PureVPN review and analysis

PureVPN^[1] is a commercial virtual private network on VPN service users based in Hong Kong. Pure VPN was first released in 2006 and today is used by more than three million Internet users all around the world.^[2] At first, PureVPN seems like a great choice, it has more than 2,000 highly optimized servers in more than 140 countries and 300,000 IP addresses. It is the largest choice of connection locations out of the VPN services we have reviewed.

Let's see how PureVPN performed in our review

From encryption to protocols to cutting-edge technology; the features offered by PureVPN protect you 24/7.

The company also provides easy-to-use apps for various devices across the most popular operating systems, such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Android,^[3] Linux, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Kodi, and Android TV.

PureVPN took us about two minutes to download and install on our desktop. The setup is easy and quick. The service supports Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and includes Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox extensions. It also has native support platforms for Linux, Blackberry and open-source routers. The VPN allows five simultaneous sessions from different devices.

PureVPN can be very cheap if ordered for a longer time

When it comes to price, PureVPN always offers great deals and offers. For instance, its monthly plan is $10.95, but if you get an annual subscription or even 5-year plan it can drop as low as $1.32 per month.

• The monthly plan costs $10.95 per month.
• 1-year subscription costs $4.08 per month and is billed $48.96 every year.
• 5-year plan costs $1.32 per month and s billed $79.20 every 5 years.

PureVPN is one of the cheapest services we reviewed. Users can pay using Credit Cards, PayPal, Alipay, CoinPayments, PaymentWall, BlueSnap and Gift Cards from several major retailers. The company also provides users with a 31-day money-back guarantee. However, what we did not like is that even if you choose to pay using Bitcoin or a gift card the VPN service will ask for your real name when you sign up.

Basic features of a VPN ensures your online privacy and security

PureVPN provides users with a variety of features from encryption to protocols to cutting-edge technology. It includes easy-to-use applications, 2000+ servers in 14+ countries. Users are allowed to access every service regardless of the package and get unlimited bandwidth. In addition, PureVPN helps users to leave no traces behind while surfing the web:

• IP address Masking
• Anonymous Browsing
• DNS Leak Protection
• IPV6 Leak Protection
• Web RTC Leak Protection
• The built-in Ad Blocking

PureVPN is compatible with all of the devices across all the major operating systems and offers desktop applications for Windows and Mac, Mobile Application for Android and iOS, Browser Extensions for Firefox and Chrome, an applet for routers, Smart TV and IoT devices, and even gaming consoles.

The protocols of data encryption are acceptable

As mentioned before, PureVPN requires users to provide their real name while signing in, and even the Terms and Conditions reiterates that. The company is based in Hong Kong and is owned by GZ Systems Limited. PureVPN manages and hosts their own network and DNS hardware. The PureVPN.com domain registration is hidden behind a proxy server. PureVPN uses AES-256 protocol. The VPN service also supports all the major protocols including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2. It also utilizes industry Standard 256-bit encryption, which is one of the most secure connections. Users’ privacy is also protected by PureVPN’s connection which includes the switch from one IP to another. However, when it comes to actual security there are many instances when PureVPN was not the best choice and customers noticed their DNS and personal IP address being leaked. It also includes DNS, IPv4 and IPv6 leaks.

Performance

It is worth mentioning that PureVPN has one of the best VPN infrastructures. However, when it comes to the performance test results, they are far from best. The VPN had an average latency of almost 106 milliseconds, which is about ten times more in comparison to the baseline. When it comes to the network downloaded data, the service demonstrated a drop of about 38% in comparison to the non-VPN baseline, which is the highest hit of all of the services we have tested and it took about 20 minutes to download a video file. From the bright side, the data was uploaded at 19.2 megabits per second which is about 30% more than the non-VPN average. The VPN service has a steady and reliable connection, we did not need to reset it.

The customer support service is developed and reliable

PureVPN provides users with 24-hour live chat support that will answer to any VPN-related question within seconds. The VPN service also includes a very informative support page that provides users with setup information and guidelines, troubleshooting, account and billing information, VPN use cases, FAQs, Account upgrade information and more. The company also offers users to watch VPN Setup Tutorials for various devices.

The user interface of PureVPN look a little bit outdated

The user interface is simple and easy to use. The desktop version looks colorful and bright, while the mobile version is darker and offers more options. The main window displays at both, mobile and desktop versions include the main options to ‘select mode’ from Stream, Internet Freedom, Security / Privacy, File Sharing, and Remote / Dedi Ip. The interface is simple and easy to understand and use.

A reliable VPN with limited bunch of features, but enough for a regular user

Pure VPN is a simple VPN service that provides users with many servers and locations around the world. It is also not expensive and offers split tunneling. However, the performance and protection rates are mediocre.

• Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, plus Chrome & Firefox extensions.
• Allows 3rd-party connections: Yes, Linux only.
• Simultaneous connections: Up to 5 devices.
• User data required: a real name, email address.
• Supported protocols:L2TP/IPSec, OpenVPN, PPTP, SSTP, IKEv2.