Author, creative writer, and tech-geek. Bogdan has followed his passion for the digital world ever since he got his hands of his first pc. After years of accumulating knowledge and experience, the good Samaritan in him whispered him one day about the virtue of sharing that knowledge with those who needed it. It was 2014 when that idea would grow into a life-defining passion. One that keeps driving him to this day.
Best VPN for Romania
Why would you need a VPN in Romania, you ask?
Well, why wouldn’t you? There are countless websites unavailable from that location, and a good VPN would help you access it.
Moreover, if you prefer conducting your business on a laptop from the nearby café, then you need a VPN to protect your connection on the public Wi-Fi network. We’d suggest that you never even use public Wi-Fi networks but some situations demand it.
With the latest banning problem that’s taken over Romanians on social media sites, using a VPN to create another account is child’s play. Facebook, for example, won’t be able to see that you have been banned before because you will have a different IP now.
Now, you might ask – can’t I just use a free VPN?
The answer is sure, you can. But do you really want to? Free VPNs are known to have extremely weak encryption standards, which any hacker can crack in a few minutes.
What you need is a premium VPN provider, like the ones we’ll be talking about right now.
Top VPN Services
Fast speeds, strong privacy and security features including malware protection. Chrome and Firefox extensions. 24/7 Live Chat support.
- Super-fast servers for streaming
- Optimal for privacy enthusiasts
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Good zero-logging policy that’s furthered by the great jurisdiction – the British Virgin Isles, outside the 14-Eyes Surveillance Alliance.
- Cheap and affordable
- Unlimited devices
- Functional kill-switch
CyberGhost
CyberGhost is the number 1 VPN founded in Romania, and it’s been around for quite some time now, so its reputation has built up over the years.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi protection based on 256-bit encryption, the golden standard in the VPN industry
- Excellent overall security and encryption
- A clear zero-logging policy that leaves nothing to be wanted
- More than 3700 servers in 55 countries, with more constantly appearing
- 7 simultaneous connections
- No ads, no malware, no online tracking
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- No IP/DNS/WebRTC leaks detected
- Unlocks Netflix
Cons:
- Short 24-hour trial for desktop computers
- Fluctuating and even slow speeds on some of the servers
CyberGhost App Interface
This is how the Windows app looks like:
If you’re familiar with NordVPN or ExpressVPN, then there is no big difference between these platforms in terms of aesthetics.
Using the list of servers, you can search for any particular one and connect to it instantly.
On the left, you can look through some of the specialty servers like:
- Torrenting servers – high-performance download speeds for torrenting
- Streaming servers – excellent speeds, relatively speaking, for when you want to stream
As for the phone App, it’s basically the same concept:
Server speed and overall performance
We took the time to perform some tests on some of the servers, and the results were neither good nor bad. Granted, some of them were pretty disappointing.
Benchmark:
- Ping – 6ms
- Download speed – 89.45 Mbps
- Upload speed – 91.89 Mbps
First, we went for a test with the London server:
- Ping – 94ms
- Download speed – 8.99 Mbps
- Upload speed – 13.36 Mbps
Secondly, we tested an Asian server:
- Ping – 180ms
- Download speed – 3.78 Mbps
- Upload speed – 4.09 Mbps
Last but not least, a server from the US:
- Ping – 38ms
- Download speed – 19.30 Mbps
- Upload speed – 10.11 Mbps
Clearly, these aren’t the results you want to see from a premium VPN but they are constantly developing their servers for more performance.
Logging and privacy policies
On the official website, CyberGhost clearly states this:
Good, this means that their no-logging policy is up to par with the highest expectations and standards.
But what do they collect?
As it turns out, they collect personal data in the form of the name, address, email address, username and payment information, information that each user submits voluntarily.
Moreover, they also collect non-personal data in the form of data related to your browser, metadata, preferred language, OS version, date and time of a user’s visit. These things can’t be linked to your identity, so it’s safe.
Encryption and security
In terms of security, the first thing worth saying is that their jurisdiction is in Romania, a country with no data-retention laws, outside the 14-Eyes.
As for specific encryption and security algorithms, here they are:
- Kill-switch present and accounted for
- IP concealment
- Works with Tor
- Wi-Fi protection
- Works with OpenVPN, L2TP, and IPSec
- AES-256-bit encryption, the highest possible standard in the industry
- NoSpy servers – they “integrate super high premium hardware with a dedicated uplink”, making you 100% anonymous
The Transparency Report that CyberGhost keeps on the official website showcases all the legal requests that their users have had problems with, as well as open-end details about the infrastructure of their encryption.
They’re taking a step forward in being honest and straightforward about their services.
Prices
These are the 3 subscriptions that you can pay. All of them offer the same services, only the subscription period is different. And the discount you get.
Important tip – there’s a massive discount available right now for the next 14 hours. You get 6 months for free if you purchase a 1-year subscription right now.
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the better VPN solutions for users in Romania. It’s high-end security and military-grade encryption ensures that you’ll never have to worry about your privacy ever again.
Pros:
- Golden-standard encryption protocols
- Very good server performance
- 24/7 live chat support
- Clear-cut no-logging policy
- Jurisdiction in Panama- outside the 14-Eyes
- No leaks
- Possibility to get dedicated IP addresses for increased privacy
- Unlocks Netflix
Cons:
- Lack of constancy with server speed results
NordVPN App Interface
Regardless of your location at the time of use, the NordVPN client remains the same. Take a look at the Windows version:
You have access to all the servers either from the map on the right hand of the screen or by checking the list on the left. There are multiple specialty servers that you should know of:
- P2P servers – good for torrenting
- Dedicated IP servers – you get one singular IP address that only you have access to. No other users share it with you
- DoubleVPN servers – double the encryption by rerouting your traffic through an additional encrypted server
- Onion over VPN – such servers make it possible to use the Tor Network in tandem, thus doubling or even tripling the security and privacy
As for the Android/iPhone app, it looks quite nice:
It has the exact same customization options, as well as being just as accessible and intuitive.
From the settings menu, you can switch on the kill-switch, change between TCP and UDP protocols, and fiddle around with the encryption settings.
Serve performance and tests
NordVPN gave off much better speed results than CyberGhost, unsurprisingly. The overall performance that we obtained makes it justifiable why this VPN is ranked in the top lists all the time.
Benchmark:
- Ping – 8ms
- Download speed – 87.21 Mbps
- Upload speed – 72.03 Mbps
US server:
- Ping – 140ms
- Download speed – 40.21 Mbps
- Upload speed – 29.91 Mbps
German server:
- Ping – 58ms
- Download speed – 78.99 Mbps
- Upload speed – 85.38 Mbps
Asian server:
- Ping – 198ms
- Download speed – 19.32 Mbps
- Upload speed – 7.09 Mbps
Whether you want to stream Netflix online or download HD movies while playing a round of Call of Duty Blackout with your friends, NordVPN will stay strong and allocate the required resources.
This performance is that of a high-quality, premium online security provider, albeit there are certain drops in speed for certain servers.
Logging and privacy policies
This is the logging policy that NordVPN strictly adheres to:
In other words, they do not collect any identifiable data that could be linked to any particular user. Instead, they retain data related to server load, customer service, cookies, payment data, and your email address.
Other than that, NordVPN will never collect data that could be used against you.
Encryption and security
First off, let’s talk about the various security tools and methods in which you can make your life easier and guarantee your anonymity:
- CyberSec – blocks ads, malware, phishing attempts, warns about any dangerous websites, prevents botnet control
- DNS leak protection
- SmartPlay – avoid geo-blocking mechanisms when accessing streaming websites
- DoubleVPN
- Tor over VPN
- Dedicated IP address
As for encryption, NordVPN uses OpenVPN based on 256-bit AES technology with a 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman key.
Perfect Forward Secrecy keeps your data secure as well.
Pricing
These are all the subscriptions available. Which one you choose is up to you but all of them have the exact features.
Keep in mind that you can pay with cryptocurrencies for added anonymity.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the third VPN on our list but make no mistake. It’s by no way the worst of the bunch. On the contrary, there are some features implemented here that the others lack. And crazy internet speeds as well.
Pros:
- Crystal-clear zero-logging policy
- Very intuitive and easy-to-use VPN app
- Great discounts
- Mind-boggling server performance
- Top-quality security and encryption standards
- 24/7 live chat support
- Split tunneling
- Unlimited streaming + access to Netflix and iPlayer
Cons:
- Not more than 3 simultaneous connections available
- Spicy prices
ExpressVPN App Interface
This is how the Windows app looks like. Pretty simplistic and intuitive, with the server list on the right, nicely spread out in geographical zones.
You can also find recommended servers that are especially suited to your preferences, while the Smart Locations reroute your traffic through one additional server for added security and speed.
The settings are very easy to understand, and you can change quite a lot of options there, to suit your tastes.
Even for complete novices, it’s going to be a walk in the park to use this app.
The phone app looks like this:
Server speed and tests
After the tests we made, including one in Romania, the results were more than satisfying and reflective of ExpressVPN’s top quality services.
Benchmark:
- Ping – 8ms
- Download speed – 91.35 Mbps
- Upload speed – 92.84 Mbps
Germany:
- Ping – 59ms
- Download speed – 85.49 Mbps
- Upload speed – 82.63 Mbps
Australia:
- Ping – 319ms
- Download speed – 46.59 Mbps
- Upload speed – 2.46 Mbps
England:
- Ping – 149ms
- Download speed – 85.30 Mbps
- Upload speed – 26.37 Mbps
Romania:
- Ping – 10ms
- Download speed – 89.35 Mbps
- Upload speed – 56.46 Mbps
The speeds are consistent enough, the fluctuations are minimal, and the end results are more than satisfying. ExpressVPN is created with streaming and torrenting in mind, apparently.
Logging and privacy policies
ExpressVPN is one of the few online security providers that provides a full, clear-cut account of their logging policy. Things couldn’t be anymore clearer after checking their official website.
They will keep your data private and safe, while they do collect:
The dates when you connected to the VPN service
- Server locations that you connected to
- Activated app versions
The privacy policy that they enforce is strict, rigorous, and leaves nothing to be wanted. The British Virgin Isles jurisdiction simply adds to the reassurances and anonymity guarantees.
Encryption and security
ExpressVPN describes its services in 6 simple steps:
- Hide your IP and location by connecting to one of the thousands of servers available in 94 countries
- Encrypt your communications – by using the 256-bit AES technology and Wi-Fi protection
- Watch your favorite content – streaming or torrenting, everything gets done at top speeds
- Unblock censored websites – SmartDNS allows you to bypass any geo-blocking algorithms and access any website on the internet, especially if you’re in Romania
- Avoid spying and throttling – prevents external surveillance from tracking your traffic or whereabouts on the internet. It makes you anonymous
- Find deals and fights ads – no ads anymore, and no overpaying for local services
The level of encryption that ExpressVPN uses is used by the NSA to protect its classified data transfers. Moreover, they also use TrustedServer Technology, a much safer method to store server information.
Pricing
Currently, the 12-months plan is the most advantageous for $99.95. In any case, if you aren’t content with something, you can issue a refund within 30 days, no questions asked.
To conclude, there are countless VPN providers out there but only a few have high-quality services, trustworthy zero-logging policies, and performance worthy enough to pay for.