PureVPN Review 2023: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

Servers

8.0

Server Network — A Large Network of Dedicated and Virtual Servers

. The company owns all of its servers, which are self-managed to provide the best experience for its customers. There’s a good number of servers in each region, with many located in multiple central city hubs. While you can’t select a specific city to connect to in every region, you can connect to individual cities in the following countries: Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.

However, 20 locations are actually virtual servers that are located in the US. Virtual servers aren’t physically located in the country where the VPN lists its location — they’re only programmed to look like they are.

Almost every time I tried to connect to a virtual server, I had incredibly high latency. Although the interface showed that these servers had low traffic and should be fast, I couldn’t load DNSLeakTest.com or Speedtest.net while connecting to the Belize, Puerto Rico, and Bosnia servers.

I could easily avoid virtual servers when using the mobile app, as these are indicated by a small icon on the server list. However, there’s no way of telling which are virtual or physical on PureVPN’s desktop app. The only way to find out is by looking on PureVPN’s website and clicking “Server Locations.”

I was annoyed that I had to go to PureVPN’s website to see which servers were virtual ones

I was disappointed to find PureVPN doesn’t offer specialized servers for streaming, torrenting, or online gaming. However, PureVPN does allow you to choose a specialized profile when you first make an account. These profiles adjust encryption levels and tunneling protocols to optimize performance for specific activities — streaming, for example, uses less encryption to boost speeds, while downloading focuses on data privacy over speed.

Specialized servers that don’t skimp on encryption are a common feature provided by top VPN providers.  that provide fast speeds with the best encryption.

Security Features

Top-Tier Encryption Levels

PureVPN uses AES-256-bit encryption as standard, the same level of encryption used by financial institutions and military bodies. In short, it’s the most secure encryption available and has never been hacked — it would take someone billions of years to brute-force crack it.

Multiple Secure Tunneling Protocols

PureVPN offers the WireGuard, OpenVPN TCP, OpenVPN UDP, and IKEv2 protocols. These protocols have different benefits, depending on what you’re using the VPN connection for.

• WireGuard — A lightweight protocol designed for blazing-fast speeds and top security — best for smooth streaming and online gaming.
• OpenVPN — Established and reliable, with 2 versions — UDP and TCP. UDP is faster but more likely to be flagged by networks, while TCP is slower with better security (ideal for P2P file-sharing).
• IKEv2 — Fast speeds and quick reconnections that are good for mobile users, but have a higher chance of being flagged or blocked by networks and firewalls.

Overall, WireGuard is the top choice for consistent speeds and high-level security. PureVPN will automatically select the best protocol for you, or you can manually choose a protocol in its Settings menu.

Automatic Kill Switch — Cuts Internet Access if VPN is Interrupted

All of PureVPN’s apps have an automatic kill switch, which cuts access to the internet if the VPN connection is interrupted. I tested the kill switch and was pleased to find it instantly stopped my internet connection to ensure my data wouldn’t be exposed.

Split Tunneling — Available on Windows and Android Apps

PureVPN’s split tunneling lets you pick which apps connect to the internet through the VPN, and which ones don’t. It’s great for multitasking — I used it while torrenting to protect my traffic with the encrypted connection while my email and work went through my regular WiFi connection. Split tunneling can also give you a speed boost, as no unnecessary data is encrypted by the VPN.

Unfortunately, PureVPN’s split tunneling is only available on its Windows and Android apps — I’d like to see it on macOS, iOS, and other devices like the split tunneling feature offered by ExpressVPN. Split tunneling is also not compatible with the WireGuard protocol.

Leak Protection — All Data Secured By the Encrypted Connection

Even when using military-grade encryption, there are ways for your data to leak. PureVPN uses data leak protection to secure your connection against IPv4, IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. I tested multiple servers in Europe, the UK, and the US to ensure my data wouldn’t be exposed — PureVPN kept my data secure at all times.

I was impressed by PureVPN keeping all IP, DNS, and WebRTC data secure

None of my real information (like my IP address in the UK) was visible, meaning PureVPN successfully prevented any data leaking.

Add-On Features — Useful Features Available for an Extra Cost

PureVPN also has several useful features that you can add to your subscription for a small monthly fee:

• Dedicated IP — This is an IP address exclusively for use by you, making it less likely to be flagged by VPN detection software. It’s ideal for accessing sensitive data that usually triggers multi-factor authentication, like financial information or your business login.
• Port Forwarding — This lets you access your PC, laptop, or internet-connected device from anywhere in the world. You can also use port forwarding to set up and host online gaming servers for your friends or speed up your torrents.
• DDoS Protection — DDoS stands for “Distributed Denial-of-Service” and it’s a kind of cyberattack that disrupts your network by overwhelming it with traffic. It’s often associated with competitive online gaming, and worth protecting yourself against if you play eSports or have a high-value business.

Privacy Features

Zero-Logs Policy Proven by Independent Audit

PureVPN has significantly improved its data privacy in recent years. After cooperating with the FBI in 2016 and using logged data in a cyberstalking case, PureVPN has since become a no-logs VPN. In 2019, the company voluntarily underwent an independent audit to verify its no-logs status and ran a huge marketing campaign to detail its reformed policies.

During my research, I found PureVPN really is a no-logs VPN — it will never collect or store any personally identifying data from its users. While it does still collect some data (like general locations or the time a connection is made), this cannot be traced back to you in any way. Rather, this data is used to monitor and improve the service, and is standard for a VPN service — all top VPNs record some data to keep operations running smoothly.

I was pleased to find PureVPN has the option of anonymous payments as well. As well as credit and debit cards and PayPal, you have the choice of paying through CoinGate with BitCoin, LiteCoin, or Ethereum. This means you can subscribe to and set up PureVPN without using your personal details.

Despite its shady past, I feel confident that PureVPN maintains high levels of data privacy for its users — you won’t have to worry about your data being logged or stored in any way.

Jurisdiction — Based in the British Virgin Islands, a Privacy Haven

In late 2021, PureVPN moved from Hong Kong to the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which is considered a privacy haven — it’s also where top-tier service ExpressVPN has its headquarters. The BVI is outside of the jurisdiction of any intelligence-sharing alliances and has strict data privacy laws. Companies based there aren’t required to log or store any user data, which is ideal for a privacy-focused service like PureVPN.

PureVPN’s relocation to the BVI was to reassure its users. Despite Hong Kong also being outside of Eyes Alliance jurisdictions, users were concerned that pressure from China could interfere with data privacy. Now that PureVPN is headquartered away from China, users can rest assured their data is safe.

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Torrenting — Dedicated P2P Connections, But Not Available Worldwide

A little under half of PureVPN’s servers support P2P connections, which is a good number of servers compared to other VPNs. However, there are noticeable gaps in P2P coverage. Some regions like Asia simply don’t have any nearby P2P servers available (the only P2P servers in Asia are Turkey, Russia, and Brunei).

The good news is that all of these servers still benefit from safety features that protect your identity and activity, like military-grade encryption and data leak protection. This helps you torrent safely by keeping your true location and torrenting anonymous. It also protects you from ISP throttling, which is when the ISP deliberately slows down your connection for using too much bandwidth.

Does PureVPN Work in China? Maybe

PureVPN might work in China, providing you manually configure it. When I contacted customer support about connecting in China, the agent gave me a list of servers and suggested I follow one of the setup guides available on its help website.

You also have the option to use TCP Listener software to connect to PureVPN from China. This open-source and free software connects to PureVPN’s servers specifically for customers in China. Once you have the TCP Listener software, customer support can give you the addresses that you need to access PureVPN’s list of servers during a live-chat conversation.

Unfortunately, this is all pretty complicated for a regular user. If you’re looking for a VPN that works in China with no extra steps, it’s best to stick with a tried and tested VPN for China.

Try PureVPN risk-free today!