AstroProxy is a tempting alternative to a VPN. The prices start low, and it can do many of the same things a premium VPN can do. Since it offers a cheap way to change your location on nearly any device, it seems like a good deal. But, can AstroProxy perform as well as a premium VPN? Is AstroProxy really safe?
To find out if it compares to the top VPNs, I performed extensive tests on its security features, speeds, and unblocking abilities. I also explored its privacy policy to see if you can trust AstroProxy with your data.
Based on my test results, I do not recommend AstroProxy. Its slow speeds make it a bad choice for streaming, and it records a ton of your data. AstroProxy can’t fully protect your device the way a premium VPN does, and the price can rise quickly since you pay for bandwidth. To find a fast, safe service with a trustworthy privacy policy, I recommend you rather check out this list of the best available VPNs.
Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings
Pros
- Good unblocking capabilities. AstroProxy helps you access geo-blocked platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, but you can expect long loading times and buffering. Here are all the platforms it unblocks.
- Decent number of servers. The service has 100 servers in 100 countries. Unfortunately, their availability depends on the proxy type you choose. Read more about the different categories here.
- Very good device compatibility. You can use AstroProxy on any device that supports a connection to a proxy. Find out if you can use it on your devices.
- 14-day money-back guarantee. It also offers a free trial, but you can only configure 1 port. Read more about AstroProxy’s subscription plans here.
Cons
- Very slow speeds. It works for web browsing, but it’s too slow for high-bandwidth activities like streaming or gaming. Check out my speed test results here.
- Weak security. Proxies aren’t the safest way to keep your data protected. You can find the results of my leak tests here.
- All your data is logged. It’s located outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances, but the service retains a lot of your information. Find out more about its privacy policy here.
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Streaming — Great Unblocking Capabilities; Poor Streaming Quality
AstroProxy’s slow speeds result in long loading times and a lot of buffering. While I was impressed that it can unblock nearly every major streaming platform, it doesn’t really matter when the viewing experience is this poor.
Unblocks: US Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Peacock TV, BBC iPlayer, and iTV Hub
I started by testing the US ports, and I easily accessed US Netflix. Unfortunately, videos loaded slowly and the stream was lagging.
If you see the US Top 10, you’ll know you’ve accessed the US library
I was also able to access several other popular platforms, including Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and Peacock. Unfortunately, every platform I accessed with AstroProxy took nearly a minute to load. Plus, there was constant buffering with every service, which made watching anything a frustrating experience.
Blocked By: Amazon Prime Video
AstroProxy couldn’t unblock Amazon Prime Video. I was never able to load any videos, and I couldn’t even load the menu to browse. The VPN was simply too slow to access the service.
Overall, streaming with AstroProxy was very unpleasant, at times even impossible. If you want to enjoy bufferless streaming, take your pick from these fast and reliable VPNs.
Speeds — Too Slow for Anything Other Than Web Browsing
Connecting to AstroProxy dropped my speed by 90% on average. Before I began testing AstroProxy’s speeds, I checked my base connection. My average download speed was 48 Mbps.
Then, I set up AstroProxy on Windows using the manual proxy settings. I connected to servers in the UK and the US using the HTTPS port and tested my speeds. I also performed tests using the OpenVPN connect app and several different port configurations. Every setup gave me the same disappointing results. My average download speed was only 4.55 Mbps.
The slow speeds even gave me load times while browsing
If you’re looking to enjoy your time online without interruptions, you can check out this list of blazing-fast VPNs.
Are AstroProxy’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? No
AstroProxy is not suitable for online gaming. In order to play online games, you need a ping rating under 100ms. The ping tells you how long it takes your inputs to travel. When the ping is high, games become unplayable because there’s lag between when you push a button and when the game responds.
AstroProxy gave me an average ping of 314ms, which made online gaming impossible. Even with a slow-paced card game like Hearthstone, AstroProxy gave me a ton of lag. If you want to play with your friends on servers in different countries, enjoy seamless gaming, and remain safe, pick one of these proven gaming VPNs.
Server Network — Number of Locations Depends on Proxy Type
AstroProxy has a large server network that covers 100+ countries and over 1,000,000 IP addresses every month. However, the number of available locations and IPs depends on the proxy type.
The service offers 3 different types of proxies — residential, datacenter, and mobile. They all have different features that can influence traffic flow, security, and accessibility.
Residential proxies work best for accessing streaming services or bypassing blocks from your provider. You’ll be indistinguishable from a regular user on these servers because you’re connecting to a real home IP address. The owners of these IP addresses partner with AstroProxy, so you don’t have to worry about using someone’s address without their knowledge.
Datacenter proxies use IPs provided by third parties such as web hosting services and offer the best speeds. Unfortunately, I needed fast speeds the most when I was streaming. I couldn’t unblock any streaming platforms with these proxies or access any gaming lobbies, which made them pretty useless.
Mobile proxies are based on real mobile IPs and use devices connected to a mobile network (eg. 3G, 4G, or 5G). They appear even more genuine than residential proxies and are even harder to identify by anti-bot systems. So, these proxies are blocked the least and are recommended for marketers that run multiple accounts or run bots for data scraping.
Choose Network type – proxy type – to check available locations
When choosing a port, you make several additional choices besides the proxy type and location. You can also choose the operator, and set an IP address rotation mode based on time, links, or requests. While the amount of customization options is nice, it isn’t necessary for most people unless you’re a serious marketer.
Security — Protects You From IP Leaks and Provides Partial Encryption
Astro Proxy has some security features that keep your data safe, but only on one app or website at a time. It has IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak protection. While this protects data moving through the proxy, it will not encrypt the rest of your device the way a VPN does.
Encryption, Ports, and Protocols
There are 3 ways to set up your proxy, but none of them protect your device fully. Whether you use HTTPS, SOCKS, or OpenVPN — you will only encrypt the browser you’re using. You will have some degree of protection, but you will not be completely safe from cyber threats.
IP, DNS, and WebRTC Protection
Since a proxy’s main purpose is to change your IP address, I tested AstroProxy for any possible IP and DNS leaks. In both cases, when using the manual setup and OpenVPN, AstroProxy successfully protected me from data leaks. It kept my real location, browser history, and cached data safe.
While AstroProxy offers some security, it does not offer complete protection. Plus, it’s missing key security features you get with a VPN like a kill switch. This is a crucial feature that blocks your internet connection if the VPN ever disconnects. AstroProxy has nothing like that. If you truly want to remain safe during all your online activities, take a look at this list of the safest VPNs.
Privacy — All of Your Data Is Logged
AstroProxy is not a good choice if maintaining your privacy is important to you. It logs just about everything, including personal, technical, and usage data. Upon signing up, the service collects your email address, user name, and contact details. When using the service, it logs your IP address, browser type and version, time zone settings, browser plug-in types and version, operating system, and platform, as well as complete usage data.
Furthermore, the company shares your data with third parties, including business partners, suppliers, sub-contractors, analytics and search engine providers. I was happy to see it headquartered in the Republic of Armenia, which is not in the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances – an intelligence sharing agreement between several countries.
However, the company’s privacy policy states that it will share your personal data with courts, government authorities, and law enforcement officials if required by law. Being outside the 5/9/14 Eyes doesn’t mean much with a policy like that. To keep your vital information private, I recommend you choose a VPN with a strict no-logs policy that has proven it will never record or share your identifiable data.
Torrenting — Too Slow and Unsafe for P2P
While you can use AstroProxy for peer-to-peer file sharing, a VPN designed for torrenting, such as CyberGhost, is a far superior choice. I found AstroProxy to be extremely sluggish, taking nearly nine times longer to upload or download files compared to normal speeds. Typically, I can finish downloading a 600MB torrent in approximately 3 minutes. However, with AstroProxy, the process extended to almost 30 minutes, and at times, the upload speed dipped under 1 kbps.
On top of that, AstroProxy does not provide total encryption of your traffic, so you won’t be protected from other people on the P2P network. Plus, it keeps detailed usage logs and may share this data with the authorities if you ever accidentally download the wrong file.
My team and I don’t condone any illegal activities, so we recommend you read your local laws before choosing to torrent. If you decide you’d like to download and share files safely, I recommend you try one of the best VPNs for torrenting collected in this list.
Does AstroProxy Work in China? No
There’s no clear information on whether AstroProxy works in China. I reached out to support to find out, but the agent didn’t give me a clear answer. He explained that it should be possible to get the service even from mainland China. But whether the proxy will actually work depends on the methods you use.
While China has banned many VPNs and proxy services, it usually goes after the technology instead of individuals. If you don’t want to experiment with a service that may or may not work, I suggest you get a VPN that successfully bypasses the Great Firewall instead.
Simultaneous Device Connections — Unlimited
AstroProxy does not have a connection limit, but each device you connect to costs extra. Since the proxy charges for traffic, you can connect as many devices as you want, but it’s recommended you connect each device to a separate port. You specify the amount of traffic you want to use on each port, so this will prevent you from using too much bandwidth. It’s great that you can connect an unlimited number of devices, but the fact that you pay for traffic will limit how many devices you choose to connect.
Final Verdict — Good Unblocking Capabilities, but Restricted by Very Slow Speeds and Your Data Gets Shared
AstroProxy has some very specific uses, but it comes with a lot of flaws. If you’re a marketer, its proxies can help you login to multiple accounts, run ads, and a lot more. But outside of the business world, it can’t compete with top-rated VPNs, like ExpressVPN.
Its slow speeds make streaming or gaming too frustrating to enjoy. Security-wise, it can’t encrypt your entire device. Worst of all, it has a terrible privacy policy. AstroProxy logs a ton of your data and is open about sharing it.
Because of this, I can only recommend AstroProxy to marketers and people in related fields. On top of its other issues, the flexible pricing structure will end up making it way more expensive than a premium VPN. If you need to perform any data-heavy activities or you just want to keep the information on your device safe, I recommend you get one of the highest- reviewed VPNs.
FAQs
Is AstroProxy safe?
No, because it only protects the proxy. Unlike a VPN, it won’t encrypt your entire device. So, if you’re using apps while browsing with AstroProxy, they will be vulnerable to cyberattacks. On top of that, AstroProxy logs a ton of your data. You can see in its privacy policy that the company is willing to share your identifiable information.
Can AstroProxy unblock Netflix?
Yes, AstroProxy can unblock Netflix. When I tested AstroProxy I could access many streaming services including 6 different Netflix libraries, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and much more. Unfortunately, its speeds were so slow my videos took a long time to load and constantly paused to buffer.
Will AstroProxy slow my speeds down?
Yes, it will slow you down a lot. Using a proxy is expected to cause slowdowns, but AstroProxy made my connection so slow I couldn’t stream or play any games. You won’t be able to do much more than browse. In my speed test results, you can see just how much it reduced my download rates.