PrivateVPN Review 2024: Great for Streaming, Bad for Privacy

In this PrivateVPN review, our VPNcheck team of experts tested and rated essential aspects of this VPN service to find why it didn’t have the same boost as other top VPNs and whether there were any potential flaws. 

You might think PrivateVPN should be a worthy competitor for the ubiquitous ExpressVPN – and you’re not alone. We started our research from the same thought due to the surprisingly good scores PrivateVPN got on many expert tests conducted for our review. 

Unlike many of its competitors, PrivateVPN makes a few sweeping statements. It’s a simple VPN that performs well, according to its slogan and promotional materials. It has a no-logs policy, supports torrenting, no history of breaches (but some vulnerabilities), and fast connections. Streamers will love the speed and downloaders will enjoy torrenting.

There is a certain feeling, when you look deeper into what PrivateVPN offers, that it has the potential to be a great VPN for streaming, torrenting, gaming, and other general use cases. And yet, why isn’t it as popular as ExpressVPN?

Let’s dive in.

• Streaming Access: unlocks all the top streaming services in the world, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and more.
• Speed: The network speeds are high, delivering an average of 72.5 Mbps in our tests, which is great for browsing, streaming, and file sharing.
• Servers: PrivateVPN is one of the few VPNs that work in China and Russia, allowing users in those countries to access information freely.
• Security: In terms of how safe it is to use PrivateVPN to stay secure and anonymous, compared to other VPNs, it offers adequate protection. HOWEVER, they have not had third-party audits to confirm and it still seems to be using an old version of its VPNs backend.
• Price: PrivateVPN offers some of the best features of any VPN, keeps the price low (around $2.50 per month on a 2-year plan), and offers various plans for different customer types.
• Free Trial: There’s a 7-day trial offered for new customers to check out all the features in full before choosing to sign up.
• Compatibility: Users get PrivateVPN apps for all clients/platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and other devices like routers.

In essence, PrivateVPN performs as well as you would expect a VPN service with just over 200 servers worldwide to perform. Its speeds, while high, are nothing to write home about but not something to be scoffed at either.

We found that Europe and the US supported download speeds above 100Mbps even when latency to regions like New York is 107ms.

New York speed test

On average, PrivateVPN speeds were satisfactory for all kinds of streaming, browsing, and file sharing.

London speed test

To get a genuinely informed perspective on the performance metrics of PrivateVPN, we tasked an expert with running a slew of in-depth tests. Here’s what Abhishek Sharma had to say about PrivateVPN:

Streaming services tend to restrict their content to one geographical location or specific places. For those living outside of those areas, that premium content is out of bounds.

VPNs solve the problem by making it look like you live in approved areas. The trick is to do it convincingly, without skimping on security or allowing detection.

Does PrivateVPN unlock the best streaming services? Yes, it does. Let’s examine the ones we all care about.

Netflix content is optimized for streaming and as such, does not require very high speeds to enjoy quality resolutions. Of course, the faster, the better. Given the high average speed PrivateVPN delivers, Netflix content streams lag-free and with high resolution from just about any server.

Once you have a paid Netflix account, all you need to do is switch on PrivateVPN, and it will connect you to the appropriate server so you can begin streaming every library. Sometimes, Netflix UK, Netflix Canada, and Netflix US all have different things in their libraries, which you can now access in full by switching locations at will.

Hulu’s catalog has improved in recent years to include acclaimed titles like The Handmaid’s Tale, High Fidelity, Modern Family, and Homeland, which has helped its popularity climb. Watching these shows outside the US, however, is not allowed.

That is where PrivateVPN comes in. With a simple tap on the appropriate server, you can access the entire Hulu catalog and be up to date on what is new and awesome.

If you try signing up for a Hulu account from an unauthorized location, it will return with a vague message saying that your email address cannot be verified.

The ‘Continue’ button won’t even be clickable. Say goodbye to all that, because PrivateVPN has your Hulu.

People who have heard good things about the Disney+ platform know that it hosts a show called The Mandalorian, which has been a triumph. As the Mouse’s empire plans to expand its catalog with new MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and Star Wars releases, the nostalgic generation of old and GenZers alike cannot wait to tune in for some of that new content.

However, Disney’s fans outside a few select countries cannot access the platform. With PrivateVPN and a Disney+ account, you too can get access to exclusive content!

Amazon’s Prime Video is by no means limited in its presence. Across 200+ countries and territories on the globe, people can access the platform easily and stream great content like The Boys, Invincible, The Expanse, Bosch, and more.

However, there are caveats in place:

• Some of the content is not available in all 200+ countries and territories.
• German, UK, and US households can’t get a standalone Prime Video subscription and are forced to subscribe to an Amazon Prime membership, which comes bundled with the streaming service. As such, they end up paying for services they neither need nor use.
• People in Italy, India, Canada, Turkey, France, and Australia can only access the service through a dedicated site (primevideo.com) instead of the main Amazon site for their respective countries.

Instead of going through all the hoops to watch content, you can get your subscription from any country and watch it all. Even then, Prime Video subscriptions tied to the UK or US will only stream content geo-blocked to those countries.

The UK’s BBC has produced great content for decades, most of which can be found on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. They include popular titles like I May Destroy You, Life on Mars, McMafia. Sherlock and more.

We are not going to get into how good British shows tend to be. Suffice it to say; you want access to this catalog. With PrivateVPN, you can access every title on the BBC iPlayer catalog.

It is worth noting that BBC iPlayer’s content is geo-blocked to the UK. Trying to access it from a non-UK location will show you a notification saying iPlayer only works in the UK due to rights issues. Go figure!

When it comes to streaming, PrivateVPN is no slouch on the variety or speed fronts. You can unlock other geo-blocked services like DAZN, Hoststar, RTE, and more.

PrivateVPN allows torrenting and works best when connected to servers closest to you, given that torrenting as a form of downloading content consumes more bandwidth. Torrenting allows users to anonymously move large files like movies, music, or software while adding an extra layer of protection with the VPN. 

VPNs tend to restrict P2P services, which is why torrenting on PrivateVPN is a point in its favor. The VPN doesn’t just support P2P file sharing but allows you to connect with any server for this, with just a single click.

There is no restriction on bandwidth to download at the highest possible speeds. Couple that with Swedish security laws, 256-bit AES, and 2048-bit military-grade encryption.

PrivateVPN supports every major client/platform. This includes Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and routers. The VPN can protect up to 6 devices simultaneously.

If you have a router, the protections can be extended to more devices in your household. However, the network speeds may slow down, depending on how many devices you connect to the router.

When it comes to installation on any of the supported devices and platforms, one does not need to be a tech whiz. For the PC installations, all you need is the .exe file from the official website. For phone users, download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store, depending on your device.

For desktops and laptops, you will need to be running Windows 7 and newer. macOS users need to be running 10.11 and up, or you could go for Chrome OS.

Phones and tablets are supported, starting with Android version 4.0 and up and iOS 9.0 and up. The service is compatible with video players, too, supporting Chromecast, Kodi, and Amazon Fire TV Stick.

PrivateVPN is available in many countries around the world, including Canada, the UK, and the US. It boasts over 200 server locations in more than 60 countries. Users can connect and disconnect from servers at will.

It is worth noting that there are restrictions in some countries like China, where you can connect only through L2TP VPN, since “The Great Firewall” blocks other methods that are detectable by the government.

PrivateVPN has more than 200 servers located in 63 countries across the globe. Users can pick the server they prefer and make their connection appear to be from whichever country they choose.

With a PrivateVPN subscription, you can get to access all the available locations and unlock content while keeping your online activity away from prying eyes.

Even with all the servers it has, which form a relatively small network compared to the top-level providers, it is not easy to find the fastest server. Unlike other VPNs with a list of recommended servers for various tasks like streaming, gaming, and torrenting, PrivateVPN offers no assistance in letting you know the fastest apps to use.

Granted, if you open up the server locations list, you will see ping numbers in (ms), which could help you pick a suitable fast server, but it would be better if they were grouped.

It is worth noting that PrivateVPN and ExpressVPN were founded in the same year, but the former’s server network is significantly smaller. A bigger network promotes faster speeds, helps with masking, and reduces overcrowding.

In designing apps, developers aim to make their creations interesting to look at, easy to use, and intuitive. Since the technical nature of design requires an expert, we enlisted the help of UX designer, Oksana Ivanova, to test PrivateVPN.

Her insights into its color scheme, design style, what it evokes and more, give us an in-depth look into what this VPN delivers on all platforms. Read on to find out more.

Now that we have examined how PrivateVPN performs, it’s time we look at the devices it is compatible with.

According to the website, you can install PrivateVPN on:

• Windows
• Linux
• Mac
• iOS
• Android
• Router

Across almost all the platforms, PrivateVPN’s functions look identical, which ensures that whatever devices you’re on, everything feels familiar and easy to navigate.

To get started, head over to the official website and find the download button at the bottom of the page.

The .exe installation file will be downloaded into your respective downloads folder. Once downloaded, you can run it as an administrator and get started once it opens up. If you have paid for your subscription or signed up for the free trial, log in, and this is what you’ll see.

Connecting is as easy as clicking on the big white button.

To see more details, click on ‘Advanced View’. This is what you’ll see:

From here, you can tweak additional settings like leak protection, connecting automatically on startup, and more.

Across platforms, the apps have (more or less) the same design and features.

There is a notable difference in the iOS app, though. It does not have a kill switch. That means your true IP address is at risk of exposure if your VPN connection drops.

However, this is a common problem across many VPNs, which struggle to include a kill switch for iOS devices and therefore should not be a reason to ignore this VPN.

PrivateVPN provides apps and extensions for all the platforms it supports. Let’s examine the supported ones and discuss how you can cover the rest, should this be the VPN you choose.

The Windows app is simple to use. After installation, it can give you notifications for any pertinent changes, allow you to connect to a preferred server in one click, and pick a suitable server from a list of locations.

The main screen Windows allows you to toggle between an advanced view with more settings and a simple view that shows you just the basics for a quick connection.

In advanced view, you can customize the connection type, encryption, and specify settings for things like the kill switch, leak protection, stealth, and access to support.

When we clicked on the ‘Streamed Services’ tab, which we thought would have recommended servers for streaming, nothing came up. In addition to that minor issue, there is port forwarding every time you connect.

The problem is that you cannot disable this and would have to reconfigure routers and other potentially affected software to use a different port each time.

The macOS app is almost the same as the Windows one, but with the signature rounded Apple buttons to fit the general design. However, there are some things present in Windows that are missing here.

Some of the missing things are nothing to worry about (PPTP isn’t present, which is not a problem), but others are useful and include the ability to kill some apps when disconnecting from a VPN server as well as DNS leak protection.

This app has the same settings and looks the desktop versions have. The difference is that the desktops are more intuitive (given the larger screen), while navigation isn’t as streamlined on mobile. That means the user experience is not so enjoyable. However, there is no real excuse for the app to be this clunky.

The design is plain, offering the bare minimum of what you expect from a VPN service, which gives one the feeling that the team behind the VPN spends more time catering to desktop clients than mobile users.

Just like the Android app, the mobile app for iOS is not any better.

It is the same minimal design, with the same scanty features. There is a switch to turn Stealth VPN on and off, as well as one to switch ports. Aside from changing the tunneling protocols and encryptions, there is not much else you can change.

The app shows you the whole server list, where you can pick a location of your choice, opting to skip the often glitchy recommended servers (Streaming Services) list. As we mentioned, there is no kill switch on iOS. 

NOTE: Linux users can follow this procedure, provided by PrivateVPN, to set up their connections: PrivateVPN’s Guide to Network Manager Setup

PrivateVPN can be installed on the following types of routers:

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

For all these routers, you will get detailed guides showing you how to install them.

PrivateVPN’s speed is designed to cater to heavy streamers (both games and media content), which is why it covers several other platforms. We were not happy about the missing Smart DNS feature, which makes the VPN unable to unblock streaming sites on consoles (PS4 or PS5) and Apple TV.

Since these devices do not allow the installation of VPN apps, most of the VPN providers include Smart DNS to trick websites and apps into registering that you are connecting from a country different from your own without needing a full VPN.

Because PrivateVPN doesn’t have it, you have to install it at the router level to unlock devices connected to it. PrivateVPN doesn’t offer pre-installed routers for sale, which is why you have to do it manually. They do offer a helpful guide with pros and cons here: How to Install a VPN on a Router

PrivateVPN does not have extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, or other browsers. You will get the most use out of it if you have it as a blanket, installed in your router, covering every device connected to your network.

VPNs by themselves are designed to provide an extra layer of security since they are tunneling protocols. As the name implies, they keep your traffic away from prying eyes. However, they can be bad at securing your presence, which is why we have to make sure that the vulnerabilities are detailed so you know what you are getting.

For this portion, we enlisted the help of cybersecurity expert, John Mulligan, who compiled a full report.

To keep its users safe, PrivateVPN employs a slew of security measures that perform in some areas but are lacking in others. Let’s check them out.

PrivateVPN uses military-grade AES-256 encryption, 2,048-bit RSA and SHA256 keys for authentication, and 2.048-DHE keys for perfect forward secrecy. That makes it impossible to hack. The VPN also uses the TLSv1.2 protocol, which is highly secure, as blanket encryption for the connection.

The range of tunneling protocols are also impressive, including OpenVPN with UDP/TCP, PPTP, IKEv2, IPsec, and L2TP. Users can toggle these settings on and off with ease, making it easy to choose your protocol of choice.

PrivateVPN masks your IP address, identity, and traffic to keep you safe from prying government eyes. The tests conducted by the security expert showed this VPN’s effectiveness, as it displayed no leaks.

PrivateVPN has a kill-switch for the Windows, Android, and Mac PrivateVPN apps. Kill switches are a big deal in modern VPNs since they ensure that even if your connection drops, you won’t be exposed. Combine that with DNS leak protection and IPv6, and your protection is complete.

PrivateVPN’s security measures perform well on many fronts; however, the cybersecurity expert who tested it had some issues with the service’s lack of third-party audits and a standard update he expects every VPN provider to have. Sadly, however, PrivateVPN is also one of the few top VPNs under the 14 Eyes Surveillance Alliance jurisdiction. Yikes!

PrivateVPN makes some bold claims about its security. The VPN claims to ‘Protect Everything.’ However, from what we have seen so far, it fails on some basic things you would expect a good VPN to have or implement. This might make you wonder what kind of data they collect from their users. 

VPNs are supposed to, above all things, be secure and reliable. After all, we aren’t paying them (or hackers) to steal and share our data. To ensure that we didn’t miss anything, we asked our in-house Privacy & Data Protection Legal Expert, Gillian Carrington, who had the following to say.

PrivateVPN offers effective and useful support, with quick replies via live chat and email options. One of the things you may notice when trying to call in is that the live chat hours may not be very consistent.

The reason for this is that PrivateVPN agents are available 24/7, but with a little caveat. They are not available ‘late at night Swedish time.’

Even though the service has an online presence, they mainly use the Twitter and Facebook platforms to promote how-to blog posts, but not necessarily to provide support.

To get in touch, just go to the official website, click on the text bubble on the bottom right corner of the app, and ‘Live Support’ will be up and running.

If you do not find anyone online, enter your name, email, and message to submit a ticket.

PrivateVPN was founded in 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden. The full name of the company is Privat Kommunikation Sverige AB, which it has failed to trademark. It claims that it has never suffered an attack or breach, which a cursory check will confirm.

However, the company has had exploits in the past targeting various flaws in some of its systems.

We must also mention that the company has a clause that allows it to share data with the authorities if a court order is obtained. That could present problems, especially in cases of accidental downloads of potentially copyrighted data, if the law were to get its hand on ‘proof’ from PrivateVPN servers.

Even though the company said that it does not keep logs of your data, it collects your cookies and IP address. The claim is that sites may not load correctly on servers if cookies are disabled.

Worse, there is a possibility that third parties may get access to your data – since the PrivateVPN website says that third parties ‘might analyze our site data.’ The VPN service says that it only gives non-identifiable information and is done to improve the site or marketing and ‘only for internal use,’ which doesn’t make us feel very safe.

To be fair, PrivateVPN is a reliable VPN that should be at the forefront of the industry. However, some things, including that it has never had a third-party audit and has questionable logging policies, keep it from truly achieving greatness.

In dealing with a company that you entrust your security on the internet to and that claims to keep everything safe, it is usually good to know everything about them, including how business is done over there.

One thing that this company has going for it is the fact that it is headquartered in Sweden, a country with strict financial regulations and stringent data protection laws.

For that, we enlisted the help of yet another industry expert, Brendan Filipovski, who researched what else there is to know, or that can be known, about the company. Read on to find out more about how the company operates, who it partners with, and other pertinent business details.

Having seen what this VPN can do, we get to the part where we ask if it is worth it. What does that mean to you? For some, worth it means the VPN keeps you safe, with zero caveats, zero compromises, and zero mistakes. For others, it means having the ability to stream content, with little regard for the intense security needs more technical individuals may require.

We think that no matter who you are, PrivateVPN pricing is generally considered to be affordable.

There are three subscription plans, a 7-day free trial, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid subscriptions. You can test it fully before you commit to using it as your default VPN without it costing you money.

The plans offered at the time of writing are:

• Monthly plan- $9 per month
• The 3-month plan- $6 per month 
• The 24-month plan- $2.50 per month 

To learn more about PrivateVPN’s pricing strategies, plans, and how these compare to other VPNs, have a look at what our pricing found:

PrivateVPN doesn’t boast any extra private features. The company’s ‘claim to fame,’ as it were, is that it has not been breached since it was founded and that it is based in a country with serious data privacy protection laws.

Aside from that, it struggles to compete on the features, server density, and security fronts.

If you are looking for a cheap VPN with effective – though flawed – protections, leak protection, and a kill-switch (for Windows, Android, and Mac), PrivateVPN is your best bet. You can connect up to six devices simultaneously without having to pay more.

There is a money-back guarantee, allowing you ample time to test it. Streamers will love the speeds delivered, while technical users will be wary of some of the security failings displayed by the provider.