Expert rating
Benefits
- Easy to use.
- Works on multiple devices, including iPhone.
- Additional features for experienced users.
The inconvenients
- The pricing model seems obtuse.
- Virtual server locations seem to be a concern.
Our Verdict
There’s so much to love about PureVPN, from its sleek Mac client to its ease of use and reliable geo-unlocking, but its pricing model is almost aggressive for two-year plans that feel like a gamble in the world of VPNs.
As we look at VPNs in 2024, it’s clear that the industry has grown to offer fantastic benefits, whether you’re looking to unblock Netflix in another country or connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Fi that you don’t really trust. The other thing that’s clear is that VPN companies really want to lure you into a two-year deal.
Perhaps not surprising, and what’s good enough for Surfshark and NordVPN is good enough for everyone, but PureVPN offers over 80% off its plans if you sign up for 24 months.
On the one hand, it’s great – PureVPN is a great VPN service with plenty of additional tools and extras to tailor it perfectly to your needs. On the other hand, two years is a long time in an area where legislation threatens to change from month to month, week to week. Plus, at its standard price, PureVPN is more expensive than some of its competitors, so it feels like it really wants you to get on board for two years.
There are also some privacy concerns, especially with virtual servers. There are no guarantees where they are located, which means their privacy frameworks may differ from country to country.
Still, if you’re looking for a flexible VPN service that bypasses geo-blocking and is easy to use, PureVPN is worth a look – just be careful before signing up for a long plan.
Find out how PureVPN compares to other VPNs we’ve tested in our roundup of the best VPNs for Mac. We also look at the best VPNs for iPhone and the best VPNs for iPad.
Features and applications
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One of my favorite features of PureVPN is its appearance. It may sound silly, but it’s a sleek interface that works well on my M1 Pro MacBook Pro (I noted in my SurfShark review that I had some issues with this app).
First impressions count for a lot with a service you might use daily, and PureVPN’s security progress window lets you go through a checklist of items to help you achieve a more secure browsing experience. This is an interesting tutorial that I would love to see more VPNs offer.
The Basic plan includes the VPN service and nothing more, while you can add a password manager and file encryption tools in the Plus plan. The Max plan adds digital security, which seems a bit nebulous. In reality, it’s a digital privacy manager that requests your records to be cleaned by data brokers, blocks web trackers, and recommends ways to maximize your privacy on social media.
It’s worth noting that none of PureVPN’s plans include malware protection in the same way that NordVPN does. Nord will scan downloaded files for malware, but there’s nothing similar with PureVPN.
No matter which plan you choose, you will be able to connect 10 devices at once. That’s four more than Nord, and you can add multiple connections for around $6/£5 a month – ideal for busy households or even business uses, and you can also add a variety of additional purchases.
Port forwarding and dedicated IP address and server options are available extra, but PureVPN doesn’t run any additional privacy layers on top of the standard VPN pricing. It’s a bit simple in this regard, although split tunneling is available to bypass the VPN entirely for certain apps and sites if you need it.
PureVPN will work on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac and is easy to use on each to let you connect to over six thousand servers. NordVPN can be installed on just about anything, which means it offers native apps for iPhone, Mac, and iPad, as well as Windows and Android. It’ll even work on your Apple TV, and it’s also worth installing on multiple devices, since you can use it on six devices at once.
Performance
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Loss of speed on your Mac is expected when using a VPN, but what surprised me about PureVPN is the disparity between VPN protocols, and OpenVPN and WireGuard are taken in charge here.
My internet isn’t up to fiber speed yet, but the drops here were close to the latency of something like ExpressVPN with about a 17% drop on WireGuard, but OpenVPN was closer to 23%.
It’s a big difference in the overall scheme of things, so I would definitely recommend switching to WireGuard when using the service. Still, OpenVPN is a handy backup option if you’re having trouble browsing – just be prepared to sacrifice a little speed for compatibility.
When it comes to bypassing geoblocks, I found PureVPN to be as easy to use as any other service. Select a location, load your streaming service or app of choice and off you go.
Privacy and Security
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As we’ve explained in other VPN reviews, it’s important to know if your chosen service will record data from your sessions with the VPN.
PureVPN offers one of the most impressive no-logging policies, with an ongoing “always on” audit process where an auditor can request confirmation of this policy at any time.
That’s impressive, and while no-logging is nothing new, the transparency with which it’s offered here is certainly impressive.
So why worry about privacy? It depends on the use of virtual servers. These are used to offer closer server locations in areas where bandwidth may be difficult to obtain. The problem is, as PureVPN’s blog points out, the location may differ from the physical address you think you’re connecting to.
Connecting to Jordan, through the Virtual Server service, will use a Jordan IP address, but the VPN server is actually in Egypt.
With these blurred lines, it is commendable that PureVPN has decommissioned many of its virtual servers. There are still 23, many of which have been retired and two (Chile and Philippines) are being converted to physical servers. Still, these are 23 virtual servers where it’s possible they’re located right across the street from where you expect them to be.
Rates and packages
As we mentioned in the introduction, PureVPN’s two-year plans start from $2.11 (£1.69) per month, with additional features going up to $3.85 (£3.85). £.08). A one-year plan starts at $3.74 (£2.98) per month and, if you’re not tied to a contract, it costs from $11.95 (£9.51) per month .
However, as is the same with any VPN, it’s difficult to justify signing up for two years when there’s every chance it will be cut to half by new legislation – or at all. the least that the characteristics and functionalities are modified.
The bottom line is that we advise you to go for a plan that requires less commitment, but PureVPN ends up being more expensive than some of its competitors when you head in that direction, and then there are add-ons like dedicated servers and IPs that cost more if you need them.
If these features are essential to you, you’ve probably already made up your mind, but if not, you may find other, more cost-effective options. Although the problem with a 1 year plan is that you will have to look for a cheaper replacement in 12 months when the offer is no longer available and the price increases to the standard monthly price (which in this case starts at 11 $.95 (£9.51).
Verdict
If you’re on a long plan and don’t rely too much on virtual server locations, PureVPN is a great service.
If you’re looking to bypass geo-blocked content or provide some privacy for your browsing activity, this will definitely work well for you, but we still recommend a trial month or two before taking the plunge.
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