PureVPN Review 2023: 2 Cons and 3 Pros

by Petr Lippert
updated March 30, 2023 (Report a bug)

1. PureVPN: Wide choice of servers and good streaming support

   • Free trial version is not available for desktop devices
   • PureVPN does not offer ad blocking and tracker blocking

   • Large number of servers (6,500) and countries available (69)
   • Supports most available platforms
   • Unblocks streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube

   PureVPN is one of the leading VPN providers, which has been in business since 2007. Originally based in Hong Kong, the company relocated to the British Virgin Islands in 2021.

   Users of PureVPN can access 6,500 servers in 69 countries around the world. VPN supports kill switch and whitelist and can unblock streaming video. The app is simple and intuitive to use, and within one subscription, the VPN can be used on 10 devices simultaneously.

   The PureVPN supports almost all widespread platforms, including routers, and the plus point is a very high level of privacy protection.

   The promotional subscription price $1.99 per month is very reasonable. What makes PureVPN different from the competition is the wide possibility of configuring the application according to the needs of a particular user.

   The disadvantage of PureVPN is the lack of support for blocking ads, malware, and trackers. The free trial version is only available for mobile devices; unfortunately, the trial version for desktop devices is chargeable.

   Overall, PureVPN is a good choice that will meet the requirements of most users.

2. Subscription PureVPN: Discount coupon, trial version, money back guarantee…

   • Your Price: $10.95​82% off  $1.99 /mo (10 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (31 days)
   • Free Trial: Yes (7 days)
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     Yes

     Bitcoin :Yes
     Dash :Yes
     Ethereum :Yes
     Ripple :Yes

   Get this VPN 82% cheaper

   PureVPN offers three subscription options: monthly, yearly, and bi-annual. In terms of the features included, they are no different, and all come with a money-back guarantee within 31 days of ordering. The most affordable subscription is for two years.

   The desktop trial can be used for 31 days, but you must first pay approximately $1.00. The reason for charging may be to prevent one-time use of the VPN.

   In the mobile app, PureVPN can be used for 31 days without having to pay anything. Completion of payment details is required as the paid subscription is automatically activated after the trial period. The user can choose its length.

   For students, PureVPN offers a 15% discount just by registering on the website.

   When ordering PureVPN, an email address and password are entered. No other personal information is required. Subscriptions can be paid by credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, and via selected cryptocurrencies. There is no money-back guarantee when paying via cryptocurrencies.

   Subscriptions to PureVPN can be subscribed to additional services for added protection for an additional fee. These include a dedicated IP address, port forwarding, password manager, or file encryption.

   The subscription price PureVPN $1.99 per month is comparable to similar VPNs.

3. Device support at PureVPN: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: 10

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     Yes

     Android TV is supported by 39 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     Yes

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

     Fire TV is supported by 42 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     Yes

     Chromebook is supported by 18 % 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 59 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

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

     NAS is supported by 26 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     Yes

     nVidia Shield is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     Yes

     Playstation is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     Yes

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 17 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     Yes

     Roku is supported by 17 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     Yes

     Router is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

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

     xBox is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     Yes

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 48 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     Yes

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 48 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 20 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     Yes

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 35 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     Yes

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 48 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     Yes

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 48 % of reviewed VPNs.

   PureVPN supports most platforms, including Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Linux. VPNs can be used on Kodi smart TVs, Apple TV, Android TV, or Fire TV, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles are supported.

   An add-on is available for Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Brave browsers.

   The PureVPN can be used simultaneously on up to 10 devices. This has the advantage of supporting traffic on the router, which can effectively expand the number of devices or enable VPNs on devices that are not natively supported. The router counts as one device in the quota.

4. Application PureVPN: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +11 more🇩🇪 German 🇪🇸 Spanish 🇮🇹 Italian 🇨🇳 Chinese 🇫🇷 French 🇷🇺 Russian 🇰🇷 Korean 🇵🇹 Portuguese 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇯🇵 Japanese 🇹🇷 Turkish
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs

   You don’t need a lot of free space on your device to download the PureVPN app, as it only takes up less than 100 MB. Downloading the app itself is easy, with installation instructions available on the PureVPN website.

   The application is clear, user-friendly, and simple to use. The same is true of the website, PureVPN can thus be recommended even to complete beginners.

   The app environment for mobile and desktop is very similar, and you can switch between 12 languages. There is English among them.

   In the app’s settings, you can activate automatic startup and connection to the VPN when the device is turned on. Other VPN parameters can also be customized. The PureVPN split tunneling feature is available on a per-app basis on both mobile and desktop devices. With split tunneling, the user has the option to select which apps are always excluded from using the VPN (blacklist) or which will always use the VPN (whitelist).

   An active connection at PureVPN is indicated by the VPN character displayed in the device’s main bar.

5. Connection speed and traffic for PureVPN

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 98 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 67 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 66 ms.

   PureVPN does not limit the user in any way by the amount of data transferred.

   When testing PureVPN, we measured the average speed of download 123 Mb/s and upload 51 Mb/s. In both cases, the speed is sufficient for streaming 4K video and downloading and uploading large amounts of data. Compared to other VPNs reviewed, PureVPN ranks among the average.

   Connection speeds vary significantly depending on the server chosen, with the distance from the test location being particularly influential.

   The average response time reached the value 12 ms, PureVPN is thus also suitable for gaming.

6. List of countries and VPN servers at PureVPN

   • Number of servers:
     6,500

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1654.
   • Number of countries:
     69

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

   Europe	🇦🇱 Albania 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇲🇨 Monaco 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇦 Ukraine
   North America	🇦🇼 Aruba 🇧🇸 Bahamas 🇧🇧 Barbados 🇧🇲 Bermuda 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands 🇨🇦 Canada 🇵🇦 Panama 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇴 Bolivia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇱 Chile
   Asia	🇦🇫 Afghanistan 🇧🇭 Bahrain 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 🇧🇳 Brunei 🇨🇳 China 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇮🇳 India 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇴🇲 Oman 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇻🇳 Vietnam
   Africa	🇩🇿 Algeria 🇦🇴 Angola 🇪🇬 Egypt 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇳🇬 Nigeria
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   With PureVPN, users can connect to 6,500 servers in 69 countries around the world, with some countries having multiple locations. The servers are spread across all continents, most in Europe and North America. Asia is fairly well represented by PureVPN, and PureVPN servers are also present in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

   The PureVPN also offers servers in countries notorious for Internet content censorship, such as Russia and Singapore.

   With 6,500 servers, PureVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market, Private Internet Access leading the ranking with 35,400 servers.

   The number of servers required for smooth VPN operation is primarily based on the number of active users. For PureVPN, we did not observe any instability or login issues during testing.

7. Security at PureVPN: DNS protection, kill switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 95% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 84% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     No

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 22 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 15 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   To guarantee a secure and private connection to the Internet, PureVPN provides DNS protection. Of course, there is a kill switch feature that immediately disconnects the device from the Internet in the event of a VPN failure. Thus, user data will not be compromised.

   The PureVPN supports quite a long list of encryption protocols: from OpenVPN to PPTP, IPSec, L2TP, SSTP, Stealth, and IkeV2. In addition, IPv6 leak protection will hide the user’s IP address.

8. VPN streaming on PureVPN: Netflix, Youtube, Amazon…

   • Amazon Prime:
     Yes

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

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     Yes

     HBO streaming is supported by 58 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 50 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 66 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 88 % of reviewed VPNs

   In our tests, we confirmed that PureVPN is a great choice for streaming. We were able to unblock not only streaming services but also sports broadcasts. The PureVPN worked successfully with Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO.

   Although PureVPN does not offer servers specifically optimized for streaming, the app can be set to connect to servers that provide the best video viewing experience.

   We had no problem with connection speed during playback. The video played smoothly and didn’t stutter even when skipping certain passages. The average download speed 123 Mb/s was sufficient for playing 4K video, which requires approximately 50 MB/s.

9. Function PureVPN: Adblock, static IP address…

   • Blocks Ads:
     No

     Ad blocking is offered by 46 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     No

     Malware blocking is offered by 36 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     No

     Trackers blocking is offered by 39 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   Basic PureVPN features include a kill switch to prevent data leakage or loss when the VPN connection is dropped. A whitelist is also supported to select the applications on which the VPN will always be active.

   The PureVPN supports torrenting, split tunneling, or the ability to use the VPN simultaneously on 10 devices. The convenience of using PureVPN is enhanced by the ability to configure the application according to the user’s preferences.

   A less common addition to PureVPN is a custom browser for secure Internet browsing.

   On the other hand, PureVPN does not offer ad blocking, malware blocking, or tracker blocking. You can order a static IP address and port forwarding with the VPN for an additional fee.

10. Load the computer with PureVPN

    The PureVPN application is relatively small in size, and we did not experience any slowdowns or other negative effects on the test machine during use.

    The load of the application can be influenced by its settings and possibly disabling unused functions.

11. VPN torrent and PureVPN

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 89 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    Although PureVPN supports P2P traffic on all servers, it does lose out a bit on the best VPN for torrenting. It lacks optimized servers, and our measured upload speed 51 Mb/s is rather average.

    For an additional cost, PureVPN can use the port forwarding feature, which allows the user to connect to a port on the local network. This can bypass, for example, a NAT firewall.

12. Headquarters PureVPN

    • Country of origin: 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

    The company PureVPN was originally based in Hong Kong but moved its headquarters to British Virgin Islands in 2021. One of the reasons for the change was major changes to Hong Kong’s laws related to monitoring citizens’ privacy for the worse.

    The British Virgin Islands is one of the popular locations for VPN providers. Credit for this goes to the jurisdiction, which is friendly to both operators and users. The local government cannot force companies to collect or release any information about their users.

13. Privacy and PureVPN: Log storage, security…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 80% of reviewed VPNs.

    PureVPN commits in its privacy policy to not store any browsing data, connection logs, assigned VPN IP addresses, user IP addresses, or connection times.

    The PureVPN service recently successfully passed two audits that focused on privacy and not storing logs. At the same time, the VPN provider has a system in place whereby a contract auditing company can audit PureVPN at any time without prior notice. This ensures that the operator cannot prepare for the audit in advance, so it takes place in a normal operational state.

    Thus, PureVPN can promise a high level of user privacy. Also, no sensitive data leaks have been reported in the past with this company.

14. Support at PureVPN: Chat, email…

    Customer support is very high at PureVPN. Users can contact support via email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, the support ticket system, and live chat. In addition, technical support works around the clock, and during our testing, we received a response almost immediately on the chat.

    The PureVPN has a fairly well-designed website where you can find tutorials on installing and setting up the app or a user forum that provides answers to frequently asked questions. Many problems can thus be solved without having to contact the support staff.

15. FAQ on PureVPN

    Is my data transmitted via PureVPN really private?

    Yes, PureVPN prides itself on the privacy of its customers. It does not ask its users for any identifiable information. The company is based in British Virgin Islands, which is known for its laws that allow VPN providers to keep data private. No data is stored from user activity; at the same time, the VPN is regularly audited. In terms of ensuring privacy, PureVPN is a great choice.

    Does PureVPN offer a trial version?

    Yes, PureVPN offers two trial options. The first is for desktop devices only and is charged a nominal amount. The second is free but only works on mobile devices. In both cases, the trials are valid for 7 days. Subscriptions PureVPN also comes with a money-back guarantee of 31 days.

    Is a subscription PureVPN worth it?

    In terms of the quality and quantity of services offered, compared to the price of a $1.99 subscription per month, this is a fair offer. The highest level of savings can be achieved by choosing the subscription with the longest duration or by taking advantage of the student discount.