Turbo VPN Review for Australian Users in 2022: Important Things to Consider

Last updated: January 19, 2023
William Sams
William Sams
TurboVPN can provide users some rather unexpected benefits and features that will leave most users pleasantly surprised. However, there are some severe pitfalls as well that raise questions about the reliability of the service itself.
Jurisdiction Singapore
Price $4.17 (AU$6.44)/mo.
Servers 21,000+ Servers in 45 Countries
Logs No-Logs (previously collected logs)
Encryption AES 256-bit Mechanism
Unblocks Netflix Yes
Torrenting No
Works in China No
Compatibility Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Website www.turbovpn.com

In this Turbo VPN review for Australian Users, we will discuss the service’s credibility, links to China, dangerous logging policy, its support for torrenting/streaming, customer support, speed, and security.

My first impression of Turbo VPN was that of a service that underwhelms in every important category. However, I found out that it is a mixed bag with both positives and negatives in Australia.

On the positive side of things, with barely single-digit servers, the service can unblock all libraries of Netflix as well as has good customer support in Australia. But that is where the positive aspects of these services end.

I was disappointed to learn that Turbo VPN logs all of its users’ data as well as their entire usage through the service in Australia. The service previously stated openly in its logging policy on the data it collects but now it claims to be a no-logs VPN.

However, there are no ways to know for sure if the claims are legit. This can only be considered true if the VPN undergoes an independent audit from a reputable third-party firm.

Moreover, the VPN is based in Singapore but has ties with China as the CEO of its parent company, “Innovative Connecting” is a Chinese national.

For these reasons and more, I would say that users would be better served going for a service like ExpressVPN or NordVPN instead, thanks to its thousands of servers, safe jurisdiction, as well as a transparent logging policy in Australia.

Pros
  • Unlimited bandwidth with the free plan in Australia
  • Easy to use in Australia
  • Unblocks Amazon Prime Video
  • Massive server count
  • Good speed test in Australia

Cons
  • No kill switch on Windows
  • Not value for money
  • Many privacy concerns in Australia
  • Lack of unique features  in Australia
  • No dedicated IPs in Australia
  • 5 simultaneous connections on the paid plan in Australia

Turbo VPN Review: Rating Parameters & Key Findings

  1. Jurisdiction: Where Does Turbo VPN Operate From?
  2. Security: Is Turbo VPN Safe in Australia?
  3. Leaks: Does Turbo VPN Leak Your IP/DNS/WebRTC?
  4. Servers: How Many Servers Does Turbo VPN Have?
  5. Streaming: Does it Unblock Netflix and Other VoDs?
  6. Speed: How Fast are Turbo VPN Servers?
  7. Compatibility: Can I Use Turbo VPN On All My Devices?
  8. Pricing: How Much Does Turbo VPN Cost Exactly in Australia?
  9. Torrenting: Is Turbo VPN Good for Torrenting in Australia?
  10. Trustworthiness: Trustpilot Ratings and Customer Support
  11. China: Does Turbo VPN Work in China?
  12. User-Interface & Setup: Is Turbo VPN User-Friendly?

Jurisdiction: Where Does Turbo VPN Operate From?

Turbo VPN is based in Singapore, which gives it an immediate advantage over most other VPNs. That’s because the country does not participate in the notorious 5/9/14 Eyes alliance. However, its parent company has ties with China.

And all VPNs within China must be government-mandated. So, it is better to avoid this VPN as the provider also keeps logs.

Is Turbo VPN linked to China?

The company behind Turbo VPN is called Innovative Connecting, which has developed other basic free VPNs, too, namely VPN Proxy Master, VPN Proxy Master Lite, Solo VPN Pro, and Snap Master VPN.

Danian Chen, the director of Innovative Connecting is a Chinese national and an entrepreneur who is also the CEO of the company ‘LinkSure’ which developed ‘WiFi Key Master’.

Turbo VPN’s privacy policy states that it will hand over your private information to legal authorities ‘if ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, which is alarming at first, let alone the company having ties with China.

Security: Is Turbo VPN Safe in Australia?

No, TurboVPN is not a safe VPN to use in Australia. The reasons for that are fairly self-evident, i.e., a problematic logging policy that enables it to share user info with third parties and ties with China, which doesn’t hold the privacy of individuals as a right.

Does Turbo VPN keep logs?

Turbo VPN no logs

Previously a log collecting service and being open about their logging policy, the VPN used facts in their privacy policy about how they deal with the information they store and why they feel the need to store that information.

However, the service now claims to be a no-logs VPN in Australia and it has listed the information they don’t collect, such as personal information, browsing history, traffic destination, transaction, used bandwidth, and DNS query. But there are no ways to verify if Turbo VPN follows these practices.

Encryption & Protocols

Turbo VPN encryption and protocols

Turbo VPN uses the military-grade AES 256-bit encryption method with secure and strong VPN protocols such as IKEv2 and OpenVPN in Australia. 

The VPN, by default, uses the OpenVPN protocol in Australia.

The service previously did not indicate at all what kind of encryption it used. It just stated that it uses strong military-grade encryption, but now it has clearly mentioned its encryption method and protocols it uses.

Nonetheless, I would not recommend using this VPN in Australia as it is the most unsafe and insecure VPN I’ve ever tested. The VPN has potential malware embedded in its apps.

Virus Test

I conducted a virus test to see if the service was free from any malware or viruses. Here is the result of that test:

Turbo VPN virustotal test

As users can see, there are no major viruses to worry about.

Leaks: Does Turbo VPN Leak Your IP/DNS/WebRTC?

The only way to be sure about the security offered by Turbo VPN is to conduct a leak test. For this process, I used 6 different WebRTC/DNS/IP address detection tools:

TurboVPN_leaktest

WebRTC Leaks:
DNS Leaks:
IPv4/IPv6 Leaks:

To my surprise, there were no major leaks to worry about. The provider did not reveal any crucial personally identifiable information.

Servers: How Many Servers Does Turbo VPN Have?

Turbo VPN servers

Turbo VPN offers 21000+ servers in 45 countries covering the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa

The VPN offers servers in major countries such as the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Austria, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, and more.

Streaming: Does it Unblock Netflix and Other VoDs?

Turbo VPN streaming

Turbo VPN unblocks streaming platforms such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, and more. However, it is not a great choice for streaming.

Upon testing, I had to switch through multiple servers to unblock a streaming site. It has a traditional “hit and miss” framework which can make you frustrated if you’re a movie geek.

So, I would not recommend Turbo VPN for your streaming needs.

Speed: How Fast are TurboVPN VPN Servers?

I won’t hide that I still find its 45 server locations to be severely insufficient as far as VPN needs go. But quality above quantity, I conducted a speed test to see if its servers can make up for their numbers in terms of speed.

Using a 100Mbps connection, I connected to servers in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and Singapore.

Here are the results:

Server Download Upload Ping
US 34.35Mbps 28.64Mbps 189ms
Canada 32.53Mbps 27.93Mbps 112ms
UK 42.97Mbps 38.01Mbps 284ms
Germany 31.23Mbps 33.48Mbps 320ms
Singapore 48.25Mbps 38.38Mbps 292ms
Average 38Mbps 33Mbps 239ms

Test 1: US 

Turbo VPN US speed

Turbo VPN speed test on a US server

Test 2: Canada

Turbo VPN canada speed

Turbo VPN speed test on a Canada server

Test 3: UK

Turbo VPN UK speed

Turbo VPN speed test on a UK server

Test 4: Germany

Turbo VPN Germany speed

Turbo VPN speed test on a German server

Test 5: Singapore

Turbo VPN Singapore speed

Turbo VPN speed test on a Singapore server

Compatibility: Can I Use Turbo VPN on All My Devices?

Turbo VPN compatibility

Turbo VPN is available for all widely-used devices such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chrome browsers in Australia.

The VPN doesn’t offer support for Linux, and users that use the Mozilla Firefox browser cannot have Turbo VPN as a browser extension in Australia.

And while you can only have a single connection with Turbo VPN’s free app, it offers 5 simultaneous connections if you sign up for a plan. So you’ll be able to cover all your devices with a single plan.

I couldn’t find any information on Turbo VPN’s router support. This means the VPN is not compatible with routers. You can only download their client on the above-mentioned operating systems and browsers.

Pricing: How Much Does TurboVPN Cost Exactly in Australia?

Pricing

Turbo VPN pricing

Turbo VPN offers a freemium model in Australia. This means that while users can continue to use the service for free, the paid version comes with different features and functions that are sure to increase the overall performance of the app.

There are four options to choose from, i.e., Monthly, 6-Month, 1-Year, and 2-Year plans.

  • Monthly: $11.99 (AU$18.51)
  • 6-Month: $6.67 (AU$10.30)/mo. ($39.99 (AU$61.73) every 6 months)
  • 1-Year: $5 (AU$7.72)/mo. ($59.99 (AU$92.61) annually)
  • 2-Year: $4.17 (AU$6.44)/mo. ($99.99 (AU$154.36) every 2 years)

Payment & Refund Methods

Payment methods Turbo VPN

Turbo VPN offers multiple payment methods such as Credit Cards, Debit Cards, PayPal, Cryptocurrencies, and various other options from which you can securely pay for your subscription plan in Australia.

As far as the money-back guarantee is concerned, Turbo VPN offers a 30-day money-back offer in Australia. However, it is only claimable if you purchase a subscription plan through their website.

Turbo VPN refund

Canceling TurboVPN Subscription in Australia

Refund Request Turbo VPN

Turbo VPN renews your subscription automatically after the previous subscription expires unless the user unsubscribes for the service.

To unsubscribe from Turbo VPN, you can contact the provider via Live Chat or in-app feedback message.

After canceling Turbo VPN, you can generate your refund request by sending an email to turbovpn-vipsupport@inconnecting.com with the subject “Request Refund for Turbo VPN”.

Also, include your Refund Reason, Device’s UserID, and the Official Receipt from Turbo VPN.

Your refund request will be generated within 3 days and the total process can take up to 14 days for your money to reflect back in your account.

Torrenting: Is Turbo VPN Good for Torrenting in Australia?

Turbo VPN is not a good choice for torrenting in Australia. Your account may even get banned if you carry out your P2P and torrenting activities more than once.

I even contacted Turbo VPN via the live chat option to confirm if they allow torrenting and P2P traffic on their servers, to which the representative replied, “torrenting and P2P connections are not permitted”.

Nonetheless, even if torrenting and P2P traffic was allowed, I would not recommend using Turbo VPN in Australia. The service has a reputation for collecting user logs openly in the past and its logging policy is still not on point.

Also, the absence of a kill on its free version is another red flag for torrenters that may end up leaking their private information while torrenting if the VPN crashes accidentally.

Trustworthiness: Trustpilot Ratings & Customer Support

To weigh the trustworthiness factor of Turbo VPN, I used one of the popular platforms, Trustpilot.

Turbo VPN Trustpilot Rating

Turbo VPN Trustpilot

Turbo VPN enjoys a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot with 444 reviews in total, from which 96% of the reviews marked the provider 5 or 4 stars while 4% of the reviews marked the provider below 4 stars.

However, the provider was using fake reviews to get to the top on Trustpilot, which is alarming. Trustpilot has also mentioned, “We’ve removed a number of fake reviews for this company”.

Turbo VPN VPN Customer Support

Turbo VPN customer support

Turbo VPN offers a knowledge base with three categories, including General Information, Billing and Account, and Troubleshooting Basic Basic Problems.

The VPN offers supporting articles and highlights the promoting articles on top of user needs. There is also a section for “Recent Activity” so the user can see what is being asked by other users.

Moreover, the service also offers an FAQ section, a live chat option, and an email option if you can’t find a solution from the above-mentioned options.

China: Does TurboVPN Work in China?

No, Turbo VPN doesn’t work in China. It doesn’t have the technology or resources to bypass the Great Firewall of China.

It may be work on other relaxed territories like the UAE or Iran, but the VPN is useless if you’re giving it a shot to unblock Chinese content.

Instead, I would recommend going for other options. ExpressVPN and NordVPN are best VPNs for China. They may not have servers available in the country but these providers can provide you the servers of their neighboring countries like Hong Kong. Also, you can access foreign content while residing in China with ease.

However, if you want to connect to a Chinese server then visit our detailed guide: Best VPN into China.

User Interface & Setup: Is Turbo VPN User-Friendly?

Turbo VPN has a clean interface with a simple, user-friendly design. The apps have easy-to-navigate windows and buttons that display all the information you need.

The VPN was previously a mobile-only VPN with apps for Android and iOS. But now it has clients for Windows and Mac too.

Turbo VPN windows

The desktop app has a simple interface with a correct button on the right panel from which you can connect to a server. The left displays a list of servers and there is a button on the top right corner which can be used to access more options.

Coming onto the mobile apps, the Android version of Turbo VPN is richer as it offers split tunneling, which the iOS version doesn’t.

Turbo VPN android interface

Also, the app displays a totally different server list depending on which platform you’re using the service.

Our Verdict: Is Turbo VPN Worth It in Australia?

No, I do not recommend TurboVPN for Australian Users. The primary reason is how in almost every category, TurboVPN manages to deliver its services in bits and pieces.

While the service did surprise me with its ability to unblock Netflix, and other streaming services, as well as good customer support in Australia. These are some extraordinary features that reflect incredibly well on this Turbo VPN review.

However, what good is a VPN that keeps logs, and is highly secretive about what info it shares with third parties and possibly law enforcement agencies?

This is just one of the reasons why users are better off going for a service like ExpressVPN or NordVPN that is based out of a safe jurisdiction and has thousands of servers making it easy to navigate the entire internet seamlessly.

Turbo VPN Review: Quora and Reddit Reviews

I didn’t want my own opinion and experience with Turbo VPN to be the sole voice in this review. Hence, I wanted to include what others feel about the service on famous platforms like Quora and Reddit for Australian Users.

Here are the questions asked the users and other users answer them:

Quora Review

Quora question Turbo VPN

Quora answer 1 Turbo VPN

Quora answer 2 Turbo VPN

Quora answer 3 Turbo VPN

Reddit Review

Reddit question Turbo VPN

Reddit answer 1 Turbo VPN

Reddit answer 2 Turbo VPN

Turbo VPN Alternatives for Australian Users

TurboVPN certainly doesn’t stand out for any important reasons.

I’ve never been happy recommending a service that keeps logs on its users’ activities, plus tends to share these logs with third parties without specifying who these third parties are.

This is why I have no qualms in recommending the following top-tier VPNs thanks to their iron-clad no logs policy which were audited by third-party firms.

  1. ExpressVPN
  2. NordVPN
  3. Surfshark

Turbo VPN Review for Australian Users: FAQs

Which is better NordVPN or Turbo VPN in Australia?

NordVPN is better overall than Turbo VPN in Australia. It is faster than Turbo VPN and offers far more features like Onion over VPN, Double VPN, Dedicated IPs, Obfuscation Servers, SmartPlay, and more.

Does Turbo VPN hide browsing history in Australia?

Turbo VPN doesn’t log your IP address, but it still collects other data such as the success of your VPN connection, your internet service provider, your country, and the VPN location you are connected to.

How many devices can be used on Turbo VPN in Australia?

With a premium Turbo VPN plan, you can connect up to 5 devices with all server locations, streaming servers, faster connection, and no in-app ads.

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