Total VPN Review 2024

otalVPN is a VPN service bundled with the TotalAV security suite, seamlessly integrating with its antivirus software. It provides comprehensive features to safeguard your online activities, IP address, and identity.

The question naturally arises: can a bundled VPN service compete with standalone VPN providers? This TotalVPN review aims to address this query.

We conducted a thorough evaluation of TotalVPN across various metrics including speed, security, versatility, geo-block bypassing, and more. Our findings were summarized to benchmark its performance against other top-tier VPN services. Delve into our detailed TotalVPN review to discover our insights.

What Is a VPN?

When you browse the internet, your computer sends requests to servers both near and far. This process can be monitored by outsiders, potentially allowing them to steal your information or inject malicious data. If you've ever used Wi-Fi at a coffee shop without VPN protection, you've exposed yourself to this risk.

Pricing and Features:

TotalVPN offers discounts for the initial subscription term. Be aware that, according to the fine print, once that period has elapsed, the service automatically renews at the higher full rate. A premium subscription for TotalVPN starts at $7.49 for the monthly rate, and the regular price is $14.97 per month. You can also opt for a one-year subscription for $5.99 per month or a two-year subscription for $4.99 per month. Once those terms are up, the full prices are $11.97 per month for a one-year contract, and $9.97 per month for two years. Choosing the annual or two-year plan is a smart move, as it locks in the introductory rate for longer. Monthly plans will be billed at the full rate starting the second month. Promotions aside, that's a hefty price tag. For comparison, NordVPN can be had for $8.00 a month, and Spotflux Premium VPN for $4.99.

However, I'm pleased to see that TotalVPN also offers a free version of the service. Free VPNs are fairly rare but not unheard of. Hotspot Shield Elite, for example, uses an ad-supported model. For this review, I tested the Premium version of TotalVPN on a Dell Latitude E7250 laptop running Windows 8.1.

When you sign up for TotalVPN, you have the option to purchase some upgrades in addition to your base plan. Priority support costs $19.90 a year, SuperCharge—which connects you to higher-speed servers—costs $49.90 a year, and there's even a "Staying Safe Online" eBook available for a one-time payment of $9.95. You can also add additional simultaneous connections to your plan for $29.99 per year. While I'm not a big fan of upselling, I do appreciate flexibility in pricing. If that's important to you, consider TorVPN, which lets you choose various features such as data limits, subscription duration, number of servers, and number of licenses.

TotalVPN accepts credit cards and PayPal, which is adequate, but PureVPN goes a step further by accepting Bitcoin and even prepaid gift cards. Finally, a use for my Starbucks cards!

I was a little confused when signing up for TotalVPN because the price was listed in two different places at different rates. There's also a fair amount of small print you need to read to understand the pricing structure. This is especially surprising considering that the TotalVPN site is otherwise excellent and clearly focused on fostering a positive customer experience. For example, the site is well-designed and includes extensive contact information in case you select the wrong billing plan. That's excellent customer service.

TotalVPN Short Review

TotalVPN is an emerging virtual private network service that, while not impressive on its own, is a solid addition to the excellent TotalAV package. Here’s a summary of our main points in this TotalVPN review.

Speed

Connectivity is arguably the most crucial aspect of any VPN as it influences the overall user experience and the performance of other features such as streaming and torrenting. We’ll cover TotalVPN’s speed and performance in detail.

Pricing

Understanding how much TotalVPN costs and which TotalAV plans include this feature is essential.

Security

VPNs are primarily a security tool, so it’s crucial to review their technical specifications.

Features

Customers today expect various bonus features from their VPN providers. This section also covers dealing with geographical restrictions and torrenting.

Compatibility

We’ll review the TotalVPN software, its compatibility with different devices and operating systems, and its ease of use.

Speed and Performance

TotalVPN offers two tunneling protocol options: OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec. These are fairly standard in the VPN industry and can provide decent speeds. However, the fastest VPNs on the market use modern options like WireGuard and its variations.

That said, TotalVPN can still provide swift and lag-free connections. Here’s how it performed in our speed tests.

TotalVPN OpenVPN Speed Test Results

The OpenVPN tunneling protocol is the default option when starting TotalVPN on any OS. Therefore, it’s crucial to test it thoroughly to ensure a satisfactory average customer experience.

• Baseline speed: 500 Mbps download / 497 Mbps upload and 2 ms ping

As you can see, the results could be better. The average download retention rate was roughly 9%, while upload speeds were even lower. Another notable issue during our tests was the inability to connect to specific servers, such as in Germany.

TotalVPN IKEv2 Speed Test Results

On some platforms, you can switch from OpenVPN to IKEv2 if the primary tunneling protocol doesn’t meet your expectations. Here’s how the secondary option performed in our manual tests.

• Baseline speed: 500 Mbps download / 497 Mbps upload and 2 ms ping

The IKEv2 tunneling protocol resulted in significantly better speeds during our tests. On average, it retained around 70% of the initial download speed, while upload speeds showed more variability.

In conclusion, if connection speed is your priority, you should use IKEv2 with TotalVPN whenever possible.

Unfortunately, our efforts to unblock our favorite video content with TotalVPN were unsuccessful. We started with Netflix and tried to unlock various regional libraries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Other services like BBC iPlayer, Max, Peacock, and Hulu also yielded unsatisfactory results.

These subpar results can likely be attributed to TotalVPN’s small server network. A top-quality streaming VPN needs thousands of IP addresses to effectively unblock content for numerous customers. Additionally, TotalVPN focuses more on cybersecurity features, suggesting that streaming is a lower priority.

Is TotalVPN Good for Torrenting?

TotalVPN is an adequate option if you’re looking for a VPN to secure your P2P activities. However, the service lacks servers optimized for peer-to-peer data transfer and can’t guarantee ultra-fast connection speeds without the WireGuard protocol. Moreover, torrenting without the added security of a kill switch is not advisable.

On a positive note, TotalVPN doesn’t restrict P2P traffic on any of its servers. There are server options worldwide, making it easier to create optimal conditions for swift downloads.

Interface and Ease of Use

TotalVPN is available on the same four desktop and mobile platforms that TotalAV supports:

• Windows
• macOS
• Android
• iOS

The user interface and overall experience are similar across these platforms, with some minor differences regarding available features.

Windows

The Windows app is the most feature-rich and robust iteration of TotalVPN. It includes a kill switch to prevent IP leaks, allows customers to switch between two tunneling protocols, and enables automatic VPN connections when connecting to questionable Wi-Fi networks.

To find TotalVPN in the TotalAV app, hover above the fingerprint icon and click the VPN button denoted by the location pin logo. Most of the screen is occupied by available server options. You can toggle the kill switch using the bottom left button, and the cogwheel in the top right opens the VPN tab of the general settings menu for customization.

macOS

The look and feel of TotalVPN on macOS don’t differ much from the Windows version. You’ll find the VPN tab under the Internet Security label without needing to hover over any icons. You can enable the VPN connection using the large power button in the middle, and server selection is done using the small selection tool below.

This version allows you to switch server locations without disconnecting first, reducing the risk of IP leaks. However, it lacks the kill switch and only includes the Connect on Demand feature.

Android

TotalVPN on Android offers a user-friendly interface and essential security features under the Quick Protect tab, including Real-Time protection, VPN Quick Connect, and App Lock. The mobile app lacks a kill switch and the option to use different tunneling protocols.

iOS

The iOS version is similar to the Android variant, resembling the Mac interface with its large power button at the top and server selection below. The user interface is uncluttered and easy to navigate. However, you won’t find the option to enable a kill switch, use another VPN tunneling protocol, or make other changes to the settings.

Additional Features

TotalVPN offers essential VPN features such as a kill switch and automatic VPN enabling on unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Subscribers also gain access to various digital security features depending on their subscription plan, including:

• Total Adblock: A robust ad blocker that improves your online experience by eliminating unwelcome advertisements, leading to safer browsing and quicker load times.
• TotalAV: The standard TotalAV package includes various antivirus features to keep your devices running smoothly and protected from malware. It offers real-time protection, system tune-up tools, a disk cleaner, ransomware protection, and other vital perks.
• Total Password: A reliable password manager included in TotalAV’s ultimate subscription plan, helping you protect your online accounts with unique and complex passwords.

Customer Support

TotalVPN offers a variety of support options:

• 24/7 live chat: ✅
• Email: ✅
• Phone line: ✅ (Available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Europe, and an International number)
• Guides or articles: ✅
• FAQs: ✅

You can contact customer service via live chat or email. In urgent situations, residents from certain countries can call using their designated phone lines. Self-sufficient users have plenty of guides and FAQs to peruse, conveniently categorized by product.

Conclusion

TotalVPN isn’t particularly special compared to well-known standalone VPN services like NordVPN or Surfshark. It has everything you need to mask your IP address and keep your location hidden at home or on the go.

However, it’s a solid component of an affordable and comprehensive cybersecurity package for protecting your online activities against all possible threats. For example, Total Adblock is well-regarded as a reliable ad-blocking solution, and our tests confirm that. The same sentiment applies to TotalAV and Total Password, all of which you can unlock at an affordable price.