TigerVPN

VPNs work to shield your online activities from potential snoops. That doesn’t translate into total anonymity, but you’re guaranteed enhanced privacy.

TigerVPN promotes itself as a “bulletproof, global VPN provider” and has various interesting features to support this claim. We investigate how it works and what the tiger theme is all about in our TigerVPN review.

About TigerVPN

TigerVPN is a provider owned by Tiger Work Co. k. s. that was founded in 2011 by a “bunch of geeks,” according to the parent company.

This VPN claims to supply lightning-fast speeds, enhanced privacy, and stellar encryption for a secure browsing experience.

Predictably, branding centers around the inspiration for the company moniker. A cartoon tiger appears on almost every page of the website in various outfits, and you’ll come across occasional tiger jokes and puns.

You’ll notice the tone of the website is down-to-earth straight away. There are no overly-technical terms and services are laid out in plain (and often friendly) English.

Users can reach customer service via the company apps, chat, or email.

Privacy Laws and Jurisdiction

TigerVPN is headquartered in Slovakia, although they also have an office in Romania. As a member of the European Union (EU), Slovakia abides by the same stringent privacy laws as other EU territories. The Office regulates in-country data and privacy protection for Personal Data Protection.

Customer privacy is a priority for TigerVPN, which they demonstrate in several ways. Firstly, a no-logging policy assures users that their activities don’t get recorded.

Next, the company also boasts an in-house team that handles all core facets of service and management. From network to servers, TigerVPN doesn’t outsource such activities to third-party sources. The operation is supposedly supervised 24/7 for consistent performance.

Encryption is industry-standard 256-bit. As an added measure, the organization claims they frequently test their infrastructure to ensure everything is up to scratch.

The privacy policy states that procedures are in place to handle suspected data breaches, and access to customer data is limited even within the company. Backend systems containing sensitive data are kept off public networks.

Lastly, there are versatile payment methods for users who are reluctant to pay by traditional means. You can pay with a traditional payment methods, or—as the website quips— even prime-rib steaks.

How Transparent is TigerVPN?

Aside from the year that it was founded and a few basic facts, there’s not much information about TigerVPN online. However, on the features page, the team invites visitors to ask questions if they’re curious to learn more.

If you want to take them up on that offer, you have two options as a non-client. You can search for your questions through the Help Center or send a message through the website chat.

The TigerVPN privacy policy is impressively transparent, detailed, and uncomplicated for readers who aren’t tech-savvy.

It lists all third-party services it works with and explains the purpose of using them. For instance, Google Analytics is on the website to assess campaign success, and MaxMind shields the organization from payment abuse.

You’ll also see explicit details about how the company collects your data (e.g., cookies, including IDs). TigerVPN discloses that they keep track of the following information relating to purchase and usage:

• Account login (email and password).
• Payment data, including tax and VAT.
• All data relating to the provision of the VPN service (protocol and version, operating system, randomized country statistics, and server location).

Note that MB values per session are deleted every six months. The policy clarifies that TigerVPN has no access to DNS queries, traffic, or data transfer and communications.

Currently, TigerVPN has yet to undergo any external audits.

What Devices Work with TigerVPN?

You can set up TigerVPN on an unlimited number of devices. Users can connect up to five devices simultaneously if you buy for one year or three years. The monthly plan only allows for two connections at a time.

TigerVPN works with devices across the leading operating systems: Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows.

The company provides instructions to set your VPN up on Linux or Chromebook, but won’t offer guided support.

TigerVPN is compatible with four VPN protocols: OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), L2TP, PPTP, and IPSec. Android, Mac, and Windows run by default on OpenVPN UDP, and iOS automatically runs on IPSec.

Free Shimo with TigerVPN

Mac users that sign up to TigerVPN get Shimo VPN Manager included free—they cover the licensing fee for you. Bear in mind this gift only applies to the annual plan, as discussed later in the pricing section.

Shimo includes practical security features such as two-factor authentication and trigger automation. It uses SHA-2 for hash algorithms, the latest cryptographic hash functions.

It also allows for multiple VPN connections, which makes it an optimal choice for businesses. Shimo is straightforward to set up on Mac, and it’s readily accessible through the menu bar.

TigerVPN Features

We highlight the standout features of TigerVPN here. Find out how you can help real-life tigers (and other animals) with your subscription, privacy-protecting measures, and more.

Meshed IPs

TigerVPN assigns a set of users to the same IP address to boost privacy and enhance anonymity.

With characteristic candidness, the website details that this function is like riding a bus with strangers. From an outside perspective, all you can see is the bus—you don’t know who’s in it.

The 30 Percent Rule

The 30 percent rule relates to a bandwidth rationing policy. The company reserves 30 percent of the total bandwidth to allocate to avoid shortages and subsequent delays.

Own Infrastructure

As we mentioned, TigerVPN asserts that their team handles everything and doesn’t outsource to third-parties. The closed structure also allows for maintenance of quality, ease of monitoring, and consistent performance.

Full DNS Control

The in-house infrastructure encompasses DNS servers, which further heightens privacy. This feature should also allow for faster speed on websites than third-party DNS servers.

Two Percent Profit Donations

TigerVPN honors the big-cat mascot by donating two percent of their profits toward supporting animal rights. These contributions go to NGOs like animal shelters, sterilization programs, and adoption ads.

Karma Rewards

All buyers get automatically enrolled in TigerVPN’s karma rewards program. To earn points, you complete various tasks such as liking TigerVPN’s social media profiles or writing a review.

Your karma points are redeemable in return for freebies, such as additional connections on a limited plan.

How Many Servers Locations Are Available?

TigerVPN runs 300 servers, which is on the lower end for a VPN—some have well over a thousand servers in operation.

There are 42 countries and 62 cities available, which might sound like a lot but is still less than competitors provide. All networks and their respective statuses are viewable on the website.

Can You Unblock Websites and Stream Content?

To give TigerVPN’s credit where due, they cover in-demand locations such as the United States and the United Kingdom. That means you can take virtual movie tours via Netflix, or access regionally-blocked websites without issue.

Premium bandwidth should translate to swift speeds. The 30 percent rule enables spare bandwidth is always available to prevent lags in case servers get cluttered.

P2P File Sharing and Torrenting

Privacy-wise, TigerVPN covers all your bases to shield P2P and torrenting pursuits from prospective snoops.

Although it’s not outwardly advertised on the website, that doesn’t mean it’s frowned upon. The Help Center recommends specific locations to choose that are more permissive concerning torrenting.

Speed is one of the primary benefits this company emphasizes, boasting low latency and ultra-fast upload and downloads. TigerVPN takes it a step further and states that slow Internet connections show improvement with their service.

Pricing

Our TigerVPN review wouldn’t be complete without breaking down the pricing.

You can pay through License Code, or Paymentwall. If you want to go the traditional route, credit cards and PayPal are accepted too. The fees differ according to whether you pay by the month, year, or for three years.

Paying on a month-by-month basis is €11.99. If you buy a full year, the monthly fee drops to €6.67, or about €80 upfront. Three years is the cheapest in terms of monthly cost at €2.75, for a total of €99 in advance.

As with many other VPN providers, the cost goes down the longer you commit to the service. The drawback is that you need to put more money into it upfront.

Oddly enough, the one-year plan appears to offer the most advantages. You receive a password manager (StickyPassword), Shimo VPN manager, and up to five connections. The three-year plan doesn’t list these extras on the website.

Both plans allow for up to five connections simultaneously. Paying every month means you’re only allowed two connections at once, albeit on unlimited devices.

We would suggest going for one year at the minimum. Although TigerVPN claims the monthly package is equivalent to a “pizza a month,” it’s still higher than what other brands charge.

TigerVPN offers a seven-day money-back guarantee. That isn’t a particularly generous trial period, but it should give you an idea of whether it’s worth sticking it out long-term.

TigerVPN Alternatives

This provider has distinct advantages, but—despite the 30 percent rule—it falls short where it concerns the number of servers that might not be ideal for streaming.

If you’re concerned about potential performance lags or giving up your smart TV, we recommend the following VPNs for streaming and unblocking Netflix:

• NordVPN
• ProtonVPN
• IvacyVPN
• SurfShark
• PrivateVPN

If you’re on a tight budget and Tiger VPN seems costly, there are cheap VPNs you can review before making a decision. You can also check out free VPNs, although you shouldn’t anticipate full-package features.

Summary

To conclude, we think TigerVPN is a worthwhile investment for users who value privacy. The meshed IPs, in-house infrastructure, and full DNS control cut out third-parties entirely. SLA monitoring allows anyone to review their network status, which supports the company’s transparency.

Tiger VPN offers unique benefits you won’t find with other VPNs, such as the karma rewards program and ongoing support of animal welfare initiatives. The laid-back branding and user-friendly website and guides are additional marks in TigerVPN’s favor.

However, this Slovakian VPN provider doesn’t operate as many servers as competitors do. When it comes to value, it isn’t as affordable or feature-rich as other alternatives: for example, there are no browser extensions. Streaming buffs might also miss out on smart TV and Kodi compatibility.