PureVPN Review

Now one of the most established VPNs on the market, PureVPN started with two servers in 2006. It’s headquartered in Hong Kong and has more than 2,000 servers in over 140 countries. As a virtual private network, it encrypts your internet traffic so your browsing is completely anonymous. This means that hackers and other nosey individuals or groups can’t gain access to your location or traffic. PureVPN has plenty of features, including streaming, torrenting and 256-bit AES encryption — but watch out for slow speeds and a clunky experience on iOS or Android.

Pros & Cons of PureVPN

Key Features of PureVPN

There are more than 300 VPN services on the market, so choosing between them can feel daunting. When compiling this VPN review, we’ve focused on the four most crucial features: security and privacy, server coverage, performance and cost.

Security & Privacy

When you’re looking for a VPN service, protecting your personal information is one of the most crucial aspects. No-log policies, which mean that the service provider doesn’t keep track of your activity while using their platform, are a must. There was once a scare over PureVPN’s no-log policy, but they’ve made efforts since then to ensure information isn’t saved. In 2019, they employed a third-party auditor to regulate its privacy systems and security measures. However, it’s not clear if this was a one-off solution or something that’ll hold them to account on an ongoing basis. Nonetheless, they do have a strict no-logging policy in place now, and they use military-grade 256-bit AES encryption.

Sever Coverage

PureVPN runs specialist servers that operate for the majority of popular websites. You search for it using the server selection function and get a list of options of servers that can unblock it. Considering the affordable price, over 2,000 servers across more than 400 countries are a good amount. As such, you’d expect the software to run faster. It seems that the country you choose to host the server in plays a significant role in how fast the connection is, with domestic U.S. traffic running slowest. If you opt for Australia the software runs a little fast. Although its desktop app runs well, the mobile app can be slow and a little clunky.

Performance

Unfortunately, performance is one of the major letdowns when it comes to PureVPN’s capabilities. If you’re in a multi-person household, it’s not going to be ideal — especially when connected to a server in the United States. You can only connect five devices simultaneously, but the bandwidth is unlimited, and it has a dedicated profile for torrenting. As such, you can rest assured that your P2P connection is as secure and speedy as possible. PureVPN is a good choice for media fans, and whether you’re into torrenting or streaming, it keeps your online activities private. Be warned, though, you’ll need a mega internet connection to make the most out of streaming. Download speeds have been recorded as low as 3.78 Mbps, so streaming your favorite shows and downloading torrents might not be as smooth as you’d hope. There are different modes you can choose from that optimize the software for what you’re doing. For example, you can choose security mode or streaming and file sharing mode. However, it’s unclear as to how secure your connection is when you opt for the settings that speed up the downloading process.

Price

Considering that it contains a good number of features and is customizable according to what you plan to use it for, the price is low — especially if you opt for the six-month plan. However, the lower cost is evident when it comes to performance, which can significantly slow down your system and causes problems with several devices. It also seems that customer service is lacking as a result of the lower price of this software. That said, the price is one of the major selling points for PureVPN. It’s one of the cheapest premium virtual private networks out there, and they let you purchase your subscription with pretty much any currency. For people who are serious about online anonymity, this is a major bonus.

PureVPN Overview

What Customers Are Saying

Reviews are generally positive about the cost and performance of PureVPN when it comes to using it with a single device. However, people comment that more than one can be a struggle. One four-star reviewer remarks, “I have installed Pure VPN on my new computer and it is working well. However Pure VPN on my other computer stopped working well despite I have got license for 5 devices.” As such, this particular provider might be best suited to individuals with a single PC or phone to protect. Another user of PureVPN says, “I don’t get any notifications from my ISP for activity of which they disapprove.” So, it performs the functions that it’s supposed to by masking internet traffic from your internet service provider. All in all, it’s a simple VPN solution at a low cost that might not be appropriate for more bandwidth-demanding tasks.