PureVPN Review: Big on Features and Mixed Reviews 2024
Fifteen years is a long time, and that’s what makes PureVPN one the oldest VPNs in the market. Over the years, PureVPN has grown to have above 6,500 servers in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Hong Kong, PureVPN is not subject to the International Surveillance All, making it even more of a catch for its users.
Thanks to the countless servers PureVPN has worldwide, it is sure to have a server near you. But despite all this, PureVPN offers a below below-average has streaming issues and poor tech support. Let’s see what the real deal is!
Pricing: How Expensive It Is?
PureVPN has a monthly subscription along with two long-term offers that include:
- Monthly plan at $11.95/month
- 1-year plan at $2.99/month 75% OFF+3 extra months
- 2-year plan at $2.03/month 83% OFF+3 extra months
No matter what subscription plan you purchase, the features you get remain the same. So does the number of devices you can connect to, which is excellent.
7 Day Trial
PureVPN offers a 7-day trial at $0.99, this includes all their premium features, and their features are such, you just can’t miss out. The advantage is that you can cancel anytime if you don’t fit it the best fit for you. But if you wish to carry on using this VPN, you’ll be subscribed to the annual plan with a 47off.
Payment Options
Along with having the option to pay with a credit card, PayPal, Alipay, and PaymentWall, the subscription benefit that users love most is that you can quickly pay through Bitcoin, Litecoin, and other cryptocurrencies as well.
Speed: How Fast Is It?
PureVPN is known to show remarkable speed with OpenVPN UDP. Nearby locations have lower speed delays as compared to locations at a great distance.
The other internet protocols don’t work as well as the OpenVPN UDP does. Even though the IKEv2 is much faster than OpenVPN, it is not as consistent. The OpenVPN TCP significantly affects the speeds, especially at a greater distance.
PureVPN shows the ping of every location before you click connect. For users with Windows App, it gets easier to connect to the fastest server. And while connected to the server, it is equally transparent in showing the upload and download speeds and the protocol in use.
The drawback, however, is that a PureVPN does not support WireGuard protocol. It is a significant reason for the lack of speed. Speeds vary on the location, so be sure to take that 7-day trial and see if it satisfies your streaming and online gaming speed.
Privacy: How Secure Is It?
It is crucial to give a VPN service provider the privacy policy as much importance as you would because the VPN is making Netflix accessible to you.
Logging
Even though PureVPN has a no-logs policy and they get into detail by telling its users that it doesn’t log, a leak of user data in 2017 suggests otherwise.
After the incident, the company changed its privacy policy in 2018 to a harsh no-logs one, but most users have become worried about their private information being leaked.
So when it comes to deciding whether this tool is as safe as they claim to be in keeping your information protected, it’s your call.
Encryption
Let’s discuss their encryption which is the most significant feature of PureVPN. Just like the rest of the VPN service providers, PureVPN uses unbreakable AES-256 encryption. This chip can survive the worst.
Kill Switch
A kill switch is without a doubt one of the leading security features to have. It acts as a second lifeline when your VPN connection fails. Preventing your IP from leaking along with leaving you anonymous as before.
For Window Users: A PureVPN kill switch is enabled by default.
For Mac Users: You can activate the PureVPN kill switch by changing the settings.
Unblocking: Netflix, Disney+ & BBC
It may not be the best for streaming because of the inconsistent speed, but it sure knows how to unblock. PureVPN does an impressive job of unblocking some much-demanded content based on the server you’re connected to.
Users will let go of any VPN flaw if a VPN unblocks Netflix, Disney+, and some BBC. PureVPN does all three, which is excellent. You can count on it to give you some good content but don’t expect a reasonable speed.
Setting Up The App: How Easy Is It?
It’s like any other VPN service setup. Once you start the setup, PureVPN offers you five options to choose from. These include:
- Stream
- Internet Freedom
- Security/privacy
- File Sharing
- Remote/Dedi
PureVPN Apps
They offer an app with all the leading operating systems such as Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux. These apps start with the same options mentioned above with no such detail on why they differ.
PureVPN apps for iPhone, Windows, and Android offer somewhat the same experience. However, one noticeable drawback of the apps on Android phones is that they can sometimes crash, leaving the user’s data exposed for a while.
Support Protocols: PureVPN’s Connectivity
With PureVPN, you have the option to choose from a range of tunneling protocols. You can easily pick the one you like. They all vary in terms of speed and security.
OpenVPN (TCP and UDP)
Users most prefer OpenVPN, and the one major PurevPN applications support the. Here is where you have to choose; just keep in mind that the TCP is safer while the UDP is faster.
IKEv2
Very handy when you wish to switch between Wi-Fi and your mobile data. Even though it offers better speed than the OpenVPN, there is a lack of consistency.
SSTP
SSTP is the most secure protocol but suffers from slow speed due to privacy. This works well on Windows.
LT2P/IPSec
Not as efficient as the OpenVPN and has a much slower speed compared to IKEv2 and OpenVPN. It also faces trouble getting past firewalls. But it’s a safe option to have as L2TP creates the VPN tunnel, and the IPSec looks after the encryption.
PPTP
If security is your primary concern, then this is not the option for you. It’s fast but lacks safety. If you have the option to avoid it, please do.Sadly, PureVPN does not offer WireGuard, which is claimed to be the best VPN protocol currently.
Split Tunneling: Only for Android Users
A brilliant feature to have. PureVPN allows its Android users to have enjoyed the option of split tunneling. It allows you to choose which websites you want to encrypt. At the same time, the remaining ones can go through the internet service provider.
It’s a pretty cool feature to have and very easy to set up. If you’re using it on your phone, you first have to download the application and simply click the websites you want to go through PureVPN.
Pros and Cons
Let’s take a look at the positives and negatives of PureVPN:
Pros
- The strongest AES-256 encryption
- No DNS leaks
- Unblocks Netflix, Iplayer, Disney+, BBC
- Supports torrenting
- 6500 servers in over 140 countries
- Decent subscriptions
- Kill Switch
- Split Tunneling
- Great speed on MAC
- Value for money
- Seven-day free trial
Cons
- Speed lacks consistency
- Connectivity issues
- No logs policy is doubtful
- No money-back guarantee
- Poor tech support
Verdict: PureVPN Lacks Speed and Safety
While it may have excellent features, the absence of WireGuard, the twice changed logs policy, and slow speeds don’t leave that much of an impact on purchasing a PureVPN subscription
If you look at the bright side, it offers excellent features and successfully unblocks all three Netflix, Disney+, and BBC, and has a trustworthy encryption system. If your privacy is your number one priority, then you can choose another VPN.