PureVPN Review 2024: Is the Low Cost Worth It? (2024)

PureVPN checks many boxes for a good virtual private network (VPN) provider, and it's one of the most affordable options for a basic plan. It has more servers than most VPN providers, with 6,500+ servers in 70+ countries, doesn't log your data, passed our leak tests, and seamlessly unblocked Netflix.

However, PureVPN slowed down our internet speed. Although a slowdown in speed is normal for a VPN because it's routing your traffic through a server, PureVPN drastically dragged it down. The speed drop didn't affect our ability to stream services like Netflix, but it's not ideal for those looking to maintain high-speed internet connections with a super fast VPN service.

Let's dig into our PureVPN review to find out if its low cost is worth it for you.

PureVPN overview

Our experience

PureVPN has a lot to offer in regard to privacy and security, and the base VPN service is super affordable. PureVPN is easy to use, but it immediately tanked our internet speed upon connecting. The lag crossed over from web browsing and really affected our computer performance. Surprisingly, the lag didn't interfere with streaming, though.

It was also unusual to see how drastically the speeds dropped once we connected to a U.S. server. During our re-test using a Windows PC in PA, our base speed was 557.80 Mbps when not connected to a VPN. When we connected to a PureVPN server in NJ, our download speed dropped to 203.99 Mbps. After completing connection speed tests using a few international servers, PureVPN froze the test website. We also noticed that PureVPN's speed gauge didn't align with the speed test results.

While PureVPN's privacy policy and super secure encryption protocols make it a good VPN service, its performance interference keeps it from joining the ranks of our top recommended VPN providers.

Who is PureVPN best for?

• Recommended for people who want to save money on a VPN without sacrificing privacy.

PureVPN has one of the more affordable VPN plans, starting at the lower end at $2.03/mo (billed biannually) for the first 27 months. It's a no-frills VPN provider, but it does the job of hiding your online activity and connecting to servers around the world.

In 2021, PureVPN moved its headquarters from Hong Kong to the British Virgin Islands to maintain its commitment to protecting user privacy. It also completed its fourth audit in 2023, which proved successful for its no-logs policy.

Although it hits all the right notes for online privacy, some people may find slower internet speeds to be a dealbreaker. It also doesn't include any extra security features, such as a password manager and file encryption, unless you're willing to pay more for them. Plus, you have to pay for "add-on" features other competitors include in basic plans, like dedicated IP, port forwarding, multi-logins, and dedicated servers.

Prices and subscriptions

PureVPN offers three different subscription plans: Standard, Plus, and Max. Standard comes with just the VPN, while the Plus plan includesthe PureKeep password manager and PureEncrypt file encryption. The Max plan is the most expensive but also comes with the PurePrivacy personal privacy manager along with everything in the previous tiers.

You'll also have three subscription length options, and the longer you subscribe, the cheaper the overall subscription. The Standard two-year subscription costs$2.03/mo (billed biannually) for the first 27 monthsand is fairly affordable, especially next to top-tier competitors like NordVPN. (Though with the best VPN services like NordVPN, all the bells and whistles are included at no additional cost.)

If you choose to subscribe to the Standard plan for only one year, the price goes up slightly to$2.99/mo (billed annually) for the first 15 months, while paying monthly costs$4.66/mo (billed annually).

PureVPN accepts payments with debit/credit cards, PayPal, and Paymentwall. You can also pay with Google Pay, but sometimes this option doesn't show up for us, so you may want to consider a backup payment option just in case.

In addition, you can pay with cryptocurrency via CoinGate. However, this option is nonrefundable, and it was occasionally unavailable.

PureVPN plan comparison

Features

PureVPN has a basic and modern interface that's easy to use. The app only shows you what you need to get started. Searching and connecting to servers across the globe is quick, and you can be ready to go with a click.

Sometimes modifying advanced settings is intimidating, but PureVPN makes it simple by providing brief one-sentence instructions and descriptions to choose what's best for you.

PureVPN includes all the standard features you'd expect from a VPN, as well as some additional features with its higher tiers.

Here are PureVPN's key features:

1. Server count and countries
2. No-logs policy and headquarters
3. Kill switch
4. Split tunneling
5. Encryption
6. VPN protocol
7. Bonus features

1. Server count and countries

• 6,500+ servers in 70+ countries

You can easily find a fast server with PureVPN because it has more than 6,500 servers available. The servers are spread over 70 countries, so you can connect to server locations worldwide.

The vast majority of PureVPN servers are located in North America and Europe, but there are also a decent number of servers in Asia and Oceania. Options on other continents are pretty slim in comparison.

Having such a large variety of servers means you will always have options for a fast connection. It also makes it easier to access streaming services in different countries around the globe.

2. No-logs policy and headquarters

• PureVPN logs policy: No logs
• PureVPN headquarters: British Virgin Islands

PureVPN established a no-logs policy in 2018 and was first independently audited by KPMG in 2021 to certify it as a no-log VPN company. It completed its fourth successful audit in 2023.

The no-logs policy means the VPN won't log any data that can identify you or assist in monitoring your online activity. This can include browsing activity, identifiable connection logs, records of IPs assigned, and more.

As a further commitment to ensuring user privacy, the VPN provider moved its headquarters from Hong Kong to the British Virgin Islands in 2021. Although it's a British Overseas Territory, it's self-governed and has a separate legal jurisdiction from the U.K. Therefore, it's not part of the Five Eyes alliance. Because the British Virgin Islands doesn't require PureVPN to store logs, the VPN can continue to protect your online activities from internet service providers (ISPs) and government officials.

PureVPN also refers to itself as an "Always-On VPN," meaning that it can be audited at any time without notice.

3. Kill switch

A kill switch will automatically block your connection from the internet if the VPN loses connectivity. The benefit is that it ensures your data is always protected and not left exposed due to issues with internet connectivity or network failure. PureVPN's kill switch is called Internet Kill Switch (IKS).

We tested it out by enabling the Internet Kill Switch feature. Then we disconnected from the VPN and opened a new window to see if we could connect to the internet. The browser was unable to load any pages, so the kill switch worked. Once we reconnected the VPN, we were able to access the internet again.

4. Split tunneling

You can opt for all apps to use a VPN, but you can also customize by letting some apps bypass the VPN. This is known as split tunneling. It's a useful feature if you're looking to improve internet speeds or access an app that blocks VPN usage. PureVPN offers split tunneling, and it's easy to set up and use.

5. Encryption

PureVPN uses AES-256 encryption. The most secure VPNs use this type of encryption because it's nearly impossible to decrypt. AES-256 encryption ensures your data is constantly protected from unauthorized parties.

6. VPN protocol

PureVPN supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec/IKEv2. You can enable PureVPN to automatically connect to the most appropriate VPN protocol.

You could also manually choose which protocol to use. If this is too technical for you, PureVPN provides a one-sentence description of each protocol to help you decide which might be best for your needs.

7. Bonus features

If you want a VPN that offers more security tools, then you might want to consider PureVPN. Along with the VPN services, it offers several add-on security features for an extra cost to your VPN plan:

• Password manager: PureKeep provides a safe space to store all of your passwords and private documents and generate strong passwords.
• File encryption: PureEncrypt secures your documents, so you can share your files safely.
• Digital security: PurePrivacy helps you control your privacy settings, blocks web trackers, and sends automated requests to data brokers to remove your personal data from their sites.
• Dedicated IP address: A dedicated IP address lets you use the same IP address for each session to ensure a smoother online experience.
• Port forwarding: Great for gaming, port forwarding allows you to create dedicated servers, run different types of services, and more without restrictions.
• Dedicated server: Dedicated servers allow you to create multiple sessions on the same server and provide higher server control.

Test results

We conducted several tests to evaluate whether PureVPN is capable of upholding secured privacy, maintaining internet speeds, and accessing Netflix in different countries. These include speed tests, a DNS leak test, a WebRTC leak test, a kill switch test, and streaming Netflix libraries available to international countries.

PureVPN has mixed results. It has slow speeds, but it can maintain tight privacy and provide access to Netflix worldwide.

Speed tests

• PureVPN speed test results: failed

During our retest on a Windows PC, we experienced the same slowdown. When not connected to any VPN, our baseline download speed was 557.80 Mbps, and our upload speed was 41.74 Mbps.

But when we connected to a PureVPN server in NJ from PA, we saw a big dip in download speed. In fact, the lag affected more than just our browsing experience — it also tanked our system performance. A decrease in speed is typically expected from even the best VPNs (except for NordVPN), but it's a bad sign if connecting to a server in a neighboring state causes a drastic performance drop.

Here are the PC speed results for our internet connection without a VPN and with connections to PureVPN servers in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Unlike with our Mac test, we saw much bigger speed drops when connected to a server in Europe (Manchester, U.K.) than in Australia (Brisbane).

PureVPN speed test results

Test results as of 06/11/2024.

In both our tests on a Mac and PC, we experienced slower internet connection speeds when we turned on PureVPN. Slower internet speeds were experienced no matter where we connected internationally. Although it's normal for a VPN to possibly slow down your internet connection, it shouldn't be so drastic.

However, it's easy to search and connect to different VPN servers. PureVPN shows servers you recently connected to and makes recommendations based on past experience.

At one point during our Mac testing, we lost connection to a Netherlands server. PureVPN was quick to send a notification of the problem and recommended a different Netherlands server to improve speed.

Overall, the slower internet connection didn't significantly impact streaming Netflix. Even though we didn't experience a lag while web browsing on Mac, we did on PC. Either way, if internet speeds are important to you, then PureVPN may be disappointing.

PureVPN Netflix tests

• PureVPN Netflix test results: passed

You might want to use a VPN to access Netflix content available in different countries. For example, you might want to watch a movie only available on Australian Netflix accounts. A VPN can help mask your current location and make it appear like you're in Australia to access the movie.

We tested PureVPN's ability to connect to different servers in the U.K., Canada, and Australia and watch Netflix content available in those regions. We were able to access Netflix on all servers tested and didn't experience any lag or buffering. We tested on both macOS and Windows from the USA.

PureVPN Netflix test results

Test results as of 06/11/2024.

DNS and WebRTC leak tests

• PureVPN DNS leak test results: passed
• PureVPN WebRTC leak test results: passed
  

A VPN is meant to encrypt your internet traffic, but some VPNs have Domain Name System (DNS) leaks that show your online activities.

We tested PureVPN using BrowserLeaks to see whether the VPN actually provided DNS leak protection and concealed our information. After connecting to PureVPN, it masked our information and displayed the connected server.

A key characteristic of a strong VPN is the ability to hide your real IP address. However, WebRTC leaks can expose IP addresses and make your online privacy vulnerable.

We used the BrowserLeaks website to test for WebRTC leaks while using PureVPN. When connected to a server with PureVPN, the app will display the IP address it's using to mask your genuine IP address.

Our WebRTC leak test shows that PureVPN used the IP address displayed on the app to mask our real IP address.

Kill switch test

• Kill switch test results:passed

Although PureVPN's kill switch isn't intuitive (or easy to locate), it does work. The guide directed us to General Settings to find the kill switch feature, but it was actually listed under Settings as IKS (yes, abbreviated). Plus, we weren't able to toggle the feature on and off during our test on PC. This means that every time we switched servers, we automatically lost internet connection.

Even though this standard security feature is intended to safeguard our real IP when we lose VPN connection, it's a little bit annoying when PureVPN takes a while to connect to a new server. So we had to wait for the internet to reconnect, which isn't a great user experience.

Compatibility

PureVPN really stands out for its broad compatibility. You can set up PureVPN on the following operating systems, devices, and browsers:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux
• Chromebook
• Android
• iOS
• Huawei
  
• Amazon Fire TV Stick
  
• Apple TV
  
• Android TV
  

• Samsung TV

• Nvidia

• Chromecast

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Mozilla Firefox
• Brave
• Routers
• Gaming consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.)

Customer support

PureVPN has a comprehensive Support Center filled with easy-to-follow guides. There are super helpful VPN Setup Guidesbased on the device, so you don't have to troubleshoot in the dark. If you want to send product feedback, there's a Contact Usform for anyone to do so. But for actual troubleshooting issues, you can email support ([email protected]) or turn to the live chat.

For immediate help, we recommended using the 24/7 live chat support. The chat is available for all subscribers and is constantly supported by representatives. Unlike the app, the PureVPN website also utilizes a chatbot along with the aforementioned live chat support.

Unlike most providers, PureVPN also hosts a robust Learning Center that clearly details features, updates, and general FAQs.

24/7 live chat

There's no call center available, but our experience with customer support was relatively quick using the app chat. We asked a simple question about how to connect to the fastest server near us and received an answer within minutes.

AI chatbot

We also tested out the website's chat feature, which uses an AI chatbot. It asked a couple of quick questions and for an email address before giving the option to continue to use the chatbot or connect to a representative. We opted to try out the chatbot and were able to receive some helpful information on a hypothetical connection issue.

VPN alternatives

PureVPN offers reliable security at a good price, but if you don't want to pay extra for advanced security features and tools, consider these top tested alternatives.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is PureVPN good?

Yes, PureVPN covers all the basic needs of a VPN service: It protects your online data, can access streaming services internationally, and follows industry standards on encryption and no-log policies.

But we did run into a few issues while using PureVPN. All connected servers significantly lowered internet speeds, and occasionally, we lost connection and had to switch to a different server. There was also some inconsistency in payment options, as sometimes Google Pay and cryptocurrency choices appeared and other times didn't.

In general, PureVPN may be a good option if you're looking for an affordable, no-frills VPN to protect your privacy and unblock streaming services abroad. But if you don't want to pay extra for advanced security features and tools, we recommend considering some of the best premium VPN providers like NordVPN, Surfshark, or CyberGhost. All three tested VPNs offer plenty of features at a reasonable price point.

Kate is an Editor at All About Cookies. She has 8+ years of digital publishing experience as a content manager, developmental editor, and curriculum writer. She leverages specializations in EdTech and educational publishing to create impactful, well-researched content that aids learners of all ages.