PureVPN Review

A kill switch cuts your device off from the internet when the VPN connection drops. PureVPN offers automatic and manual kill switches. The former uses pre-configured settings to prevent accidental traffic leaks. 

The manual option is supposed to allow users to customize the kill switch settings to their liking. However, when you select the manual internet kill switch it doesn’t give you any customization options, which leads us to think the feature is faulty.

PureVPN only supports app-based split tunneling on Windows and Android. Split tunneling allows you to route some app traffic through the VPN tunnel while letting other apps directly access the internet. For example, you can configure a torrenting client to use VPN protection while letting banking apps directly access the internet. 

PureVPN added the tracker blocker feature to its Windows, Mac, Android and iOS apps in 2024. The blocker thwarts third-party trackers to prevent data-hungry merchants, advertisers and hackers from tracking your online activity. 

When activated, the auto-connect feature connects to a predetermined VPN server when the app starts. It provides always-on protection and is helpful for users on unsecured networks. You can also combine it with the “launch on system start” feature. Doing so triggers the VPN app to automatically launch and establish a connection when you start your device.

The “remove my data” feature is comparable to Surfshark’s Incogni. It automates data removal requests, allowing you to wipe your personal information from the dark web and advertisers’ databases. The easy-to-use dashboard lists data brokers withholding your personal information and their risk score. 

The risk score varies based on how sensitive the personal information is. For instance, a data broker with a user’s Social Security number (SSN) has a higher risk score than those that only collect names and locations. 

PureVPN port forwarding lets you bypass network restrictions and firewalls to speed up your connection. It’s a helpful tool for users looking for interruption-free gaming or smooth Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling. 

However, port forwarding prioritizes speed over security. For this reason, we only recommend using it on secure networks. Keep in mind that PureVPN’s port forwarding is an add-on feature, meaning you pay extra to use it. 

PureVPN recently added new security and privacy features. The features are available on the PureMax and PurePlus plans, which are PureVPN’s most expensive plans. They include: 

• PureKeep: Combines a password manager and generator to help users create and store passwords securely. It’s not the most advanced password manager, but it helps eliminate the clutter of multiple passwords. 
• PureEncrypt: Leverages strong data encryption technology to secure your most important files and documents. 
• PurePrivacy: An array of privacy tools designed to safeguard your digital footprint and keep online trackers at bay. It includes the “remove my data” feature and a social privacy manager, which help you stay in control of your social privacy. 

In 2024, PureVPN launched a new feature: dark web monitoring. This feature monitors the dark web continuously for users’ sensitive information, and provides alerts and recommendations if that happens. This may help users become aware of data breaches sooner and know what to do if data is compromised.

If you ever need a helping hand when installing PureVPN on a desktop device, refer to this step-by-step guide. 

1. Sign up for a PureVPN Account

   Create a PureVPN account and fill out your billing information. You can sign up for a PureVPN paid plan or start a seven-day paid trial on your desktop.

   

2. Download the PureVPN App

   Log in to your PureVPN account and open the “downloads” page. PureVPN will automatically detect your operating system and present the relevant tools for download. Click “download application” to download the installation file.

   

3. Install the PureVPN App

   Locate and double-click the installation file. Follow along with the installation wizard to install the PureVPN app on your device.

   

4. Configure the PureVPN App

   Some key features, such as the kill switch, auto-connect and the tracker blocker, are disabled by default. Open the settings page and configure these features based on your needs and preferences.

   

5. Connect PureVPN

   Connect to your preferred server and enjoy digital security and privacy as you surf the web and carry out activities online.

   

We conducted our user-friendliness tests on the PureVPN Windows app, but since the desktop designs are identical, the information below also applies to the macOS app. 

PureVPN’s home UI is clean and clutter-free, displaying the essential features and information. A minimized menu ribbon is on the left, a large connect button is in the middle, the selected server is at the top and the most recently used servers are at the bottom. 

When connected, the connect button turns purple and the “recently connected” section gives way to the “connection details” area. You can expand the connection details area to zoom in on the protocol you’re using and the features you’ve enabled or disabled.

The settings page is neatly organized into three sections: general, protocol and split tunneling, which makes it easy to navigate. The descriptions of how various features work aren’t as clear and concise as many beginners may want, but they get the job done.

Besides grouping servers by category, PureVPN offers a server search function to help users find the optimal server by name or keyword. Users can also create a list of favorite servers, which the app displays on the left for easy access. 

PureVPN has an exciting feature for streaming fans called “shortcuts,” which offers an easy way to access streaming platforms. Suppose you want to access BBC iPlayer. When you click on the BBC shortcut, PureVPN connects to a U.K. server and opens the iPlayer websites without you having to lift a finger. PureVPN allows users to create custom shortcuts.

For mobile tests, we mainly used PureVPN on an Android smartphone. Since the iOS and Android apps are nearly identical, the information below applies to both.

PureVPN’s Android app has the familiar aesthetics and intuitive design of the Windows client. The main UI has five action areas: a hamburger menu, a support button, a connect button, a selected server and a “relevant features” area. 

These features and information are neatly organized on the small Android screen. The clean interface, server search function, shortcuts and excellently organized settings page make the PureVPN mobile app incredibly easy to use.

PureVPN offers native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPadOS, iOS, Apple TV and Fire Stick TV devices. You can also install browser extensions for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox. 

PureVPN doesn’t offer a smart DNS service. To access streaming platforms on old smart TVs and to protect devices that don’t natively support VPN apps like gaming consoles, you have to set up PureVPN on your router. 

PureVPN’s 10 simultaneous connections are enough for the average household. However, the limit is abysmal compared to the unlimited simultaneous connections that Surfshark and Private Internet Access (PIA) offer. Read our PureVPN vs PIA comparison to learn more.

PureVPN has three pricing tiers: Standard, Plus and Max. Each tier offers three plans: monthly, one-year and two-year. 

The Standard tier offers essential VPN features, making it ideal for users looking for basic VPN protection. The Standard monthly plan costs $12.95, whereas the two-year plan costs $2.15 per month. 

The Plus plan is for you if you need a password manager, file encryption and a VPN suite. On a monthly scale, PureVPN Plus costs $15.95; you get appealing discounts with the two-year plan, which costs $2.96 per month. 

The Max tier gives you access to all PureVPN Plus features, from the VPN and a password manager to file encryption and a privacy manager. The PureMax monthly plan costs $19.95, and the two-year plan costs $4.07 per month.

PureVPN accepts payments via credit card, debit card, PayPal, Google Pay, CoinPayments and Paymentwall. The provider doesn’t accept anonymous cash payments. 

PureVPN doesn’t offer a free plan but has a seven-day trial for mobile and desktop users. The trial is free for mobile users, but desktop users have to pay $0.99. Regarding the refund policy, PureVPN offers a 31-day money-back guarantee. 

Nearest Server Speed Performance:

Location:	Download	Upload	Latency
🇰🇪 Thika, Kenya*	10.37	10.21	43
🇿🇦 South Africa	6.93	5.27	490

Distant Server Speed Performance:

Location:	Download	Upload	Latency
🇬🇧 UK	7.59	8.83	293
🇺🇸 USA	7.85	6.61	445
🇸🇬 Singapore	8.84	6.55	301
🇧🇷 Brazil	7.34	5.44	745
🇦🇺 Australia	8.12	7.6	672
Global Average:	7.948	7.006	491.2
Speed reached (%)	76.60%	68.60%	11 times

Since PureVPN isn’t part of our automated testing, we ran the speed tests manually on a 10 Mbps connection. We tested PureVPN’s speeds across six server locations, starting with the geographically closest server and moving farther away from our test location in Kenya. 

PureVPN was surprisingly slow when connected to the South African server — the closest one. The provider reached 66.8% and an abysmal 51.6% of our unprotected download and upload speeds, respectively. For comparison, the fastest VPNs reach over 90% of unprotected speeds.

Speeds on long-distance connections improved significantly, which makes PureVPN ideal for accessing content and services abroad. The provider achieved 76.6% and 68.6% of our unprotected download and upload speeds, respectively.

The latency rate increased significantly on both nearby and long-distance servers. Because of the high latency, videos might take too long to load when streaming with PureVPN. Lags could also ruin your gaming and video-calling experience.

PureVPN has the essential features we look for in VPN services. It covers the basics well, from secure protocols and encryption standards to a kill switch. PureVPN offers additional security features, including:

• Built-in obfuscation: PureVPN’s obfuscation engages automatically. Regardless of the server you connect to, PureVPN scrambles VPN metadata from your internet traffic to hide that you’re using a VPN. This enables you to access services that block VPN users and use PureVPN in countries where VPNs are restricted or banned, like China.
• Fallback protocol option: PureVPN allows you to choose a fallback protocol. The VPN automatically connects to the pre-configured fallback option if your preferred protocol fails. 
• PureVPN proxy: The proxy is suitable for users who prioritize speed over security. It changes your IP address, allowing you to access content and services in different countries. However, the proxy doesn’t encrypt your traffic and should only be used on secure networks. 

Notes From the Lab: VPN & Encryption Protocols

Protocol:	Encryption	Platforms
WireGuard	ChaCha20
OpenVPN*	AES 256-bit
IKEv2	AES 256-bit
IPsec	AES 256-bit

We tested PureVPN’s protocols for IP and DNS leaks, and they all came out clean. This means that regardless of the protocol you use, PureVPN won’t leak your real IP address or DNS queries. 

The protocols also passed our WebRTC leak test. This is particularly important for those using PureVPN to secure video and audio communication. The VPN won’t leak your IP address or reveal your location while you use online communication tools.

One section of the privacy policy claims that PureVPN doesn’t collect, store or share user logs. It goes on to list other things that the provider doesn’t collect, like assigned IPs, original IPs, browsing history, connection timestamps and more. This section indicates that PureVPN is a privacy-conscious provider — until you read the “collected information” section.

PureVPN claims it collects various pieces of information during service usage, including activity logs. Though the provider claims activity logs don’t bear any identifiable data, they do contain information about your digital footprint: websites visited, files downloaded and apps used. This contradicts PureVPN’s claim that it doesn’t collect user browsing history or activity.

PureVPN was embroiled in a privacy controversy in 2017 for handing over a user’s IP address to the FBI. The provider tried to water down the situation, claiming it was “unfortunately dragged into this incident because of a lack of clarity on network logging mechanisms” in the VPN industry. The truth is that PureVPN crossed a line. 

PureVPN updated its privacy policy in 2018 to become a no-logs provider. Altius IT audited PureVPN’s updated no-logs policy in 2020 and found it was properly configured to adhere to it. 

PureVPN claims that an audit firm recently audited the service but doesn’t reveal the name of the firm. Instead, PureVPN claims it’s a “big four” firm and refers to it as a “well-known audit firm” on its official website. PureVPN revealed on Reddit that KPMG was the firm behind this audit but it didn’t leave a link to the audit results. 

According to PureVPN, KPMG authenticated that the VPN is true to its no-logs claims. Sadly, the authenticity of this audit is up for debate. PureVPN should reveal the name of the firm and publish the results for transparency. We reached out to PureVPN and they told us that while they could confirm that KPMG initiated the current audit process, they are not able to publicly announce which “well-known audit firm” is currently operating the audit.

No, PureVPN can’t unblock Netflix. We made several attempts to circumvent Netflix’s geoblocks to no avail. Despite switching servers multiple times, Netflix blocked every attempt, citing an “incorrect password” error. This Netflix error has become familiar to VPNs that can’t access the streaming platform.

We had better luck with other streaming platforms. PureVPN unblocked Hulu, Max, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video on the first attempt. However, due to PureVPN’s high latency rate, the videos sometimes took a while to load.

Streaming App:	Status