PureVPN Review
6,500 servers. Cheap long-term plans. A complicated history.
PureVPN's defining moment in VPN history was not a product achievement — it was a 2017 case where the company provided detailed user activity logs to the US FBI while actively marketing a 'no-logs' policy. A man was arrested based on that data. PureVPN maintains it has since rebuilt its systems. We include it because it appears on many comparison sites and users deserve to know the full context.
Our scores
PureVPN
Overall score — April 2026
PureVPN has the cheapest long-term pricing in the category and a large server network. A 2017 incident where they logged and shared user data with the FBI despite claiming no-logs remains a serious historical mark — though PureVPN has since built the industry's only 'always-on' KPMG audit contract with unannounced inspections (four audits to date) to rebuild that trust.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- One of the cheapest VPNs at extended plans — around $2/month on longer terms
- 6,500+ servers in 78 countries — large, well-distributed network
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Port forwarding add-on available
- KPMG 'always-on' audit contract with unannounced inspections — four audits to date, most recently confirming full no-logs compliance across all tested locations and protocols (Feb 2023)
Cons
- 2017 incident: provided user activity logs to FBI despite no-logs marketing claim — the most serious privacy breach in VPN history
- Based in British Virgin Islands but operated from Pakistan/Hong Kong — complex ownership
- Speeds below NordVPN and Surfshark — 79% retention
- Long-term pricing requires multi-year commitment; monthly price is uncompetitive
Speed
600 Mbps
Download
360 Mbps
Upload
13 ms
Latency
79%
Speed kept
600 Mbps average — 79% speed retention. Respectable but below Surfshark, NordVPN, or IPVanish. WireGuard is available and performs better than OpenVPN on most connections. Server quality is variable — some servers in Southeast Asia showed significant speed drops.
Tested: . 1 Gbps base connection.
Privacy & Security
The 2017 logging case is a legitimate historical black mark. Since then, PureVPN has set up an 'always-on' audit contract with KPMG that allows unannounced inspections — four audits to date, most recently in February 2023, each confirming no origin IPs, assigned VPN IPs, connection timestamps, DNS queries, or traffic content are logged across all tested locations and protocols. It's a genuinely strong remediation, though the severity of the original incident still puts it a step behind VPNs with no history of the kind. Users with zero tolerance for that history should use ProtonVPN, Mullvad, or IVPN instead.
Streaming
Netflix US, UK, and Canada unblock reliably. BBC iPlayer success rate was 80% in testing. Disney+ and Amazon Prime worked consistently. Streaming performance is solid for a budget VPN.
Pricing
$11.95/mo
Monthly
$2.99/mo
Annual plan
billed annually
$2.03/mo
2-year plan
billed every 2 years
PureVPN's long-term pricing is genuinely competitive — among the cheapest in the category. The 31-day money-back guarantee (longer than standard 30-day) lets you test extensively. Port forwarding as an add-on is available, though it costs extra.
Cancellation & Refund
PureVPN offers a 31-day money-back guarantee on every plan. Cancel within that window and you're entitled to a full refund.
How to cancel PureVPN
- Log in to your account on the PureVPN website (not just the app) with the email you signed up with.
- Open your account or subscription/billing settings.
- Select “Cancel subscription” (or “Manage plan” → “Cancel”) and confirm.
- Still within the 31-day window? Contact PureVPN support directly to request your refund — most providers process it within 5–10 business days.
Subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play instead? Cancel there — deleting the app alone won't stop billing.
User Ratings
3.9/5
Trustpilot
15k reviews
4.0/5
Google Play
70k ratings
4.4/5
App Store
35k ratings
35%
Community
Reddit sentiment
Ratings sourced from Trustpilot, Google Play Store, and Apple App Store. Community score is derived from Reddit/r/VPN sentiment analysis. Scores are aggregated periodically and may not reflect real-time data.
Verdict
PureVPN is a reasonable choice for casual privacy (hiding from your ISP, accessing geo-blocked content) and it's cheap, now backed by real ongoing KPMG audits rather than just marketing claims. For anything involving genuine personal risk, the 2017 incident still warrants caution regardless of subsequent remediation. Choose PIA over PureVPN if budget is the driver and court-tested history matters more to you than audit-tested history.
Frequently asked questions
Is PureVPN safe to use?
PureVPN has been independently audited and verified to keep no logs. It uses WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, PPTP protocols and includes a kill switch to protect your IP if the connection drops. Privacy score: 7.5/10.
How much does PureVPN cost per month?
PureVPN costs $11.95/month on a monthly plan and $2.99/month on an annual plan, or $2.03/month on a 2-year plan. All plans include a 31-day money-back guarantee.
How many devices can I use with PureVPN?
PureVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous connections. It has native apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, plus Linux and router support.
Does PureVPN work with Netflix?
Yes. PureVPN reliably unblocks Netflix and other major streaming services. Streaming score: 7.6/10.
How do I cancel PureVPN and get a refund?
Cancel PureVPN anytime from your account's subscription or billing settings on its website. Cancel within 31 days of purchase to qualify for a full refund under its money-back guarantee. If you subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play, cancel there instead — deleting the app alone won't stop billing.
PureVPN vs. Alternatives
| Feature | PureVPN7.7/10 | NordVPN9.2/10 | ExpressVPN8.6/10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Score | 7.7 | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Monthly Price | $2.03/mo | $3.09/mo | $2.79/mo |
| Servers | 6,500+ | 9,300+ | 3,000+ |
| Countries | 78 | 137 | 105 |
| Simultaneous Devices | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Speed (tested) | 600 Mbps (79%) | 730 Mbps (96%) | 755 Mbps (98%) |
| No-Logs Policy | |||
| Independently Audited | |||
| Kill Switch | |||
| Ad Blocker | |||
| Streaming | |||
| Torrenting / P2P | |||
| Port Forwarding | |||
| Obfuscation | |||
| Double VPN | |||
| RAM-Only Servers | |||
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands (operated from Pakistan/Hong Kong) | Panama (outside 5/9/14 Eyes) | British Virgin Islands |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 31 days | 30 days | 30 days |
All data verified September 2026.