PureVPN has been around for quite a while and has earned a reputation for itself, although not a good one.
In this PureVPN review, we’ll look at the information uncovered through research and extensive testing of the PureVPN service.
Have they improved since the last time they were reviewed, or are they still the same old service you can find in many other PureVPN reviews.
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Pros
Cons
The company promotes itself as one of the best for bypassing geo-blocked content and streaming in general. While testing US Netflix, we found only one out of a handful accessed the streaming site.
This was the same for the UK, so if your aiming to access the iPlayer and watch MOTD, you’ll be faced with an error.
Hulu and Amazon Prime also fell way short. Torrenting is also an area they aren’t the best. Torrenting is blocked most of the PureVPN servers.
PureVPN Pricing
PureVPN has one plan with varying sign-up options, and they do accept a vast range of payment options.
This can include credit cards, PayPal, Alipay, PaymentWall, BlueSnap. There are two other options, these being CoinPayments and Gift cards, but these two are none-refundable.
| 1 Month | $10.95 | Billed Monthly |
| Yearly | $5.41 | Billed as $64.95 Annually |
| 2 Years | $3.54 | Billed as $84.95 Every 2 Years. |
The company advertises 31-day money-back guarantee. From the number of users who complain, this just isn’t happening.
Although they have extended their money-back period, it is hard to tell if they are sticking to their excess of 3GB bandwidth or 100 sessions, as previously was found in the small print.
We found they asked why we cancelled, but it states no questions asked, so it is wise to say you aren’t answering questions as to why.
When you look for options on how to cancel PureVPN, there is only one, and it is all conducted by email.
Key Features
Servers
PureVPN has one of the largest global server networks with over 2000 in 140 countries. Some of the more diverse placements are virtual servers, as is Madagascar, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea.
Protocol Support
IPSec, OpenVPN, L2F, PPTP, L2TP, SSTP
DNS Service
PureVPN doesn’t offer anything in the form of a DNS service. While speaking of DNS, it should be noted there were DNS leaks during testing.
Platforms Supported
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Platform support is quite high, as you’d expect from a company that has been around for so long.
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Routers, FireStick, and Kodi are all supported.
Device Support
There are 5 devices allowed at one; this is plenty for a household, especially if you have a compatible router.
Privacy and Security
This is the one area where a PureVPN download fails. During testing, the client couldn’t connect, and when checking with customer support, their answer was the servers were down and to try later.
Further testing showed the client software said the IP Address was hidden, but while running ipleak.net, the real IP Address was visible. This equated to leaks in IPv4, IPv6, and DNS leaks.
Following on from this, their Kill switch appeared to be broken and wasn’t working as it should.
PureVPN claims these leaks have been fixed, although they can’t be confirmed as 100% reliable.
To top all of this, PureVPN claims to have a Zero Logging Policy, where in fact, they log connections for troubleshooting.
This could be feasible, but in October last year, they helped to apprehend a Cyberstalker. Aside from this, there was also an official report from the US Department of Justice, which stated how PureVPN assisted them in logging user data and offering it to the FBI.
Ease of Use
Sign-Up
This is easy, all you need to do is visit their website and click on the pricing button, and you are taken to the payment page where you can create your account.
There are add-ons, but these don’t work and are perhaps just another means of getting more money.
There is a step by the step progress bar, and one step is not explained all that well. You will receive 2-keys, one for the download VPN you have just completed, and one for the website, and in your confirmation email, you only receive the key for the client.
For the site, you need to request a password reset manually.
Setup and User Interface
When making your PureVPN login, you are presented with a basic UI, and although the colour and Icons are different, it is very similar in layout to Cyberghost.
Even if they have copied this design and goes into the menus, it isn’t a perfect clone. The text is hard to read, and it doesn’t scale if you change the window size.
Changing servers needs to be done by country because they have some very obscure city names.
Once set up, you are presented with a window telling you what is secure; this should be taken for granted. However, the client appears to be convincing you of the fact.
Advanced Features
PureVPN has 2 advanced features in Ozone and Gravity. Ozone is their firewall, which has inbuilt antivirus features.
It doesn’t scan files for malware, but it does prevent them from reaching back out to the internet.
Gravity extends on this and offers an ad-blocker and a safe search. It should be highlighted; these didn’t work all the time.
Browser Extensions
Browser add-ons are also available, which can help spoof your location while using the browser, but these, like others, don’t offer system-wide protection.
These are available for Safari, Firefox, and a VPN Chrome extension. This, though, doesn’t secure more of the system than the browser itself.
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Performance and Servers
Speed tests were the second area the service fell during testing.
- Netherlands: Unable to connect
- Germany: Unable to connect
- United Kingdom: 13.7 Mbps download
- Denmark: 2.4 Mbps download
- New York, USA: 1.53 Mbps download
- Australia: 1.39 Mbps download
This isn’t very pleasant for the network size and how long they have been in business.
Customer Service
Although the customer support is 24/7 via Live Chat and email, they are not overly helpful, and the answers are only taken from a script, it would appear. There were also a few too many “check the FAQ’s” was the reply.
It also appeared for basic queries; the sales staff knew more than the support staff who were often too busy or understaffed to fulfil requests.
Is this the VPN service for you?
With still possible leaks in their service and features that still don’t work reliably. It is hard to recommend them as an alternative. With the measly download speeds, there appears to be no area that can benefit.
Pricewise, they are cheaper for an extended signup period, but some alternatives offer much more out of the box, and with these, you are almost guaranteed the features work. (Want to find out what is the best VPN for Australia check our in-depth guide)
Alternatives to PureVPN
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