PrivateVPN Review 2020

Based in	Sweden [UNSAFE]
Price	$3.82/mo
Servers	150+ (60 Countries)
Logs	Zero Logs
Multi Login	6 Devices
Refund	30 Days
Recommended	Yes
Website	PrivateVPN.com

Visit PrivateVPN
Get 76% off

PrivateVPN is based in Sweden and offers an online privacy solution that is decorated with advanced security tools.

Although it is not cheap, the VPN offers relatively affordable rates for its services. Its servers are fast and unblock US Netflix with ease.

PrivateVPN uses the highest military-grade encryption that keeps your internet traffic in an encrypted tunnel. It has a presence in 60 countries with over 150+ servers. It does not keep logs and respects users’ online privacy.

Overall, PrivateVPN is rated 3.5/5.0 as per our criteria.

Here is a look at our VPN reviews 2020 guide for more reviews.

My Rating Criteria

I have reviewed PrivateVPN based on the following factors. Here is the list:

• Pricing – How much does PrivateVPN cost?
• Security – Encryption & features
• Jurisdiction – Is PrivateVPN safe?
• Server – How many servers does PrivateVPN offer?
• Speed – How fast is PrivateVPN?
• Streaming – Does it work with Netflix?
• Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?
• Trustworthiness – Logs and customer support
• Compatibility – Apps and supported devices

Pricing – How much does PrivateVPN cost?

PrivateVPN is priced at $2.55/mo if you opt for its 24-month plan. It has 3 different pricing plans and these are listed below:

• 1-month plan: $10.95/mo
• 3-month plan: $7.50/mo (31% off)
• 24-month plan: $2.55/mo (76% off)

As you can see, the 24-month plan offers the best value and discount.

PrivateVPN also gives users 30 days money-back guarantee which you can avail if you cancel PrivateVPN. Even better, you can use the PrivateVPN free trial to try the service out before purchasing the full subscription.

Payment Methods

Here is the list of payment methods offered by PrivateVPN:

• Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover)
• PayPal
• Bitcoin

Underneath the 3 payment options, it also offers a trial code/promotional code option that could get Private VPN users a small discount.

Security – Encryption & Features

In this review PrivateVPN, I found that it brings you the highest level of encryption i.e. 2048-bit with AES-256. This encryption is used by the government and military to keep their data secure from intruders.

PrivateVPN provides access to 5 protocols including OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), L2TP, IPsec, PPTP, and IKEv2.

PrivateVPN Kill Switch

Cybercriminals count on your neglect to achieve their nefarious goals. As it happens, the VPN connection often drops and Netizens continue to browse without realizing something is wrong.

This is where the Kill Switch comes in. It kills your internet whenever the VPN fails to remain connected. And with  PrivateVPN, this feature is enabled by default.

Application Guard

Because a simple kill switch is not enough. Application Guard allows you to configure which application should be terminated when a VPN connection drops.

It is a useful tool that can be customized according to your preference.

Security Tools

These are some of the security tools offered by PrivateVPN:

• Kill switch
• Proxy
• IPv6/IPv4 leak protection
• DNS/WebRTC leak protection
• Obfuscation (StealthVPN)

Jurisdiction – Is PrivateVPN safe?

No, PrivateVPN is not safe because it is based in Sweden, a part of 14 eyes country. This means, the authorities could ask PrivateVPN to hand over users’ data and no one can do anything about it.

Normally, I don’t recommend my readers a VPN that falls under these countries, but PrivateVPN is an exception. If a VPN doesn’t keep track of your logs, there’s nothing you can give to authorities.

Also, check out for any VPN jurisdiction in our guide.

Server Network – How many servers does PrivateVPN offer?

PrivateVPN has 150+ servers in 60 countries including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

It has servers in many different countries, but the overall server count is pretty low.

Despite the low server count, the VPN does well to cover important geographical locations. You can use PrivateVPN servers to access a variety geo-locked content.

If you experience any connectivity issues, see this detailed troubleshooting guide on PrivateVPN not working.

Does PrivateVPN work in China?

Since PrivateVPN offers Stealth VPN mode, it one of the better choices for China.

Although I haven’t tested the VPN in China, the provider claims that its L2TP protocol tends to work more effectively in China, since OpenVPN is heavily monitored and restricted by authorities in the mainland. Moreover, obfuscation features such as StealthVPN are usually designed to fool the Great Firewall of China (GFW) by disguising VPN traffic as normal HTTPS traffic.

While no VPN can guarantee functionality within China, PrivateVPN is one of the best candidates for bypassing the GFW.

Speed – How fast is PrivateVPN?

PrivateVPN speed is quite fast. I tested its speeds using 9 different server locations and I was quite impressed. You can check out the detailed blog on the PrivateVPN speed test for complete test results. Anyways, here’s a brief table of the test results:

Streaming – Does it work with Netflix?

Fortunately, PrivateVPN works well with many Netflix libraries including the US library. It’s New York server performed particularly well. Other servers worked just as well for unblocking libraries from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, & more. All in all, PrivateVPN easily managed to unblock most libraries of Netflix.

PrivateVPN Torrent

P2P Torrenting is allowed in PrivateVPN when connecting to its Sweden servers. However, not all of its servers are P2P optimized and that Private VPN recognizes this.

Many VPN services after coming under the fire from copyright agencies have abandoned their support for Torrents. In this bleak scenario, PrivateVPN stands head and shoulders above the rest of the providers. You can learn more about PrivateVPN’s capabilities for torrenting here.

Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?

PrivateVPN easily passed the IP, DNS, and WebRTC test. I did not find any leaks when I connected to its Argentina server.

Here are the test results:

IP Test

WebRTC Test

Virus Test

I also checked if there were any viruses on its Windows client with the help of the VirusTotal website. I found only 1 error but that was not the virus I found.

Here is the screenshot:

Trustworthiness – PrivateVPN Logs and Customer Support

PrivateVPN makes it very clear with its privacy policy that it does not collect or log any traffic.

This means that it does not collection information on your browsing history. However, I learned in this Private VPN review 2020 that it also clears beforehand that it does collect information about visitor’s IP addresses.

This is the information they collect:

• Email Address
• Name
• Password
• IP address

No doubt collecting your IP address is critical, but logging your traffic matters more. But since PrivateVPN doesn’t save any logs, you are secure to roam the internet freely.

Customer Support

PrivateVPN has decent customer support. You can contact their staff using Live Chat support, FAQs, and Tickets.

Its ‘Getting Started’ section has all the tutorials you will find for your preferred devices and platforms.

The response time is good and their staff are willing to solve users’ problems.

Compatibility – Apps and Supported Devices

PrivateVPN works on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Kodi, and Routers. It supports 6 simultaneous connections with a single subscription. Speaking of routers, the following are the router devices that work with PrivateVPN:

• ASUS RT models
• DD-WRT
• Synology
• Linksys
• Tomato
• pfSense
• QNAP

The best part about Private VPN is that it offers exclusive apps for many devices. Because of this flexibility, you can install PrivateVPN on FireStick in just a matter of minutes. In addition, you can learn about configuring PrivateVPN on Kodi as well as on Roku through our detailed guides.

VPN Comparison between PrivateVPN and PureVPN

Below you will find a comparison between the two VPN providers based on features and price. Which one is better? You decide.

Alternatives to PrivateVPN

If for any reason, you did not like this VPN’s offerings than there are many other fishes in the sea. I recommend that you read the following VPN reviews.

• Ivacy Review
• Avast VPN Review
• SurfShark review
• Windscribe VPN review
• AVG VPN review
• Perfect Privacy review
• ExpressVPN Review
• Private Internet Access Review

Do I Recommend PrivateVPN?

Yes, I do recommend PrivateVPN.

PrivateVPN performance is exceptional when it comes to server speed or having a truly ‘No-Log‘ policy. This PrivateVPN review unveils that the service easily unblocks US Netflix and works perfectly with Torrent and Kodi.

The VPN also provides 30-day free trial to try out their service as well. That way, you can check their performance and speed.

However, it has a small server network and doesn’t offer the same variety of features as some of its competitors. Overall, PrivateVPN has earned a rating of 3.5/5.0.