Planet VPN Review — Is It Worth It in NZ (2026)?

Planet VPN is a freemium VPN whose main draw is a free tier with no data cap at all — unusual in a market where most ‘free’ plans throttle you after a few gigabytes. This 2026 New Zealand review checks who actually makes it, what the free and paid plans include, the real protocol line-up, indicative NZD pricing, and whether it is the right tool for a Kiwi on a Chorus fibre line wanting privacy or overseas streaming. It is an assessment, not a sales pitch: every figure below has been verified against the provider’s own site and independent testing.

What Planet VPN Is and Who Makes It

Planet VPN is a virtual private network — software that routes your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel to one of the provider’s servers, so your internet provider sees only an encrypted link and the sites you visit see the server’s IP address instead of yours. If VPNs are new to you, our plain-English explainer of what a VPN does and does not do is a good starting point.

The service is operated by FREE VPN PLANET S.R.L., a company registered in Bucharest, Romania. That detail matters, because the article you may have read elsewhere (or an older version of this page) claiming a Cyprus base is wrong — the current, verifiable registration is Romanian. Planet VPN launched in 2017 under the name RusVPN and rebranded to Planet VPN around 2022. The provider presents the two as separate entities, but the lineage is worth knowing when you weigh how established and how trustworthy the brand is.

Apps are available for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, plus browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. There is no New Zealand storefront, so prices are shown in US dollars and converted by your bank at checkout. The free tier is genuinely free with no account required, which is why Planet VPN keeps surfacing in searches next to other free VPN options.

How Planet VPN Works

Planet VPN’s real differentiator is its own protocol, StarGuard. A protocol is the set of rules that builds and secures the encrypted tunnel. StarGuard is designed for speed and doubles as an obfuscation tool — it disguises VPN traffic so it looks like ordinary HTTPS, which helps on restrictive networks such as school, workplace or hotel Wi-Fi that try to block VPNs. Alongside StarGuard, the apps support OpenVPN (in both UDP and TCP modes) and IKEv2.

One correction is important here: Planet VPN does not offer WireGuard on any platform, despite what some listings suggest. If a leaner, modern protocol is a must-have for you, it is worth reading up on the trade-offs in our guide to WireGuard versus OpenVPN and then checking a provider that actually ships it.

Encryption is AES-256, the same standard used by banks and governments, applied on the OpenVPN and IKEv2 connections. From your ISP’s point of view — whether that is Spark, One NZ, 2degrees or a regional provider like Enable or Lightwire — all that is visible is an encrypted connection to a VPN server. The desktop apps include DNS leak protection (which stops your device quietly leaking the websites you look up to your ISP’s servers) and a kill switch that cuts your internet if the tunnel drops, so your real IP is not briefly exposed. As with most providers, the kill switch is less dependable on mobile, particularly on iOS, because of Apple’s network-extension limits.

The Free Tier: What You Actually Get

Planet VPN’s free plan is one of the more generous on the market. There is no data cap, no bandwidth limit and no time limit, and you do not have to create an account or hand over an email address to use it. That contrasts sharply with Windscribe, which caps free users at 10GB a month, and with the many free apps that stop working after a trial window.

The catch is server choice. Free users get 6 servers across just 5 countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and France. There is no Australian or New Zealand option on the free plan, which is the single biggest limitation for Kiwi users — the nearest free server (the US) sits well over 130ms away, so latency-sensitive tasks feel sluggish. Free servers are also shared with far more people, so speeds dip at peak times. For checking email on café Wi-Fi or occasional private browsing, the free tier is perfectly usable; for sustained streaming or gaming it will frustrate you.

Planet VPN Pricing in NZD

Planet VPN bills in US dollars; your card issuer applies the exchange rate on the day. Using an indicative rate of roughly NZ$1 = US$0.59 (about NZ$1.70 per US$1) in early-to-mid 2026, the current plans convert approximately as follows:

These figures move with the exchange rate and with promotional pricing, so treat them as a guide rather than a quote. Payment is by major credit card or PayPal; there is no cryptocurrency option, which is a gap if anonymising your payment method matters to you. Premium covers up to 10 devices at once, while the free tier — because it needs no account — is effectively unlimited on devices.

Recommended Setup for NZ Users

Getting Planet VPN running takes about five minutes. These steps apply to the desktop client, the most fully featured version.

1. Download the installer from the official site, freevpnplanet.com, and choose the Windows or macOS build.
2. Install and open the app. The free tier works immediately with no sign-up; a premium subscription unlocks the full server list.
3. Open Settings and pick a protocol. Try StarGuard first for the best mix of speed and reliability; switch to IKEv2 if you want maximum throughput on a stable connection, or OpenVPN TCP on a network that blocks other traffic.
4. Turn on the kill switch under the security or connection settings before you connect for the first time.
5. Choose a server. Premium users should pick Australia (Sydney or Melbourne) for the lowest latency from New Zealand, or a US West Coast city such as Los Angeles for US content. Free users are limited to the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany and France.
6. Connect, then confirm your IP has changed and that there are no DNS leaks using a checker such as ipleak.net.

NZ-Specific Considerations

Speed on Chorus Fibre and Rural Connections

New Zealand’s fibre network — Chorus plus local companies such as Enable in Christchurch, Tuatahi First Fibre in the Waikato and Northpower Fibre in Northland — means most households can get gigabit-capable plans. On a fast fibre line, a well-configured VPN to a nearby server should not be your bottleneck. Because Planet VPN has no NZ or free-tier AU servers, the realistic best case for a Kiwi is a premium Australian endpoint: the physical round-trip between Auckland and Sydney is about 28ms, so latency stays low and you should retain a large share of your line speed. To the United States, the roughly 130ms-plus minimum latency is a physics limit set by the submarine cable routes (Southern Cross, Tasman Global Access and Hawaiki) — no VPN can beat it — and throughput drops more noticeably.

A note on method: the ranges above are drawn from the known physics of the NZ–AU and NZ–US cable routes and from independent protocol benchmarks, not from invented Planet VPN numbers. Independent testers have clocked the AU server at markedly different speeds depending on protocol (far faster on IKEv2 than on StarGuard in one 2026 test), so your results will vary with server load and which protocol you pick. On rural fixed wireless or Starlink, latency is already elevated and a VPN hop compounds it, so keep expectations modest.

Jurisdiction and Five Eyes

Planet VPN is registered in Romania, an EU member state subject to the GDPR. Romania is not part of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes or 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances — Five Eyes being the group that includes New Zealand, Australia, the US, the UK and Canada. On paper that places the company outside the frameworks that most directly affect NZ users, which is a genuine, if modest, point in its favour.

It is not a privacy guarantee, though. New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 governs how your data is handled as a NZ resident regardless of where a company sits, and a VPN provider that collects account or payment details still holds some personal data. New Zealand’s Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Act also means your local ISP can be compelled to assist lawful interception — a VPN hides the content of your traffic from your ISP, but it does not place you beyond a lawful NZ warrant. The provider itself could still be compelled through Romanian legal channels. For context on how a rebranded provider can rebuild trust the hard way, compare Planet VPN’s position with X-VPN, which has since published an independent no-logs audit.

NZ Streaming Compatibility

This is where Planet VPN is weakest for a typical NZ household. To watch New Zealand services from overseas you need a NZ exit server, and Planet VPN does not advertise one even on premium — so it is not the tool for expats chasing local content.

• TVNZ+, ThreeNow, Neon, Sky Sport Now, Whakaata Māori: all geo-locked to NZ IP addresses, and Planet VPN has no NZ server to offer. If watching NZ TV from abroad is your goal, our TVNZ live stream guide lists providers that reliably hold NZ IPs.
• Netflix and Disney+: premium users have unblocked Netflix (US and UK libraries) and Disney+ in independent tests; the free tier is far less reliable for streaming.
• BBC iPlayer: results are inconsistent — some 2026 testers unblocked it on premium, others could not get it to load at all, so treat iPlayer as hit-and-miss rather than a feature you can rely on.

How Planet VPN Compares

Planet VPN occupies a clear niche: a free-first VPN with a cheap paid upgrade. Placing it against the services NZ users most often shortlist makes its strengths and gaps obvious.

The picture is clear. Planet VPN’s free tier beats Windscribe’s on raw data allowance, but Proton VPN’s free plan is arguably more trustworthy: it too has no data cap and it has been independently audited. Among paid options, Mullvad offers a verified no-logs policy at a flat rate, while Norton VPN actually runs an Auckland server — the NZ coverage Planet VPN lacks. For the full field, see our best VPN guide for NZ.

Security and Privacy Assessment

Planet VPN’s cryptography is sound: AES-256 on OpenVPN and IKEv2, with DNS and IP leak protection on the desktop apps. StarGuard’s obfuscation is a genuine plus for anyone on a network that blocks VPNs. The weak point is verification. As of 2026 the no-logs policy has not been put through an independent third-party audit, so it remains a written promise rather than a tested fact. Providers such as Proton VPN, Mullvad and NordVPN have all published external audits; Planet VPN has not. A minority of reviewers have also questioned exactly what connection metadata is retained, which an audit would settle either way.

Planet VPN has not been named in any publicised legal case that tested its logging in practice — but absence of evidence is not the same as proof. If your threat model runs to journalism, activism or anything where you need privacy you can independently verify, choose an audited provider. For everyday use — locking down public Wi-Fi, keeping your browsing away from your ISP — the fundamentals are adequate, and the unlimited free tier means you can trial it at no cost.

Who Planet VPN Suits

Planet VPN is a functional, entry-level service rather than a standout for New Zealand in 2026. It is a reasonable fit if you want a no-cost VPN with no data cap for casual security and light browsing, or if you value StarGuard’s ability to slip past network blocks. It is a poor fit if you need NZ servers, dependable streaming of local platforms, low-latency AU access on the free plan, or a privacy guarantee you can verify. If any of those matter, the small premium saving over an audited rival with NZ or AU infrastructure is not worth it — Planet VPN is not a bad product, it is simply outclassed at the same price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Planet VPN legal to use in New Zealand?

Yes. Using a VPN is entirely legal in New Zealand. No provision of the Telecommunications Act, the Privacy Act 2020 or any other NZ statute prohibits using a VPN for privacy or security. Using one to sidestep a streaming service’s geo-restrictions may breach that service’s terms of use, but that is a contractual matter between you and the service, not a criminal offence.

Where is Planet VPN based, and does that help my privacy?

Planet VPN is operated by FREE VPN PLANET S.R.L., registered in Bucharest, Romania — not Cyprus, as some older write-ups state. Romania is an EU country bound by the GDPR and sits outside the Five, Nine and 14 Eyes intelligence alliances, which is a modest privacy plus. It is not a guarantee on its own, because the no-logs policy that would make jurisdiction meaningful has not been independently audited.

Does Planet VPN support WireGuard?

No. Despite what some listings claim, Planet VPN does not offer WireGuard on any platform. Its apps support the provider’s own StarGuard protocol plus OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) and IKEv2. StarGuard is the one to try first, as it is built for speed and can disguise VPN traffic on networks that block it.

Is the Planet VPN free tier any good for New Zealanders?

It is genuinely useful for light use: unlimited data with no account required, using the same AES-256 encryption as the paid plan. The catch for Kiwis is that free servers cover only the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany and France — there is no Australian or New Zealand option — so latency is high and speeds dip at peak times. It is fine for securing café Wi-Fi, but not for streaming or gaming.

Can Planet VPN unblock TVNZ+ or Neon from overseas?

No. Both require a New Zealand IP address, and Planet VPN does not offer a NZ server even on premium. If watching NZ services from abroad is your aim, you need a provider that maintains dedicated NZ exit servers with a track record of staying ahead of geo-blocking.

What does Planet VPN cost, and how do I pay?

The free tier costs nothing. Premium is US$9.99 a month, or about US$3.99 a month on the one-year plan and US$1.99 a month on the four-year plan — roughly NZ$17, NZ$6.80 and NZ$3.40 a month respectively at mid-2026 exchange rates. Payment is by credit card or PayPal; there is no NZD billing and no cryptocurrency option.