VPNHouse

VPNHouse claims it can secure your connection free of charge while offering public and private server solutions. It’s also an open-source VPN created by a small team of developers. But is there anything that makes VPNHouse stand out among the top free and premium VPNs?

I tested VPNHouse to find out how good it is for streaming, gaming, and torrenting. I also learned how secure, private, and fast it is.

After thorough research, I can’t recommend VPNHouse. It’s unsafe and doesn’t even have a privacy policy. Its server network is limited to Germany, and it’s extremely slow. I advise you to pick any VPN from this list instead, as they’re far better than VPNHouse in terms of security, privacy, speeds, and network coverage.

[features-overview-table]

Streaming — Doesn’t Work With Most Streaming Sites

VPNHouse isn’t good for streaming. Of all the streaming platforms I tried accessing, it only unblocked Amazon Prime Video. Additionally, it slows you down significantly, which can make watching movies in HD impossible if your base speed is already low.

Unblocked: Amazon Prime Video

I had no issues accessing Amazon Prime Video. I could even watch FC Barcelona: A New Era with the highest video quality settings on my laptop. This was quite surprising, since my speeds were super slow. However, I didn’t have the same experience on my TV. I had to wait about a minute for the episode to load, and the video quality dropped to “Better”. There weren’t any interruptions throughout the episode though.

Blocked By: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max

I couldn’t access any other streaming service with VPNHouse. Netflix wouldn’t even let me log in. It kept telling me my password was wrong, but the same password worked without a VPN. Similarly, Disney+ also stopped me from logging in. I didn’t even get a chance to enter my credentials; the login page was completely blank.

I couldn’t get past the login page with Hulu either. After entering my email and password, I saw the following notification: “Hulu is available in the U.S. only, and cannot be used with an anonymous proxy service.” HBO Max is not available in Germany, and VPNHouse currently only offers German servers. So, I wasn’t able to access it.

While it can unblock Amazon Prime Video, its speeds make watching movies and shows far less enjoyable. Instead, choose one of the VPNs that work with most streaming services, have thousands of global servers, and superfast speeds.

Speeds — Drastic Speed Losses

VPNHouse is very slow. WireGuard is one of the fastest security protocols, so I didn’t expect the speeds to be this bad. Additionally, Germany is pretty close to my actual location, so I was really surprised by the results. While testing the VPN’s speeds, I paid attention to the following:

• Download speed refers to the time it takes for online information to reach your device. Having a high download speed is essential for smooth streaming, loading videos, and downloading files. This is measured in Megabytes per second (Mbps).
• Upload speed shows you how fast you can send data, also measured in Mbps. It lets you know how much time it takes to upload a video, or send a photo or email.
• Ping is the time required for a system to respond to your action, and it’s measured in milliseconds (ms). It’s crucial for online gaming.

Speed test also revealed the location of my ISP, although my IP was changed to Germany

As the VPN only has a few servers, they can easily get overcrowded. Additionally, if you live far away from Germany, you won’t be able to find a nearby server to get better speeds. While most free VPNs are slower than paid subscriptions, I’ve tested several that are much faster than VPNHouse. If you want to maintain fast speeds for browsing, streaming, and much more, get one of the fastest VPNs around.

Are VPNHouse’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? No

No, VPNHouse is too slow for gaming. Although a ping rate under 100 ms can be acceptable for some games, its download and upload speeds are too slow. I tried playing CS: GO, and I never got past the “Connecting to the CS:GO network” screen. To stay protected from DDoS attacks without compromising on speeds, take a look at this list of the best VPNs for gaming.

Server Network — Limited to Germany

VPNHouse only offers servers in Germany. You have the option to rent a private server in your chosen location. However, this can be complicated for most users, as configuring the private server requires a bit of coding. You also need to find a hosting provider to rent a server from. Additionally, while VPNHouse is free, you’d need to pay for server rentals, which can cost $5 to over $700 per server.

Meanwhile, there are many VPNs (even free ones) that offer more server locations that let you access content from other countries. Most premium VPNs also come with a trustworthy money-back guarantee, so you can try them out risk-free. So, unless you’re specifically interested in accessing German content, I advise you to take a look at this list of high-quality VPNs with thousands of global servers.

Security — No Additional Security Features

VPNHouse completely relies on WireGuard’s built-in security features. WireGuard is a fast and secure VPN tunnel, but the best premium VPNs offer OpenVPN too. While WireGuard is a bit faster, OpenVPN is the gold standard in online protection and my go-to when working with sensitive information.

My ISP DNS wasn’t visible here, but it leaked during my speed tests

The VPN doesn’t have any additional options to keep you safe online. Most VPNs at least have a kill switch to prevent data leaks by blocking your internet traffic if your VPN suddenly disconnects. That’s not to mention other features such as split tunneling or multi-hop servers. Free VPNs have limited resources, so they usually don’t invest in advanced technology. But, the best VPNs have more features than VPNHouse.

Overall, VPNHouse completely overlooks security, even though it’s one of the main purposes of a VPN. There’s always something you need to sacrifice to get a free service, but I’d rather stay safe and get a premium VPN with high-grade security features. Some premium VPNs offer free trials, and most have a trustworthy money-back guarantee, so you can try them out with peace of mind.

Privacy — Logs IP Addresses

Although the VPN claims it has a no-logs policy, it’s not a privacy-friendly service. First off, there is no way to view its privacy policy since the page on its website is empty. Additionally, VPNHouse is configured through WireGuard, which stores IP addresses by default. The best premium VPNs have a way to use WireGuard without risking user privacy, but VPNHouse doesn’t.

I asked customer support about this, and was told that they “simply don’t keep any IP records longer than it is needed to provide a service”. This is a very vague statement. At the same time, WireGuard stores your real IP address and timestamps indefinitely.

If you care about your privacy, I recommend avoiding VPNHouse. While you can’t expect a strictly private service from most free VPNs, some of them will at least inform you about the data they collect. However, your best bet is to use a trustworthy VPN with a strict no-logging policy.

Torrenting — Slow and Unsafe

I wouldn’t advocate for using VPNHouse for torrenting purposes. When I activated the VPN, my download speeds decreased by 84%. It’s common for VPNs, especially free ones, to reduce speeds, and one might be willing to compromise speed for enhanced security. But in the case of VPNHouse, it doesn’t offer that security assurance either.

Although it does encrypt your data with the ChaCha20 algorithm used by WireGuard, it doesn’t have any mechanism for preventing data leaks. To download safely, choose a VPN with military-grade encryption, leak protection, and fast speeds.

Does VPNHouse Work in China? Probably Not

I couldn’t confirm if the VPN works in China. Unfortunately, as I’m not in China, I couldn’t test it myself. I asked customer service if they’ve tested it but was told that they currently don’t know if it works there. To stay safe, check out this list of VPNs that we’ve verified work in China.

As the VPN doesn’t have obfuscation, it’s likely that it will be blocked

The Chinese government currently blocks several VPNs with its Great Firewall. However, the government usually only goes after the technology, and not the people who use it. Still, to make sure you’re not breaking any laws, make sure to read up on the local rules and regulations before using a VPN.

Simultaneous Device Connections — 无限

You can use VPNHouse only on one device at a time. I wasn’t surprised, as most free VPNs limit your device connections. However, the VPN’s website states that you can have unlimited connections if you rent a virtual private server. What it doesn’t say is that you’d need to rent a separate server for each device you want to connect simultaneously.

Most of us own more than one device, so I’d rather use a VPN that can protect several at once. If you’re paying for private servers to cover 3 devices, it would cost you at least $15. This is more than a monthly subscription for a premium VPN with a global server network, robust security features, and multiple simultaneous connections. To stay safe on all your devices, I recommend choosing one of the VPNs from this list.