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Back in 2010, Le VPN began as the only virtual private network (VPN) service created in France. By 2014, it featured the largest server network with custom-built VPN software. Today, Le VPN offers a secure and stable connection supported by a WireGuard protocol, which makes for much faster connections than a transmission control protocol (TCP-over-TCP) by using a User Data Protocol (UDP).
Our experts took a good look at all the components that make up Le VPN, and this review should give you the inside view on this particular VPN.
Rating: ★★★½
Starting with the pricing, Le VPN offers three main packages, so users don’t end up overpaying, for example, if they only plan to use it for a limited time. You can use it with a one-month, six-month, or a one-year package, and – for the skeptics out there – it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Le VPN offers seven different protocols, each geared toward a different user purpose. Simply put, you’re covered whether you want to access geo-blocked content or increase connection security. With servers in over 114 countries around the globe, Le VPN’s service is more than adequate. For speed performance, the service appears to offer good speeds based on geographically close locations but seems to falter a little the further off you are.
Our researchers are dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and up-to-date information so you can make an informed decision when it comes to buying a VPN. We will only recommend a provider after hours of testing, extensive head-to-head feature comparisons, and after taking into account verified customer feedback and reviews, and the opinions of industry experts.
Our Le VPN review score was determined by the following categories:
We research and test a total of 25 elements within these categories, including:
All of our VPN articles are verified by our in-house team of fact-checkers, so you can be assured our content is as accurate and up to date as possible.
Read our VPN review methodology for full details.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| HyrbidVPN technology allows a selective VPN application | Some of the packages can be pricey |
| Extensive server coverage | No independent audit |
| Multiple protocols available | Limited no-log policy |
| Affordable pricing | Full refund limited to seven days |
| Torrenting and geo-blocked content access |
When you look at Le VPN and the services it offers, it doesn’t really paint the complete picture. The encrypted proxy service is a layer of security you might not find on every VPN, so it’s definitely a major plus point for Le VPN. However, we looked into some other big players in the VPN field and determined how Le VPN performed in the lineup.
| Product | Monthly price | Cheapest price | Free version | No of servers | Max devices supported | Netflix | BBC iPlayer | Disney Plus | Amazon | HBO Max | Audit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le VPN | $9.95 (£7.80) | $4.95 (£3.88)/m (1 year) | Yes | 700+ | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | No |
| ExpressVPN | £10.41 | £5.36/m (1 year) | No | 3,000+ | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Yes |
| NordVPN | £10.39 | £2.79/m (2 years) | No | 5,400+ | 6 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Yes |
| VPNSecure | $9.95 (£7.80) | $2.99 (£2.35)/m (3 years) | No | 75 | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | No |
| CyberGhost | £10.89 | £1.85/m (3 years) | No | 9,773 | 7 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Yes |
| Surfshark | £10.18 | £1.81/m (2 years) | No | 3,200+ | Unlimited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Yes |
The average VPN service can range anywhere between £5 to £15 a month, with cheap VPNs possibly not offering the full range of features a more expensive one might. Naturally, the actual price depends on a number of factors, such as the kinds of services the VPN provides and the length of contract.
The pricing structure of Le VPN is pretty straightforward but can also be limiting if you’re looking for particular deals. To begin with, you can simply go with the monthly plan. This will cost you $9.95 a month, which is still on the cheaper side compared to other major providers.
However, you can go for it for a whole year for just $4.95 per month, which boasts about 50 per cent saving. For a shorter subscription period, the six-month deal is just $7.50 a month, which is still 20 per cent in savings. How much it costs you in the long run really depends on how you use it and if you choose the right pricing package to go with it.
The 30-day money-back guarantee means you can test out Le VPN for the first month, and if it doesn’t fit your needs, you will get reimbursed for your initial payment. Our product testing found, however, that this period did not promise a complete refund. Within seven days of signing up, if you cancel, you can expect to receive 100 per cent of your payment back. If you cancel after seven days but before the 30-day period is up, you will only get a partial refund.
| Subscription term | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 month | $9.95 (£7.80) / month |
| 6 months | $7.50 (£5.88) / month ($44.99/£35.30 up front) |
| 12 months | $4.95 (£3.88) / month ($59.40/£46.60 up front) |
Not even the best pricing plan is of much use if you can’t actually take advantage of it. The mark of a good VPN provider can accommodate most clients’ needs, and Le VPN does not disappoint in that regard.
Le VPN payment options
As far as VPNs go, Le VPN has a decent selection of features to offer. It does boast a simple user interface (UI) for the iOS and Android app, which, considering the number of confusing and hard-to-use apps you can find, is a pretty big plus.
The service does also have a no-log policy, which is a basic tenet of user privacy, and, combined with crypto payments, can finally mean a thorough privacy policy.
The service assures the use of at least 700 servers spread out across the world, which means you get a lot of options when using Le VPN. Compared to its competitors, some of whom offer thousands in server count, this may not be a great number. However, combined with the features and the pricing package, you’re getting a decent deal.
The servers are located in 49 European locations and are the fastest for American connections, as we found in our testing. They’re also available in 12 North American locations, six locations in Africa and the Middle East, 20 in Asia and Oceania, six in Central America, and seven in South America.
Le VPN has a strict no-log policy, which is right up there with other privacy needs. This means it does not record or hold any information about your online activities. It is located in Hong Kong for the precise reason of avoiding the strict data retention laws of its French birthplace, but many privacy-conscious reviewers have worries about how much control China might have in demanding data from businesses based in Hong Kong.
It’s important to note though that Le VPN has not been audited, so we can only take it at its word regarding the no-log policy.
Another factor in favour of Le VPN is the built-in kill switch that maintains your online privacy. This kill switch automatically cuts your internet connection if your VPN fails for any reason. This ensures your browsing does not switch to a connection where it can be intercepted by anyone.
A split tunnelling feature is particularly useful with VPNs. It essentially allows you to split your internet traffic over a VPN or an internet service provider (ISP) tunnel. This means that you can move some of your traffic through the VPN, such as sensitive data that you would like a bit more privacy for, while you use other local services without the VPN at the same time.
Without this feature, you might find yourself struggling with a slower bandwidth while the VPN is engaged. It may also make it difficult to use local services with the VPN if they are not available through the server you are connected to.
Unfortunately, Le VPN does not yet offer split tunnelling. However, it does offer a HybridVPN, which we will discuss in a bit.
Our security tests for Le VPN provided satisfactory results, to say the least. The VPN service features AES-256 encryption, which is the most secure encryption algorithm you can find today on any service. With multiple VPN protocols, you can pick and choose whatever best fits your need at the time – all protocols are included in a single price package.
The kill switch combined with the no-log policy are important features when it comes to privacy. Both ensure your activities online remain hidden, and you do not accidentally lose your data privacy. With the number of servers it provides in combination, you can expect a pretty good security infrastructure with Le VPN.
The SmartDNS feature, which few other VPN services provide, allows you to access streaming content on smart devices from anywhere in the world. Le VPN gives you access to channels in the US, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Ireland, and Australia, among others. You can switch regions with a single button without needing to reconfigure location settings. Best of all, it maintains fast internet speeds, so you can stream without any buffering. This is included in all pricing packages, and Le VPN definitely got a point for this service from us.
The HybridVPN feature offered by Le VPN gives you the security of a VPN connection and the services of a SmartDNS. Once you activate HybridVPN from the protocols option, it provides you with data security and encryption while automatically unblocking streaming content from multiple countries and regions. At the same time, it maintains your internet speed while you browse online, whether you’re streaming or just looking to secure your online activities.
Performance tests for your VPN are important to ensure you’re getting what is advertised. As such, we utilised various test methods to determine Le VPN’s actual performance. These include testing:
We used the Ookla speed test to determine the performance of Le VPN.
| Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Latency (ping) | Percentage of base download speed | Percentage of base upload speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 6.89 | 0.8 | 79ms | ||
| UK to UK | 3.38 | 0.63 | 662ms | 49% | 78.70% |
| UK to US | 2.26 | 0.55 | 768ms | 32.80% | 68.70% |
| UK to Aus | 1.06 | 0.67 | 557ms | 15.30% | 83.75% |
The UK-to-UK test showed the highest percentage of base download speed and the second lowest latency rate, showing the power of a local connection.
The UK-to-US test showed the highest latency we’ve seen, with the lowest percentage of upload speed.
The UK to Australia test showed a very low download speed and percentage of base download, although it also offered the highest upload speed.
A WebRTC leak test checks for possible leaks between web browser communications. Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) allows web browsers to communicate directly without needing a third-party server. This maintains the security of communications. In our tests, we found no WebRTC leaks on the Le VPN service.
In our research, we found no data breaches with Le VPN in the past five years. We believe this is excellent news and certainly a point in favour of Le VPN. We can only hope that Le VPN continues to maintain this level of service in the future. Le VPN has not been audited by a third party, unlike many of its competitors.
Le VPN is compatible with a number of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It’s also available on Firestick, meaning streaming is a simple task with Le VPN compared to many other VPN options, and it can also be used directly with a DD-WRT router.
The desktop version of Le VPN is easy enough to use. For both Windows and Mac, all you have to do is download the app, install it, and it’s ready to use. You can change the server location any time you want. All in all, the setup is pretty simple and straightforward.
The Android mobile app is available on the Google Play Store, while the iOS app can be found on the App Store. They’re simple enough to download, and once you do, setup and launch are pretty straightforward to use.
Le VPN is compatible with a DD-WRT router. The setup process is outlined in detail on its website, so you won’t have any trouble connecting your router.
The process is simple enough. You must first apply new Basic Settings that ensure your VPN won’t use your ISP DNS servers. Next, you disable the IPv6 and enable the VPN client from the VPN settings. Set the parameters as outlined on the website in Advanced Options. At the end, check that you get a Connected Status on your VPN and enjoy the service.
We found Le VPN to connect without any issues.
When it comes to customer support, Le VPN certainly has some options to offer. You can open a ticket with customer support and submit your query as a mail message. This may work, but we have found this to be a relatively slower option when many VPNs offer live chat services to quickly resolve issues.
Le VPN does offer a pretty comprehensive FAQs and Knowledge Base page that can potentially address many of your questions. If not, Le VPN also has an AI chat option that can scour all available information to help you. All in all, we would suggest that Le VPN could really benefit from more direct customer support.
User ratings across various platforms are generally pretty good for Le VPN. We found something of a mixed view among users regarding the service.
“What I like most about their service is the customer service. They always respond quickly and accurately. I also find that there is a low (but not zero) incidence of non-connection, and I suspect most of those are down to my internet provider. Good value for money.”
“Great features that many other apps do not have and work better than any other. Very Pleased with its good speed and simplicity.”
“Okay for most places, but still not able to get it to do me any good on ABC’s iPlayer in Australia. It used to work fine, but as of about a year ago, I only get a ‘Sorry, you are outside Australia’ message.”
Our testing of Le VPN found it a reliable service, with good and effective security and encryption protocols. Its range of servers and security services is in line with what it’s charging, and it offers the level of security it promises.
The SmartDNS and HybridVPN service are major factors in favour of Le VPN, which, where available, will likely cost you a lot more than other VPNs. Live customer support is the only major shortcoming we found, but if all goes well, we suspect you won’t really need it that much.
Score: ★★★½
| Reputation | ★★ |
|---|---|
| Privacy | ★★★½ |
| Performance and features | ★★★★ |
| Plans and pricing value | ★★★★ |
| Customer experience | ★★★★ |
The data in this review is reported from a neutral stance and should be used for informational purposes only. We review VPN services from the perspective of:
Independent Advisor does not endorse the streaming of content from regions other than where the subscription is held, nor does it endorse the downloading or consumption of illegally pirated content.
