My Speed Tests of PureVPN’s Servers

PureVPN Speed Test
Around since 2006, PureVPN is a well-respected provider and one of the VPN industry's veterans. It's know for fast connection speeds, excellent global server coverage, and the ability to access almost any geo-blocked content. PureVPN has everything you need for a quick, private, and uncensored internet experience, all for a low price few others can beat.

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Pros
  • Fast speeds
  • Big server network (74 countries)
  • Unblocks Netflix, iPlayer, and over 70 other streaming services
  • Compatible with over 50 devices and platforms
  • Independently verified zero log VPN provider
  • Dedicated IP option
  • Great value
Cons
  • Apps could use a bit more polish
  • Some intermittent connection problems

Speed Tests

PureVPN’s website states it is the fastest VPN service period. That is a big claim and a hard one to verify with absolute certainty.

That said, my speed tests did show their servers are indeed very, very fast. This was particularly true for downloads. Across the board connection speeds were reaching 80 Mbps and higher, and my best server clocked in at 112.6 Mbps.

Very few other VPNs can match those numbers. So, perhaps PureVPN’s fastest claim is justified after all.

On the upload side of things, the results are just as impressive – with the exception of North America that is. Upload speeds in both the US and Canada, though still quick, were noticeably slower. This is especially true for the latter.

However, for the vast majority of us, they should still be more than quick enough.

One thing to keep in mind is that I test with an internet connection that is much faster than what any VPN provider can currently match. This allows me to discover the true performance of each server.

In other words, the numbers shown by my tests are the maximum speeds you can expect and may be capped by your own internet connection. For example, if your internet plan offers 50 Mbps downloads, don’t expect to see 100 Mbps from PureVPN. Something in the 40 Mbps range is what I would expect in that situation.

Below are the speed tests for seven locations to which we VPN users tend to connect to most frequently. Also included is a test for my best server, as determined by the PureVPN client.

If you would like to see any other locations added, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Please also visit the site’s homepage and have a look at the speed comparisons there to see how PureVPN does against some of the other fast VPNs in the market.

Best Server
PureVPN best VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN best server baseline speed test results
No VPN
United States
PureVPN Unites States VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN Unites States baseline speed test results
No VPN
United Kingdom
PureVPN United Kingdom VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN United Kingdom baseline speed test results
No VPN
Canada
PureVPN Canada VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN Canada baseline speed test results
No VPN
Australia
PureVPN Australia VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN Australia baseline speed test results
No VPN
Netherlands
PureVPN Netherlands VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN Netherlands baseline speed test results
No VPN
Germany
PureVPN Germany VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN Germany baseline speed test results
No VPN
France
PureVPN France VPN server speed test results
With VPN
PureVPN France baseline speed test results
No VPN

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About PureVPN

PureVPN was established in Hong Kong well over a decade ago in 2006. It was one of the first companies in the world to offer a personal VPN solution.

Over the years, it has built a reputation for being one of the top providers and has received multiple critical acclaims from organizations like CNET, PC Magazine, Mashable and the New York Times.

Privacy and Security

Though claiming a zero log policy, reading through Pure VPN’s Privacy Policy does reveal that while they do not indeed keep activity logs, they do record some session information. This info includes the time a connection has is made to their VPN server and the amount of data transferred (though the specifics of that data are not recorded).

The recorded session information is used only to maintain service quality, but it is there.

Here is the information in their own words:

We do not monitor user activity nor do we keep any logs. We therefore have no record of your activities such as which software you used, which websites you visited, what content you downloaded, which apps you used, etc. after you connected to any of our servers. Our servers automatically record the time at which you connect to any of our servers. From here on forward, we do not keep any records of anything that could associate any specific activity to a specific user. The time when a successful connection is made with our servers is counted as a “connection” and the total bandwidth used during this connection is called “bandwidth”. Connection and bandwidth are kept in record to maintain the quality of our service. This helps us understand the flow of traffic to specific servers so we could optimize them better.

PureVPN offers military grade AES 256 bit encryption on all its connections. It also allows payment using Bitcoin, for increased anonymity.

A nice feature that few other providers offer is that Pure VPN fully self-manages their network. This setup means no third party has access to any of the data flowing through their servers.

Features

PureVPN offers top of the class device compatibility with support for over 50 platforms.

Their client software is intuitive to use and takes a unique purpose selection approach. You pick what you would like to use the VPN connection for (for example, stream US Netflix), and the client automatically chooses the optimal server to connect to and the best connection configuration for that purpose.

That said, PureVPN currently offers two versions of their client, which can be a little confusing. I wish they would just abandon the legacy one, and put all their efforts behind the latest and greatest.

For a few extra dollars a month, PureVPN can provide you with a dedicated IP address in the United Kingdom, the US, Canada, Australia, Germany and a few other countries. This feature is not something a lot of providers offer.

A dedicated IP may serve you well if you’re trying to stream geo-blocked video.

Another unique feature of PureVPN is their split tunneling functionality. It allows you to pick which internet traffic should go through the VPN connection and which should not.

This feature is great if you, for example, are downloading a torrent file but still want to do some online banking at the same time. The torrent traffic can go through the VPN connection for maximum anonymity, while you log into your bank using your regular ISP connection.

Restrictions

PureVPN offers a fairly generous five concurrent connections. Not head of the class, but much better than the two connection some providers allow.

They also do not impose any restrictions on data transfer amounts or server switching.

The one thing to be mindful of, and this should never come up during regular usage, is that according to their Terms of Usage, PureVPN does not allow more than 200 connections per day. They deem this do be excessive, bot like usage, which can result in the suspension of your account.

Here are the details:

Use our Website and/or Services to create automated or manually excessive connections to get different IPs or for any reason. Excessive connections are a nuisance since they create a bottleneck and choke our network, the price of which is paid by other users, and that is completely unacceptable. Maximum allowed sessions are 200 per day, and exceeding this limit may result in permanent suspension or termination of your account, unless explicitly allowed by the company.

Customer support

Support mainly comes in the form of 24/7/365 live chat, but can also be done over email or with a ticketing system.

PureVPN has a huge knowledge base on their site, including some excellent pictorial step-by-step setup guides for just about every supported platform.

They also have an FAQ page which addresses many general and technical queries, as well as payment information.

PureVPN does not offer a free trial. What they do have, however, are some excellent discounts. Their deals are typically some of the best around and tend to make PureVPN one of the most affordable top-tier providers.

The service also comes with a 31-day money back guarantee. If, for whatever reason, you decide PureVPN is not what you’re looking, getting a refund is as easy as contacting support and asking for it.

Server Location Countries

Where PureVPN really shines is in the number of servers and countries they support. They currently have 6535 servers in 74 countries.

Those numbers are up there with the best of them. Only the HideMyAss hardware count and a handful of others are ahead.

The complete and most up to date server list is available here.

Visit PureVPN >>

About Tim Tremblay

Tim is the founder of Fastest VPN Guide. He comes from a world of corporate IT security and network management and knows a thing or two about what makes VPNs tick. Cybersecurity expert by day, writer on all things VPN by night, that’s Tim. You can also follow him on Twitter and Quora.

4 thoughts on “My Speed Tests of PureVPN’s Servers”

  1. Hi – I have been using Tunnel Bear for several years but having just arrived in New Zealand, it no longer works for BBC iplayer. On your recommendation, I have signed up to PureVPN and so far it seems to have worked (although a lot of the reviews on the app are very poor). I am not technical and their customer support was very good. Thanks for your advice

    Reply
  2. I have been using your service for over 3 years and am delighted but now I cannot get BBC iplayer on my adroid. I read you offer a service with a dedicated UK ip address. how does this work?
    many thanks for your help

    Reply
    • Hi Lesley. I don’t work nor am I associated with PureVPN, but they do indeed offer a dedicated IP address for the UK (in addition to several other countries). What this means is you will get a fixed IP that will not change every time you connect. As I write this, the cost of this feature is $1.99/month.

      Sounds like you already have a subscription. The way to add a dedicated IP is to go to your member area and click on “Add-ons” in the left sidebar. From there you’ll be able to chat with a rep who will set you up with your dedicated IP. Hopefully this is the information you were looking for. If not, your best bet is talking directly to PureVPN customer support. They will for sure have your answers.

      Reply

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