Client buttons and menus vary by platform and version. This guide follows the usual order: get your subscription → import the configuration → choose a route → connect. For the exact steps, follow the download instructions in the user panel and the prompts in your client. Focus on getting connected first; you can explore advanced settings later.
Create an Account and Save Your Login Details
Start by opening the account creation page in the VPNStay user panel. No email address is required; just enter a username and password. Choose a username you can remember, and use a password that’s different from the ones you use on other sites. Before submitting, check for extra spaces. If your browser fills in saved details from another site, clear them and enter the details you want to use for this account.
Once your account is created, make sure you can access the user panel. You’ll use the same panel to view plans, get your subscription, download clients, and submit support tickets. Save your username and password in a password manager, and consider bookmarking the panel so you can return to it easily. If you’re still on the sign-in page, log in with the account details you just created; there’s no need to create another account.
Already have a VPNStay account? Select “Log in” in the page header. Use the same account when switching devices so your plan and the device you’re using aren’t tied to different accounts. Confirm that the panel shows the account you want to use before choosing a plan.
Choose a Plan and Check the Payment Status
Open the plans section in the user panel. Check the billing type first, then the data allowance. VPNStay monthly plans are ¥9.9/month for 60GB, ¥18/month for 250GB, and ¥28/month for 500GB. Data resets monthly on your activation date. For everyday browsing and work, choose based on your usual usage. If you often stream video or transfer files, pay closer attention to your remaining data. You don’t have to get it exactly right the first time: if you upgrade later, the price difference is adjusted based on the remaining days.
If your usage varies, compare the data packages: ¥158/300GB, ¥358/1000GB, and ¥658/3000GB. They last until used and never expire. Data packages work differently from monthly plans, so double-check the type you selected when confirming your order rather than relying on memory of the price. To compare the options side by side, visit the plan pricing page, then return to the panel to choose.
Once you’ve chosen a plan, follow the panel steps to create an order. Check that the plan name, price, and data allowance are correct, then pay with Alipay, WeChat Pay, or USDT. Follow the instructions on the order page during payment, and return to the user panel afterward to check the result. Don’t assume the plan is ready just because your payment app shows a charge; make sure the order and plan status have updated in the panel.
If you’ve paid but the plan hasn’t appeared in the panel yet, reopen the order details and check the status before trying to pay again. Keep your order information and, if needed, contact support through user panel tickets. VPNStay offers a 60-day no-questions-asked refund. See the refund policy for how to apply. Once your plan is active, you’re ready to get your subscription.
Get Your Subscription and Add It to a Client
Open the account overview in the user panel and check that your plan is active, then find the subscription section. Your subscription provides the route configurations available to your account for use in a client. It isn’t a regular webpage or an installation file. Copy it into the subscription import area in your client instead of pasting it into a search engine.
If the panel offers an import option for your client, follow the prompts to open it. Otherwise, copy the subscription link. Switch to your client and look for an option such as “Subscription,” “Configuration,” or “Import from URL,” then paste the full link. The wording varies between versions. Choose the feature for adding a subscription URL, not the screen for manually entering a single server.
Keep your subscription link as private as a password. Don’t post it in public chats or comment sections, and never send screenshots that show the full link. When reporting an issue to support, describing the error message is usually enough; there’s no need to include the full subscription. Copying through a chat app or document can introduce spaces, line breaks, or other text. If the import fails, go back to the panel and copy the link again.
Once you have the link, get the client for your device. Follow the platform-specific import steps below before connecting. Simply opening the panel or signing in won’t change how your device accesses the network; you still need to start the client.
Import the Client Setup for Your Platform
Get the VPNStay client and its instructions from the user panel downloads section. Sign in to download on Android, Windows, macOS, or Linux; an active plan is required for the iOS link. Installing a client and getting an active subscription are separate steps. After installing the client, import your subscription to access the routes on your account. The steps below describe common interfaces; labels may vary by version.
Windows: Import Your Subscription
In the panel, select the VPNStay desktop client for Windows, then install and open it following the download instructions. On first launch, look for a “Configuration” or “Subscription” page and choose the option to add from a link. Paste the subscription URL you copied, then save or update it. If you’re asked to name the configuration, choose a label that’s easy to recognize. The name is just a local label; it doesn’t replace the subscription URL.
Once the update is complete, check that the available routes appear and set the newly imported configuration as the active one. Some clients require you to switch to a saved configuration manually; seeing its name doesn’t mean it’s enabled. Then open the connection or proxy page to choose a route. If your system asks to let the client make required network changes, verify the app’s source and follow the download instructions. There’s no need to adjust advanced network settings right away.
macOS: Add a Configuration and Check It’s Active
Get the VPNStay desktop client for macOS from the panel, install it, and open the app. Subscription management may be in the main window or accessible from the menu bar icon. Find “Configuration,” “Subscription Management,” or a similar option, then import using a link. Paste the full subscription URL and save and update it. After the update, check that the newly added configuration is selected.
If macOS prompts you about a network extension, proxy settings, or access permissions, follow the current client instructions and grant the permissions it needs. Requirements vary by operating mode, so not seeing a particular prompt isn’t necessarily a problem. Start with the basic settings recommended in the downloads section. If another network proxy is running, quit it before testing the VPNStay client to avoid conflicts between tools.
Android: Add a Subscription from a Link
Choose the VPNStay Android client in the panel’s downloads section and install it as instructed. If Android asks you to confirm the installation source, make sure the file came from the user panel before continuing. Open the app, go to the configuration or subscription page, and choose the option to add a new item by link. Paste the URL, save the configuration, and update it. When the route list appears, set this configuration as the active one.
When you connect for the first time, Android may show a VPN connection request. This system prompt asks permission for the app to manage relevant network traffic. Confirm that it’s the client you’re using before allowing it. Keep the app in the foreground while connecting and testing a webpage. Once basic access works, try switching apps. If the connection only drops after locking your screen or moving the app to the background, troubleshoot background operation rather than deleting and re-adding the subscription. See Troubleshooting for further checks.
iOS: Get the Client and Allow Network Configuration
First, confirm that your account has an active plan. Then open the iOS client link in the user panel’s downloads section and follow the panel instructions to get the appropriate VPNStay client. Use a client that supports subscription import; don’t enter the subscription link in the manual server address field in system settings. The system VPN configuration page and the client’s subscription page are different places.
Return to the account overview to get your subscription. Use the matching import option provided by the panel, or paste the link into an option such as “Subscription,” “Configuration,” or “Import from URL” in the client. Update the configuration after adding it, check that the route list has loaded, then choose a route and connect. On the first connection, the system may ask permission to add a VPN configuration and confirm with local device authentication. Follow the prompts. If the client reports a connection failure, check your plan status and whether the configuration updated before trying anything else. Don’t repeatedly add the same configuration.
On Linux, get the matching client from the panel and import your subscription using the latest instructions in the downloads section. VPNStay supports Windows / macOS / iOS / Android / Linux, with no limit on the number of devices connected at the same time. To use another device, install the client and import the configuration on that device too. A connection on one device doesn’t mean the others are set up.
Connect to a Route and Check That It Works
Once the configuration has updated, open the route selection page in your client, choose a route, and connect. For your first connection, stick with the client’s recommended basic mode rather than changing several settings at once. When the client shows that it’s connected or running, open the international website or app you want to use. Seeing a route list only means the subscription loaded; the real connection check is whether the content you want actually opens.
Start by opening the target website in a browser, then test the app you normally use. If the webpage works but an app doesn’t, fully quit and reopen the app; some apps keep using the connection they had when they started. If the problem persists, check the client’s current routing mode and confirm that traffic to the destination uses your selected route. You can adjust specific rules later; there’s no need to delete all your configurations over one app.
If the client says it’s connected but the target website won’t open, disconnect first and check that your local network can access everyday websites. Then check your plan status in the panel, update the subscription in the client, and confirm the right configuration is selected. Try another route and reconnect. Change one thing at a time to make it easier to pinpoint the issue. The website’s account permissions, regional requirements, or service status may also affect access, so a connection icon alone doesn’t guarantee every service will work.
Once connected, keep an eye on your remaining data in the panel and note which configuration and route you’re using. When the route list needs updating, update your existing subscription; there’s no need to create another account or add the configuration again. For recurring disconnections, failed subscription updates, or drops in the background, check the FAQ or follow the relevant steps in Troubleshooting.
When submitting a support ticket, include your device platform, the client’s error message, whether your plan is active, and the checks you’ve already tried. Hide your subscription link and sensitive account details before sharing screenshots. This gives support a clearer picture and helps avoid repeating steps during follow-up. That’s it: your account, plan, subscription, and client are all set up. Connect through the client whenever you’re ready to use the service.