ZenMate has mobile apps for iOS and Android systems. There isn’t much to these interfaces, and users might even be able to simply click Connect or set up an auto-connect if all they need to do is keep their information and online activity private. As of this writing, the mobile apps also only support OpenVPN protocols, unlike some other VPNs that offer a variety.

The key here is that ZenMate is really all about ease of use. It’s not trying to provide lots of options for customization. Instead, it’s just trying to provide the basic services of a VPN at a low price. And for that, it gets the job done.

Split tunneling is a feature many VPNs offer that allows you to hand-select which apps or websites will go through the VPN’s services and which will use your usual ISP. Often, many veteran VPN users like this feature as it provides a measure of control over data and speeds. However, ZenMate does not offer split tunneling.

ZenMate advertises “military grade” encryption on its website. This is almost certainly the standard 256-bit AES encryption used by most VPNs, including CyberGhost. We’re a little put off by the fact that we couldn’t find an explicitly spelled out mention of this, though. However, military-grade encryption is virtually uncrackable, so your data should be safe with ZenMate.

That’s really all there is to see here. Like the other features offered by this VPN, its security measures are largely the highlight and are largely used to provide the service that new users will be looking for.

ZenMate, in a major change from its other features, actually offers more browser extensions than the average VPN. Usually, we only see Chrome or Firefox provided, but this VPN offers Opera and Edge extensions as well. The security measures are the same as those above, including encryption and either OpenVPN or IKEv2 protocols.

A kill switch cuts you off from the internet if you lose connection to a VPN server. It’s a standard feature among most VPNs, as it prevents your computer from reconnecting to the internet via your ISP when you think you’re still protected by the VPN’s server’s security measures.

There is an effective kill switch in place for ZenMate. It actually works better than some more feature-packed VPNs, consistently kicking the user off the internet within seconds of potential exposure to threats. It also usually reconnects to a VPN server in a decent amount of time, and many users might not even register the blip in connection.

Some VPNs have begun to upgrade their servers to RAM-only data storage. Unlike storing data on a disk, where it must be deleted using specific processes, data stored as Random Access Memory is automatically erased whenever the server is rebooted. This means there will be no trace of your internet activity, as no data is retained whatsoever.

ZenMate does not offer RAM-disk mode, but neither do many other rival VPNs. In keeping with its position as a newbie-friendly VPN, we shouldn’t expect it to be on the forefront of features here.

The same encryption is available when you are using the VPN for gaming purposes as when you are using it to surf the web. There are no additional security measures like malware protection or port forwarding, but ZenMate gets the job done with its protocols and its large server network.

The only significant, but still minor, issue with ZenMate’s security seems to occur on desktop or laptop via the Windows client. The kill switch doesn’t alert the user when the connection to the VPN server has been severed, instead just reporting that the user isn’t connected to the internet. There is potential for confusion there, but honestly, it’s a minor quibble. The encryption, protocols, and kill switch all work as they should. There’s nothing really flashy here, but the nuts and bolts are properly aligned

We like that ZenMate has extensions for more browsers than usual, including the oft-forgotten Edge and Opera. Again, there isn’t anything super fancy going on with security or privacy measures for these browsers. Instead, you can expect a firm level of security, the ability to switch between servers both manually and automatically and browse the internet all while keeping your personal information and browsing activity secure.

We expect users to get lots of use out of the mobile apps for ZenMate, especially given the unlimited number of simultaneous connections. Why not connect all your mobile devices for added protection? There is plenty of good security here, but it should be noted that it looks like only OpenVPN protocols are supported by the mobile ZenMate app. This gets rid of the IKEv2 option available on desktop. Meanwhile, other VPNs also allow for protocols like L2TP, PPTP, IPSec, and others.

As we’ve said above, it’s not abundantly clear whether ZenMate has specific software for router setups. If it does, it likely only allows for routers that can use OpenVPN, such as DD-WRT models. Plus, there is less of a need for routers in this situation, since ZenMate is ahead of some other VPNs by offering unlimited simultaneous connections.

If you are setting up a router, you’ll likely need to have a DD-WRT router that can use OpenVPN. However, we suggest calling the support line at ZenMate with any router-related questions, as these are not very clear online.

ZenMate has not been audited by external entities for its privacy or security measures. This shouldn’t count too much against the VPN, though, as many of its competitors also have not undergone these audits. In fact, external auditing to confirm things like no-log policies and encryption methods have so far only been undergone by a handful of VPNs. Doing these audits helps to build trust in the claims made by the company, but we don’t expect ZenMate to submit to one any time soon.

ExpressVPN is a competitor of ZenMate that has developed a new protocol called Lightwave. It is reportedly more secure than OpenVPN, but some users have suggested that it tends to be slower on average than VPNs that use the older protocol. Regardless, only ExpressVPN is using Lightway at this time