PureVPN Review: Is it Any Good in 2024? Everything You Need to Know

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In this PureVPN review, we explore this popular provider that’s a favorite among online security fanatics as it offers robust encryption protocols and works seamlessly for streaming and torrenting.

Plus, it can unblock Netflix and a host of other websites, and it also recently became the first VPN to offer an ‘always on audit’, which offers a massive boost for your safety and security.

In this PureVPN review, we’ll take a deeper look into its key features, establishing how safe it is, as well as its performance for torrenting and streaming, plus we’ll compare it to other key players on the market to help you determine if it’s worth it for you in 2024.

What is PureVPN?

It’s also an incredibly popular VPN for users who stream or torrent frequently, and it even has predetermined setups for each of these features. To top it off, the service offers strong encryption through WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and leak protection, so you’re in safe hands.

Plus, there are excellent mobile apps available for iOS and Android users, as well as desktop clients for MacOS, Windows, Chromebooks, and a host of web browsers and streaming sticks – it can even be installed on routers.

How Does PureVPN Work?

This means that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) won’t be able to see your browsing history, only that you’re connected to a VPN. The benefits of this are clear on one hand – no one can view your personal info and browsing history.

That said, there are also a few bonus features. For example, you won’t be subject to bandwidth throttling, which is a huge plus. This basically means that your ISP won’t be able to limit your speeds, something they do to help with congestion on the network.

What Can I Do With Pure VPN?

There’s so much more to VPNs than just improved online security, although that’s one of the key advantages of signing up with one. In case you were wondering, we’ve compiled a list of what you can do with PureVPN below:

Use Public WiFi Stress-Free

As useful as coffee shops or other shared space WiFi networks are, they do come with some obvious risks. It’s quite easy for a good hacker to secretly watch you when you’re sharing sensitive company documents or personal emails, and it can easily put you at risk of financial fraud.

Thankfully, using PureVPN will protect your data, hide your browsing history, and ensure no hackers can gain access to your computer by taking advantage of the weak public internet.

Hide Your Browsing History from your ISP

Your home internet is likely to be much safer than any public WiFi, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no one snooping. Without a VPN, your ISP can view all of your browsing data and then potentially sell it to third parties and advertisers.

However, by using a good VPN like PureVPN, you can hide your actual IP address, meaning your ISP won’t be able to view any of your browsing history and sell your data.

Unblock Geo-locked Content

One of the most popular uses of PureVPN is streaming and unlocking new libraries on popular services like Netflix, a feature commonly referred to as geo-unlocking.

It’s a commonly known fact that Netflix offers different content, depending on your physical location, with countries like the US and UK having much larger libraries than most.

Luckily for you, PureVPN allows you to connect to a host of servers scattered around different countries and continents, so you can easily unlock new Netflix libraries or streaming services like BBC iPlayer if you’re outside of the US or the UK. In fact, it’s on our list of the best Netflix VPNs.

Work From Anywhere, Safely & Securely

For businesses that have multiple remote employees, there’s a real risk of company information being leaked if a worker accesses a weak network – this can lead to ransomware attacks if you’re not using some of the top antivirus software.

A VPN can help you run your remote business without having to worry about losing sensitive information. By encrypting your network and preventing hackers, you can work safely from anywhere in the world.

Is PureVPN Good? Top Pros and Cons

Even the top VPN services on the market have their upsides and downsides, but thankfully, PureVPN has far more to like than dislike.  Below is a list of the pros and cons:

How Much Does PureVPN Cost?

When it comes to long-term subscriptions, PureVPN competes with Surfshark and Windscribe, two of the cheapest VPNs on the market. But don’t be fooled by these low prices, they’re still all excellent providers.

No matter which PureVPN membership plan you choose, you’ll get the same features and the ability to use the VPN on 10 devices at once (but keep in mind that sharing your account with others is against the VPN’s Terms of Service, including with family members).

When you buy a long-term plan, PureVPN offers the best value. It’s by far the most affordable choice among the alternatives, offering the greatest savings on a 2-year plan. A 31-day money-back guarantee is also provided, allowing you to change your mind if you’re not happy with the service.

PureVPN is also available for $10.95 per month – which isn’t an awful price for a monthly subscription when you consider the monthly chargers in place by all the other VPNs available.

Plus, PayPal, credit cards, and a number of digital currencies, like Bitcoin, are all accepted as payment methods. However, much to our confusion, some PureVPN landing pages don’t provide the cryptocurrency payment option.

Can I Get PureVPN for Free?

Sadly, PureVPN doesn’t fall in the bracket of the best free VPN services, as there isn’t a free offering available. However, you can test the entire service for 7 days for just $0.99 to determine whether the VPN meets your demands, such as whether it’s compatible with your favorite streaming services or reliable for torrenting.

Or, if you want to try the service for free without any hassle, you can take advantage of the 31-day money-back guarantee from PureVPN – this gives you time to test the service and make sure it’s right for you by checking if it works with streaming platforms, or offers you enough protection.

An In-Depth Look at PureVPN’s Features

PureVPN has an impressive range of features that make it a go-to provider for over 3 million users – but what are the best features on offer, and is there anything unique here? All will be revealed below.

Split Tunneling

Split tunneling, which enables you to send some of your application or device traffic through an encrypted VPN while leaving other applications or devices with direct internet access, is a feature we’re happy to see offered by PureVPN.

This is especially helpful if you want to make use of services that work best when your location is known and have secure access to chats and data that could be sensitive.

Kill Switch

A reliable kill switch is a crucial component of any VPN. When enabled, it immediately cuts off your internet connection if you accidentally disconnect from your VPN.

It’s especially helpful if you’re torrenting and don’t want your identity to be compromised or when using public Wi-Fi, both of which are vulnerable to hacker attacks. PureVPN’s kill switch is turned on by default (but you can always turn it off).

It can be a little hit and miss, which can be said about a lot of kill switches – but it does the job most of the time, and regular VPN users shouldn’t worry.

Port Forwarding

For less than $1 a month, PureVPN offers port forwarding as an add-on option. When set correctly, it enables access to a particular device linked to your local network from computers outside of your network.

You can set up game servers, host small websites, monitor your security camera, or just remotely access your device whenever you need to with port forwarding.

Obfuscation

Similar to what we went over in our Surfshark review, PureVPN has recently added an obfuscation feature that’s useful for those who live in heavily controlled countries, especially those that prohibit VPN usage.

However, it isn’t advised for people who want the fastest connection speed, as it can slow things down quite significantly – as the feature develops, this may change for the better.

By masking your VPN data, it gives the impression that you’re merely browsing on a public network, but you still gain access to all the advantages the VPN offers, such as unblocking geo-restricted content, avoiding ISP throttling, and staying safe, but no one can identify your VPN connection.

PureKeep

PureVPN has integrated a password management add-on called PureKeep into its software to increase your online security. Military-grade encryption and a master password are used to keep your personal documents, such as credit cards or work files, secure at all times.

Plus, you get assistance with building fresh, unique passwords in addition to removing the frustration of remembering them for multiple accounts. You can even create lengthy passwords that contain numbers, symbols, lowercase and uppercase characters using the PureKeep password generator.

Always-On Audit

PureVPN recently declared that it’ll be the first VPN provider with an always-on audit. According to its contract with KPMG International Limited, the auditing firm is permitted to perform a complete surprise audit without prior notification.

The message is clear: Your privacy is always protected, even if audits can occur at any time. KPMG recently conducted an inspection of the service and discovered no proof that it doesn’t uphold its no-logs claims.

Is PureVPN Safe?

Yes, PureVPN is very safe to use and takes countless measures to ensure your safety. Below are a few examples of how they keep their users safe:

Encryption Protocols

PureVPN is incredibly safe and takes your security seriously. It uses AES-256 encryption which is deemed the industry standard (bettered only by the XChaCha20 used by NordVPN.)

The US government, military, and businesses that deal with sensitive data all trust this level of encryption, which offers a whopping 2256 possible key combinations — hence why it’s practically impossible to crack.

Tunneling Protocols

You also get access to a wide range of tunneling protocols with PureVPN, including the lightning-fast WireGuard protocol, for increased performance. While it may not be the fastest VPN service, it does offer excellent speeds, thanks to the inclusion of WireGuard.

There’s also the slightly outdated but still reliable OpenVPN TCP and UDP, which can offer decent performance. Below is the full list:

• WireGuard – Ultra secure and offers great speeds
• OpenVPN TCP – Slower speeds, very secure and reliable
• OpenVPN UDP – High speeds option, less stable than TCP
• IKEv2 – Very fast, optimized for mobile devices
• SSTP – Can potentially work in China
• L2TP/IPSec – The oldest protocol of the lost, avoid it if you can

Logging

PureVPN also has a very brief history of aiding the authorities in an investigation into a cyberstalker, where they passed over his logs to the FBI, as well as being able to trace two of his email accounts linked to the same IP address.

While these actions may sound favorable for a law-abiding citizen, they raised some data concerns within the community – but thankfully, PureVPN has since updated its privacy policy.

They assert that they don’t record IP addresses, IP addresses assigned to VPN servers, timestamps associated with VPN sessions, browser activities, or DNS requests. Additionally, the auditing firms Altius IT and KPMG examined their privacy policy and confirmed this.

PureVPN continues to store only your name, email address, and payment method: but that’s usual practice. For added security when signing up and checking out, you can opt to pay for your plan via cryptocurrency with some VPNs, including PureVPN.

A Look At PureVPN’s Compatibility

PureVPN has apps for pretty much any device you can think of, including Linux, Chromebooks, and multiple browsers. Below, we’ll take a quick look at each of these apps and discuss their key features and how they work.

Windows

The Windows client for PureVPN is a great tool, even if it’s a little boring aesthetically – but VPNs don’t win awards for looking good. Instead, you get a pretty basic interface and some useful support for the WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 tunneling protocols.

You also get access to the kill switch feature, which you can toggle on and off, as well as the auto-connection. There isn’t much more to say – it does what it needs to very well and reliably.

Mac

You’ll struggle to notice many differences between the Mac and Windows versions, but we don’t mind the consistency here. However, one noticeable difference is that the Mac client doesn’t show the ping next to the server like it does on Windows, which is a shame.

That aside, you’ll find support for WireGuard, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPSec tunneling protocols – no OpenVPN support for Mac users, but as there’s WireGuard on offer, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Linux

The Linux version is perhaps now the most unique of them all, as it targets users with an IT background because it operates using the Command Line Interface. The app provides support for WireGuard and OpenVPN (TCP and UDP) protocols.

Additionally, PureVPN recently released a new graphical user interface (GUI) software for Linux, making it considerably simpler for Linux customers to use the service – you can find this on Ubuntu. This makes it easily one of the best Linux VPNs.

It has two protocols, TCP and UDP, an Internet kill switch, and an auto connection feature that connects to a server when the software is opened. Plus, the Connect to Fallback option is available on the Linux version of PureVPN, so if your desired protocol is unavailable, this option will connect you to the next best alternative.

Android

The most feature-rich of the bunch is currently PureVPN’s Android app. It features split tunneling, the option to select the network type (NAT or non-NAT), Dark and Light themes, and multiple server modes (Stream, Internet Freedom, Security/Privacy, and File Sharing).

The WireGuard, IPSec, and IKEv2 tunneling protocols are included in the Android app, making it an all-around excellent offering for keeping Android users safe on the go.

iOS

The iOS app now more closely resembles the Windows version in terms of functionality and design. It supports the IKEv2, WireGuard, and OpenVPN (TCP and UDP) protocols. It’s much more simplistic than the Android version, but that’s typical with the top iPhone VPN apps.

Other

It would take all day to run through all the supported devices on offer from PureVPN, but to help, we’ve compiled a list of some of the other top devices you can work with:

Is PureVPN Legit? | A Look at Real PureVPN Reviews

Do you want to hear from other users of PureVPN about their hands-on experience with the service? We have it covered – Below are a few of the comments left by everyday users of PureVPN and their thoughts on the service.

PureVPN has been praised multiple times for its ease of use and excellent customer support, which, when combined, makes it a great choice for users who perhaps aren't that tech savvy, or maybe it's their first time using a VPN.
It also gains a lot of praise for its usability and massive server account, which, for avid VPN users, is essential. Having a large range of servers means you can unblock more content or get protected in countries where other VPNs may not be accessible.

Other long-term users also pointed out their continued approval of PureVPN, again referencing the useful selection of servers and the reliable kill switch that kicks in when your connection drops.

Overall, regardless of the review site, you'll find ample positivity going around for PureVPN. One aspect where we have seen some mixed feedback is the promptness of the support, but apart from that, PureVPN boasts a solid reputation and ample positive reviews.

How to Use PureVPN | A Quick Guide

Getting your hands on PureVPN and setting up on any of your devices is a breeze, but if you're new to the process, then stay tuned as we run through how to download, install, and set up below.

The steps you'll see are for the Windows download, but they're pretty much identical for all apps. For Linux, routers, or other devices, check out the dedicated install instructions.

Step 1 – Download for your Device

Head over to the PureVPN website and navigate to the 'Apps' section at the top of the page. There, you'll see a drop-down menu of the available apps – in this case, we're going for Windows. Hit the download button to begin downloading PureVPN to your device, then move on to the next step.

Step 2 – Pick Your Subscription

The app will now be downloaded in the background, and while this happens, you can select your PureVPN plan, of which there are 3 that offer different levels of coverage.

Max, which includes one of the best password managers, end-to-end file encryption, and a personal privacy manager, Plus, which offers the above features minus the personal privacy manager, and Standard, which is a standalone VPN. You'll get options to pay monthly, annually, or for the best savings, the two-year plan.

Step 3 – Install PureVPN

The file should now have been downloaded, so locate the installation package in your File Explorer and double-click to launch the on-screen installation wizard. From here, just follow the instructions that pop up.

Step 4 – Load PureVPN

Now that you're finished installing PureVPN, it's time to load up the app and sign in using the details you entered when picking your plan. Upon your first login, you'll be greeted with several options on how you'll use the service.

Select the option that best suits your needs, and the app will be optimized to offer you the best performance. You'll only need to do this once, but you can change this in the app settings.

Step 5 – Connect to Your Chosen Server

Now that you're logged in, it's time to get the best out of your VPN. From the main user dashboard, select from one of the many thousands of servers in your desired country, and that's it.

All of your web traffic will now be protected for as long as you remain connected to your VPN – that means no bandwidth thrilling or snooping from your ISP and a safe browsing experience.

As mentioned before, the steps are pretty much identical for most common devices (Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS), so you can repeat these steps for your other devices. For details on the more technical setup for Linux, Routers, or Smart devices, head over to the FAQs on the PureVPN website for step-by-step guides.

Why You Can Trust Our Review of PureVPN

We've tested and compared many of the market's top VPNs to ensure we can give an accurate summary of each tool's advantages and any areas where it's lacking when compared to its competitors.

For this in-depth PureVPN review, we tested the platform using the 7-day trial, and although this is a short period, it proved enough for us to get a good grasp of its inner workings, and we could test the speeds on various servers using tools like www.speedtest.net from Ookla, and really analyze the interface.

We also tested its unblocking power and noted anything there that we felt would be valuable for our readers to know. Once we had our verdict, we moved on to analyzing reviews from long-time users on reputable sites like TrustPilot and Reddit to ensure that we didn't miss anything noteworthy.

PureVPN Review Verdict | Is PureVPN Good in 2024?

PureVPN is an excellent provider that offers one of the largest server fleets we've seen. It also offers excellent optimized performance for torrenting, gaming, and streaming, which when coupled with the WireGuard support means lag-free performance.

Whilst there are other tools out there that may offer slightly faster speeds or perhaps more advanced encryption protocols (NordVPN's XChaCha20 is the top standard), we've shown in this PureVPN review that there's ample to love about this VPN.

You can get PureVPN's useful password manager and file encryption service bundled in with the Max subscription, and all paid plans benefit from a risk-free 31-day money-back guarantee.

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