Astrill vs StrongVPN (2026): China Specialist vs Household All-Rounder

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Astrill vs StrongVPN comes down to whether you need China. Astrill, run by Astrill Systems Corp. since 2009, has no audit but leads for China: GreatFirewallGuide rated its StealthVPN at 98% on China Telecom’s CN2 GIA network. It costs $30 a month or $180 a year. StrongVPN, owned by Ziff Davis, also has no audit, allows 12 devices, includes StrongDNS and costs $47.69 for the first year, renewing at about $89.99, Security.org lists.

This guide compares them on China, price, devices and fit.

Astrill vs StrongVPN in China

GreatFirewallGuide rated Astrill 98% on CN2 GIA and 96% on China Unicom, and vpnpicked found it connected on every attempt. The sources we read do not present StrongVPN as a China option. Our China VPN guide compares specialists.

Privacy

Neither has an independent audit in our table. VPN.com reports Astrill stores IP, connection time, device type and app version during a session and deletes them afterwards. StrongVPN is US-based under Ziff Davis, which also owns IPVanish. Our NordVPN vs Astrill page compares Astrill with a market leader.

Price

Astrill costs $30 a month, $180 a year or $300 for two years, plus VIP add-ons. StrongVPN costs $11.99 a month or $47.69 for the first year, renewing at about $89.99. Outside China, StrongVPN costs far less. Our Astrill price guide covers its add-ons.

Devices

StrongVPN allows 12 devices. Astrill’s page claims unlimited devices in a household, while Security.org and VPN.com counted five.

Smart DNS and TVs

StrongDNS comes free with every StrongVPN plan, ProPrivacy notes. Astrill supports DD-WRT, Tomato and AsusWRT-Merlin routers for TVs. Our StrongVPN DNS guide covers StrongDNS.

Protocols

Astrill offers OpenVPN, StealthVPN, OpenWeb and WireGuard; VPN.com found OpenWeb fastest and StealthVPN slower but harder to block. StrongVPN runs WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. Our StrongVPN OpenVPN guide covers its protocols.

Speed

Security.org found Astrill’s download speeds held up while latency rose sharply. Fahimai measured 5 to 7% speed loss on nearby StrongVPN servers. Test both on your own line.

Kill Switch

Astrill’s App Guard acts as a kill switch for chosen apps on desktop, TechRadar notes. StrongVPN’s desktop kill switch starts off, Top10VPN found, so turn it on after installing.

Payment

Astrill accepts cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, Monero and bank transfer, its pricing page notes. StrongVPN’s checkout lists its own options.

Who Each Suits

Astrill suits students, workers and frequent visitors to mainland China. StrongVPN suits households outside China with several TVs and consoles that benefit from free Smart DNS and 12 devices.

Testing Both

StrongVPN’s 30-day guarantee gives time to test at home. For Astrill, ask about its trial before paying, and install it before you travel, since provider sites can be hard to reach from China.

Quick Rule

China every day: Astrill. A TV-heavy home outside China: StrongVPN. Check local law before using any VPN abroad.

Ownership

StrongVPN belongs to Ziff Davis, which also owns IPVanish, PCMag and CNET. Astrill Systems Corp. has run Astrill since 2009. Our VPN ownership guide explains why ownership matters.

Privacy on Public Wi-Fi

Both encrypt traffic on shared networks. Turn on App Guard or StrongVPN’s kill switch first, before signing in to anything.

Keeping It Updated

After app updates, recheck protocol and kill switch settings on both.

Router Support

Astrill supports DD-WRT, Tomato and AsusWRT-Merlin routers, its listings say, which helps expats cover a home in China. StrongVPN’s router route centres on WireGuard configs from its generator. Our StrongVPN router guide explains it.

Several Countries

Astrill lists 50+ countries; StrongVPN 30 to 44 depending on the source. Check each list for the countries you need.

Is Astrill Worth the Price Outside China?

Rarely. Astrill’s $180 a year buys China-grade obfuscation. Outside China, StrongVPN’s lower price, 12 devices and Smart DNS make more sense, unless you travel there often.

Quick Check

After connecting, run our DNS leak guide and test the kill switch on either.

Support

Check each provider’s support channels before travelling, since help may be harder to reach once inside China. Save setup guides offline.

Families

StrongVPN’s 12 devices cover large homes. Check Astrill’s current device rules before buying for a family, since sources disagree on the count.

Streaming

Astrill reaches Netflix US but mostly redirects other libraries to it. StrongDNS reached BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 in ProPrivacy’s test, while Cloudwards later found StrongVPN missed Hulu and iPlayer.

Refunds

StrongVPN offers a 30-day guarantee. Sources disagree on whether Astrill refunds at all; Wizcase mentions a free trial by email.

Is Astrill vs StrongVPN a Close Call?

Only if China is not on your list. For mainland China, Astrill is the clear pick; elsewhere, StrongVPN’s price and devices win.

Who Should Pick Which

Pick Astrill for daily access in China. Pick StrongVPN for a household outside China that wants 12 devices and free Smart DNS. Our StrongVPN review covers it in depth.

How We Research

This page draws on our Astrill and StrongVPN tables, GreatFirewallGuide’s and vpnpicked’s China testing, VPN.com, Security.org, ProPrivacy and Cloudwards. 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 Security.org’s StrongVPN guide. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.

Astrill vs StrongVPN FAQ

The Verdict

Astrill vs StrongVPN: Astrill if you live in or travel to China; StrongVPN for value, devices and Smart DNS elsewhere.