PrivateVPN Review

Among industry giants, PrivateVPN stands out as a great provider that will protect you from any online dangers and ensure your privacy with a strict zero-logs policy. In this PrivateVPN review, we will analyze:

• Streaming capabilities
• Subscription prices
• Server fleet quantity and quality
• Speed and performance

Lucky for you, digging through heaps of information won’t be necessary. We examined everything from A to Z. Thus, in this PrivateVPN review, find out everything there is to know about the provider.

PrivateVPN overview

Visit PrivateVPN

Is PrivateVPN good for streaming?

As you might probably know, not all content on streaming platforms is distributed equally. Due to copyright laws or censorship in restricted countries, some shows, movies, or even whole services are geo-blocked. However, the most reliable and safe way to bypass these unfair restrictions is to get a VPN.

And if you dig around multiple Reddit or Quora threads, you’ll see that PrivateVPN is mentioned quite frequently. That’s because it’s an excellent pick for a streaming VPN. The provider will give you access to the most popular platforms, like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and many more in a blink. Additionally, you can join dedicated IP servers, which are perfect for streaming.

• Unblock Netflix with PrivateVPN
• Unblock Disney+ with PrivateVPN
• Unblock Hulu with PrivateVPN
• Unblock HBO Max with PrivateVPN

Unblock Netflix with PrivateVPN

You’ll be happy to know that PrivateVPN can unblock multiple Netflix libraries effortlessly. Whether it’s the US, the UK, or Australia, you’ll get easy access and speeds great enough for 4K streaming.

If you ever face any struggles with unblocking Netflix, that’s because the platform itself tries to block VPNs. However, you can avoid this issue by joining dedicated IP servers. Additionally, you’ll be able to watch Netflix both on web and mobile versions without any curbs. Netflix prices vary from $9.99/month to $19.99/month, and you’ll enjoy great series, such as Stranger Things, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Witcher, etc.

Unblock Disney+ with PrivateVPN

The platform is available in very few countries, with the most extensive library being in the US. Therefore, PrivateVPN can hide your IP address and help you access everything Disney+ has to offer.

All you’ll have to do is connect to a server in the US and create an account. Additionally, each family member can enjoy Disney Plus on different devices, as PrivateVPN offers 10 simultaneous connections.

Unblock Hulu with PrivateVPN

The problem with Hulu + Live TV is that it’s only available in the US and Japan, so no one else can enjoy their specials. Additionally, it has a more robust firewall than Netflix, making it harder to bypass. Thankfully, PrivateVPN can quickly solve this issue. We’ve tested it out, and the provider will give you seamless and unlimited access to the platform.

And suppose you’re traveling and don’t want to miss your favorite shows. In that case, PrivateVPN will still let you watch Hulu without any major hiccups. Therefore, hop onto a server and binge endlessly. You’ll enjoy shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Vikings, and Raising Hope.

Unblock HBO Max with PrivateVPN

Like any other streaming platform, the content libraries vary on HBO Max. However, you can enjoy it all if you have an HBO Max VPN at your fingertips.

We tried out PrivateVPN with HBO Max from multiple servers, and we haven’t had any complaints. Everything runs smoothly in 4K, and you can access the most extensive US library in a blink of an eye. Binge world-renowned shows, like Euphoria, Harley Quinn, Westworld, and many more.

Unblock other streaming platforms with PrivateVPN

If you ever find yourself needing more content – don’t sweat it because PrivateVPN will unlock them. The service effortlessly unblocks geo-restricted videos on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, etc. Not to mention, even BBC iPlayer couldn’t stand a chance against PrivateVPN’s circumvention capabilities.

Overall, it’s hard to find a worthy enough opponent that can match PrivateVPN’s geo-unblocking capabilities. And considering it’s one of the cheapest VPN services, the provider will certainly satisfy your need for new content.

Torrenting

If you’re looking for a secure and functional VPN for torrenting – PrivateVPN is undoubtedly one to consider. Apart from military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and no strict no-logs policy, this virtual private network offers many handy features. That makes it one of the best VPNs for P2P.

For starters, the Stealth VPN server protocol will disguise your VPN traffic as a regular one in highly restricted countries like China. Additionally, the feature will help you circumvent the strictest firewalls and avoid deep packet inspection in highly restrictive countries.

In addition, you can utilize SOCKS5 and Shadowsocks proxies. They route your traffic through a remote server and, in the process, change your IP address. While they ensure slightly faster speeds and privacy, proxies don’t encrypt your information, making you a bit more vulnerable.

Lastly, PrivateVPN is one of the few providers that offer port forwarding. From torrenting POV, it’s crucial for files that don’t have a lot of seeders. Moreover, you’ll be able to maintain a proper download/upload ratio on your torrents. Therefore, you can moderately increase your download speed and get your P2P content quicker.

Plans and pricing

Like most providers, PrivateVPN likes to change its prices and plans. Also, if you want more discounts, check our dedicated coupons and deals page to get the biggest available discount.

Grab a long-term PrivateVPN subscription

Every PrivateVPN subscription offers the same features, including military-grade encryption, OpenVPN protocol, a kill switch, etc., and allows 10 simultaneous connections. Payment options include credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Bitcoin.

This sounds like a pretty good deal. But there’s no need to take our word for it because PrivateVPN will give you a 7-day free trial – you just need to create an account.

There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee, which supposedly gets processed within 5 business days. To be eligible for this refund, you need to provide your reason for terminating your account.

Compared to other top VPNs, PrivateVPN is actually one of the cheapest and most cost-effective services available.

Servers and locations

With PrivateVPN you can hop through 200+ servers in 63+ countries. Although, the provider doesn’t disclose the exact number of servers in certain locations.

Additionally, while the location count is satisfying, PrivateVPN offers a modest server fleet compared to other providers. This might lead to overcrowded servers, which can have a negative impact on your user experience. On the other hand, they haven’t had any complaints yet, meaning that there are enough servers for everyone.

Compared to other best VPNs, the server fleet numbers are very lacking. Some providers offer 10 times more hardware globally. However, location coverage is quite satisfactory.

On the other hand, the provider has some pretty rare locations like the Isle of Man, so they might come in handy if you live or travel there. Moreover, PrivateVPN has Standard and Dedicated IP servers.

PrivateVPN standard servers

For simple day-to-day browsing or torrenting, PrivateVPN standard servers are totally enough. They will change your location and hide your actual IP, making it appear as if you’re somewhere else.

These servers are scattered all over the world. All you have to do is press on your desired location. And don’t worry – PrivateVPN ensures ultimate privacy and protection as they manage all of their hardware, meaning that stealing your information is basically impossible.

But if you’re worried that standard servers are not good enough for you, try switching to dedicated IP servers.

PrivateVPN dedicated IP servers

What’s special about dedicated IP servers? Well, they offer a unique IP address that nobody else is using. Therefore, bypassing geo-blocks and streaming or torrenting will be a lot easier. Additionally, these servers provide an extra layer of security and incredible speeds.

Best of all, they come with no additional fees, unlike other industry leaders. That’s why PrivateVPN is one of the best VPNs with dedicated IPs.

You’ll find dedicated IP servers in 9 different locations: Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Switzerland, the UK, France, and the US.

Speed and performance

A VPN can reduce your speed slightly. However, you shouldn’t face major connection drops. Therefore, to enjoy 4K streaming and incredibly fast torrenting, you need to opt for the fastest VPN provider. To make sure that PrivateVPN can handle data-hungry activities, we ran an extensive speed test. Hence, let’s find out how fast PrivateVPN is.

PrivateVPN speed comparison

Compared to other providers that use the same OpenVPN tunneling protocols, like CyberGhost or VyprVPN, PrivateVPN dominates the scene. The speeds are twice as high, meaning faster downloading and streaming.

However, the story is a lot different when it comes to industry leaders who use WireGuard or NordLynx tunneling protocols. NordVPN and Surfshark VPN leave PrivateVPN in the dust with approximately 8 times higher speeds.

PrivateVPN overall performance

Why is PrivateVPN slower than the industry leaders? Well, the provider still prioritizes OpenVPN, which is clunkier than the WireGuard tunneling protocol. The latter counterpart offers a more reliable connection because it handles network changes better.

However, PrivateVPN recently added WireGuard as an alternative protocol. This means that while it’s not supported natively in the app, you can easily set it up manually. You can find more information on that here.

Although, the speeds are still great enough to stream in 4K, torrent, game, or browse the web without any issues. That’s thanks to the High Quality Network (HQN) internet capacity they purchase from IP transit providers. Consequently, that reduces latency, routing hoops, and increases speed.

All in all, while PrivateVPN is not the fastest VPN on the market, it’s more than enough for day-to-day or more data-intense activities. However, if you want a stable and fast connection, we recommend joining a nearby standard or dedicated IP server.

Security and privacy features

With over 1,000 VPNs on the market, it’s only logical to ask yourself if PrivateVPN is safe to use. Overall, it’s an excellent VPN with many great features like:

• Encryption and tunneling protocols
• IP and DNS leak protection
• A robust kill switch
• No-logs policy
• Other technical features

On the other hand, PrivateVPN might cause some suspicions when it comes to jurisdiction and lack of audits.

Encryption and tunneling protocols

Encryption scrambles your data, making it impossible for anyone, even your ISP or the government, to decipher it. Luckily, PrivateVPN does not disappoint in this department. The provider utilizes AES-256 encryption, which is virtually unbreakable.

When it comes to tunneling protocols, PrivateVPN leaves us wanting a bit more:

• OpenVPN UDP – the default setting uses UDP, which is faster but less secure than TCP. It uses 1194, a fairly standard port, so it should fit most use cases.
• OpenVPN TCP – sacrificing speed for security, this option should be your go-to if UDP/1194 doesn’t work.
• OpenVPN TAP+UDP – we do not recommend using this one. The reason is that connected TAP devices function almost as if they were on LAN. This could also give a method to access your device if a hacker is connected to the same server, provided that there’s a vulnerability. Since port forwarding is also always enabled, this is a real cause for concern.
• PPTP – severely outdated and shouldn’t be used.
• L2TP/IPSec – outdated and OpenVPN provides much better security options.
• IKEv2 – safe and reliable for mobile users. It’s also a bit faster than OpenVPN.
• WireGuard – state-of-the-art tunneling protocol with significant performance advantage over other protocols.

It’s puzzling why PrivateVPN prioritizes OpenVPN over WireGuard, but I’m pleased to see that WireGuard is finally available as an alternative protocol. On the other hand, PrivateVPN is reliable in terms of security. Thus, it’s on our most secure VPN list.

IP and DNS leak protection

PrivateVPN doesn’t have any IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks. In fact, these services have a built-in IPv6 and DNS leak protection, which you can toggle from your app’s Connection Guard settings page.

As you can see from one of our tests, PrivateVPN doesn’t have any leaks. We connected to their server in Manchester, UK, and got assigned 185.206.227.180 IP. The image above shows that neither our location nor our IP address hasn’t changed – we were still being protected.

Previously, PrivateVPN used Google DNS servers. While they are quite safe, they raised some privacy concerns, as the ISP and Google itself could have monitored them. To ensure better and safer services, the provider replaced them with their own servers, ensuring that no one can tamper with them.

Kill switch

Kill switch is one of the most critical features of any premium VPN. It’s an advanced security measure that prevents your data from leaking on the web. It’s the last line of your VPN defense.

Unfortunately, PrivateVPN offers it only on the Windows and Mac apps. That’s not a big deal to Android users who have an “Always-on VPN” feature. However, iOS fans will be at risk because your IP address will be revealed to the website or service you were using in case of VPN failure.

We tested the PrivateVPN kill switch, and the results were satisfying. None of the connections leaked outside the VPN tunnel. Thus, our IP address remained safe.

No-logs policy

PrivateVPN has a strict no-logs policy. Here’s what’s stated in its Privacy Policy: “PrivateVPN does not collect or log any traffic or use of its service.”

This may mean no connection and usage logs, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. We wanted to know for sure. So we asked the support team to clear up this “no logs” question for us. Here’s the good news we got:

We don’t retain or log any identifiers, namely IP addresses, timestamps of any sort of connections on our VPN or authentication servers, data used, the speed of connection at all. Period.

Sounds bulletproof.

When asked about what they would do if the government were to force them to monitor users or provide personally identifiable data, a representative said that PrivateVPN would instead move to a more privacy-friendly country. Now that’s what we call “taking one for the team.”

Jurisdiction

While PrivateVPN is registered in Sweden, which is not the most privacy-friendly country, it shouldn’t scare off most users.

Sweden is part of the Fourteen Eyes intelligence alliance, which shares intelligence data with the US or any other member country. However, suppose you’re not a political activist or a journalist writing on sensitive topics. In that case, the chances of you attracting intelligence-level attention are slim.

Secondly, Swedish ISPs must log user information, such as the websites visited for six months, but this becomes impossible if you use a VPN. Thirdly, while Sweden has strict anti-piracy laws, ISPs again can do nothing about it if you’ve been using PrivateVPN.

As you can see, PrivateVPN’s jurisdiction won’t impact you, especially if you’re using the kill switch to prevent your personal data from leaking.

Other technical aspects

PrivateVPN cares about your online security and privacy. Therefore, they offer some extra features that can enhance your safety.

We talked about the importance of Stealth VPN in the torrent section. But one thing we left out is that the feature enables you to use PrivateVPN in China. It disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS traffic and stops the Great Firewall from detecting it. However, if you’re going on a trip to China, best make sure you have downloaded the app in advance.

Apart from P2P benefits, port forwarding allows you to access private networks, such as your home or business servers and devices from outside. It also shields the private network from unwanted external connections.

Lastly, Application Guard will come in handy as well. It will terminate any apps you don’t want to open when a VPN stops working. For instance, any torrenting clients you might have open.

Device support

PrivateVPN is compatible with all major devices, such as:

• Windows and Mac
• Android and iOS
• Linux
• Routers

Additionally, user-friendly apps are easy to install and use. The only difference between the desktop and mobile versions is the overall layout. Moreover, there are extensive setup walkthroughs for maximum convenience.

Furthermore, PrivateVPN offers 10 simultaneous connections, which is more than enough for the whole household. Compared to other providers, the count is quite satisfying, especially when you can set up the VPN on your router.

And if you’re an owner of Android TV or Amazon Fire TV Stick, you’ll be happy to know that there are apps for them as well. Sadly, no browser extensions are available at the moment.

Windows and Mac

PrivateVPN apps for Windows and macOS share a similar design and almost the same features. The main screen windows are customizable, allowing you to switch between simple and advanced views. With the latter, you can customize your connection type and encryption.

Regarding security and privacy, PrivateVPN apps provide AES-256 encryption, OpenVPN protocol, and Stealth VPN for both versions. Moreover, you’ll find IPv6 Leak Protection and a kill switch for both OS. However, Application Guard is only available for Windows users, but it doesn’t mean that the Mac version is inferior.

Android and iOS

PrivateVPN apps for Android and iOS have a user-friendly design that resembles their website. Both have the Stealth VPN feature, but only Android users can utilize a much-needed kill switch. However, many top VPNs struggle to provide a kill switch on iOS, so it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker.

Aside from the ability to change tunneling protocols and encryption, there isn’t much that you can tweak. Additionally, you can switch from standard to dedicated IP servers with a click of a button.

Overall, PrivateVPN has pretty straightforward apps for both Android and iOS users. Even though the iOS version lacks some parts, it’s still one of our top iPhone VPN picks. Not to mention that it’s an excellent service for Android fans too.

Linux

While there’s no desktop application, PrivateVPN offers a command-line app for Linux. It works on Ubuntu and Debian. Moreover, you’ll get a manual on how to set it up to make everything that much quicker and easier.

The lack of a GUI isn’t ideal. Still, PrivateVPN has proven to be secure enough, even with some advanced features missing (kill switch).

Routers

If 10 simultaneous connections are not enough, you can always set up PrivateVPN on your router. That way, your whole home network will be secure, and you’ll be able to bypass geo-restrictions on devices that usually don’t support VPNs (gaming consoles, smart TVs, streaming devices).

And although PrivateVPN doesn’t have a dedicated app for routers, you’ll find walkthroughs that are easy to follow. Otherwise, you can grab a Vilfo networking device with a built-in PrivateVPN service.

Customer support

PrivateVPN offers more than a few support options, which include:

• 24/7 Live chat
• Email
• FAQ
• Configuration guides
• TeamViewer

Just like any well-rounded VPN service, PrivateVPN offers 24/7 customer support. In that section, you’ll find answers to almost any question.

To start off, the FAQ and self-service section is your first stop if you want to find a solution to your problem. While it’s quite extensive and user-friendly, we couldn’t find answers about some essential features, such as Stealth VPN, port forwarding, or proxies. Thus, you have to wander elsewhere to find out about them.

What we like the most about the support is a plethora of easy-to-follow guides. You’ll find them all in the “Getting Started” section.

In addition, the provider offers 24/7 live chat, email, and remote control communication options, if you can’t find solutions in the self-service section. However, you might need to wait because their response time is more than a few minutes (and longer for email).

All in all, while it’s lacking in some departments, PrivateVPN is a relatively good customer support service that won’t disappoint you.

PrivateVPN video review

Learn more about PrivateVPN – check out the video review below!

Bottom line

Apart from essential military-grade encryption, kill switch, and leak protection, PrivateVPN is packed with many great features, making it an excellent VPN service.

Torrenters can use proxies and port forwarding for faster downloads. Moreover, cinephiles can enjoy the most popular geo-blocked streaming platforms without loading screens. Not to mention, PrivateVPN ensures overall superb digital safety.

On the other hand, some aspects might raise some concerns, like the absence of security and privacy audits, and not-so privacy-friendly jurisdiction.

All in all, if you are looking for the cheapest, well-rounded VPN, we highly recommend the PrivateVPN service. No wonder, as it’s our Top 3 best VPN picks.

What’s your opinion on PrivateVPN? Share in the comments!

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You may also like to read:
What is a VPN?
NordVPN review
Surfshark review

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FAQ

Is PrivateVPN safe?

Yes, PrivateVPN is a solid provider with uncrackable encryption, a solid kill switch, and no DNS or IP leaks.

Is PrivateVPN free?

PrivateVPN is not free. However, you can grab a free 7-day trial or any subscription with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Does PrivateVPN work in China?

Yes, PrivateVPN is one of the best VPNs for China. Thanks to the Stealth VPN feature, you can securely browse, stream, or game without major connectivity problems.

How much is PrivateVPN a month?

PrivateVPN is $2.00/month with a long-term subscription, making it one of the cheapest VPNs on the market. Additionally, all subscriptions are protected by a 30-day money-back warranty.

Is PrivateVPN fast?

PrivateVPN is not the fastest provider. Still, it offers great speeds for 4K streaming and gaming without significant lags.

Is PrivateVPN good for streaming?

Yes, PrivateVPN is one of the best streaming VPNs in 2024. Due to incredible geo-bypassing capabilities, it can help you sneak through Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer’s firewalls easily. Not to mention that the speeds are great enough for HD streaming.

Is PrivateVPN good for gaming?

Yes, PrivateVPN is a great budget-friendly VPN for gaming. The service will give you access to servers worldwide, decrease latency, and protect you from DDoS attacks.