PrivateVPN Review 2024 — What’s Missing?

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If you’re anything like us, you probably spend much of your time online, catching up with social media, shopping, or just checking yesterday’s football score. The price, though, of using all these services is your privacy.

With the increasing number of cyber threats and data breaches, it’s crucial you protect your online activities. A VPN (virtual private network) can help by creating a secure and encrypted internet connection, making it more difficult for prying eyes to find you and track your online activity.

PrivateVPN is one such service that claims to protect your online life, so we decided to test it out and see if it lives up to its reputation of balancing cost, performance, and reliability. In this PrivateVPN review, we’ll share our experiences with the service, highlighting what it can do and how well, what it will cost you, and how it measures up against some of its competitors.

So, let’s dive right in with a quick overview of PrivateVPN’s strengths and where there’s some room for improvement so you can decide whether it’s worth your trust, time, and money.

PrivateVPN Pros and Cons

What is PrivateVPN?

Although smaller than many of its competitors, PrivateVPN has garnered attention in the VPN market for its good range of features, including OpenVPN, Wireguard protocols, and a strict no-logs policy.

Before we get into the details of PrivateVPN and its offerings, here’s a brief overview of some of its key specs.

PrivateVPN Best Use Case

Undoubtedly, PrivateVPN is a good choice for those who love streaming, as you can bypass regional censorship and unblock many popular streaming sites like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and my personal favorite, Disney+. Plus, with its strict no-logs policy, you can stream securely from anywhere in the world.

PrivateVPN has a VPN app specifically made for Kodi that allows you to connect up to six devices at the same time. With it, you can safely and securely access dozens of geo-restricted channels like HBO, NBS Sports and CBS.

Additionally, PrivateVPN allows P2P file sharing, so you can share even large files quickly and securely, as only users on the same P2P server can access those files. While its users often praise PrivateVPN’s P2P sharing feature for its torrenting abilities, the company doesn’t encourage the activity.

On top of that, you can connect to up to ten devices simultaneously, which is great if you have a lot of devices or a big household. That’s an impressive number compared to some of its rivals – NordVPN offers six, and ExpressVPN up to eight.

Is PrivateVPN Trustworthy?

Using a VPN means your ISP can no longer see what you’re doing online. However, your VPN provider might be able to if they haven’t designed their systems with privacy in mind.

So, it goes without saying that if you choose a company to protect your personal information, you’re going to have to trust it. After a bit of digging, we deemed PrivateVPN to be a worthy candidate.

However, nothing is perfect, and in 2020, industry researchers found that PrivateVPN had security flaws that could have put users at risk when connected to public Wi-Fi networks. The vulnerability could have let hackers install malware on users’ devices through a fake VPN software update.

PrivateVPN was quick to patch these flaws as soon as they were notified, demonstrating the company’s pledge to protect its users.

PrivateVPN is headquartered in Sweden, where it is an established VPN service provider. Sweden is widely considered a data-secure country, even though it is a member of the 14 Eyes Alliance; simply put, it’s a group of 14 countries that have agreed to share their citizens’ online activity.

However, Sweden’s strong freedom of speech ethos and PrivateVPN’s strict no-logs policy means that’s not really an issue. So, even if the government does demand users’ data, it won’t have anything to share.

The company has built its credibility around a commitment to a no-logs policy and strong encryption. However, it’s a shame there’s no way to prove its claims, as PrivateVPN doesn’t yet conduct third-party audits. If this reassurance is important to you, take a look at our review of the best VPNs on the market.

Does PrivateVPN Have Good Security?

Overall, PrivateVPN scores highly on the security front. Its robust encryption and privacy policy make sure of that. Here’s a quick rundown of PrivateVPN’s protocols that help keep you safe.

VPN Protocols

PrivateVPN supports multiple VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and Wireguard. In our opinion, OpenVPN offers the best balance between speed and security.

Another helpful feature PrivateVPN offers is Stealth VPN, which is especially useful in countries with strict censorship, like China. It does this by disguising your traffic as SSL traffic, which hides the fact that you’re using a VPN. However, we recommend that you only consider using this if you’re in a country with severe internet censorship, as it will significantly slow down your connection.

Data-Logging Policy

PrivateVPN has a zero no-logs policy. This means it keeps no records of your online activity at all, so your ISP or hackers have nothing they can use to track you.

Crucially, PrivateVPN’s privacy policy specifically states that it does not collect or store logs of users’ activities, including:

Like most VPN providers, you do need to provide PrivateVPN with some basic details like your email address and a password when signing up, but it keeps this information only for as long as it’s needed.

Encryption

PrivateVPN uses an encryption method called AES-256 bit, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to protect the US government from digital security breaches, and is now its default encryption algorithm. NIST also made it freely available to non-governmental organizations that provide encryption services.

PrivateVPN also offers OpenVPN. As its name suggests, it’s an open-source VPN protocol, which means anyone can see its code. The advantage of this is that cybersecurity experts worldwide have verified its security.

Additionally, you have the option of WireGuard connections, as PrivateVPN offers this protocol on its desktop apps. It’s a free and open-source software, delivering a far more sophisticated level of encryption. It’s also considered the fastest and easiest to scale, manage, and update to keep up with the constantly evolving cybersecurity threats. While you do need to manually connect to WireGuard, it’s simply a matter of clicking a few buttons once you’ve installed it on your device.

Before entrusting a VPN provider with your private data, rather than asking, ‘Does the VPN encrypt data?’ ask, ‘What encryption does the VPN use?’

Connection Guard

IPv6 is the latest IP (internet protocol). It was designed to help address the growing problem of the ever-increasing number of connected devices.

PrivateVPN’s connection guard is a handy feature. It protects your privacy by combining IPv6 and DNS leak protection with both a system-wide and application-level kill switch to protect you even if your VPN drops.

Review of PrivateVPN's Features – The Good, The Bad, and The Meh

PrivateVPN has a great mix of features that make it a strong contender in the VPN market, especially considering it’s a little smaller than many others in the ring. Let’s delve into what these features are and how well they can work for you.

Network Size

PrivateVPN boasts a network of over 200 servers spread across more than 60 countries. While this is a relatively low count (providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN have thousands), it still gives you a decent range of global coverage.

PrivateVPN’s servers are generally well distributed to provide reliable and speedy connections. However, it doesn’t have many servers in Africa, Australia, or New Zealand, so you may encounter some connection issues if you’re traveling there.

Port Forwarding

Port forwarding allows devices in private networks to connect over the internet with other public or private devices. It’s an essential feature for fast download and upload while torrenting and one that PrivateVPN provides.

To set it up, first, go into the PrivateVPN client to get the port number. You then simply input that number in the connection settings in your torrenting client.

Kill Switch

Any serious VPN contender has a kill switch in its security arsenal. Without one, if, for some reason, your VPN disconnects, most operating systems will automatically reconnect you to your local IP address. It's not a great solution — you lose the protection of your VPN encryption, meaning your data and location are discoverable.

Fortunately, PrivateVPN has you covered. As soon as your VPN connection drops, its full-system kill switch steps in and cuts your internet connection, thus protecting your privacy. Then, once your VPN connection is back up and running, the kill switch automatically restores your internet access without any action from you.

One drawback of PrivateVPN is that it doesn’t offer split tunneling. This means you can’t select which parts of your online activity go through the VPN and which connect directly to the internet.

So, if you’re using an app or website that doesn’t accept VPN traffic, for example, you’ll have to completely disconnect from the VPN.

Obfuscation

PrivateVPN has built-in obfuscation through its proprietary Stealth VPN protocol. This feature protects you against DPI (deep packet inspection) while browsing in countries with strict censorship, such as China. The protocol disguises your traffic as SSL traffic, hiding that you’re using a VPN and allowing you to bypass surveillance from ISPs and governments.

PrivateVPN works hard to keep its obfuscation technology current, as stringent firewalls can block outdated obfuscation methods.

DNS Leak Protection

A DNS (domain name system) protocol is essentially a group of servers that track the records connection IP addresses and domain names. Unfortunately, there are some security flaws, such as when someone provides a false IP address for a domain.

For example, this omission means that a hacker could redirect your search for privatevpn.com to a fake site to steal your passwords and other personal information, even if you’re using a VPN.

Fortunately, PrivateVPN’s software comes with built-in DNS leak protection, which routes your DNS requests through their own DNS servers, ensuring your browsing activity remains private.

One drawback is that PrivateVPN doesn’t offer WebRTC leak protection, which you’ll need if you use browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox. This is a feature of some more prominent VPNs like Surfshark and NordVPN, and others, like CyberGhost VPN, have browser extensions that disable WebRTC.

IP Address

PrivateVPN provides a dynamic IP address. While these IPs are free, the static IPs a server generates are shared among that server’s users. Much like a public IP address.

This setup, though, does have its advantages. You have the flexibility of accessing IPs in multiple locations and connecting up to ten devices simultaneously.

However, other VPNs, such as CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN, offer dedicated IP addresses that are uniquely yours if you prefer the stability and higher level of security they provide. As no one else can use them, you usually have to pay extra for them.

Speed and performance

Besides the security and privacy level, another crucial consideration when choosing a VPN is its speed and performance. After all, nobody wants to deal with slow loading times or buffering when streaming their favorite shows or movies.

As with any VPN, there’s bound to be some variation in speed depending on where you are, what time of day it is, and the server you connect to. However, PrivateVPN's extensive server network and optimized servers help minimize speed loss.

More Features Are on The Way

While PrivateVPN doesn’t seem to have implemented any significant updates recently, there may be some exciting new changes on the horizon.

Miss Group, a digital solutions provider, acquired PrivateVPN in 2022. In its press release, Miss Group’s CEO described PrivateVPN as ‘the fastest-growing private VPN product worldwide.’ A vote of confidence indeed. He’s also ‘confident that with Miss Group, PrivateVPN will be able to provide stronger VPN services to the market.’

We think it’s safe to say there’ll be some exciting changes to PrivateVPN’s features soon.

PrivateVPN Pricing – Do You Get Your Money's Worth?

Overall, we found that PrivateVPN offers exceptional value for the 12-month contract. It’s one of the cheapest around, making it a great choice if you’re on a budget.

When buying any tool, weighing up form and functionality with cost is essential. In this regard, PrivateVPN is unique in that each of its paid plans offers the same features, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice features for price.

The paid plans are affordable and well-priced at $9.90 billed monthly, dropping to $6.00 per month if you pay quarterly. This drops even further to $2.00 per month with the two free years that come with the annual plan. After that, it renews annually at $6.00 per month.

The free trial is where PrivateVPN falls short. It doesn’t always offer one, so you have to contact customer support to ask if it’s available. If it is, they’ll send you a code for a 7-day trial. PrivateVPN advertises its free trial on the website, but clicking on it redirects you back to the paid plan options.

However, you can still try PrivateVPN for free by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee. But there’s a significant catch. The guarantee only applies if you’re a new user or haven’t changed your initial purchase, such as upgrading your plan. You’ll also have to enter your payment details if you want to go down this route.

If you’re looking for a better try-before-you-buy option, take a look at our best free VPN recommendations.

Payment options include credit cards, Paypal, and bitcoin. It’s worth noting that bitcoin or other cryptocurrency payments are non-refundable.

How to Use PrivateVPN — Step-By-Step

It only takes about 10 minutes to download and start using the app as we found out in our PrivateVPN review - an extremely straightforward process.

On the PrivateVPN website, click the Get PrivateVPN button, and it’s plain sailing from there.

First, select your plan.

Then, follow the steps to create your secure account.

After completing the payment process, you’ll be directed to the download page. Here, select your operating system and click the purple Download button.

Open the downloaded file, follow the instructions to install the app, and sign in with the login details you provided when signing up.

You’re now ready to start browsing, safe in the knowledge you’re protected.

While we found this an uncomplicated process, an added bonus is that PrivateVPN offers help via remote control if you get stuck when installing or configuring the app. It provides remote control installation for Windows, Mac, and Linus operating systems and OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP protocols.

Privacy-conscious individuals might not want this, but it’s potentially for beginners who need a bit of help.

PrivateVPN Ease of Use

If you want a VPN that just works and keeps you safe without having to get to grips with lots of additional settings, then this one’s for you.

We found PrivateVPN’s interface easy to navigate with informative and easy-to-read dashboards. The interface is similar across platforms, so you get a consistent user experience across all your devices.

Windows and Mac

The app opens with a clean and simple view, perfect for tech novices, providing a quick way to connect and choose your server location.

If you’re more tech-savvy, the Advanced View button reveals more settings, giving you greater customization.

The connection button is at the top right of the window. On the left-hand side are some menu options like Dashboard, Settings, Connection Guard, Stealth VPN, and Help & Support.

The Dashboard is where you choose the location you want to connect to, the type of VPN protocol you want to use, and the encryption level for OpenVPN. You can also see how much data you've used.

In the Settings section, you’ll find some other options, many of which are not default settings, like starting and automatically connecting to PrivateVPN on startup.

Connection Guard is where you’ll find several security options, such as IPv6, DNS leak protection, and an internet kill switch. There’s also an app guard that automatically closes certain apps if your VPN connection drops.

To help bypass VPN blockers and firewalls, PrivateVPN introduced the Stealth VPN setting. If you’re having trouble connecting, you can specify a port to see if it resolves the issue.

Unfortunately, Mac lacks some of the features Windows has. It’s missing server ping times (so you can choose the fastest ones) and, more importantly, no kill switch or DNS leak protection.

Android and iOS

PrivateVPN’s mobile apps only have the simple view, which works well on the smaller screen. The interface is similar to the desktop version but has slightly different features.

The Android app offers more features than iOS: OpenVPN encryption, IPv6 leak protection, an auto-connect function, a kill switch, and a stealth VPN.

Other devices

PrivateVPN’s compatibility doesn’t stop there, as it’s also available on all your favorite streaming devices from anywhere in the world.

PrivateVPN Comparison With Other VPNs

Pitted against other VPNs, PrivateVPN stands strong. While it’s often scrutinized due to its smaller server network and occasional performance issues, its commitment to a no-logs policy and strong encryption is a huge plus.

It also competes well in terms of performance, delivering solid speeds and stable connections. Additionally, it can unblock a good range of popular streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

Of course, no VPN provider is perfect, each having particular strengths and weaknesses. So, choosing the right one will depend on what’s important to you. Are you looking for speed? Security? Streaming capability? Device compatibility?

Head over to our dedicated VPN page if you’d like to see more in-depth reviews of the tools we mention in the table. Whether you’re looking for the best free VPN for Chrome extensions or the top 10 best corporate VCPs, we’ve got you covered.

What Do PrivateVPN Reviews Say?

In this PrivateVPN review, we’ve described our experiences with it. But what are others saying about it? In the spirit of providing an unbiased review and different perspectives, we’ve combed the internet for some recent and honest user opinions.

Almost unanimously, users described the customer service as faultless. Others talked about the competitive pricing, quality streaming, obfuscation, and range of compatible devices.

Some user reviews touched on some minor issues, such as slow server speeds, logging in, and problems getting started with OpenVPN. However, these reports weren’t common and were promptly solved by the support team.

It’s to be expected that not everyone will be happy with the overall service, as personal preferences and requirements play a role. Overall, though, the reviews from PrivateVPN’s users were overwhelmingly positive, praising customer support, user-friendly apps, decent speeds, and a wide range of streaming services.

Good Alternatives to PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN offers a solid service, but exploring alternatives that may better suit your needs is always worthwhile. Here are the bare bones of some other VPNs that you may want to consider.

If something piques your interest, simply follow the link for a more in-depth review of its features.

Why You Can Trust Our Review of PrivateVPN

We thoroughly tested the app for our PrivateVPN review, evaluating features such as privacy and security, speed and performance, pricing and plans, and ease of use. We followed the same approach for our other reviews on leading VPNs, making it easy for you to compare the different services.

As our aim is to present you with an unbiased and comprehensive overview of PrivateVPN, we feel it’s our duty to provide you with different perspectives, so we scrutinize other user reviews from reputable sites like TrustPilot and Reddit.

Is PrivateVPN Worth It?

PrivateVPN is an ideal choice if you’re looking for an easy-to-use service for streaming content and strong customer service.

For our PrivateVPN review, we found out it provides a seamless and enjoyable user experience. If you’re looking for a solid and dependable service with robust privacy features without sacrificing ease of use, then PrivateVPN is for you.

The app's user-friendly interface makes navigating and setting it up easy, whether you're a VPN beginner or an experienced user.

While the app also offers a range of customization options, it doesn’t provide as many technical features as other VPNs, such as split tunneling or dedicated IP addresses. That said, it’s a strong contender if you’re simply looking for a VPN that will secure your online traffic without all the bells and whistles.

Our takeaway verdict is that PrivateVPN is excellent value for money, especially if your main priority is fast, reliable, secure streaming and torrenting. Despite lacking some advanced features, it competes well with more established VPNs on the market.

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