PureVPN Review (2026): Cheap Over Three Years, With an Always-On Audit

Privacy and logging

PureVPN's privacy record has two chapters. In 2017 it supplied connection logs in a US cyberstalking case, which contradicted its marketing at the time. The company then rewrote its policy to a genuine no-logs one and, unusually, set up an always-on audit arrangement with KPMG, under which the auditor can inspect the systems at any time without notice. It is now registered in the British Virgin Islands.

What is checkable today: WireGuard is the default protocol and the audit is an ongoing programme rather than a one-off certificate, which is the stronger arrangement. We have not run leak tests, so nothing here reports one. The privacy sub-score lands at 7.0 — the history, the lack of fully RAM-only infrastructure and the fact that the no-logs claim has never been tested under legal pressure all hold it below the top three.

Speed

We have not measured PureVPN's speed ourselves. WireGuard is the default protocol, which is the fastest option most providers ship, and OpenVPN and IKEv2 are there as fallbacks. PureVPN's network spans 65 countries — fewer than the top of this list — so a nearby server is less guaranteed than with NordVPN or Proton; check the country list against where you actually connect from before you buy. A 4K stream needs about 25 Mbps, which any current VPN clears easily on a nearby server — distance, not the provider's marketing, is what costs you.

Streaming

We have not checked what PureVPN unblocks, so there is no streaming result here. The app labels servers by streaming service, which at least makes the claim testable in a minute rather than an evening. Streaming access moves week to week for every provider — a page that tells you a service worked on a given date is telling you about that date, not today.

Torrenting

P2P-optimised servers are marked in the app and port forwarding is available as a paid add-on, something none of the top three offer. Combined with the low long-term price, that makes PureVPN a reasonable budget torrenting choice, though PIA includes port forwarding at no extra cost.

Apps and ease of use

The apps cover a simple connect screen, modes for streaming, security and file sharing, and clear server labels. They run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV, with browser extensions and router support. Kill switch and split tunnelling are present. We have not run the apps ourselves, so we can't tell you how they hold up day to day — 10 simultaneous connections is the published limit.

Add-ons are a PureVPN theme: a dedicated IP, port forwarding, and a password manager and file encryption tool in the higher bundles. Buy only what you will use; the base VPN is where the value is.

Customer support

24/7 live chat, plus email and a help centre. We have not put response times or refund handling to a test ourselves. The help centre is comprehensive, if a little cluttered with upsells.

Is PureVPN safe?

Yes, on today's evidence: audited no-logs on an ongoing basis, a BVI base and modern protocols. We have not run leak tests of our own. The 2017 incident is the reason to read the policy rather than the marketing — and the policy now says the right things and is checked by an outside firm.

Is PureVPN worth it?

At $2.15 a month on the 2-year plan — and often less on longer promotions — PureVPN is the cheapest way to get a large, audited VPN with streaming support built into the app labels. It is worth it if you want to pay once and forget it for years, need a dedicated IP, or want a wide server spread within its 65 countries. It is not worth it if you need a country outside that list, if the 2017 logging incident is disqualifying for you, or if you would rather pay a little more for the audit history of NordVPN or PIA.

See PureVPN's long-term deal

Who should buy PureVPN — and who shouldn't

Buy it for the lowest long-term price, a dedicated IP, or port forwarding on a budget. Choose Surfshark for a similar price with better speeds and unlimited devices, NordVPN for the best all-round performance, and PIA if port forwarding is the main reason you are here.