CactusVPN Review (2022)

5/5
SpecsInfo
⭐ Rating:3.3 ★★★☆☆
🥇 Overall rank:#26 out of #29
📖 No logs policy:No logs
💵 Price:$2.99/month
🖥️ Servers:1080+ servers in 210 countries
🍿 Streaming services:Youtube

If you are searching for the best CactusVPN review at the internet? No problem, we got you covered at ProXPN. The last couple of years, we saw an enormous growth in the amount of VPN providers at the market, which is quite logical since an estimated 35% of internet users have been using VPN services the past year. Choosing the right one can be quite a task, but don't worry about it because we are here to help you out. Read our in-depth CactusVPN guide and learn everything about this service, we are quite sure that once you’re done with reading you will know if this service suits you best.

Ben Grindlow

Ben Grindlow is the founder of ProXPN, a company that provides reviews about VPN products and services. Ben's interest in cybersecurity and privacy led him to start ProXPN, which has become one of the most well-respected VPN providers in the world. Ben is passionate about his work, and he is constantly exploring new ways to improve ProXPN's in-depth guides.

Last updated: 13:13PM 10/12/2022

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CactusVPN

Enjoy Real Privacy and Bypass Blocks!
$ 9
99
Monthly
  • Global internet access
  • Use on any device
  • Easy to use
First plan

Table of Contents

CactusVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) service that has only been available to customers for a limited amount of time. Because of this, it is (currently) a rather minor player when compared to other VPN service providers. The service, in spite of the fact that it is provided by a very little business, has, in our judgment, accomplished a great deal of success in many areas.

The service does a very good job of protecting users' privacy and data. This particular VPN service already has an advantage with us due to the fact that we consider this to be a highly vital feature. On this page, among other things, you will discover information on the measures they take to protect users' privacy and the safety precautions they take.

In this CactusVPN review, we will examine all of the most significant features, as well as how to make advantage of them. In this way, you will be able to determine, on the basis of our expertise, whether or not this particular VPN service is suitable for your needs.

CactusVPN servers

The server selection provided by CactusVPN is currently fairly restricted, since the company does not operate servers in a particularly wide variety of countries. At the moment, they have 32 servers spread over 20 countries. This does include the nations that are significant to the majority of people, such the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

There are specialized servers available for handling BitTorrent download activity. There are also servers that have a connection of one gigabit per second to guarantee a quick connection.

In contrast to other virtual private network (VPN) services, CactusVPN allows you to select the subscription plan that best suits your needs and then uses that information to select which servers you may connect to. You may learn more about that topic by reading the part on this page titled “cost.”

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Software CactusVPN

Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android all have their own respective clients to choose from. There are also browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, as well as applications for AndroidTV and Amazon FireTV. In addition, step-by-step instructions that are easy to understand are provided on the website for installing CactusVPN for Windows Mobile.

As part of this assessment of CactusVPN, we put the client software through its paces on a number of different operating systems. We are able to confirm for you right now that the software that is provided by CactusVPN is of a high quality and is simple to operate. You may find our experiences broken down per platform down below.

Windows and CactusVPN

The Windows software that CactusVPN has made available has exceeded our expectations, and we are delighted with it. You'll find out in a minute what these additional features are like in comparison to other VPN services when you read about them.

The program appears to be of high quality and is quite clear. You will be required to input your login information the very first time you open up the software after it has been installed on your computer. After that, you will be presented with a list of different countries from which to choose the server to which you will connect. Additionally, you have the ability to select the protocol that you wish to use; nevertheless, OpenVPN is the one that we usually advise using.

The fact that CactusVPN has an app killer is one of the things that sets it apart from competing VPN clients and is one of the features that makes us extremely satisfied. This is a kill switch that can only be used with certain programs. You may configure your torrent client, for instance, to terminate the minute the VPN connection provided by CactusVPN is lost.

The Windows program, in general, is quite user-friendly and performs very well. In our evaluation, we had great things to say about the numerous different configuration possibilities. In addition, even persons with less technical knowledge should have no trouble adjusting the settings.

Client Mac OS and CactusVPN

The key difference between this client and the Windows client is that the SSTP protocol is not supported by this client. If you intend to utilize OpenVPN or L2TP/IPsec, you won't actually be missing out on this feature. The client for the Mac OS has also been updated to include the capabilities of the app killer. Therefore, this is also quite positive.

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Android and Cactus VPN

Additionally, the user interface of the CactusVPN Android app is uncluttered and simple to navigate. There are fewer settings available here compared to the Windows client. On the other hand, this makes sense and is a purpose for a VPN program.

On the Android app, for instance, the only protocol that can be used is OpenVPN, and there is neither a kill switch nor an option to terminate running applications. On the other hand, you may easily select the port you wish to use for the connection, which is perfect if, for instance, a particular port is prohibited in your network.

You will have the ability to select, with little effort, the nation in which the server you wish to connect to should be situated. Additionally, the process of connecting to the VPN server is as simple as clicking a single button.

iOS and CactusVPN

The iOS software that lets you utilize the VPN on your iPad and iPhone operates in a slightly different way than the Android version. The VPN profiles will be created for you automatically by the iOS app.

After that, you'll have the option to connect to the newly generated profiles in the configuration settings of your iPhone or iPad. It may appear to be difficult, but in reality, it's not that difficult at all. The website also includes a concise explanation of everything.

One key distinction between iOS and Android is the utilization of the L2TP/IPSec protocol. In the same vein as OpenVPN, this provides an adequate level of protection.

Privacy and safety CactusVPN

Already, we are able to disclose that CactusVPN receives high marks in the aforementioned categories. To begin, no data relating to the users is stored. Therefore, there is no trace of the websites that were accessed, nor of the data that was transmitted or received.

You also have the opportunity to open an account in total secrecy and to make payments using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and nearly 20 other alternatives. Additional payment options include Alipay, BoletoBancario, Qiwi, WebMoney, and others. These payment methods are optional.

Since the company's headquarters are located in Moldova, it is subject to the laws of that country. The fact that a government may simply demand data from customers of a service does not affect the company providing the service. Therefore, this is even another advantage.

ProXPN Expert Tip

When choosing a VPN, it’s important to consider everything that it offers. Many alternative options, like NordVPN, offer similar (or even better) no-logs policies, independent audits, and security features – without any doubts about their overall security practices.

OpenVPN and good encryption

At CactusVPN, we also put a strong emphasis on maintaining a high level of technical security. For instance, the OpenVPN protocol uses 256-bit AES encryption to protect data transmissions. In addition, 256-bit encryption is available for use with L2TP/IPSec. Additionally, IKEv2, SSTP, and Softether are the protocols that are utilized by the service.

Kill application tool

When a connection to a VPN service fails, there is always the possibility that information might be leaked outside of the encrypted VPN tunnel. CactusVPN has developed an ingenious solution for this problem. Within their Windows software, they have included the capability to terminate certain applications in the event that the VPN connection is lost. You have the ability to decide which programs each of them should be.

A better killswitch function

Our opinion is that this is an enhancement on a kill switch function, which is a feature that halts all Internet activity in the event that the VPN connection is lost. You have the ability to choose which pieces of software should be allowed to maintain their connection to the internet and which ones should be cut off. For instance, when a VPN connection drops, it is fascinating to see what happens to the internet traffic coming from your BitTorrent client.

Speed CactusVPN

When you connect to one of the CactusVPN servers, the internet speed that you receive is about par for the course. While we were connected to the internet, we saw a gradual slowing of our connection speed. However, the speed was maintained at a level that allowed for smooth surfing, and streaming content in high definition presented no difficulties as all.

We chose a server located in Amsterdam to ensure that the test was as objective and fair as it could possibly be. This is something that we conduct for each and every one of our VPN service evaluations. Using this method, we will be able to evaluate in an impartial manner which VPN offers the best speed.

Streaming platformWorking
NetflixYes
Amazon PrimeYes
HuluYes
Disney+Yes
BBC iPlayerYes
HBO MaxYes
ABCYes

CactusVPN and torrenting

CactusVPN allows users to download content via all of the many P2P platforms available. Therefore, even the widely used BitTorrent protocol may be utilized. When using BitTorrent, users are permitted to download content from servers located in the Netherlands, Romania, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Latvia. P2P traffic is also a possibility while using the server in Malaysia. As of the time this article was written, these ten servers make it feasible to download content through Torrent.

This is significant to a lot of people, and it makes perfect sense why. The government is taking measures to make downloading using Bittorrent more difficult. When this occurs, having a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that allows for anonymous downloading is preferable, and CactusVPN proves to be an excellent option in this regard.

Utilizing Netflix with CactusVPN

CactusVPN is not the best option for those seeking for a virtual private network (VPN) to watch Netflix from other countries. CactusVPN's servers are inaccessible to users of Netflix. Therefore, as of the time of this writing, CactusVPN will not enable you to watch content from other countries on Netflix. It would appear that CactusVPN does not place a strong focus on unblocking Netflix either. This situation is really disappointing.

Pricing CactusVPN

It is made abundantly obvious which VPN subscription you have the option of purchasing from CactusVPN by referring to the graphic on the right. As can be seen, the membership that costs $66.49 for two years ($2.77 per month) is the most cost-effective option. This one grants you access to all of the VPN servers, and in addition to that, it enables you to make use of the Smart DNS function.

By the way, you can test out Cactus VPN risk-free for the first day by using it for free. You won't have to spend any money to find out if this service is right for you because of the way it works. To tell you the truth, we think the prices of the various packages are excessively high.

The most affordable plans typically come with significant restrictions. And on top of that, if you want all of the functionality, the price is simply way too high in our opinion. For instance, the much superior Virtual Private Network (VPN) service Surfshark can be utilized by you at a more affordable cost.

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Conclusion CactusVPN

In light of everything we expected, our experience with CactusVPN has exceeded our expectations. The company's privacy policy is satisfactory, and the fact that it is headquartered in Moldova lends credence to the notion that privacy protections are robust.

In addition, the Windows and MacOS operating systems, in particular, come equipped with a helpful feature that disables specific applications in the event that the VPN connection is lost for any reason. In addition, all of the software installed on the supported devices runs smoothly and efficiently.

When compared to the prices of the other VPN services that we have researched and reviewed, CactusVPN's prices fall somewhere in the middle. Consequently, we do not have any issues with this.

One disadvantage is that there are a limited number of servers available. Also, these servers are distributed over a limited number of countries. If more servers and geographical locations are required for your use you might want to look at NordVPN, for example. As a result of this review we can highly recommend CactusVPN to people who are looking for a good, fast and easy VPN service.

Frequently asked questions

CactusVPN is a premium VPN that provides military-grade encryption, 24/7 assistance, a Kill Switch, 30+ high-speed servers with no data cap, and up to seven VPN protocols. CactusVPN also doesn't keep any of your information.

CactusVPN enables you to watch content from Netflix libraries in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia; BBC iPlayer; Hulu; Disney+; HBO NOW; Amazon Prime Video; Roku; and YouTube.

Yes, CactusVPN operates in China, but not all of the time. Customer care representatives from CactusVPN informed that CactusVPN's obfuscation tool does not always work.

Yes, CactusVPN is extremely secure. It uses 256-bit AES encryption (which is used by militaries and banks), a kill switch (to prevent data leaks), and secure protocols (WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2) to safeguard your data.

In terms of design, CactusVPN is comparable to other well-known VPN services such as CyberGhost and IPVanish. In general, the software of many VPN providers is now quite comparable. Most have a high level of user friendliness, and CactusVPN isn't an exception. For user friendliness, it received an 8.0 score out of 10.

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