VPN Proxy One Pro Review 2024

Introduction

VPN Proxy One Pro is a relatively new Trend Micro product that is often bundled as part of Trend Micro’s online security packages, which include a password manager and antivirus software. (In some countries, the VPN is also called Trend Micro WiFi Protection).

However, for the purposes of this review, we’re testing VPN Proxy One Pro on its own merits. Does it have a chance of standing up to the big fish?

Not particularly, but it’s alright.

Overview

In some ways, VPN Proxy One Pro was surprisingly good. It’ll handle unblocking content like Netflix despite having fewer servers on offer, and it can be used for torrenting content with no issues. There’s a 7-day free trial to take advantage of, and data is unlimited on all of its VPN apps. 

However, there were also some issues to be aware of, from the lack of a kill switch to slower than desired connection speeds (which is likely due to their small server selection).

We downloaded a paid version of the software to conduct this review, taking advantage of the 7-day trial period while assessing its capabilities.

About VPN Proxy One Pro

It’s tough to find out much about VPN Proxy One Pro, considering it’s hidden away as part of Trend Micro’s extensive range of software packages. That also explains why it’s named Trend Micro WiFi Protection in some regions. 

Trend Micro is an American/Japanese multinational cyber security software company with global headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and Irving, Texas, United States. They also have links to Taiwan, with an R&D wing based in Taipei. 

Their apps use their United States address:

Of course, this means they’re more likely to fall under the jurisdiction of the United States. This can be an issue due to murky surveillance alliances like ​​5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes.

With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, it’s fair to say they have enough resources to contest with the larger providers on the market if they so wish. Instead, VPN Proxy One Pro is best described as a budget service, and one small facet of a larger business.

On the face of it, they offer a no-frills VPN service, with a handful of servers that can be used for torrenting and streaming. However, it does feel like an afterthought at times, or a box they wanted to tick to entice more users to sign up for their software packages. 

Pros & Cons

If you don’t have time to read the full review, here are the main pros and cons associated with Proxy One Pro.

Features

There aren’t many features to speak of, aside from the basics you’d expect from any premium VPN. With that being said, there are a couple of benefits that help VPN Proxy One Pro stand out from the crowd. 

Unlike many other premium providers, VPN Proxy One Pro lets you try before you buy, with no hidden charges to worry about. The 7-day trial should be more than enough time to get a feel for the service, along with testing out speeds and servers. (In fact, I used the Free Trial for this review, as there are no limitations in place.)

The Automatic VPN feature helps to identify potential risks within your network connection. When connecting to unsecured networks (like public WiFi), VPN Proxy One Pro is automatically turned on in an instant.

Once launched, VPN Proxy One Pro instantly scans your network for vulnerabilities and security risks. In essence, it’ll let you know whether you should be using a VPN or not.

The web threat protection feature helps block web threats like malware and viruses from your device whenever you attempt to open an insecure website.

Pricing

• 1 Month: $4.99/mo.
• 12 Months: $2.49/mo. ($29.95 upfront)
• 12 Months (5 Devices): 4.99/mo. ($59.95 upfront)

The Proxy One Pro pricing page is fairly limited. Take the payment section, which was static and contained just one yearly offer of $29.95. Granted, this subscription works out to an affordable $2.49/mo., but I only wanted to get one month for the review. 

Instead of buying a subscription directly through the website, I had to download the app on my Mac and make a payment through the App Store to see the full list of options available. 

Then there’s the fact that you need to cancel your subscription “at least one day before each renewal date.”

There were no anonymous payment options such as crypto, and there was no sign of a money-back guarantee advertised anywhere. (Most premium VPNs have at least a 30-day guarantee, although Proxy One Pro offsets this slightly by the free 7-day trial in this case.)

Logging Policy

When logging in to Proxy One Pro app for the first time, you’ll be asked to accept their license agreement, privacy policy, and their data collection notice.

I decided to take a look for myself. They say:

The data collected includes:

• Email account
• Password 
• First Name 
• Last Name 
• Language 
• Phone Number (Japan only) 
• IAP information (including IAP token, Purchase time, Activation Key)

That’s a lot of info as it is, but it goes to further lengths when looking at the data they collect for marketing activities, as well as to improve “product stability, usability, and performance.”

• Device model
• OS version
• App version
• Number of users and sessions
• Session duration
• Operating systems
• ISP carrier name
• Location
• First launch data
• App launch data
• App updates
• In-app purchases
• In-app status information
• In-app events
• License status
• Features use and operations (events and screens)

As you may have guessed, it’s a shedload of personal information, and more than they would ever need to provide a quality service.

They do claim to have a strict no-logs policy, but we’d be wary of that considering the amount and type of data they do collect.

Speed Stats

Connection speeds tend to be a good measure of the overall quality of a VPN service, especially if they have superfast options in multiple regions. (After all, most VPNs will cause a bit of slowdown, as data is being encrypted as it’s sent to and from your device.)

VPN Proxy One Pro doesn’t have the largest server selection, which isn’t a great sign. Nevertheless, I loaded up a speed test to check my connection before starting off. 

For my base speed, 265 Mbps is quick enough to get the job done with no complaints. 

As I’m based in the UK, I connected to a local VPN Proxy One Pro server found in London to test their speeds. You’ll find the results below. 

Just 48 Mbps is a significant loss, especially considering the London servers should be close by. Of course, it’s quicker than the recommended speeds of 4K (15 Mbps) for Netflix, but it’s pretty slow compared to what my internet service provider offers. 

US-based server speeds were no better, and there were only two locations to choose from. Here is the fastest result we saw while connected to the East Coast. 

This time, speeds were cut down to only 29 Mbps, which is far less than the 265 Mbps I started off with. 

Lastly, I checked out Japan and saw speeds comparable to the US, even if the ping was much higher.  

It’s not the greatest result overall, and it’ll leave a lot to be desired if you need maximum speeds for uploads or anything particularly intensive like online gaming or working from home.

Server Locations & Network

VPN Proxy One Pro doesn’t have the largest server network on offer, with only a handful of locations to choose from. Unlike many providers, they’ve opted to focus on Australasia rather than Europe, and there are just a few servers found in the UK and North America. 

The full list of locations is as follows:

• United States – West
• United States – East
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Australia
• United Kingdom
• Japan
• Singapore

This means that larger VPN markets like Germany are ignored entirely. 

We couldn’t get a confirmation of the number of servers or IPs on offer. When we contacted their support, they explained that as a security company, all of their servers are built on the cloud platforms with CCM, which is a strict security policy required by InfoSec. They continued by explaining that it is this policy that limits their server expansion because very few cloud vendors have a CCM pass.

However you look at it, it’s a fairly small server selection. If you’re looking to access international content, we’d look to other providers with substantial coverage. For example, NordVPN has over 5,000 servers, in 59 countries and Private Internet Access has over 35,000.

Streaming & Torrenting

VPN Proxy One Pro was decent when it came to unblocking streaming services, even if it fell short in other respects. 

There’s no bigger platform than Netflix, and the United States version tends to be a good place to start, so I connected to the East Coast to see what the VPN could do. Unfortunately, I was unable to unblock any content specific to the US with Proxy One Pro servers. (Though, It did correctly load up Netflix Japan, and I was able to access Heroes, which is specific to the region.)

The UK version of Netflix also worked, along with the likes of BBC iPlayer.  

It’s a shame that I couldn’t use Proxy One Pro to access the ever-popular US edition of Netflix, but it’s still a better result than I was expecting. 

There are no settings or servers which should specifically be used for torrenting, and no mention of whether P2P file sharing is actually allowed on their website. As such, I’d advise erring on the side of caution when using torrenting sites just in case. 

Censorship

It can be used to access previously blocked content, but it’s not like they offer free accounts to users in need or openly contribute to causes that aim to combat censorship. (At least, not via the VPN directly.)

There’s also no third-party audit to ensure that their logging policy is up to par, and they have no servers in the likes of China or Russia. It’s not the best result when all things are considered, even if it will unblock a variety of basic sites and services.

Platforms & Devices

Proxy One Pro only supports major platforms and devices including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. You’ll find a copy of the minimum specs below. 

This means that there are no web browser extensions, nor will you find guides if you’re hoping to use the VPN with a router. 

The decision to focus on core apps makes sense to an extent, given the VPN is often packaged along with other pieces of Trend Micro branded software. 

Of course, it’s not ideal if you were hoping to use it with Linux or another operating system that isn’t covered. If you want to use the VPN with a range of additional devices we’d look elsewhere.

Encryption & Security

Some providers are reluctant to give out stats or figures, especially if the totals are paltry compared to the bigger names in the game. 

This was likely the case when investigating just how many servers and IPs were on offer with Proxy One Pro, and the same was true for encryption information.

Let’s start with the encryption. There’s no way to change your VPN protocol within the settings menu, and I could not find any information on the interface about it.

In the end, we contacted Trend Micro customer support, and they informed me that they run on OpenVPN, which is the standard for many VPNs with a sole protocol on offer as it provides increased privacy and security. According to their reports, users should also expect to see the WireGuard protocol slowly become available over 2022 – gradually released in regions, like the US-West.

I also ran a few data leak tests, and there was nothing to report in terms of DNS issues, which is a solid positive to note.

Final Thoughts

VPN Proxy One Pro is a barebones service that leaves a lot to be desired when stacked up to other competitors like NordVPN and IPVanish. That may change in time, but there are a number of elements that reflect an overall lack of care and attention. 

Privacy is a major concern and one that isn’t remedied when looking at their logging policy. They also haven’t built up much trust, aside from using the power of the Trend Micro brand to dissuade any fears. It simply doesn’t match up to an audited VPN service, even if it’s not all bad. 

One benefit is the ease of use, although it’s also fairly basic in functionality. Other things Proxy One Pro gets right is its price point and masking capability. Users get a decent deal with its longer 12-month subscription, and it’ll do the job if you just want to spoof your IP address or unblock streaming content in key locations. 

Connection speeds are another drawback, and I was only able to access a fraction of the bandwidth that I pay for from my ISP. Some loss of speed is always expected, but not to the extent seen here. 

Overall, there’s still a ways to go before VPN Proxy One Pro can be taken seriously compared to more established providers. Faster speeds, more servers, updated protocols, and greater transparency would be a good place to start. If you’d like to test it out for yourself, however, you can always take advantage of its 7-day free trial like I did to get the best sense of it or check out any VPN deals they might have on offer.