PrivateVPN Review

Our Verdict

Overall, PrivateVPN is an excellent VPN provider with a score of 8.9/10 in our test measurements. We especially like its high efficiency in accessing geographically restricted video content. It successfully unblocks 14 regions of Netflix, as well as other popular services such as Hulu and BBC iPlayer. However, we have noticed problems with overloading some servers, which can lead to limitations in the speed of the Internet connection, especially for high-quality streaming video.

Why Trust Our Review?

We’ve invested thousands of hours testing and reviewing 55 VPN services. Our review process is unbiased and we offer recommendations for the best VPN programs.

Below are some key statistics from our VPN testing:

PrivateVPN, which was launched in 2009, has a longer existence than many other competitors. During this period of time, it has never experienced any controversy and has proven to be a safe and reliable choice.

In 2022, the Swedish internet service provider Miss Group acquired PrivateVPN. Despite initial concerns about the impact of this acquisition, PrivateVPN’s excellent performance has remained unchanged.

For this review, we conducted extensive testing of the PrivateVPN software. You can check out the main features of PrivateVPN in the table below or compare it to other alternatives that will be discussed later in this review.

Who Should Get PrivateVPN?

Get PrivateVPN if:
• If you want to watch content from geographically blocked sites, we recommend using PrivateVPN. Thanks to dedicated IP servers, PrivateVPN allows you to access 14 libraries of Netflix and other popular streaming platforms.

• If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, PrivateVPN can be a great choice. With a three-year prepayment option, you can get a PrivateVPN subscription for as little as $2.00 per month.

• If you’re new to using a VPN, PrivateVPN is the right choice for you. It’s easy to use and doesn’t have any complicated features, making it easy to understand and access the VPN without any problems.

Avoid PrivateVPN if:
• If fast connection speeds are important to you, you should keep in mind that PrivateVPN may slow down your connection speeds due to the lack of the WireGuard protocol and its limited server network, especially over long distances.

• If you’re looking for a full-featured VPN, PrivateVPN may disappoint you because it offers a limited set of technical features. For example, it doesn’t have ad-blocking features or support for multi-hop servers.

• If you’re looking for a 100% free VPN, you should know that PrivateVPN has discontinued its seven-day free trial. Now you have to pay to use the VPN.

Streaming

PrivateVPN is known for its high compatibility with streaming and is considered one of the best VPNs for this purpose. Using dedicated IP servers, PrivateVPN successfully unblocked all the streaming services we tested, including 14 Netflix regions. It’s worth noting that PrivateVPN doesn’t support Smart DNS, which can be a bit disappointing. However, it does have a fully functional app for Amazon Fire TV, which makes it easy to use on this platform.

Here’s a list of popular streaming services that PrivateVPN works well with:

If you are wondering if PrivateVPN works with a particular streaming service that is not on the list above, please ask us below and we will be happy to check it out for you.

Recently, PrivateVPN decided to stop highlighting dedicated streaming servers in its app. When we reached out to the company for clarification, a PrivateVPN representative said that this was done because “all of our servers are now suitable for streaming.”

However, we noticed that this was not always true, as PrivateVPN sometimes could not unblock certain services using servers from the main list.

In such cases, we had to connect to one of their dedicated IP servers. The IP address you receive from these servers is exclusive to you, making it difficult for streaming services to identify and block you. While these servers have been reliable, they are not available in all regions.

One of the main disadvantages of using PrivateVPN for streaming is its limited compatibility with devices connected to your TV. Although there is an app for Fire TV and Android TV, it does not have Smart DNS for Apple TV and game consoles. In addition, there is no router support for Roku and Chromecast devices.

Streams US Netflix & Many Other Regions
After testing all PrivateVPN servers with Netflix, we found that only 22% of the servers work with this streaming service.

Overall, this means that the VPN is able to unblock 14 Netflix regions. Out of all 55 VPNs we tested, only Windscribe was able to stream more Netflix regions than PrivateVPN.

The performance of streaming in different regions was significantly different. When connecting to Japan and Ireland, our video was constantly buffered and displayed only in SD format. At the same time, the video quality in other regions, such as the United States and Canada, was much better.

To access the American Netflix, you need to connect to the New York location from the list of dedicated IP servers. All the American servers we tested from the main list of servers did not work.

Unblocks US Streaming Platforms
PrivateVPN also provides access to all popular American streaming sites. Thanks to this, we were able to bypass geo-blocking on HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube TV, and Prime Video.

Unlike Netflix, all of PrivateVPN’s US servers worked with these platforms. The videos loaded almost instantly and were displayed in high quality (HD).

Works Well with BBC iPlayer
PrivateVPN has always worked with BBC iPlayer over the years of testing, despite having only two servers in the UK. Video content, both live and on-demand, is downloaded instantly and streamed at maximum resolution.

Even some of the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer, such as ExpressVPN and HMA, sometimes fail to unblock the service. PrivateVPN’s performance in this case is excellent, especially considering its low price.

In addition, we used the British PrivateVPN servers to access Sky Go, ITVX, and Now channels.
Hides Kodi Activity from Your ISP
PrivateVPN’s high streaming performance makes it a great option for use with Kodi, Stremio, and other free streaming platforms.

We used its Fire TV app to stream content from services like Crackle and Pluto TV. Our connection was not interrupted while watching, and our activity was protected from our provider.

 

Streaming Platform	Works with PrivateVPN
Netflix	Yes
Disney Plus	Yes
BBC iPlayer	Yes
HBO Max	Yes
Hulu	Yes
Hotstar	Yes
YouTube	Yes
Amazon Prime Video	Yes
All 4	Yes
ITVX	Yes

Privacy & Logging Policy

Doesn’t Store Any User Information

PrivateVPN is a verified no-logs VPN service that has always maintained a policy of not giving out user data to third parties. Although it’s based in Sweden, which is under the jurisdiction of 14 Eyes, this drawback is balanced out by its private log retention policy.

Here’s a quick overview of the data PrivateVPN collects:

PrivateVPN’s full privacy policy can be found on their website.

PrivateVPN is a Swedish company, which is not usually the best choice for ensuring user privacy. However, due to their no-logs policy, PrivateVPN is unable to provide any information about their users, even if required by the Swedish government.

The only information PrivateVPN stores is your email address, which is only used to log in to the service. PrivateVPN confirms that this information is not linked to your activity. This level of privacy is usually available for a higher price.

However, one of the drawbacks is that PrivateVPN does not have diskless VPN servers. Using such servers, which do not store any data, completely eliminates the possibility of information being recorded. We hope that PrivateVPN will add them to its services in the near future.

Logging Policy Is Verified Through Real-World Tests
PrivateVPN is one of the few VPN services that has been subjected to a real test of its privacy policy without storing logs. Despite multiple requests from law enforcement, the VPN was unable to hand over any user data.

Although this information has not been made public, we have had access to documents that confirm that due to its no-logs privacy policy, PrivateVPN has always been unable to satisfy law enforcement requests for user data.

While we do not endorse any illegal activities carried out through the use of a VPN, these real-life cases are a reliable and practical proof of the effectiveness of a VPN service’s privacy policy.
Failed to Disclose Data Gathering on Free Trial Users
Our research has revealed that PrivateVPN used to store the IP addresses of users who signed up for a free trial. However, the company told us that these IP addresses were securely stored in a “dummy database” and were not linked to “any other data.”

While this type of registration was done confidentially and solely to prevent abuse of the free trial, the problem is that PrivateVPN has not disclosed this practice publicly.

To their credit, after we raised this issue with PrivateVPN, they quickly changed their policy. Now the VPN no longer tracks the IP addresses of new users of the free trial.

Data Type	Logged by PrivateVPN
Browsing Activity	No
Device Information	No
DNS Queries	No
Individual Bandwidth Usage	No
Individual Connection Timestamps	No
ISP	No
Number of Simultaneous Connections	No
Originating IP Address	No
Account Information	Yes
VPN Server IP	No
VPN Server Location	No
Date of Last Connection	No

 

Speed

Fast on Local Connections, but Slow on Long-distance Ones
When connected to a neighboring server, we ran a test and found that PrivateVPN was fast. Our download speeds dropped by only 5%, which shows that this VPN is fast enough for streaming, gaming, and most other tasks. However, PrivateVPN’s overall speed is less impressive, and its servers are often overloaded, resulting in slowdowns.

To ensure objective and unbiased speed testing, we measured internet connection speeds before and after connecting to PrivateVPN servers in different parts of the world. We conducted a series of tests over several days and calculated the average value of each test.

Here are some of the results we got when connecting to PrivateVPN servers in different regions:

The short-distance speeds we’ve seen with PrivateVPN are amazing. We’ve seen speeds of up to 95 Mbps, which is on par with other leading VPN providers that cost much more.

However, when connecting to some remote servers, we experienced large speed losses that exceeded our expectations. In particular, we recorded a 39% speed drop when connecting to servers in South Africa and a 24% speed drop when connecting to servers in Australia.

To avoid server overload, the other well-known VPN providers listed above have 10Gbps servers in more locations and have server networks that are much larger than PrivateVPN’s. We would like to see PrivateVPN address both of these issues in future updates.
 

Price & Value

Exceptional Value on Long-term Subscriptions

PrivateVPN offers high quality for a relatively low price, making it a good option for users. The monthly fee for this VPN is $2.00 less than any of its competitors, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee period.

Below are the different plans offered by PrivateVPN:

PrivateVPN offers impressive prices for its long-term plans, making it a great VPN option for those on a tight budget. However, the cost of $11.99 for one month can be considered high compared to other cheap VPNs available.

We also wish that PrivateVPN would add an annual option for users who don’t want to commit to three years in advance and give a large amount of money upfront.

PrivateVPN Free Trial
Unfortunately, PrivateVPN has stopped offering a free trial. Despite the fact that the VPN continues to advertise this feature, when we try to sign up for it, we are redirected to a paid premium subscription page.

The free trial used to be one of PrivateVPN’s most notable features. It lasted for seven days and did not require any payment information. The removal of this free option has significantly worsened the experience of using PrivateVPN.

After we contacted the company, we were informed that the free trial was temporarily unavailable due to a significant amount of abuse. In order to prevent such situations, we would like to see the VPN switch to a freemium model similar to that offered by Windscribe and Proton VPN.

But for now, if you want to use PrivateVPN for free, you’ll have to take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee.

Payment Methods
You can use the following payment methods with PrivateVPN:

• VISA
• Master Card
• Paypal
• American Express
• Bitcoin
• UnionPay

Server Locations

Servers in 63 Countries
PrivateVPN allows you to get an IP address from 63 countries, which is significantly more coverage than most other VPN services in this price segment. Despite the wide range of countries available, the network consists of only 200 servers, which may not be enough for a popular VPN provider.

PrivateVPN’s servers are organized in the following structure:

We have servers in common locations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Germany, and Canada. Alternatively, you can choose a server in a specific city within those countries to connect to the one closest to you.

Most notably, PrivateVPN has servers in six countries in South America, which sets us apart from many other VPN providers that only offer server locations in Brazil.

However, there are several popular regions that we plan to add servers to in future updates. Currently, PrivateVPN does not have IP addresses from popular regions such as India and Egypt. Other VPN providers, such as Surfshark and ExpressVPN, already offer servers in these countries.

Some Servers Are Virtually Located
PrivateVPN differs from most other VPN providers in that we are able to offer servers in more countries by using virtual server locations. Approximately 13% of our servers use this approach, which means that the physical location of these servers is different from the IP addresses they provide.

For example, we found that PrivateVPN’s South Korean server is actually physically located in a data center in the United States.

If you try to connect to the closest server but are actually connecting to a virtually located server, this can cause your internet speed to slow down, especially if the server is on the other side of the world.

With this in mind, we think it would be a useful feature if PrivateVPN clearly indicates which servers are virtual and which are physically located. Other VPN providers, including top services such as CyberGhost, clearly label such information.

Continent	Number of Countries
Europe	38
Asia	11
South America	6
North America	4
Africa	2
Oceania	2

 

Torrenting

PrivateVPN Is Excellent for Torrenting
PrivateVPN is a great choice for private torrenting because it allows P2P traffic and port forwarding on all of its servers. The use of AES-256 encryption, private DNS servers, and no log storage ensures that your torrenting activity will not be tracked.

Based on the above, here’s a quick summary that shows how PrivateVPN performed in our torrent tests.

During our tests using various torrent clients, we successfully downloaded torrent files from PrivateVPN without any interference. You won’t have to face any problems downloading large files like movies, music, or software when you use PrivateVPN.

Although torrent clients are allowed on all servers, we recommend connecting to the servers shown in the Dedicated IP list.

These servers are owned and operated by PrivateVPN, unlike other servers that are rented from third parties. This provides an additional level of control and security, which is especially important for maintaining privacy during torrenting activities.

In addition, these servers automatically forward all ports, which means you don’t need to configure them manually. This makes PrivateVPN faster than many other VPN services for torrenting.

To illustrate, here’s a comparison chart showing PrivateVPN’s performance against the leading torrent networks when downloading a 20 GB torrent file.

 

Torrenting Attribute	Result
Average Download Bitrate	9.6MiB/s
No. of P2P Servers	200
Logging Policy	No Logs
Kill Switch	1
Port Forwarding	No

Device & OS Compatibility

Apps for All Major Devices, but No Browser Extensions or Smart DNS

Device Compatibility
PrivateVPN offers apps that are compatible with all popular platforms and devices, such as Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. However, they do not provide browser extensions or Smart DNS tools.
Apps
You can download and install PrivateVPN on the following devices:

Six Simultaneous Connections
With PrivateVPN, you can connect up to six devices to the VPN server at the same time. This gives you much more options than the average, which makes it convenient to use the service if you don’t plan to share your account with family or friends.

Games Consoles & Streaming Devices
You can use PrivateVPN on different devices if you install it directly on your router.

Unlike many other VPN providers, PrivateVPN doesn’t have built-in routers that you can buy off-the-shelf. In order to use PrivateVPN on your router, you need to set it up manually.

We found it disappointing that PrivateVPN, which is focused on video streaming, does not offer a Smart DNS feature. This means that in order to unblock streaming websites on devices like the PS5 or Apple TV, you need to install PrivateVPN directly on your router.

Ease of Use

Functional Apps with a Basic Interface
PrivateVPN apps have a simple and well-designed interface. This interface is the same for all platforms, which ensures a consistent experience across devices. However, it would be nice if changing the protocol and other VPN settings was easier.

To install and start using PrivateVPN, you can go to their website and click on the “Get PrivateVPN” button. Then choose a subscription plan and download the app. The whole process is simple and takes less than 10 minutes.

PrivateVPN has not updated the design of its app recently and it is a bit outdated compared to other leading VPN providers.

Interestingly, the main page of their website has had a version of the app with an updated interface for a year now. When we asked a representative of PrivateVPN, he said that there is no specific timeframe for the release of this updated version.

Below is more information about our experience using PrivateVPN on each operating system:

Desktop & Laptop (Windows & Mac)
PrivateVPN provides a choice between two modes – “simple browsing” and “advanced browsing”, in addition to the availability of desktop applications.

In the advanced mode, you can configure various settings manually. You can choose the level of encryption and activate additional features. This mode allows you to conveniently customize the service to your preferences.

On the other hand, the “simple view” is suitable for beginners who want to connect a VPN and change the server location quickly and easily. However, we would have liked to see some simple settings, such as changing the VPN protocol, be able to be changed from this mode.

Unfortunately, unlike most other VPN apps, PrivateVPN does not automatically select the fastest server based on your location. You have to select a server manually.

Selecting a server is much easier on Windows because the program displays and colors the server pings. Just connect to the server with the lowest ping to get the fastest speed. On Mac, the server list does not include the distance between you and the server.

As you can see in the screenshot above, the server list window is disproportionately large on both platforms. Nevertheless, the same amount of information could be conveniently displayed in a half-sized window. For this reason, we would like to be able to resize this window at will.

We also did not like the fact that the list of servers opens in a completely new window, hiding the main screen of the program. This made it take us a while to realize that we needed to close this window to get back to the main app. Most other VPN apps allow you to change servers directly from the main screen.

Unfortunately, PrivateVPN does not support using the menu bar on Mac or the taskbar on Windows. Other VPN providers allow you to quickly change the server location from these areas, but PrivateVPN does not have this feature.

Mobile (iPhone & Android)
The PrivateVPN mobile apps for iOS and Android are easy to use and very convenient. On the main screen, you can turn the VPN on or off using a large button.

However, unfortunately, PrivateVPN has not added any mobile-specific features that would improve the app’s usability. It does not have a dark mode interface, and there is no integration with the Shortcuts app on iOS. In addition, the app does not have widgets for iOS and Android.

Similar to the desktop version, the only significant difference between PrivateVPN’s mobile apps is the addition of a server ping indicator in the Android version.

Unlike the desktop applications, the mobile apps do not have a “simple” or “advanced” view. To change VPN settings, just click on VPN Settings. It is recommended to turn on the switch immediately after launching the application, as it is disabled by default.

Overall, PrivateVPN’s mobile apps are simpler than major VPN services. But if PrivateVPN doesn’t pay enough attention to developing integration with the devices it’s designed for, it may fall behind the competition.

Linux App
Connecting to a PrivateVPN server on Linux is possible, but very difficult. There is no command line interface (CLI) or graphical user interface (GUI) for VPN on Linux.

To connect to PrivateVPN on Linux, you need to use an OpenVPN certificate and key files.

This process is a complicated technical task that is made more difficult by PrivateVPN’s outdated 12-step guide. When running Ubuntu 22.04, we found that most of the instructions refer to shortcuts and options that have either been renamed or no longer exist. Also, you will have to repeat these 12 steps if you want to connect to more than one server.

We also noticed that the PrivateVPN Linux app reveals your IPv6 address, which was described in another section of this review.

We hope PrivateVPN pays enough attention to developing full Linux support. Even a CLI application like ExpressVPN has a simpler and more user-friendly interface. Other VPN providers, like Surfshark, offer full Linux apps that are easy to use, similar to the Windows and Mac versions at the same price.

Amazon Firestick & Fire TV
PrivateVPN offers a simple and convenient app for the Amazon Fire TV Stick. With its help, we were quickly able to connect to the server and unblock 14 our TV.

Changing the server location was also easy. But it would have been convenient to be able to search for a specific location instead of scrolling through the entire list of countries.

One of the drawbacks of the app’s interface is that it hasn’t been optimized for Fire TV. It’s an enhanced version of the Android app that was originally designed for touch input, so it’s hard to know what setting you’re currently controlling. The only thing that indicates this is that the button that is in focus has a faint green border.

We suggest that PrivateVPN develop a separate app specifically for Fire TV to fix this problem. Other VPN services, such as CyberGhost and Atlas VPN, already have special apps for Firesticks. These apps were created with large screens in mind, making them much easier to use.

• Android
• iPhone & iPad
• Mac
• Routers
• Windows
• Linux

Bypassing Web Censorship

Does PrivateVPN Work in China?
In our recent tests, PrivateVPN has demonstrated its ability to work in China. Using the Stealth VPN protocol, we were able to bypass the Great Firewall and access various websites and services such as Netflix, YouTube, and WhatsApp.

PrivateVPN is one of the most reliable VPNs to use in China. According to our observations, it works about 82% of the time. Compared to other leading VPN providers like NordVPN and Surfshark, which have only 5% and 18% uptime in China respectively, PrivateVPN has proven to be much more stable.

Obfuscates Traffic Using the Shadowsocks Proxy
To bypass web censorship with PrivateVPN, you need to enable Stealth VPN mode in the VPN program settings.

Although Stealth VPN appears to be a special PrivateVPN protocol, it actually routes traffic through the open-source proxy server Shadowsocks. Shadowsocks is not exclusive to PrivateVPN and is available on many other VPN services. It is simply not as secure as dedicated VPN cloaking tools.

Compared to PrivateVPN, VPN services like Astrill have developed their own technology to bypass censorship. They don’t rely on proxies and are a safer option, especially if you connect to China on a regular basis.

EXPERT TIP: It is recommended to download and install the app before arriving in China. Since the PrivateVPN website is blocked by the Great Firewall, you won’t be able to access it once you’re in the country.

Security & Technical Features

Is PrivateVPN Safe?
PrivateVPN, while secure, doesn’t have enough advanced features to compete with other top VPN services. It does not support the WireGuard protocol, diskless servers, or multihop. However, it does offer AES-256 encryption and a kill switch, which makes it secure enough for standard web activities.

Below is a table where you can check if PrivateVPN includes the VPN protocols, encryption ciphers, and technical features you need:

No Option to Connect Using WireGuard
PrivateVPN, one of our top 10 best VPN services, stands out because it doesn’t use WireGuard or a proprietary VPN protocol, which is common with other products in our rankings. WireGuard is an open protocol with security and provides significantly faster speeds than the alternatives.

PrivateVPN, on the other hand, uses OpenVPN, which is an outdated and slow VPN protocol. Most other high-end VPN services no longer use OpenVPN by default, so we recommend that PrivateVPN consider adding WireGuard as an option.

Strong Encryption Secures Web Traffic
You can rely on PrivateVPN to encrypt your data and keep your online activities private and anonymous.

The VPN’s website claims to use the most secure encryption methods, such as AES-256 encryption and 2048-bit RSA handshake. To verify the validity of this claim, we analyzed VPN connection logs. Our findings confirmed that the encryption and security used by PrivateVPN is robust.
The VPN implements its encryption in the following way:

• OpenVPN connections are established using an RSA-2048 handshake.

• Perfect Forward Secrecy is provided by exchanging ECDH keys.

• Authentication is performed by using a SHA-384 hash.

• Traffic is securely encrypted using AES-256 encryption.

In general, these protocols work together to ensure that your data is stored in a safe, secure, and confidential manner.

Dedicated IP Servers Prevent Unauthorized Access
All PrivateVPN apps have a separate tab that allows you to connect to servers with a dedicated IP address for free. This feature is available with every subscription and is different from most other VPN services.

When you connect to one of these servers, your IP address remains hidden from other users. Since the IP address belongs only to you, these servers are ideal for bypassing geo-blocking of video and audio content. In addition, these IP addresses are dynamic, so you get a new IP address every time you connect.

PrivateVPN owns all these servers and does not rent them from third-party providers. This makes these servers ideal for privacy and security, as they eliminate any additional intermediaries that could have access to your information.

The use of PrivateVPN’s dedicated IP servers is one of the main advantages of this VPN service, as they provide a higher level of security and reliability of data transmission. Despite this, the VPN service itself does not emphasize these servers and does not provide detailed instructions on how to use them for users. We suggest focusing more attention on this functionality in future updates and providing users with additional resources so that they can use these dedicated IP servers more effectively.

Kill Switch Prevents IP Leaks
PrivateVPN has a switch for Windows and macOS operating systems. However, it is disabled by default, so make sure you activate it in the Connection Security tab in the settings menu.

We have conducted several tests on the effectiveness of PrivateVPN’s keychain using our keychain testing tool. This tool checks for the possibility of IP address leakage when we deliberately turn off the VPN.

During the connection break, PrivateVPN’s kill switch worked flawlessly, and our real IP address was not leaked.

However, we noticed that the PrivateVPN app leaked our IP address during server changes. This is alarming because the VPN app doesn’t display an error message to alert you to this situation.

A spokesperson for PrivateVPN said that “a dedicated developer has been assigned to fix this leak immediately.” Although the problem has not been resolved at the time of writing, we are glad to see PrivateVPN’s willingness to fix this vulnerability immediately.

Leaks IPv6 Addresses on Linux
According to our research, we found that PrivateVPN has an IPv6 leakage issue on Linux. While standard VPN programs usually have protection against IPv6 leakage, PrivateVPN software for Linux lacks this protection.

This is a serious privacy issue that should be addressed as soon as possible. In the meantime, you should disable IPv6 support in your Linux system settings to avoid data leakage.

Technical Features We’d Like to See
PrivateVPN lacks many of the technical features that are commonly expected from paid VPN services. To improve its offering, PrivateVPN should consider adding the following features in future updates:

1. Implementing diskless VPN servers to avoid storing activity logs on the VPN server.

2. Split tunneling, which will allow you to exclude certain applications, such as smart home control, from the VPN tunnel.

3. Setting up multi-hop servers to provide additional anonymity and protection against traffic correlation attacks.

4. Enabling tracker blocking to prevent cross-site tracking and increase online privacy.

5. Support for the WireGuard protocol, which will allow users to get the highest connection speeds, as discussed in this review.

Other leading VPN providers, such as NordVPN and Surfshark, already include all these features. To keep up with the competition, PrivateVPN should make these improvements to its apps as soon as possible.

 

Streaming Platform	Works with PrivateVPN
Protocols	IKEv2/IPSec, OpenVPN (TCP/UDP)
Encryption	AES-256
Security	DNS Leak Blocking, First-party DNS, IPv6 Leak Blocking, Supports TCP Port 443, VPN Kill Switch
Advanced Features	Dedicated IP

Customer Support

Unreliable Customer Support
PrivateVPN’s customer support is not on par with the leading VPN services, as PrivateVPN’s chat team is not always available and their online guides are limited. The email support staff is generally well-informed, though.

There are several ways you can use to get help from PrivateVPN:

Although the company operates around the clock, the support chat is not always available. When we contacted the company for an explanation, we were told that due to the limited number of support agents, the chat is temporarily disabled when a long queue forms.

This is unacceptable for a leading VPN service. Paid VPN providers are expected to provide round-the-clock customer support, and if this is not possible, their live chat should be available at certain times.

Also, some PrivateVPN support agents are more supportive than others. There are those who are knowledgeable, quick to respond, and polite in their communication. However, there are also agents who are poorly oriented, misunderstand requests, and are slow to respond.

If live chat is unavailable, your question will be automatically redirected to PrivateVPN support via email. This service is available around the clock, and during our tests, we often received a response within an hour.

The email support team usually has a broader knowledge than the live chat staff, so be sure to reach out to them if you have more complex questions.

The Bottom Line

Is PrivateVPN Worth It?
PrivateVPN offers a lot of value for its low price. It has a simple interface that makes it easy for beginners to use, as well as strong security and encryption, along with an excellent dedicated IP address feature.

This VPN is especially suitable for streamers as it provides a quick and easy way to bypass geo-blocking. You will be able to access US Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer. However, it would have been preferable if PrivateVPN also offered a Smart DNS feature, as this option is not suitable for devices such as Apple TV or game consoles.

During our testing of PrivateVPN, we found some speed issues. The limited number of VPN servers and the lack of information about server load can lead to server overflow and, consequently, delays and buffering when connecting to a VPN.

Overall, if you’re looking for an affordable VPN service and can’t afford one of the best ones, PrivateVPN can satisfy you. Its basic features are fine for most users, especially for simple tasks like connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.

However, if you need a full-featured VPN with speed, Smart DNS, browser extensions, 24/7 chat support, and a wide selection of servers, you should probably consider other options.

Alternatives to PrivateVPN
If you are willing to pay upfront for a long-term subscription, you can get a better VPN than PrivateVPN for the same price.

NordVPN offers almost all the technical features that PrivateVPN lacks. For $3.29 per month, you’ll get access to a powerful ad blocker and DNS-based trackers, multi-hop servers, and high global speeds using the WireGuard protocol.

If you need access to more streaming sites than PrivateVPN can provide, Windscribe is the best option. Windscribe unblocks 32 Netflix libraries, compared to 14 for PrivateVPN. In addition, it also supports less popular sites like TOD and Auvio’s RTBF.

For a more detailed comparison between PrivateVPN and its alternatives, check out the table below: