AirVPN review

What is AirVPN?

AirVPN is a VPN run by a small team of privacy and net-neutrality activists, founded in 2010 and based in Italy. It has no flashy marketing and no lifetime deals: it is built for people who care about privacy and want full control over their connection. The network is small – around 250 servers in a little over 20 countries, mostly in Europe and North America – but the servers are fast and the tools are among the most advanced of any VPN.

Is AirVPN safe?

On the technical side, yes. AirVPN uses OpenVPN and WireGuard with strong encryption (AES-256 and ChaCha20) and perfect forward secrecy, and in independent tests it showed no DNS or WebRTC leaks. Its kill switch, called Network Lock, blocks all traffic outside the VPN at firewall level. The no-logs policy is clear and the Eddie client is open source, but AirVPN has not published an independent audit, and Italy is part of the Fourteen Eyes alliance, although it is covered by strict EU privacy law.

Is AirVPN good for torrenting?

It is one of the best VPNs for it. P2P is allowed on all servers and AirVPN offers real port forwarding: you can open several ports on your account and pick them yourself, which means more connections, faster downloads and better seeding – a big help on private trackers with ratio rules. It also has dynamic DNS, a rare feature among VPNs.

AirVPN speed and protocols

Speeds are good on nearby servers and drop more over long distances, as with most VPNs. You can choose between WireGuard and OpenVPN, with dozens of ports and protocols to choose from, and connect through SSH, SSL or Tor to get around networks that block VPNs. The flip side is that the Eddie app looks dated and has many settings, which can confuse beginners.

Does AirVPN work with Netflix and streaming?

Results are mixed. Some tests managed to unblock Netflix in a few countries, others failed, and AirVPN does not promise streaming support. If streaming is your main goal, other VPNs are a safer bet. You can use AirVPN on up to 5 devices at the same time: Eddie runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, and on iOS and routers you use the standard WireGuard or OpenVPN apps with AirVPN’s configuration files.

AirVPN price and plans

AirVPN has no free plan, but it offers very short plans – from just 3 days – so you can try it for very little, and longer plans that cost much less per month. You can pay by card and with several cryptocurrencies, which helps if you want to keep your identity separate from your account.

AirVPN vs Private Internet Access, Proton VPN and PrivateVPN

Private Internet Access, Proton VPN and PrivateVPN also offer port forwarding, with simpler apps and better streaming support. AirVPN wins on control and on its privacy-first approach. All our picks are in the VPN category.

AirVPN FAQ

Does AirVPN keep logs?

AirVPN says it keeps no logs of your activity, but this has not been confirmed by a public independent audit.

Does AirVPN have port forwarding?

Yes, and you can choose the ports yourself – it’s one of the reasons torrent users pick it.

Where is AirVPN based?

In Italy, which is part of the Fourteen Eyes alliance but covered by EU privacy law.

Does AirVPN have an iPhone app?

There is no Eddie app for iOS, but AirVPN works on iPhone with the WireGuard or OpenVPN apps and its configuration files.

How many devices can I use with AirVPN?

Up to 5 at the same time.

Our AirVPN verdict

AirVPN is a VPN for people who know what they are doing: excellent for torrenting thanks to port forwarding, transparent, privacy-first and packed with advanced options. The small network, the dated interface, the weak streaming support and the lack of a public audit keep it from the top, but for advanced users and heavy torrenters it is one of the most honest choices out there.