TechRadar Verdict
If you could get it to work, USAIP would probably be a solid VPN service, with support for Netflix and BBC iPlayer, as well as some excellent security mechanisms. But chances are, you won’t be able to run it and the customer support doesn’t even seem to exist anymore.
Pros
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Free trial
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User-friendly plans
Cons
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Appears inactive now
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No customer support
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No native clients
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US-based
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First impressions count - and USAIP VPN left us seriously unimpressed. The company website needs some work, feeling like an outdated mess. But what caught our eye was the assertion that the VPN promises ‘full and strong anonymity’. Nearly all VPNs make this claim, then either fail to have an independent party run a VPN audit to check the companies live up to their claims. So, how does USAIP VPN stack up in the privacy and security stakes?
The service was founded in 2017, with 35 servers spread across 20 different countries around the world in regions like Pakistan, China, Russia, Estonia, Luxembourg, and the USA. This is significantly fewer than the industry average, and tiny compared to big-name VPNs like CyberGhost VPN, which boasts over 8,100 servers in 90 countries.
USAIP VPN: Pricing & plans
The VPN service offers a single plan - so everyone gets the same features and benefits. However, it does have different pricing based on subscription length. 24 hours for $1.49, $3.99 a week, and $7.99 a month. An annual subscription costs $74.99.
There’s no free VPN option here - but the VPN provider offers a free trial that includes unlimited access but requires you to reconnect every 7 minutes. You can request a refund during the first 3 days of your subscription if you're extremely dissatisfied with the service.
USAIP VPN accepts credit cards, PayPal, Webmoney, Skrill, Perfect Money, and Ukash, as payment options.
USAIP VPN: Privacy & encryption
According to USAIP, the service does not collect sensitive user information; however, in their privacy policy they state that “any mild information may be shared with 3rd parties or law enforcement officials.” This indicates the company logs data, even though it's vague about the kind of data collected.
Our primary concern with the USAIP logging policy is the absence of a recent external audit, which would support the company's assertions regarding the types of logs maintained.
It is imperative to keep in mind that this VPN is based in the US, which is a member of a 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance (a group of countries that share surveillance data with each other). Your privacy might be jeopardized as a result of USAIP's obligation to give your data to the government upon demand. We suggest using VPNs like Express VPN instead, which are transparent and have had their software openly audited to prove their privacy claims. If you still want to proceed with getting this virtual private network, proceed with caution.
USAIP uses military-grade 256-bit encryption, which is unbreakable even by anyone or a computer, along with the PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, SSTP, and OpenVPN protocols. To break it, you would need to try a gazillion of different combinations, which hasn't been done yet. This isn’t a VPN for torrenting though, or a VPN for China for that matter, due to a lack of obfuscation tools.
USAIP VPN: Streaming
USAIP VPN is touted to be a streaming VPN, its website promising to grant access to well-known geo-restricted streaming services - we found out otherwise. We couldn't access any of its servers, so there was no way we could test it to see if it would unblock any streaming channels. If you’re looking for a Netflix VPN to access content on streaming platforms, you can try USAIP, but you may need to look for a more reliable alternative.
USAIP VPN: Speed & experience
Despite the VPN's assertions that its service increases internet speed, tests for USAIP’s VPN servers were not possible because we were unable to make the service function no matter how hard we tried. It's highly likely that the service in now wholly inactive - a statement that, if true, should've been made clear on its outmoded website.
USAIP VPN: Apps
The tool runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, with mobile VPN apps for Android, iOS, and iPad. Routers are also supported. For each of them, the website offers comprehensive setup instructions and configuration files to make installation easier, as well as a list of possible error codes and their solutions.
USAIP VPN: Customer support
Customer support for USAIP subscribers appears to be defunct, or at least ignored. As we do with all VPN providers, to test their response time, we emailed USAIP VPN's support team. We never received a response.
USAIP VPN: Alternatives
Since during our review, USAIP appeared almost entirely inoperative, we strongly recommend investing in a more reliable alternative. After extensive testing, top tools we recommend trying include:
ExpressVPN which is one of the best VPN services available that enables five concurrent connections on devices and unblocks all major streaming platforms.
NordVPN has over 5,200 servers scattered across 60 countries.
Proton VPN does not monitor your actions or utilize any of your personal information.
PureVPN has an encrypted VPN tunnel that allows you to access prohibited websites and browse around the world at speeds up to 1,000 times faster than normal.
Verdict
Despite all those big promises on its website, our devices simply wouldn't connect to USAIP's VPN. And our requests for support from the company appear to have been ignored. This is unfortunate because we think it would have been a really good VPN with support for Netflix and Hulu. In the end, there is absolutely no situation under which we would suggest this VPN for use, as there are plenty of other VPNs out there that can give what USAIP VPN promises, and more.
