PureVPN is the best value for money VPN: here are 5 reasons why

Here at TechRadar, we test VPNs so you don’t have to. There are “free” VPN providers out there but even if you aren’t handing over cash, you can end up paying in other ways: the speed of “free” VPN services is usually throttled, there are a limited number of servers and  you have to wonder how they make money. They could even be selling your personal information.

PureVPN is a paid service and  we believe that you get some serious bangs for your buck. While we’ve already done an in-depth review of all PureVPN’s features, in this guide you’ll discover our top 5 reasons why we believe this particular VPN provider presents some of the best value for money available today.

1. Switching servers

One of the key indicators of a good value VPN provider is the number of servers you can choose. The nearer a server is to your actual location, the faster your connection speed’s likely to be. 

PureVPN claims to have no fewer than 6,500 servers in 78+ countries worldwide. This isn’t quite up there with other VPN heavyweights like Cyberghost but this provider has recently upgraded to 20GBps, making for a much speedier connection.

PureVPN also makes use of virtual servers with obfuscation technology (this is indicated on the website). This allows you to be in one country whilst making use of a more stable connection in another.

This is extremely useful when trying to bypass geolocation services such as the BBC iPlayer, as this way you can enjoy streaming services without experiencing as much slowdown. It also makes it impossible for service providers to detect that you’re using a VPN.

In our review, we found that through switching PureVPN servers we were able to access not only the iPlayer but Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime. 

2. Perfect privacy

Many VPN providers claim to keep “no-logs”. But this term can be open to interpretation. For instance, some might record the IP address you use to sign up, even if they don’t keep daily logs of which specific websites/services you’re using. VPN providers may even be subject to secret subpoenas in some jurisdictions requiring them to record your web activity.

When VPN was first founded in 2007, they were based in Hong Kong given that the government was supportive of their efforts to maintain user privacy. In 2014, they moved their HQ to the British Virgin Islands, a jurisdiction which doesn’t require VPN providers to record customers’ internet activity.

PureVPN however, went a step further in 2021 by submitting to a “No log audit” by KPMG, who were able to confirm specifically that Pure VPN doesn’t log user’s IP address or the VPN server they choose. They also don’t keep a record of what users do whilst connected.

Most importantly they’ve stressed that KPMG are free to conduct more audits any time they wish.

3. Brilliant bolt-ons

PureVPN follows an extremely transparent pricing model for its basic VPN service. This carries over to the pricing of extras, which are laid out clearly for more advanced users.

Windows and Android users benefit from free split-tunnelling. In plain English, this means you can configure some apps to use PureVPN and not others. 

From less than $0.50 per month, you can also enable port forwarding. This is particularly useful if you’ve a private network, as you and others can connect to different devices on your LAN. 

(From less than a dollar a month you can also have a dedicated IP address. Read more about having a dedicated IP & why you might want one in our guide here.)

For just under $3 a month, you can also benefit from DDOS protection. . 

For just $2.49 per month PureVPN also offer PureKeep: a password manager which can generate and store secure passwords, along with credit card information and other web data. This is optional, so you can choose to stay with your existing password manager if you prefer.

PurePrivacy is also available (currently for $3.99) per month. It removes ads from Facebook and allows you to take action to prevent and fix data breaches. For just $1.99 per month you can also use “PureEncrypt”, which lets you create encrypted “vaults” in the cloud, which you can sync across your devices.

4. Popular platforms

Without a doubt, PureVPN is one of the most ubiquitous VPN providers we’ve ever reviewed. The service supports any number of devices. This naturally includes more obvious contenders like Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhones. However, the website also has browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Brave.

There are also dedicated VPN apps for streaming devices like Apple TV, Android TV and the Amazon Firestick and Chromecast, as well as consoles like the X-Box and PlayStation. If you have a dd-wrt router, you can even configure it to use PureVPN, so all connected devices’ traffic will go through their servers.

This is a huge selling point for PureVPN, as there’s nothing more irritating than signing up for a service only to find it doesn’t support one or more of your devices. 

If you do have a huge number of gizmos, rest assured that your PureVPN subscription supports no fewer than ten devices connected simultaneously to the same account. 

5. Pricing plans

If the thought of military grade security, verified no-logging, multi-platform support and an enterprise grade  privacy extras have whetted your appetite, take some time to read through PureVPN’s pricing page to find a subscription that works for you.

The basic plan comes at $10.95 per month. In the long term this works out the most expensive but does come back with a 31-day money back guarantee.

Users willing to subscribe for 12 months are offered a 82% discount, which works out at $1.99 per month. The same money back guarantee is offered.

If you’re certain this is the right provider for you, you can also benefit from colossal savings of 88% by signing up for the Holiday Season Deal for a 5-year plan. This works out at $1.30 per month or $79.95. This is an overall saving of $572.05 compared to paying month by month.

True to their privacy-centric ethos subscribers can pay by credit card or by Bitcoin & other supported cryptocurrencies. Overall PureVPN offers some excellent features for a very reasonable price, which is why we’ve no hesitation in saying it represents the best value for money in a VPN provider today.