ZoogTV VPN Review

ZoogTV is a VPN company based in the UK that provides streaming and website unblocking service to people living abroad. ZoogTV’s unblocking service works like a charm and is used by many expats and frequent travellers.

Today, we review ZoogTV based on different criteria.

Detailed Review

Website Design

ZoogTV has obviously paid great attention to the impression their website makes on first time visitors, and it has definitely paid off. Their website is quite interactive and attractive while being informative as well. They provide a complete run down of their service on the home page and include animations and graphics that capture a user’s eye. They have a search bar right on the home page where you can enter the URL of the website you wish to unlock. It’s quite ingenious and effective.

Website navigation and User Friendliness

ZoogTV’s website appeals to the eye, but it as informative as a VPN provider’s website needs to be. Users can easily make their way through their website without a hassle. There are links to anything a user would like to see, like pricing, services, etc. ZoogTV’s website, despite being full of graphics and animation usage, works quite smoothly and does not take a load on your browser. You can make your way through their website at as high speed as your internet connection allows. The website load time is as impressive as the response time.

Number of VPN Servers

As of now, ZoogTV only has 18 servers under its name in 10 countries across the world. This is quite low when compared to other VPN vendors. However, since their primary service is providing access to TV and movie streaming sites and services for expats and other frequent travellers, the low server count does not affect them that dearly. Their servers are located to allow users access to popular services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, etc.

Security and Privacy

ZoogTV uses a strong AES-256 encryption. They use a 2048-bit RSA key for their encryption which offers strong protection to the users. Since they use their own DNS servers, users can be sure that their DNS requests cannot be shared or sold by third-party DNS providers. Since they are not an out-and-out VPN service, they do not offer a VPN kill switch, but we feel that this feature is important for anyone trying to bypass internet censorship for streaming purposes.

Compatibility

ZoogTV offers their VPN service on Windows and Mac OS. For mobile customers, they provide Android and iOS apps which can be used on Android and iOS devices respectively. VPN clients are available only for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. However, there are detailed manual setup guides for other platforms and devices like Linux, Apple TV, gaming consoles, etc.

Supported Protocols

ZoogTV offers all the major protocols to users. There is the traditional PPTP as well as L2TP/IPSec. OpenVPN, the most preferred VPN protocol in today’s time, is also supported by ZoogTV. The only protocol that they do not support is SSTP, but since that protocol is only compatible with Windows OS, it is not a big issue. The encryption over these protocols is both 128-bit and 256-bit.

Price

While failure to accept anonymous payments is a negative factor here, there is a silver lining. The pricing plans offered by ZoogTV are quite affordable and offer good value for money to customers. They offer a free monthly plan to users but restrict the number of servers available to just 3 to make the experience of paid users better. Apart from the free plan, their subscription cost varies according to the length of subscription. Their annual subscription costs users just $3.99 per month, while their semi-annual subscription costs $4.99 and monthly subscription $5.99. They also offer a 7-day money back guarantee.

Payment Methods

ZoogTV accepts payments through all the major credit and debit cards like Visa, MasterCard, etc. They also accept PayPal payments. However, in today’s world of privacy and anonymity, if a VPN service does not accept anonymous payments then it does not bode well with some customers, and rightfully so. ZoogTV does not accept anonymous payments in the form of Bitcoins, which makes users opt for those VPNs that do support Bitcoin payments if they are really concerned about their privacy and anonymity.

Support Response Time

ZoogTV has a 24X7 support service. They do not have an online chat support, but their email query and ticket system work quite well. The support team reverted to our emails within a few hours of sending them the query. The response was to the point, and the support team answered the queries properly. Their FAQ section and knowledge base are impressive as well. Paid users are treated on a priority basis, but free users do not feel any delay in hearing from the support team.

Server Speed

ZoogTV is primarily an unblocking service and helps users access geo-restricted content. This means that connection speed is something that is more important to them than other VPN providers, and they deal with this situation quite ably. ZoogTV took 5-6 seconds in connecting to its US server. The VPN speeds offered by ZoogTV servers at 4MB internet connection were quite impressive, though it remains to be seen if they can keep it up with increasing servers.

Availability of Blocked Websites

ZoogTV is primarily a streaming service that allows people to access geo-restricted content. Availability of major blocked websites like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer is their bread and butter, and they’ve really worked well to that end. Their website has a search bar on the right corner where users can simply enter the URL of the website they wish to unblock.

Conclusion

There are still some features to add like VPN kill switch, accepting Bitcoin payments, etc., but all in all, users can be quite content with their pick especially if accessing geo-restricted streaming sites is their major requirement.