PureVPN Review
TABLE OF CONTENT
Cases of cybercrimes, hacking have increased a lot during these 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, the Government have become more strict regarding the use of the internet. As a results more and more sites are regularly being blocked by Government. Thus in 2021, VPN has become one of the most popular tools for internet users for overcoming these situations.
So, what is VPN? A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a technology used to add privacy and security over the Internet by hiding your real IP address and encrypting your traffic. VPNs also enable you to access the Internet freely and anonymously without having to worry about surveillance or censorship.
Or more simply, I can say that a VPN is like a tunnel in the middle of internet user and web. The tunnel keeps you safe from outsiders, as well as reduce your visibility when you access the web. Thus a VPN creates a virtual tunnel that extends from your device to an Internet server. The tunnel encrypts all the data that goes through it, thereby preventing ISPs, hackers or any trespasser from viewing your activity or data. It’s very important for every internet users to use a VPN to keep their privacy safe and masked.
Internet users should a VPN service provider very wisely. Not all VPN in the market is up to the mark. So I have conducted a test with many VPN and listed down some of the most trustable VPN brands. PureVPN is one of those and here is the PureVPN Review. In this PureVPN review, I will cover some of the crucial areas that are important to consider while choosing a VPN for yourself. Without any further ado, let’s begin my PureVPN Review.
PureVPN is a commercial virtual private network service owned by GZ Systems Ltd. Founded in 2007, the company is based in Hong Kong. PureVPN has more than 6500 servers located in 140 countries with 87 of those countries having virtual servers that make the servers seem to be in a different country than where they are actually at. PureVPN requires users to provide their real names to use the service. It stores the day and the Internet service provider through which a user accesses the service, but does not store the name of the website or actual time of access.
With the help of this VPN service, you can access the web privately, watch Geo-locked content in dedicated streaming services without any buffering, performs P2P activities securely without Blazing fast network speed without any bandwidth limitation.
PureVPN is one of the renowned names among internet users. PureVPN is loaded with top-notch features that make it one of the best gaming VPN in the market right now. I will discuss, all its features, functionality, security protocols, plans and price, Pros and Cons in details in my PureVPN Review.
1. IP Address Masking
PureVpn provides you with a random IP address, making sure that your original IP address remain hidden all the time while using the VPN. It allows to you browse the Internet with complete privacy.
2. Anonymous Surfing
Online anonymity has become a luxury in 2021. As more and more online threats endanger the safety of the internet, it’s become crucial to safeguard your online activities. From government surveillance to ISPs tracking your online habits, your privacy is hugely undermined and your online safety is constantly threatened.
Anonymous Surfing is the ability to access the internet without being monitored or tracked. In other words, it’s somewhat similar to being a ninja of the cyber-world. You’re silent, invisible, and untraceable from hackers, cyber-stalkers, or third-party agencies and Government while you use VPN.
3. DNS Leak Protection
The way DNS works are by translating domain names to IP addresses so that browsers can interact with each other. Every device connected to the internet has a unique IP address that other devices use to communicate. DNS servers eliminate the need for humans to memorize IP addresses.
PureVPN is a VPN service that is committed to ensuring users experience the best online experience. That means providing exceptional online security and unmatched online speeds. PureVPN offers top-of-the-line DNS leak protection and ensures that your online traffic is safe from the prying eyes of your ISP or any other spy entity.
4. IPv6 Leak Protection
IPv6 stands for Internet Protocol Version 6 and offers a limitless pool of internet-connected addresses. As most of the internet’s IPv4 addresses are being exhausted, IPv6 has grown in popularity, allowing more users and devices to connect to the internet.
The online threats associated with any IP address are the same, irrespective of their type or protocol. To protect your IPv6 address and secure devices connected to the IPv6 protocol, you might need this feature to secure your privacy.
5. WebRTC Leak Protection
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a tool that allows browsers to initiate real-time, peer-to-peer connections with the websites you’re trying to visit.
WebRTC allows your browser to do multiple processes such as sending live audio and video feeds back and forth between you and another participant online. The functionality eliminates any need of downloading any additional software. This process happens to communicate with the website you’re visiting and exchanges information including, your IP address. This is a vulnerability as the exposure of your IP address also exposes your true digital identity.
Once connected with PureVPN, your online activities are secured with robust AES 256-bit encryption along with ingenious features that make sure your actual IP is never revealed under any circumstances.
6. Defeat ISP Throttling
Throttling your internet connection is particularly true when it comes to activities like streaming, downloading and gaming as they require higher bandwidth data usage. Throttling your internet happens when an ISP is throttling purposely slows down your internet speed based on what you are doing online, you can check this by conducting a speed test on your internet connection.
With the use of PureVPN, you get unlimited server switching to anonymize your connection, so your ISP is unable to throttle your Internet speed.
7. Split Tunneling
Split Tunneling does exactly what it stands for. It split your internet traffic. With a split tunnel, you have the ability to route internet traffic through the VPN network or through your local network. PureVPN’s Split Tunneling feature protects the traffic you route through the VPN network, and at the same time, you don’t lose any access to your local network and devices connected to that network.
8. Unlimited bandwidth
PureVpn offers you unlimited bandwidth services. You can browse and stream all you want without any limitations. With PureVPN’s multi-login capability, you can maximize the unlimited bandwidth functionality on all devices connected to the VPN network servers. From a smartphone to an Android TV, iOS, or Android device, PureVPN has a VPN client for all operating systems, your devices, and even a Purevpn browser extension, along with advanced security features.
9. Supports Multiple Platform
PureVpn supports all the major platforms. PureVpn provides Desktop applications, Mobile Applications, Router, TV and gaming consoles. TPureVpn also provides browser extensions, i.e, Firefox and PureVPN Chrome extensions, that offer a simplified functionality of PureVPN.
10. P2P VPN
P2P which is the abbreviation of PEER-TO-PEER is a quick and reliable way to share files with a large number of internet users. PureVPN’s P2P VPN is a network of self-engineered and self-optimized VPN servers that offer the best P2P experience, specifically because the servers themselves are configured to ensure the best P2P user experience.
With dedicated servers for P2P activities, while securing your IP address with our highly optimized VPN platform, you get great downloading and uploading speeds while secured with state-of-the-art AES 256-bit encryption.
11. DDoS Protection
Although it is a paid addon, this feature is worth mentioning in this PureVPN review. The DDoS-protected VPN service of PureVPN is competent enough to withstand the most complex DDoS attacks. Since your real IP address is masked, a DDoS will never be able to flood your system with DDoS attacks. All your traffic first passes through our dedicated anti-DDoS VPN servers which are capable of absorbing the largest DDoS attacks. PureVPN’s anti-DDoS functionality hides your real IP address from attackers and filters the incoming traffic to your connection through its anti-DDoS mitigation servers.
PureVPN’s gaming VPN service coupled with DDoS protection keeps things fair and competitive, giving an unmatched gaming experience. This is why it is the best gaming VPN in the market right now.
12. Kill Switch
PureVPN’s unique Kill Switch feature secures your online activities in case the VPN disconnects. The Kill Switch works by terminating your internet connection so that your online identity, that is to say, your IP address and location, aren’t exposed. With the Kill Switch feature enabled, you can rest assured about your online privacy and security.
14. Port Forwarding
Internet-connected devices can have up to 65,535 ports that can be open or accessed at any given time. The fact is when you open all of them, and you’ll be hacked up the wazoo, so by default, ports are closed.
Port forwarding, or forwarding ports on a router, enables you to directly connect to a device or service that requires open ports, which is especially important because routers and home/work/school networks likely have them completely blocked. And that means, if you’re playing games, you won’t get the full experience. In the online gaming world, you will need to configure port forwarding on your router.
Port shouldn’t be opened freely, because it will invite the wrong kind of traffic. That’s why port forwarding exists: it helps you direct just the right traffic to just the right destination without the extra unnecessary frills. By forwarding ports across certain devices, you can use multiple computers on a single network and allow them to get the full untethered Internet experience.
For example, your Xbox One may have some ports forwarded so you can play a specific game. On the other hand, your work computer may be set up as an FTP server, so you’ll want to forward ports for that purpose.
Port Forwarding feature is an add-on to the existing subscription plan. This feature is very much usable for gamers. From PUBG to Dota 2, with PureVpn robust Port Forwarding Add-On, you can conveniently open ports that are unavailable on your home, work, or school network and play any game from anywhere in the world.
First of all you have to know-What is VPN Protocols? VPN Protocols are the set of instructions and processes between a VPN server and the VPN client to make a stable and secure connection. In essence, a VPN protocol is a combination of encryption standards and transmission protocols.
VPN protocols are important. They provide safety and speed to your online communications. Whether your VPN is optimized for speed or security depends on the VPN protocol that you are currently using. These operate as tunnels through which your online traffic can pass through. Some tunnels are secure. Others offer amazing streaming speeds.
PureVPN offers some of the best security protocols options that are being used by other security software. PureVPN selects the best VPN protocol on your behalf for a secure and speedy connection. : Let’s have a glance into it.
PPTP (Point-To-Point Tunneling Protocol)
Due to its basic encryption and low security, PPTP offers a much faster connection. It supports most platforms and is easy to setup. That said, it is not recommended unless security is completely unessential.
L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol)
Since it does not provide strong authentication, L2TP is used with IPSec for security. Though it may conflict with some firewalls, it is a great alternative to the OpenVPN protocol because it supports all modern platforms, and can get around ISP/network limitations.
SSTP ( Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol)
Owned by Microsoft, SSTP is only available for Windows, FreeBSD, and Linux and cannot be audited. Regardless, it is one of the most secure VPN protocols and has the ability to bypass most firewalls.
OpenVPN (Open-Source Protocol)
With fast performance and top-grade encryption, OpenVPN is the protocol of choice. This open-source solution is configurable and runs on any port. As a result, you can get past most ISP/network restrictions and firewalls.
IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange)
Based on the IPSec framework, IKEv2 is the most recent and advanced VPN protocol. Jointly developed by Cisco and Microsoft, it is fast, stable, secure, and very easy to setup. However, since it is new, there is a lack of support for older platforms.
IPSec (Internet Protocol Security)
IPSec is a set of protocols used for various purposes, including securing VPNs. It is usually paired with VPN protocols like IKEv2 and L2TP to provide data confidentiality (encryption) and authentication, but can be utilized as a standalone VPN protocol as well.
SSL/TLS (Secure Socket Layer)
SSL and its successor TLS are the most commonly used cryptographic protocols today. Every time you visit an HTTPS website, SSL or TLS secures your connection with the server. It is used in VPN protocols like OpenVPN for encryption, but is not a VPN protocol by itself.
WireGuard
WireGuard is the newest VPN protocol on the block. Meant to be a replacement of IPSec, it is allegedly lighter and faster. Furthermore, it is open source, which means a reduced likelihood of security vulnerabilities. However, the protocol is still under development and lags behind in terms of cross-platform compatibility.
SoftEther
SoftEther is fairly new in comparison to other VPN protocols (excluding Wireguard). It’s quickly gained popularity because it’s very secure, stable, and fast. The protocol works with most operating systems (including Solaris and FreeBSD) and even has functionalities that OpenVPN doesn’t offer, like GUI Management and RPC over HTTPS, to name a few.
From this security Protocol section of PureVPN Review, we can conclude that this VPN is enough secure that can be used for online gaming, streaming geo-locked content without risking privacy.
| PLANS | PRICE |
|---|---|
| 1 MONTH PLAN | $ 10.95/month |
| 1 YEAR PLAN (PureVPN 7-Day Trial+ 47% OFF on 1-Year Plan) | $ 0.99 (Renews at $ 69.95 after Trial. Billed Every year.) |
| 2 YEAR PLAN ( 70 % Off ) | $ 3.33/month (Billed every 2 years) |
There is no permanent free version available with PureVPN Price and Plans, although you will get a 7 days free version with the 1-year Plan. You can verify the functionality of this VPN tool before buying the subscription.
Besides, 31 days money-back guarantee is also available. PureVPN is the only VPN service with a family of 7 million users across the world. If you’re not 100% satisfied with the VPN, they will refund your payment within 31 days. No hassles, no risk.
Besides the basic Subscription Plans, PureVpn Also provides some Add-on features. like:
- Port Forwarding features for USD 0.99/month
- Dedicated IP for USD 2.99/month
- DDoS Protection for USD 3.99/month
- Dedicated IP with Port forwarding for USD 3.49/month
In this section of Purevpn Review, i will discuss some of the PureVpn Pros and cons in details that will surely help you have an idea of this vpn’s strong and weak point.
Advantages Of PureVPN
1. Supports All Major Protocols (OpenVPN, IPSec, L2TP …)
Before going into the PureVPN review, let us first identify the threats for which the protocols are important. The‘Man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attacks are some of the oldest (and most common) ways that hackers gain access to your sensitive information. You might not even sense anything is wrong. But somehow, someway, someone has placed themselves between you and your intended connection like a browser or a website. They can then read your emails, see what websites you’re going to, grab your session cookies to fool different websites into thinking they’re you, and even get personal information or passwords.
Many times the very tools used to help intercept these practices, like WiFi Pineapple, can be used to perform them by anyone, anywhere. Like, sitting in your local coffee shop for instance. Now, browsing emails or booking a flight while sipping a latte can turn out to be not such a relaxing afternoon after all. This potential risk now extends to mobile devices, apps, and even your smart devices too.
To combat these problems, PureVPN offers all major protocols, including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and even IKEv2. While OpenVPN is your best bet to get both benefits from security and speed, you might also need to choose L2TP/IPSec based on device availability or PPTP which is seen in few cases where you’re not as worried about security vulnerabilities).
2. Industry Standard 256-bit Encryption
Brute force attacks are another unfortunately common practice. Hackers eventually figure out your passwords and PINs through a series of repetitive, lightning-fast, trial-and-error combinations. They’re one of the oldest tricks in the book (besides simply guessing your spouse’s birthday or kids name). And they’re actually increasing.
For example, a recent widespread attack on WordPress sites has been directed by a Russian company being used by the country to launch cyber attacks (you can’t make this stuff up). The best form of defence, in this case, is prevention. That comes in the form of 256-bit encryption, which is one of the most secure connections possible used by government agencies around the world.
Your encrypted tunnel gets sealed shut so that third-party sites, ISPs, and nefarious, shadowy organizations worthy of being the next Bond villain, can’t see what you’re up to. Besides, your privacy and anonymity are completely safe by their ‘end-to-end’ connection. This includes when you switch from one IP to another (or another, or another) across PureVPN’s 80,000+ options.
3. PureVPN Offers Some Cool Features
One thing that is very luring and is mentioned in almost every PureVPN review is the options they offer their users For starters, they offer a kill switch, five simultaneous connections, support for all major protocols, DDoS protection, advanced port forwarding, split tunnelling, and a NAT Firewall. In fact, they provide such a plethora of ways to optimize and customize your VPN experience that it would make even the best VPN blush.
4. PureVPN Offers Seamless Torrenting
PureVPN is solidly pro-torrenting. Ever since copyright infringement lawsuits have begun flooding the marketplace, more and more VPNs are shying away from P2P servers. Often, the ones who do still offer torrenting-friendly servers only allow it on a small handful. But PureVPN doesn’t have any of these restrictions. You’re free to use torrenting on any of their servers. So download it anyway.
5. PureVPN For China
PureVPN For China works flawlessly. However, their main website is currently blocked in China. If you want to sign up from China, you might have to first use another VPN service to visit PureVPN’s website, or you can sign up from a country where it’s not blocked. However, once you’ve signed up and downloaded its VPN client, you can use PureVPN’s for China without major problems.
PureVPN seems to have some experiences serving VPN users in China. In PureVPN’s desktop software, there’s a section called “Optimized for China”, where you can find a list of servers that are recommended for China VPN users. Also, PureVPN has a couple of servers in China. For people outside of China looking for a VPN to get a China IP address in order to access China-only contents such as Youku and Tudou videos etc., PureVPN could be a good candidate. One nice thing about using PureVPN to get a China IP address is that once you have connected to PureVPN’s China servers, you can still access websites that are blocked in China (such as Google, Twitter, Facebook etc.). Therefore, if you are using PureVPN from outside of China to get a China IP, your normal web surfing won’t be disrupted due to China blocking.
Guide to Use PureVPN for China
It’s well known that China has not only been blocking websites but also been heavily blocking VPN services, and VPN blocking in China has gotten tougher in recent year. During periods of heavy VPN blocking, it might be difficult to connect to PureVPN from China even using its Internet Freedom mode. In these cases, the best option is to use PureVPN’s Dedicated IP mode and connect to its VPN servers manually. Once you have become a PureVPN user, you can get a list of dedicated IP addresses for China users to connect to. Just select the Dedicated IP mode from PureVPN’s desktop software and then enter one of the dedicated IP addresses, and you should be able to get connected.
In addition, PureVPN’s customer service is pretty helpful to VPN users in China, when you have problems, just contact its customer support and mention you are a user in China, you should be able to get the most updated tips for solving your connection problems in China.
6. Responsive Customer Service
Whenever you need any form of assistance regarding PureVPN, you can approach a representative through the Live Chat option on the website. PureVPN customer support team is available 24/7/365. You can also head over to the contact us page where you’ll be required to submit your name, email address, and a message. For further details, you can also email them at enquiry@purevpn.com.
PureVPN provides four main communication channels to address your concerns: Live Chat, a Contact Us form, direct email, and our Support Center. I personally contacted them regarding slow connection, the response time for which is pretty fast. Live Chat Option is also impressive. Not many VPN service provider right now in the market offers Live Chat option.
7. Superb For Online Gaming
As a dedicated Gaming VPN, PureVPN provides you the following advantages:
- Personalized Matchmaking: Connect to any location of your choice and enjoy blazing-fast matchmaking queue times. This helps save time and connects you instantly to games such as Dota 2, PUBG, Fortnite, CSGO, and others.
- Access All Regions: If you’re living outside the US, you may face difficulties connecting to servers and other platforms due to various regional licensing restrictions. With a gaming VPN like ours that allows you to connect to hundreds of servers all over the world, you get instant access to regional limited games and content.
- Port Forwarding [Add-on]: Perhaps the best aspect of a gaming VPN, the Port Forwarding helps you evade issues where you’re unable to play multiplayer games due to ports being blocked. Conveniently open ports with port forwarding without having to worry about your home, school, or work admin ever finding out!.
- DDoS Protection [Add-on]: Getting a DDoS attack while gaming can fill you up with rage. PureVPN’s DDoS Add-on protects you from most complex DDoS attacks since your real IP is masked, so you never have to worry about getting flooded when gaming.
- Avoid ISP Throttling: Streaming consumes most of your bandwidth, and that gives ISP a reason to charge you for consuming additional bandwidth or to slow you down considerably, which means you’re not going to have a good gaming experience. With PureVpn VPN, ISPs can’t figure out how much bandwidth you’ve consumed, so you will not be responsible to pay anything extra (or be throttled!).
- Early Access to New Games: If a game has been released in early access (beta) outside of your country, then this gaming VPN is the best way to get into that region and start enjoying the content. Let’s say a new game is open to the US but you live in a timezone 6 or 10 hours away. Just connect to a US server and you’re in, baby!
- Multi-Login Up to 10 Devices: The PureVPN multi-login feature supports up to 10 devices at a time, allowing anyone in the family to enjoy gaming, streaming, anonymity, and much more simultaneously. Keep your loved ones safe while you are gaming securely with PureVPN.
- Data Protection: PureVPN offers state-of-the-art AES 256-bit encryption which secures your online connection against prying eyes. You can continue gaming without worrying about someone ambushing your session.
Disadvantages Of PureVPN
1. Their No Logs Policy Isn’t Completely True
At this point in the review, you are probably starting to see a theme. PureVPN loves to make big promises. But for some reason, they don’t see fit to actually keep any of those promises and it’s true with their logging policy. PureVPN markets its product as a “Zero Logs” VPN. However, if you read the fine print you will quickly realize that the fact is something different from the portrayed case. To make matters worse, PureVPN was found to be collecting customer data for the US authorities, which was used in a criminal case, despite claiming to have a “zero log policy”.
2. Deceptive Advertising Practices
If you closely study the official websites of PureVpn, you would find that PureVPN claims that they keep no logs but they do. Similarly, they claim to have 24/7 live customer service agents. They clearly don’t or even if they do, they are the most robotic agents you will ever encounter. They claim to have a money-back guarantee… But that only applies if you use fewer than 3 GB of data.
From this Purevpn Vpn Review, you can already conclude that PureVPN is literally dedicated to online gamers. If you are addicted to online games, then Purevpn VPN is just for you. Besides gaming, this VPN has strong security protocols. With PureVpn, you can stay secure, private & anonymous online.
In a NutShell, PureVPN is a feature-packed VPN which some of the strongest Security Protocols. The subscription plans are reasonable. It also offers some of the add-on features which will increase the productivity of this VPN tool.
NOTE: Accessing banned websites by using VPN is still illegal. You may face serious Legal problems while doing so.
I hope you have liked my PureVPN Review (2021). If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below. I will be happy to respond.
Meanwhile You Can Also Check Our VPN Section Where You Will Find Lots Of Other Best VPN
