PureVPN

Description

GZ Systems launched PureVPN in 2007 from Hong Kong and built the service around a network of servers that spanned more geographic locations than most competitors offered at the time – a priority that reflected the primary reason people used VPNs in 2007 and still use them today: accessing content and services that vary by country. Streaming libraries, sports broadcasts, gaming servers, websites with regional restrictions, the value of a VPN comes directly from how many countries it can credibly present as the connection’s origin.

PureVPN has servers in over 65 countries in over 6,500 server locations, providing a wide range of exit points, covering major streaming markets, privacy-conscious jurisdictions, and locations where Internet restrictions make VPN use common. The service is aimed at the general consumer seeking privacy protection and access to content on a subscription basis, as well as the IT and privacy professional segment that utilize VPN as part of an overall security practice.

KEY FEATURES

Server Network and Location Selection

PureVPN’s server list includes 65+ countries with multiple server options per country. Major markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Germany have multiple city-level options to reduce latency or target specific regional content libraries. The app’s server browser lists countries and, where available, cities or specific server types – optimized servers for streaming, P2P or general use appear as separate options in the list. Connecting selects the server by clicking on a location on a map or selecting from the text list.

VPN Protocols

PureVPN supports WireGuard, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP), IKEv2/IPSec, L2TP/IPSec and SSTP protocols. WireGuard offers the fastest speeds and lowest latency out of the choices because of its lean codebase and efficient implementation of encryption. OpenVPN is the most widely trusted for security, and works in environments that block other protocols. The app automatically selects a protocol or lets the user manually select one for users who wish to optimize for a particular use case — IKEv2 is common for mobile use because it reconnects quickly when the device switches networks.

Split Tunneling

Split tunneling routes applications or websites through the VPN and allowed other traffic to use the direct connection. A user who is watching a geo-restricted streaming service through the VPN can have their local banking, gaming servers, and other applications simultaneously on the direct connection, which avoids the latency that routing everything through the VPN adds, and maintains access to local services that block VPN IP addresses. Split tunneling configuration specifies applications by name or IP address range to include or exclude from the VPN tunnel.

Internet Kill Switch

The kill switch prevents all internet traffic from the device if the VPN connection goes down unexpectedly. Without a kill switch, a VPN disconnection falls back to the direct connection silently, potentially revealing the user’s real IP address and unencrypted traffic during the window of time. The kill switch prevents that exposure by severing the connection until the VPN is reconnected. It is system-wide or, in some implementations, application-specific.

Dedicated IP

PureVPN offers dedicated IPs as an add-on for users who need a single-user IP that stays the same instead of the shared IPs that come with rotating through other VPN users. Dedicated IPs: Dedicated IPs minimize the chances of getting blocked by websites that limit the range of shared VPN IPs, and they’re useful for applications such as whitelisting a particular IP in corporate firewalls, or accessing banking services that detect unfamiliar IP changes.

Port Forwarding

Port forwarding, which is available as an add-on, opens a specific port on the network of the VPN that routes to the user’s device. This enables running servers, accepting incoming connections for P2P applications, and hosting services from behind the NAT of the VPN, without revealing the user’s actual IP address.

No-Log Policy

PureVPN’s privacy policy is a no-log policy for browsing activity, connection timestamps, IP addresses, and DNS queries. The policy has been independently audited by KPMG, who published a report stating that PureVPN’s systems were consistent with its stated policy. The audit is of the technical infrastructure rather than just the written policy document.

Browser Extensions

Chrome and Firefox extensions connect to PureVPN servers at the browser level, sending only browser traffic through the VPN instead of all device traffic. Extensions are a lighter alternative to the full application, for users who only want VPN protection when they are browsing.