OysterVPN Review – A Low-Cost and Basic VPN Ideal for Home Users
About one-third of internet users, more than 1.75 billion people worldwide, use VPNs. While there are remote workers and business users for whom VPNs are a staple, there are also basic users who just use it for streaming and surfing.
OysterVPN is a 2023-born VPN that’s seemingly meant for users who look for a no-frills and low-cost VPN solution.
While the Dublin-based VPN has all the basic features you would expect, it has certain limitations and drawbacks too. However, these drawbacks are not really deal breakers.
If you are a home user, you might be tempted to pick up an OysterVPN license after reading this. The company rolls out seasonal discounts and even toss in extra months on select plans, which is another reason why many users choose it over costlier alternatives.
But beyond the promos, what makes OysterVPN stand out as a service worth considering? I recently tested out its Chrome extension and Windows app to gauge its speed, reliability, usability, and performance overall.
What did I find? Read on to know.
Advantages and disadvantages
OysterVPN – Pros and Cons
Features table
OysterVPN – Quick Feature Overview
| Corporate Base | Dublin, Ireland |
| Logging Policy | Strict No-Logs |
| Kill Switch Function |  |
| Devices Per License | 5 |
| Server Coverage | 34 Countries |
| Total Servers | 385+ |
| P2P / Torrenting | |
| Unblocks Netflix | |
| Encryption Standard | AES 256-bit |
| Support Channels | Email, Live Chat |
| Split Tunneling Option | |
| Free Trial |  |
| Multi-Hop Connections | |
Speed tests
OysterVPN – Is It Speedy Enough?
VPNs are notorious for slowing network speed down dramatically. I wanted to test how OysterVPN holds up when I connect to different servers. Let’s find out how it performed in speed tests.
First things first, I checked the speed on my home connection, with the VPN turned off. The download speed was hovering around 95 Mbps and the upload speed stood at 99 Mbps. I also got a pink of 69 ms.
From there, I hopped onto a Tokyo server. To my surprise, download speeds didn’t nosedive — I was still getting around 97 Mbps down, though upload slipped to 60 Mbps. Latency did shoot up, landing at 154 ms, which is no shock when you’re tunneling traffic halfway across the globe. This kind of speed is still good enough for casual browsing or streaming.
Next, I pointed the extension toward Dallas, Texas. This time, the download speed dropped to 80 Mbps. I got a decent upload speed of 88 Mbps though. However, the ping shot up to 271 ms, which means online gaming or making real-time calls could become really hasslesome.
Finally, I gave Zurich a spin. That’s where the wheels came off a bit — downloads sank to just 25 Mbps, though uploads actually spiked up to 93 Mbps.
Latency climbed over 330 ms, which makes this server a tough sell unless you’ve got no other options. As you can see, OysterVPN gave me a mixed bag.
Close-to-home servers kept speeds humming along nicely, while far-flung ones felt sluggish. Uploads held up surprisingly well across the board, but ping times can get out of hand fast once you jump continents.
If you’re streaming or grabbing files, it’ll get the job done on most servers, in my opinion.
Popularity and trends
OysterVPN – Popularity and Trend Analysis
Not stopping at conducting speed tests, I decided to check out the search trends using Google Trends.
Oyster has lit up the internet in recent times, and even top magazines have featured it as a new entrant looking to throw some real challenge to the big names.
I wanted to figure out whether OysterVPN is really catching people’s attention or just making temporary waves.
When I pulled up the keyword “OysterVPN”, the graph showed long stretches of flat activity, broken up by sudden jumps.
Most of the year it barely showed up, but then it spiked in late 2024 and again around spring and summer 2025.
Every time the company made a bit of noise, people went online to check it out.
Looking at “OysterVPN review”, the chart tells another story. It stayed dead quiet until August 2025, when interest suddenly shot up. That likely happened because people wanted real takes instead of just press releases.
The SafetyDetectives interview and their big Lifetime Plan pitch grabbed attention, but at the same time, criticism on Reddit and forums — especially about the missing Linux GUI — pushed more folks to dig up reviews before signing on.
When I stacked OysterVPN against Private Internet Access (PIA), the difference was night and day.
PIA keeps steady traffic all year, while OysterVPN only pops up now and then. Compared with PrivateVPN, OysterVPN is closer, but it still trails behind.
The takeaway? OysterVPN hasn’t broken into mainstream awareness yet, though it does get noticed whenever it drops something new.
All in all, OysterVPN is making some noise, but mostly in bursts tied to announcements. Until it can keep people looking it up consistently, it’ll stay a step behind bigger competitors who’ve already carved out steady interest.
What I liked about OysterVPN
What Makes OysterVPN Stand Out?
As a basic VPN aiming to disrupt the market, OyesterVPN ticks all the right boxes. It uses AES-256 encryption, supports multiple tunneling protocols, and includes a kill switch. Very recently, the company added cloud storage and a password manager into the mix.
I wouldn’t say it directly challenges the long-standing players on the market. For example, it doesn’t have PIA’s (Private Internet Access VPN) massive server footprint or its open-source transparency. PIA has been tested in court and proven its no-logs claim, while Oyster’s privacy policy is still not third-party audited.
Proton VPN, on the other hand, leans heavily on its Swiss jurisdiction and offers features like Secure Core servers and its Stealth protocol to disguise VPN traffic entirely. Mullvad, another competitor, encourages anonymous payments and publishes regular independent audits.
Its Dublin headquarters also adds an interesting dimension. Ireland stores over thirty percent of the EU’s data and hosts the European bases of nine of the world’s ten largest tech firms. The country’s relatively liberal internet laws make it a favorable environment for a VPN. I see this as a practical strength.
Also, I liked the fact that the company almost quietly added two high anticipated features – cloud storage and password manager. It means they are keeping the basics right, while also expanding its offerings.
I somehow feel that OysterVPN doesn’t try to outdo any of the popular VPNs. Instead, it is gradually building its own identity as a neat yet versatile service, which is something I totally appreciate.
OysterVPN Vs Competitors
OysterVPN – Features Comparison with Top VPNs
| Feature | OysterVPN | Private Internet Access (PIA) | ProtonVPN | Mullvad |
| No-Log Policy | (unaudited) | court-tested | independently audited | no personal info required |
| Number of Servers | 385+ | Tens of thousands | 13,000+ | 700+ (real-time) |
| Number of Countries / Locations | 34+ | 91+ | 120+ | 40+ |
| Cost (Lowest Pricing Structure) | From $5.99/month | From ~$3.33/month (multi-year plan) | From $4.99/month (2-year plan) | €5/month flat |
| Support Type | 24/7 live chat, email | 24/7 live chat, helpdesk | Email, support center | Email, help center |
| Unblocks Netflix / Streaming | | | | Limited |
| Security Add-Ons | AES-256, split tunneling, obfuscation | Ad blocker (MACE), RAM-only servers | Secure Core, NetShield, VPN Accelerator | Multi-hop, encrypted DNS |
| Torrent Support | P2P on all servers | P2P on all servers | with optimized servers | |
| Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, WireGuard | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, Stealth | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
Conclusion
OysterVPN – Final Verdict
In my opinion, OysterVPN is a reliable option for users looking for a straightforward VPN solution at a competitive price. It has got a no-logs policy (although unaudited), a small but growing pool of servers, and add-ons like cloud storage and a password manager.
While its server pool is still no match against giants like PIA and it doesn’t have a watertight privacy like Mullvad, it can be a reliable choice for browsing, streaming, and torrenting. However, if you’re looking for a truly no-logs VPN, it might not fit your bill. Overall, it’s suitable for basic users at the moment.
