VPNs & privacy · review
PureVPN
PureVPN is the budget entry in this category, and it is cheap enough that the comparison is worth making seriously. It is also the provider with the most awkward history: in 2017 it supplied connection records that helped the FBI identify a user, while its marketing promised no logs. What it has done since — repeat external audits and an unusual standing arrangement with KPMG — is the reason it is still in the conversation rather than a footnote.
Last reviewed 18 August 2026 · scored 3.8/5 by our editors
- Launched
- 2007
- Jurisdiction
- British Virgin Islands
- Devices
- 10 at once
- Refund window
- 31 days
About PureVPN
PureVPN launched in 2007 and is registered in the British Virgin Islands, outside the intelligence-sharing arrangements that make jurisdiction a live question for a privacy product. The network runs to roughly 6,000 servers across more than 80 countries, which is a large footprint for the price, and the apps ship WireGuard alongside obfuscation modes for networks that block VPN traffic outright.
The 2017 episode is what most readers arrive with. In a US criminal case that year, records PureVPN supplied to the FBI helped establish which account had been behind a set of connections — at a time when the company advertised a no-logs policy. PureVPN’s position was that it did not log browsing activity but had retained connection metadata. Either way the practical lesson for a buyer is the same: a no-logs claim is worth what an outside party can verify, and no more.
That is the context for what the company built afterwards. Its no-logs claim was first examined by Altius IT in 2019 and has been re-examined by KPMG repeatedly since 2021, under an "always-on" arrangement in which KPMG may inspect the infrastructure unannounced rather than on a scheduled date. No other consumer VPN in this ranking has agreed to unannounced inspection. Whether that offsets the history is a judgement each reader makes; what it is not is a marketing claim with nothing behind it.
Plans and what they actually cost
Monthly
around $12.95/mo
No commitment. As with every provider here, paying monthly costs several times the long-term rate.
Standard, 2-year term
from $2.15/mo paid up front
renews at the standard annual rate
The VPN itself, 10 devices, every server location. The tier the advertised price refers to.
Add-ons
priced per feature
Dedicated IP, port forwarding and a password manager are sold on top rather than included. Add them up before comparing against a rival’s all-in price.
As everywhere in this category, the headline figure is a first-term rate that requires paying two years up front, and renewal is charged at a materially higher standard rate. Budget from the renewal price, not the promotion — and note the refund window is 31 days rather than the usual 30.
What works
The cheapest credible long-term price here
On a two-year term PureVPN undercuts almost every established competitor with a comparable server list. If price is the binding constraint, this is the honest answer to it.
Audited repeatedly, and unannounced
A first no-logs audit by Altius IT in 2019, repeat KPMG audits from 2021, and a standing arrangement permitting inspection without notice. Repeat verification is worth considerably more than a single certificate, and unannounced verification more again.
A large network for the money
Roughly 6,000 servers across 80+ countries, with WireGuard and obfuscation modes — coverage normally attached to a higher price.
A slightly longer refund window
31 days rather than the category-standard 30. A day is not a differentiator, but it does mean a full month of real use before the decision is final.
What doesn’t
The 2017 logging case
Records PureVPN supplied assisted an FBI investigation while the company advertised no logs. The audits since are a genuine response, but a reader who wants a provider with no such episode in its history has several to choose from, and should choose one.
Slower than the leaders on long routes
Fine for streaming and calls on nearby servers. On the intercontinental connections where the premium services separate themselves, PureVPN does not keep up.
Features sold as add-ons
Dedicated IP and port forwarding are chargeable extras. Once added, the gap to a fully-featured rival narrows enough that the price advantage can disappear.
How it scores elsewhere
Aggregate public scores, with the source named. We do not publish individual testimonials — we have no way to verify them.
Trustpilot
large review volume, consistent over several years
4.0App Store (iOS)
high review volume
4.5ReviewKong editorial score
our composite: price and audit programme weighed against the 2017 history and speed
3.8
Buy it if
- Buyers for whom price is the deciding factor and who still want an audited provider
- Households needing ten simultaneous connections cheaply
- Anyone who wants obfuscation and a wide server list without a premium subscription
Skip it if
- Readers whose threat model makes the 2017 episode disqualifying — Mullvad or Proton VPN instead
- Anyone chasing maximum throughput on intercontinental routes
- Buyers who want every feature included rather than sold as add-ons
PureVPN: common questions
What actually happened in 2017?
In a US criminal case, records PureVPN provided to the FBI helped identify which account was behind a set of connections, at a time when the company marketed a no-logs policy. PureVPN said it retained connection metadata rather than browsing activity. The episode is why independent verification, rather than a policy page, is the thing to look for in this category.
Do the KPMG audits make it trustworthy now?
They are meaningful: independent examinations since 2019 — Altius IT first, then KPMG repeatedly from 2021 — and an arrangement allowing unannounced inspection that no other provider in this ranking has agreed to. An audit is still a point-in-time check of what an auditor was shown. It raises the floor considerably; it does not turn a claim into a guarantee.
Is it fast enough for streaming?
On a nearby server, yes. The gap to the faster providers shows on long-distance connections — streaming a home service from another continent is where you would notice it.
How does the price compare once the term ends?
The advertised rate is the two-year term paid up front; renewal is charged at a higher standard rate, as with every provider in this ranking except Mullvad. Set a reminder before the term ends and reassess then.
PureVPN or one of the premium options?
If the budget is genuinely tight, PureVPN is the defensible cheap choice and the audit programme is real. If you can afford another two or three dollars a month, NordVPN is faster and Proton VPN has the stronger privacy record — and neither carries the 2017 history.
Ready to try PureVPN?
British Virgin Islands jurisdiction · No-logs audited by Altius IT in 2019 and by KPMG from 2021, on an always-on basis · 31-day money-back guarantee