Planet VPN Review 2023

Planet VPN, formally known as RUSVPN, was founded in 2017. Its headquarters are located in Dominica, a small island nation in the Caribbean. The VPN provider has a very international team, with staff from various countries, including Spain, Turkey, Russia, and Egypt.

The former name RUSVPN might suggest an association with Russia. While the provider does claim to have started with a focus on the Russian market, the acronym stands for Reliable, Unlimited, Secure. Since 2022, the VPN goes by Planet VPN.

In the past, the VPN service didn’t provide a lot of information on its website. Nowadays, this has improved. However, the claim that it’s “the fastest and most secure VPN service” has yet to be proven.

Check out our review below for our experience with Planet VPN.

Planet VPN: A Short Review

We tested the Planet VPN apps for Windows and Android, as well as the browser extensions. The apps and extensions were both easy to use and well-organized.

Additionally, Planet VPN is a pretty affordable VPN service (we’ll talk about pricing below), when compared with CyberGhost and Surfshark.

However, when it comes to other aspects, such as speed and security, Planet VPN cannot compete with the big hitters in this niche. On this front, there is certainly lots of room for improvement.

Specifications Planet VPN

💵 Price	From $1.99 a month
📱 Operating systems	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux
💻 Connections	10
💳 Payment methods	PayPal, Other, Credit card, Cryptocurrency
🔒 Protocols	OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP
📥 Torrent options	Torrenting allowed
📅 Money-back guarantee	Money-back-guarantee
📋 Logs
🍿 Works with

Visit Planet VPN

Speed – How Fast is Planet VPN?

Speed is naturally a very important feature of any VPN. One of the better-known disadvantages of using a VPN is that it slows down your connection to a certain extent. Still, you don’t want this to influence your browsing, streaming, downloading, and other online activities too much.

The Planet VPN website gives off the impression that the provider performs well when it comes to speed. The company claims that its VPN “provides unparalleled speed,” a tall claim.

To put this to the test, we put Planet VPN’s speed performance to the test. We follow the same protocols for all of our VPN reviews. You can find the results below.

Overall, we give Planet VPN a score of 6 out of 10, for speed. This is based on the following conclusions:

• Speeds are inconsistent: browsing and streaming speeds were surprisingly fast, however, download speeds decreased significantly.
• Gaming is possible with Planet VPN, but expect lag.
• Torrenting is very slow.
• Sometimes, it takes a while to connect to Planet VPN, especially if you use distant servers.

Speed test results for Planet VPN

In the table below, you can see our Planet VPN speed test results. We’ve run standardized tests from our office in the Netherlands. Depending on your distance to a server, your own speed results may differ.

As you can see, the download speeds, in particular, are quite inconsistent. We reached varying speeds, as high as 70 Mbps and as low as 4 Mbps.

This means that sometimes, it might take a while for pages to load when you’re browsing. Other times, you will barely even notice your VPN running in the background.

Speed during daily use

For daily use, we also have to conclude that Planet VPN’s claims about superior speeds are exaggerated. As predicted, the speed of our internet connection was inconsistent. This was the case for both local and distant servers.

Trying to open multiple pages at once took a long time. Someone who likes to browse the web on various tabs would probably find Planet VPN too slow. If you want more consistent speeds, we recommend a provider like NordVPN.

When it comes to streaming, Planet VPN did better than expected. In fact, we barely noticed any difference when connecting to a local server. YouTube videos didn’t take any extra time to buffer and streaming Netflix was possible without issue.

We were also pleasantly surprised to find that Planet VPN didn’t cause major stutters during gaming. However, based on the inconsistent speeds, don’t expect to play taxing games without major lag.

Safety – How Secure is Planet VPN?

Safety and privacy are the most important aspects of a VPN. For many people, the main reason to purchase a VPN is to change their IP address and increase encryption on online activity. To provide a proper review, we always make sure to test a VPN’s security features extensively.

Planet VPN claims to be “the most secure VPN service.” However, their safety features are no match for premium providers such as ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access.

Besides a kill switch, Planet VPN doesn’t really offer any additional features, such as an ad blocker or robust firewall options.

Still, we score safety at a 7.5 out of 10. Here’s what we found:

• Planet VPN uses OpenVPN and IKEv2. Also supports PPTP and L2TP/IPSec.
• Security features are somewhat basic: besides a kill switch, there are no additional options.
• Planet VPN doesn’t keep browser logs, but they do keep connection logs.
• To create an account, you only need to submit an email address and password.
• You can pay with Bitcoin; this makes it possible to purchase an account completely anonymously.

Protocols

During earlier testing, back when the provider was still called RUSVPN, information about protocols was limited. Customer service informed us that the app automatically selects OpenVPN (TCP or UDP), L2TP/IPSec, or PPTP.

Nowadays, the website informs us that the provider uses OpenVPN and IKEv2. Additionally, PPTP and L2TP/IPSec are also supported. The Windows application will allow you to manually select which protocol you want to use.

You can read more about the differences between these options in our article on VPN protocols.

Previously, we’ve had issues with our real location being exposed. However, on the website, Planet VPN states that there’s now additional built-in DNS-leak prevention. This is certainly an improved feature.

Logging and privacy

According to the provider’s official privacy statement, Planet VPN only keeps temporary connection logs. This is for troubleshooting purposes. Every couple of hours, all logs are deleted.

It seems, indeed, that the provider does not keep activity logs of any kind. Since they’re located on Dominica, an island with privacy-sensitive legislation, the provider is not obligated to store user data. Additionally, Dominica is not part of the 5 eyes, 9 eyes, 14 eyes coalition.

Kill switch

Planet VPN has a kill switch function. A kill switch is an essential VPN feature that is available with all major VPN providers. The fact that Planet VPN doesn’t have a kill switch means there’s always a risk that in case of a connection loss, your data will be exposed.

That’s a big miss and something that really affects our scores.

What information does Planet VPN require?

Planet VPN only requires a limited amount of personal information for creating an account. You have to submit an email address in order to receive confirmation. Additionally, you need to choose a password to be able to log into the VPN application.

To create an extra layer of anonymity, we recommend using a private email service and submitting a secure password that no one can trace back to you.

To purchase an account, you also have to submit payment details. However, because you can pay with Bitcoin, it’s possible to get the VPN while staying completely anonymous.

If you choose the option to pay by credit card instead, your payment will be processed by Decta Limited. They will have access to your personal details, but Planet VPN won’t.

Usability – How User-Friendly is Planet VPN?

There are two sides to Planet VPN’s user-friendliness. On the one hand, the app is simple and easy to navigate, something we can appreciate. On the other hand, it doesn’t offer many of the useful features that other VPNs do.

This doesn’t make it the best provider for VPN enthusiasts. Altogether, we score Planet VPN’s usability at a 7 out of 10. This is based on the following:

• The website and interface are minimal, well-organized, and easy to navigate. There are some technical flaws, though.
• The installation process is fast and straightforward.
• Planet VPN is relatively affordable, as long as you are ready to commit to a three-year plan.
• There are many payment options, including cryptocurrency.
• The service offers a free app and a free browser extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
• As of now, Planet VPN is only available in English.

Planet VPN’s website and installation process

In terms of aesthetics, the Planet VPN’s homepage is quite similar to other VPN websites. You can find an overview of server locations, different plans and prices, and some information on the features, as well as a list of different advantages of using a VPN.

It’s that last aspect that is a bit of an issue for us. This is because the provider is unclear about which information applies to their own service and which information is applicable to all VPN services.

The marketing for the VPN is too entangled and focuses more on the advantages of using a VPN in general, instead of what Planet VPN does. This makes it difficult for clients to differentiate between the two. It’s tricky to pinpoint how Planet VPN distinguishes itself from competitors.

The website also has a couple of technical flaws. For example, it should be available in 18 different languages, but only half of these actually work. If you try to access the homepage in Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, or Dutch, you end up with the English version instead.

While this won’t be the biggest issue for most people, it still goes to show that there are points of improvement for Planet VPN. The software and browser extensions are currently only available in English.

When it comes to installing the VPN, the process is very quick and easy. You can follow these steps to get Planet VPN ready for use:

1. Go to the Planet VPN website.
2. Scroll down and click on “Hide your data.”
3. 
4. Select your plan, enter your email, and choose your payment method.
5. 
6. You will receive an email to confirm your payment. This will automatically take you to your profile page.
7. Under the Download tab, you can find the right app for your device.
8. Download the installation file. You might have to restart your system.
9. Log in with your email and password combination.
10. 
11. Select a server by clicking on the location you want or connect right away by clicking Connect.
12. 

That’s it! You can now go online with Planet VPN.

Planet VPN’s appearance and ease-of-use

As stated before, Planet VPN has a very basic and user-friendly app. While the provider lacks some of the special features that competitors offer, the main features are well-organized and easily accessible.

There’s a small window that can be extended, where you can select your chosen VPN server, a clearly marked on/off button, and a kill switch. You can also choose which encryption protocol you want to use.

Planet VPN offers useful browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. In theory, these are free. But the free version only offers a very limited amount of servers in Canada, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

With a premium account, your browser extension gives you access to all the servers. This is a proxy service. Your data is not encrypted.

Notably, the browser extension download takes you to the Russian version of the Planet VPN homepage. Perhaps this is a remnant of the provider’s initial focus on the Russian market.

Pricing and payment methods

Though you might suspect otherwise, Planet VPN is not a free service. Instead, the provider uses a “freemium” model, where you have to pay for full access to the features.

The free subscription is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome, and Firefox. It only gives you a server network of five countries. If you want more features, you have to pay for your subscription.

Different subscriptions are offered at different rates. If you want to use Planet VPN for one month only, it costs $9.99. A subscription for one year is $2.49 per month.

Your most economical option would be the three-year plan, for $1.99 per month.

Planet VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, you can only get a refund if you’ve not exceeded more than 1000MB of data while using the VPN connection. Additionally, you have to provide a clear motivation for canceling your subscription.

The following payment methods are accepted:

• Credit card
• WebMoney
• Bitcoin

Customer service

It’s quite easy to get in touch with Planet VPN’s customer service. There’s a live chat on the website. However, this is only available to customers with a premium account. Based on response time, it seems that the live chat staff is not available 24/7. However, when there is someone online, you get a response within minutes.

You can also get in touch with support by sending an email. We got a response within 24 hours. When we replied once more to this email, we got a second response within the hour.

Unfortunately, we did notice that the staff didn’t speak English very well. This gave some of the responses a bit of a rude edge, though we suspect this is not the intention. It also causes a barrier to communication. In general, support is formal and accurate.

Planet VPN’s Server Network

The size of a VPN provider’s server network determines just how versatile your VPN is. The more servers you have, the easier it is to get access to geo-restricted content. Moreover, it’s less likely that servers will get crowded because you’ll have access to a wider network.

When it comes to Planet VPN’s server network, we score them 7 out of 10. Here’s why:

• It’s possible to choose your own server location, but not the actual server.
• Planet VPN does not offer dedicated IP addresses.

Number of servers and locations

On their website, Planet VPN claims to have over 1200 servers across 50+ countries. In the past, this has been misleading. During earlier testing, the provider claimed it had 350 servers when in reality, there were only 53. When asked, customer service informed us that 300 servers were still being tested.

It’s impossible to validate whether Planet VPN’s claim about having 1200 servers, is true, but by the looks of it, it’s just another exaggeration. The app doesn’t allow you to choose your own server, only the location.

These locations are listed in the table below:

Planet VPN does have a pretty wide server network. However, if you are looking to unblock content with your VPN, it helps to be able to choose from a larger pool of servers. For this reason, we rather recommend a provider like NordVPN.

Dedicated IP address

Unfortunately, Planet VPN does not offer dedicated IP addresses. In some cases, it can be useful to have a personal server at your disposal. This is because many apps and websites, for example, Netflix, push back against VPN use.

When you are using a dedicated IP, it’s more difficult for websites to detect that you’re using a VPN. This makes it less likely you’ll be blocked.

Planet VPN’s Options

VPN providers will sometimes add additional safety or security features that distinguish them from competitors. We’ve taken a look at Planet VPN’s extra options and can conclude the following things:

• The only extra security option on offer is the kill switch.
• It’s not (yet) possible to unblock Netflix with Planet VPN. The same goes for other popular streaming services.
• It’s possible to download torrents with Planet VPN. However, the torrents are slow on the general servers. And, there are no P2P servers to choose from.

Extra options

As stated, Planet VPN only offers a very basic feature set. Besides being able to start the app automatically, there are only three functions: you can choose your own server, you can switch the VPN on and off, and a kill switch.

It is possible for providers in the same category as Planet VPN to offer extra features. Ivacy, for example, is a VPN service that offers many more options at a lower rate than Planet VPN. They have their own firewall, provide dedicated IPs, and allow split-tunneling.

Planet VPN and Netflix

Unfortunately, Planet VPN is not able to unblock Netflix USA, so you won’t be able to access the best Netflix shows from anywhere.

Even when you’re connected to an American server, you can only access your local Netflix library. We noticed the same issue when trying to use BBC iPlayer on a British server.

To be sure, we also tested the Japanese version of Netflix. Unfortunately, we really weren’t able to watch any geo-restricted content. This means that Planet VPN is not suitable for unblocking. For many people, this is an important reason to get a VPN.

If you want to use a VPN to stream Netflix, we recommend checking out our best VPNs for Netflix instead.

Planet VPN and torrents

Torrenting is possible with Planet VPN, though you wouldn’t really want to. That’s because it’s incredibly slow. During testing, we never got speeds higher than 500 KBps. This means that a 500 MB download, would take more than fifteen minutes.

Say we wanted to download 150GB in total, it would take us about 61 hours. This would be pointless.

For this reason, we don’t recommend Planet VPN for torrenting, though it is possible. If you want to get much faster downloads, it’s better to use one of these the best VPNs for torrenting.

Conclusion: Our Experience With Planet VPN

Based on testing and research, we have to conclude that Planet VPN is no real competitor for other VPNs in the same price class (including Surfshark and CyberGhost). Planet VPN’s browsing and streaming speeds are pretty good but very unstable. Additionally, the provider doesn’t offer nearly as many features as other VPNs.

The most important thing that Planet VPN has got going for it, is its minimalist and easy-to-use software. When it comes to privacy and security, Planet VPN is also less impressive than its competitors.

For now, we have to conclude that there are better alternatives. You might want to check out our top 5 providers if you want a stronger VPN.