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Astrill vs PrivateVPN compares two unaudited providers that answer very different needs. Astrill is a China specialist: GreatFirewallGuide scored it at 98% on China Telecom in April 2026, and it charges $12.50 a month on its two-year plan. PrivateVPN is a budget streamer: reviewers report it working reliably with Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video, for around $2 a month on its three-year plan.
Neither has ever had an independent no-logs audit, and each has open questions about who it is. So the choice comes down to where you will use it.
Astrill vs PrivateVPN: The Short Answer
Choose Astrill over PrivateVPN if you need to get through the Great Firewall. It rates 3.0 in our Astrill review and costs $300 for two years.
Choose PrivateVPN for streaming, torrenting and price everywhere else. It rates 3.2 in our PrivateVPN review, includes port forwarding and SOCKS5, and gives one plan a free dedicated IP.
Using an unapproved VPN in China is a regulatory violation, with an individual fine of up to RMB 5,000, as our China legality page explains.
Privacy: Two Unaudited Providers
Astrill logs some data while you are connected: IP address, connection time, device type and app version, deleted after the session by its own account, according to VPN.com. Reviewers disagree on whether it is based in the Seychelles or Liechtenstein.
PrivateVPN says it keeps no logs, and its support reportedly told a reviewer there was therefore nothing to audit. Its servers are disk-based rather than RAM-only. It operates from Sweden, a Fourteen Eyes member, and sources disagree on whether it is independent or owned by Miss Group.
⚠️ No outsider has checked either claim. Our audit tracker and our no-logs guide explain what that leaves you trusting.
| Provider | No-logs audits | Auditor | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 6 | PwC, Deloitte | Panama |
| Surfshark | 2 | Deloitte | Netherlands (9 Eyes) |
| ExpressVPN | 3 | KPMG (28 security reports in total) | British Virgin Islands, Kape-owned |
| CyberGhost | 3 | Deloitte | Romania, Kape-owned |
| PureVPN | 4 | KPMG | BVI, operated from Pakistan |
| IPVanish | 2 | Leviathan, Schellman | United States (Five Eyes), Ziff Davis-owned |
| Windscribe | 1 | Packetlabs, production infrastructure | Canada (Five Eyes); Greek case dismissed, no data to give |
| Proton VPN | 5 | Securitum | Switzerland, moving infrastructure to EU |
| Private Internet Access | 3 | Deloitte | United States (Five Eyes), Kape-owned |
| Mullvad | 10+ | Cure53, Assured AB | Sweden (14 Eyes) |
| TunnelBear | Annual since 2017 | Cure53 | Canada (Five Eyes), US parent |
| Norton VPN | 2 | VerSprite | United States (Five Eyes) |
| Hotspot Shield | 0 | protocol audited, policy not | United States (Five Eyes) |
| AirVPN | 0 | none — the client is open source instead | Italy (14 Eyes) |
| IVPN | 8, annual since inception | Cure53 | Gibraltar (status disputed) |
| Hide.me | 1 modern, in 2024 | Securitum, though one source names Altius IT | Malaysia (outside the alliances) |
| PrivadoVPN | 0 | none in six years of operation | Iceland (moved from Switzerland, 2026) |
| TorGuard | 0 | none; settled a lawsuit without disclosing records | United States (Five Eyes) |
| FastestVPN | 1, in 2023 | Altius IT | Cayman Islands (outside the alliances) |
| StrongVPN | 0 | none in over two decades | United States (Five Eyes), Ziff Davis-owned |
| VyprVPN | 1, in 2018 | Leviathan Security, before the 2023 sale | United States (Five Eyes), Certida-owned since 2023 |
| PrivateVPN | 0 | none; support says there is nothing to audit | Sweden (14 Eyes), ownership disputed |
| ZoogVPN | 0 | none; support describes one as planned | Greece (outside the alliances), run from Ukraine |
| Malwarebytes Privacy VPN | 1, in 2026 | X41 D-Sec, white-box over two months | United States (Five Eyes), runs AzireVPN infrastructure |
| Astrill | 0 | — | Disputed: Seychelles or Liechtenstein |
Astrill vs PrivateVPN on Price
Astrill costs $30 for a month, $180 for a year or $300 for two years, and the price repeats at renewal. Over four years its two-year plan comes to $600.
PrivateVPN costs around $2 a month on its three-year plan, a small fraction of Astrill’s price. Check its renewal at checkout before committing to three years. Our renewal price table explains why.
Refunds: PrivateVPN gives 30 days. For Astrill, several reviews report none and two sources describe seven days. Our refund guide explains what to check.
China and Restrictive Networks
Astrill’s StealthVPN and OpenWeb protocols target the Great Firewall directly, and GreatFirewallGuide suggests Hong Kong or Japan servers, with TCP on China Mobile in the evening.
PrivateVPN has a Stealth mode, but we have no published China figure for it. Our obfuscation guide explains how stealth protocols work.
Astrill vs PrivateVPN on Features
Streaming: PrivateVPN is the clear choice; reviewers call Astrill’s streaming hit and miss. Our Netflix guide covers the options.
Port forwarding: PrivateVPN includes it with SOCKS5; Astrill lists it among its features. Our port forwarding guide covers the rest of the market.
Dedicated IP: free on one PrivateVPN plan; a paid add-on at Astrill. Our dedicated IP guide explains who needs one.
Devices: PrivateVPN allows ten. Astrill’s page claims unlimited devices in your household, while several reviewers counted five.
Which One
Astrill if you live or work in mainland China and reliability there is worth $300 every two years.
PrivateVPN for streaming and torrenting almost anywhere else, at a fraction of the price. ExpressVPN vs Astrill and Surfshark vs PrivateVPN set each against an audited rival.
How We Research
Astrill’s prices come from its pricing page, read on 25 September 2026, and its logging, refunds, devices and jurisdiction from the sources named in our Astrill review. The China score comes from GreatFirewallGuide’s April 2026 review. PrivateVPN’s support answers, price, features and ownership dispute come from our PrivateVPN review. We do not run our own tests. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Astrill vs PrivateVPN FAQ
In Astrill vs PrivateVPN, PrivateVPN rates slightly higher, 3.2 against 3.0, and wins on streaming, price and extras. Astrill wins only for getting through China’s Great Firewall.
Astrill has the published evidence: GreatFirewallGuide scored it at 98% on China Telecom in April 2026. We have no comparable figure for PrivateVPN.
No. Astrill logs some session data while you are connected. PrivateVPN’s support reportedly said there was nothing to audit because it keeps no logs.
PrivateVPN, at around $2 a month on its three-year plan. Astrill costs $300 for two years or $30 for a single month.
PrivateVPN. Reviewers report Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video working reliably, while reviewers call Astrill’s streaming hit and miss.
The Verdict
Outside China, Astrill vs PrivateVPN goes to PrivateVPN: better streaming, port forwarding with SOCKS5, a free dedicated IP on one plan, and a fraction of the price.
Inside China, Astrill’s record is the reason to pay its price. Neither has an audit, so for everyday privacy an audited provider remains the safer choice.