Astrill VPN
A VPN with its own stealth protocols, made for expats and travelers on networks that block ordinary VPNs.
Best for expats and frequent travelers who need a VPN that still connects on censored networks
Facts checked November 4, 2026
The short answer
Astrill VPN is built around two protocols of its own, StealthVPN and OpenWeb, which disguise VPN traffic so firewalls that inspect packets find it harder to block. It adds Smart mode, which sends only international sites through the VPN, a mirror website and a Tor address for people who cannot reach astrill.com, and 24/7 live chat. You pay for that: $30 a month, $180 a year or $300 for two years, with no free trial and no refunds once you buy. If you live somewhere without heavy censorship and mainly want streaming or privacy at home, Surfshark or ExpressVPN cost less to try because both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Choose it if
- You live in or often visit a country that blocks standard VPN protocols such as OpenVPN, and you need a connection that keeps working
- You want local banking, news and chat apps to see your home-country IP while foreign sites go through the VPN (Smart mode or the international-sites filter)
- You want to share one VPN connection with a games console or smart TV from your computer, or run it on an ASUS Merlin or DD-WRT router
- You need a fixed IP of your own for a whitelisted login or for port forwarding, at $5 a month on top of your plan
- You want to pay with WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay or Bitcoin
Skip it if
- You want to test a VPN before you commit: Astrill has no free trial and says all sales are final, while Surfshark gives 30 days to ask for your money back
- You need more than five devices connected at once; Surfshark allows unlimited devices
- You mainly want a VPN for streaming services at home, which Astrill says little about on its site
- Price matters most: Astrill's monthly plan is $30, and its lowest rate is $12.50 a month on a two-year plan paid upfront
- You need a free VPN; Windscribe has a free tier with a smaller set of locations
Main features
StealthVPN
Astrill's own protocol, based on OpenVPN with extra obfuscation, so automated firewalls find it harder to spot. You can pick TCP or UDP and almost any port, for example TCP 443 to look like HTTPS traffic. It runs in the Windows, macOS, Linux and Android apps and on routers.
OpenWeb
A lightweight protocol Astrill built in 2009 that makes browsing look like ordinary HTTPS and switches servers within seconds. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, and you can limit it to your browsers only.
Smart mode
Sends international sites through the VPN and lets local sites see your real IP, so local banks, news and payment apps behave normally. Astrill says it works only in some countries, and support has the list.
App and website filters
Choose to tunnel every app, only chosen apps, or everything except chosen apps, and do the same for domains or IP ranges. A 'Tunnel only international sites' mode handles whole countries at once.
Kill switch and App Guard
The desktop apps cut your connection if the VPN drops. On Windows, App Guard blocks only the apps you name, such as a torrent client, and keeps running when the Astrill app is closed.
VPN sharing and routers
Share the VPN from a Windows, macOS or Linux computer so a console or smart TV can use it, or install Astrill's applet on an ASUS Merlin or DD-WRT router. Astrill also sells routers with the applet installed and ships them worldwide.
Private IPs and port forwarding
Rent a static IP for $5 a month that no other customer uses. On servers marked with a star you can forward one port on a shared IP, or all ports on a private IP, which helps torrents and remote access.
VIP servers and multi-hop
The VIP add-on opens servers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the US, Japan, Singapore, Korea and China tuned for lower latency, and lets you set up to 3 multi-hop servers, where your traffic enters one Astrill server and leaves from another (OpenWeb only).
Ways in when the site is blocked
If astrill.com does not load, Astrill runs a mirror at astrill-mirror.com and a full copy of its website on Tor, so you can still sign up and download the apps.
Pricing
Prices checked November 4, 2026, in US dollars, from Astrill's pricing and iOS plan pages. All personal plans have the same features and differ only in length. Business VPN is priced per account on a separate page, which did not show prices when we checked. Astrill says all sales are final.
1 Month
$30 / month
Every feature, 5 devices connected at once, unlimited bandwidth and server switches
1 Year
$180 / year
The same features as the monthly plan, working out at $15 a month
2 Years
$300 / 2 years
The same features, working out at $12.50 a month; Astrill marks it most popular
Private IP add-on
$5 / month
A static IP on a chosen server that only you use; needs an active plan
VIP add-on
From $10 / month
100 GB a month on VIP servers for Asia and gaming, priority traffic on all servers and multi-hop VPN
iOS plan
$29.99 / month
Bought inside the iOS app ($179.99 a year); 1 device, iOS only, no protocol choice
Reviews
Write a reviewNo reviews yet. If you use Astrill VPN, yours would be the first.
Alternatives to Astrill VPN
| Product | Choose it instead if | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | You want 10 or more devices connected at once and a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users | $2.99 a month on the 2-y... |
| Surfshark VPN | You want unlimited devices, a lower price and 30 days to get your money back, with a NoBorders mode that switches on when it detects a restricted network | $2.49 a month on the 2-y... |
| Windscribe VPN | You want a free tier, or a cheaper plan with Stealth and WStunnel connection options for censored networks | Free |
Questions people ask
Does Astrill VPN work in China?
China is the market Astrill builds for: StealthVPN and OpenWeb disguise VPN traffic, Smart mode and an 'Unblock sites' filter are offered for China, and its server list has several servers labeled for China. We have not tested it inside China, and blocking changes often, so treat Astrill's claims as claims. Using an unapproved VPN in China also carries legal risk, so check the rules that apply to you.
Does Astrill VPN have a free trial?
No. Astrill's FAQ says it does not offer free trials, and its refund policy tells you to buy the shortest plan if you want to try it. One older FAQ answer still mentions a 7-day trial, but the sign-up page offers none. The cheapest way to test it is the 1-month plan at $30.
Can I get a refund from Astrill VPN?
Astrill says all sales are final and refunds are not possible once you buy, including when your internet provider blocks the service. Routers bought from Astrill have a 6-month warranty, paid as a replacement or as Astrill credit. If a money-back guarantee matters to you, ExpressVPN and Surfshark both offer 30 days.
How many devices can I use with Astrill VPN?
You can install Astrill on as many devices in your household as you like, but only 5 can be connected at the same time, and only one router at a time. The iOS plan bought through the App Store covers a single iOS device.
How much does Astrill VPN cost?
$30 for one month, $180 for a year ($15 a month) or $300 for two years ($12.50 a month), in US dollars as of November 4, 2026. A private IP adds $5 a month, and the VIP add-on starts at $10 a month for 100 GB of VIP traffic.
Does Astrill VPN keep logs?
Its privacy policy says it keeps your IP address, connection time, device type and app version only while you are connected, to limit how many devices you use at once. It also keeps your last 20 connections (time, length, country, device and app version, without your IP) for support, and counts the bytes you transfer. We found no independent audit of these claims on Astrill's site.
Where is Astrill VPN based?
Astrill is a brand of Veloxee Corp., registered in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and its terms are governed by Liechtenstein law. Older reviews that place it in the Seychelles are out of date. The company says it has served customers since 2009.
Can I pay for Astrill VPN with Alipay or WeChat?
Yes. Astrill's FAQ lists credit cards including UnionPay and JCB, debit cards, bank wire, PayPal, Perfect Money, WeChat Pay, Alipay and Bitcoin. Some feature pages also mention Ethereum and Monero.
Sources we checked 35
- astrill.com/pricing for personal plan prices, what all plans include, Private IP and VIP add-on prices checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com for server network claims, apps offered, 5 simultaneous connections, Bitcoin, serving customers since 2009 checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/faq for no free trials, no refunds, device rules, protocols, iOS plan, Google Play, mirror site and Tor address, logging, payment methods, invite-a-friend checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/refund-policy for all sales final, try the shortest plan, router warranty checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/terms-of-service for company name, registered seat in Vaduz, Liechtenstein law, device limits, inactive account deletion checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/about-us for founded 2009, Liechtenstein company, travelers and expats focus, support channels, router firmware support checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/privacy-policy for logging policy checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/ios-vpn for iOS plan price and limits checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/business-vpn for business plan features; prices not shown checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/vpn-protocols for OpenWeb, StealthVPN, WireGuard and OpenVPN details and platform support checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/vpn-protocols/stealth-vpn for StealthVPN ports, modes, encryption and platforms checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/vpn-protocols/openweb for OpenWeb details and browser-only tunneling checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/vpn-protocols/wireguard for WireGuard platforms and Astrill's experimental warning checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/smart-mode for Smart mode and its country limits checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/website-and-app-filter for app and website filters, international-sites and Unblock sites modes checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/kill-switch for kill switch platforms and App Guard checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/vpn-sharing for VPN sharing platforms checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/port-forwarding for port forwarding rules checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/network/dedicated-ips for private IP price and NAT firewall checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/vip for VIP servers, traffic bundles and multi-hop checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/network/multi-hop-vpn for multi-hop limits checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/network/vpn-servers for server count claims checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/astrill-vpn-routers for router requirements and applet features checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/features/third-party-vpn-clients for third-party OpenVPN and WireGuard clients checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/support for support channels checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/download/windows for Windows 10 and 11 requirement, current app version checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/download/mac for macOS 12 or later requirement checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/download/ios for iOS 9 or later, App Store country limits, fake app warning checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/download/android for Android 4.4 or later, Google Play checked November 4, 2026
- astrill.com/download/linux for Linux packages checked November 4, 2026
- expressvpn.com/pricing for ExpressVPN device counts per plan and 30-day money-back guarantee for new users checked November 4, 2026
- surfshark.com/pricing for Surfshark unlimited devices and 30-day money-back guarantee checked November 4, 2026
- surfshark.com/features/noborders for Surfshark NoBorders mode checked November 4, 2026
- windscribe.com/upgrade for Windscribe free tier and plan prices checked November 4, 2026
- windscribe.com/features for Windscribe Stealth and WStunnel protocols checked November 4, 2026