AdGuard VPN
A Cyprus-based VPN from the AdGuard ad-blocking company, built on its own obfuscated protocol (open-sourced in January 2026 as TrustTunnel) with a free 3 GB/month tier.
adguard-vpn.com ↗- Jurisdiction
- Cyprus
- Founded
- 2009
- Owner
- AdGuard Software Limited
- Best price
- $2.99/mo
- Devices
- 10
- Free tier
- Yes
Best for
- · Users who already use AdGuard's ad blocker / DNS and want an integrated VPN
- · People needing to bypass VPN blocks or censorship via traffic obfuscation
- · Light users wanting a no-cost 3 GB/month free tier
- · Households wanting up to 10 simultaneous device connections cheaply on a 2-year plan
Not ideal for
- · Privacy maximalists who require an independently audited no-logs policy
- · Users who want protocol choice (OpenVPN/WireGuard) or fully open-source clients
- · Anyone needing anonymous/cash signup or advanced features like multi-hop and port forwarding
- · Those who specifically avoid VPNs from Russian-founded companies
Strengths
- ✓Free tier with 3 GB/month (expandable via bonuses), useful for light or trial use
- ✓Custom obfuscated protocol (TrustTunnel) disguises VPN traffic as normal HTTPS over HTTP/2/HTTP/3, helping bypass blocks and censorship
- ✓TrustTunnel protocol, server reference implementation plus CLI client, was open-sourced under Apache 2.0 in January 2026, a rare transparency move
- ✓Cyprus jurisdiction, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances; up to 10 simultaneous devices on paid plans
Weaknesses
- ✗No-logs policy and apps have never been independently audited, and there is no transparency/warrant-canary report
- ✗Only the proprietary protocol is offered, no OpenVPN or WireGuard option for users who prefer audited standards
- ✗Consumer GUI apps are not fully open source (only the protocol/server reference implementation and CLI client are), and per-account traffic volume (byte counts) is recorded
- ✗AdGuard was founded in Moscow, Russia (company now incorporated in Cyprus); some privacy-focused users weigh the company's origins
Full data sheet
Every attribute we track, coloured by whether it helps or hurts your privacy.
| Based in | Cyprus |
| Eyes alliance | Outside 5/9/14 Eyes |
| Enemy of the Internet | No |
| Owner | AdGuard Software Limited |
| Conglomerate | n/a |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Traffic / activity | None kept |
| DNS requests | None kept |
| Timestamps | None kept |
| Bandwidth | Some |
| Source IP address | None kept |
Per AdGuard's privacy policy (last updated Dec 23, 2024), no activity or connection logs: no browsing history, no source IP, no DNS queries, no connection timestamps. It does store the number of bytes used per account (retained ~90 days, not tied to locations) to enforce the free-tier cap and detect subscription expiry, and collects email plus payment details for accounts. The no-logs claim has never been independently audited.
| Anonymous signup | No |
| Accepts cash | No |
| Accepts crypto | Yes |
| PGP key | Unknown |
| OpenVPN | No |
| WireGuard | No |
| Proprietary protocol | TrustTunnel (AdGuard's own VPN protocol, branded TrustTunnel when open-sourced), masks traffic as ordinary HTTPS over HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 / QUIC transport with TLS-based encryption; reference server implementation and CLI client open-sourced under Apache 2.0 in January 2026 |
| Multi-hop | No |
| Obfuscation | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes |
| First-party DNS | Yes |
| RAM-only servers | Unknown |
| Port forwarding | Unknown |
| P2P / torrenting | Yes |
| IPv6 | Unknown |
| Data cipher | AES-256 |
| Handshake | TLS (HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 / QUIC transport) |
| Open-source clients | Partial |
| Independent audits | None |
| Transparency report | No |
| Court / seizure-tested | Unknown |
No documented server seizure, subpoena, or court case has tested the no-logs claim. The no-logs policy and consumer apps have not been independently audited as of June 2026.
| Simultaneous devices | 10 |
| Countries | 62 |
| Servers | 0 |
| Linux support | CLI / config |
| Month-to-month | $11.99 |
| Best $/mo | $2.99 |
| On plan | 2 years |
| Free trial | None |
| Refund window | 30 days |
| Free tier | Yes |
| Logging policy | Consistent |
| Marketing honesty | No overclaiming |
Server location count: the official site states "62 countries" and "70+ locations"; a raw server total is not published by AdGuard (servers set to 0 = unknown). Note that third-party 2026 reviews disagree on geography (e.g., Cloudwards cites 44 countries / 5 connections; vpnMentor cites 70 countries / 800+ servers / 10 connections), the official AdGuard figures (62 countries, 70+ locations, 10 paid connections) are used here as authoritative. Pricing reflects standard recurring rates (monthly $11.99; 1-year $3.99/mo / $47.88; best standard plan is the 2-year at $2.99/mo, ~$71.76 billed up front, confirmed by Cloudwards). The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to 1-year and 2-year plans only; monthly subscriptions are non-refundable. Deeply discounted multi-year deals (e.g., a 5-year bundle ~$35-40 one-time, ≈$0.58-0.67/mo) appear via third-party resellers like StackSocial but are promotional, new-user one-time purchases rather than the standard plan. Kill switch is reported on desktop and mobile (on by default). P2P/torrenting is allowed on premium servers only. AdGuard DNS is the provider's own resolver. Payment methods: bank cards, PayPal, and cryptocurrency (crypto licenses are not auto-renewed). Company co-founded by Andrey Meshkov, Dmitry Zaytsev, and Igor Lukyanov; incorporated in Cyprus (AdGuard Software Limited, Limassol, reg. HE 332952, incorporated June 1, 2009), with roots in Moscow; no parent conglomerate or holding company identified across NorthData/OpenCorporates/CyprusRegistry. TrustTunnel open-source announcement is dated Jan 21, 2026 on AdGuard's own blog (some press, e.g. CyberInsider/Tom's Guide, report Jan 22).
Sources
- AdGuard VPN official site (features / free tier / 10 connections) ↗
- AdGuard VPN purchase/license page (plans, 30-day refund for 1yr/2yr, payment methods incl. crypto) ↗
- AdGuard VPN server locations (62 countries / 70+ locations) ↗
- AdGuard VPN about us (Cyprus incorporation, HE 332952, founded 2009) ↗
- AdGuard VPN privacy policy (last updated Dec 23, 2024, no traffic/DNS/IP/timestamp logs; stores byte counts ~90 days) ↗
- AdGuard blog, TrustTunnel open-source announcement (Jan 21, 2026; Apache 2.0; server reference impl + clients) ↗
- TrustTunnel protocol GitHub (Apache 2.0, Rust; this repo is the VPN endpoint/server, clients in separate repos) ↗
- CyberInsider, AdGuard open-sources TrustTunnel (Jan 22, 2026; full spec + reference implementation + cross-platform clients) ↗
- Tom's Guide, TrustTunnel goes open-source ↗
- Cloudwards, AdGuard VPN Review 2026 (monthly $11.99, 1yr $3.99/mo, 2yr $2.99/mo, 30-day refund, proprietary-only) ↗
- vpnMentor, AdGuard VPN Review 2026 (no IP/history/timestamp logs, not audited, kill switch on by default, P2P premium-only, 10 connections) ↗
- AllAboutCookies, AdGuard VPN Review 2026 (free tier never audited) ↗
- AdGuard FAQ (no activity/connection logs; 3 GB/month free cap) ↗
- CyprusRegistry, ADGUARD SOFTWARE LIMITED (HE 332952, Limassol, status Active) ↗
- OpenCorporates, ADGUARD SOFTWARE LIMITED (Cyprus, HE332952) ↗
- StackSocial, AdGuard VPN 5-Yr Subscription (promotional new-user reseller bundle ~$35-40 one-time) ↗
Last verified 2026-06-17. Point-in-time data, so always confirm on the provider's own site.