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UBoost (in Russian «Юбуст» or «ЮБуст») is a subscription VPN service with its own servers. It started in August 2024 as an extension that sped up YouTube and now runs on Android, iPhone, Windows, in the browser and on a TV box. Behind it is a sole proprietor from Kazakhstan. A single-device subscription on ubst.app costs 229 rubles a month, and there is a free mode and a one-day trial. Below is a breakdown based on primary sources as of October 26, 2026: where the official versions are, what it costs, why UBoost stops connecting and what to replace it with.
If you need a VPN that names its protocol outright, doesn't require registration and has apps for iPhone, Mac and Apple TV, we recommend BessyConnect. More on it in the section below.
Yes, today it is a VPN service and not just a "YouTube accelerator". UBoost has its own servers (uboost.site claims 950), the subscription is sold in rubles, and the app has two modes: "YouTube only" and "Entire internet". You don't need to hunt for keys; you sign in by email.
The confusion comes from the product's history. The first thing released was a Chrome extension that sped up YouTube. Today five things live under the same name:
| Product | Where it is official | What is known (as of 26.10.2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Browser extension | Chrome Web Store | 2,000,000 users, rating 4.5 from 23.1 thousand ratings, version 8.11.16 of September 1, 2026 |
| Android and Android TV app | Google Play, APK from the site | «Юбуст VPN для ютуба и Smart TV» (UBoost VPN for YouTube and Smart TV), 1M+ downloads, rating 3.2, updated October 15, 2026 |
| iPhone app | App Store in other countries | «ЮБуст ускоритель видеосервисов» (UBoost video service accelerator), version 1.5.1 of September 2, 2026, iOS 16.6 or later |
| Windows program | ubst.app | Installer version 1.0.0.6 |
| UBoost BOX | Its own TV box store | A TV box with a subscription built in |
Separately, there is a Telegram bot for "whitelists" on mobile internet. The download page says one subscription works on Android, Windows, iOS and in the browser.
The provider under the public offer is sole proprietor Kirill Aleksandrovich Zamolotskikh, Republic of Kazakhstan, and disputes are settled under Kazakh law. The same sole proprietor is listed as the developer on Google Play and in the Chrome Web Store, although the addresses on the listings differ: Kokshetau and Almaty. The iPhone app is published by a different legal entity, NAOBOROT LLP, but its description links to the same channel, @uboostrussia.
The official Telegram channel @uboostrussia had 779 thousand subscribers as of October 26, 2026. That is where the team sends users for verified links, and there is a reason for it.
In December 2024, according to the team, attackers swapped out the extension in the Chrome Web Store. On December 21 the channel reported that control had been regained, on December 28 that Google had disabled the hacked version, and on January 4, 2025, the team force-disabled the old extension on users' devices. A fake Android app appeared at the same time: people who paid for a subscription in it were advised to contact support. The outlet CyberInsider also wrote about the incident on December 23, 2024.
Lookalikes still turn up. On October 26, a search for "uboost" in the Russian App Store returned UBOOST ENERGY from a different developer and the client «Космос VPN» (Kosmos VPN), which needs your own server. Neither has anything to do with UBoost. How to recognize a copy is covered in our article on fake VPN apps.
Signs of the official version:
There is a free mode, but it is limited. Full access is paid: on ubst.app the single-device plan costs 229 rubles for a month, 609 rubles for three months and 1,499 rubles for a year. There are also plans for 5 and 10 devices.
Under the offer, the free mode gives "basic functionality" and may show ads, including partner ads. After installation you get 24 hours of trial access. The mirror site uboost.site promises the one-day trial without a card and gives the price as "from 183 rubles a month", which doesn't match ubst.app. Go by the amount you see at checkout.
Two terms from the offer are worth knowing in advance. There is no auto-renewal; you have to pay for the subscription yourself. If you cancel an annual plan, the money is refunded minus the months used, counted at the monthly rate, and the request goes through support.
Download UBoost only from the ubst.app/download page or from the stores it links to. The platforms are:
There is no separate Mac version in the download list. How an extension differs from an app and why it protects only browser traffic is explained in our piece VPN extension or app.
The main reason in autumn 2026 is server blocking, and the team reports it itself. The channel describes outages on September 22, 24 and 25, and on October 14 a long wave began: on October 19 the team explained that there weren't enough servers for the new protocol to go around, and only on October 22 did it announce a return to stable operation. Users were credited 7 days of subscription for the disruptions.
What the team itself recommends and what to check, in order:
If mobile internet isn't working at all, not just the VPN, the cause may be your carrier's "whitelists". A general breakdown of the causes is in the article why a VPN isn't working.
According to its store declarations UBoost collects little, but there is no way to verify from the outside that it keeps no logs. On Google Play the developer states that it collects an email address for account management, that data isn't shared with third parties and that it is encrypted in transit. In the Chrome Web Store the extension is listed as processing location data.
The offer says that without a linked Telegram account or email, only technical device identifiers are collected. Personal data is processed under Kazakh law, and the privacy policy is published on telegra.ph rather than on the service's own site. The iPhone and Chrome descriptions say no logs are kept, but that is the developer's claim; we found no independent audit.
Two more observations. The iPhone app description states that it is "not intended" for accessing blocked resources, while the site and Google Play promise exactly that. The offer explicitly says the service is provided "as is" and doesn't guarantee that YouTube will be available.
If UBoost won't connect or you need a different platform, compare three options on verifiable parameters. UBoost is stronger where you need Windows, a browser extension or the "YouTube only" mode.
| Parameter | BessyConnect | UBoost | Amnezia VPN | Planet VPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Service with its own servers | Service with its own servers | Open-source client for your own server plus the Amnezia Free and Premium services | Paid service with a personal key |
| Protocol | VLESS + Reality | AWG, VLESS and an unnamed "improved" one | Protocols with traffic camouflage | Not stated on the listing |
| Windows | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | Yes | No data | No data |
| Apple TV / Android TV | Yes / yes | Not in downloads / yes | No data | No data |
| Registration | Optional | Email sign-in | Your own server needs the VPS IP and password | The key arrives by email or in Telegram |
| iPhone in the Russian App Store | No | No | No | No |
Data for Amnezia and Planet comes from their Google Play listings and official sites as of October 26, 2026. According to its Google Play description, Planet VPN has switched to a paid model: 499 rubles a month. We compared similar one-button services in our review of popular VPNs in Russia, and the selection criteria specifically for video are collected in which VPN to choose for YouTube.
BessyConnect suits anyone who needs a VPN on a phone, tablet, Mac or TV without hunting for keys and without mandatory registration. It runs on VLESS with Reality camouflage: to the provider, the traffic looks like ordinary HTTPS. There are more than 100 servers, no logs are kept, and there is a trial period.
Download BessyConnect:
To be honest about the limits. BessyConnect has no Windows app and no browser extension either, so on a Windows PC UBoost is more convenient; we collected options for computers in the article VPN for PC. BessyConnect, like UBoost, isn't in the Russian App Store, so on an iPhone you'll need an Apple ID from another country. And no VPN will help if the carrier has left access on the mobile network only to sites on a "whitelist" or has shut down the internet completely.
If UBoost has stopped connecting for you and you need stable access on iPhone, Android, Mac or a TV, try BessyConnect: all versions are gathered on the download page.
Is UBoost a VPN or an extension? Both. UBoost started as an extension for speeding up YouTube, and now it is a VPN service with apps for Android, iPhone and Windows and an "Entire internet" mode.
Can I use UBoost for free? Yes, under the offer there is a free mode with basic features and ads, and after installation you get 24 hours of trial access. Full access on ubst.app costs from 229 rubles a month for one device.
Why isn't UBoost in the App Store? The team says the app isn't in the Russian App Store. In other countries' stores it is called «ЮБуст ускоритель видеосервисов» (UBoost video service accelerator), and you need an Apple ID from another country to install it.
Is there UBoost for PC? Yes, there is a separate Windows program on ubst.app, and the extension works in Chrome, Yandex Browser, Opera and Edge. There is no Mac version in the download list.
What can I replace UBoost with if it isn't working? First try changing the server and switching the protocol to VLESS. If you need a different service for your phone, Mac or TV, we recommend BessyConnect: VLESS with Reality, more than 100 servers and sign-in without mandatory registration.
An honest BessyConnect review: a VLESS+Reality VPN with 100+ servers in 15 countries, apps for iOS, Android and Android TV, and no browsing logs kept. More
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