ZenMate VPN for Chrome
A software that gives you extra security
ZenMate VPN is a powerful yet easy-to-use proxy switcher for Windows versions of Chrome and Firefox.
ZenMate VPN is a browser add-on, which means that it’s not a standalone application. Rather it runs inside of the Chrome or Firefox web browser. Since the purpose of ZenMate is to protect your privacy while surfing online and accessing other Web-services, an add-on is a good fit. The downside is that it doesn’t support other browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, but the upside is that you don’t have to worry about calibrating it to work with a particular browser. It just works.
A VPN is a virtual private network. You connect to a VPN, and then, you can request webpages, video streams and other online resources without exposing your identity. This helps protect your privacy online, but it can also provide you access to blocked websites by circumventing geo-restrictions. For instance, BBC won’t feed you video if you’re in the U.S. and Hulu won’t provide its TV shows if you’re connecting from Germany, but if you’re connecting through ZenMate, these services can’t tell.
A common downside to proxy services is the effect they can have on your connection speeds, but this is where ZenMate really shines. The service doesn’t noticeably affect surfing or streaming speeds, and that’s somewhat surprising for a service provided at no cost. Another common downside to VPN services is that they require knowledge of proxies, VPNs and other technical areas, but this is another area where ZenMate shines. It configures itself well, and using it is as simple as choosing a country. Whatever country you choose, that’s where you’ll appear to connect from.
Switching between proxies is simple as a button click, which is nice when you finish watching a show from a U.S. service and want to switch over to a France-based one, for instance. But country selection brings us to one of the limitations of ZenMate. There aren’t many to choose from. The good news is that most large Western countries are supported, so this may not be an issue for many users, but if you’re hoping to connect to a service that requires a presence in one of Europe’s smaller countries, you’re out of luck.
Streaming and access to other web services doesn’t require an account, but private surfing of the Web does. Accounts are free, but you will need to provide an email address, which may be a concern for some users. ZenMate does have a privacy policy in place and promises to only use that email to provide you information about ZenMate VPN and its other products.
Pros
- Easy to configure and use
- Fast surfing speed
- Protects your privacy online
- Allows access to blocked websites
Cons
- Small number of countries supported
- Private browsing requires an email address
