Symlex VPN Review – A Low-Cost VPN Laden with Premium Features
If you’re looking for a VPN to stream US Netflix or protect your online activity, Symlex VPN might just be worth a try. It comes from a relatively lesser-known software developer from Bangladesh having its offices in the USA, South Africa, and the UAE.
Sure, it doesn’t come with the bells and whistles you’d find in some of the bigger names like NordVPN or IPVanish VPN or Private Internet Access. But it ticks many of the boxes on my checklist, which includes cost, Netflix unblocking capability and P2P sharing. While the VPN can sometimes lag, and the apps are pretty basic, if all you need is solid encryption and reliable streaming access, it might still do the trick for you.
What really stands out about Symlex VPN is the strong encryption it uses. It supports key protocols like HTTP and OpenVPN. Plus, if you’re into torrenting or P2P file sharing, Symlex has you covered there, too.
Let’s break down how it stacks up in the VPN industry and whether it might be the right choice for you.
Pros & Cons
- One of the most inexpensive options among paid VPNs
- Unblocks US Netflix
- Supports torrenting
- Uses military-grade AES-256 encryption
- A short 7-day money-back policy
Symlex VPN – Why Do I Recommend It?
Symlex is surely not among the stars of the VPN world, but it is worth considering if you’re looking for something simple and affordable. It’s not packed with tons of features, but for students or folks who just want to binge-watch without spending a fortune, Symlex does the job. It covers more than 95 locations across 40 countries. Not as many as the big guys like Surfshark VPN, which has over 3000 servers, nor it has 10 Gbps ultra-fast servers like CyberGhost VPN but there are some solid upsides to this service that might surprise you. Here’s a roundup.
A Server Network That Just Gets the Job Done
If you’re like me, you might just want to unblock content from different countries or stream without too much hassle. Let me tell you, Symlex’s 95 server locations might be more than enough. While it doesn’t have dedicated servers for gaming, which might be a letdown if you are totally into gaming, it’s decent for regular streaming or browsing. If safe and smooth gaming is what you want, I would recommend ExpressVPN instead, which has low ping and robust security. But for me, Symlex works fine for most of my everyday needs.
No Limits on Bandwidth
One of the things I thoroughly liked about Symlex is the unlimited bandwidth, and that too at a hard to beat price. You can stream, browse, and download without worrying about hitting any caps. You won’t face data limits or throttling. That said, it’s not the fastest VPN out there.
Security You Can Count On
Symlex uses the same AES-256 encryption that the US military relies on, so I feel pretty safe using it. It also protects against DNS leaks, which means your internet activity stays private. They claim they don’t keep logs of what you do online, but I’ve read that their no-log policy hasn’t been audited by an independent agency. Pro tip: always check whether a VPN’s no-log policy was audited and verified by a third party. Symlex hasn’t gone that extra step yet, and that’s something I think they could improve on.
Built-In Ad Blocker
One feature of Symlex I love is the built-in ad blocker. It’s not something you always find in entry-level VPNs, and even some pricier options didn’t have it until recently. It’s a handy feature, especially if you’re like me and hate those annoying pop-up ads. Plus, it helps protect against malware and phishing attacks that can hide in ads, so it adds an extra layer of safety while browsing.
Works Across Multiple Devices
I switch between my Android phone and my MacBook a lot, and thankfully Symlex is compatible with both Android and iOS, as well as Windows and macOS. You can connect up to 5 devices at a time.
Symlex VPN – Fast Facts
Feature |
Status |
Headquarters | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
No-Log Policy | Yes (Third-party audit not done) |
Kill Switch | Included |
Number of Simultaneous Connections | Up to 5 Devices |
Server Locations (Number of Countries) | 40+ |
Number of Servers | 180+ |
Torrenting | Supported |
Netflix Support | Supported |
Encryption Type | AES-256-bit |
Customer Support | Email, Live Chat, and WhatsApp |
Trial Version | Yes |
Split Tunneling | Included |
Multi-Hop | Included |
Symlex VPN – What Do People Think about It?
From what I’ve seen online, people have mixed feelings about Symlex VPN. There’s definitely a crowd that’s happy with it, especially when it comes to gaming or streaming in countries like Pakistan and the UAE. It seems to do the trick for bypassing restrictions there.
In the UAE, VPN use is a bit of a gray area—some things are allowed, others not so much. But according to people using it for things like connecting to game servers, as long as you’re not doing anything shady, you should be fine. And honestly, that feels like common sense.
A lot of folks like how easy it is to use. They say it’s smooth, and the performance is reliable for casual browsing, too. However, there’s a bit of hesitation from some users because the company is based in Bangladesh. I guess some people worry about the country’s political and economic stability affecting the service.
How Do Pro Users Feel About Symlex VPN?
I decided to dive into some reviews on G2 and Trustpilot, which are great platforms for honest opinions since they only allow verified users—most of whom are professionals or business users – to leave feedback. This gives me a clearer idea of what people actually think about Symlex VPN.
Take iPhone software engineer Enamul, for example. He represents a small business and had quite a bit to say. One thing that stood out was his appreciation for Symlex’s security during his banking transactions. He also mentioned how he values the VPN’s strong encryption at a reasonable price.
Enamul didn’t stop there. He was happy with the AES-256 bits encryption and multi-device support. However, not everything was perfect. He noticed occasional slowdowns on some of their servers.
On the other hand, Abhishek from Qatar posted a review saying Symlex VPN is good but has room for improvement. He pointed out that users can’t remove devices linked to their account on their own – they have to contact customer support each time.
Symlex VPN responded that this policy is in place to prevent misuse. They apologized for the inconvenience and suggested users reach out to their 24/7 support team for further help if needed.
Is Symlex a Fast or Slow VPN?
When I checked the speed results for Symlex VPN across different servers, I noticed quite a range in performance. I checked the speed through Speedtest.net, which is the go-to website for anyone trying to check internet speed in their region.
Let’s start with Kolkata, India. The speeds there were really good. The download speed hit 87.81 Mbps, and the upload speed was even better at 117.76 Mbps. That’s more than enough to handle pretty much anything, streaming, gaming, big file uploads, you name it.
But things started to look different when I moved to the Dubai server. The download speed dropped to 20 Mbps, and the upload speed was only 3.63 Mbps. Those numbers aren’t terrible for basic browsing, but if you’re trying to stream videos or upload large files, it’s going to feel sluggish. Add to that the ping of 195 ms, and it’s clear there could be some annoying delays during real-time tasks like gaming or video calls.
The Stockholm server in Sweden wasn’t much better. It managed a download speed of 21.27 Mbps and an upload speed of 2.80 Mbps. Again, it’s okay for light browsing, but don’t expect to get much done. With a ping of 198 ms, there’s also the issue of latency, which could make real-time activities less enjoyable.
Then I switched to the Vanderbijlpark server in South Africa, which performed the worst by a long shot. The download speed was only 12.88 Mbps, and the upload speed barely scraped by at 0.89 Mbps. That’s not going to cut it for anything beyond simple browsing.
Symlex vs Top VPNs – A Brief Comparison
Feature |
Symlex VPN |
ExpressVPN |
TunnelBear |
Private Internet Access |
Headquarters | Dhaka, Bangladesh | British Virgin Islands | Canada | United States |
No-Log Policy | ||||
Kill Switch | (Network Lock) | (VigilantBear) | ||
Number of Devices Supported with One License | 5 | 8 | 5 | 10 (Unlimited for some plans) |
Server Locations (Number of Countries) | 40+ | 94+ | 47+ | 84+ |
Number of Servers | 148+ | 3,000+ | 1,800+ | 35,000+ |
Torrents Support | All servers | Limited | All servers | |
Netflix Support | ||||
Encryption Type | AES-256-bit | AES-256-bit | AES-256-bit | AES-256-bit |
Customer Support | Live Chat, Email, WhatsApp | 24/7 Live Chat | Email support, Knowledge base | 24/7 Live Chat |
Trial Version | 30-day money-back guarantee | Free plan with 2GB per month | 30-day money-back guarantee | |
Split Tunnelling | (SplitBear) | |||
Multi-Hop |
Should You Consider Symlex VPN?
If you’re like me and looking for a budget-friendly VPN, Symlex might catch your eye. It’s packed with features that you typically see in pricier options: Netflix compatibility, AES-256-bit encryption, various protocols, support for torrents, multi-hop connections, and split tunneling. But there’s a catch—it’s slow. If speed matters to you, especially for things like gaming or binge-watching shows, you might get frustrated with how sluggish it can be.
Now, if you’re just an individual browsing the web or care more about keeping your privacy intact, Symlex could be a solid deal. But it only supports up to 5 devices at the same time. So if you’re managing multiple devices or considering it for business use, this may not cut it. For business users, I’d strongly recommend something like PIA VPN (Private Internet Access). It’s a better fit for those who need to connect more devices without sacrificing speed.