Launched back in 2006, PureVPN has grown to be a first-in-class provider with advanced security features and massive server coverage. But is it really a reliable and affordable VPN you can trust to effectively keep your browsing history under wraps?
Well, there’s no need to wonder any longer. Our PureVPN review sheds light on this VPN’s premium features, pricing plans, usability, streaming capabilities, and more. We'll also address the million-dollar question that many prospective users have—is PureVPN legit? Find out why our experts think so and keep reading below!
Don’t have much time to go through the entire PureVPN review, but would like a summary of its most notable attributes? Check out the list below:
So, is PureVPN a good choice? A holistic approach to unearthing the VPN's performance, speeds, server coverage, and pricing should help you answer this question.
With an impressive 6,500+ servers in over 80 locations, PureVPN eliminates the possibility of excess users fighting for a single server translating to better speeds. Doubling, if not tripling, the number of servers offered by the likes of Hide.me and ExpressVPN, you shouldn’t have to struggle to find a superfast connection nearby.
Europe has its largest server network boasting over 3,000, and North America is next in line with 2,232. The rest are distributed in Asia, Oceania, South America, and Africa, with Central America having the least number of only 4 servers. However, our PureVPN reviews picked up that most of these are virtual servers physically located in other countries, and that tends to compromise performance.
Our PureVPN review found that 20 locations have virtual servers located in the US. The deal with connecting to virtual servers is that, unfortunately, it causes incredibly high latency. That said, there’s no way of telling a virtual server from a physical one.
After conducting a performance and speed PureVPN test, we can safely say the VPN’s speeds are fair enough for the average user, although not necessarily the fastest. There isn’t that much of a dramatic drop in speeds, especially using the WireGuard protocol, known for fast speeds. Benchmarking against a regular internet speed of 160Mbps, speeds only dropped by 20% on average.
If you’re wondering how good PureVPN is from a budget perspective, we can confirm that it’s not the cheapest VPN in town. A free version is not on the table, so you have to pay to enjoy the service.
Currently, the 2-year standard plan makes the most financial sense and will cost you $2.29 monthly. The one-year plan costs $3.74 monthly, and the month-to-month plan costs $10.95. While the current prices won’t exactly leave you bankrupt, much cheaper VPNs like Atlas charge less than $2 a month for a 2-year plan. In any case, you have 31 days to decide if PureVPN is what you want and receive a full refund if it’s not.
After receiving flak for its questionable cooperation with the FBI in 2017, PureVPN has had to pull out all the stops to repair its reputation and regain users’ trust. To begin with, they recently introduced the Always-on Audit mandate, which is a first-of-its-kind. Based on recent PureVPN reviews, the VPN agreed for KPMG International to conduct surprise audits without notice.
Tech-wise, PureVPN introduced a radical obfuscation feature that's particularly beneficial to users looking to access highly-censored regions. The feature hides your traffic to make it seem as if you’re browsing without a VPN. Additionally, PureVPN threw in a domain fronting feature that changes the domain name for certain parts of the website so you appear as if you're in a different location.
Our PureVPN review also identified PureKeep, a password manager that ensures state-of-the-art protection of your sensitive data, like banking details. The same feature helps you keep and create complex passwords, but you must add a small fee to your subs for this one.
Is PureVPN safe? Judging from the random audits and using various high-end security features, we'd say yes. The VPN recently conducted an in-house safety spring cleaning of sorts by replacing outdated protocols with more recent and advanced security features highlighted below.
With split tunneling, you can select the apps you want to be encrypted and which ones to go through an open network. This not only gives traffic a mini speed boost, but it also makes multitasking all the easier. For instance, you can use split tunneling to encrypt torrenting activities while allowing your work emails to go through regular Wi-Fi. According to our PureVPN reviews, this feature is only available to Windows and Android users presently.
Like most VPNs, PureVPN has a renowned kill switch function that ensures your identity and data aren't exposed if your connection suddenly drops. We must add that there's a pretty good chance of that happening with public Wi-Fi. But what stands out about PureVPN’s version is the switch is enabled by default, so you don't have to worry about activating it manually. You can disable it whenever you want, although that's not recommended.
PureVPN employs AES-256-bit encryption, a highly secure technology that even the most notorious hackers will have difficulty cracking. This, by the way, is the standard encryption used by most advanced VPNs, so we expect nothing less. Where PureVPN blows its competition out of the water is by adding Quantum-safe encryption keys to further safeguard your data against future powerful cyber threats. This Quantum Resistant technology is what makes it the best VPN for future proofing your activities.
PureVPN utilises many tunneling protocols that differ in speed and security depending on what you need the VPN for. Options include WireGuard, which has the highest speeds and is highly secure. OpenVPN TCP, OpenVPN UDP, IKEv2, and SSTP are also additional options. If you’re not too sure what to go with, rest easy knowing the VPN automatically selects the best option for you. You can also manually choose your own if you know what’s what.
As this PureVPN review pointed out before, there’s no free version to talk about. However, the VPN does allow you a 7-day risk-free trial period for only $0.99. This exclusive offer comes with the full features you’d get from using the regular packages. It, therefore, presents the perfect opportunity to figure out if the VPN is up to your liking and delivers what it promises before you commit.
You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously on a single PureVPN subscription plan. That, along with the VPN’s vast device compatibility, is some of its biggest selling points. Expect to run PureVPN on the following platforms:
Users should find navigating PureVPN’s Windows version a breeze because it's quite intuitive. Aesthetically, it's a little plain for our liking, but it works well and has features like kill switch, auto connection, and all security protocols that get the job done.
You'll have a hard time telling the Mac and Windows app apart as they are extremely identical in terms of design and functionality. The only notable difference between the two is the ping isn't displayed next to a server in the Mac version, which is the case with Windows.
Of the lot, the PureVPN Android app is the most feature-dense if you want value for your money. For starters, it presents different server modes so that you can choose the best one from specific options like Internet Freedom and File Sharing. The app also gives you split tunnelling capabilities and features all the protocols found on the Windows version.
The PureVPN iOS app is more basic than the Android, with the design and functionality strongly resembling the Windows version. It’s a secure app that supports several security protocols, including WireGuard, and you’ll find it easy to set up and use. However, it doesn’t support split tunnelin
PureVPN supports browser extensions like Chrome and gives users access to over 30 servers with unlimited bandwidth. If anything, users are highly recommended to use the browser extensions if they want to unblock streaming sites quicker. The PureVPN browser extensions are even easier to use than the desktop, even boasting optimised server connections for platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
You can easily set up the PureVPN on your router, making it compatible with gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. The VPN also gives you access to Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast via the router. This is all thanks to the PureVPN DD-WRT applet designed specifically for routers and grants you a basic graphical user interface once you log in to the router.
You’ll largely enjoy a seamless user experience on all platforms, with no annoying ads. Installation and setting up the VPN should take just a few minutes, regardless of the platform. Choosing a server is very simple, both at the country and city level. But you'll probably like how it notifies you of your connection status through an icon in the notification bar. That comes in handy if you're using public Wi-Fi.
A 24/7 live support team is on standby, although your first interactions are with a bot. To reach a live agent, you must choose "other" when the bot asks you a question. Email support is also available, and so is a comprehensive FAQ section to pre-empt any burning questions you may have. Subscribing is pretty easy, and you can also use cryptocurrency options to make payments for added anonymity. Similarly, the VPN won’t be up in arms with users for cancellation and refund requests. These can all be actioned amicably by simply forwarding your requests via live chat.
Using PureVPN, you can successfully unblock geo-restricted sites, depending on the server you’re connected to. You should have no issues unblocking the US and Japanese Netflix libraries, but there's no such luck with the German and French libraries. Other popular platforms you’re privy to with PureVPN include BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.
Around 37 PureVPN P2P servers are optimised for torrenting, which is a good number. While the VPN states that you can't access torrent files in the US, you might just be lucky if you try with the Atlanta, US server. For an extra fee, it’s advisable to activate the port forwarding feature, which helps bump up downloading and seeding speeds.
To wrap it all up, PureVPN is excellent for casual internet users. It's a safe VPN with robust security protocols, and even the mobile apps have features like a kill switch and split tunneling. Sure, the VPN's reputation took a knock in the past, but the random third-party audits are an excellent move that should appease users. Although not the fastest, PureVPN speeds are decent enough to stream the most popular streaming platforms without buffering. Passing our DNS leak tests proves the VPN uses water-tight security features. All in all, it’s a great start for someone who hasn’t yet installed a VPN.
A VPN’s speed largely affects its overall performance when you browse, stream, game, or download files online. Our reviews detail how PureVpn fares in this regard.
Few people can say no to accessing a full-on VPN service complete with top-notch security features for free. Find out from our guides if there’s any such luck with PureVPN.
VPNs offer a couple of packages, so you can pick what you can afford. Have a look at our PureVPN reviews for an insight into the VPN's packages and associated prices.
