Yoga VPN Review 2022

In this Yoga VPN review, we’ll test the provider on the basis of primary factors such as security, privacy, speed, streaming, compatibility, trustworthiness, and more to provide you an unbiased and transparent report about the VPN service.

Yoga VPN is an unreliable, free mobile-only VPN. It features imprecise privacy policies, intrusive advertising, and shoddy encryption. It lacks P2P support and has no security features. In summary, Yoga VPN is risky and slow.

It has been developed by LANPIPER PTE.LTD. Earlier, the parent business proudly launched Melon VPN, another VPN service.

Yoga VPN has managed to amass over 5 million users in its short time of joining the privacy tools marketplace. It is touted as the “best” by many users on the Google Play Store, but my analysis reveals quite a dark side of this VPN.

My Yoga VPN review will answer all the questions you have about this mystery VPN with little to no online presence, including Who owns Yoga VPN? Which platforms does the VPN support? Is Yoga VPN safe? Can it be hacked? What’s the best alternative to Yoga VPN? and more.

So without any further ado, let’s start with the Yoga VPN pros and cons.

Yoga VPN pros and cons

Rating Criteria

1. Jurisdiction: Where is Yoga VPN Based?
2. Security: Can Yoga VPN Keep You Safe Online?
3. Leaks: Yoga VPN IPv6, WebRTC, and DNS Test
4. Servers: How Many Servers Does Yoga VPN Have?
5. Streaming: Can I Unblock Netflix US and Other VoDs?
6. Speed: How Fast are Yoga VPN Servers?
7. Compatibility: Can I Use Yoga VPN on All My Devices?
8. Setup & Installation: How to Setup Yoga VPN on My Device?
9. Pricing: How Much Does Yoga VPN Cost Exactly?
10. Trustworthiness: What Do Users Say about Yoga VPN?

Jurisdiction: Where is Yoga VPN Based?

The first and most alarming fact about Yoga VPN is that nobody knows where the provider has its headquarters. Having reviewed hundreds of VPN services, it is the first time I had to dig so deep to find out where a VPN actually operates from.

Lack of Official Presence Online

Some sources claim that Yoga VPN operates from Singapore, but I did not find any concrete proof to support this.

They have an official website but there is no information on it other than two links to its mobile version and their privacy rules.

Other than that, there is only a Facebook page available which is filled with generic and ambiguous info.

With so much vagueness about its base of operations, there is no way to tell whether they’re actually based out of a 5/9/14 Eyes country or a totalitarian surveillance state like China.

Regardless of these findings, Yoga VPN gets quite a huge number of sign-ups, earning a 4.6 rating on the Google Play Store and 4.8 stars on iTunes (out of which most reviews look phony).

Third-Party Research

Digging a little deeper into the provider, I came across interesting research conducted by ZDNet. It states that about 60% of top free mobile apps on the Apple and Google Play Store are from developers based in China or with Chinese ownership.

17 out of the 30 apps analyzed (appearing on both stores) had formal links to China, which includes Yoga VPN. My only advice is to run away from the service as fast as possible. The Chinese Government is renowned for its laws about data retention and Mass Surveillance.

The uncertainty of Yoga VPN increases as I found out that the provider has two different developers for both their iTunes and Google Play Store, both of which have two separate VPN apps.

On iTunes, Yoga VPN is created by LANPIPER PTE.LTD (also the developer for Melon VPN) and on the Google Play Store, it is developed by Sarah Hawken (who also owns VPN Lighter).

Security: Can Yoga VPN Keep You Safe Online?

Is Yoga VPN safe? No, users would be strongly advised to steer clear of this service for a number of reasons, including its jurisdiction and logging policy, as well as other condemning practices that we elaborate on below.

The US-based service does not adhere to all security rules. It is challenging to describe Yoga VPN because there are no fact sheets on the kind of encryption it employs on the company’s website.

You only get the Google Play app’s description, which claims to use safe VPN encryption. A VPN isn’t a VPN if it doesn’t have encryption, DNS leak protection, reliable protocols, and a kill switch. Free VPNs frequently don’t offer any of these advantages.

Does Yoga VPN Store Logging Information?

Yes, Yoga VPN does store logs, and it does not try to hide the fact that it actively logs all the activities of its users. Probably the sorriest excuse for a Privacy Policy, Yoga VPN posts its logging policies on a text-dump hosting website, which you can access from here.

Just 373 words long, the privacy policy tends to be completely ambiguous, offering no valid information about what information is collected and for how long.

We do not collect Personal Information that identifies you or another person, such as your first name and last name, physical addresses, email addresses, telephone, fax, SSN, information stored within your device.

As you can see, they first state they do not record any personal information but then go on stating, “We may collect your information when you communicate with us or you give us.”

There are no details on what information is stored/recorded, which gives us another reason to tell you: do not trust this free VPN fraud. It may work smoothly, but it is shady to the core!

Yoga VPN Protocols and Encryption Information

Yoga VPN offers absolutely no clues about the exact framework they use, which raises serious questions about how secure users really are. Even the most debauched and dishonest VPNs have shown enough courtesy to be transparent about the encryption/protocols employed.

Leaks: Yoga VPN IPv6, WebRTC, and DNS Test

To get a better idea about the security/privacy offered by Yoga VPN, I conducted a few tests on Browser Leaks, Perfect Privacy DNS Leak, and IPLeak.Net.

I connected to many different servers and the results I received were quite similar to the screenshots you see below with the German IP address. Yes, the VPN does manage to hide my IPv4 address and WebRTC, but the alarming part is the identification of over 70+ DNS server addresses.

Any website receiving so many DNS requests from various locations will blacklist you from visiting. Not to mention, the DNS shows two different locations. One being Germany and the other Netherlands.

This makes sense considering the ping times for this server were below the 8.000ms ratio for both locations. As such, it confirms my theory that the provider does not have its own servers but in fact, purchases them from a US-based firm called Linode.

Servers: How Many Servers Does Yoga VPN Have?

Knowing that Yoga VPN does provide 1000+ proxy servers in 30+ regions throughout the world astonished me.

Previously a level-based servers mechanism, where the servers were distributed in 3 levels, Yoga VPN now has a simple ad-based system where you can connect to any server by watching an ad.

Users outside of North America and Europe are unable to access local servers for fast connections because the majority of Yoga VPN servers are situated on these two continents.

Although overall connection speeds are adequate for your needs, I advise looking for a service with servers closer to your area for quicker speeds and reduced ping from locations other than Europe or North America.

With 8200 servers located in 91 different countries, CyberGhost has a vast server network.

Does Yoga VPN Support P2P/Torrenting?

Yoga VPN is unsuitable for torrenting because P2P traffic is not supported on their servers. P2P and torrenting are not supported by any of Yoga VPN’s servers.

The service does not allow connection encryption, nor does it include a kill switch. In essence, everyone will be able to see your genuine IP address if the VPN connection is lost.

I don’t recommend using Yoga VPN to safeguard your torrenting due to these issues as well as other privacy and legal problems about certain content.

Instead, use ExpressVPN. The provider boasts a network of 3000 servers in 105 countries and all of its servers have support for torrenting.

Can You Use Yoga VPN in China?

In the absence of a proper website, it is difficult to properly discern whether the service works in China or not. However, since there is a good chance that the service is actually based out of China, the chances of it working are slim to none.

China has extremely rigid laws about data privacy and VPNs in particular. This should nullify the possibility of using Yoga VPN in China at all. Meanwhile, users outside the country do use the service as it markets itself quite remarkably for a “free” product!

Virtual Location Testing

To give users a better idea about the deceiving service that is Yoga VPN, I conducted a test on their servers. This was to judge whether or not the providers’ servers are based in the location advertised.

I connected to a server in Germany, which gave me the IP address: 139.162.168.186. I posted this into the CA App Synthetic Monitor ping test.

The tool pings the server to over 90 locations around the world. As you can see, the round-trip time is quite high for other locations, but in Germany – Frankfurt, the ms is as low as 1.080 ms.

However, when I checked the location Netherlands – Amsterdam, it was touching the same 8.000+ ms, just like the Germany – Berlin server, indicating server routing. So I performed a traceroute.

If you see the results above, you can see the ping times are quite short when conducting a traceroute from Frankfurt, but I received similar results on the Netherlands – Amsterdam again.

After digging further and copying the end-point IP address into the Hurricane Electric BGP Toolkit, I discovered that their servers are actually purchased from https://www.linode.com

This gives all of us a clear picture that Yoga VPN cannot be trusted. They have traces in China and then servers purchased from the US, a member of the Five Eyes Jurisdiction. Not safe one bit!

Streaming: Can I Unblock Netflix US and Other VoDs?

With Yoga VPN, I was able to unblock Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix to a fair extent. Other US streaming services like Hulu and HBO Max were not compatible with the VPN, but such issues are prevalent with commercial VPNs as well.

Yoga VPN is also unable to access BBC iPlayer. I used a UK server to access BBC iPlayer but was unsuccessful. If you want a VPN primarily for streaming, sign up for the best VPN for streaming services.

Netflix, Youtube, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+: Unblocked

I was able to access Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ after turning on Yoga VPN and connecting to a US server.

I first tried Yoga VPN with the US Netflix library, and it was able to unblock it. There were no buffering interruptions, but the video quality was noticeably worse.

I next examined how well YouTube performed. Though the loading process was initially slow, I was able to watch YouTube videos without interruption at 720p. When I changed to 1080p, the performance considerably decreased.

The Yoga platform instantly unlocks Amazon Prime Video libraries when linked to the servers on which it is hosted. The video quality was good, and loading times were swift.

Yoga VPN was also successful in unblocking Disney+. Unfortunately, it took five minutes for the movie title to load. After that, the picture quality continued to be choppy and the buffering delay persisted.

Hulu, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer: Blocked

Yoga VPN does not allow access to other US-based streaming services like Hulu and HBO Max.

The service isn’t available in my country, according to an error message I got from Hulu, and I was explicitly barred from accessing it. A similar error message came from HBO Max to me.

Additionally, British expats who want to access BBC iPlayer should not use this VPN.

Speed: How Fast are Yoga VPN Servers?

If I talk about speed Yoga VPN is worse than any free service tested before. This could be owed to its large user base and lack of server availability. However, I generally do not have high-speed expectations from free-to-use VPN providers.

However, I still put the VPN through our standard speed test to see exactly how fast are Yoga VPN’s servers. The test was carried out on a 100 Mbps connection and used servers from 5 random countries, i.e., Germany, Canada, France, Australia, and Indonesia.

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

YogaVPN does not offer a lot of compatibilities. It supports only two platforms: iOS and Android. You can easily download free Yoga VPN via Google Play Store or Apple Store.

You can connect several devices simultaneously because YogaVPN is free. If your family has a large number of Android cell phones, this VPN is perfect for you.

You only need a Google Play account to download the VPN; there is no need to register. The sluggish connection speed makes it difficult to do things like stream, download, and browse.

Does this mean there is no Yoga VPN for Windows, Mac, Linux, or Yoga VPN on Firestick? Unfortunately, there is no Yoga VPN for PC, including the above-mentioned platforms. Moreover, the Yoga VPN extension for browsers is also not available.

I am sure users can find plenty of choices with way better device compatibility. If running the VPN is still very important, you can load the Yoga VPN apk file via Bluestacks to download Yoga VPN for Mac or Windows.

The Bluestacks App Player is an Android emulator that sets up the Google Play Store on your Gmail account for a phony device provided by the software to load/install .apk files!

Setup & Installation: How to Setup Yoga VPN on My Device?

The one-click installation of Yoga VPN free takes around two minutes to complete. Once it has been installed on your device, it is ready to use.

By watching their advertisements or inviting additional friends, you can gain extra points. Additionally, the app will give you points for checking in periodically.

Additionally, Yoga VPN offers a proxy filter. For apps whose traffic you don’t wish to be encrypted, you can choose to exclude VPN coverage.

It is a straightforward VPN that gives users access to premium servers, but it is also heavily ad-dependent and occasionally shows commercials.

If the invasive adverts are irritating you, you might want to think about using a paid VPN.

How to Install and Set Up Yoga VPN on Android

Here’s how to use Yoga VPN:

Pricing: How Much Does Yoga VPN Cost Exactly?

Despite being a free service, it has an annoying mechanism of unlocking features for users. Users are required to watch “Ads” to earn more minutes or get access to different server locations.

I had to watch Ads to unblock these US servers.

Similarly, to get more minutes, you have to watch ads to either get “90 mins” or “2 Hours”. You can gain more minutes by keep watching ads multiple times but the duration of ads will increase.

For example, if your first ad’s duration is 5 seconds, the 5th ad will probably be not less than 30 seconds.

Trustworthiness: What Do Users Say about Yoga VPN?

Yoga VPN does not appear on Trustpilot. Hence, we rely mostly on what users on Reddit have to say about the service from personal experience as well as our own opinion of its customer support.

Yoga VPN Reddit Review

As expected, Reddit is filled with reviews of the unlucky few that have had the opportunity to use this freemium VPN service. The unusual points system acts as a distraction and leaves a lot of users annoyed at the pretentious nature of the whole interface.

Despite claiming to be a simple-to-use service, users were visibly confused about how to find relevant servers. To add to these infinite layers of dullness, users need to watch hundreds of ads before being given access to a server of their choice.

Customer Support

Since Yoga VPN’s website does not provide anything other than two links to its iOS and Android version and their privacy policies, the Yoga VPN privacy rating is pretty much low. There are not many options available for receiving support. There is no 24/7 live chat, FAQS, tutorials, guides, or any resources page at all.

Yoga VPN Alternatives

There is no justifiable reason why users should opt for Yoga VPN. It might be a freemium service, but the fact that it keeps logs and has DNS leak issues should debunk any claims about security and anonymity.

ExpressVPN would be a far better alternative thanks to its numerous important features available through affordable plans. Similarly, Surfshark is another option that gives users proper security and anonymity online without any form of compromise.

Do I Recommend Yoga VPN?

Concluding this Yoga VPN review, I would not recommend this provider at all. Doesn’t matter if it’s free.

Unless someone alters the meaning of secure drastically, Yoga VPN does not fit the definition by any means. I would instead advise users to stay as far away from this contentious VPN as possible.

No precise information about jurisdiction, DNS leak issues, usage of virtual locations, lack of high-performing servers, and annoying ad-intensive systems, you get the gist, right?

The provider is probably among the worst in the free segment, and a high-user base does not change the fact that the VPN is highly ambiguous in all its practices, delivering poor security and performance.

It’s not worth it to save a few bucks and risk your safety online with free VPNs like these. Instead, opt for affordable but extremely best VPN services like Surfshark and ExpressVPN.

FAQs About Yoga VPN

Is Yoga VPN good?

Yoga VPN is slow and dangerous. It is a mobile-only VPN service that is not at all safe to use. It has weak encryption, invasive advertising, and a vague privacy policy.

Can I use Yoga VPN for free?

Yoga VPN is really permanent free, with no in-app purchases. The VPN gives you free minutes if you watch ads.

Is Yoga VPN really safe?

No. Yoga VPN is not safe to use. It is a free, mobile-only VPN service with no features, a weak encryption system, and no support for P2P. Yoga VPN is dangerous and it can expose your online identity.