PrivateVPN Review: Easy To Use With Limited Features (2026)

PrivateVPN was founded in 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The full company name is Privat Kommunikation Sverige AB, and the company was originally named privatvpn.se. To date, we’ve reviewed another Sweden-based VPN provider, here’s our Mullvad review.

I was excited to take a look at PrivateVPN because the name of this VPN provider itself implies that it’s stacked with some excellent privacy and security features.

In this review of PrivateVPN, I’ll be testing those features while outlining the pros and cons of this VPN service. Ultimately, I’ll be letting you know whether we recommend it as a good VPN choice or not.

But before we dive into that, let’s find out more about the company behind PrivateVPN.

PrivateVPN Overview

OVERALL RANK:	#22 Out of 30 VPNs
USABILITY:	Easy To Install and Use
LOG FILES:	Questionable Logging
LOCATIONS:	63 Locations, 200+ Servers
SUPPORT:	24/7 Support and FAQ Page
TORRENTING:	Torrenting Allowed
NETFLIX:	Does Not Support
ENCRYPTION/PROTOCOL:	256-bit AES PPTP, OpenVPN, IPSec, IKEv2 & L2TP
COST:	$2.00/mo
OFFICIAL WEBSITE:	www.privateVPN.com

Background Info on PrivateVPN

Since PrivateVPN is located in Sweden, there have been ongoing discussions about potential changes to Swedish data retention laws that could affect VPN providers.

However, as of 2026, PrivateVPN continues to operate under Sweden’s current privacy framework, which allows them to maintain their no-logs policy. Swedish privacy laws remain among the strongest in Europe, though VPN providers must stay vigilant about potential regulatory changes.

According to current Swedish legislation, VPN providers are not currently required to log user traffic data, which benefits privacy-focused services like PrivateVPN.

This is potentially relevant for any VPN provider, and the company has been transparent with its customers about regulatory developments as they arise.

PrivateVPN Compatibility and Features

PrivateVPN offers 10 simultaneous connections. What I liked most is that it works on multiple devices that I listed below.

The VPN service supports the following devices and operating systems:

• PC (Windows)
• Mac (macOS)
• Linux
• iOS (iPhone/iPad)
• Android
• Kodi

You can connect PrivateVPN to the following kinds of routers:

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

They also offer a referral program and free setup guides for each device to assist users with the installation.

This VPN provides 200+ servers in 63 locations. It has servers in most major cities worldwide. However, the total server count remains on the lower end compared to larger VPN providers.

For a VPN provider that was founded in 2009, the network size is modest but strategically distributed across key locations worldwide.

PrivateVPN offers a complete list of servers on its site:

The company now offers a kill switch across all its major applications, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. This represents a significant improvement from when they only offered kill switch protection on Windows.

Kill switches are a huge deal when it comes to privacy and security. Once a kill switch identifies a disconnect from the VPN server, it terminates your current browsing session to keep your data and browsing history safe.

I’m glad that PrivateVPN now offers this extra protection across all its apps, providing consistent security regardless of which device you’re using.

PrivateVPN also offers IP address and DNS leak protection across all platforms.

Pros of PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN has some excellent features. I was really pleased with the overall security of their servers.

First, I’ll tell you what the company is doing right before we switch our attention to where they can improve.

1. It’s Safe and Secure

PrivateVPN doesn’t have a ton of features to offer.

However, you can rest assured that their security is rock-solid. Here’s a quick look.

Is It Well Encrypted?

According to their FAQ page,

This is a top-of-the-line AES-256 encryption standard that is fully resistant to brute-force attacks.

What Protocols Are In-Use?

PrivateVPN lets you choose from four VPN protocols:

• OpenVPN
• WireGuard
• IKEv2
• IPSec

Based on the number of protocols, it is safe to say that their tunneling software is secure.

We’ve also tested and confirmed that PrivateVPN adequately protects your IP address against leaks. We loaded up IPLeaks.net with PrivateVPN active and found that the client doesn’t suffer from IPv4 or IPv6 leaks. PrivateVPN is one of many VPN providers that don’t route IPv6 at all because it’s notorious for leaking your real IP.

We checked for DNS leaks on BrowserLeaks.com. We also confirmed that PrivateVPN protects against WebRTC leaks, too.

Is Torrenting Allowed?

Torrenting is allowed with PrivateVPN.

That means you’re free to connect with others to move large files like movies, music, or software, and use a VPN to protect your security as well as your privacy. PrivateVPN specifically mentions that it provides at least one open port, which is vital for torrenting performance.

Does PrivateVPN Log Your Traffic?

PrivateVPN claims that they do not log any of your traffic. While we’ve checked their privacy policy, and it seems like this is the case, it’s hard to know for sure whether this is the case without a third-party audit.

2. PrivateVPN Is Easy To Use and Install

PrivateVPN has setup guides for the devices that it works on.

However, we’ll walk you through how to use PrivateVPN for yourself. It gives us a chance to show off PrivateVPN’s new makeover, too.

Once you’ve downloaded PrivateVPN, here’s what the platform will look like.

Just enter your email and password to get started.

Here’s what PrivateVPN looks like once you’ve logged in. Notice the “Not Connected” graphic at the bottom of the page.

Just pick a server from the list and hit connect.

Once you’re connected, you’ll receive a notification.

Just hit “Disconnect” to end your connection, or choose another server from the list.

That’s it.

However, if you want to see more advanced options, click the “Advanced” button in the bottom right-hand corner.

There, you can find a user dashboard:

And connection guard options.

Overall, I’d give it a 7/10 for usability.

I like that the advanced features are there if you need them, but they aren’t automatically added to the normal interface.

3. Excellent Customer Support

PrivateVPN now offers 24/7 customer support through multiple channels, including live chat, email ticketing, and remote assistance.

To contact them, just click on the text bubble on the bottom right-hand corner of their home page, or access support directly through the PrivateVPN app.

When we tested PrivateVPN’s support system, we found their live chat feature to be more consistently available than in previous years, with knowledgeable representatives ready to help.

All you have to do is enter your name, email, and message to submit a ticket.

Once you hit send, you should see this notification.

The improved 24/7 availability makes PrivateVPN’s support much more competitive with larger VPN providers, and they even offer free remote setup assistance.

Plus, they have a comprehensive FAQ page where you might be able to find an answer to your question.

4. Very Competitive Pricing

PrivateVPN’s pricing has become even more competitive in 2026, offering some of the best value in the VPN market.

Their long-term plan is now as low as $2.00 per month when you commit to their 36-month package, making it one of the most affordable premium VPNs available. You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously across all plans.

PrivateVPN frequently offers substantial discounts, often reaching 80% off their regular pricing for long-term commitments.

Plus, every feature is available with each kind of plan. So you can try out the monthly plan to test them out before switching to the long-term one to lock in the big savings.

5. Great 3rd Party Ratings

Apple Store

PrivateVPN ranks quite highly on the iOS store with 4.6 stars across 4.9K ratings.

Google Play Store

However, on the Google Play Store, PrivateVPN has a significantly lower average score of 3.6 stars after 8.11K reviews and has been downloaded over 1 million times.

Trustpilot

On Trustpilot, PrivateVPN scores pretty highly at 4.6 stars and has 4.5K reviews.

Cons of PrivateVPN

There are tons of great things about PrivateVPN.

Its encryption is secure, it’s easy to use, and they offer compact installation guides to newcomers.

But there are also a few things that aren’t so great about the service.

Here’s what I wish PrivateVPN would improve.

1. Improved but Still Limited Logging Policy

PrivateVPN has clarified its logging policy significantly since our previous review.

According to its current privacy policy, they now maintain a stricter no-logs approach for user traffic and online activities.

However, like most VPN providers, they do collect minimal data necessary for service operation, including:

– Account registration information (email, payment data)
– Basic connection timestamps (but not detailed activity logs)
– Technical data for service improvements

PrivateVPN operates under Swedish privacy laws, which provide strong protection against forced data retention that affects VPN providers in other jurisdictions.

While this is a significant improvement from their previous policy, users seeking absolute minimal data collection might prefer providers with even more restrictive policies.

2. Iffy Server Speeds

PrivateVPN’s speed performance is well below what we expect from a VPN provider. Most of the servers we connected to suffered from around 50% speed loss, which is significantly above our tolerable ranges for speed tests.

Our speed test uses a 250 Mbps download and upload line. Taking a preliminary result allows us to measure the impact of a VPN client on our baseline speeds, which you’ll see below.

We should point out that while these speeds are nowhere near the top end of the VPN market, they’re sufficient for most online activities, including 4K streaming. However, they don’t quite match the consistent performance of larger VPN providers with more extensive infrastructure.

If you absolutely need to use PrivateVPN, picking one of their dedicated IP options might help mitigate their speed performance issues, but no guarantees.

Baseline

• Download: 251.34Mbps
• Upload: 247.66Mbps
• Ping: 1ms

Nearest Server

• Download: 138.73Mbps
• Upload: 23.88Mbps
• Ping: 98ms

Europe

• Download: 137.35Mbps
• Upload: 93.17Mbps
• Ping: 15ms

US East

• Download: 116.63Mbps
• Upload: 35.19Mbps
• Ping: 97ms

US West

• Download: 130.62Mbps
• Upload: 81.19Mbps
• Ping: 163ms

Asia

• Download: 65.36Mbps
• Upload: 42.23Mbps
• Ping: 316ms

As you can see, even the best results from using PrivateVPN drop your connection speed by around 50%. At the very worst, connecting to Asia slashed our download speeds by 75%. We suspect that if you’re using a slower bandwidth connection, PrivateVPN is basically unusable.

3. Limited Server Network Size

With 200+ servers across 63 locations, PrivateVPN’s network remains smaller than many competitors who offer thousands of servers.

While the strategic placement covers major regions effectively, users may experience:

– Higher server load during peak times
– Fewer options for fine-tuning connection performance
– Limited redundancy in some regions

However, PrivateVPN mitigates this through quality over quantity, using exclusively owned servers rather than virtual instances, which provides better security and performance than many larger networks.

5. Terrible Streaming Peformance

PrivateVPN is not a VPN you want to buy if you’re looking for streaming compatibility. While PrivateVPN has had its ups and down over the years for unblocking Netflix, our most recent tests show that it’s completely unsuitable for unblocking any streaming service.

Our Netflix tests all failed. We tried to log into Netflix JP using PrivateVPN and were not able to access the site, despite changing servers multiple times.

We weren’t able to access Netflix in the US, either.

We also couldn’t access Netflix UK using PrivateVPN’s UK servers.

PrivateVPN also didn’t allow us to access BBC iPlayer using PrivateVPN’s UK servers. That’s 0/4 so far.

Finally, we couldn’t get Disney US working either.

So, we can comprehensively say that PrivateVPN is not useful for unblocking streaming services. Instead, if you want to get on regional Netflix libraries, we recommend you check out our list of the Best VPNs for Netflix that we’ve tested in 2026.

PrivateVPN Pricing Options & Plans

PrivateVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee across all plans.

It offers monthly, 3-month, and 36-month packages with the following 2026 pricing:

The one-month package is $9.90 per month.

The three-month package is $6.00 per month ($17.99 billed every 3 months), offering a 33% savings.

The 36-month package is $2.00 per month ($72 billed annually after the first 36 months), providing a massive 80% savings. However, you’re really getting what you pay for. While PrivateVPN is exceptionally cheap, it’s hard to say that the value is there.

PrivateVPN frequently runs promotional campaigns offering up to 80% discounts on their long-term plans, making their pricing extremely competitive.

All plans include:
– 10 simultaneous device connections
– All available servers and locations
– 24/7 customer support
– Kill switch protection
– No bandwidth limits
– 30-day money-back guarantee

Payment methods include credit card, PayPal, and Bitcoin for enhanced privacy.

I would recommend trying out PrivateVPN for a month to evaluate the service before switching to the 36-month plan if you find it meets your needs. However, it is one of the most affordable premium VPNs available when you consider all the features you’ll have access to with each of its plans.

Now that you know all about the features and pricing of PrivateVPN, let’s discuss the final verdict.

PrivateVPN Review Conclusion – Do We Recommend It?

No, we do not recommend PrivateVPN in 2026.

PrivateVPN doesn’t really offer anything that another VPN doesn’t do better. The speeds aren’t great, the streaming capabilities are dire, and it’s just not that cheap unless you buy a three-year package. It doesn’t have the massive infrastructure of providers like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, or the extensive set of features Surfshark offers.

If you’re really interested in buying a VPN that combines streaming, privacy, and value, we recommend that you consider premium alternatives like NordVPN ($3.09/mo when last reviewed) or ExpressVPN ($2.49/mo when last reviewed) that are both ranked in top 7 VPNs.

Bottom Line: PrivateVPN keeps improving, but it’s just not enough to make it worth buying in a crowded market of top-tier VPNs.

Alternative Recommendations:

• For streaming: NordVPN or ExpressVPN
• For budget-conscious users: Surfshark
• The best free VPN: ProtonVPN
• Need a 45-day money-back guarantee: CyberGhost
• Servers in all 50 states: Private Internet Access