PureVPN
 |
9/10 |
| Website: | http://www.purevpn.com/ |
| Contact: | https://www.purevpn.com/contact.php |
| Phone: | N/A |
| Location: | Hong Kong |
| Cost: | from $6.49/month |
| Year Founded: | 2007 |
PureVPN.com Review
Accessing the internet through a VPN (virtual private network) ensures all your personal data stays secure and accessible only to you. Without these additional protections, you may be unknowingly giving third parties access to your most personal information.
PureVPN is one of many VPN providers that offer users a safe and secure online environment that allows them to access content at blazing fast speeds.
But is PureVPN up to snuff?
I wanted to learn more about this VPN to grasp how their service differs from other options and determine if its claims hold. Plus, I’ve been more interested in cybersecurity as of late, so this was the perfect opportunity to educate myself.
I dived headfirst into all PureVPN has to offer to report back with my findings and shed light on this popular VPN.
Below, we’re covering everything from PureVPN.com’s features, pricing model, criticisms, and customer support. Find out if it’s the right VPN for you.
About PureVPN.com
PureVPN was founded back in 2007 by its parent company, GX Systems Limited, within Hong Kong’s jurisdiction.
PureVPN chose Hong Kong as its headquarters location precisely because of its relaxed data retention laws. Being located here puts PureVPN at an advantage because there are no legal requirements for storing user data.
However, recent changes in the city’s National Security law have prompted the company to begin looking for a new spot where they can base their service.
With an extensive collection of servers worldwide, PureVPN is one of the most geographically diverse options I’ve seen on the market. Having started with just two servers, PureVPN has expanded its operation quickly and is now up to 2,000 servers in over 180 different countries.
PureVPN prides itself on being an easy-to-use, high-speed VPN service. It also impressively supports over 20 devices and operating systems, covering nearly everything you could need. And because they have a dedicated high-speed VPN server for almost any purpose, everything should load pretty quickly for a seamless online experience.
The PureVPN logging policy has changed several times over the years. Recently, PureVPN has completely revamped its logging policy to ensure no sensitive information is ever saved.
They operate a 100% certified no-log VPN and their policy includes no-log reports too. This is a welcome update that puts them on-par with other privacy-focused VPNs.
They’ve even commissioned an independent audit of their service to instill trust within their customer base again.
PureVPN’s focus is streaming. While many VPNs either can’t unblock streaming services like Netflix or Hulu or can’t keep up with the download speed needed for smooth watching, PureVPN has made it one of their primary selling points.
Top Features of PureVPN.com
As far as VPNs go, PureVPN has more features than most. Most users who have tried one or more VPN services, including PureVPN, will say that it has the most robust offering of features.
Do these features live up to all they claim to be? Let’s take a look at what PureVPN promises and then dive into the follow-through.
● Allows access to 7 regional Netflix libraries, including US, UK, DE, FR, JP, AU, and CA
● Kill switch to keep you and your information safe even if the VPN connection drops
● Allows for ten/10 simultaneous connections across devices
● Supports all major protocols and platforms including Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox
● Compatible with routers, Amazon Fire Stick, Kodi, Android TV boxes, Microsoft Surface, Roku, Chrome cast, and more
● DDoS protection, which helps targeted victims mitigate a distributed denial-of-service attack
● Advanced port forwarding to help you access your device from anywhere in the world safely
● Split tunneling, which allows you to choose which traffic goes through the VPN
● NAT firewall, which works by only allowing internet traffic that has been requested by the VPN
● P2P file sharing, making it easy to share software, videos, or music through the private network
● BitTorrent traffic protection, which keeps your torrenting activity from prying eyes
There’s no arguing that an offering of features this broad is impressive. The only challenge I had personally was a killswitch failure. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s also not something you want frequently happening when using a VPN.
PureVPN.com Pricing
As with most VPNs, PureVPN offers a pricing model that costs you less every month the longer you can commit. You can purchase a single month of service for just $10.95, but this cost is drastically reduced by 70% if you choose their 2-year plan. That comes down to only $3.33 per month.
Alternatively, if you want to subscribe for longer than one month but less than two years, they also have an annual subscription that costs just $5.83 per month.
Their long-term subscriptions are some of the cheapest I’ve found from VPNs. If you’re working with a budget, PureVPN should be a strong contender on your shortlist of options.
The good news is that all of PureVPN’s plans come with a 31-day money-back guarantee. Even if you subscribe for two years and hate it within the first month, you can still cancel and get your money back. That’s a big relief for those who are shopping around for the best VPN.
You can pay for your VPN service through several different methods (some more private than others). Use PayPal, AliPay, or a credit/debit card if you’re not too concerned with privacy. If security is a top concern—which it probably is if you’re looking into VPNs in the first place—you can also get away with paying via cryptocurrencies like BitCoin through CoinPayments.
Additionally, there are other international payment methods like BlueSnap and PaymentWall.
If you feel like you can’t make a decision (or you want to research the service like I did), they also offer a seven-day trial service for just $0.99. You can’t beat that.
Criticism Of PureVPN.com
I’ve already mentioned a few pieces of criticism toward PureVPN in this VPN review, and luckily there are not too many more to mention.
Some of PureVPN’s features had poor functionality, like the killswitch. Other users had trouble with the Android app, which was prone to crashing while in use.
I read tons of third-party reviews of the service to get a broader perspective on how it works for its customer base at large. It seemed like most of the customers writing the reviews were extremely happy with the service. A small minority ran into at least some small issues on one of the features PureVPN offers.
Customer Support
Since your security is on the line anytime you use a VPN, it’s imperative-at least for me-to have access to a support team that can troubleshoot security issues if they ever arise.
PureVPN offers live chat support to all its users should they need assistance. In my experience, it seemed like I was just talking to a robot at first. But after a few introductory canned messages, the support team member I chatted with was able to answer some specific questions and address my concerns pretty quickly.
Luckily, their customer response was fast and helpful, so I feel confident about their ability to help when needed.
Final Thoughts
Would I recommend PureVPN?
If you’re looking for something that’s fast, affordable, and geared toward streaming, PureVPN should be at the very top of your list. Granted, some users have had some functionality issues with specific features in the past, but PureVPN has shown a track record of improvement and takes their customer concerns seriously.
But beyond that, PureVPN still has a lot going for it. Where some VPNs flounder (like with streaming), PureVPN reigns supreme (hello, Netflix and Hulu!). And as far as pricing goes, it’s hard to beat.
Because of PureVPN’s competitive pricing plans, robust menu of features, lightning-fast speeds, and customer service, it’s a great starter VPN for anyone who’s interested in keeping their online activity and information more secure.