PrivateVPN Review 2023: 3 Cons and 5 Pros

by Vít Nováček
updated July 5, 2023 (Report a bug)

1. PrivateVPN: Bypass VPN Bans with Stealth Mode

   • Limited number of servers (150)
   • Absence of multi-hop support
   • VPN lacks browser add-ons

   • High-grade encryption
   • Stealth VPN to circumvent VPN ban
   • User-friendly app
   • 30 days of money-back guarantee
   • Capable of unblocking US Netflix

   PrivateVPN is a product of the Swedish company Privat Kommunikation Sverige AB. It is ideally suited for users who require the highest possible level of security and privacy. PrivateVPN practices a zero data storage policy, ensuring there is no information to surrender in response to a government request for user data.

   All data transferred via PrivateVPN is secured with AES-256 encryption, considered to be highly secure. Supported protocols include WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN TCP, OpenVPN UDP, and L2TP/IPSec.

   PrivateVPN allows up to 6 devices to connect simultaneously, offering protection for your entire household. It’s compatible with computers, mobile phones, gaming consoles, and smart TVs. As is typical with paid services, there are no imposed limits on connection speed or data transfer.

   Users can choose from 150 servers located in 62 countries worldwide. For access to a greater number of servers, we suggest using NordVPN, offering over 5,813 servers across 59 countries.

2. PrivateVPN Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…

   • Your Price: $9.01​74% off  $2.30 /mo (6 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (30 days)
   • Free Trial: Yes (7 days)
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     Yes

     Bitcoin :Yes
     Dash :No
     Ethereum :No
     Ripple :No

   

   7.2

   ★★★☆

   This VPN places maximum emphasis on user anonymity. The application is easy to use and can disguise the VPN as regular traffic. The downside is the low number of servers.

   $2.30 /moFree 7-day trial​30-day money back guarantee

   Get this VPN 74% cheaper

   PrivateVPN Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money-Back Guarantee

   PrivateVPN offers one-month, three-month, and three-year subscription plans. The most economical option is the 3-year subscription, priced at $2.30 per month when paid upfront, a significant reduction from the regular $9.01 monthly fee.

   PrivateVPN provides a 30 days of money-back guarantee. To claim a refund, simply contact technical support via chat or email. Refunds are granted regardless of the cancellation reason.

   Subscription payments can be made using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club International, and UnionPay credit cards. Additionally, payments can be made through PayPal or using Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

3. PrivateVPN and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: 6

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     Yes

     Android TV is supported by 37 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     Yes

     Apple TV is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     Yes

     Fire TV is supported by 44 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     No

     Chromebook is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     Yes

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     Yes

     Kodi is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     Yes

     Linux is supported by 60 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     Yes

     NAS is supported by 25 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     Yes

     nVidia Shield is supported by 15 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     Yes

     Playstation is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     Yes

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     Yes

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     Yes

     Router is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     Yes

     xBox is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     No

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     No

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 19 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     No

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 35 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     No

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     No

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.

   PrivateVPN is compatible with major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux, with corresponding apps available for all platforms.

   PrivateVPN can also be used on Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, and supports platforms like Kodi and Raspberry Pi. An advantage of PrivateVPN is the option to install the VPN on your router, thus securing all devices connected to the network.

   Despite broad device support, a drawback of PrivateVPN is the absence of browser add-ons, which could effectively separate VPN traffic.

4. PrivateVPN App: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +11 more🇪🇸 Spanish 🇷🇺 Russian 🇩🇪 German 🇹🇷 Turkish 🇫🇷 French 🇮🇹 Italian 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇨🇳 Chinese 🇵🇱 Polish 🇮🇳 Hindi 🇸🇪 Swedish
   • Whitelisting:
     No

     Whitelisting is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs

   The user-friendly PrivateVPN app provides a simple operating environment. A large button greets the user upon opening the app, enabling quick connection to the most suitable server at the time. A list of available servers and their current response rates is displayed, facilitating selection of the fastest and most stable server.

   Unfortunately, PrivateVPN doesn’t support whitelisting. This feature would enable users to create a list of trusted websites, IP addresses, applications, and devices that can access the Internet without using a VPN.

   The PrivateVPN app supports 12 languages.

5. PrivateVPN Connection Speed: Upload, Download & Latency

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 110 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 76 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 55 ms.

   PrivateVPN doesn’t impose limits on data transfers.

   During our tests, the average download speed was 42 Mb/s, below average when compared to other VPN services. The average upload speed (52 Mb/s) ranks PrivateVPN in the middle of the pack.

   The VPN is sufficiently fast for casual browsing, but may fall short when streaming 4K video or transferring large files. For such purposes, we recommend ExpressVPN as an alternative.

   The average server response speed during testing was 11 ms, an excellent score among VPNs. This makes PrivateVPN suitable for gaming. Unlike download and upload speeds, lower server response times are better.

6. PrivateVPN Server Locations

   • Number of servers:
     150

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1661.
   • Number of countries:
     62

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 40.

   Europe	🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇹 Malta 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇮🇲 Isle of Man 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇦 Ukraine
   North America	🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇵🇦 Panama 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇧🇷 Brazil 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇵🇪 Peru
   Asia	🇵🇭 Philippines 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇮🇱 Israel 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇻🇳 Vietnam
   Africa	🇿🇦 South Africa
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   PrivateVPN operates 150 servers across 62 countries. Europe has the most servers, but Asia also offers a good selection. Other available countries include the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Servers are also available in countries with frequent government censorship, such as Russia and Turkey.

   All PrivateVPN servers support a kill switch and DNS leak protection. Information about the current server response time is provided, allowing users to select the fastest server.

   Some servers are virtual-only, as clearly stated on PrivateVPN‘s site. These servers could present problems with geo-restricted services that can’t correctly identify such servers. These virtual servers are limited in number and typically located in less frequently used countries.

   Compared to other VPNs, PrivateVPN offers a wider range of server locations, providing users the opportunity to unblock foreign content.

7. PrivateVPN Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 93% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 85% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     No

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 18 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   PrivateVPN offers DNS leak protection, a kill switch, IPv6 address protection, Stealth VPN, and two-factor authentication during login within the app. It also supports the advanced WireGuard protocol.

   DNS leak protection prevents user activity information from leaking via DNS requests. IPv6 address protection operates on a similar principle. The kill switch automatically disconnects the Internet connection if the VPN connection fails, preventing inadvertent exposure of the user’s IP address and location and protecting transmitted data.

   Stealth VPN, a useful security feature, can bypass VPN bans and deep firewall inspections. This is especially useful in countries with strict censorship, as it ensures secure and anonymous Internet access.

   Two-factor authentication can be enabled for account logins on the PrivateVPN app, adding an extra layer of security. Even with a valid password, a potential attacker would not gain access to your account.

   PrivateVPN supports the WireGuard protocol. However, using it can be slightly complicated as it requires manual client configuration. Some competing VPN services have pre-configured WireGuard. It’s a fast, modern, and secure protocol offering excellent performance and high data encryption levels.

   With these features and security provisions, PrivateVPN is a great choice for users who prioritize high security, privacy levels, and the ability to bypass geographic restrictions. However, it doesn’t support Tor.

8. PrivateVPN & Streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime…

   • Amazon Prime:
     Yes

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 51 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     Yes

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     Yes

     HBO streaming is supported by 57 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 48 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 65 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 95 % of reviewed VPNs

   PrivateVPN is adept at unblocking all popular streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. With a connection speed of 42 Mb/s, it ensures smooth playback of full HD videos. The VPN also successfully unblocked content from the UK’s BBC iPlayer service.

   Though PrivateVPN can be used to unblock streaming video on commonly available servers, it does not offer any dedicated servers specifically for this purpose.

9. Features of PrivateVPN: AdBlock, Static IP…

   • Blocks Ads:
     No

     Ad blocking is offered by 43 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     No

     Malware blocking is offered by 33 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     No

     Trackers blocking is offered by 36 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   PrivateVPN does not support the blocking of unwanted advertisements, malware, or trackers.

   Users of PrivateVPN have two types of IP addresses to choose from.

   The first type is a shared public IP address, static in nature and located behind Network Address Translation (NAT) technology. This address, available across all locations, is shared among multiple users of PrivateVPN. As several users share the same IP address, access to certain ports might be restricted.

   The second type is a dynamic dedicated IP address with all ports open. Such an IP address is allocated from a dynamic block of IP addresses at the time of connection and is used exclusively by one user. This type, however, has its limitations: the limited number of dedicated addresses, availability only in certain locations, and compatibility only with OpenVPN-TUN-UDP-1195.

   Currently, PrivateVPN does not offer static dedicated IP addresses that are assigned to a specific user for an extended period. This feature is an additional service offered only by some VPN providers.

   A noteworthy feature of PrivateVPN is the camouflage mode, which can overcome VPN service blocking active in countries with high government censorship.

10. PrivateVPN‘s CPU usage and App Performance

    PrivateVPN has a relatively low impact on device performance. Connecting to the local Czech server only consumed 163 MB of RAM. The RAM load remains consistent, regardless of whether the connection is active or not.

    Therefore, an active VPN connection will not significantly affect your computer’s performance.

11. PrivateVPN Torrenting Servers

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 88 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    PrivateVPN fully supports torrenting and P2P file sharing.

    The 2048-bit encryption used is comparable to military standards. This makes PrivateVPN a robust choice for users requiring high anonymity while sharing torrents.

    For torrenting, users can select from available protocols such as OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, IKEv2, or IPSec. However, some users might miss the availability of a static dedicated IP address. A shared public IP address (with a static IP behind NAT) and a dynamic dedicated address with all ports open are supported.

    Though PrivateVPN does not provide servers specifically dedicated to P2P and torrenting, this type of traffic is neither blocked nor restricted anywhere.

12. What is the country of origin of PrivateVPN?

    • VPN Provider: Privat Kommunikation Sverige AB
    • Country of origin: 🇸🇪 Sweden

    PrivateVPN is operated by Privat Kommunikation Sverige AB, a company registered in Sweden. The company primarily focuses on providing VPN services.

    Sweden, being a member of the European Union, obligates the operator of PrivateVPN to comply with the GDPR on user data protection. Sweden’s membership in the 14 Eyes Countries group, which shares user information among its members, may pose a risk.

13. PrivateVPN and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    PrivateVPN does not store any logs of user activity, and as such, it does not gather data about visited Internet addresses, IP addresses, or transmitted data. In the desktop application, you can click on “Log files” to see a list of the data that PrivateVPN has saved.

    Given that PrivateVPN does not store user logs, it has no data to surrender to the police in response to a request for data release. There have been no past instances indicating that PrivateVPN has provided or stored data.

    PrivateVPN regularly undergoes internal security audits to maintain the highest standards.

    PrivateVPN does not support multi-hop, where the connection is routed through two VPN servers simultaneously for enhanced anonymity and security.

    Increased privacy and a stronger sense of security could be achieved by switching to servers with RAM memory, which inherently do not store data. An external audit from a reputable company would also increase confidence in the service.

14. PrivateVPN Support: Chat, e-mail…

    To contact PrivateVPN‘s technical support, you can use the live chat feature available on their website. During a test inquiry, we received a response within minutes.

    Support for PrivateVPN can also be reached at support@privatevpn.com.

15. PrivateVPN FAQ

    Can PrivateVPN unblock US Netflix?

    Yes, PrivateVPN can successfully stream content from the Netflix platform. In our tests, we were able to unblock US content and watch high-definition video.

    Can PrivateVPN be used via a mobile app?

    Yes, PrivateVPN offers a mobile app for both Android and iOS phones.

    Does PrivateVPN store logs of my activity?

    No, PrivateVPN abides by a “ZERO Data Logging” policy. It does not track or store any user activity, making it impossible to comply with any requests from authorities for data release.

    Who operates PrivateVPN?

    PrivateVPN is operated by the Swedish company Privat Kommunikation Sverige AB. The company specializes in providing high-quality VPN services and ensuring secure Internet connections for its users.