PrivateVPN Review 2025 — A good VPN, but read this first (March 2025)

PrivateVPN Review — Quick Summary Quick Summary

PrivateVPN is one of the top VPN services on the market. I have used it on multiple occasions while traveling over the past years, and I have always had a good experience with it. Since I have so much experience with this provider, I decided to put together this review. 

I can honestly say that PrivateVPN is very good for torrenting and streaming. It allows P2P traffic on all of its servers and comes with extra P2P features, including port forwarding and SOCKS5 support. Also, it works with many popular streaming platforms, such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. 

Other than that, it also has other great highlights — it provides strong security, it offers an enjoyable gaming experience, it works in restrictive countries like China, it has beginner-friendly apps, and it’s one of the most budget-friendly VPN services out there.

That said, there are some areas that need improvement. The main thing I don’t like is that it’s missing extra features that other top VPNs come with, like split-tunneling, an ad blocker, or a smart DNS. Also, I’d like to see the provider add support for more platforms, as it’s missing a Linux app and browser extensions. That, and I wish PrivateVPN would scale up its server count (it currently only has 200+ servers) and provide built-in support for WireGuard across all of its apps. 

But, overall, I really think that PrivateVPN provides really good value. It’s super affordable, it comes with a free 14-day trial, and it also backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're thinking of other options, check out my best VPNs list for more. But overall I highly recommend PrivateVPN.

PrivateVPN Security Features Security Features

PrivateVPN provides access to industry-standard security features, including:

• 256-bit AES encryption — This is the same level of encryption that the military uses. It makes all data unreadable, so that nobody can spy on your internet connection.
• Kill switch — This security tool disables all internet access if the VPN connection drops. That way, it prevents traffic leaks. PrivateVPN has a kill switch on its Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps. 
• No-logs policy — PrivateVPN has a strict no-logs policy that doesn’t record your IP address or internet traffic (what sites you visit, for example).
• DNS leak protection — The provider uses its own DNS servers to make sure your DNS requests don’t leak outside the VPN tunnel (if they would leak, your ISP could see your browsing). 

In addition to the kill switch, PrivateVPN also has Application Guard, which is an app-based kill switch that’s available on the Windows app. Basically, you can use Application Guard to choose which apps are shut down if the VPN disconnects — I tested it with my P2P client, and it always successfully closed it when I disconnected from PrivateVPN.

Also, PrivateVPN uses the following VPN protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, L2TP/IPSec, and PPTP. OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec are both great since they’re secure and provide fast speeds (though IKEv2/IPSec is much faster). L2TP/IPSec is also decent in terms of security, though many top VPNs no longer support it. And the PPTP VPN protocol is super fast, but its security is very weak, so I don’t recommend using it. To be honest, I think it’s a shame the provider is missing built-in support for WireGuard — most top VPNs (like Private Internet Access and NordVPN) support this protocol because it’s very secure and extremely fast.

I also put together a list of the protocol availability across PrivateVPN’s apps:

On top of DNS leak protection, PrivateVPN also comes with built-in IPv6 leak protection. Unfortunately, it’s missing WebRTC leak protection, so you’ll need to manually disable it to prevent leaks — that said, I ran 10+ leak tests on PrivateVPN’s servers, and I never experienced any leaks.

I also like how PrivateVPN comes with perfect forward secrecy (PFS) — this is an advanced security feature that changes the encryption key for each VPN connection, making it near impossible for hackers to try and compromise past or future encryption keys to spy on your data. 

But I’d like to see the provider start using RAM-only servers too, as this is another advanced security feature. With RAM-only servers, data is only written to the RAM, so every reset wipes everything. Most top competitors (like ExpressVPN and NordVPN) use RAM-only servers.

Also, PrivateVPN allows you to secure your VPN account with two-factor authentication (2FA). This basically means you need to verify each login attempt with a time-sensitive code that’s generated by a third-party app (Google Authenticator, in this case). So even if a hacker somehow steals your PrivateVPN login credentials, they wouldn’t be able to compromise your account.

PrivateVPN Privacy Features Privacy Features

PrivateVPN has a strict no-logs policy, as it doesn’t collect VPN users’ IPs or browsing traffic. What’s more, the provider also doesn’t log connection timestamps and bandwidth usage. It only collects your email address (it needs it to communicate with you and set up your account) and payment data, which it needs to process your purchases and issue refunds.

That said, I’d really like to see the provider’s no-logs policy undergo an independent security audit. That’d provide more transparency and make it even easier to trust this VPN. Most top VPNs (like ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and NordVPN) have had their no-logs policies audited.

PrivateVPN is headquartered in Sweden, which is a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. But I don’t think that’s concerning since the provider has a strict no-logs policy, and Sweden also doesn’t have mandatory data retention laws.

PrivateVPN Additional Features Additional Features

PrivateVPN provides access to the following additional features:

• Stealth VPN.
• Tor Support.
• Dedicated IP Addresses. 

Stealth VPN

Stealth VPN is PrivateVPN’s obfuscation feature, which hides your VPN traffic to make it look like regular internet traffic. This feature is only available on the provider’s Windows and Android apps — if you need obfuscation on more platforms, check out ExpressVPN since all of its apps come with built-in obfuscation. 

Stealth VPN is useful if you travel through restrictive countries, as it allows you to circumvent government censorship. The provider’s support reps confirmed this feature works in countries like China, Egypt, the UAE, and Turkey — the only place it can’t get around firewalls is Russia. I can also confirm how well PrivateVPN’s Stealth VPN tool works on my end, as I often used it to freely access the web whenever I traveled through China without any issues.

In addition to bypassing censorship, Stealth VPN is also a good way to enjoy extra privacy. Since it hides your VPN traffic, it will make it harder for third parties (like your ISP or government) to detect your VPN connection. 

I like how easy it is to enable the Stealth VPN feature — it’s simple to find it in the provider’s VPN apps, and it only takes 1 click or tap to turn it on. Plus, I think it’s great you can select the port the obfuscated VPN connection uses (you can manually select port 443, which is near impossible for governments to block).

Using obfuscation will usually slow down your VPN speeds, as the feature adds an extra layer of obfuscation to your VPN connection. That said, I didn’t experience very noticeable slowdowns with the provider’s Stealth VPN feature — on average, it only slowed down my VPN speeds by about 10%.

Tor Support

PrivateVPN allows Tor traffic across all of its servers, which means you can first secure your connection with the VPN before using the Tor browser to surf dark web sites. That way, if the Tor network ever suffers a leak, it won’t compromise your real IP address — only PrivateVPN’s IP address will be leaked. 

Using a VPN with Tor will usually cause big slowdowns, but I had a pretty smooth experience with PrivateVPN. On average, it only took about 10 seconds for .onion links to fully load, which is pretty decent. 

While I’m happy with PrivateVPN’s Tor support, there are better options out there. For example, NordVPN also allows Tor traffic on all servers, but it also comes with Onion Over VPN servers that automatically route your traffic through the Tor network — that allows you to access .onion links in regular browsers like Chrome and Firefox, which is very convenient.

Dedicated IP Addresses

PrivateVPN provides you with access to dedicated IP addresses, which are IPs that are only assigned to you. What I like the most is that the dedicated IP servers are included with each PrivateVPN subscription — most VPNs that have dedicated IP servers only provide paid access to them. 

And you also get very good variety — PrivateVPN’s dedicated IP servers are available in 10+ countries, including the US, the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, France, Australia, and Sweden. 

Dedicated IPs are useful for avoiding reCAPTCHAs and accessing sites that block shared VPN IPs. For example, you can use a dedicated IP while traveling abroad to securely access your bank’s site (most banks block shared VPN IPs). And while I don’t normally recommend using a dedicated IP for streaming, you can actually do that with PrivateVPN’s dedicated IPs — since they’re free, you don’t need to worry about having to pay for another IP if the one you’re using gets blacklisted.

The only thing to note is that PrivateVPN provides dynamic dedicated IPs, which means you get a brand new dedicated IP for each connection. Most VPNs that provide access to dedicated IP servers normally offer static dedicated IPs, meaning you always get the same dedicated IP address. Though I don’t consider this to be a drawback, as dynamic IPs work just as well as static IPs. 

PrivateVPN Streaming Support Streaming Support

PrivateVPN provides very good streaming support. It works with top streaming platforms, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime VIdeo, Hulu, and Disney+.

Still, I don’t like that PrivateVPN is missing a smart DNS. This feature would allow you to access streaming services on devices that are not compatible with VPN apps, like certain smart TV models and gaming consoles. Most top competitors (like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access) come with a smart DNS.

On the plus side, I like how you have the option to use the VPN’s dedicated IPs for streaming (streaming platforms have a harder time detecting and blocking them). Now, I normally don’t recommend using a dedicated IP address while streaming — if the site blocks it, you’ll need to pay for a new one. But PrivateVPN offers dedicated IPs for free. So even if the one you’re using gets blocked, you can just connect to the server to get a different IP without having to pay anything.

But even though it works with Netflix, I can’t say PrivateVPN is a good Netflix VPN. While it works with the platform, it can’t access the many of the most popular libraries, like Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan — according to my tests, it only works with Netflix Canada and Netflix Germany. There are much better Netflix VPNs out there in my opinion, like CyberGhost VPN, which works with 15+ Netflix libraries.

PrivateVPN Torrenting Support Torrenting Support

I think PrivateVPN provides very good P2P support. It allows torrenting on all of its servers, which are located in 60+ countries — so it’s pretty easy to torrent on a nearby server to get the fastest download speeds. 

What’s more, I also like how the provider comes with other P2P-related features:

• Port forwarding — This feature lets you connect to more peers, which in turn improves your P2P speeds. When I used this feature while torrenting, it increased my download speeds by about 10%.
• SOCKS5 proxy support — SOCKS5 proxy servers hide your real IP address while torrenting, but don’t provide encryption (so you get very fast download speeds). PrivateVPN provides access to SOCKS5 proxies in 60+ countries, which is very good.

And PrivateVPN also provides pretty good download speeds. In my tests, it took about 10–13 minutes to download a 12.7 GB torrent on a distant server, which is pretty good.

Also, I like that you get great security while torrenting with this VPN service. It protects your P2P data with a kill switch, a no-logs policy, and strong leak protection. And I also like its Application Guard kill switch tool, which you can use to shut down specific P2P apps if the VPN connection drops.

PrivateVPN Gaming Support Gaming Support

PrivateVPN provides a pretty good gaming experience. I used it to play a few rounds on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on a distant server, and I maintained pretty stable ping (around 130-145 ms). Also, most matches loaded very fast, and I only experienced some minor lag on a few occasions — but it wasn’t game-breaking. 

Plus, I’m happy that the VPN allows manual router setups. This way, you can use it to securely game online on gaming consoles, which don’t work with VPN apps. PrivateVPN also provides helpful setup tutorials, so it shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes to configure the VPN on your router. 

Also, since the VPN hides your IP, it protects you against DDoS attacks. This means sore losers won’t be able to force you offline by disconnecting you from the gaming servers. In addition, all PrivateVPN servers come with anti-DDoS protection — that means nobody can try to DDoS your connection to the provider’s servers to disconnect you from them.

The only thing that’s missing is cloud gaming support. While the VPN worked with GeForce Now in my tests, I can’t guarantee you’ll have the same results — I talked with 5+ live chat reps, and they all confirmed PrivateVPN doesn’t guarantee its service will work with cloud gaming platforms. If you were looking for cloud gaming support, check out ExpressVPN instead. 

PrivateVPN Server Network Server Network

PrivateVPN provides access to 200+ servers in 60+ countries. In terms of server count, it’s a small server network compared to other top competitors — for example, CyberGhost VPN has 10,000+ servers and NordVPN has 6,000+ servers. That said, PrivateVPN has server locations that are evenly spread across the globe, so it’s still easy to find and use a nearby server to get the fastest speeds. 

I also think it’s great how this VPN service supports torrenting across all of its server locations. Some top VPNs only allow torrenting on specific P2P servers, which can be inconvenient — for instance, Proton VPN only allows P2P downloads on servers in 15+ countries, so it’s difficult for some users to torrent on nearby servers to get fast speeds. 

PrivateVPN uses virtual server locations, which are servers that assign you an IP address that matches the country you’re connected to — but the servers themselves are actually located in a different location. The provider is transparent about its use of virtual locations since it marks them on its servers page. Also, I ran leak tests on 5+ virtual server locations, and they always provided me with the correct IP address.

Finally, PrivateVPN provides access to dedicated IPs, and it does it for free — this is pretty unique, as most VPNs require you to pay extra to use a dedicated IP. You get access to dedicated IPs in 10+ countries, which is really good.

PrivateVPN Speed Tests Speed Tests

Because I travel a lot, I can’t provide accurate speed test results for each VPN review. My baseline speeds always change, and that directly affects my VPN speeds. 

That’s why I asked a friend from Romania to handle the speed tests for my reviews. He’s not a digital nomad like me, so his baseline speeds are very consistent. I should also note that, for this review, he used the OpenVPN protocol during his tests. 

He first ran a speed test without being connected to PrivateVPN, so that he could get a baseline to compare the VPN speeds to. 

After that, he connected to a nearby server in Hungary. He reported some slowdowns, but they were very minor — the sites he connected to usually loaded in 2 seconds, HD videos took 1–2 seconds to fully load, and a 4K video loaded in around 2 seconds (and there was no buffering when he skipped through it).

Next, he tested a distant server in the US. He experienced more noticeable slowdowns, but his speeds were still decent — websites loaded in around 2 seconds, HD videos took about 3 seconds to load but didn’t buffer, and 4K videos loaded in approximately 4 seconds (and there was some minor buffering when skipping through them).

Finally, he ran a speed test while connected to a distant Japanese server. He reported a similar slowdown to the one he experienced on the US server in terms of how long it took for sites, HD videos, and 4K videos to load. The only difference was that he experienced more noticeable buffering while skipping through 4K videos.

I also have similar results when using PrivateVPN while traveling. I generally have pretty fast speeds when using local or nearby servers, but tend to experience slowdowns when connected to distant servers — but the slowdowns are pretty minor most of the time.

PrivateVPN Censorship Bypassing Censorship Bypassing

PrivateVPN is a good pick for accessing the web in restrictive countries, as it consistently works in places like China, Egypt, Turkey, and the UAE. The only country where I don’t recommend using this VPN service is Russia, as the provider’s reps confirmed PrivateVPN can’t circumvent firewalls there — if this is a deal-breaker for you, get ExpressVPN instead, as it works in Russia without issues.

I also like that PrivateVPN provides access to obfuscation, which is really helpful in restrictive countries that use DPI to block VPN connections — obfuscation hides your VPN protocol data, making it look like a regular internet connection.

PrivateVPN Apps and Ease of Use Apps and Ease of Use

PrivateVPN has apps for most popular platforms. It comes with an app for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, and Fire TV. Unfortunately, it’s missing a dedicated Linux app and browser extensions. If you were looking for a provider with good Linux apps and browser extensions, consider getting ExpressVPN or NordVPN instead.

I also like how easy it is to install PrivateVPN on all devices — it only took me about 1 minute to install PrivateVPN on my Android smartphone, and just under 2 minutes to install it on my Windows device.

Also, PrivateVPN allows 10 simultaneous connections, which is really good since most VPNs allow anywhere between 5 to 10 connections. If this isn’t enough for you, though, consider trying Private Internet Access or Surfshark instead, as they both allow unlimited connections.

Android & iOS 

I think PrivateVPN’s mobile apps are very intuitive — the interface is very simple to navigate, it’s also easy to find and connect to servers since there’s a search field, and all VPN settings come with helpful explanations, so you never feel lost. The only thing that’s missing is a quick-connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest server for your location. 

I think both the Android and iOS apps are equally good since they provide access to the same settings. And while only the Android app has the Stealth VPN feature, only the iOS app provides access to IKEv2/IPSec (the Android app only has OpenVPN, which is slower than IKEv2/IPSec). That said, I think there are much better VPNs for Android and iOS out there, like ExpressVPN for example.

Windows & macOS

PrivateVPN’s desktop apps are also pretty good, as they’re really intuitive. I also like how you can switch between the Advanced and Simple view — the Advanced view lets you tweak different VPN settings and enable/disable features, while the Simple view lets you quickly connect to a server without having to deal with anything else. I also like how the apps display the server ping (how long it takes for your device to communicate with the VPN server), as that metric helps you find the fastest servers.

But I think the Windows app is much better — that’s because it’s more feature-rich, as it comes with the Stealth Guard feature, and it also includes the Application Guard kill switch tool.

Still, there are much better Windows and macOS VPNs on the market, which provide access to way more features than PrivateVPN’s desktop apps.

PrivateVPN Router Support

PrivateVPN supports manual router setups on multiple router models and firmwares, including DD-WRT, Asus RT, Linksys, pfSense, Synology, Tomato, and QNAP. 

Manual router setups are usually complicated, but PrivateVPN luckily has useful setup guides. It has tutorials for all router models, and I’m really happy that all tutorials come with screenshots, which makes it super easy to follow them — when I configured this VPN on my router using one of its guides, it only took me about 10 minutes to do it.

Still, if you only want to use the VPN on your router, I recommend going with ExpressVPN instead. That’s because it’s one of the only VPNs on the market that has a router app, which you can quickly install in just a few minutes — what’s more, the router app also has a very intuitive interface.

PrivateVPN Pricing and Refund Policy Pricing and Refund Policy

PrivateVPN is one of the most affordable VPNs on the market, as its plans start as low as $2.00/month. It has a 1-month, a 3-month, and a 1-year plan — the longest plan provides the best savings, and it also generously includes 2 extra years of service for free!

The VPN also accepts multiple payment methods — credit/debit cards, PayPal, and cryptocurrency payments. I’m happy to see the option to pay via crypto, as it provides better privacy than other payment methods. 

While PrivateVPN lacks a free plan, it comes with a free 14-day trial. The trial provides access to all features, and you don’t need to share your payment information to be eligible for it.

Finally, the provider backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee. I like how you don’t need to meet any requirements to be eligible for the refund — you just need to ask for your money back within 30 days and provide a reason for doing so.

PrivateVPN Customer Support Customer Support

PrivateVPN provides access to multiple customer support channels. It has live chat support, email support, a good support library, and even remote assistance.

I always have a good experience whenever I use the provider’s live chat support — I usually get connected to a live chat rep in less than 1–2 minutes, and the reps always provide me with detailed and accurate answers. Live chat support is not available 24/7 (like it is with ExpressVPN and NordVPN), but that’s not a huge drawback since the provider also has a very good chatbot that provides you with very helpful answers.

And while I don’t normally use a VPN’s email support, I tested it for this review. I’m happy to say it’s really good — I usually received a reply in less than 24 hours, and the answers were always informative.

Also, the VPN service’s support library is decent too — it provides access to a few FAQs and setup tutorials that include screenshots and video guides. That said, other top competitors (like CyberGhost VPN) provide access to more FAQs and also have troubleshooting guides.

And this is also one of the only VPNs that provides remote assistance. Whether you need help with setup or troubleshooting issues, PrivateVPN’s customer support reps can help you solve your issues over TeamViewer.

PrivateVPN Review 2025 — Final Words Final Words

PrivateVPN is one of the top VPN services on the market. It provides very good torrenting support, it works with many popular streaming sites (like Netflix and BBC iPlayer), and it provides very good security and privacy. In addition, it also has very minimalistic and easy-to-use apps, making it a good pick for beginners. Also, it works in restrictive regions like China and Turkey, and it has some of the most affordable prices out there, so it’s also a good pick if you’re on a tight budget.

Still, there are a few drawbacks I need to highlight — PrivateVPN lacks some useful additional features (like an ad blocker, a smart DNS, or split-tunneling), it lacks a Linux app and extensions for browsers, it only has 200+ servers, and it doesn’t come with built-in support for WireGuard in its apps.