Features
Speed & Performance
Ease of Use
Mobile App
Customer Support
Pricing
Inside This Article...
PureVPN Pros:
- Servers in 140+ countries
- Kill switch
- No logs
- Torrenting allowed
PureVPN Cons:
- Not the cheapest
PureVPN is one of the more well-known VPNs, as it has servers across 140 different countries. But is it the right VPN for you?
Below, I will give you my thoughts on the service, so you can determine whether or not this is the best VPN for your requirements.
Overview
PureVPN was started in 2007 based in Hong Kong, making it one of the longest-serving VPN providers. It combines affordable subscriptions with some very impressive features. PureVPN boasts over 2000 servers across 140+ countries globally.
This VPN provider offers dedicated torrenting (P2P) servers, as well as streaming servers. If you’re not happy with what they have to offer, then they also offer a 31-day money-back guarantee. Every server that PureVPN connects to ensures all methods of security including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2.
How many servers does PureVPN have?
PureVPN has over 2000 servers across 140+ countries. Every user on any subscription package can connect to all and any server available. There’s also unlimited bandwidth, so you can browse and stream to your heart’s content without a worry.
You are also going to have the option of connecting to city-level servers. This is possible in the following locations:
- United States (13 cities)
- United Kingdom (4 cities)
- South Africa (2 cities)
- Malaysia (2 cities)
- Germany (5 cities)
- France (2 cities)
- Czech Republic (2 cities)
- China (2 cities)
- Canada (3 cities)
- Australia (4 cities)
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Speeds
PureVPN has a wide range of servers but unfortunately they don’t all perform that well. Under the hood, we also found that you can’t connect to more than 200 sessions a day which is probably not an issue for most, but still a slight concern.
Tests on U.K. servers returned speeds of up to 65Mbps on a 76Mbps connection which was very reasonable. However, as we moved further into Europe, connection speeds dipped below the expected average. For example, the Netherlands returned speeds of 35Mbps, U.S.A around 30Mbps, and China a mere 3Mbps!
Security
PureVPN ensures the highest security measures across their servers. Military grade 256-bit encryption is in place as well as proactive protection.
There’s also an internet kill switch, so if your connection was ever compromised, your privacy will remain intact, and all connections will be safe.
PureVPN also offers multiple add-ons if you want to further increase your security. These include port forwarding, a dedicated IP address, and DDoS protection.
Does PureVPN collect logs?
PureVPN takes your privacy extremely seriously. Users’ activity and traffic will not be logged, ensuring you remain anonymous at all times.
Your IP address will always be masked, so no one can ever obtain this information. All browsing will remain anonymous, allowing you to choose an IP address in the location of your choice.
The PureVPN app includes an ad-blocker, so you won’t come across any annoying ads to ruin your browsing experience!
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Torrenting
Whilst most VPN providers allow torrenting (P2P), not all of them advertise this fact. PureVPN is open about P2P and even has dedicated servers for this purpose.
P2P optimised servers mean you won’t experience any speed throttling, and downloads won’t be blocked. P2P protection is also available as an add-on for extra security and privacy should you require it.
At the same time, I must give a word of warning in regard to using this VPN for torrenting purposes. In the past, there have been a few issues with the logging policy at PureVPN, and so this would lean me to using a different VPN provider if torrenting is your primary goal. ExpressVPN and NordVPN are good choices.
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Unblock streaming services
As with their dedicated P2P servers, PureVPN also has dedicated streaming servers. Gone are the days of waiting for movies to buffer before you can watch them. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon TV, and Hula are unblocked so that you can access them in different countries. All of these features are available whilst keeping your connection private and secure.
As there are optimized streaming servers, PureVPN is definitely one of the leading choices out there for this purpose. You will be able to connect to all of the following (and more):
- ESPN
- ABC
- Hulu
- Sky TV
- Amazon Prime
- BBC iPlayer
- Netflix
Can PureVPN bypass the Great Firewall of China?
As this VPN is based in Hong Kong, you may be primarily considering using it for the purpose of getting past the Great Firewall of China. This is, indeed, one of the few VPNs that still works effectively in China.
However, it is not the easiest process in the world. Firstly, you will need to get in touch with the customer support team. They will then provide you with a guide on setting up in China, which is pretty comprehensive. A lot of manual configuration is involved. Even then, you’re not guaranteed a service that will always work in China, so you may want to consider another option.
Nevertheless, PureVPN is definitely one of the better options available when it comes to high censorship countries. This does not only include China, but it also includes the likes of Russia and Saudi Arabia. The extension network that PureVPN operates is the main reason for this.
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Compatibility
The average amount of devices a VPN can connect to is around 5. PureVPN matches this average across multiple devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome and Firefox.
If you’re lucky enough to own a smart TV, you can download the PureVPN app to your TV so that your TV apps are also protected by a VPN.
Watching shows on Netflix has never been easier! If you have a games console, you can enjoy a no lag experience whilst remaining private and secure.
You can check out my “reviews by device” if you would like more information on the best VPN for a specific device.
Games consoles and streaming devices
One of the best things about PureVPN is that it has dedicated apps for the likes of Android TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. This means that all you need to do is download the software from the app store, and you will be good to go.
The good news does not end there either. A Kodi add-on is available with this VPN, which will be music to the ears of any streaming fans.
You can also use PureVPN on other games consoles and streaming devices, like PlayStation and Xbox, yet this will need to be set up at router level. You can either manually configure your current router or you can purchase a pre-configured router that already has PureVPN installed.
Browser extensions
You are also going to get browser extensions with this VPN, including extensions for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
As I have mentioned in a lot of my reviews, it is vital that you remember that these browser extensions should not be used in place of the full desktop client because they do not encrypt your connection.
At the moment, there are not any extensions for Safari or Opera, but we could see PureVPN add these in the future.
Customer support
Even though they have over 3 million users, PureVPN still maintains a good level of customer service which is available 24/7.
If you want to connect to one of their social media accounts, you can do this through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+.
Live chat is available on their website, so if you do encounter any problems, you can connect to an adviser almost immediately which is really helpful.
There’s plenty of FAQs available on the PureVPN website as well as a bunch of tutorials if you need further guidance.
Pricing
PureVPN is not one of the cheapest VPNs on the market, especially if you go for the six-month or one-month plan. As with most other VPNs, the longer you sign up, the cheaper the subscription cost becomes.
With the one-month plan, you will be charged $10.95 per month. For the six-month plan, you will be charged $8.33 per month, yet you will pay for the six months upfront.
There is a seven-day trial available, which will cost $0.99. However, if you do not cancel before the seven days are up, you are going to be auto-subscribed to the yearly plan, so do keep this in mind. You will be billed $77.88 for the entire year, which is the equivalent of $6.49 per month. This means you will effectively be making a saving of 40 per cent when compared with the monthly plan. However, just make sure you do not get caught out by the fact that you will be auto-subscribed to this.
Payment can be made via a variety of methods, including BitCoin, PayPal, credit card, and Skrill.
Every pricing plan (regardless of how long you sign up for) includes the following impressive features:
- Apps on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux
- Security including PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, OpenVPN
- 5 simultaneous devices
- 300,000+ IPs
- Eliminate speed throttling
- Kill Switch
- Unlimited server switching
- Unlimited data transfer
There is a 31-day money-back guarantee, so if you are not happy with the service, you will be able to get a refund within this period.
Summary
PureVPN offers a bucket load of features, some of which are additional add-ons, but are still available to all users. There’s plenty of servers to choose from and essential options like streaming and P2P are on offer, and most importantly work!
There’s lots of apps to download across multiple devices, and even include the option to protect your Smart TV. However, some users’ report that the PureVPN app isn’t the easiest to get to grips with. There’s a few accessibility issues and a confusing user interface which may not appeal to all users.
If you’re looking for a VPN that will keep your activity private and secure at a reasonable price, PureVPN will deliver this. However, if speed and performance are important for your browsing experience, then you may want to take a look at another VPN. Having lots of servers doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a lot of options if speeds dip. Generally speaking, if one server in a particular location is lacking in performance, others will follow suit.
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