The rise in online security threats has also increased the availability of means to let you steer clear of online thieves. Among all, the most promising one is a Virtual Private Network or VPN.
Fortunately, today, numerous VPNs with free and premium services are available to help you protect your online identity. These claim to provide the most secure tunnel for transmitting your online data.
This huge variety has made choosing the best VPN from the good ones difficult. At this point, what matters is that you should know all the pros and cons of a particular VPN before you subscribe to it. This is important not only for your online security but also for your budget limitations.
To help you decide better, PrivacySavvy keeps reviewing different VPNs in detail.
Continuing this practice, we have now developed this extensive PureVPN review. Read along to find out what this VPN has for you.
PureVPN overview
Sometimes, experiments can give you a lot more than the expected results. PureVPN is the perfect example of it.
The service began its commercial journey back in 2007 with servers at just 2 locations. Within the same year, their number of servers grew from 2 to 16. Since then, PureVPN has set a milestone of success by covering every aspect of online security.
Today, desktop and laptop users and mobile users can hide their online identities via PureVPN apps. As per their website, this could be the main reason for having over 3+ million satisfied users.
Based in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, GZ systems limited, an Android sports apps-creating software company, experimented with a personal VPN service in November 2006. The following year, they launched their fantastic product PureVPN for commercial use.
Pakistan-based Uzair Gadit co-founds the service. That’s how it relates to the Karachi-based technology firm Gaditek. According to our extensive research, the same tech firm also links back to another prominent VPN service, the Ivacy VPN, along with others.
Since PureVPN is officially based in Hong Kong, they can freely enjoy a data logging policy. Also, no international surveillance alliances like Five, Nine, or Fourteen Eyes can compel the VPN to log in or provide users’ data.
(However, back in 2017, their claim was challenged as they helped the FBI investigate a case of a PureVPN user. We will discuss this story in detail later in our unbiased review of PureVPN).
Apart from the data services, the premium features of PureVPN also make it stand out from all major VPNs.
In this PureVPN review, we will touch on all the bits of their attractive features. Hopefully, this will help you better decide whether to go with PureVPN.
Servers and network coverage
If you do online research and review some older reviews of PureVPN, you will see that they have mentioned 2000 or 4000 servers.
However, with time, PureVPN has upgraded its network. Today, they provide their users with a vast number of self-managed 6,500+ physical and virtual location servers. These servers work in over 140 countries, letting you connect to 180+ locations around the globe.
The total number of servers of PureVPN in the USA is 1424, spread across 13 cities. For the European region, 2736 physical servers are available. Besides, they also offer locations in Asia, Oceania, Africa, and other areas.
With this vast and diversified network, PureVPN looks much better than the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and PrivateVPN, which have 3000+, 5400+, and 150 servers only – that too, with fewer locations.
The number of IP addresses you can see with any other network makes it a fantastic VPN. Specifically, PureVPN offers 300,000+ IP addresses to its customers. Such a huge number is sufficient for high-speed browsing with lowered server congestion risk.
PureVPN has servers in the following regions:
| Continent | Number of countries |
|---|---|
| Europe | 31 |
| Asia | 13 |
| North America | 5 |
| South America | 5 |
| Africa | 3 |
| Oceania | 1 |
PureVPN’s selection of servers is impressive. With 6,500 individual servers in 96 cities, it surpasses popular VPNs such as NordVPN, which has about 5,000 servers. However, Private Internet Access (PIA) leads the pack with a whopping 17,087 servers.
The substantial number of servers ensures you are less likely to share your connection with others. Consequently, you can expect to encounter fewer CAPTCHAs while browsing the internet.
In terms of the number of available countries, PureVPN offers connections to 78 different nations, surpassing NordVPN and Surfshark. Nevertheless, it falls short compared to the extensive country coverage provided by ExpressVPN and PIA.
It’s widespread to witness VPNs disregarding entire regions, sometimes even entire continents, often showing a strong bias towards Europe and North America. This means that frequently underserved regions such as Africa, the Middle East, Asia, as well as Central and South America are well-catered to. The significance of this wide reach becomes apparent, considering that the internet is often subject to blocking in many of these regions. Therefore, VPN servers in neighboring countries are crucial in ensuring accessibility and unrestricted online browsing.
Multiple city-level choices, but fewer than before
PureVPN allows you to select specific cities to avoid server congestion. Such cities include:
- Australia: Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne
- Canada: Toronto, Quebec, Vancouver
- UK: Machester, London
- US: 13 cities
However, PureVPN has reduced the number of cities you can select. For instance, you could previously choose more than one city in Germany, South Africa, Czechia, and France, but it’s no longer the case. This could be quite disappointing.
Physical servers and 20Gbps infrastructure
Previously, PureVPN boasted a server network that was twice its current size. However, they strategically decided to focus on quality rather than quantity, and we find this move commendable. Currently, an impressive 98.7% of PureVPN’s servers are physically located in the countries listed. This emphasis on physical servers holds great significance as it ensures stable and faster user connections.
Despite reducing the number of physical servers, PureVPN has retained 69 virtual servers. These virtual servers are crucial in providing access to locations where implementing physical servers is challenging. You can find a list of these virtual server locations on their website, including countries like Afghanistan, Bahrain, and Egypt.
Furthermore, PureVPN has recently invested in 20Gbps servers for key locations such as London, Manchester, and Washington, DC. This investment is expected to enhance its service’s overall performance and reliability in these crucial regions.
How to connect to the PureVPN server
Using PureVPN to connect to a server in your desired country is straightforward. Just follow these simple steps:
- Locate and click on the small globe icon on your screen’s left side.
- From the options presented, select your preferred location or country.
- Voilà! You are now successfully connected to the chosen server.
- Enjoy your secure browsing experience!
Security – Is PureVPN secure?
Thanks to its solid security features, PureVPN is arguably a relatively secure VPN. For starters, its jurisdiction is in Hong Kong, meaning it’s not subject to government surveillance. For example, it has a strong AES 256-bit encryption protocol, secure VPN protocols, a kill switch, and IP leak/DNS leak/ WebRTC leak protection for improved security.
VPN protocols
How a VPN provides you with secure internet surfing with maximum anonymity, and speed depends upon the protocol it supports. It is a major feature that helps an average user find and select the best VPN. Primarily, the best VPNs in the market today support multiple VPN protocols.
Thus, like the leading VPN services, PureVPN also offers a wide range of protocols. It chooses the best protocol for you and allows you to select the protocol you want, depending on your usage.
Precisely, PureVPN supports the following connection protocols across different devices.
- PPTP – Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
- SSTP – Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol
- L2TP – Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol
- IKEv2 – Internet Key Exchange
- OpenVPN – Open-Source Protocol (UDP/TCP)
- IPSec – Internet Protocol Security
However, it lacks support for WireGuard and SoftEther.
Encryption technology
A VPN is all about how it protects your data from online tracking entities such as your ISP or third parties. To ensure perfect security with anonymity, a VPN must provide robust encryption for your data that takes longer to be cracked or decrypted.
When almost every VPN now offers encryption, how would PureVPN lag behind in this race?
Well, PureVPN guards all your data with bank-grade AES-256 encryption. It is a fast, secure, less power-consuming, and unbreakable encryption technology.
IP leak/DNS leak/ WebRTC leak protection
What if you subscribed to a VPN service but learned that your private information is still exposed to third-party sites?
Sometimes VPNs inadvertently leak your IP address, ultimately exposing your actual location. Such incidents happen during active VPN connections via IPv6 exposure, DNS, and WebRTC.
These are the points where the actual ability of a VPN is tested. Through DNS and WebRTC, your ISP or a third-party tracker can detect your real IP address.
So, what about PureVPN? We hear you ask.
Well, PureVPN, like the leading VPNs in the market, has passed this test too.
Firstly, it allows you to connect solely to their own DNS servers included with the VPN. Secondly, they have tackled the issue of IPv6 and WebRTC leaks by enabling IPv6 leak protection and WebRTC protection features by default.
Thus, you can enjoy safe and secure internet browsing without the risk of your real information leaking via PureVPN.
Kill switch
PureVPN never leaks your IP address when your VPN connection is active.
But what if the VPN is down for some reason? Is PureVPN safe to proceed or not?
The answer is Yes.
PureVPN has a smart built-in feature of a Kill Switch. It halts the internet connection, blocking all online traffic when the VPN suffers an unexpected disconnection. That’s how it prevents your IP address and location from being exposed.
The best part is that you can manually alter this option as well. It means that if you want to continue your internet activities without the VPN, you can turn off the Kill Switch to resume.
However, the only problem with the kill switch is its limited availability across PureVPN clients. As the site confirms, a kill switch is available only for Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux users.
Privacy – Is PureVPN Private?
Over the past few years, PureVPN has significantly enhanced its data privacy. In 2016, the company cooperated with the FBI and utilized logged data in a cyberstalking case. However, following that incident, PureVPN transformed and is now recognized as a no-logs VPN provider.
Based on our research, we can confirm that PureVPN no longer collects or retains any personally identifying information from its users. While the VPN still gathers certain data, such as general connection locations and timestamps, rest assured that this information cannot be traced back to you. The primary purpose of collecting this data is to monitor and enhance the overall service, which is standard practice for most reputable VPN services. It’s important to note that nearly all top VPNs record some data to ensure the smooth operation of their services.
Data-logging policy (no logs anymore?)
We now come to the most sought-after thing about PureVPN – their data logging policy. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that PureVPN actually gained traction due to this policy.
If you visit the PureVPN website today, you will see that the VPN claims to have no logs of its customers.
So, what lies underneath their apparent no-logs claims?
Well, since we strive to come up with an honest review of PureVPN, we will surely answer this question.
But, before that, we have to take you back to 2017 when PureVPN made it to the news for handling the data of a suspect to the FBI. While the VPN simply followed what it was asked to do legally, it did raise questions about its claimed no-logs policy.
Since then, the VPN has suffered heavy media scrutiny – some even called it a fraudulent service.
However, everyone missed noting that PureVPN didn’t breach its privacy policy. As per our research and findings, at that time, they had clearly mentioned in their privacy policy to log some PII data and that it would comply with subpoenas.
Besides, they only provided the suspect’s connection timestamps and IP addresses through which he connected to the VPN.
Nonetheless, following the backlash, PureVPN vigorously updated its policies in 2018.
Today, the VPN claims to maintain a strict no-logs policy. Here is what their privacy policy now states.
To back their claim, PureVPN has also gone through independent audits twice. At first, in 2019, the US-based firm Altius IT audited the VPN and confirmed to have found no customers’ data logs. Then, in 2020, another audit firm, KPMG, confirmed the same.
It means that now, PureVPN has actually become a genuine no-logs VPN that users can trust for their privacy.
Always-on Audit policy
PureVPN has adopted an ‘always-on’ approach to auditing, meaning that KPMG International Limited can perform surprise audits of PureVPN whenever they see fit. Up to now, KPMG has already conducted two audits of PureVPN and confirmed that the company adheres to its stated privacy policy.
Unfortunately, the audit reports are not publicly available for review. Even though PureVPN highlights positive feedback from these reports on its website, it does not provide direct links to the reports, unlike many other VPN providers who usually do so when audited.
Who owns PureVPN?
PureVPN operates under the umbrella of disrupt.com, a corporate conglomerate. Disrupt also owns Ivacy VPN, operated by Gaditek and situated in Pakistani. In the VPN industry, it has become more common for multiple VPN providers to be owned by larger parent companies as the industry matures and consolidates.
However, a concerning aspect is that Gaditek, as the parent company, owns and operates four VPN review websites and uses them to push its own products. This creates a potential conflict of interest and raises questions about the impartiality of these reviews. Additionally, the company has been creating fake social media profiles to push its products, which further adds to the concerns surrounding its practices.
PureVPN key features
Now that you know what PureVPN is all about (particularly its data-logging policy), you might wonder if this VPN is worth a try.
We also wondered the same, especially after knowing about their zero-logs policy update. Therefore, our team dived deeper to test the VPN features. Here we present our findings to you.
Split tunneling
You may not always need anonymous browsing. That’s because so many sites don’t let you log in if your IP address constantly changes. These IP-specific sites can even block your account by considering you a BOT or a HACKER, as they didn’t get your original IP.
The most spontaneous reaction to such a situation is that you will turn off the VPN.
But should you really do that?
Not at all!
That’s because when you turn off the VPN, all your real information, like your IP address, the sites you are visiting, your location, etc., will become available to everyone online, including cyber criminals. Hence, you can’t browse the internet safely after turning it off.
To address this problem, PureVPN offers a key feature – Split Tunneling. It lets you decide which apps’ traffic should travel via the VPN’s encrypted channels and what apps should run outside the VPN tunnel.
Using this setting, you can access the IP-specific websites via your actual IP address without entirely putting off your online armor.
But there’s a catch.
Though PureVPN offers this option just like ExpressVPN and other leading VPNs do. But this feature is available for Windows and Android apps only.
Secondly, the split tunneling feature is not clearly visible. You may only find this option after enabling Beta Feature settings in the app.
The story doesn’t end here.
When you enable the Beta Feature, the app warns that ‘beta features may be unstable.’
That means you can’t really trust the split tunneling feature of this VPN. (To us, PureVPN loses points here.)
Mode selection
Another exciting feature of PureVPN is the mode selection. This setting is conducive for the new users to connect to the right server.
Precisely, PureVPN offers the following five browsing modes with default settings. Users can pick up the mode according to their intended use to have the VPN ready with the best configurations right away.
- Stream – best for streaming and gaming
- Internet Freedom – best for accessing blocked content
- Security/Privacy – ensures thorough anonymous browsing with protection against cyber threats
- File-Sharing – fast-speed settings to encourage easy file transfers
- Dedicated IP –lets you enjoy unrestricted browsing with fast speed and anonymity
Although, you can manually adjust the configurations as well. However, if you want to enjoy the best VPN experience without the hassle, are running short on time to go through all the settings, or simply lack enough technical knowledge to configure the VPN, then these browsing modes are for you.
Obfuscation
PureVPN recently introduced a new obfuscation feature that proves highly beneficial for individuals residing in heavily-censored countries with restrictive VPN usage. However, it may not be ideal for those seeking the fastest connection speeds.
This feature cleverly conceals your VPN traffic, making it appear as if you’re simply browsing the internet without the aid of a VPN. So, it will make you undetectable and unblockable while enjoying VPN’s advantages, such as unblocking geo-restricted content, bypassing ISP throttling, and ensuring your online security.
Furthermore, PureVPN has also introduced a domain fronting feature that utilizes different domain names from various parts of the website. This innovative approach gives the illusion that you are accessing the website from a different domain, making it harder to block. This significantly increases your chances of bypassing blocked content, regardless of your location.
However, setting up this feature might be challenging, and it could potentially reduce your connection or compromise your internet safety, as each domain requires resolving before the site loads.
PureKeep
To elevate your online safety even further, PureVPN now offers an additional password manager add-on called PureKeep, integrated into its application. With PureKeep, all the items in your vault are safeguarded with state-of-the-art encryption, and only the owner knows the master password.
It provides a secure space for storing and auto-filling your passwords and other sensitive information, such as bank details, documents, etc. PureKeep doesn’t just relieve you of the burden of memorizing passwords; it also assists you in creating new, complex ones.
The PureKeep password generator can create long passwords comprising numbers, symbols, lowercase, and uppercase letters, ensuring robust security for your accounts. Moreover, the add-on allows you to securely share passwords and send attachments to your friends, family, or colleagues by creating collaborative vaults and groups. You can access this valuable add-on for just a nominal fee of one dollar per month.
PureVPN security add-ons
We were a bit disappointed to see PureVPN with a very short list of exclusive features, which was further shortened in 2019 when PureVPN removed ad blockers and malware protection features.
Yet, given its demonstrated history of slow yet steady growth and the recent improvements in its privacy policy, we went ahead to find out more about it.
Thus, we juggled with the VPN to see if it offered any particular security add-ons.
Here, PureVPN impressed us with three unique add-ons that users can buy for additional payments for enhanced online security.
Port forwarding
PureVPN offers a dedicated port forwarding feature to its users. Previously known as the NAT Firewall, this feature allows users to stay connected to their desired devices anywhere in the world without worrying about spying or network interception.
First-time subscribers can get this feature for an additional payment of $0.25 when subscribing to the VPN. This feature is available across router, Windows, and macOS VPN clients.
DDoS Protection
For first-time users, PureVPN offers separate DDoS-protected IP addresses only for $0.99 extra. (Though, the regular subscription to this feature for 1 year may cost you $69.95.)
With this add-on, PureVPN provides customers with specific IPs that protect the VPN from DDoS attacks. These IPs reroute and filter all your incoming internet traffic through the VPNs’ servers before forwarding it to you.
With this proactive filtering, these IPs can evade DDoS attacks of up to 480GB. This makes it a handy feature for online businesses and gamers.
Dedicated IP
Another security add-on that PureVPN offers for a small payment is dedicated IP. Users can get this add-on for an additional payment of $0.99 when signing up for the first time.
Users can get a static unique IP address through this feature. Having such an IP address lets you access all those platforms that otherwise block your access due to the change in your IP addresses. With a dedicated IP, you can use all these services without exposing your real IP address.
PureVPN also offers a combo of dedicated IP and port forwarding for the more tech-savvy users only for $0.99 when registering for the first time.
PureVPN user experience
Moving on with our PureVPN review, we now reach the user experience. That is, how the overall VPN (including its website) performed during our testing.
We had a mixed experience with PureVPN regarding its features, service, and performance. Below we share the little bits of what we observed.
Web and app interface
What we always appreciate about a VPN is its colorful and easy-to-use website and app layouts.
At first, the PureVPN website looks attractive. You can also find out the details about the key features of PureVPN easily. If you wish to learn more about this VPN in detail, you might face difficulty extracting your desired information.
As for the app, PureVPN has definitely improved the overall interface, making it clearer and attention-grabbing.
However, the first screen that requires selecting modes may confuse new users.
If you’re using a VPN with a clear purpose, for instance, to unblock Netflix USA, BBC iPlayer, or similar, you can easily click on the “Stream” mode.
Otherwise, we will advise you to choose either “Internet Freedom” or “Security/Privacy” mode to begin with. These modes let you browse with complete anonymity. So, unless you get familiar with the VPN settings, it’s better to stick to the mode that offers maximum security by default.
PureVPN on macOS
The PureVPN application for macOS stands out as the most straightforward and uncomplicated among all the PureVPN clients. This simplicity is beneficial if you’re seeking an easy-to-use interface but lacks some essential features.
Notably, features such as VPN on Demand/Always On, split tunneling as well as reconnect or disconnect options are absent in this version. However, the macOS app offers several user-friendly features to enhance the overall experience.
For instance, you can opt for the app to launch on system start-up, enable VPN auto-connection when you power on your device or when you sleep the device, and even receive automatic updates for the application. These standard features go a long way in providing you with more control over your VPN experience.
PureVPN on Windows
Comparatively, if you’re on a Windows device, you’ll enjoy the most comprehensive PureVPN experience. The Windows app comes with a wide array of features and receives updates ahead of other platforms.
One standout feature exclusive to the Windows app is split tunneling, which, unfortunately, is not available for macOS users. Nevertheless, the Windows app maintains a streamlined and user-friendly experience similar to its macOS counterpart.
PureVPN on Mobile: iOS and Android
Moving on to the mobile platforms, PureVPN’s iPhone app is clean and straightforward. While it may not offer an extensive range of customizable settings, it includes essential features like the ability to change protocols.
Similarly, the Android app offers a pleasant and uncomplicated interface. Both mobile apps support connecting to fallback, split tunneling and allow you to customize your VPN server selection. However, the kill switch feature is not available on iOS.
Despite its simplicity, PureVPN on iOS did experience some drawbacks, such as frequent disconnections, including Error Code 408. This was quite a frustrating mobile experience. Additionally, logging in to different devices with the same credentials proved challenging, requiring us to reset our passwords to access Android and Fire TV Stick.
PureVPN’s Fire TV stick app
PureVPN provides dedicated support for Amazon Fire TV. You can install the app and connect to a proxy protocol to stream your favorite TV shows and movies. Also, within the app, you can select your preferred servers from the server list.
Furthermore, the app offers the connect button, split tunneling, and protocol options. Moreover, you can filter servers, generate data based on ping time and mark your favorite servers.
Multiple language options across most devices
To improve accessibility, PureVPN has availed different languages across its popular platforms, including macOS, Android, and Windows. This allows you to choose your preferred language. Unfortunately, the iOS app doesn’t support language options.
PureVPN supports the following languages:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Chinese
- Portuguese
- Italian
- German
- Japanese
- Korean
- Turkish
- Russian
Download and installation
During our testing, downloading the VPN wasn’t so difficult either. To become a subscriber, you just have to click on the ‘Try PureVPN’ button to start your registration process. Once done, you can proceed with the PureVPN download on your device.
The app installation is pretty much automated and requires very little input. You might have to agree to the terms of use in the beginning. The rest of the process continues on its own.
Once done, you can launch the app by signing in using your PureVPN credentials. After that, you will land on the main page, where you can start the VPN connection.
If you wish to adjust the VPN configurations, click the gear icon to visit the settings menu.
Device compatibility
At this point, PureVPN is clearly better than many other VPNs of today. As advertised, the VPN offers native apps for all major devices and platforms. Specifically, the compatible devices include,
- Computers: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
- Smartphones: Android, iOS
- Streaming: Android TV, Amazon Fire devices, Kodi, Roku, Now TV box, Boxee Box, Chromecast
- Game consoles: Play Station, Xbox, Nintendo Wii U, Nvidia Shield
- Browser extensions: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge
- Other devices: Raspberry Pi, QNAP, Synology, Blackberry, Kindle Fire, Routers
While the list of devices that PureVPN supports is already huge. Still, if it misses out on anything, you can easily connect that device to your VPN-enabled router for your online security.
Simultaneous connections
After being amazed by the extensive device compatibility of PureVPN, we wondered if one can connect all these devices together.
Thus, we looked for the number of simultaneous connections PureVPN supports.
Again, this service clearly wins over the leading ExpressVPN and NordVPN, as PureVPN offers 10 simultaneous connections.
With a single PureVPN subscription, you can simultaneously protect your phones, computers, gaming consoles, and much more. Even after you run out of available device slots, you can use the router VPN to secure more devices simultaneously.
Customer support
On their website, PureVPN offers 24/7 customer support via live chat. Whereas they also welcome queries via email and social media.
While this sounds good, we couldn’t connect to their live chat during our testing.
We then went through their support center to find out relevant information. Indeed, they have set up detailed tutorials to help the customers. Perhaps, after subscribing to this VPN, you will surely find the answer to your query via the support center if you face trouble at any time.
Nonetheless, we found their support center a bit tricky to navigate. The search bar didn’t really work to fetch the answers to our queries. We had to spend time navigating through the tutorials as we strived to find information about it for this PureVPN review.
Speed test
It’s typical for VPN encryption to impact the regular speed of your internet connection, but the goal is to maintain a smooth and lag-free online experience. Keeping this in mind, we rated PureVPN’s performance a 4 out of 10. Here are the key points to consider:
- PureVPN tends to be annoyingly slow, particularly on distant servers.
- The noticeable speed drops during everyday activities were concerning.
PureVPN- Speed test results
In this review, we evaluated its Windows app while located in London. We started without the VPN to get a control test benchmark and contrasted it to performance on different servers.
Please be aware that your speeds may vary depending on your location and internet connection. The table below provides a general overview of the actual test results for PureVPN
| Server | Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Ping (ms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 94.01 | 93.99 | 4 |
| Recommended (didn’t connect) | – | – | – |
| UK (London) | 79.98 | 85.32 | 9 |
| Germany (Frankfurt) | 58.72 | 88.67 | 135 |
| The Netherlands (Amsterdam) | 52.88 | 88.19 | 72 |
| US (New York) | 9.82 | 30.93 | 258 |
| US (Los Angeles) | 9.39 | 25.05 | 434 |
| Canada (Toronto) | 31.87 | 50.13 | 200 |
| Brazil (Sao Paulo) | 4.21 | 14.92 | 562 |
| South Africa (Johannesburg) | 3.74 | 14.23 | 489 |
| Japan (Tokyo) | 4.22 | 8.92 | 600 |
| Australia (Sydney) | 2.48 | 11.03 | 791 |
As evidenced in the table above, our speeds underwent a significant decline, especially on distant servers when connected to PureVPN. The results fall far behind the fastest VPNs available. Moreover, several locations displayed highly unstable results. For instance, within just two minutes, the LA server gave us 0 Mbps, 60.72 Mbps, and 20.09 Mbps. Dealing with such slow performance coupled with inconsistent results was disappointing.
Furthermore, the automatic server selector left much to be desired as we struggled to connect to the recommended option. Every attempt resulted in an error or endless loading. On a positive note, our upload speeds weren’t much affected (except on very distant servers). As such, PureVPN proves to be a decent option for tasks that require higher upload rates, such as streaming on Twitch or conducting video conferences.
Regarding connection times, we got relatively good results except for Australia. Particularly, we could connect to all other servers within seconds. However, this doesn’t hold much value when faced with frequent speed drops.
PureVPN Speeds- Daily use
PureVPN falls short as a viable option for daily use. Even regular browsing proved problematic, as severe lag and unresponsive pages were common occurrences. Watching YouTube clips and Netflix shows was far from smooth and enjoyable.
Torrenting performance varied significantly based on the server being used for testing. As for gaming, we do not recommend PureVPN for that purpose. The inconsistent speeds lead to frequent internet drops and disconnections, causing you to lose games frequently. In summary, the overall experience with PureVPN was rather disappointing.
PureVPN streaming- Does it unblock streaming services
PureVPN proved highly effective in unblocking nearly all the platforms we tested, making it an excellent choice for streaming. Throughout our experience, we encountered smooth and fast video loading without any buffering issues.
In the past, some platforms required browser extensions for access, but now PureVPN’s app allows unblocking all major platforms, which is a welcome improvement.
Unblocked: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more
The VPN successfully unblocked over 7 Netflix libraries, including regions in the US, Australia, Japan, Germany, the UK, and France. Unlike some VPNs that only grant access to Netflix Originals, PureVPN impressively allowed access to the entire library of each region.
The availability of various shortcuts for different streaming platforms made unblocking them more convenient. However, optimizing speed might be preferable to using a server closer to your location.
While PureVPN previously had trouble unblocking Hulu, our recent test showed that it could unblock it effortlessly, and we experienced no streaming issues.
Similarly, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer were easily accessible without any buffering problems. Even platforms with strong geo-blocks, such as Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer, were no match for PureVPN. We could access their complete libraries in the US and UK.
In addition to the major platforms, we successfully unblocked various other streaming services, including Disney+ and Sling TV, further demonstrating the versatility of PureVPN in this regard. Other streaming platforms we managed to unblock with PureVPN include:
- YouTube
- ESPN+
- ITV Player
- Hotstar
- BT
- Disney+Star
- Crackle
- CBS
- Funimation
- 10Play
Blocked By: DAZN
While it excels in unblocking most platforms, the only exception is DAZN. However, this is not uncommon, as few VPNs have been able to bypass DAZN’s restrictions. Overall, PureVPN stands out as one of the best VPN options for streaming. With an extensive server network that supports access to multiple platforms, combined with fast speeds ensuring high-quality streaming, it comes close to being the perfect choice for streaming enthusiasts.
Can I use PureVPN for gaming?
Just like streaming, you can technically use PureVPN for gaming as well.
The best mode for this use case is the “Stream” mode which offers the best speeds.
However, be ready to experience somewhat low-level security and possible VPN detections.
If you’re looking for a VPN for gaming, you should instead go for the alternatives like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
Is PureVPN safe for torrenting?
If speed isn’t an issue for you, then PureVPN will surely facilitate you in torrenting.
The VPN offers a dedicated file-sharing browsing mode that supports fast and safe torrents. You can also jazz up your torrent experience by opting for the premium port forwarding feature.
Will PureVPN work in China?
PureVPN also claims to offer services in China on its website and support articles. They claimed to have servers offering Chinese locations and services for users within Mainland China.
We also checked out some earlier PureVPN reviews and found the same.
However, when conducting our extensive PureVPN review, we couldn’t find China listed among their servers.
Possibly, things might have changed recently. We couldn’t connect with their customer support to learn about it.
Does PureVPN support Tor?
Despite supporting torrenting and file sharing, PureVPN does not support Tor.
Rather, it seems that this VPN never supported Tor (ever). Also, given its demonstration of just a little over average speeds during our testing, this VPN doesn’t even look suitable for Tor – something that innately slows down the speed.
Perhaps, if you are looking for a VPN to support Tor, you may give NordVPN or Surfshark a try that works excellently with Tor.
PureVPN vs. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and other major VPNs
After going through all the details of this VPN through our PureVPN review, you might wonder how it compares with other VPNs.
Indeed, you won’t be wrong to ask this question. Given the years-long presence of this VPN, one can expect PureVPN to deliver as good services as the other industry-leading VPNs do.
Nonetheless, throughout our review, we noticed PureVPN lagging behind its rivals in several aspects. Although, it surpassed them too regarding some other features.
The following table might help you get a quick view of PureVPN vs. the major VPNs of today.
| PureVPN | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | PIA VPN | PrivateVPN | |
| Encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 | AES-256 | AES-256 | AES-256 | AES-256 |
| Simultaneous connections | 10 | 5 | 6 | unlimited | 10 | 6 |
| No. of Servers | 6500+ | 3000+ | 5300+ | 3200+ | 29000+ | 150+ |
| No. of countries | 140 | 94 | 59 | 65 | 77 | 62 |
| Data-logging | No-log (audited) | No-log (audited) | No-log (audited) | No-log (audited) | No-log (proven) | Minimal logs |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Windows only) |
| Split-tunneling | Yes (beta) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| IP leak protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stealth browsing (VPN detection bypass) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works in China | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Support Tor | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PureVPN pricing plans
Purchasing a VPN subscription shouldn’t come at the cost of your budget. This is what we believe and, thus, assess every VPN for.
Thankfully, PureVPN is one of the few VPNs that don’t cost you a fortune to provide online privacy. You can buy a monthly subscription for as low as $10.95.
Whereas you can even get the VPN for cheaper rates if you go for the 2-year plan. In this case, you only have to pay $1.99 monthly (billed together).
All of these plans come with a 31-day money-back guarantee. So, you can trust that your money will remain safe.
But isn’t there any PureVPN free download? We hear you ask.
Unfortunately, no PureVPN free trial option exists on any VPN clients.
Again, you can cancel your subscription and get your money back within the first month of use if you aren’t satisfied with PureVPN services.
Payment methods supported
Comparing the 31-day money-back guarantee with the usual 30-day offer from the rival VPNs shows the underlying marketing tactics PureVPN applies to lead the industry.
However, they certainly lag behind the others concerning the supported payment methods.
Presently, PureVPN only accepts payments via PayPal and credit cards. If you wish to subscribe to a VPN without sharing your personal details, you may have to look for VPNs supporting payments via cryptocurrency, such as PrivateVPN.
Conclusion
We now reach the end of our detailed PureVPN review.
After looking at the past history of this VPN having issues regarding data logging, it was good to see PureVPN now improving its services to gain customers’ trust. Their twice audits for security and zero-logs policies show how the service providers are keen to take the lead.
Nonetheless, a good VPN isn’t all about having a zero-logs policy. PureVPN still needs to improve its features, speed consistency, Tor support, and more.
To summarize, it’s a decent VPN that can now be trusted for security. However, you can still find better and cost-effective alternate VPNs in the market today, such as Surfshark.
FAQs
Absolutely. PureVPN uses military-grade encryption, an automatic kill switch, the latest security protocols, and DNS leak protection for utmost protection.
Yes, sure. It is an excellent choice for unblocking Netflix libraries.
Yes. It is common for VPN connections, including PureVPN, to slow down your internet speeds. However, nearby servers give impressive speeds.
Absolutely. It is fast, secure, and unblocks popular streaming platforms effortlessly.
Yes, you can. While its past is a bit shady, the VPN has redeemed itself by updating its privacy policy to include a no-logs feature. It has also been independently audited to prove its authenticity.
Absolutely not. You have to choose from one of its premium plans. However, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you don’t like their product.