PureVPN Review

Download speed without PureVPN: 93Mbps

Download speed with PureVPN: 77Mbps

Our download speed loss when PureVPN is running: 17%

PureVPN isn’t the fastest VPN we’ve tested, but it’s still pretty quick. Local speeds are more than fast enough for streaming and torrenting, and our proprietary speed testing tool showed impressive consistency across PureVPN’s server network.

PureVPN doesn’t perform very well over international connections, though, such as the UK to the US, and is worse further afield.

PureVPN is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for fast, hassle-free access to all major streaming services.

PureVPN Stream Mode unlocks over 20 listed services and channels, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Sky TV, Hulu, ABC, and ESPN.

Throughout our regular tests, we have had no issues accessing Netflix through PureVPN’s dedicated server, but watching BBC iPlayer has been a bit hit-and-miss.

PureVPN is also a great choice for keen Kodi fans and torrenters, as P2P is permitted on the majority of servers.

Unfortunately, torrenting is excluded on PureVPN’s UK, US, Canada, and Australia servers for legal reasons.

PureVPN is one of the few services to still work in Chine, despite the recent crackdowns on VPN providers, even if it’s becoming less and less reliable as time goes on.

Currently, only the PureVPN Windows app can be used in China – you’ll have to use servers optimized for China within the Dedicated IP mode. Customer support suggested that manual configuration with the IKEv2 VPN protocol is more effective at beating the censors.

There are other providers out there offering a much simpler, more comprehensive solution for high-censorship countries should you need it, such as ExpressVPN.

PureVPN stands out for offering dedicated apps for both the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Android TV, so all you have to do is download the software from the app store and you’re good to go. There’s even a Kodi add-on for PureVPN too.

Other streaming devices and games consoles can be protected by connecting them to a configured router. You can buy pre-configured routers with PureVPN already installed, or manually configure your existing router if it’s compatible.

PureVPN allows for up to five simultaneous connections but you can protect all the Internet-connected devices in your home by configuring your router.

PureVPN also offers browser extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

While PureVPN’s browser extensions come with WebRTC leak protection it’s important to remember that these proxies don’t encrypt your connection so should not be used in place of the full desktop client.

It used to be difficult to recommend PureVPN for anyone with stringent privacy needs due to previous issues with its logging policy, but a recent revamp means that this is no longer so much of a problem.

The app chooses the ‘best’ protocol for you on startup, but we recommend using OpenVPN as it’s the best protocol for all-round performance and privacy. Encryption is via ‘unbreakable’ cipher AES-256.

The VPN kill switch is an essential feature, blocking all web traffic should the VPN connection drop for any reason, preventing your true IP address from being exposed.

You’re also protected against DNS, IPv6 and WebRTC leaks – which our independent tests proved to be working effectively – giving you peace of mind that your online activity isn’t visible to anyone other than yourself.

The desktop app also includes split tunneling, allowing you to direct specific traffic through the VPN and leave the rest to go outside of the encrypted tunnel.

Previous controversies surrounding PureVPN’s logging policy means we’re still a little skeptical – you might want to look into providers with strict zero-logs policies, such as CyberGhost or PrivateVPN.

It emerged that, in an online harassment case that took place in October 2017, the FBI was able to identify the accused by matching the IP address of a PureVPN server used in the crime with the true IP address that he used to connect to the server.

While we don’t condone the actions of the alleged criminal, PureVPN didn’t tell customers it logged their IP address, and claimed to only log connection times and bandwidth used. Even worse, it made the false claim that: “We do NOT keep any logs that can identify or help in monitoring a user’s activity,” which clearly isn’t the case.

However, PureVPN has recently gone some way to redeeming itself with the introduction of a completely revamped logging policy, where the only information collected is:

• The day you connect to a specific VPN server location
• Your Internet Service Provider
• Total bandwidth used by each user

It does not collect your originating IP address, connection timestamps, DNS requests or the IP address of your chosen VPN server. This means that nothing you do online can be traced back to you as an individual, restoring a little bit of our confidence in the service.

PureVPN operates under the jurisdiction of Hong Kong, putting it beyond the reach of the US and EU.

It says it specifically chose HK for its headquarters because there are no mandatory data retention laws, therefore it isn’t a legal requirement to store user data or share it with any third parties.

PureVPN clearly states that “if and when [it] receive[s] subpoenas that are legally upheld in the court of law in Hong Kong, [it] won’t be of much help since [it has] almost nothing of value to share”, which is reassuring.

PureVPN offers a live chat feature, which is very handy for quick, simple questions. The agents respond promptly and courteously but their knowledge doesn’t extend to more complicated queries – it was much the same story for email support.

The Support Center on the website is certainly comprehensive with lots of FAQs, troubleshooting advice and manual setup guides for loads of devices.