F-Secure VPN Review: Passed All Leak Tests, But Only 20 Servers
Backed by a respected cybersecurity firm, but limited VPN features.
F-Secure VPN is a secure VPN from a cyber security company that’s been at the industry’s forefront for over 30 years.
Previously F-Secure Freedome VPN, the service includes all the basic essentials of a VPN – but how do its additional features compare to other top providers?
We took a comprehensive look at F-Secure VPN, from its encryption and protocol offerings to connection speeds, server locations, streaming capabilities, and more.
Jump to section
Pros & Cons
F-Secure VPN by the Numbers
F-Secure VPN History
Founded in 1988 and based in Helsinki, Finland, F-Secure began with an antivirus focus before extending into cloud data management and then launching its VPN in 2014.
The company has grown to offer F-Secure TOTAL, a service that combines online security, identity protection, and a VPN in one app.
Throughout its three-and-a-half decades of service, F-Secure has won multiple awards, including several Best Protection Awards from AV-TEST, and is one of the few publicly listed VPN companies (available on the NASDAQ).
| Server Locations | 20 countries |
| Server Number | N/A |
| Customer Support | Email, Telephone, Live Chat |
| Log Policy | No logs |
| Encryption Protocols | OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2 (depending on OS) |
| Supported Platforms | Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows |
| Routers Supported | No |
| Simultaneous Connections | Depends on Package |
| Split Tunneling | Yes (Android only) |
| Kill Switch | Yes |
| Torrenting (P2P File Sharing) | Yes |
| Country of Registration | Finland |
| Dedicated IP | No |
| Smart DNS | No |
| Multihop | No |
| Price | From $39.99 (12 months for 1 device) – $104.99 (24 months for 10 devices) |
| Free trial/money-back guarantee | 5-day free trial / 30-day money-back guarantee |
Plans, Products & Prices
F-Secure VPN offers two lengths of subscription plans: 12 or 24 months.
Users can then choose how many devices they’d like to be included: 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10.
Is There a Free Trial for F-Secure VPN?
F-Secure VPN offers an unlimited 5-day free trial via its website. No credit card information is required.
iOS devices can access a 7-day free through the Apple App Store, but this does require an in-app subscription first (though this can be canceled within the 7-day trial period before any payment is taken).
F-Secure also offers a 30-day free trial of the F-Secure Total package. This comes with complete access to the full version (including the VPN) for up to 5 devices and includes free customer support, with no obligation to purchase a subscription after the 30 days.
12 Month packages:
- 1 device: $39.99
- 3 devices: $45.99
- 5 devices: $49.99
- 7 devices: $52.99
- 10 devices: $55.99
24 month packages:
- 1 device: $79.99
- 3 devices: $89.99
- 5 devices: $94.99
- 7 devices: $99.99
- 10 devices: $104.99
F-Secure also offers an upgraded bundle option, called F-Secure Total, which includes internet security and ID protection along with the VPN.
All plans come with a 3o-day money-back guarantee.
Ways to Pay
F-Secure VPN Payment Methods
Streaming TV & Movies With F-Secure VPN
| F-Secure VPN Streaming Compatibility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Service | Last Tested | Source |
| |
Re-test scheduled | Not yet independently tested |
| |
Re-test scheduled | Not yet independently tested |
| |
Re-test scheduled | Not yet independently tested |
| |
Re-test scheduled | Not yet independently tested |
| |
Re-test scheduled | Not yet independently tested |
Streaming compatibility tested by VPNTesting.com. Results may vary by server and region.
Using F-Secure VPN will reduce the number of geo-restrictions encountered online, according to its website.
By using one of F-Secure VPN’s virtual locations, you should be able to unblock and access local content available on streaming sites such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more. Unfortunately, F-Secure VPN only offers around 20 virtual locations, which doesn’t provide as much choice as other premium VPN services.
F-Secures’s help pages warn that many streaming sites recognize and block VPN servers as well. Since F-Secure seems to focus more on security and cyber protection than unblocking online content, its VPN may not be the ideal one if streaming is your primary intent.
Compatible Devices and Services
Apps and user guides are available for each platform F-Secure VPN supports.
F-Secure VPN is not compatible with Linux systems or routers, which means it also can’t be used on gaming devices or TVs.
Streaming Netflix
Netflix is an American media giant offering a subscription-based online streaming service.
A key dilemma users often face is the geographical barriers Netflix imposes on its customers: content libraries are specific to each country, depending on titles’ regional licensing and copyright laws.
For example, an American watching Netflix in the US won’t be able to access certain Japanese anime movies that the Japanese Netflix library has, while someone in Japan may not be able to watch a US sitcom that the US Netflix library offers.
A VPN can make it possible to access this content though, by making it look like the user is in the country where the content is available.
To prevent this, Netflix actively works to block IP addresses known to belong to VPN servers, so not all VPN providers will work with the service.
F-Secure VPN offers support for streaming, but it’s not the most reliable at unblocking Netflix.
Performance & Speed
Using a VPN can affect your internet speeds, depending on your location to the server and its capability.
We ran a speed test while using F-Secure VPN servers in three different continents: America, Europe, and Asia.
| Country | DL (Mbps) | UL (Mbps) | Ping Idle (ms) | Ping DL (ms) | Ping UL (ms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 49.23 | 59.27 | 6 | 200 | 189 |
| UK | 57.18 | 60.97 | 4 | 181 | 152 |
| Germany | 86.67 | 64.49 | 20 | 164 | 36 |
Download speed (DL) and upload speed (UL) will likely influence your browsing experience and streaming speed the most.
F-Secure has spent more than 30 years establishing itself as an industry leader in cyber security, so it’s no surprise its VPN focuses on secure user protection and privacy. Leak proof, based outside the 14-Eyes Alliance, and with a no-logs policy, F-Secure VPN is a great choice for those wanting a reliable and reputable service.
Its various methods of customer support, availability in 20 languages, and lack of complex features make it ideal for VPN beginners or non-native English speakers as well, especially if they don’t have extensive technical knowledge.
And with its free five-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee, you can try it risk-free to find out if this is the right VPN for you.
Privacy & Security
| Obfuscated Servers | ✗ |
| Tor/Onion Support | ✓ (manual setup) |
| Port Forwarding | ✗ |
| RAM-Only Servers | ✗ |
| Independent Audit | ✗ |
| Config File Export | ✗ |
We monitor F-Secure VPN's legal documents daily for changes and summarize what changed.
Last checked: 30/03/2026 · 0 changes detected since 30/03/2026
No-Logs Policy
Having a strict and verified no-logging policy is vital for any VPN provider.
F-Secure VPN claims not to log users’ data. Its privacy policy clearly states:
“We respect your right to privacy.
- We encrypt your data traffic.
- We do not share nor sell any of your traffic.
- We do not read your traffic.
- We do not know what traffic is yours.
- We have no back doors.”
The company is located in Finland, which is outside the 14-Eyes Alliance jurisdiction. Despite this, F-Secure VPN says it “respects lawful warrants and court orders of the jurisdictions applicable to us” and will “provide information to the authorities when it is required of us under law, but not otherwise.”
Such cases only include serious crimes and illegal activities.
Encryption
Encryption uses algorithms to convert information into unreadable code which can only be decrypted with a unique key – either symmetric or asymmetric.
F-Secure VPN uses Advanced Encryption Standard 256-bit (AES-256). This is the industry and military standard, as adopted by the Federal Government in 2002.
What Features Does F-Secure VPN Offer?
Like many VPNs, F-Secure includes a number of beneficial features. Here we’ll look at some of the aspects that might make this VPN stand out for you.
Simultaneous connections
The maximum number of simultaneous connections is the number of devices that can use the VPN under one account at the same time. For example, you might want a VPN connection for your desktop computer while you’re browsing the web and still want your phone, plus any of your family’s phones, connected as well.
F-Secure VPN offers different subscription plans depending on the number of devices you want to protect. The cheapest plan allows one device for 12 months, while the most expensive allows up to 10 devices for two years.
Kill Switch
| Platform | Kill Switch | Split Tunneling |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Internet-level | ✓ Inverse |
| macOS | Internet-level | ✗ Not available |
| iOS | Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Android | Internet-level | ✓ Inverse |
F-Secure VPN comes with a kill switch for Windows, macOS, and Android devices.
A kill switch will disconnect a device from the internet if the VPN fails, to prevent any user data from being compromised.
Servers
Unusually for a VPN provider, F-Secure doesn’t state the number of servers that make up its infrastructure network.
It does say they’re located in 20 countries, including North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia, with the service available globally.
While not as many as other VPN services (such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN), if you want to watch a Singapore soap opera, tune into a German weather report, or just check out the latest shows from the USA or Canada while traveling, F-Secure VPN should have you covered.
Tracking Protection
One of the key additional security features F-Secure VPN offers is ‘tracking protection’.
It stops advertisers from tracking your online traffic and then targeting you to make money. This means you can use the internet without worrying about your online privacy, tracking attempts, or whether you’re being followed by advertisers.
Leak Protection
DNS stands for Domain Name System, and a DNS leak is when a user’s online requests are transmitted outside of the secure VPN tunnel by mistake. This could lead to their online activity, including IP address, location, and web searches, being exposed.
So how secure is F-Secure VPN?
We tested for DNS leaks while connected to F-Secure VPN using multiple tools, including Browserleaks, Doileak, IPx.ac, IPleak.net, and Perfect-Privacy.
Here are the Doileak test results, which show no DNS leaks:
Torrenting
Torrenting is a peer-to-peer technology in which two or more parties share a file through a distributed system. It’s a useful way to share and download non-copyrighted files.
When we tested it, F-Secure VPN worked well for torrenting.
It should be noted that the service can impose restrictions on internet access when torrenting is detected, and it will block BitTorrent programs to prevent illegal downloads.
Created by a long-standing cybersecurity company, F-Secure VPN should have robust privacy and security features to ensure its users’ privacy and protection.
Protocols
Protocols are guidelines for communication data – they determine how information moves between the device and the VPN server. Based on specific rules, protocols are crafted to be efficient in security, reliability, speed, ports, tunneling methods, and the systems they work with.
F-Secure VPN only offers three types of protocols and, compared to other providers, is limited in how they can be customized or used depending on your device.
For Windows and Android devices, F-Secure VPN’s built-in protocol is OpenVPN, and for iOS, you have to use IPsec.
Open VPN (Open-Source Virtual Private Network)
(Windows, macOS, and Android)
OpenVPN uses socket layer/transport layer security (SSL/TLS). It’s been the industry’s most widely used and trusted protocol for years.
Open VPN is F-Secure VPN’s default protocol. It can be used over the UDP protocol, which is usually faster, but it can be used over the TCP protocol when OpenVPN over UDP is blocked.
Android users can only use OpenVPN over UDP.
IPSec/IKEv2
(Windows, macOS, and iOS)
IPSec/IKEv2 involves two security services: Authentication Header (AH) and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP). AH authenticates the sender and finds changes during transmission, while ESP encrypts the information.
This protocol may be slightly faster than either OpenVPN option, but not all devices or routers can handle it.
Which Apps & Devices Are Supported?
F-Secure VPN is designed to have a straightforward download and installation process while offering competitive performance and speeds.
How to Install F-Secure VPN
It’s a straightforward process to install F-Secure VPN on a compatible platform.
Once you’ve purchased a subscription plan from F-Secure’s official website and signed up for an account, you can download the VPN app for your device and then follow the instructions to install it.
VPN Server Locations
US Server Locations
Customer Support
Live Chat
F-Secure offers live chat support through its website.
Email Support
You can also contact F-Secure’s support team via email and telephone. The operational hours for its phone line vary by country and are listed on its website.
Knowledge Base
F-Secure’s website has user guides, instructional articles, and troubleshooting resources. Support is available in more than 20 languages, which is unusually broad for a VPN provider.
Community & Forums
F-Secure maintains a community forum where users can ask questions and share solutions.
Who Isn’t F-Secure VPN Right For?
Based on our testing and research:
14-Eyes jurisdiction (Finland) – F-Secure is based in Finland, an EU member state and part of the 14-Eyes intelligence-sharing network. EU member states are subject to data retention directives and have established channels for sharing intelligence with 5-Eyes partners. For high-risk users, a non-Eyes jurisdiction is materially safer.
No independent audit – F-Secure VPN has not published a third-party no-logs audit from a recognized security firm. For a provider primarily marketed to security-conscious users, the absence of independent verification is a notable gap.
Limited VPN features – F-Secure VPN lacks features that are standard in competing products: no split tunneling (except Windows), no dedicated streaming servers, no multihop, no port forwarding. It is a basic VPN designed to be part of a security bundle, not a standalone privacy tool.
Consider instead: NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark
Primarily a bundle product – F-Secure VPN is designed to complement F-Secure’s antivirus and device security products. As a standalone VPN, you are paying for infrastructure that is built around a different use case. Users who want a VPN-first product will get more for their money elsewhere.
F-Secure VPN Competitors
| F-Secure VPN | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | ProtonVPN | Private Internet Access | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best rate | $4.99/mo | $3.49/mo | $3.09/mo | $3.59/mo | $2.19/mo |
| Monthly price | $7.49 | $12.99 | $12.99 | $9.99 | $11.99 |
| Servers | 20+ | 3,000+ | 8,400+ | 15,000+ | Undisclosed |
| Countries | 20 | 105 | 167 | 120 | 90 |
| Devices | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 | Unlimited |
| Jurisdiction | 🇫🇮 Finland ⓘ | 🇻🇬 BVI ⓘ | 🇵🇦 Panama ⓘ | 🇨🇭 Switzerland ⓘ | 🇺🇸 USA ⓘ |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Kill switch | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Split tunneling | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No-logs audited | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dedicated IP | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RAM-only servers | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ad/tracker blocker | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Our rating | 6.0/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.8/10 | 8.7/10 | 7.2/10 |
| Review | Read review → | Read review → | Read review → | Read review → | Read review → |
Our Verdict
Based on our hands-on testing and data analysis, here is our overall assessment of F-Secure VPN.
:methodology-blurb:
Frequently Asked Questions
How does F-Secure VPN compare with ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPN services available, with servers in 20 countries (compared to F-Secure VPN’s 20+) and extensive additional features.
ExpressVPN offers a wider choice of VPN protocols and places a greater focus on streaming and gaming, with servers optimized for the speeds and capabilities necessary for these activities. F-Secure VPN offers a greater emphasis on privacy and security, and its smaller company size enables more personalized customer support.
Is F-Secure VPN better than Surfshark?
No single VPN provider is better than another, as the best VPN service for each person comes down to their individual needs and preferences.
Surfshark’s network is spread across more countries than F-Secure VPN’s (100 compared to 20+), so it can bypass more geo-blocks and online restrictions. Surfshark also offers users an unlimited number of simultaneous connections with any of its plans, whereas F-Secure VPN has a tiered payment structure based on the number of devices required, so it will depend on your use and budget.
Is F-Secure VPN free?
F-Secure VPN is a premium VPN provider. It does offer a 5-day free trial, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee, but then it requires users sign up for a paid subscription plan for either 12 or 24 months.
Free VPNs often come with increased security risks or dangers, such as data logging or exposure to malware, whereas F-Secure VPN delivers strong security and privacy through comprehensive protection features and encryption.
Does F-Secure Safe have a VPN?
F-Secure Safe (which is now F-Secure Internet Security) is one of the products offered by F-Secure. It is a different, separate service from F-Secure VPN.
F-Secure Internet Security is a comprehensive security suite that protects devices from viruses, malware, and online threats through features like antivirus software, firewall, parental control, and browsing protection, whereas a VPN focuses on ensuring online privacy and security by encrypting internet connections and hiding IP addresses.
Both products can be purchased individually from F-Secure’s website, or included together as part of the F-Secure Total package.
What is the difference between free and paid F-Secure VPN?
F-Secure VPN offers users a free 5-day trial of its full service – there are no differences between the trial and paid versions.
No credit card information is required for the free trial if downloaded from the F-Secure website. iOS devices can access a 7-day free trial through the Apple App Store, but this does require an in-app subscription first (which can be canceled before the first payment is made).
Backed by a respected cybersecurity firm, but limited VPN features.
Our rating scale
| Rating Rubric | |
|---|---|
| 9 - 10 | Exceptional - best in class, no significant weaknesses |
| 8 - 8.9 | Excellent - highly recommended with minor trade-offs |
| 7 - 7.9 | Good - solid choice for most users |
| 6 - 6.9 | Adequate - works but has notable limitations |
| 5 - 5.9 | Below average - consider alternatives |
| Below 5 | Not recommended |
Update history
This page was revised 41 times between May 2022 and April 2026.
Added corporate structure references with links to ownership records.
Expanded Customer Support section with details on multilingual support across 20+ languages, phone and live chat availability, and the community forum.
Connected device limit and money-back guarantee details to verified provider data.
Added OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocol breakdown with Finnish jurisdiction context, Klarna payment option details, and Tracker Mapper privacy visualization feature.
Added company background section covering F-Secure VPN's 12-year history since 2014.
Added ISO certification details: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 verified credentials.
Added ecosystem overview showing F-Secure Total, F-Secure ID Protection available alongside the VPN subscription.
Added table of contents with section-by-section navigation for faster access to specific topics.
Updated server network overview covering 20 servers across 20 countries, with interactive coverage map and nearest-server highlighting.
Redesigned quick-reference spec table showing 10 simultaneous connections, 20 servers, 20 countries, AES-256-GCM encryption, and 30-day money-back guarantee.
Added source citations and verification dates to all factual claims in the F-Secure VPN review.
Added policy change monitoring showing recent updates to F-Secure VPN's privacy policy with paragraph-level diffs.
Added transparency tracker noting the absence of a warrant canary, with context on what that means for users.
Reordered sections to match how readers evaluate a VPN: streaming first, then speed, privacy, features, and pricing.
Expanded privacy section with Finland jurisdiction analysis.
Improved pros and cons with more specific language grounded in test data and verified claims.
Added curated "Not Right For" section with severity-coded concerns including jurisdiction considerations and logging nuances.
Removed outdated editorial commentary and unverifiable claims from the F-Secure VPN review.
Added payment methods section for F-Secure VPN covering accepted cards, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency options.
Rewrote protocol comparison covering OpenVPN, IPsec/IKEv2 with per-platform availability and security ratings.
Added platform compatibility breakdown for F-Secure VPN with kill switch support details per operating system.
Added ownership transparency section identifying F-Secure Corporation as parent company.
Reorganized review content into clearer sections, moving misplaced blocks and removing layout inconsistencies.
Replaced static overview tables with live data-driven spec cards for F-Secure VPN, ensuring pricing and server counts stay current.
Added introductory paragraphs, company history section, pros/cons table, detailed specifications overview table, and streaming compatibility information to strengthen review structure and comprehensiveness.
Removed "comprehensive" and rewrote opening paragraph for directness, improved streaming section clarity, and corrected multiple spelling/grammar issues throughout.
Removed opening paragraph and restructured introduction, eliminated "comprehensive" claim, streamlined Pros & Cons table, and corrected spelling of "F-Secure's" throughout.
Added introductory paragraph establishing F-Secure's 30-year industry history, restructured opening section with new H2 headings, and inserted pros/cons and overview tables.
Restructured opening paragraphs to consolidate product description and key features into a single introduction.
Added review structure including F-Secure VPN history, pros/cons table, overview specifications, and sections on streaming, security features, pricing, and customer support.
Removed outdated financial data from 2016-2018 and trimmed promotional sign-up links throughout the article.
Removed outdated financial data from 2016–2018, consolidated pros/cons table, and streamlined streaming section with updated service details.
Removed outdated financial data from 2016-2018 and streamlined company history section for relevance.
Fixed spelling error "Unofrtunately" to "Unfortunately" and corrected grammar in streaming section.
Corrected spelling error ("Unofrtunately" to "Unfortunately") and improved streaming section clarity by removing incomplete sentence fragment about Netflix.
Corrected spelling error "Unofrtunately" to "Unfortunately" in streaming section.
Added F-Secure VPN review content including company history, pros/cons table, feature overview table, streaming compatibility section, and security analysis.
Added F-Secure Freedome VPN review content including pros/cons table, server overview, security features, and performance testing data.
Removed outdated 2016-2018 financial charts and revised company history section to reflect current information.
Removed broken image captions and truncated review content, leaving incomplete section heading about no-log policy.
Removed incomplete section about no-log policy and truncated content, leaving the review in an unfinished state.
Run our independent leak test while connected to your VPN and see the results for yourself. We check for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks in under 30 seconds. Every test adds to our public dataset.
Join Our Test Panel →F-Secure VPN Alternatives
Considering F-Secure VPN? See how it compares
Based on independent testing data and specifications from each provider.
How we test VPNs
Our testing process involves purchasing each VPN with our own money and installing it on Windows, macOS, and mobile devices. We run a three-stage leak test (IP, DNS, and WebRTC) multiple times across different servers to check for data exposure.
We also test streaming access, kill switch reliability, and split tunneling functionality. All testing is conducted without notifying the provider. Specifications and pricing are verified directly from the provider's website.
Our full testing methodology is published at vpntesting.com/methodology.