Since our last review in March 2024, PureVPN has let its standards slip. Even though it still performed well in speed tests and reliably unblocked Netflix, the experience is marred by confusing pricing tiers, constant add-on nudges, issues with the Windows app, and below-average support, leading us to drop our score from where it previously stood at four stars. It falls behind competing VPNs with clear pricing, transparent audit reports, and reliable customer support, like our Editors’ Choice winner, Proton VPN, which delivers all of the above (and more) at a lower price. 

Pricing and Plans

PureVPN offers a seven-day free trial, but it is exclusive to Windows users. There are no restrictions on the features available during the trial, but you will have to provide payment information. An email will remind you to cancel when that trial is ending, but if you miss it or the email goes to spam, you'll get charged for a monthly subscription, so keep an eye out. If that does occur, PureVPN offers a 31-day money-back guarantee, which I'll go over more later in this review.

The pricing tiers and incentives for PureVPN are confusing. I was inundated with offers that were supposedly always just under an hour from expiring (a common marketing tactic that is often misleading). The main discount right now is for the company's 18th-anniversary celebration, and it may be the most bizarre incentive that I have seen a VPN offer: A mystery box.

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Signing up for a two-year Max tier subscription will award you with a mystery box (after 45 days of being subscribed), which is beyond the 31-day refund window. The rewards include nebulous and unclear prizes such as “VR,” “GTX Graphic Card,” “Return ticket to Dubai,” and more listings with no additional description or specificity. There are some guaranteed prizes as well, which include “PureVPN Subscription/Addons,” “Amazon Vouchers,” “Food Delivery Coupons,” and “Streaming Subscriptions.” The value, quantity, and nature of the rewards are not defined. Depending on your country, these could be considered loot boxes, which are banned in Belgium and the Netherlands.

I don’t believe that a service focused on privacy and user security should engage in such practices, and don't suggest you sign up for the Max plan in the hopes of getting anything meaningful from the mystery box. 

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Beyond that, there are an overwhelming number of premium plans to choose from. There are Standard, Plus, and Max tiers that vary in price by the term lengths of monthly, one-year, two-year, and five-year. All Standard plans come with the VPN and tracker blocker, and Plus plans add a password manager. Max tiers get data removal, dark web monitoring, and an eSIM with unlimited data. The monthly prices are $12.95, $15.95, and $19.95, respectively. One-year plans are $45.95, $57.95, and $72.95 annually. Two-year subscriptions are $57.95, $79.95, and $99.95. Finally, five-year plans go for $129.95, $159.95, and $199.95. These discounted rates may go up after your initial subscription term as well. All of those prices are considered introductory rates and are subject to change as per PureVPN’s renewal policy. 

All PureVPN subscriptions can be configured with six additional features, all of which cost extra. The prices are discounted depending on subscription length, but these are the rates for monthly Standard plan subscribers:

• Dedicated IP: $4.99 per month
• Port Forwarding: $1.49 per month
• Dedicated IP + Port Forwarding: $6.49 per month
• Dedicated Server: $15 per month
• Residential Network: $19.99 per month
• Multi Login: starting at $5.18 per month

It was disappointing to see PureVPN charging extra on top of the already high monthly cost for basic features like port forwarding and simultaneous device connections. I usually see services with a bundled security suite to justify such high prices, but there are no such bundled services aside from a basic password manager. You can get the same ten simultaneous connections and port forwarding included in every plan with Proton VPN for a lower cost.

There is also a business version of PureVPN, priced per seat. It's $6 per person per month, but pricing may vary depending on the size of the organization and its specific needs.

PureVPN accepts credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Paymentwall, and Coinpayment as valid payment methods. While Coinpayment does allow for an anonymous purchase with cryptocurrency, I’d like to see an alternative to the blockchain. Our Editors’ Choice winner for cheap VPNs, Mullvad, allows you to pay with cash. 

Features

PureVPN's ten simultaneous connections are double the industry average, but many competitors, such as Surfshark and TunnelBear, have been removing device limits entirely. Basic split tunneling is supported, so you can choose the apps that you would like to be protected by the VPN. This feature is good if you want your browsing data protected while playing games without the slowdown associated with an encrypted connection. 

Multi-hop servers that route your traffic through two or more servers for increased privacy are not available. While it isn’t ubiquitous enough to be a standard, I expect advanced features like multi-hop when the subscription costs are as high as PureVPN’s. Competitors such as NordVPN offer multi-hop and other advanced features at a more affordable price.  

The majority of PureVPN's advanced features are locked behind additional paywalls, and the service often nudges you to purchase these extras. The Windows dashboard is packed with reminders and sections for features you may not have, and it displays red text with alerts vying for your attention. I cover my experience with the UI more later on, but it makes for a frustrating experience. 

One feature that doesn’t require an advanced plan to get access to is the ad and tracker blocker. It worked fine on text-based websites, but it did nothing to block ads on YouTube, Twitch, or Netflix. 

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Dark web monitoring requires a Max plan. Even so, you will get scary alerts claiming your data has been breached and to rectify it with the service’s tools. I found this interesting, as I got alerts even though I used a burner email and bespoke password to sign up. It is an ever-present nudge that pushes you to buy a service you may not need, rather than actually reporting whether your details have been leaked.

VPN Protocols

PureVPN supports IKEv2 and WireGuard. The app lists UDP and TCP as options, which I know means OpenVPN. However, a less-experienced user might not be familiar with those abbreviations. It is a strange choice not to include OpenVPN before each of its variants. There are no descriptions for any of the protocols in the app. The server list on PureVPN's website includes SSTP, L2TP, and IPSEC as options as well. However, not all of these protocols will be available on every platform. SSTP and L2TP were not present on Windows, Android, iOS, or macOS. Despite this lack of clarity, all available options are in line with industry standards and offer excellent security.

Servers and Server Locations

A broad server network means more connection options, better chances of accessing regional content, and increased performance due to reduced server crowding. PureVPN has a large network of over 6,000 servers spread across 65 countries. Global coverage is more than sufficient with plenty of options in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. There are also servers in underserved regions such as Hong Kong, Nigeria, and China. 

PureVPN achieves this global coverage partly through its use of virtual locations. VPN companies often rent servers from larger cloud providers to provide service in certain regions. A physical server means the hardware is physically located in the region you’re connecting to. A virtual server is run on real hardware, but the system is configured to appear somewhere other than where it is physically located. Due to this partitioning of resources, virtual servers tend to be a little slower and slightly less reliable at unblocking regional content. 

PureVPN is in the process of removing the majority of its virtual locations. 24 of the original 88 virtual locations are being retained. This update follows a series of user complaints stating that the IP addresses of virtual locations didn't match the country to which they were connecting. 

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The server list in the application has filter options for virtual, quantum-resistant, P2P (peer-to-peer), and port forwarding. Quantum-resistant servers are meant to offer protection against future attacks by quantum computers. While this technology is impressive, its actual resilience is unproven. Accessible quantum computing doesn’t exist yet, and it’s unknown whether or not this technology will truly be enough to stop an attack from such a device. I’d rather see PureVPN put effort toward immediately useful features, such as multi-hop connections. ExpressVPN has also put forth considerable effort in the early adoption of this safeguard, but only time will tell if it is needed or effective. 

Some VPNs, such as Nord, have moved to diskless or RAM-only servers. These machines do not write data to disk, making them resistant to physical tampering. PureVPN has not taken this step.

Privacy

PureVPN’s no-frills privacy policy is straightforward. The company’s data handling practices are clearly outlined. The service does not log your origin IP, VPN IP, time stamps, or activity while connected. However, there are a few lines within this policy that give me pause. 

Using the tracker and ad blocker features lets PureVPN see which ads were blocked and how often such ads appeared, and the policy claims that this information cannot be tied back to individual users. However, bandwidth usage is tracked on a per-user basis. The policy states that usage is monitored and that “We keep track of the total bandwidth consumed by a user to make sure everybody is getting the highest speeds and the best possible experience from our product.”

If you purchase a dedicated IP address, the company logs the fixed IP for 25 days after your subscription ends. Using the dark web monitoring features requires trusting another third party with your data. This service is handled through Twilio, and it logs your personal email, phone number, and any other details you give it. The policy claims that this data is only used to render the service, but it is yet another variable you have to trust. 

PureVPN is incorporated under the British Virgin Islands and operates under that country's legal jurisdiction, which does not require the retention or storage of data. 

It has undergone third-party privacy audits and claims to have been subjected to a surprise audit by a “well-known audit firm.” It doesn't name the auditor, and this update was posted back in August 2021. There is a note that PureVPN underwent another audit in 2024, but the results are not available. The company doesn’t disclose which firm performed this audit, either. It has previously undergone audits by Altius and KPMG, but the results of those inquiries are dated at this point.

A transparency report typically includes the number of information requests a company has received from government agencies and law enforcement. PureVPN's transparency report shows those requests, which we appreciate. It claims that no data handovers have resulted from these requests.

None of these practices are immediate red flags, but it is still more data than I would like to see a VPN hold. There are far more private options out there, such as Windscribe. It has earned our Editors’ Choice award for its blunt and refreshing approach to privacy.

Does PureVPN Work With Netflix?

Streaming services like Netflix have licensing agreements to broadcast shows only in specific regions. This practice leads to regional catalogs of content based on country. For example, this is why your favorite show may only be available when connecting to a streaming service in the UK. These same agreements are responsible for shows jumping between streaming services and platforms. To ensure you always have access to your favorite Netflix content, a VPN can help.

I test each VPN to see if it can access Netflix in the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, and Australia. Open access means I didn’t experience any restrictions. Limited means I was able to browse Netflix originals, but no regional content. Blocked means I could not access any content. PureVPN performed well, granting reliable open access to every regional catalog. You can view my full testing results in the chart above.

Speed

I don’t recommend choosing a VPN based on speed testing alone. The speed you experience on your home network can be impacted by variables such as local user congestion and service fluctuations from your ISP. Encrypting your traffic with a VPN introduces more variables that can vary depending on your location and even the time of day that you connect. 

I run a series of speed tests using Ookla without a VPN to form a baseline comparison on the same day and time that I repeat the tests while connected to the network. I then find a percent change between the two sets of results. See our story on how we test VPNs for more specifics. (Note: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company. For more, see the ethics policy in our Editorial Mission Statement.)

PureVPN beat the average in all three categories. It reduced my download speeds by a mere 12.55%. Upload speeds were even better with a reduction of 6.36%. Latency was decent, with a 95.65% increase. It isn’t quite as speedy as the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, but it is far ahead of the industry average.

Hands On With PureVPN on Windows

I tested PureVPN on an Intel 12 NUC Enthusiast Kit ('Serpent Canyon') desktop running the latest version of Windows 11. 

The Windows client has a busy layout with a connection button in the center, menus on the left, and purchase nudges on the right for the company’s data protection services. The nudges do not go away and were present even when I toggled off the dark web notification setting. 

Split tunneling, protocol selection, and startup behavior can all be configured in the settings menu. Each option is clearly described, and you get a solid set of advanced configurations. You can pick between IKEv2, OpenVPN TCP/UDP, and WireGuard protocols. 

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Unfortunately, I experienced some issues with the Windows version of PureVPN. My connection would show as loading indefinitely. I verified in my network settings that I was connected, but the app wouldn't show it, and the option to cancel the connection didn't work. That meant I had to completely restart the app every time this happened. I also experienced freezes and crashes when changing servers. Since PureVPN defaults to being minimized even when you manually attempt to shut it down (even in the task manager), I had to restart my test system multiple times to resolve the issue. 

Back to the interface, some paid features are clearly indicated with a lock icon next to them, while others are not. However, you can filter by servers that support port forwarding regardless of whether you have paid for access to that feature. When you go to connect, the app will prompt you to purchase the add-on or to continue connecting anyway without port forwarding. Notably, there is no way to close that window or cancel your connection. You must click on Connect Anyway or go to the add-on purchase menu to exit.

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To protect your privacy, a VPN should not leak DNS requests. I tested a PureVPN server using the DNS leak test tool and confirmed that PureVPN successfully changed my public IP address and did not leak my DNS information. This test only validates the server I used in testing. Other servers may not be correctly configured.

Hands On With PureVPN on macOS

I tested PureVPN on a 2020 M1 MacBook Pro running Sequoia 15.5. You can download the macOS version directly from PureVPN or the App Store. The macOS interface is tidier than Windows, with a connection button taking up the majority of the screen. Menus remain on the left side of the app, while the identity alerts have been pushed down beneath the VPN server selector. 

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Most VPNs have different features on macOS than on Windows, and that remains true here. There is no P2P server list, and split tunneling is only available on macOS 10.15 and earlier. In addition to the same protocols offered on Windows, you can choose to secure your connection via IPSec. The kill switch gains a secondary configuration called VPN on Demand that allows you to trigger the VPN to launch whenever you go to certain websites.

I didn't experience any connectivity problems this time around. I tested a handful of servers using every available protocol without issues.

Hands On With PureVPN on iOS

I tested PureVPN on an iPhone 14 running iOS 16.3. The app is available in the App Store, so installation was easy. After inputting your credentials, you’ll be greeted with a sleek black-and-purple design. The iOS interface is my favorite so far since it offers a streamlined, no-clutter experience. 

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The iOS app offers the same functionality as the macOS version. Protocols, settings, and advanced features are all identical to those offered on Mac. I didn’t experience any interruptions or errors with my connection.

Hands On With PureVPN on Android

I tested PureVPN’s Android app using a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE running Android 14. You can download the app directly from the Google Play Store. Similarly to iOS, the Android version offers a more streamlined experience compared with the desktop options. Aside from a couple of minor details, the design is functionally the same as iOS. 

(Credit: PCMag/PureVPN)

The Android app differs from iOS in that P2P servers and split tunneling make a return. OpenVPN UDP/TCP, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols are available. So, you lose out on IPSec. All other settings and advanced options align with PureVPN’s Windows version. I successfully connected to a range of servers using every available protocol without any interruptions. 

Customer Support and Money-Back Guarantee

PureVPN provides a lot of resources to help you troubleshoot issues before reaching out to an agent. Its support hub has setup guides for most operating systems and quick steps you can take to work through common errors on your own. The knowledge base also has definitions for VPN terminology and phrases that you may not be familiar with as a new user. 

It’s not the best resource if you need visual aids, since most help sections are presented as text-only guides. I’d like to see some videos and screenshots added for clarity and ease of understanding. Competitors like Hide.me set a high standard with frequent visual aids and more comprehensive subject coverage. 

Since I ran into problems with the Windows version of PureVPN, I reached out to the 24/7 live support team for help. I like that you don’t need to log in or give an email to use the chat; you don’t even need to provide a name. You’re automatically routed to an AI support bot while you wait in the queue for a real person. The AI is average but doesn’t suggest much beyond restarting the app or changing protocols. One quirk of the AI is that it will claim to connect you directly to an agent if you ask for one, but it leaves you waiting in the queue. So, take the bot’s guidance with a grain of salt. 

After I presented my experience to support, the agent suggested I disable the VPN’s fallback protocol. This helped, but it didn't completely fix my stability issues. I still experienced crashes, but they became less frequent. When asked why the fallback protocol caused this issue, the explanation offered was that it “gets stuck.” 

My agent likely meant that there was an issue with the fallback setting looping and not being able to land on a precise protocol, resulting in the app crashing. While this solution helped somewhat, I expected more troubleshooting and a more detailed explanation. Most responses appeared to be copied from a script, and I wasn't told if this feedback was passed along to the technical team or if the fallback protocol issue would ever be resolved.

Refunds are easy. You can file for one under your account settings on PureVPN’s website. Go to the subscriptions tab and scroll to the bottom. From there, click on the Refund button. The form will ask you for some additional details, but your request will be approved as long as it falls within the return window. My refund was processed immediately.