Does ZoogVPN have a third-party security audit?

As of late 2025, ZoogVPN has not yet undergone a public independent infrastructure audit. However, their apps operate on open-source protocols like WireGuard, which are inherently auditable.

Is ZoogVPN safe for banking?

Yes. ZoogVPN uses AES-256 encryption, which is the standard for financial institutions. We recommend using the Premium plan for banking to ensure you are on a less congested, secure IP address.

Does ZoogVPN support Perfect Forward Secrecy?

Yes. By utilizing IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols, ZoogVPN implements Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS), meaning encryption keys are rotated regularly. Even if a key is compromised, past sessions remain secure.

Is ZoogVPN Legit and Safe to Use? Full Privacy Check

The Security Philosophy

In the world of cybersecurity, skepticism is healthy. A VPN can have the best marketing in the world, but if the underlying code is flawed or the owners are dishonest, you are exposed. ZoogVPN occupies a unique space: a small, boutique provider based in Greece that has been operating since 2013.

Unlike "fly-by-night" free VPNs that harvest data, ZoogVPN operates on a sustainable business model. The free plan acts as a permanent trial to upsell the paid plan. But does this longevity translate to modern security? We dug into their infrastructure to find out.

Encryption & Perfect Forward Secrecy

ZoogVPN's encryption stack is robust. They utilize AES-256-CBC, which is the current industry standard. However, the real hero here is Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).

PFS is implemented via their IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols. This ensures that a unique session key is generated for every session. Even if a hacker managed to steal the master key of the server, they could not decrypt your past sessions because every session key is different and discarded after use.

Cipher Suite: AES-256 (Encryption) + SHA-256 (Hash Authentication) + RSA-2048 (Handshake).
WireGuard Support: Available on all major platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS). WireGuard utilizes ChaCha20 encryption, which is faster and more efficient on mobile batteries than AES-256.

Our Real-World Leak Test Results

Theory is fine, but does it leak? We connected to a random ZoogVPN server in Amsterdam (Premium plan) and ran it through standard IP leak tests.

IPv4 Leak Test PASSED Real IP masked

IPv6 Leak Test PASSED IPv6 blocked to prevent leaks

DNS Leak Test PASSED Using ZoogVPN Private DNS

WebRTC Leak Test PASSED Browser real IP hidden

Note on IPv6: ZoogVPN does not support IPv6 routing yet. Instead, the client disables IPv6 locally on the adapter to ensure traffic doesn't bypass the tunnel. This is a safe and common practice among VPNs.

Jurisdiction: The Greek Factor

ZoogVPN is headquartered in Greece. This is a significant factor in your threat model.

Pros: Greece is an EU member state, meaning ZoogVPN must comply with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This gives you strong legal rights over your data and mandates transparency.
Cons: Greece is a NATO member. While not a core member of the "Five Eyes" spy alliance, it does cooperate with western intelligence agencies.

However, jurisdiction matters less if the VPN has nothing to hand over. For a full breakdown of their legal standing, read our ZoogVPN Review.

The Missing Audit

If there is one major criticism we have regarding safety, it is the lack of a Third-Party Audit.

Top-tier competitors like NordVPN and ExpressVPN hire firms like PwC or Deloitte to inspect their servers and code to verify their "No-Logs" claims. ZoogVPN has not done this yet. While we have no reason to doubt their claims based on their 10+ year history, an independent audit is the gold standard for trust in 2025.

Free vs. Premium: Security Impact

Is the free plan less safe? Technically, no. The encryption is identical. However, the Premium Plan offers superior privacy through crowd anonymity.

Free servers are few (only 5 locations) and users are packed onto the same IPs. This makes it easier for websites to blacklist those IPs. Premium users have access to 50+ locations and bare-metal servers that are less crowded, offering better blending with normal internet traffic.

Comprehensive Pros & Cons

The Good

Bare Metal Servers: They own a significant portion of their hardware, reducing third-party risks.
WireGuard Default: Fast, secure, modern encryption out of the box.
Shadowing: Obfuscation helps bypass firewalls in restrictive regions (China, Russia).
Ownership: Transparent ownership (Zoog Services), not a shell company.
SOCKS5: Included for free, excellent for proxying torrent clients.

The Bad

No Audit: Lack of third-party verification of their logs policy.
Manual Kill Switch: You must remember to enable it in the settings; it's not always on by default.
Small Network: Fewer servers means if one goes down, you have fewer backup options.
Linux Support: No GUI app for Linux, only command line (CLI) or manual config.
Support: Live chat is not truly 24/7; connection times vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ZoogVPN work for torrenting?

Yes, but only on the Premium plan. The paid version unlocks dedicated P2P servers marked with a P2P icon. Using the free servers for torrenting may result in slow speeds or blocked connections.

Does ZoogVPN keep logs?

ZoogVPN operates under a strict no-logs policy regarding user activity. They do not log visited websites, timestamps, or your original IP. They only retain your email for account management and aggregated bandwidth data to enforce plan limits.

Is ZoogVPN better than a free proxy?

Absolutely. A proxy only hides your IP address but does not encrypt your traffic, meaning your ISP can still see what you are doing. ZoogVPN uses full tunnel encryption (AES-256), protecting your data from your ISP, hackers on public WiFi, and government surveillance.

Does it work with Netflix?

Yes, primarily on the paid plans. ZoogVPN maintains dedicated streaming servers for Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+. The free servers are often blocked by these services.

Is ZoogVPN Safe?