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# of Servers
50
# of Servers
50
Server Locations
40
Server Locations
40
Unlimited Bandwidth
Yes
Price Per Month (From)
$3.10
Price Per Month (From)
$3.10
Free Trial
-
Free Trial
-


6/10
Informr score
The Shellfire currently has an Informr score of 6 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 9 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

Shellfire might have gotten away with their lack of features in the past, but with so many better alternatives available that give you more bang for the buck, reviews show you’re better off looking elsewhere.

What's good

  • Free plan with limited speeds and server selection
  • Okay performance
  • No logging policy

What's bad

  • No killswitch or split tunneling
  • Only 1 connection per account
  • Slow customer service
  • Dated user interface
  • Doesn’t work well with antivirus software

Started back in 2002, Shellfire is one of the longest-running VPN services on the market. Does their longevity indicate an amazing product? Let’s see what reviewers have to say.

Pricing

If you don’t want to shell out any cash, you’re in luck. Shellfire offers a free service tier with a few limitations. Shellfire caps speeds on free plans 1mbps and you can only connect to American or German servers.

If you don’t want to deal with speed caps and want access to the full range of servers, you must pay for the premium plans. Shellfire’s prices are near the averages for most VPNs.

Supported Devices

Shellfire offers clients for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. You can manually configure Linux and routers to use the VPN as well.

Sadly, there are no browser extensions.

Ease of Use

The client is straightforward and easy-to-use. You can choose from a list of servers with indicators of the current speeds available. This means you can always connect to a fast server and keep your connection running smoothly.

Unfortunately, critics discovered that the client did not work well with antivirus software. Some flagged it as a trojan. They had to uninstall the antivirus program to run Shellfire without issues. Even after uninstalling, Windows itself warns users about the program as it changes some configuration files.

Once installed, reviewers were let down by the user interface with some comparing it to Windows 95.

Simultaneous Connections

Even when paying for the premium plan, you only receive 1 connection per account. This means if you want to access your client on your desktop but are logged into it on your phone, you need to disconnect or sign up for a new account for each device you want to protect.

Considering many competitors allow you connect to 5 or more connections -- and some are even unlimited -- this is a serious drawback to the service.

Included Features

Shellfire lacks many security features. It doesn’t include a killswitch -- a now-common feature with most VPNs -- or split tunneling. However, there are a handful of useful features, including:

  • Unlimited bandwidth on select servers
  • P2P support (in Finland only)
  • OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec protocol support
  • Military-grade encryption

Privacy and Logging

Shellfire is located in Germany -- a country with some of the strongest privacy protection laws in the world. However, the German Intelligence Service actively monitors German citizens and cooperates closely with GCHQ and the NSA. That doesn’t mean it’s a horrible place for a VPN to be located, but it’s not ideal.

Luckily, the company states they do not keep identifying logs. While their privacy policy is full of legal-speak, it seems to back up these claims overall.

Experts also found no IP leaks in their testing. So your connection should be secure from snooping Internet providers and other parties.

Performance

All VPNs will slow down your connection. It’s just a matter of how much. Shellfire provided reviewers with moderate -- though sometimes inconsistent -- speeds. Reviewers also could not access any of the geo-locked content on major streaming services such as Netflix, BBC, or Amazon.

Support

If something goes wrong with the VPN, you don’t have too many options. Reviewers were unable to reach a representative through the on-site live chat feature. Instead, experts had to use email. Responses took roughly 36 hours.

Making matters worse, there are no forums or phone numbers for you to call. You can check out the knowledge base, but it only answers very basic VPN questions.

_

Summary

Shellfire might have been around since 2002, but it seems like their service hasn’t evolved since then. With its dated interface, lack of features, and average speed, it’s not a VPN most reviewers would recommend.

Cloudwards states, “Many VPNs make the design choice to sacrifice features in favor of a more streamlined and user-friendly experience. Shellfire VPN has neither of those aspects…”

Best VPN adds, “The service seems to be weak, laid back and one that needs serious improvement.”


What the Critics Are Saying...


VPNSurfers
VPNSurfers

While Shellfire VPN employs advanced encryption and the OpenVPN protocol to give its users a safe connection and browsing experience, it lacks other tools like an effective kill switch. Moreover, the provider's privacy policy leaves much to be desired since it logs a lot more information than we're...

- Madeleine Hodson, VPNSurfers
TechRadar
TechRadar

Shellfire is a decent VPN service on the surface, but it has a fair few problems. The user interface is clunky, the VPN connection is patchy and the speeds are average at best. However, we did like that it has a free tier, as well as the proprietary VPN-equipped router.

- Sead Fadilpašić, TechRadar
Tekcompare
Tekcompare

Shellfire has implemented an effective “no logs” policy, and it guards your privacy. This VPN supports secure protocols like OpenVPN and offers AES-256 encryption in its paid plans. These solutions secure your sensitive information. Shellfire doesn’t offer a “kill switch”, though, whereas most of it...

- Andrea Arceo, Tekcompare
VPN Ranks
VPN Ranks

We loved using Shellfire VPN. It provides you with absolute anonymity and fast and speedy connections. From the protocol support to money back guarantee, each and everything seems to fall in place except for the Customer Support which needs a little push in order to cement Shellfire VPN’s place as a...

- WOKE25, VPN Ranks
VPN Analysis
VPN Analysis

Shellfire is a German-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) startup that offers internet security and privacy. The company has a range of service levels, which includes a free version. This means that, depending on your needs from a VPN, you might get what you are looking for without having to pay any...

- Stephen Cooper, VPN Analysis

Details


Overview
Headquarters Germany
Pricing/Sign Up
Starting Price (per Month) $3.10
Plans and Pricing Visit Site
Free Trial No
Money Back Guarantee 14 Days
Payment Options Credit Cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, Other
ID Required Valid email address
Features
Server Locations (# of Countries) 40
Number of Servers 50 +
Devices Per License 1
Simultaneous Connections 1
Unlimited Bandwidth Yes
Double-Hop / Double VPN No
Accesses Netflix Yes
P2P / Torrenting Allowed Yes
Accepts Bitcoin Yes
Non-US Company Yes
Protected
Protocols IPSec, L2TP, OpenVPN, PPTP, WireGuard
Encryption AES-256, RSA-2048
No Logs / No Tracking Yes
Dedicated IP Available Yes
VPN Over Tor Yes
Wi-Fi Leak Protection Yes
Private DNS Server No
DNS Leak Protection No
IP Leak Protection No
WebRTC Leak Protection No
IPv6 Leak Protection No
Kill Switch No
Supported Platforms
Operating Systems Windows, Mac OSX, iOS, Linux, Android
Mobile App Yes
Router Yes
Browser Extension No
Customer Support
24/7 Support No
Live Chat Support No
Telephone Support No
Email Support
More
Additional comments Other Names (AKA): Shell Fire

Terms & Conditions Official Terms & Conditions

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