ExpressVPN vs PureVPN – Comparison 2021

Winner: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: Head-to-Head Comparison

ExpressVPN is the winner!

ExpressVPN has the upper hand over PureVPN due to the following points:

• Server Count: 3,000+ servers
• Speed: 27.17 Mbps (average downloading speed)
• Wider Compatibility and Support: ExpressVPN has wider OS compatibility and support than PureVPN

A Quick Comparison of ExpressVPN and PureVPN

This best VPN comparison chart is a quick summary of 9 important factors to help choose the most appropriate VPN according to your requirement.

Detailed Comparison between ExpressVPN vs PureVPN

To determine the best VPN out of these two, we performed a detailed comparison between ExpressVPN and PureVPN. I examined both providers’ characteristics, compared them for their strengths and weaknesses, and decided a winner in each round.

Following is the detailed comparison of both providers:

1. ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: Company background and jurisdiction

A good VPN can protect your online privacy and anonymity, but what if the VPN itself is involved in spying on your online activity. Therefore, it is very crucial to run some background investigation of your VPN provider. To fully trust your provider with your online privacy and data, this is a necessary step.

Let see what we learned about ExpressVPN and PureVPN.

ExpressVPN Background and Jurisdiction

ExpressVPN is regarded as one of the best VPNs in the market. It has been offering a rock-solid service to its customers for quite some time now. Its reputation has been developed as a reliable and trustworthy VPN provider, thanks to the various third-party audits it has gone through for security and privacy.

ExpressVPN’s headquarter is located in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a country known for its privacy-focused locale for businesses that need to protect their customers’ data. The British Virgin Islands is not a member of any data sharing alliance such as 5 eyes, 7 eyes, and 14 eyes. It is one of the best jurisdictions for a VPN service as we discussed in our VyprVPN and ExpressVPN comparison.

PureVPN Background and Jurisdiction

PureVPN has been in the business for over a decade now. It is also one of the top choices for VPN users who wish to attain complete global access to unrestricted content and hide their presence over the internet.

PureVPN is run by GZ Systems Limited, a company that is based in Hong Kong. Since there are no data retention laws in Hong Kong, PureVPN is not legally obliged to store any information about its user. Unfortunately, due to Hong Kong and China’s situation regarding National Security Law, things aren’t looking very good for either PureVPN or any other business operating directly from Hong Kong.

Along with Jurisdiction, the identity of the parent company of your VPN provider is also necessary. For example, you wouldn’t want to associate yourself with a provider like CyberGhost, whose parent company “Kape Technologies” is known for infecting users’ devices with malware in the past. Both of the VPN providers we are discussing today are completely safe from such practices and allegations.

Speaking of CyberGhost, while the “Kape Technologies” past is clearly a setback but when it comes to protecting your online security and privacy, it is second to no one. We recently compared it with ExpressVPN and it gave a tough time to one of the top-tier VPN providers. Check out the clash in CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN. 

2. ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: Speed Tests

The internet connection speed’s speed after establishing the VPN tunnel will be impacted due to the encryption and security protocols. However, a minimal speed tradeoff is the sign of a top-notch VPN provider. This is exactly the purpose behind the speed tests. We made sure to use the fastest protocol each provider offers for this test. OpenVPN was the choice for PureVPN, and Lightway protocol was selected for ExpressVPN.

All the tests are carried out on our 100 Mbps Internet Service Provider connection speed.

Servers in the United States

For our first test, we decided to use a server in the United States.

PureVPN US-based server speed: 65.12 Mbps

It was really disappointing to see such results considering the ISP speed is 100 Mbps. Let’s see if ExpressVPN can do any better.

Talk about perfect results—ExpressVPN US-based server speed: 89.47 Mbps.

Hopefully, with the change of server, maybe PureVPN can actually impress this time.

Servers in the United Kingdom

For the second test, we selected the United Kingdom as our server.

PureVPN UK-based server speed: 75.49 Mbps

Though it is better than the US server results, it is still not quite good enough. Maybe it can finally beat ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN UK-based server speed: 92.15 Mbps.

ExpressVPN once again showed us why it is the best VPN provider in the market. Whether it be any location or server, it will always come on top regarding providing excellent speeds to its users.

3. ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: Streaming and Torrenting

Streaming is probably the most popular reason behind purchasing a VPN. A study shows that about 50% of VPN users use VPN for accessing the different types of streaming services.

For this comparison, we will be focusing on Netflix, which is currently the most popular streaming service on the planet.

ExpressVPN: Netflix

ExpressVPN providers a very smooth and uninterrupted streaming experience. It can unblock multiple Netflix libraries from various parts of the world without any issue. I used its server located in San Franciso to stream the first three seasons of “Breaking Bad” on Netflix. There wasn’t any sign of buffering whatsoever, and the streaming quality never dropped from HD.

PureVPN: Netflix

Unlike ExpressVPN, we ran into a couple of issues with PureVPN and Netflix. Apart from the proxy error message, we had to endure constant buffering with the service when it could let us stream Netflix. While we decided to stream “Batman: The Killing Joke,” we faced buffering issues every 15-20 minutes, which was very annoying and clearly indicated that PureVPN shouldn’t be your first choice if you mostly like to stream. But it did unblock Netflix US with ease as can be seen in PIA vs PureVPN comparison.

Torrenting

Torrenting or sometimes referred to as P2P/File-Sharing is a popular method for sharing data. It helps internet users to download large-sized files over a short period of time. There are two most important factors to keep in mind when torrenting. These include high-speed connection and security features that will prevent any leak of your information or identity.

As for the speed, ExpressVPN clearly takes the win there as per the results of the speed test comparison and Netflix streaming comparison just above. For the second factor, due to its strong encryption, security protocols, and no data leaks, ExpressVPN again becomes our top choice for your torrenting purposes.

4. PureVPN vs ExpressVPN: Pricing

Here you’ll see a comparison between ExpressVPN and PureVPN regarding pricing, money-back guarantee, and payment methods.

It is clearly visible from the table that PureVPN is cheaper than ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN is one of the most costly VPNs in the market. Its 1-year subscription costs $6.67/mo in contrast to the lower price of PureVPN. Similarly, its 6-months and monthly plan are available at $9.99 and $12.95 a month, both of which are more expensive than PureVPN.

On the other hand, PureVPN offers web security privacy and amazing discount packages with prices more affordable than ExpressVPN. For example, the 1-year plan by PureVPN costs just $5.82/month and a 5-year plan for simply $3.33/mo.

Finally, PureVPN also offers a 7-day trial account for just $0.99, meaning you can try it out for less than a dollar and cancel anytime before the 7-days are completed.

Payment Method and Refund policy

ExpressVPN accepts various payment methods. It accepts payments via Credit Card (VISA, Master Card, American Express, etc.), PayPal, Bitcoin, and multiple payment processors, including Alipay, Union Pay, iDeal, Webmoney GiroPay, and Yandex money.

As for the Refund Policy, ExpressVPN does offer a 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee program. If you are unsatisfied with the service, you can claim back your credit within a 30-day period, and they will honor it. It is a pretty standard duration for the money-back program, so no surprise there.

Unlike ExpressVPN, PureVPN doesn’t support a vast majority of payment processors. Right now, it supports Credit Card or PayPal as payment methods. This is a serious blow for this provider as users who wish to pay with some different payment methods will be left to either use the support payment methods or not purchase the subscription.

PureVPN offers a 31-day money-back guarantee but clearly mentions that it will try to resolve your issue first before continuing with the refund request. This can sometimes be annoying for users who are not interested in seeking assistance and require immediate funds. Although you can cancel your PureVPN subscription anytime, you may have to be patient for a refund.

5. ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: Logging Policy

PureVPN offers better anonymity than ExpressVPN as it neither collects connection logs nor any activity logs. Whereas ExpressVPN, on the other hand, stores connection logs such as the date of the connection, servers used, and bandwidth consumed.

6. PureVPN vs ExpressVPN: Servers in Countries

Getting into the nitty-gritty and PureVPN has one of the largest server networks in the industry. It has 3,000+ more servers than ExpressVPN.

PureVPN gets the better of the former with more VPN server locations. Compared to ExpressVPN, PureVPN offers servers in 140+ countries. That being said, both VPNs are equally capable of unblocking regionally blocked content from around the world.

If we talk about similarities between the two, both PureVPN and ExpressVPN use a mix of physical and virtual servers.

7. ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: Security Features

Result: ExpressVPN is slightly more advanced than PureVPN.

Citizens of China are unable to access different websites such as social media and streaming from their country due to the government’s restriction with the Great Firewall’s help. Internet users are forced to use VPNs to bypass the online restrictions set up by their government.

The problem is that most of the VPN providers aren’t able to offer internet freedom to Chinese citizens as the great firewall keeps on updating and blocking these VPN provider’s networks.

Luckily, ExpressVPN works perfectly well in China and will allow you to access the internet from the mainland. On the other hand, PureVPN will not grant you access to different blocked websites from China.

ExpressVPN users won’t have to do anything special to access the blocked region from China. They have to install the application and connect to a server overseas, and they should be able to unblock different websites easily.

9. PureVPN vs ExpressVPN: Customer Support

Both providers offer excellent customer service through Live Chat, Email, and Tutorials/setup guides.

If you head over to either ExpressVPN or PureVPN, you can find customer support ranging from 24/7 live chat to email support to even ‘How-to guides.’ Suffice to say; you will find comprehensive help on both websites, which is more than enough for an average user.

10. ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: App Usability and Interface

If we compare both providers’ Windows and iOS apps, ExpressVPN boasts a much simple user interface than PureVPN. The home screen of ExpressVPN is minimalistic in design and offers only the most needed options like Smart location, Recent location, Select location, and the main Connect button.

On the other hand, PureVPN’s Windows app looks quite bulky and can feel a little redundant to use at times. For instance, you have to go through multiple sub-menus to tweak around with different settings. Not only that, but the Windows app is also quite sluggish compared to ExpressVPN.

That said, the iOS app of PureVPN offers a much cleaner interface with simple menus and a one-tap connectivity option.

The best thing about both these providers is that you can install them on the router as well. That way, you won’t have to set up the VPN on your device separately. ExpressVPN and PureVPN offer router applications on selected models and firmware. You can also set up these providers directly on your devices such as Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Setting up a manual connection on your handheld devices such as Android and iOS phones requires few simple steps.

Overall, ExpressVPN is much more convenient to use than PureVPN.

11. ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: Compatibility

PureVPN and ExpressVPN offer many impressive features like Internet Kill Switch, Split-tunneling, simultaneous connections, and more. These features can be pretty useful and boost your overall security online.

Both providers are equally compatible with a wide range of devices and operating systems if we talk about compatibility.

The Internet Kill Switch feature can help you prevent your actual IP address from leaking accidentally if an abrupt connection drops. Other than that, powerful AES 256-bit encryption can prevent hackers from stealing your data.

If we compare PureVPN and ExpressVPN, both of these providers offer similar and equally powerful security features. The only difference you’re going to notice is branding. For instance, the Internet Kill Switch feature found in PureVPN is labeled as Network Lock-in ExpressVPN.

PureVPN is comfortably compatible with all operating systems and devices. The provider now offers easy compatibility for 50+ devices, as you can see in NordVPN vs PureVPN comparison. Similarly, ExpressVPN has client-friendly apps for all types of platforms, including Amazon Fire devices, Linux, and even routers to secure multiple devices simultaneously.

ExpressVPN vs PureVPN: The best value?

The value of anything is subjective, and it is the same in a VPN service. How well a VPN meets your desired purpose will determine its value for you.

ExpressVPN or PureVPN – It seems an easy decision as while ExpressVPN does cost a little bit more than PureVPN, it has a great reputation and is a perfect choice for protecting your online privacy and information.

If we take a quick look back, for a little bit more per month, here’s what ExpressVPN promises you:

• High-speeds
• Robust Security
• Uninterrupted and unlimited access to streaming services
• Much more reliable and compatible with devices

Final Verdict: ExpressVPN is the winner!

PureVPN and ExpressVPN are equally matched in terms of features. However, it’s the actual performance where ExpressVPN excels. The only thing PureVPN offers better than ExpressVPN is the price.

But the fact is, you can’t go wrong with either of these VPN tools, and the decision ultimately comes down to personal preference.

If you are on a budget, then you will find PureVPN much more affordable. If, on the other hand, price is the least of your concerns, ExpressVPN will surely prove to be well worth it’s salt.

To read more about it, here are our comprehensive tests on ExpressVPN.

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