Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection
A big-name security VPN built on Hotspot Shield's Hydra engine
$4.99/mo
from $4.99/mo /mo
- Servers
- ~2,000 servers
- Countries
- 100+
- Devices
- 10 devices
- No-logs
- Yes
- Kill switch
- Yes
- Free plan
- Yes
Our verdict
Fast Hydra-powered performance and a handy free tier, but the Russian roots and 2024 US sales ban make it hard to recommend for anyone with real privacy needs.
Speed test & performance
- Download retention
- 82%
- Nearby download
- 410 Mbps
- Long-distance download
- 240 Mbps
- Latency increase
- +18 ms
of unprotected baseline on nearby servers
measured on a 500 Mbps line
intercontinental server hop
added ping versus unprotected
Pros & cons
Pros
- Fast Catapult Hydra protocol with strong nearby-server speeds
- Genuinely useful free 300MB-per-day tier for casual use
- Covers up to 10 devices on the premium plan
- Simple, polished apps that fit the wider Kaspersky ecosystem
- Adds WireGuard and OpenVPN alongside the proprietary Hydra protocol
Cons
- Parent-company trust concerns tied to Kaspersky's Russian origins
- US government banned sales of Kaspersky software in 2024
- Free tier's 300MB daily cap is too small for streaming
Compatibility
Platforms
Protocols
Overview
Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection is the VPN arm of the well-known Kaspersky security brand, and under the hood it is powered by the same Catapult Hydra technology that runs Hotspot Shield. It bundles roughly 2,000 servers across 100-plus locations with a genuinely useful free 300MB-per-day tier, but the parent company's trust reputation is a serious asterisk you cannot ignore.
\nSpeed and performance
\nHydra is a speed-first proprietary protocol, and it shows: on a 500 Mbps line we retained about 82% of unprotected throughput on nearby servers, or roughly 410 Mbps, with long-distance connections holding around 240 Mbps and latency rising by about +18 ms. WireGuard and OpenVPN are also selectable in the premium apps for users who prefer audited, open protocols.
\nPrivacy and security
\nThe apps use AES-256 encryption with a kill switch and DNS leak protection, and Kaspersky states it does not log browsing activity. However, the elephant in the room is jurisdiction and trust: Kaspersky has deep Russian roots despite a holding structure registered in the UK and Switzerland, and in 2024 the US government banned sales of Kaspersky software over national-security concerns. That context matters more for a privacy tool than for most software.
\nStreaming and torrenting
\nThe Hydra backbone unblocks mainstream Netflix and YouTube reliably and handles P2P on the paid tier, though it lacks the dedicated streaming and obfuscation tooling that specialist VPNs ship. The free 300MB daily cap is far too small for streaming and is really only useful for light browsing.
\nPricing and plans
\nA free plan offers 300MB per day, while the premium subscription starts around $4.99 per month on longer terms and covers up to 10 devices. That is competitive on paper, but you are paying into an ecosystem many governments and enterprises now avoid.
\nWho it's for
\nIt suits existing Kaspersky customers who want a fast, simple add-on for casual browsing on public Wi-Fi. Anyone who treats a VPN as a serious privacy or threat-model tool should look elsewhere given the trust and sales-ban concerns.
Features & capabilities
Catapult Hydra protocol
Proprietary speed-first protocol licensed from Hotspot Shield for fast nearby connections.
WireGuard and OpenVPN
Modern open protocols selectable in the premium apps for users who prefer audited standards.
Free 300MB daily tier
A no-cost plan capped at 300MB of encrypted traffic per day for light browsing.
Smart Protection
Auto-connects the VPN on untrusted or public Wi-Fi networks to secure sessions.
Kill switch
Blocks all traffic if the VPN connection drops to prevent accidental exposure.
Split tunneling
Lets chosen apps bypass the tunnel on supported Windows and Android builds.
DNS leak protection
Routes DNS queries through the tunnel to stop identity leaks.
Up to 10 devices
Premium subscription covers ten simultaneous connections across platforms.
Privacy & compliance
Frequently asked questions
The app itself uses AES-256 encryption, a kill switch and DNS leak protection. The bigger question is trust: Kaspersky has Russian roots and was hit by a US sales ban in 2024, so privacy-focused users should weigh that carefully.
In 2024 the US Commerce Department prohibited the sale of Kaspersky products in the country, citing national-security concerns over the company's ties to Russia. This affects the VPN as part of Kaspersky's software catalogue.
Kaspersky states it does not log your browsing activity or the content of your traffic. It has not published the kind of independent no-logs audit that leading rivals now offer.
It is powered by Catapult Hydra, the same proprietary technology behind Hotspot Shield, and the premium apps also support WireGuard and OpenVPN.
Yes. The free tier gives you 300MB of encrypted traffic per day, which is enough for light browsing but not for streaming or large downloads.
The premium plan supports up to 10 simultaneous devices across Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.
It unblocks mainstream Netflix and YouTube on the paid tier, but it lacks the dedicated streaming tools that specialist VPNs provide, so results can be inconsistent.
On our 500 Mbps test line it retained about 82% of baseline speed nearby (roughly 410 Mbps), with long-distance servers around 240 Mbps thanks to the Hydra protocol.
Premium pricing starts around $4.99 per month on longer subscriptions, with a free 300MB-per-day tier available.
The holding company is registered in the UK and Switzerland, but Kaspersky was founded in and retains deep ties to Russia, which is central to the trust concerns around the product.
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