If you’re searching for the best VPN software and apps, you’re probably looking for a lot of things, like the ease of use, a no-logs policy, reliability, speed, the ability to access certain programming from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney, and some BBC channels, and you may be looking for other functions like the ability to have control over certain features.
Without question, every VPN should offer the obvious: online security and anonymity!
But as the VPN industry has grown in size, knowledge, and technology, other features have been requested or developed to make your online experience safer and easier and now to help you access websites and programming that may have been blocked due to your geographic location. Manually changing where your IP address is shown to be originating, that access is opened up to basically anywhere with the touch of a button through a VPN.
After trying several top VPNs, researching those that consistently rank highest, and speaking directly to users of those VPNs, one product keeps rising to the surface as an overall winner to answer the question, What is the best VPN software? PureVPN is according to them, and maybe they are right…..? But if you want to check out other highly rated VPNs, go to this review we have of the top VPNs in existence.
Now, don’t misunderstand what I’m alluding to here, the company that has the best service and most options to offer changes on a regular basis as competition is hard at work in this growing industry. This is a competitive field and it becomes more so as time goes on and as the demand for such services increases
===> You can check out this other post we have to see thorough reviews on other VPN services <===
…..and I wouldn’t wait to get myself secure with my personal and/or family’s online activities!
But what we are looking at here is the current rating of the overall functionality of the software and apps with PureVPN. How reliable is their service known to be? You would unlikely be disappointed with this product as it will most likely cover all the bases of what you’re looking to do with a VPN, and with one of the most reliable VPN services that exist. In fact,
History
PureVPN was one of the first to exist and they have stood the test of time. Meanwhile, keep in mind that any product that gets reviewed online (which they basically all do now) is going to have positive and negative aspects referenced with different reviewers. The few products that keep bouncing around on the top 5 lists of various reviewers are typically the reliable ones written by honest people and organizations.
After poring through countless reviews and reports, trying different products personally, speaking to as many end-users as possible, and compiling the data, the following overall summary will hopefully help you to be confident as you purchase PureVPN if you should choose to do so.
The Good, The Bad, and The Crazy!
Sometimes a single review can have more info than most of us are willing to read. Since I’m sure you aren’t here to read through the lengthy details of twenty different reviews and you just want the bottom line, this report will be simple and to the point so as to give you an end result of what is the best VPN software.
The Good
- Great Price!!
- No-logs policy
- One of the first in the VPN industry (they’ve been around a while)
- Built-in ad blocker
- A great choice for those in China (it bypasses the China Firewall)
- 31-day refund policy
- Accepts Bitcoin which can add another layer of anonymity
- Apps available for all devices (including smart TVs and gaming consoles)
- Supports up to 5 simultaneous devices
- 256-bit encryption and Leak Protection
- Kill switch (and why don’t they all have this….? hmmm)
- Split tunneling
- Great customer service (with a few exceptions)
- Very easy to use app
- Great for streaming and unblocking geo-restricted content
- 300,000 IPs and 200n servers in over 140 countries
- Based in Hong Kong which makes it a great choice for China
- P2P enabled for torrents and files
- 24-hour live chat support
- 70% off with the 2-year plan
- The first to implement GDPR
The Bad
- One reviewer said the app has been known to cause some devices to be sluggish
- No free trial, although there is an almost free 3-day trial
- Had kept logs at one time which bothers some people
- Some have reported slower speeds; although those issues may be resolved, it’s something to keep in mind
The Crazy
Here is the “crazy”! PureVPN has been accused of willingly giving up info to authorities after claiming to not keep online records. But here are a few things to keep in mind; Although I understand PureVPN has always claimed to be a no-logs service, meaning they keep no record of your online activity at all, there are stories of a criminal investigation regarding a cyberstalker in 2016 where they turned over some records to authorities.
First, it is one thing to not “keep” or “register” logs….
…..and quite another to take the safeguards that assure no tracks exist anywhere within their complex system!
I don’t know if that’s the case, but I do know that they aggressively pursued an arrangement with an industry-leading Independent Auditor that now reviews PureVPNs servers to be certain there are no tracks left behind. Hong Kong, where PureVPN is based, is not part of the 5/9/14 jurisdiction, which is a coalition of countries that have made it illegal for a VPN to not keep online activity records. So, if they weren’t deliberately keeping records but a warrant was issued to search their equipment, they would still have to allow the authorities to conduct the search as laid out in the warrant
…..even though there was no requirement for them to keep records of users’ online activity….
If nothing was there, cool, but if the authorities found some tracks/evidence that would help their prosecution of a defendant, they could use that info. Seems like that is what happened. But it appears that PureVPN took the determined and definitive steps to make sure nothing like that could ever happen again.
Truth is, unless we learn of authorities seizing info from other VPNs, we really don’t know which ones really keep no logs at all and which ones just have a “no logs” policy but don’t go the extra mile to ensure the info isn’t hidden, lurking somewhere on their servers. PureVPN has taken that step by hiring an Independent Auditor to ensure they remain a trusted leader in the VPN market.
The “no free trial” thing doesn’t bother me so much as I realize with a company that’s been around this long without any refund policy issues, if I don’t like it, I can get a refund within 31 days and it would’ve still been a free trial, right?
The Conclusion (The second conclusion like a preacher I guess, because my first one was “The Crazy” above)
In supplying the good and the bad above, there was much more I could have added to the good list. The bad list could’ve realistically been smaller, but I am striving to pore through any negatives I see and be as honest about products and services as is possible. Therefore, even if only one out of 30 reviews mentioned a particular negative aspect, I wanted to give it to you. Such as the app is sluggish.
Well, this entire article is written based on the question of “What is the best VPN software?” The reliability of the software, app, and service are the elements I was mostly looking for in order to provide you with as accurate info as I could find. I didn’t see repeated accounts from clients, reviewing agencies, or from my own experience of slower download speeds or their app being sluggish. Perhaps this was with older devices. All things considered, you won’t be disappointed with the reliability and functionality of PureVPN. Click on one of the links or banners to take a closer look at PureVPN’s low-cost offers.
Hello and thank you for this article about the best VPN Software out there. As someone who had worked from home for around 2 years in my last company, I can completely relate to this article. I specially liked how you presented this article from the good, the bad and the crazy. Specially the one about the crazy about PureVPN. This seriously made me interested and will try PureVPN and had bookmarked your review. I find no red-flags for the company that made this product with the help of your review.
Thanks Lemuel! I think you would be happy with PureVPN. They have a spectacular track record and top notch features. If you do purchase the product, feel free to comment on here again regarding your experience and thoughts.
Thanks again for your interest.
It seems that more and more people are beginning to appreciate the value of a good VPN service. I won’t get online without one. I actually use NordVPN, but have heard good things about PureVPN. In fact, it was the only other service I seriously considered. Recently, McAfee has started offering free VPN service to subscribers of their anti-virus software. Personally, I would rather pay for a different service than use McAfee’s free service. They simply don’t offer the same level of privacy and protection that is available from companies like PureVPN, or NordVPN. One thing that I can’t stress enough is to never use a free VPN app. The majority of them have been proven to be ineffective and many of them actually log and sell your data. As the saying goes, if a company is giving you something for free, that means you are the product. It’s much better to spend the money on a service like PureVPN. It doesn’t cost that much, especially when it is for your own security.
Great addition to this post Randy! I agree, a free service is almost always worth exactly what you pay for it. A person eventually pays through the frustration of being exploited with their data being sold. And as far as paying for a VPN, it’s similar to homeowners insurance in that it’s a lot less expensive to pay for insurance (which a VPN could be viewed as) than to pay to replace a home in the event of a disaster or fire (etc…). A VPN will keep a hacker out of your business and off of your computer. No more malware, viruses, or websites trying to tunnel back through to your personal computer to gather information. I encourage others, as you said, pay for a service. The VPNs we’ve both referred to are based out of territories that do not have laws requiring them to log. Some companies sound good online, but will be based in a country that requires retention of those records. Something buyers should consider.
Thanks for your insight and comments! It is very much appreciated….
I have been an affiliate marketer for a while now and in my experience so far, there have been some international websites I’ve been unable to access due to location restriction. My goto route to bypass this problem is by using a VPN, which changes my virtual location to that of someplace in the country I’m targeting. My favourites are the ones that provide the best privacy, fast network, and are cost effective.
Yes indeed! Circumventing georestrictions is one of the many reasons that a VPN can be valuable. PureVPN definitely provides the privacy, speed and affordability that people most often look for in these services. And having the ability to access programming from anywhere in the world is another huge benefit.
Thanks for your input!
It is surprising that i have not engaged the use of PURE VPN considering the numerous number of VPN service providers that i have engaged in the search for a better surfing undetected. i would like to try their service as i have seen positive review here. than you so very much for this post.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I believe you would be happy with PureVPN. If you try it out, II’d love to know your thoughts. I’m always open to feedback here, good or bad.
Thanks again for your comment! 🙂
I wonder why some VPN service providers will not offer refund policies. in a bid to find the best VPN software, i searched online and tried to find the one suitable for me i saw some free ones but it was of no value. free trial would really help a lot as there will be payment after the trial period expires.
Thanks for your feedback. You make a valid point. These things seem to go in waves with software and/or online services. Then one company decides to offer a free trial and all the others fall in line right behind them with competing offers. Now as far as refund policies, PureVPN does offer a 31-Day Money-Back Guarantee, and even though there would be up front payment, if a person weren’t satisfied, they would know long before 31 days and could get a complete refund. PureVPN apparently has a great track record with refunding at the customer’s request within the 31 days, or perhaps it’s rare that anyone is unhappy with the service. I know the customer service is great and I’ve never heard of any problems with cancellations.
Again, valid point, and one that a VPN should consider.
Thanks for your comment 🙂