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Astrill vs PrivadoVPN compares one of the most expensive VPNs with one of the cheapest. Astrill charges $30 a month for StealthVPN and OpenWeb, built for China, with no audit and no refunds, Gizmodo found. PrivadoVPN, under Icelandic law since May 2026, offers 10 GB a month free and Premium from $1.11 a month on two years, with streaming and SOCKS5 but no audit in our table.
This guide compares China use, free use, streaming, evidence, devices, price and fit.
Astrill vs PrivadoVPN in China
Install before you travel; app stores may be blocked on arrival.
No VPN can promise constant access in China.
Astrill’s StealthVPN avoids deep packet inspection and its OpenWeb disguises VPN traffic as browsing, TechRadar notes, and VPN.com says Astrill historically stays online when China tightens controls. We found no obfuscation feature or China rating for PrivadoVPN in our sources.
For mainland China, Astrill is the clear choice.
Free Use
No card is needed for the free plan.
PrivadoVPN’s free plan also lets you check speeds at home.
PrivadoVPN’s free plan gives 10 GB a month at full speed on one device, then slower servers, and Top10VPN found it opened US and UK Netflix. Astrill has no free plan in our sources and, Gizmodo found, does not issue refunds.
For trying a VPN at no cost, PrivadoVPN is the only option.
Streaming
PrivadoVPN’s free plan lets you test streaming at no cost.
Results change as services update their blocks.
VPNOverview found PrivadoVPN opening Netflix in the US, UK, Australia, Brazil and Japan in 2026. Cloudwards found Astrill can reach more streaming platforms than before, though it remains a China tool first.
Outside China, PrivadoVPN is the better streaming pick.
Evidence and Logging
Neither has had its policy independently tested.
Astrill has no independent audit, Tom’s Guide notes, and its own policy says it keeps your connection time, IP address, device type and app version during each session. PrivadoVPN has no audit in our table, and PCWorld notes it collects device and traffic data to enforce plan limits.
Neither offers outside proof. Our VPN audit tracker lists providers that do.
Cost and Longer Plans
Compare totals over the term you plan to keep.
Astrill costs $30 a month, with VIP extra. PrivadoVPN Premium costs $1.11 a month on two years, and its free plan costs nothing.
A single month of Astrill costs more than two years of PrivadoVPN Premium. Our renewal price guide compares.
Devices, Sharing and Torrenting
Test first.
A router covers devices without apps.
Astrill allows five devices, VPN.com notes, with VIP adding unlimited devices and router support, and its VPN Sharing turns one device into a hub. PrivadoVPN covers 10 devices on Premium and one free.
On its base paid plan, PrivadoVPN covers more devices.
Bind your client to the VPN before downloading.
PrivadoVPN includes SOCKS5 on Premium and allows P2P on selected servers. We found no torrent-specific tools for Astrill in our sources.
Torrent users should lean towards PrivadoVPN.
Who Each Is For
Pick by where you will use the VPN most.
Astrill suits people in mainland China who need StealthVPN and can accept the cost, logs and lack of refunds. PrivadoVPN suits almost everyone else who wants free or very cheap protection with streaming.
Install Astrill before travelling to China, since its site may be hard to reach there.
Astrill’s longer plans cost $180 a year or $300 for two years, our tables record, about half the monthly rate. PrivadoVPN Premium stays at $1.11 a month on two years.
Two years of Astrill cost far more than PrivadoVPN’s whole plan.
Routers, Smart Mode and Jurisdiction
A router counts once.
Astrill supports DD-WRT, Tomato and Asuswrt-Merlin routers, our tables record, and its Smart Mode sends local traffic outside the tunnel, which helps users in China reach domestic sites. PrivadoVPN’s Fire TV app works on all its plans, including free.
For a China household, Astrill’s router support matters most.
VPN.com places Astrill in the Seychelles, outside Five Eyes. PrivadoVPN moved from Switzerland to Iceland in May 2026; Iceland is outside the EU but inside the European Economic Area, where the GDPR applies.
Neither base replaces an audit.
Speed and Connection
Busy evenings can slow any VPN.
Connections through OpenWeb and StealthVPN start almost instantly, TechRadar found, though OpenVPN connections took unusually long, and everyday speeds were adequate rather than exceptional. PrivadoVPN’s free tier runs at full speed for the first 10 GB a month, then slows.
Test both from home at the same time of day.
Kill Switch
Repeat the test after updates.
Astrill offers two kill switches, one for chosen apps and one for everything, Tom’s Guide notes. PrivadoVPN’s per-app kill switch passed TechRadar’s stress tests. We put the two side by side in our PrivadoVPN vs FastestVPN comparison.
Test either by switching Wi-Fi off and on while connected.
How We Research
This page draws on Tom’s Guide’s, TechRadar’s, Gizmodo’s, Cloudwards’ and VPN.com’s Astrill coverage, PrivadoVPN’s Wikipedia entry and VPNOverview’s, Top10VPN’s and PCWorld’s PrivadoVPN coverage. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is Tom’s Guide’s Astrill review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Astrill vs PrivadoVPN FAQ
Astrill for China; PrivadoVPN for nearly everyone else.
We found no China rating or obfuscation feature for it.
Yes, 10 GB a month on one device.
Gizmodo found it does not.
PrivadoVPN, from $1.11 a month or free.
The Verdict
Astrill vs PrivadoVPN: Astrill only for mainland China; PrivadoVPN for free or very cheap everyday use and streaming.