It would be extremely advisable to opt for a good VPN service. If you are checking out for the excellent quality service in terms of the best VPN service ever, the PureVPN service is one of the prime solutions. Among the exceptional VPN services that we have been discussing about, we will today take up the review of PureVPN for an enhanced security and service quality par excellence.
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PureVPN is one of the oldest service providers in terms of VPN service providers. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the service has been one of the prime names for an improved service quality. A decade long service, it has been one of the exciting services ever.
With more than 2000 servers, you would find it one of the good VPN services. The worldwide presence of the service can indeed make it one of the excellent choices ever.
Security
PureVPN has been one of the best reliable VPN services with enhanced security protocols. Being a service provider from the Hong Kong region, it has been outside the purview of the 5/9/14-Eyes jurisdiction. You get access to a 256 bit encryption except on PPTP protocol, which provides you a 128 bit encryption.
The privacy policy, too, is quite strong enough. The VPN service provides you access to a host of VPN protocols such as IKEv2, L2TP, PPTP, OpenVPN, and SSTP. Of course, our recommendation would be to go with the OpenVPN protocol. It provides you access to a better speed, reliability, and an open-source feature. You would find the use of protocols in the following manner – OpenVPN/IKEv2 on Windows, OpenVPN on macOS and Android, and IPSec/IKEv2 protocols on iOS.
Speeds
The VPN speeds would be dependent on a variety of factors, and not all of them are dependent on the VPN service alone. It can depend on a wide range of services such as time of the day, location, your ISP, location of the server, and your VPN service provider.
Our tests indicated a speed reduction of up to 26 percent on Mac and around 43 percent on Windows. The drop in speed should be understandable, given that VPN encrypts your data and is expected to get a low speed.
However, users around the globe maintain that the speeds offered by PureVPN have been disappointing. That would mean, you would better go with PureVPN only when you have your original speeds in the range of around 100 or 150 Mbps onwards.
What about the Los policy of PureVPN?
PureVPN maintains a clear no logs policy. Except for some much needed, anonymous data, none of your data is saved or logged.
The privacy policy of the service provider clearly mentions that they do not keep any of your data or logs,
“We DO NOT keep any record of your browsing activities, connection logs, records of the VPN IPs assigned to you, your original IPs, your connection time, the history of your browsing, the sites you visited, your outgoing traffic, the content or data you accessed, or the DNS queries generated by you.”
The PureVPN has been audited by the independent US audit firm, Altius IT and has been found to be keeping no logs at all of any of your data.
Which Streaming services does PureVPN support?
PureVPN can unblock most of the popular streaming services that include Netflix US. Given the stronger VPN detection functionality of Netflix, getting a VPN service that can unblock the Netflix geo restriction can indeed be a tough choice. PureVPN does win emphatically on most counts.
A few other streaming services that we found working without issues on PureVPN include Hulu, HBO GO, and BBC iPlayer in HD. Of course, speed issues can result in buffering if you are on a slower network as the speeds can get considerably reduced.
If you are stuck with a non-working Netflix with PueVPN, you can get in touch with the support agent and get a specific server that would easily connect you to the streaming service almost instantly. In case you are facing any issues, we would recommend using the browser extensions than opting for the clients or apps. For some reason, streaming services work seamlessly with the browser extensions.
How about the PureVPN Customer service?
You would have access to plenty of information on everything that has to do with the PureVPN service. You will get access to a great degree of data regarding any of your needs in handling your VPN service. There are several tutorials, FAQs, and other relevant information.
However, the live chat option appears to need a lot of enhancement. The answers received do not appear to be prompt, and customer service executives do not seem to understand your query properly. Submitting a ticket either through email or through the website provides you a resolution or a reply within a day.
In essence, we do not have anything positive to share about the customer service offered by PureVPN. However, that should not necessarily be the prime reason to say adieus to the VPN service.
The Server locations and numbers
PureVPN claims to have over 2000 servers across the globe. Given the fact that the service began in 2006 with just two servers, that should be a great achievement. The PureVPN network consists of more than 2000 servers in as many as 140 countries. That would amount to the best global footprint.
You will find the PureVPN servers located around North, Central, and South America along with Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The service offered by most of the servers appeared to be reliable. You can easily play the online gams even in 1080p HD with ease across most of the servers. Switching between the servers too is easy and instant. Of course, there are a few occasional delays in switching the servers, though.
The server breakdown will be on the following lines – 650+ servers in North America, 10+ in Central America, 80+ in South America, close to 800 in Europe, 300+ in Asia, 90+ in Oceania, and 150+ in Africa. That should be quite impressive and offer PureVPN a decent footprint across every region globally.
Is PureVPN good for Torrenting?
PureVPN does support torrenting. You will find almost all the servers on the VPN service providing a complete support for P2P file transfer. You also have a dedicated torrenting profile and a specialized server option for the efficient torrenting.
When torrenting, please ensure that you are connected to one of the dedicated or specialized servers marked to be P2P or peer to peer transfer. Also, it would be advisable to remember that the torrenting servers are not available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, or Australia. If you are in any of these regions, you may need to be happy with the slow torrenting experience.
One of our prime annoyances would be the fact that the servers are not marked on the site, whether they are P2P optimized. But, you will find them marked on the client. However, overall – the torrenting experience of PureVPN would be quite reliable.
Apps and Extensions
PureVPN has specific apps and clients for almost all major platforms. You have access to a native app and client support for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and even Linux. And then, for those who want a lightweight functionality without the need to digging much into the configuration, you have browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. You can also configure it on gaming consoles, Android TV, Amazon Firestick, and other platforms.
The Windows client for PureVPN is straightforward and simple to use but has one concern – it consumes a lot of power. It is likely to freeze your computer if you are running it on a computer with a lower configuration. In such cases, it may be advisable to go with the browser extension, which does not consume that much of power.
As for the usability of the client, you will find that it offers you an exceptional level of service. The profile you choose is designed to provide you access to the best possible optimisation for your connection. Switching servers is also rather simple and easy.
The Android app is rather an extension of the Windows client. Of course, there are a few changes. The app will not work without a subscription, though. However, the app is not as intuitive as the desktop counterpart. It needs you to have a slightly steeper learning curve. The app, however, may crash at times.
The mac client is quite similar to the Windows one but is not available on the official mac store. You need to download the client from the official PureVPN website. If you are on the macOS, you will find it quite simpler and easy to use.
In case you are looking for the browser extensions, PureVPN offers browser extensions for both Chrome and Firefox. The best part of the extensions is that they are extremely lightweight when compared to the dedicated apps. You may notice that some of the WebRTC elements are blocked. That can be a reason for concern if you are someone who loves those parameters.
How much does PureVPN cost?
PureVPN has a distinction being an expensive option for a VPN service.
You will get a good deal on a one year plan. However, you will notice that the price gets a steep rise after the trial is over.
Monthly plan – One month plan comes with a pricing of $ 10.95 per month. You would obviously want to go with the monthly plan only if you are testing out the software or the VPN service.
Semi-annual plan – Semi-annual or half-yearly plan comes with apricing of $ 8.33 per month. You will be billed half-yearly at the flat rate of $ 8.33 per month. This will be a discount to the tune of 24 percent on the monthly plan.
Annual plan – The annual plan comes with a free trial of seven days. You will get a discount of 47 percent at the flat rate of $5.83 per month after the completion of the trial. As soon as the seven day trial is over, you are automatically subscribed to the annual plan at $ 69.95.
A Few Pros and Cons
Pros
- A strict no logs policy, substantiated by an independent third-party audit
- Plenty of features like kill switch, streaming service support, and other prime services
- Speeds quite good on mac, though it may be a little disturbing on Windows.
Cons
- Customer service is not up to the mark
- Not more than five simultaneous connections.
A Few FAQs
What are the benefits offered by PureVPN service?
There are several advantages associated with PureVPN.
- A wide range of servers
- Decent speeds across the servers
- Strict no-logs policy
Does PureVPN offer you a free trial?
Yes, you have access to a free trial option, but you will need to share your payment options. As soon as the free trial of seven days is over, you will be automatically billed for the annual plan. The trial plan is not available on monthly and semi-annual plans.
Is PureVPN fast?
This is an area that PureVPN tries to distinguish itself from the rest of the operators. Most of the servers provide you good speed options. However, Windows may be an issue, and you may get a bit lower speeds.
Is PureVPN legal?
PueVPN, in itself, is a legal service. However, the use of a VPN service in your region is dependent on whether you are permitted to use a VPN service in your region. Check the guidelines in your region before proceeding.
The Concluding Thoughts
The PureVPN may not live up to the expectations when it comes to the speeds. But, based on a wide range of factors, it would be one of the excellent options for a perfect VPN. The high-end features offered by the service can prove to be one of the thoughtful inclusions.
The high degree of transparency in terms of their privacy policy is one of the factors we found quite rewarding. We would definitely recommend it to the users.