Avira Phantom VPN Review 2023: 4 Cons and 2 Pros

by Petr Lippert
updated July 5, 2023 (Report a bug)

1. Avira Phantom VPN: A Secure VPN with Significant Limitations

   • Limited compatibility with basic platforms only
   • Lacks advanced features
   • Higher subscription cost ($4.29 per month)
   • Application is available only in English

   • VPN can be used on 999 devices simultaneously
   • Offers a 60 days of money-back guarantee

   Avira Phantom VPN is a product of Avira Operations GmbH, a German software company established in 1986. Initially focused on developing antivirus software, they launched their VPN service in 2016.

   The strengths of Avira Phantom VPN include the capacity to maintain active VPN connections on up to 999 devices simultaneously, and support for the Tor protocol. While its download speed is only average compared to other VPNs, it is sufficient for 4K video playback.

   The transmitted data is protected with 256-bit encryption, supplemented by several available protocols. Torrenting is allowed on all servers.

   The drawback of Avira Phantom VPN is its low compatibility level and absence of advanced features. Only four basic platforms are supported, and there are no options for use on routers, smart TVs, or game consoles. It offers limited support for streaming platforms, with only basic security features in place to protect users.

   Avira Phantom VPN‘s application collects more data than some of its competitors, a factor which might be of concern given current privacy policies. According to these policies, some data may be shared with the US.

2. Avira Phantom VPN Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…

   • Your Price: $6.38​33% off  $4.29 /mo (999 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (60 days)
   • Free Trial: Yes (7 days)
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     No

     Bitcoin :No
     Dash :No
     Ethereum :No
     Ripple :No

   

   7.6

   ★★★☆

   Above-average service with good security and better-than-average speed. Lacks advanced features and only works with basic platforms.

   $4.29 /moFree 7-day trial​60-day money back guarantee

   Get this VPN 33% cheaper

   Avira Phantom VPN is available for purchase as part of monthly and annual subscriptions that cover all supported devices. An option is also available for Android and iOS mobile devices which is billed monthly and is cheaper than a traditional monthly subscription.

   The most cost-effective subscription is the annual one, with the monthly prepayment costing just Avira Phantom VPN. If you opt for the least expensive monthly billing option, the subscription costs $6.38 per month. All options offer the same features.

   Annual and monthly mobile subscriptions are protected by a 60 days of money-back guarantee, a more generous provision than what is typically offered by competitors. Refunds are requested through the website’s support page, and must be initiated before the subscription’s expiration date.

   Subscriptions can be arranged on the Avira Phantom VPN website. After choosing the subscription form, an email address must be entered and verified. Then, the required personal information to create an account—first name, last name, country, and password—is entered. Payment can only be made via credit card or PayPal. Other payment methods, including cryptocurrencies, are not supported.

   All subscription options are renewed automatically.

   Apart from the subscription, Avira Phantom VPN can also be obtained as part of the Avira Prime antivirus package.

   A trial version of Avira Phantom VPN is available for 7 days, after which it automatically converts into a monthly subscription. The free version, Avira Phantom VPN Free, does not require personal data entry but comes with more limitations compared to the paid version.

3. Avira Phantom VPN and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: Unlimited

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     No

     Android TV is supported by 37 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     No

     Apple TV is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     No

     Fire TV is supported by 44 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     No

     Chromebook is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     No

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     No

     Kodi is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     No

     Linux is supported by 60 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     No

     NAS is supported by 25 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     No

     nVidia Shield is supported by 15 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     No

     Playstation is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     No

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     No

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     No

     Router is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     No

     xBox is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     No

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     No

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 19 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     No

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 35 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     No

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     No

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.

   A single subscription to Avira Phantom VPN can be used on up to 999 devices, a higher average compared to most services. For comparison, Private Internet Access offers unlimited devices at a similar price point.

   Cross-platform support is one of Avira Phantom VPN‘s weakest points. The app is only available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

   Avira Phantom VPN cannot be used on Linux computers, smart TVs, game consoles, or routers.

   It is also disappointing to see the absence of extensions for web browsers.

4. Avira Phantom VPN App: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +10 more🇪🇸 Spanish 🇷🇺 Russian 🇩🇪 German 🇹🇷 Turkish 🇫🇷 French 🇮🇹 Italian 🇵🇹 Portuguese 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇯🇵 Japanese 🇨🇳 Chinese
   • Whitelisting:
     No

     Whitelisting is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs

   Installing the Avira Phantom VPN app is straightforward, as is its operation. The various functions and their placements within the app are explained during installation. If needed, tutorials are available on the website.

   The application’s interface is only available in English, with no other language options. Users can choose between light and dark themes or adopt the system settings.

   Upon launching the Avira Phantom VPN application, the main page always first displays the server connection options. All other functions and settings are tucked away under the icon in the top left corner. Compared to other VPNs, Avira Phantom VPN offers limited user configuration options; for instance, storage of diagnostic data can be turned off.

   The auto-connect function can be enabled, which automatically connects to the VPN when the device boots up. Users can also set up automatic VPN usage upon connection to an untrusted Wi-Fi network. For this purpose, a list of trusted networks can be created within the app. A notable missing feature is a whitelist that lists websites and apps that will always directly connect to the internet without a VPN.

   When selecting a country, users can opt for the nearest server or search by location. The server list is sorted alphabetically, with the current response time in milliseconds displayed next to each entry, providing an indication of its speed. Once a successful connection to a server is established, the main application icon turns green.

5. Avira Phantom VPN Connection Speed: Upload, Download & Latency

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 110 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 76 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 55 ms.

   Avira Phantom VPN imposes no restrictions on the amount of data transferred, a standard among paid VPNs.

   When compared to other tested VPNs, it took longer to establish a connection to the server. Slightly better results were achieved when the app automatically connected to the nearest server.

   The average download speed was 112 Mb/s, and the upload speed was 140 Mb/s. These speeds can be described as satisfactory for normal internet activity and should be sufficient for streaming video in 4K resolution.

   The average server response time for Avira Phantom VPN was 36 ms, which is average compared to other VPNs. For online gaming, a maximum response time of 50 ms is considered adequate, but less than 30 ms is ideal. Lower values are better for data transfer rates and response times.

6. Avira Phantom VPN Server Locations

   • Number of servers:
     1,400

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1661.
   • Number of countries:
     35

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 40.

   Europe	🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇮🇲 Isle of Man 🇵🇱 Poland 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland
   North America	🇨🇦 Canada 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇱 Chile
   Asia	🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇮🇱 Israel 🇯🇵 Japan 🇸🇬 Singapore
   Africa
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   Avira Phantom VPN‘s network comprises 1,400 servers across 35 countries globally.

   Except for Africa, every continent has at least one server, with the majority located in Europe. Avira Phantom VPN also operates servers in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Notably absent are servers in Russia, China, Iran, and other countries impacted by government censorship.

   Compared to other VPNs, the range of countries and the number of servers are somewhat smaller. For instance, NordVPN operates 5,813 servers in 59 countries worldwide. However, the solid connection speed of Avira Phantom VPN suggests that the lower number of servers does not negatively impact service availability.

   Avira Phantom VPN does not operate servers specifically dedicated to streaming video or torrenting. All features are available on all servers.

   Avira Phantom VPN plans to expand its server network in the future.

7. Avira Phantom VPN Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 93% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 85% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     No

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 18 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   Avira Phantom VPN incorporates DNS protection, a feature offered by the majority of available VPNs. We detected no DNS leaks during our testing of the service.

   An important security feature of Avira Phantom VPN is the kill switch, which disconnects the device from the internet if a connection failure with the VPN server occurs. This prevents exposure of the user’s location and IP address, and safeguards data.

   VPNs cannot be used for anonymization on the Tor network.

   Within the Avira Phantom VPN application’s settings, there is an option to block dangerous sites when using the VPN. Ad blocking, malware, and tracker protection can also be enabled.

   Avira Phantom VPN employs 256-bit encryption, one of the strongest available on the market. To enhance security, it uses several protocols: OpenVPN with TCP is available for Windows and Android devices, while IPSEC with UDP is offered for iOS and macOS devices.

   Advanced security features like multi-hop, which routes the connection through two different VPN servers simultaneously, are not supported by Avira Phantom VPN. Additionally, no extra security features are provided.

   The security level of Avira Phantom VPN is satisfactory for general use. However, to attain the highest degree of privacy and security, we recommend considering alternative services like NordVPN or AdGuard VPN, which offer their own unique protocols.

8. Avira Phantom VPN & Streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime…

   • Amazon Prime:
     Yes

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 51 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     No

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     Yes

     HBO streaming is supported by 57 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 48 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 65 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 95 % of reviewed VPNs

   Avira Phantom VPN can unblock streaming platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, ESPN, DAZN, and Peacock TV.

   Though all servers have the potential to unblock streaming videos, Avira Phantom VPN does not maintain any dedicated or optimized servers.

   During our testing, results varied. We were able to unblock US Netflix on all servers, but Hulu worked only sporadically. This inconsistency may be attributed to the streaming platforms’ efforts to block VPN services by blacklisting their IP addresses. Typically, reconnecting to the VPN and changing the associated IP address can rectify this issue.

   When we did establish a successful connection, streaming was generally smooth, and the video did not stutter, even when skipping parts. With a download speed of 112 Mb/s, it can support 4K video playback.

   However, Avira Phantom VPN is not our top recommendation for streaming video. Services like NordVPN or CyberGhost VPN, which support all known platforms and offer superior security features, as well as high bitrates, are preferable.

9. Features of Avira Phantom VPN: AdBlock, Static IP…

   • Blocks Ads:
     Yes

     Ad blocking is offered by 43 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     Yes

     Malware blocking is offered by 33 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     Yes

     Trackers blocking is offered by 36 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   Avira Phantom VPN provides only basic features, which is where it falls short compared to the top VPNs.

   The app offers ad blocking and safeguards against malware and trackers. Surprisingly, this feature cannot be turned off in the settings, so it remained activated during testing. The app also includes a feature for blocking unsafe websites.

   The auto-connect feature allows the VPN to connect automatically when the device starts. You can also set Avira Phantom VPN to activate only when connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi network. Correspondingly, you can create a list of trusted Wi-Fi networks.

   Avira Phantom VPN does not offer any other features, nor can you pay extra for a static IP address. For a comprehensive range of premium features, consider alternatives like NordVPN and Proton VPN Plus.

10. Avira Phantom VPN‘s CPU usage and App Performance

    The load on a Windows laptop when tested with Avira Phantom VPN was comparable to that of competing VPNs. The size of the app was also typical.

    After closing the app, it continued to run in the background, maintaining similar power consumption. This can be reduced by forcefully quitting the app via the taskbar icon. Lower usage can also be achieved by disabling the auto-connect feature, which causes the application Avira Phantom VPN to persistently run in the background.

11. Avira Phantom VPN Torrenting Servers

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 88 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    Avira Phantom VPN supports torrenting and P2P file sharing on all servers, although none of the servers are specifically optimized for this purpose.

    When testing Avira Phantom VPN, we recorded an average download speed of 112 Mb/s and upload speed of 140 Mb/s, which are suitable for P2P file sharing. As expected from paid services, there are no restrictions on data transfer amounts.

    Supported torrent clients include BitTorrent, Vuze, and uTorrent.

12. What is the country of origin of Avira Phantom VPN?

    • VPN Provider: Gen Digital Inc.
    • Country of origin: 🇩🇪 Germany

    Avira Operations GmbH, the software company behind Avira Phantom VPN, was founded in 1986 in Germany and maintains its headquarters in the small town of Tettnang, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.

    Avira Operations GmbH is a subsidiary of the US-based Gen Digital Inc., previously known as Symantec Corporation and NortonLifeLock. Avira itself has several subsidiaries focused on internet security.

    The virtual private network Avira Phantom VPN was introduced in 2016.

    The provider’s German location could present some risk as the country is a member of the 14 Eyes alliance. These member countries share intelligence, which could include user internet activity. However, the operator of Avira Phantom VPN must comply with applicable European Union legislation, including the GDPR.

13. Avira Phantom VPN and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    Avira Phantom VPN clarifies on its site that user activity associated with the application is not logged. Hence, information about the sites visited, data transmitted, IP addresses, and other similar information should not be stored.

    This policy safeguards Avira Phantom VPN users in the event of a request for information release, as there would be no data to disclose.

    Compared to other reviewed VPNs, Avira Phantom VPN does store a relatively high amount of data, primarily account-related: email address, country, first name, last name, and subscription payment information.

    In addition, diagnostic data is collected, which the company claims is used to improve and promote the service. You can turn off the sending of diagnostic data in the application. However, the privacy policy of Avira Phantom VPN indicates that the collected data may be sent to the US.

    As of 2019, no leaks of users’ personal data have been reported with Avira Phantom VPN. The service undergoes regular audits by AV-test, AppEsteem, AVLab, and CheckLab.

14. Avira Phantom VPN Support: Chat, e-mail…

    The website’s support center contains answers to the most common questions related to Avira Phantom VPN. Information is neatly organized by device and problem type.

    Additional information can be obtained from the blog and the Avira community, where users also answer questions. The company is active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube.

    For direct contact with technical support, live chat is available 24/7 for subscribers. Paying users of Avira Phantom VPN can also reach support via email and phone.

15. Avira Phantom VPN FAQ

    Is Avira Phantom VPN free?

    Avira Phantom VPN is a paid service, with the most affordable subscription costing $4.29 per month.

    A free variant, Avira Phantom VPN Free, is also available, offering unlimited usage time but with certain limitations, such as not being able to choose a specific server and a data transfer limit of 1 GB per month per account.

    Is Avira Phantom VPN secure?

    Avira Phantom VPN includes basic security features such as 256-bit encryption and IPSEC, OpenVPN, IPv4 and IPv6 protocols.

    However, it lacks advanced security features for multi-hop connections or custom protocols. Regular audits are conducted and no data leaks have been detected so far, making Avira Phantom VPN relatively secure.

    Does Avira Phantom VPN sell users’ personal information?

    The privacy policy on the Avira Phantom VPN website suggests that the service provider may transfer the collected data to the US.

    Although Avira Phantom VPN does not log VPN-related activity, it does store diagnostic and user account data. The sending of diagnostic data can be deactivated in the application.

    How can I contact Avira Phantom VPN support via live chat?

    Technical support via live chat is only available to Avira Phantom VPN subscribers. To contact support, you must first log in to the service’s website. This also applies to obtaining phone and email support.