stores Connection Logs
Encryption AES-256-Bit
Unblocks Netflix No
Torrenting No
Works in China No
Recommended  No
Website https://pandapow.io/
Compatibility Windows, Android, Apple, Desktop, Chrome

We tried to evaluate all the features, capabilities, and pros & cons of PandaPow VPN in “PandaPow VPN Review 2022″, for our followers to make it easy for them to decide the best VPN service for them.

PandaPow VPN is a Hong Kong-based VPN that provides access to 120+ servers in over 16 different countries. It has a variety of advantages, including a 7-day money-back guarantee, compatibility, a PandaPow free trial, and excellent customer service.

This VPN’s logging policy is a weak point, which will disappoint those who value their privacy. All of your metadata, including IP address, session length, and bandwidth usage, will be stored indefinitely.

Not everything is horrible, though; PandaPow Classic is an easy-to-use, that is also blazing fast. Unfortunately, you can’t use torrents with this service since the supplier strictly prohibits file sharing. We’ve checked PandaPow’s servers for responsiveness, speed, and reliability and found them to be up to snuff.

Aside from our review of PandaPow, we think ExpressVPN, the market leader, is the best option for most people. Fast throughput, a massive infrastructure of over 3000 servers, and strong protections all come included. Every ExpressVPN subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

PandaPow VPN Review – Pros & Cons

In the PandaPow VPN review, we have evaluated a few key pros and cons of PandaPow VPN.

Pros

  • Innovative and robust safeguards.
  • Rapid speeds.
  • Over 120+ servers.
  • Cash-back assurance.
  • Three concurrent connections.

Cons

  • No kill button.
  • There is no SOCKS5 proxy for torrents.

PandaPow VPN Review – Rating Criteria

In our PandaPow VPN review, we have evaluated the following features of the service, let’s have a look:

  1. JurisdictionWhere is PandaPow Based?
  2. Security:  Is PandaPow safe to keep you protected?
  3. Leaks: PandaPow IPv6, WebRTC, and DNS Test
  4. ServersHow Many Servers Does PandaPow Have?
  5. StreamingCan PandaPow Unblock Netflix US?
  6. SpeedHow Fast are PandaPow Servers?
  7. CompatibilityCan I Use PandaPow on All My Devices?
  8. PricingHow Much Does PandaPow Cost Exactly?
  9. TrustworthinessWhat Do Users Say about PandaPow?

Jurisdiction – Where is PandaPow Based?

PandaPow is primarily based out of Hong Kong. This would make it an incredibly attractive option as Hong Kong has a famously favorable attitude towards ensuring maximum security and safety for users online.

Similarly, it is not a member of any alliances like the 5/9/14 Eyes and maintains strict legislation against the invasion of users’ digital privacy. However, things are not as simple as they may seem when concerning Hong Kong!

User privacy Under Threat in Hong Kong

Under the “one country, two systems” concept, Hong Kong retains the right to govern itself per its own laws. However, mainland China has begun obvious digital and physical incursions.

With violence escalating to new heights in 2019, Hong Kong has begun to lose some of its sheen as an attractive privacy-friendly country. This is a piece of especially bad news for VPN users.

PandaPow China bare-metal servers are most at risk as the Chinese have begun moving in troops inside Hong Kong’s territory. The possibility of such data being in Chinese hands is a frightful prospect.

PandaPow’s own unwillingness to reveal whether they maintain physical or virtual servers adds fuel to this fire of suspicion.

Security – Is PandaPow safe to keep you protected?

Is PandaPow safe? Actually, PandaPow gives users a decent amount of online protection thanks to its AES-256-GCM military-grade encryption. This is further strengthened by the 2048-bit authentication that uses a variety of different tunneling protocols.

These include PPTP, OpenVPN (TP and UDP), L2TP as well as IPSec. The combination of these settings ensures that users are protected online without worrying about any vulnerabilities.

Lax logs policy

Unfortunately, these sophisticated encryption protocols do not mean much since PandaPow maintains full logs of its users’ activities.

In addition to connection as well as session information of its users, it also stores other crucial information such as email addresses, contact numbers, usernames, passwords and etc.

Some other information that it potentially has access to includes IP addresses, bandwidth speeds, as well as a full log of all data used on the device. Needless to say, all of this is incriminating information, which means your privacy is not secure!

Pandapow VPN Protocols Review

On all of its compatible app clients, PandaPow VPN has deployed its own proprietary SSL-based protocol. This protocol, PandaPow VPN claims, work to enable it to remain unblocked in countries like China and power a much more secure experience for users elsewhere on the globe.

But despite having said that, according to our PandaPow VPN Review, its proprietary protocol seems to be nothing more than OpenVPN protocol itself and the Proprietary SSL-based protocol is just another name the company christened it with.

OpenVPN is the most secure VPN protocol and is the industry standard right now, so we would like to suggest to PandaPow VPN drop the fancy name and just mention that it uses OpenVPN protocol whenever asked.

Leaks – PandaPow IPv6, WebRTC, and DNS Test

As with most VPN providers, we wanted to see how secure are their protocols in terms of ensuring there are no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks taking place. Using ipleak.net, we conducted three different tests and got the following results:

IP Leak

When a user’s true IP address escapes over a VPN connection, this is known as an IP leak. This can happen if the user’s computer, instead of connecting to the anonymous VPN servers allocated by the network, is contacting the default servers.

Due to its lack of security, PandaPow should not be used by anybody. The service also proved to be leak-proof across a range of protocols, from Internet Protocol to Domain Name Systems and even Web Real-Time Communication. This is the evidence for IP leaks:

PandaPow Leak Test 1

DNS Leak Test

A DNS leak is a vulnerability in a VPN that reveals user DNS queries to their ISP DNS servers. Although VPN users are most at risk, both proxy and direct internet users can take precautions against it.

The PandaPow service is reliable that passed the DNS test, still we have reservations regarding other features due to which we do not want others to use it.

PandaPow Leak Test 2

WebRTC Leak Test

The exposure of an IP address during WebRTC communication is known as a “leak” and represents a serious threat to user privacy. When using a web browser that supports WebRTC to have a voice or video conversation with another person, information might be leaked.

Even though PanadaPow scored highly on the WebRTC evaluation, we cannot endorse it for the reasons stated above.

PandaPow Leak Test 3

Servers – How Many Servers Does PandaPow Have?

Currently, PandaPow offers VPN servers in over 120+ servers across 16 countries. The statistics aren’t terrible, but we do wish the supplier would add additional servers to its current network.

It is essential because other VPN services, such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN, provide members with access to a vast network of servers. The PandaPow does not share any details regarding the capacity of its servers.

Server Locations

When deciding on a virtual private network, it is crucial to consider the VPN’s server-to-country ratio. Paying too much attention to the physical location or the total number of servers might lead to disaster. A larger number of servers usually equates to quicker speeds.

However if VPN “A” has only a couple extra servers than VPN “B” but double quite so many users, VPN “A” would normally have slower speeds. A VPN with several servers worldwide is preferable. Because of this, you can rest assured that the server/country of your choice will not be overloaded and sluggish.

PandaPow Classic has 120+ servers in 16 countries, a few prominent locations include the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, India,  Thailand, and Singapore.

Pandapow-server-locations

 

P2P and Torrenting – Does PandaPow Support P2P and Torrenting?

With the DMCA sending complaints and pursuing legal action against both the businesses and the people that indulge in torrent downloading or uploading, it is virtually necessary to utilize a VPN in order to torrent securely.

While PandaPow VPN does offer peer-to-peer connections, if you require a VPN expressly for torrenting, you may want to consider a service that also includes a SOCKS5 proxy. This will provide an additional layer of protection for your data.

The encryption provided by PandaPow is robust enough to hide your IP address and render it impossible to be linked to the torrents you download.

Streaming – Can PandaPow Unblock Netflix?

Utilizing PandaPow for Netflix is a major disappointment, PandaPow cannot unblock any major streaming platform. This means that if you’re looking for a VPN solution that could give you access to US Netflix’s wide array of content, then PandaPow isn’t the option for you.

PandaPow Netflix Proxy Detected Error

Speed – How Fast are PandaPow Servers?

PandaPow, although offering service from over 120 servers in 16 countries, has very slow connection speeds when compared to other VPN companies.

However, we decided to give it a shot by subjecting it to the PandaPow speed test. The test was performed over a 100 Mbps connection, and the results were as follows:

PandaPow Server PandaPow Download PandaPow Upload Ping
USA 22 Mbps 18 Mbps 89 ms
UK 31 Mbps 25 Mbps 112 ms
Canada 21 Mbps 16 Mbps 84 ms
Italy 29 Mbps 21 Mbps 100 ms
Netherlands 17 Mbps 15 Mbps 98 ms
Average 24 Mbps 19 Mbps 101 ms

Compatibility – Can I Use PandaPow on All My Devices?

This VPN is compatible with all of the most used systems. Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android, are just some of the platforms and devices that are supported. In particular, PandaPow VPN has a manual configuration option for Linux users.
The PandaPow android apps can be found in the Google Play store, while the PandaPow iPad and iPhone apps can be found in the iTunes store. Subscribers may find guidelines on the website for setting up and using the VPN on a variety of devices.

Pandapow WiFi VPN Router

The most popular way to set up a VPN for which no compatible app is offered is sideloading, but most of the time, this can be a very long and time-consuming process, so to ease your troubles, PandaPow VPN offers its own WifI VPN router.

This Wifi Router allows you to use any device under the cover of the VPN because it makes all the traffic go through its route, thereby making it automatically secure. The PandaPow Wifi Router will cost you $99 for a year’s worth of VPN subscription and the router included.

Pandapow-wifi-router

Pricing – How Much Does PandaPow Cost Exactly?

The most perfect kind of pricing plan in the VPN industry is one that offers all the features in all the plans, with the only difference being the duration for which the subscription lasts. And that’s exactly what we got at PandaPow.

The Provider has very uncomplicated pricing plans ranging from monthly, quarterly, and yearly subscriptions.

  • Monthly Subscription – $9.00/month billed once
  • Quarterly Subscription – $24.00 ($8.00 per month)
  • Yearly Subscription – $84.00 ($7.00 per month)

PandaPow Pricing

Payment Methods

As far as payment options go, PandaPow payment makes it easy by giving users an impressive list of options to choose from. Some of these options include:

  • PayPal
  • VISA
  • MasterCard
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • WeChat Pay
  • Union Pay

Additionally, it gives users an increased level of financial security digitally by giving them the option to pay via Bitcoins. Users can make BTC payments without any worries.

Refund policy

PandaPow also gives users a 7-day money-back guarantee if they’re unsatisfied with the services they get. This is in addition to the free 24 hours trial all users get.

Trustworthiness – What Do Users Say about PandaPow?

I’ve outlined PandaPow VPN’s customer service features so you can get a feel for the trustworthiness of this service. This should be helpful if you are considering subscribing to it.

Customer support

When reviewing a VPN, we always make sure to contact their support personnel and see how responsive they are. This includes monitoring the time it takes for emails to be answered and asking technical questions using the live chat facility (if available).

No matter what your VPN needs are—accessing a specific server, altering your security protocol, or setting up a VPN on your router—you should prioritize selecting a provider with excellent customer service.

The support function of PandaPow VPN comprises:-

  • Contact Us – For any technical assistance, you can contact them.
  • Blog – You can discuss anything related to service on their forum.
  • FAQ – These are frequently asked questions, inserted to guide users properly.
  • Getting Started Guide – For users who don’t know the features of the service or don’t know how to operate it.
  • Client Area – from here you can log in to your dedicated PandaPow account.
  • How-to Guides – These are specifically written guides for the technical assistance of users
  • Sub-sections – They are specially made sections that consist of specified knowledge.
  • 24/7 Live Chat – Here you can connect immediately to the technical staff.

PandaPow Alternatives

PandaPow is a respectable VPN service, but it pales in comparison to the likes of ExpressVPN, despite being priced similarly for extended periods of time.

If you’re not willing to shell out that much cash but still require a feature-rich VPN, you can choose from among the other industry heavyweights, such as NordVPNSurfshark, or CyberGhost, all of which offer access to thousands of servers and facilitate lightning-fast connections to any of them.

Is PandaPow VPN Recommended?

PandaPow isn’t recommended. Although it’s a fast processing service with handy programs and excellent customer support stands out in our PandaPow VPN Review, but it’s malicious, therefore it might infect your devices at any time.

However, it is limited in useful ways due to things like IP logging, a lack of servers, expensive pricing, and connectivity concerns. Overall, it received a 2.8 out of 5-star rating on our scale.  We recommend you to try ExpressVPN, which is an overall perfect service with a risk-free 30 days money-back guarantee.

As ExpressVPN has large number of server network that you can use for free from anywhere in the world, on its free trial. For an instance, we have tried to connect to different countries of the on ExpressVPN’s free trial such as UK, Canada, South Korea and Germany. And ExpressVPN has proven itself as to be the top free VPN for Germany For American Users, UK, and South Korea etc.

PandaPow VPN Review – FAQs

Can I cancel a subscription at any time?

Yes, if you desire to disable your PandaPow account’s automatic billing, please visit the customer area. There, you may click the link labeled “Stop billing automatically” for your VPN membership. If the “Billing” status of your account is “once,” it does not have automated recurring billing.

Therefore, there is no membership to cancel; the membership will expire at the completion of the mentioned period and will not be up for renewal unless you submit the next payment.

Can I use PandaPow on all my computers/phones/tablets?

Yes, you can. With a standard PandaPow VPN service, you may connect up to three devices simultaneously. But if you require more, you can simply get an additional VPN account. There is no limit on non-concurrent use, so you may install the PandaPow app on any of your compatible devices.

As long as you do not connect more than three devices at once, you may utilize it on an unlimited number of devices. You may also obtain a PandaPow WiFi account, which allows you to connect an unlimited number of devices to PandaPow simultaneously. It’s as simple as connecting to a WiFi hotspot, but with PandaPow VPN built in.

Does PandaPow provide me with an Internet Connection?

No, internet connectivity to the internet is required before you may use PandaPow.

Can I use PandaPow on my Apple TV/ Playstation/Xbox/ or Smart TV?

Yes, you can. You only need PandaPow WiFi. With PandaPow WiFi, any Wi-Fi-enabled device may connect to the VPN service. Nothing has to be installed or configured; simply connect and play.

A “regular” PandaPow account,  may only be used on devices that enable VPN, either through the applications or through built-in VPN features. Typical media devices such as Apple TV, Xbox, Smart TVs, Playstation, etc., do not have such functionality; so, PandaPow WiFi is necessary.

Compatible with device: Windows, Android, Apple, Desktop, Chrome,

One Response to PandaPow VPN Review 2022

  1. Everett says:

    Been using PandaPow for 2 months now, the first few weeks were quite good and the VPN unblocked Netflix too. now it doesn’t work most of the times so it is quite frustrating.

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