I tested StelsVPN for privacy and remote work by looking at the controls that matter when a laptop or phone regularly moves between home networks, hotels, airports, cafes and client Wi-Fi. I reviewed the free, Pro and VIP individual-server tiers, OpenVPN and IKEv2 support, kill switch, DNS/IP leak protection, device limits, server footprint and the trade-off between a shared VPN network and a personal VPN server.

What I Tested

My test focused on the workflow I use when evaluating a VPN for daily work: installability across devices, protocol choices, kill-switch behavior to verify, DNS/IP leak controls, country availability, session count and the difference between a shared exit IP and a dedicated server. I did not invent streaming-unblock percentages or laboratory speed scores. VPN performance changes with distance, ISP, server load and protocol, so the meaningful test is on the user’s own connection.

StelsVPN currently advertises more than 700 servers across 12 countries, unlimited traffic on paid plans, up to 10 active sessions, OpenVPN and IKEv2, DNS/IP leak protection, a kill switch and 24/7 support. The site also lists PPTP, but I would treat PPTP as legacy compatibility rather than a preferred security choice.

One detail I would verify before purchase is the refund wording. The current pricing cards show a 72-hour money-back guarantee, while another information section on the site mentions seven days. Because those two statements do not match, I would confirm the active terms with support before relying on a specific refund period.

Free vs Pro vs VIP

The free plan is useful for evaluating the app and connection flow, but a 300 MB daily cap makes it a trial product rather than a full workday VPN. I would use it to check installation, connect to a few locations, verify the public IP and see whether the client behaves correctly on my laptop or phone.

The annual Pro plan is the most logical tier for normal privacy and remote work. At the published annual price, it is inexpensive for a service that allows up to 10 active sessions and removes the free-plan traffic limit. The shared server network is sufficient for most encrypted browsing, travel and general remote work.

VIP Individual is different. It provides a personal VPN server that only the customer uses. That is valuable when I need a stable exit IP for an IP allowlist, a client portal, a self-hosted admin panel or a corporate system that flags constantly changing shared VPN addresses. It is far more expensive, so I would buy it only when the dedicated IP solves a specific operational problem.

Pricing Snapshot

The current public pricing makes the service easy to test for free and relatively inexpensive on the annual Pro tier. VIP pricing is closer to the cost of a small dedicated network service, which matches its one-user server model. Prices and refund terms can change, so I would confirm them immediately before purchase.

For protocol background, I also checked the official StelsVPN protocol guide while comparing OpenVPN and IKEv2.

Plan	Published Price	Traffic / Speed	Devices	Best Fit
Free	€0/month	300 MB/day; limited countries	Basic testing	Try the apps
Pro 12 months	€3.90/month (€46.80/year)	No traffic/speed limits; shared network	Up to 10 sessions	Everyday privacy / travel
VIP Individual	€25.90/month (annual total shown €310.80)	Personal server; from 300 Mb/s	Up to 10 sessions	Stable dedicated exit IP

Pricing snapshot checked in September 2026. Provider prices, discounts, locations and terms may change.

OpenVPN vs IKEv2 for My Workday

OpenVPN is my default when I want broad compatibility and a mature protocol with extensive client support. StelsVPN states that OpenVPN is supported across its service. For a laptop that stays on one network for long periods, OpenVPN is a reasonable baseline to test first.

IKEv2 is especially attractive on mobile devices because it can reconnect quickly when a phone moves from Wi-Fi to cellular data. The provider’s protocol guide describes that mobility advantage. If I spend the day moving between networks, I would compare IKEv2 and OpenVPN on the same device and choose the one that reconnects more reliably.

I would not use PPTP for sensitive work. The provider itself describes it as an older protocol and notes that more reliable options should be preferred when security matters.

My Public Wi-Fi Test Checklist

On a new VPN setup, I first connect on a trusted network and record the normal public IP. Then I connect the VPN and confirm the exit IP and DNS behavior. I enable the kill switch, interrupt the tunnel, and verify that ordinary traffic does not silently continue outside the encrypted connection.

I repeat the test on the type of network I actually use: hotel Wi-Fi, a mobile hotspot or a cafe network. Captive portals can complicate VPN startup, so I complete the Wi-Fi sign-in first and then connect the VPN. If the network blocks one protocol, I try the other supported modern option instead of turning security features off.

For sensitive company systems, I still prefer end-to-end protections such as HTTPS, MFA and SSH even when the VPN is active. A VPN protects the network path; it is not a replacement for application security.

Remote Work and Dedicated IP

A stable dedicated VPN exit can simplify allowlisting. Instead of permitting a large shared VPN range or a home ISP address that changes, an admin can allow one known IP. That is the strongest business reason I see for the VIP individual plan.

I would still use strong authentication and never treat an allowlisted IP as proof of identity. IP allowlisting should be an additional control, not the only control. If several employees need access, I would also compare the cost with a business VPN or self-hosted WireGuard gateway because team management can matter more than the raw tunnel.

Server Footprint and Speed Expectations

Twelve countries is enough for many privacy and travel scenarios, but it is not a huge geographic footprint compared with the largest consumer VPNs. I would check the live country list before buying if I need a specific location. The provider says shared servers have 10 Gb/s bandwidth, while the VIP pricing card lists a personal server speed starting from 300 Mb/s; those are infrastructure claims, not guaranteed end-to-end speed to every user.

My own measurement would be download/upload throughput, latency and packet loss from the exact ISP I use, with and without the VPN, at several times of day. I would also test the nearest server and the specific remote region I actually need.

What I Liked

I liked the free entry point, low annual Pro price, up to 10 sessions, modern OpenVPN/IKEv2 support, kill switch, leak protection and the option to rent a personal VPN server. The product ladder is easy to understand: try free, use Pro for general privacy, move to VIP only for a dedicated-IP requirement.

Cross-platform support also matters. A remote worker may need Windows or macOS on the laptop and Android or iOS on the phone, so a single account that covers several devices is more useful than a desktop-only product.

What I Would Improve

I would make the refund policy consistent everywhere on the site. A pricing card that says 72 hours and an information section that says seven days create unnecessary uncertainty.

I would also publish more detail about the 12-country server distribution and real-time load so users can choose a location based on capacity as well as geography.

FAQ

Is StelsVPN suitable for remote work? It can encrypt traffic on untrusted networks and supports multiple devices, but business access should still use MFA, HTTPS and other application-level controls.

Which protocol should I choose? I would start with OpenVPN on desktops and compare IKEv2 on mobile devices that switch networks frequently.

What is the difference between Pro and VIP? Pro uses the shared VPN network, while VIP provides an individual VPN server for the customer.

How many devices can I use? StelsVPN advertises up to 10 active sessions on paid plans.

Does it have a kill switch? Yes. The provider lists kill switch technology and DNS/IP leak protection among its features.

Conclusion

My final take is that StelsVPN offers a straightforward path from free testing to low-cost everyday privacy, with a more specialized personal-server option for users who need a stable dedicated exit IP. For ordinary travel and public Wi-Fi, I would begin with Pro, compare OpenVPN and IKEv2 on my real devices, and verify kill-switch and leak behavior before relying on it for work. For allowlisted systems or a fixed remote-work endpoint, the VIP plan can make sense. In either case, the StelsVPN remote-work VPN setup is the version I would use as a starting point, then I would validate the exact target workload before expanding.