GooseVPN

goosevpn
Rating 4.0 / 5.0

Jurisdiction: Netherlands | Advanced Privacy Features: Kill Switch (Windows only), Smart Safe | Number of Servers and Countries: 60+ servers in over 25 different countries | Streaming and P2P: Yes, dedicated servers

Overall, Goose VPN forgoes the frills in favor of a budget-friendly model. If simplicity is a priority, it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s a good value, with solid support and no limit on the number of devices you can connect simultaneously like many VPNs. 

GooseVPN is also user-friendly, with exceptional privacy credentials and some impressive speeds. However, it’s not the best for unblocking geo-restricted content. While it does work for accessing Netflix US and other restricted countries, it doesn’t work with many other popular streaming platforms. 

Still, if you need a basic VPN, particularly one to safeguard your privacy, GooseVPN reviews well. Here’s the general breakdown:

Pros

It can be used simultaneously on unlimited devices
Budget-friendly
Unblocks Netflix US
Offers a 30-day money back
Long-term plans provide additional savings

Cons

A limited number of servers
Was not audited
Apps are basic
No Kill Switch on Mac
Can’t unblock most streaming sites, including Amazon Prime, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer
No security or privacy audit has been performed

Goose VPN Review

goose vpn review

There’s a lot to think about when looking for a VPN that’s right for you. Where some features may be stand-outs for one person, they might not be important for someone else. 

With this idea in mind, we’ll break down the features, pros, and cons in this Goose VPN review to give you a better understanding of what this particular VPN has to offer.

  • 60+ servers in over 25 different countries
  • Managed and located in the Netherlands
  • Support provided by an online guide, email, and live chat
  • Has kill switch capability
  • It runs on Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Android TV, Chrome, and routers
  • Enables simultaneous connections to unlimited devices
  • No split tunneling
  • Protocols supported: OpenVPN, PPTP, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec

It’s worth noting that most of Goose VPN’s 60+ servers are located in North America and Europe, although there are others in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, India, and Singapore. Also, it comes with a wide range of apps and is supported on almost every device you’d need it for. 

Is Goose VPN Worth It?

Goose VPN stands out as one of the few VPNs to offer unlimited device usage. It’s easy to use and has an appealing price tag, particularly if you commit to a long-term contract. However, it lacks a lot of features other VPNs offer.

The bottom line is that if you are a casual user, you might find Goose VPN is ideal for your needs. On the other hand, more demanding users will likely find the service to be too basic. Its apps are too simple, and its network too small. 

Goose VPN also has mixed performance when it comes to speed, and it doesn’t work well for unblocking geo-restricted content. For this reason, despite offering the first month free and relatively low prices, GooseVPN is probably not the best choice for many users. 

However, as we said in the beginning, it all depends on what you’re looking for. After all, if you’re more concerned about privacy and security than unblocking capability, this small Netherlands company may need a closer look.

About Goose VPN

As we’ve seen in this GooseVPN review, Goose VPN is a solid VPN with only minor shortcomings. It covers the basics and has some excellent privacy credentials, including wide protocol support and an effective kill switch. 

What’s more, Goose VPN has a dependable no-logging policy. Plus, with the kill switch, you don’t have to worry about your information accidentally being exposed if you lose your VPN connection for any reason. That said, there are reports of problems with the kill switch when using Windows, and it may be challenging to reconnect after tripping the kill switch.

As far as speed is concerned, Goose VPN can be decently fast. Connection speeds have been reported as high as 170Mbps, but they can also drop, and in some cases, you may have to switch servers depending on your connection’s needs. While 170Mbps is by no means the fastest we’ve ever seen with a VPN, it’s entirely sufficient for most tasks.

For torrenting, Goose VPN is an excellent choice. Most of the VPN servers support this functionality, and there are no reported problems. That said, this is not a good VPN for unblocking most streaming services. While it works for Netflix US, you won’t be able to watch Disney+, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, and others with GooseVPN.

Goose VPN has a wide range of apps that work for most platforms, desktop, mobile, and otherwise. They are functional but very simple. The apps enable you to change protocols and connect to servers. That’s it. Plus, the mobile apps are even more stripped back, which likely leaves some users wishing for more. 

Lastly, Goose VPN has excellent support. Everything is dealt with in-house, which ensures quality. You’ll find online guides to help you through most of your issues, and email and live chat support are available to help with everything else.

All in all, Goose VPN is a simple and effective choice. The company does what it says it’s going to, offering servers from over 25 different countries to provide a private browsing experience. It has excellent prices, especially if you commit to three years, but more options and configurations would be nice to have and more streaming capabilities.

Jurisdiction and Privacy Laws

If privacy is your number one concern, Goose VPN is an excellent choice. Goose VPN is very explicit about its policies and has a 100% no-logging policy. This policy means that Goose VPN does not monitor or record your activity. In fact, the only information they keep is bandwidth usage numbers.

Nevertheless, Goose VPN is based in the Netherlands, a country known for its relaxed laws.

Transparency 

Goose VPN is open and honest about its servers, company, capabilities, and privacy policy. It is based out of the Netherlands and offers a straightforward interface that enables users to connect to one of its 60+ servers located in 25 different countries. 

Goose VPN owns and manages its own server network. It does not outsource any of its services or hardware to third parties. This fact gives Goose VPN complete control over its servers, software, and operation policies. 

That said, GooseVPN has never had a third-party audit, like other VPN companies like NordVPN have had. While the company does not have any obvious red flags, it would be nice to have additional verification. 

GooseVPN reviews report that Goose VPN correctly blocks WebRTC and DNS leaks, and there are no reports of its kill switch ever failing to block internet access in the event of a VPN connection drop. 

What’s more, Goose VPN’s no-logging policy is solid. Of course, most VPNs claim such a policy, and in our experience, you have to check the fine print to be sure. We found that Goose VPN did not log users’ internet activities, including sent emails and visited websites. 

The company doesn’t store session data either, meaning the IP addresses you use to connect through Goose VPN’s servers are not logged or saved. The only information that is logged is the amount of bandwidth you use, but most VPN providers store this information to ensure you’re staying within the limits of your plan.

Interestingly, Goose VPN never limits or throttles your connection based on bandwidth usage. Your usage is only considered excessive if you use more than 1% of the entire server network’s bandwidth. At that point, you’ll be asked to slow down.

Features

goose vpn features

Goose VPN is a small company offering a simple VPN service. As such, it does not offer a ton of features. Nevertheless, Goose VPN’s focus on security and privacy, as well as unlimited device and bandwidth policies, ensure all of your devices and internet connections remain secure. Below you will find Goose VPN’s stand-out features.

Trusted Networks

Goose VPN offers a feature called Trusted Networks that enables you to add networks that you trust to a list. If you do, you will then be able to automatically connect to them without using the VPN. You could say this feature is the poorer cousin of split tunneling. 

Nevertheless, this feature enables you to connect automatically to your home network without a VPN. This feature is only available on iOS and macOS.

Kill Switch

Almost every VPN has a kill switch feature these days, but it’s crucial to your privacy to have an effective and functional one. Goose VPN calls its kill switch Smart Safe, a feature that protects your devices and IP address when the connection with a VPN server is lost or drops abruptly and unexpectedly. 

Basically, Smart Safe prevents your device from connecting to the internet altogether until the VPN connection is restored. This feature is available on all of Goose VPN’s apps and browser extensions, although it is not active by default, so you’ll have to enable it in the settings. We recommend you do so as soon as the app is installed. 

Ad Blocker

Goose VPN includes an ad-blocker built-in to the service. Not only does this feature prevent annoying ads from popping up and getting in the way, but it also cuts down on data usage. What’s more, automatically blocking ads helps protect your devices from malware and viruses and safeguards your internet privacy.

Unlimited Connections

While most VPNs have restrictions on the number of devices you can connect to at the same time, Goose VPN does not. It also has unlimited bandwidth, making Goose VPN one of the easiest ways to protect your connection on every device. It’s unusual to find a VPN provider without restriction on bandwidth and device usage.

Router Installation

Another unusual feature that Goose VPN offers is the ability to install it on your router. Having a VPN directly on your router provides additional protection for all internet-enabled devices using your network. It’s an excellent way to ensure constant and comprehensive security. Manuals available on Goose VPN’s website provide instructions for this type of installation.

Simultaneous Connections 

Goose VPN is one of the few VPN providers that offer unlimited simultaneous device connections. In fact, this is one of the service’s most significant selling points. Most VPNs cap the number of devices that can be used under a single account at five or six.

What’s more, with unlimited bandwidth, Goose VPN is ideal for large households with multiple devices and home-based businesses. With Goose VPN, you’ll be able to protect all of your devices without worrying about which ones are safe and which ones are not.

Absent Popular Features

As we’ve already mentioned, Goose VPN is a simple VPN provider without a lot of bells and whistles. As such, it doesn’t have a lot of the features that other VPNs offer. Unfortunately, some of these features would be nice to have. 

For example, the ability to get a Dedicated IP address can save a lot of time and provide an additional layer of data protection online. Similarly, some VPN providers offer a Double VPN service that routes your traffic through two VPN servers instead of one, encrypting your data twice.

On top of that, some VPN providers offer features like Stealth VPN that disguises VPN traffic as regular web traffic. There are also things like RAM-only servers that ensure your data is never archived by using dedicated RAM memory that automatically erases your data every time the server reboots. 

The bottom line is that Goose VPN does not offer these types of advanced features. If you’re looking for a VPN provider that does, you’ll have to look elsewhere. 

What Is Goose Business?

Goose Business is a variant of Goose VPN designed for businesses in need of online data encryption and security. Its focus is on security and protecting the company and customer data, particularly for work-from-home employees or those conducting business using mobile devices and traveling. 

Goose Business offers the following benefits for companies:

  • It’s easy to install and use.
  • The administration and team integration process is simple and easy to manage.
  • Employees have military-grade encryption (256-AES).
  • The server network is fast and reliable.
  • It provides one account that protects all employees.
  • Offers priority support by email and phone.
  • Provides a dedicated account manager.
  • Has a 100% no-logging policy.

In other words, Goose Business is an excellent way to safeguard online data activity, such as leaving data on websites and sending emails, for everyone working at the company. It’s also a good way to ensure your employees are safe and GDPR compliant.

Supported devices

Goose VPN provides a simple interface that is supported on most devices. Supported devices include:

  • Windows
  • Android
  • iOS
  • macOS
  • Android TV
  • Chrome
  • Routers

Whether you’re using a native app or browser extension, the user experience is about the same. For example, the desktop app is straightforward, with a nice look and simple functionality. 

To get started, you’ll first need to log in, which you can do using a Google account or Facebook, but you’ll likely want to avoid doing so. If you’re a privacy-conscious user, you’ll prefer to use a dedicated username and password. 

Once inside the app, there’s not much to it. There’s a map that shows the location you’re connecting through and a list of open locations. You’ll also see that each server is labeled for streaming or P2P. From there, you simply select a location and a server. 

It’s worth noting that, unlike many VPN providers, there’s an obvious lack of features here. Goose VPN’s apps do not even have a favorites system, so you’ll have to scroll through the list of servers each time to find the one you like best with each use. 

As far as the Goose VPN mobile apps are concerned, the interface looks almost identical to the desktop and browser extension versions. However, there’s no auto-connect feature, and you won’t be able to choose the DNS server or encryption protocol. Also, there’s no kill switch on the mobile app, so you’ll have to be very careful how you use it. 

Servers network

Goose VPN’s server network is somewhat limited. It has around 60 servers spread over 25 different countries. However, most of the servers Goose VPN operates reside in the United States and Europe. In fact, it has servers in only five countries outside of North America and Europe, in Japan, Hong Kong, India, Australia, and Singapore. 

In an attempt to fill the gap in its server network, Goose VPN has a feature where users can request a new server location. As far as we’ve seen, this feature is entirely unique to Goose VPN. You make your request, and the support team will set up a server-based in that location for you to use. 

Servers set up in this way are likely to be virtual servers without the high load capabilities of physical servers, but it is a nice feature to offer. Nonetheless, it doesn’t entirely make up for the lack of servers in Africa, South American, and the Middle East. As you’d expect, the limited geographical coverage of Goose VPN’s server network can impact overall performance.

Streaming

goose vpn streaming

Goose VPN offers two different types of servers, those specifically designed for optimal download speeds and torrenting, and those set up for streaming. Those servers that are set up for streaming provide speeds sufficient to enable video to play without lag or buffering issues. Streaming servers are clearly labeled as such in the Goose VPN apps and browser extensions. 

Goose VPN Netflix and Hulu

If you’d like the ability to stream content on popular platforms like Netflix and Hulu, Goose VPN works beautifully. The VPN unblocks location-specific content for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. The process is seamless, and streaming speeds are reliable, sufficient, and there are no reported lags. 

Other Streaming Services

Unfortunately, Goose VPN does not allow access to most streaming platforms besides Netflix and Hulu. Like many VPNs, for our GooseVPN review, we were unable to connect to BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video. On top of that, we could not access NBC’s Peacock or Disney+ either.

Bypassing Geoblocks

One reason people use VPNs is to bypass geoblocks and access restricted content with geo-restrictions, such as those imposed in China. To do this, many VPN services use obfuscated servers. However, Goose VPN does not do this. 

For this reason, Goose VPN does not work in countries where VPN use is banned. If you live in a region that restricts VPN usage, Goose VPN is not the right service for you, although the company is actively seeking solutions to make its services work in countries like China.

Torrenting

goose vpn torrenting

Goose VPN is a solid choice for VPN torrenting, particularly if it’s one of your primary reasons for getting a VPN. Given the fact that Goose VPN is not the best choice for unblocking geo-restricted content, using it as a torrenting VPN is an appealing choice. 

In many Goose VPN reviews, this VPN ranked highly for the download speeds provided by it’s P2P servers. One of the reasons it stands out is because the service makes a distinction between streaming servers and P2P ones. 

P2P servers are designed for torrenting and are set up in countries where this kind of activity is allowed. That said, it’s critical you check the list of countries where Goose VPN has P2P servers. The closer this type of server is to you geographically, the stronger your download speeds should be. 

Alternatives

Of course, if you’re still on the fence about Goose VPN and thinking there might be a better option for you, we can’t blame you. Goose VPN’s simplicity may be one of its selling points, but it’s also its downfall. If you’re unsure if it’s going to be the right fit for you, we recommend you consider one of the following alternatives.

Surfshark

surfshark

Surfshark is another budget-friendly VPN. Like Goose VPN, it also offers unlimited device connections, making it a stand-out option for family use or torrenting multiple devices simultaneously. 

However, unlike Goose VPN, Surfshark has far greater unblocking capabilities. Not only can you use it for Netflix US, but you can also access the most popular streaming services, including Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.

That said, its servers are not the fastest, with speeds ranging from 99Mbps to 15Mbps, depending on the server. While this is sufficient for basic streaming, it’s a bit slow for serious torrenting. Plus, Surfshark will struggle to stream in UltraHD quality. 

Surfshark does offer excellent protection from malware and other security threats with its CleanWeb protection feature. Plus, it has a number of stand-out features, such as a Whitelister feature that enables you to select specific websites and apps to bypass the VPN, so you can still use local websites without having to disconnect. What’s more, you can put parental controls on one connection while streaming anonymously with another.

Like Goose VPN, Surfshark is reasonably priced. It’s a great option for families and households despite slower speeds, especially if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock geo-restricted content.

Pros

  • Over 1,040 servers worldwide.
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited device connections
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Lots of security features
  • Budget-friendly

Cons

  • Fewer servers available
  • Slower speeds than other VPNs

NordVPN

nordvpn

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market. It has over 5,500 servers worldwide, including 1,600+ in the United States, 400+ in Canada, 270+ in Australia, and 40+ in New Zealand. Overall, it has a much larger network than Goose VPN, although connection speeds vary from server to server.

NordVPN stands out as a VPN ideal for unblocking content and bypassing geographical restrictions. It’s perfect for accessing services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. Plus, it offers unlimited bandwidth and has servers in locations all over the world.

However, NordVPN does limit the number of devices you can use on one account to six. While this may not be a big deal for some, if Goose VPN’s unlimited device policy appeals to you, it’s worth some serious consideration if NordVPN is best for your needs. 

One excellent feature NordVPN provides is Quick Connect, which enables you to connect to the fastest server in a given location. What’s more, NordVPN offers other features absent from Goose VPN, such as the option to get a dedicated IP address. NordVPN also has excellent customer service, and connection speeds on many of its servers are fast enough to stream UltraHD quality video.

The biggest downside of NordVPN over Goose VPN is that it has a confusing interface and a bit of a learning curve. If you’re a first-time user, NordVPN can be challenging to sort out. For instance, it’s locating and saving servers as favorites is a bit of a chore. Nonetheless, it’s a better choice if you want to unblock more content but comes with a steeper price tag.

Pros

  • Over 5,500 servers in 58 countries
  • Designed to circumvent geolocation restrictions
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • It can be used on up to six devices

Cons

  • Challenging to learn for new VPN users
  • Challenging to locate common features like the kill switch

Pricing

Goose VPN is designed to be cheaper than most other VPNs, but to do so requires a long-term commitment. As such, you can opt for a month-to-month plan but will have to pay $12.99 per month. For a cheaper rate, you’ll need to commit for longer.

For instance, with a three-year plan, the price drops significantly to $2.75 per month. All in all, this pricing plan makes Goose VPN one of the cheapest options on the market. 

The plans are as follows:

  • Monthly: $12.99 per month 
  • Yearly: $4.99 per month 
  • Two Year Plan: $2.99 per month
  • Three Year Plan: $2.75 per month

Goose VPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for all subscription plans. However, a refund is only guaranteed if your data usage remains under 100 MB (which is really hard to do).

Summary

Goose VPN is an excellent VPN for those who value privacy and internet data protection but lacks additional features to make it the best choice for more than a niche market. It’s basic and simple, which may appeal to some, with robust encryption features and standard protocol support. 

It also allows unlimited simultaneous connections on multiple devices. This fact, coupled with unlimited bandwidth, makes Goose VPN a powerful option for some. On top of that, GooseVPN offers decent torrenting capabilities, and its customer support is prompt and knowledgeable. 

However, as this Goose VPN review has pointed out, its lack of streaming capabilities beyond Netflix and Hulu is a severe downside for some. Plus, it’s missing a lot of standard features offered by other VPN providers, including the absence of an obfuscated VPN, no split tunneling, inconsistent speeds, limited OpenVPN support, and a poor spread of servers in its network.

Given Goose VPN’s shortcomings, it’s probably not worth the price of its monthly rates. Nevertheless, those willing to commit to a long-term plan and who value privacy and security over all else may find Goose VPN an excellent solution. 

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