VPN services have become more and more useful as we connect our devices across multiple networks every day.
What makes VPNs like ZenMate interesting is their ability to mask your device and identity while surfing almost any network.
How Does ZenMate VPN Work?
ZenMate VPN works by using whatever internet connection you are using to create a direct connection to their servers.
Think of this connection like a tunnel that anyone on the outside cannot get to. To the outsider it looks like you are connecting to this single server.
This means the have no ability too see what you are doing online. A VPN can keep you safe from:
- Hackers
- Governments
- Internet Providers
- Snoopers
ZenMate also gives you the control over accessing any private payment information without outside entities gaining that information.
Pricing
ZenMate offers three subscription plans.
- The first is a monthly plan priced at $11.99 per month.
- The second is a one-year plan priced at $3.99 per month. You’re billed for the entire year, and the total price is $47.88. At the end of the year, you’re automatically charged for the next year, if you do not cancel.
- The third is a two-year plan priced at $2.05 per month. You’re billed for the first two years at the beginning, and the price in $49.02. From the third year onwards, you are charged $47.88 per year.
As a part of each of these subscription plans, you can sync the service on five devices. If you want protection for more than five devices, then you can add devices for an additional charge of:
- Monthly plan- two extra devices for $0.60, five for $1.20, and ten for $2.04.
- One-year plan- add two extra devices for $2.39, five for $4.79, and ten for $8.14.
- Two-year plan – add two extra devices for $2.46, five for $4.92, and ten for $8.36.
The company also offers something known as ZenMate Premium, which allows you to connect to over 30 server locations around the world and provides unlimited internet speed. It supports a vast array of platforms and devices and is priced at $7.99 per month.
You can opt for the free version, which allows you to connect to only four server locations in Germany, Hong Kong, Romania, and the United States. Also, it only offers internet speeds of up to 2 Mbps and only supports Chrome, Firefox, and Opera browsers.
Payment Options
You can pay via:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Maestro credit cards are also accepted
You can also pay via online and mobile payment services such as Union Pay and Qiwi Wallet.
Anonymity
ZenMate has a 100% no-logs policy. Its VPN service also encrypts browsing traffic on all Wi-Fi networks, which protects all personal data. It supports all browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
Server Information
ZenMate has a global network of more than 3,000 IP addresses and over 300 servers in 30 locations across the world.
The countries where ZenMate has servers include:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Israel
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Poland
- Russia
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- United States
- +17 More
Devices Supported
- All major browsers are supported, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari.
- All major mobile and desktop operating systems are supported as well, including Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- Gaming consoles with internet access capabilities such as Xbox are supported too.
- And ZenMate also supports OpenVPN.
Additional Services and Special Features
Streaming Guarantee
As part of ZenMate Ultimate, which is under ZenMate Premium, you get a streaming guarantee.
What this essentially means is that in case you’re unable to access a streaming service or if there’s a loss of service, then the ZenMate team tries to fix it as soon as possible, and you get a discount on the next payment.
However, to qualify for this, you need to have a valid Ultimate subscription. You will also need to select your preferred streaming service provider (such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.) on the settings page.
Sometimes the streaming service might be able to detect that you’re, in fact, not in the country specified by them. This is considered to be a loss of service. If the difficulty to access the streaming service is due to a fault in the server, then it’s not covered under the streaming guarantee.
The discount mentioned above is directly applied to the next payment for the Ultimate service and can’t be redeemed as cash or used for any other payments.
Identity Shield
The number of data breaches has been on the rise over the past few years. The data breaches at Sony and the credit bureau Equifax highlighted the need for extra security and protection.
The Identity Shield feature offered by ZenMate notifies you in case there’s a breach related to your email ID. ZenMate does a monthly scan to keep track of data breaches and informs you so that you can take precautionary measures.
ZenMate Business
You can get ZenMate for your business, as well. You get a dedicated account manager to support you, 24×7 data protection and online security. Setting it up and managing it is quite easy.
Soundcloud uses it, and so does the law enforcement agency in Switzerland. If you’re interested in it, request a quote here.
Ease of Use
Signing up for ZenMate is quite simple. You can download the browser extension for the respective browser you’re using or for the device/platform you’re using.
Follow the instructions provided to create a ZenMate account. Next, you need to select a subscription plan, and you’re all set with the VPN service.
Remember that all VPN services need to make money from somewhere. If they aren’t charging you, then there’s every chance that your data or bandwidth is being misused in some form.
Company History
ZenMate is an online security and privacy services provider based in Berlin, Germany. Marcus and Simon Specka founded it.
Marcus is a full stack developer, while Simon has a background in international business and innovation management. Besides the co-founders, the ZenMate team is made up of people from 20 countries who speak 17 different languages.
ZenMate is backed and funded by HV Ventures, Project A, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Shortcut Ventures, Axel Springer Plug And Play Accelerator, and the European Regional Development Fund (under the European Union).
As of January 2019, ZenMate has been downloaded by over 46 million users around the world.
Note that strict data privacy laws cover German companies in the country, which essentially bans the sale of personal and private user data or information.
Alternatives
HMA Pro – One of the most well known and widely used VPN Services world wide.
Iron Socket – Affordable secure option with a seven day trial period.
CyberGhost – One of the most affordable lon germ plan VPN services.
ZenMate VPN Review Final Thoughts
With the strict government regulations in the EU and a well-earned reputation, you can feel safe using ZenMate as your VPN provider.
Their ability to work across operating systems and devices makes them a top option.
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