by Stephan Kubrik
digitalwelt Lead Columnist for IT Security
Last Update: November 2024
There is a very important aspect of PureVPN you should know first: As a provider from China, PureVPN has no obligation to comply with any other laws such as U.S. or European laws. Thus, an inquiry from authorities would not lead to any reactions from PureVPN. In short: Authorities come across closed doors at PureVPN.
Most of the well-known VPNs originate from western countries such the U.S., Germany or from Europe overall. These VPN tools that have become well known on the market and are considered reliable, such as NordVPN, CyberGhost and Avira Phantom VPN. However, this can be a disadvantage: They are located in the European or U.S. legal jurisdictions and are bond to local laws.
Success of PureVPN: How It Got Popular
The only VPN that could successfully stand up against a government, namely Turkey, was ExpressVPN so far. But what if a German or U.S. VPN manufacturer were exposed to such a pressure? With PureVPN, we know that this would not be possible.
Founded and headquartered in Hong Kong, PureVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) provider owned and operated by GZ Systems Ltd., a company that originally was an app developer for Android and iOS. The fact that the company’s headquarter is in Hong Kong is actually the company’s greatest asset.
4.5 
PureVPN Software Overview
- Pure VPN allows up to 10 simultaneous logins, far more than most VPN providers.
- Customer support is available via chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Special features include a killswitch for security and VPN tunneling for more control.
- The PureVPN server list includes more than 2,000 servers and 300,000 IP addresses.
- PureVPN has servers in 180 locations across 140 countries.
- PureVPN apps are available for all major operating systems and most popular devices.
- With regard to protocols, PureVPN uses PPTP, SSTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP.
- The company uses a mix of virtual servers and physical servers.
- The company offers a generous 31-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
- PureVPN uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption to secure all connections.
According to the company’s website, PureVPN has a zero-log policy to protect its customers.
Top VPN Tools | Updated: November 2024
Advertisement: Sponsored Listings
5.0
4.9
4.9
How Safe is PureVPN?
It is precisely this fact that PureVPN operates outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. and E.U makes PureVPN successful. Over 98% of the customer base therefore originate from U.S., Germany, England, Canada, Australia and Russia. The target audience like to use a PureVPNs to stay away from their local legal field as much as possible.
The numbers speak for themselves. PureVPN has grown steadily since 2007 until today 2024. The company GZ Systems Limited is currently making large sales and is also supported by the Chinese government because of its defense against other countries.
Almost ironic, actually: The Chinese company has hired American, German, Great Britain, Ukrainian, and Russian software developers to keep the pace with quality requirements of VPN tools worldwide Contrary to public opinion, India and China is not known to best programmers in the world but just have vase quantity of them. But when it comes to quality such as fulfilling User Interface and User Experience (UX/UI) combined with high security standards such as encryption technologies, the company wanted to have a programming team consisting of American, German and Russian developers — even though they are located in China.
PureVPN is a product from China that can circumvent authorities and at the same time corresponds to their quality characteristics. PureVPN is a true VPN monster that meets the needs of the user in regards to quality and law.
How to Use PureVPN
Installing and operating PureVPN is relatively simple and straightforward, and the user interface on mobile operating systems is on par with some of the best VPNs in the industry. The Windows and macOS apps as polished as some other VPNs we tested, but they’re still functional.
To get started, visit the company’s website and begin a trial of the service. Choose a plan that suits your needs, and enter your name and billing information. PureVPN requires all users to provide their real names in order to sign up for the VPN service.
Then, from the PureVPN Downloads page, select the software that matches your operating system. PureVPN works with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. There are also browser plugins for Chrome and Firefox. If you want to install PureVPN on Android, you have two options. You can either search for the app in the Google Play Store, or you can sideload it after downloading the PureVPN APK for Android from the company’s support site.
Features Unique to PureVPN
PureVPN stands out from many other VPNs in a few areas. For instance, the service allows subscribers to establish 10 simultaneous connections at once, whereas other top-tier VPNs only allow three, five, or seven. And one of the biggest distinctions between PureVPN and other services is that PureVPN recommends the best servers for users based on the type of activity they want to engage in.
For instance, the software might suggest a specific server for streaming videos and another one for transferring files. The company even has a dedicated file-sharing feature that makes it easy to upload and download files fast and anonymously.
4.5
PureVPN Speed Review
5.0 out of 5
We experienced above-average connection speeds throughout our time testing PureVPN. In fact, we consistently achieved faster download and transfer speeds compared to many big-name VPNs, and were able to both download and upload large files without any hiccups.
PureVPN Server Information
4.8 out of 5
PureVPN has more than 2,000 servers in 180 locations across 140 countries. Many of the service’s servers are virtualized, but PureVPN has plenty of physical servers as well. In total, PureVPN offers customers access to more than 300,000 IP addresses which is more than enough for most VPN users.
PureVPN Reliability & Downtime
4.7 out of 5
Throughout our time testing PureVPN’s service, we experienced reliable connections with no noticeable downtime. The software made it easy to monitor the speed of our connection over time, and we could easily observe any fluctuations in the servers we used.
PureVPN Technical & Customer Support
4.5 out of 5
One of the most common issues customers encounter when using PureVPN is not being able to find the iPhone app in the App Store. If you’re getting an “app not available” message on iOS, try clearing your cache or changing your country/region in the App Store settings. You’ll find specific troubleshooting instructions in PureVPN’s support forum.
If you have other log-in problems, issues with Netflix not working, or if you want to know how to update PureVPN, you can contact the company’s support team by email or chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
PureVPN For Streaming Netflix & More
4.6 out of 5
The following operating systems are compatible with PureVPN:
- iOS
- macOS
- Windows
- Android
- Ubuntu (Linux)
- Chrome OS
These web browsers also support extensions for PureVPN:
- Chrome and Firefox
Additionally, PureVPN works with Chromecasts, the Amazon Fire TV Stick, and certain routers.
And in terms of streaming services, the following apps play nicely with PureVPN:
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Hulu
- Kodi
PureVPN For Torrenting
2.5 out of 5
If you were hoping to use PureVPN for torrenting, you might be disappointed to learn that the service does not support torrenting in all locations. On the company’s support site, it clearly states that PureVPN does not allow P2P file sharing in countries where the practice is illegal.
This includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia among other countries. In areas of the world where no such laws exist, however, subscribers can use PureVPN for torrenting without any restrictions.
PureVPN vs NordVPN
If you’re currently shopping around for a new VPN, you might be curious about comparing PureVPN vs NordVPN. Both of these services have a lot to offer, but they don’t match up on every metric. Here’s a quick look at the major differences and similarities between the two services.
- Both services offer unlimited bandwidth and P2P support.
- PureVPN and NordVPN both work with the most popular devices and services.
- PureVPN offers more simultaneous connections than NordVPN does.
- PureVPN supports more VPN protocols than NordVPN does.
- NordVPN offers double VPN protection, while PureVPN doesn’t.
Closing Thoughts: Is PureVPN Good?
PureVPN is a decent VPN provider, and there’s certainly a lot to like about the service. For most people, however, there are more impressive options out there. Several VPN providers have better reputations and offer access to more servers and a broader set of features. Yet not all of the other VPNs we’ve tested are as speedy as PureVPN. Check out some of our other reviews to see which VPN provider is right for you.
4.5
by Stephan Kubrik
Stephan Kubrik is a Computer Scientist and expert on VPNs and computer viruses. Stephan has been researching for the Fraunhofer Society and has been developing software for the autonomous discovery of computer viruses and trojans using artificial intelligence.
He was previously a Research Associate at the Technical University of Cologne, studied Computer Engineering, and regularly publishes in IT magazines and journals, including the PC Magazine and digitalwelt.
digitalwelt Lead Columnist for IT Security
Top VPN Tools | Updated: November 2024
Advertisement: Sponsored Listings
5.0
4.9
4.9
4.8
4.7
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.6
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
