VirtualShield Review (updated for 2024)

As we become increasingly more immersed by the digital world, it’s more important than ever in 2024 for web users to protect their devices, data and browsing habits.

All it takes is mere seconds for a malicious third-party to syphon your data through a public WiFi network and use it to steal personal images, bank details and more.

We’re glad to say that over the past few years, consumers have flooded to VPNs like VirtualShield to keep themselves devices safe. The Virtual Shield VPN, or Virtual Private Network, takes hold of your connection to the web, scrambles it with encryption and enables you to browse securely.

Available on iOS, Android as well as Windows and macOS, you’ll have no trouble getting VirtualShield up and running on your device. Plus, included support for leading browsers like Chrome, Firefox and Opera will also keep your encryption in-browser only for a more simplified experience.

The VirtualShield VPN network is an incredible option for those new to the VPN scene and who are looking for an affordable option that’s also packed with features. Take a look below to learn more in our VirtualShield VPN review.

VirtualShield VPN Summary

• Bandwidth: Unlimited
• Server Switches: Unlimited
• Simultaneous Connections: 3 to 15
• Encryption: Up to AES-256 bit
• Device Support: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Opera
• Logs: None | Temporary Connection Logs
• Server Network: Browse the Internet from 10+ Countries
• Protocols: L2TP, TCP and UDP
• Customer Support: 24/7 Live Chat, Email, and Support Tickets
• Headquarters: United States

Pricing and Plans

Virtual Shield has two excellent plans on offer for their users, one for individual customers and one for families. There are also business plans available for customers who need protection across a large number of devices.

Plan One — Personal from $4.99

On the Personal Plan, you’ll be paying $10.99 per month if you opt for the month-to-month plan, whereas choosing a yearly option will cost just $5.99 a month, billed upfront. This plan includes support for three simultaneous device connections.

However, it doesn’t come with any included add-ons. The Personal 24-month plan is further reduced to $4.99 a month.

Plan Two — Family from $29.99

On the Family Plan, you’ll be charged from $29.99 per month on a monthly subscription or $215.88 annually. This plan enables customers to connect up to a whopping 15 devices simultaneously, which is a little more than what some other VPNs are offering.

Again, no inclusions with regards to add-ons. The Family 24-month plan is $359.76 for a rough monthly cost of $14.39.

Add-ons

In addition to subscriptions, there are also additional add on plans supported by both the family and personal plan. You’re able to access either of the Unrestricted Streaming plan or the Premium Phone Support plan — $9.99 and $14.99 respectively.

Although these add-ons do push up your monthly cost, it’s good to know that there is the option of removing them when they’re not needed.

Network Speed

The speeds you’ll find on Virtual Shield VPN are generally quite good and will work perfectly fine for all streaming services and general browsing, though it won’t be the fastest VPN available.

Most users will note that there can be a significant drop in speed when switching to US or UK servers if browsing from Australia. In some cases, a connection of 60mbps can be reduced to less than 2mbps for Australians browsing through the United States or the United Kingdom.

After running a speed test, the Virtual Shield VPN averaged roughly 68 per cent efficiency, which essentially means that 68 per cent of your initial bandwidth remains intact.

Upload tests also showed a similar result, with the VPN shaving around 30 per cent off the speeds offered initially by an ISP, though unless you’re routinely uploading large files, this won’t be too much of an issue.

Important to note is that Virtual Shield also enables users to bypass their ISP’s site-specific throttling, so that 32 per cent speed decrease may still be faster than what you were originally offered. These speed boosts should also follow through to tethering and hotspot sharing too.

Note: a majority of servers are too slow for Full HD and UHD streaming, though SD and 720p should work just fine.

Server Locations

For power users, Virtual Shield VPN’s server array may be a little frustrating as there are no location-specific selection features. The VPN provider simply touts support for ‘America, Europe, Asia and Australia’ and there’s not much else.

Keep in mind that this lack of server choice isn’t to say the service doesn’t have a comprehensive suite of servers with good speeds, it merely means that you’re only able to select VPN servers on a per-country or city basis rather than per-server which might affect connection speed.

Users will still be able to access a server drop-down and choose servers on a per-city basis in some locations like the US, for example, though at time of writing there’s no numbered server-specific selection feature.

Virtual Shield VPN users will find servers in the below countries:

• United States
• Mexico
• India
• France
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Singapore
• Japan
• The Netherlands
• Australia
• Serbia

All servers unblock various streaming services in multiple countries as well as offer anti-censorship features for accessing content currently banned or unavailable in specific nations.

Encryption, Security and Protocol Support

Although servers may leave a little to be desired, the Virtual Shield VPN security suite remains top-notch so that security won’t be an issue.

The service’s AES 256-bit encryption ensures that there’s a solid wall of protection between you and the web when browsing on public networks. All of your private data is encrypted on-device before being sent over the internet, so you can rest assured prying eyes will only see a jumbled, encrypted mess.

The VPN service’s website also mentions the use of L2TP, TCP and UDP protocol support for Windows devices, whereas Android and macOS will have support for UDP and TCP.

There is currently no support for OpenVPN on Virtual Shield, which may be an issue for some power users who rely on the robustness of that protocol for their protection.

However, there are some minor subscription add-ons available such as Protection Plus which will beef up leak protection and keep your device as secure as is possible with Virtual Shield.

Good to know for newbies to VPNs is that Virtual Shield deals with everything security-related by default, so you’re automatically protected. Your data is hidden, logs aren’t stored on the service, and you have the option to purchase extra security packs if you’re interested in added security.

Note: the Virtual Shield VPN service is based in the United States, affecting anonymity. More on this below.

Note: there is no kill switch currently offered by the VPN, so public wifi hotspots and other internet connections may see private data.

Logging Policy

In keeping with the company’s ethos, Virtual Shield believes you should “have the right to remain private,” and as a result, it keeps no identifiable data on any of the service’s users.

All browsing activity on this VPN is never recorded, and logs are immediately deleted once your connection is severed. To add, Virtual Shield also makes mention of no user’s activity being able to pinpoint them to a specific server, keeping everyone entirely anonymous.

• No Logs Recorded
• Temporary Connection Logging (Deleted at Disconnection)

Where logging becomes a little rocky is in the provider’s home base location of the United States, which is a Five Eyes Alliance member. Although the VPN stores no logs, the US Government, or one of the member states may have leeway in demanding records be kept.

However, with a reliable no-logging policy clause, it’s safe to assume that all of your activities on Virtual Shield’s VPN connection will be protected. It is crucial to keep in mind that auditing [either independent or internal] is not known to have taken place at Virtual Shield, so claims will ultimately remain claims.

Customer Support

We’re glad to say that Virtual Shield’s customer support is outstanding, and a great perk for those using a VPN for the first time.

On the first contact, support staff members are generally very polite and have all of the information on-hand that’s required to deal with everything from simple issues to more complex ones. A significant standout feature of customer support at Virtual Shield is all contact and communication requests are recorded, so if you return for more help, your team member will know exactly how to assist.

• 24/7 Email and Chat Support
• Friendly Team Members
• Plenty of Support Posts
• Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Support Content

You’ll find support available 24/7 via email and live chat and the service also has a tonne of useful information on their website if you’re looking to DIY any fixes or go it alone when there’s an issue.

There are also support links and shortcuts embedded across the service’s websites, social media channels as well as the software program itself, so when difficulties arise, help is just a click away.

Payment Privacy

For customers looking to keep their payment details as anonymous as their browsing, you will be happy with the VPN’s support for PayPal and Apple Pay. However, no genuinely anonymous payment methods like cryptocurrency are yet supported.

• Payment Options
• Visa
• Mastercard
• Discover
• Apple Pay
• PayPal

When signing up for Virtual Shield, the company highlights that all sensitive data, including names and email addresses, are not shared with any third-parties and are strictly used for communication purposes only.

Two plans are currently available on Virtual Shield, a One Person – 3 Device option, or a larger Family Plan – 15 Device option – making it possibly one of the best VPNs with regards to multi-device support.

Supported Devices

The excellent news for Virtual Shield customers is that the VPN app’s cross-platform and multi-device support ensures you can make full use of your 3 or 15 device plan.

All major computer operating systems are currently supported for those users who’d like to see all their laptop or desktop’s web traffic encrypted. On top of that, smartphone and browser support is included too.

That said, if you’re someone who’s not too keen on all of your device’s web traffic being routed through Virtual Shield, then the browser extensions will have you covered.

Virtual Shields Latest Supported Devices Include:

• macOS
• iOS
• Windows
• Android
• Chrome Browser
• Opera Browser
• Firefox Browser
• Linux coming soon.

It’s good to note that with far-reaching device support, you’re able to freely roam public WiFi or switch from network to network know that all of your devices are secure, not just one or two.

Standout Virtual Shield VPN Features

On top of the great standard features that Virtual Shield offers, there’s also a tonne of unique, useful features that might make your experience on a VPN a little more fun, or secure.

Regardless of your experience with VPNs, it’s always good to know that your provider is offering more than just the ‘bare bones’ like encryption and custom server selection. With Virtual Shield, you’re getting plenty of useful extras to make secure browsing a lot more enticing.

Unlimited Bandwidth

Unlike some other affordable VPNs, Virtual Shield pulls out all the stops by offering genuinely unlimited bandwidth. You’ll be free to browse, stream and download until your heart’s content without worrying about when the VPN will simply cut out or throttle your connection. This is the ideal feature for households with a lot of users.

Anti-censorship Features

All connections through Virtual Shield are also masked from prying eyes, including government regimes; advanced technology masks users who are connecting to a VPN to prevent the service from being blocked consequently unlocking the internet for those who don’t have free access to it.

Add-ons

Somewhat unique to Virtual Shield is the company’s offering of feature and security-focused add-ons. This is a great way to keep the service affordable as you’re only paying for what you need to use! Users have access to two feature add-ons currently: ‘Protection Plus’ for security and ‘Unrestricted Streaming’ for unblocking Netflix and other streaming services.

Ongoing Support Features

In a similar vein to Add-ons, there are also two maintenance and support subscriptions available for users who would like Virtual Shield to keep on top of their account. The ‘Premium Phone Support’ and ‘Monthly Maintenance’ add-ons are ideal for those who find themselves either running into technical trouble a little too often or would like an extra set of eyes maintaining their account.

Webcam Blocking – IndentiSafe

In a time when webcams are increasingly being taped over (literally), it’s good to know that Virtual Shield offers specific support for these devices. The IndentiSafe feature essentially steps in to “disable access to your webcam and microphone,” and thus keep your surroundings and face entirely safe from malicious software or hackers attempting to syphon real-time video data.

IdentiSafe Plus

To work hand-in-hand with webcam blocking, the IdentiSafe Plus feature is ideal for subscribers who’d like to see their files deleted indefinitely. Not technically a VPN-specific feature, access to the IdentiSafe Plus subscription is undoubtedly a selling point if you’re looking to keep your records and device clear of any leaks of the potential for data theft.

Other Essential Features

We’ve outlined a few other perks that might make Virtual Shield a top-tier VPN for your device or family. Take a look.

• P2P Support — open access to torrenting and file sharing websites without throttling.
• Streaming Unblocking — through add-ons, access to Netflix US, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services is a breeze.
• 30-day Money-back Guarantee — new users can trial the service for 30 days, risk free to take a deep dive into whether the service is right for you.

How to Install Virtual Shield VPN

If you’ve decided that Virtual Shield is for you, we’re happy to say the installation process is incredibly straightforward. All you’ll need is a subscription and access to the devices you’re ready to install it on.

Setting up Virtual Shield

• Subscribe to the VPN through Virtual Shield’s website
• Download Your Chosen Software Programs (macOS, Windows, Android app, etc)
• Run the Software Installer
• Enable Network Access or Permissions
• Once Installed, Sign Into Virtual Shield
• Connect to Your Chosen Location and ‘Connect’
• Then You’re All Done!

Once you’ve installed the service on your device, and you see the small ‘Connected’ symbol or icon in your dock, Control Centre or Menu bar, you’ll know you’re browsing securely.

Conclusion

With one of the more affordable subscriptions in the VPN industry today, and fantastic security features to boast about, Virtual Shield should be high on your list of choices.

The service has your back when it comes to security, but also keeps the web open and free for anyone using Virtual Shield. Keep in mind that sometimes speeds can be a little slow, though, for a reasonable price and fantastic add-on perks, it’s a contender for anyone looking to step into the VPN world for the first time.

An outstanding support team makes connecting easier than ever and keeps you free from any concerns about security, installation and payment problems.

To sum up, real-time security monitoring, unlimited data, support for up to 15 devices and speeds fast enough for general use all make Virtual Shield a perfect VPN for light web users who’d like to see their connect a whole lot more secure.

---

Categories: Reviews