VPN.ac
A Romania-based VPN run by a security firm (Cryptolayer, formerly Netsec Interactive Solutions), fast and obfuscation-friendly, but it keeps short-lived connection logs and has never been independently audited.
vpn.ac ↗- Jurisdiction
- Romania
- Founded
- 2009
- Owner
- Cryptolayer SRL (formerly Netsec Interactive Solutions SRL)
- Best price
- $3.75/mo
- Devices
- 12
- Free tier
- No
Best for
- · Users in censored/restrictive regions (e.g. China) who need reliable obfuscation
- · Speed-sensitive use like streaming and torrenting on a privacy-friendly jurisdiction
- · Technical users comfortable with manual configuration who value strong encryption
Not ideal for
- · Privacy maximalists who require an independently audited, court-tested true zero-logs provider
- · People who want fully anonymous signup or a polished, actively maintained Linux/open-source client
- · Users who prioritize RAM-only diskless infrastructure or a large global server fleet
Strengths
- ✓Privacy-friendly Romanian jurisdiction, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances and historically without mandatory data-retention
- ✓Run by an established security company (Cryptolayer, formerly Netsec Interactive Solutions, operating since 2009) with strong encryption (ECC + AES-GCM) and effective obfuscation that works in restrictive networks like China
- ✓Consistently fast in independent 2026 speed tests, with P2P/torrenting allowed and multi-hop (double-VPN) server options
- ✓Accepts cryptocurrency and offers a cheap $2 7-day trial plus a 7-day money-back guarantee
Weaknesses
- ✗Not a true no-logs VPN: the official privacy policy admits connection logs include the user's IP, connection timestamps, and data transferred while a session is active
- ✗No-logs/privacy claims have never been independently audited, and the service has never been court-tested by a seizure or subpoena
- ✗No RAM-only (diskless) servers; infrastructure is bare-metal/rented disk-based servers, and the network is relatively small (~21 countries)
- ✗Closed-source clients and a neglected Linux app (command-line only, effectively unmaintained since January 2020); WireGuard requires manual setup
Full data sheet
Every attribute we track, coloured by whether it helps or hurts your privacy.
| Based in | Romania |
| Eyes alliance | Outside 5/9/14 Eyes |
| Enemy of the Internet | No |
| Owner | Cryptolayer SRL (formerly Netsec Interactive Solutions SRL) |
| Conglomerate | n/a |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Traffic / activity | None kept |
| DNS requests | None kept |
| Timestamps | Some |
| Bandwidth | Some |
| Source IP address | Some |
No activity/traffic or DNS-query logging. However, the official privacy policy states VPN connection logs DO include the user's IP address, VPN connection start/end times, and amount of data transferred; these are held only while a session is active and erased once the session is terminated. Not a true zero-logs model, and never independently audited.
| Anonymous signup | No |
| Accepts cash | Unknown |
| Accepts crypto | Yes |
| PGP key | Unknown |
| OpenVPN | Yes |
| WireGuard | Yes |
| Proprietary protocol | n/a |
| Multi-hop | Yes |
| Obfuscation | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes |
| First-party DNS | Yes |
| RAM-only servers | No |
| Port forwarding | Unknown |
| P2P / torrenting | Yes |
| IPv6 | Unknown |
| Data cipher | AES-GCM |
| Handshake | Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC/ECDH) |
| Open-source clients | No |
| Independent audits | None |
| Transparency report | No |
| Court / seizure-tested | Unknown |
No documented server seizure, raid, or subpoena that tested the logging policy; no public transparency report.
| Simultaneous devices | 12 |
| Countries | 21 |
| Servers | 130 |
| Linux support | CLI / config |
| Month-to-month | $9.00 |
| Best $/mo | $3.75 |
| On plan | 2-year ($90 billed upfront) |
| Free trial | 7 days |
| Refund window | 7 days |
| Free tier | No |
| Logging policy | Contradictory |
| Marketing honesty | No overclaiming |
Logging is the key nuance: VPN.ac advertises 'No activity logs' and does not log traffic content or DNS queries, but its own privacy policy explicitly states that VPN connection logs (IP address, connection start/end times, amount of data transferred) are kept for the duration of an active session and erased once the session is terminated. This is a real, documented contradiction with a blanket 'no-logs' impression, hence ethics.contradictoryLogging='yes' while falseClaims='no' (they disclose it). The operating company was renamed from Netsec Interactive Solutions SRL to Cryptolayer SRL (same Sibiu, Romania entity, established 2009; not a conglomerate). Never independently audited, VPN.ac appears in GreyCoder's 'VPNs With No Public Audits' list and VPNMentor reports support stating audits are 'only for marketing'. Pricing verified against live official page: $9/mo, $24/3mo, $58/yr, $90/2yr ($3.75/mo best rate); 7-day money-back guarantee; a discounted $2 7-day trial exists (not a free tier). Connection limit is 12 total (6 OpenVPN/IPsec + 6 WireGuard). Server-count and country figures vary by source and are flagged low-confidence.
Sources
- VPN.ac official privacy policy (logging wording: 'connection logs include IP addresses, start and end time of VPN connections, amount of data transfered'; 'erased once a session is terminated'; 'do not log or monitor actual VPN activity') ↗
- VPN.ac official VPN accounts / pricing page (plans: $9/mo, $24/3mo, $58/yr, $90/2yr = $3.75/mo; 7-day money-back; 12 connections; 21 VPN countries) ↗
- VPN.ac official security/features page (OpenVPN/IPsec/WireGuard, ECC + AES-GCM, obfuscation, secure DNS; proprietary client apps) ↗
- VPN.ac official About page (footer: 'a VPN Service of Cryptolayer (formerly Netsec Interactive Solutions)'; operating company established Romania 2009) ↗
- Amazon Appstore listing for VPN.AC (publisher 'Cryptolayer SRL', confirming the company rename) ↗
- CyberInsider VPN.ac Review (dated Jan 2026; connection logs erased shortly after disconnect, no DNS/activity logging, no audit, bare-metal not RAM-only, Linux client not updated since January 2020, OpenVPN XOR obfuscation, $2 discounted trial, 7-day refund) ↗
- SafetyDetectives VPN.ac Review 2026 (active status, pricing, connection-log nuance, no audit) ↗
- Cloudwards VPN.ac Review (updated 2026; server/infrastructure and WireGuard limitations) ↗
- VPNMentor VPN.ac Review (dated Apr 2026; logs IP/timestamps/bandwidth deleted on session end; 'not been audited or verified by a third party', support said audits 'only for marketing'; $3.75/mo 2-year; 7-day refund; no free trial; 130+ servers in 26 countries; WireGuard manual-only) ↗
- GreyCoder 'A List Of VPN Providers With Public Audits' (VPN.ac listed under 'VPNs With No Public Audits') ↗
Last verified 2026-06-17. Point-in-time data, so always confirm on the provider's own site.