Winner: PureVPN
PureVPN vs NordVPN – Well there’s not much that differentiates PureVPN and NordVPN from each other. These providers rank high in terms of performance and features.
A question that often asked by internet users that which VPN should I choose either the PureVPN or NordVPN?
To make it easier for you to distinguish all the differences between both the contenders, I’ve created plenty of tables with useful information. So you can decide according to your requirements.
PureVPN vs NordVPN: Head-to-Head Comparison
PureVPN is the winner!
Here are all the factors which make PureVPN better than NordVPN.
- Logging: PureVPN keeps no logs
- Speed: 26.01 Mbps
- Servers: 6500+ servers in 140+ countries
- Streaming: Dedicated streaming mode
- Jurisdiction: Hong Kong (safe jurisdiction)
- Price: $3.33/mo
- Support: 24/7 Live Chat
A Quick Comparison of PureVPN and NordVPN
To find out which one offers better value for money in this PureVPN and NordVPN comparison, I’ve created a brief table below with all the major differentiating features. Check it out and you’ll know exactly which VPN is right for you.
Factors | PureVPN | NordVPN |
---|---|---|
Jurisdiction | Hong Kong | Panama |
Logging Policy | No logs | No logs |
Pricing | $3.33/mo | $3.71/mo |
Speed | 26.01 Mbps | 24.91 Mbps |
Server Network | 6500+ servers 140 countries | 5500+ servers 59 countries |
Customer Support | Live chat | Live chat |
Torrenting | Supported | Supported |
Netflix Unblocking | Supported | Supported |
Security | Strong | Strong |
Website | PureVPN.com | NordVPN.com |
Also, if you want to check other comparisons that we’ve covered, you can visit our VPN comparison chart consisting of 60+ providers.
Detailed Comparison
iIf we talk about presence, PureVPN is obviously much more renowned than NordVPN. After all, while PureVPN debuted in 2007, NordVPN made its presence in the VPN industry sometime in 2012.
In addition, PureVPN has a much better reputation than NordVPN. If you consider all the controversies, there’s only one incident where PureVPN handed over logs to the FBI. Whereas NordVPN has been involved in numerous hacking incidents over the years.
As we speak, both providers are quite renowned because of their overall performance. If you’re interested in reading more in-depth information about these VPNs then I would suggest that you should go for PureVPN review and NordVPN review.
1. Pricing Plans
Result: PureVPN is significantly cheaper than NordVPN
Plans | PureVPN | NordVPN |
---|---|---|
1-month | $10.95/mo | $11.95/mo |
1-year | $5.82/mo | $4.92/mo |
2-years | $3.33/mo | $3.71/mo |
5-years | $1.32/month | N/A |
PureVPN – It costs $3.33/mo whereas NordVPN is priced at $3.71/mo. Both providers are reasonably priced considering the vast range of features they offer. However, if you get into the nitty-gritty, PureVPN is a bit cheaper than NordVPN.
Even if you compare the best plans of both providers, PureVPN is around $0.38 cheaper. Best of all PureVPN offers 10 multi logins compared to NordVPN’s 6 simultaneous connections. Therefore, PureVPN is the winner in this round due to the lower cost.
2. Payment Methods and Refund Policy
Result: PureVPN is slightly better when it comes to payment options
PureVPN | NordVPN | |
---|---|---|
Money-back Guarantee | 31-day | 30-day |
Payment methods | Credit cards, PayPal, Alipay, cryptocurrencies, Bluesnap, PaymentWall | Credit cards, Alipay, cryptocurrencies |
PureVPN – It accepts a larger variety of payment options and so does NordVPN. However, PureVPN accepts slightly more payment options than NordVPN. PureVPN accepts Credit cards, Alipay, cryptocurrencies, and more.
NordVPN – On the other hand accepts Google Pay, Amazon Pay, and even ACH transfer. Overall, PureVPN is slightly better.
As for refund policies, both providers offer similar money-back guarantees. While PureVPN’s refund policy has a validity of 31 days, NordVPN has a validity of 30 days – just one day short.
3. Logging policy
Result: Both of these VPNs have excellent privacy and data logging policies.
PureVPN | NordVPN | |
---|---|---|
Headquarter | Hong Kong (safe) | Panama (safe) |
Activity Logs | No | No |
Connection Logs | No | No |
Anonymous Payment | Yes | Yes |
PureVPN – It is located in Hong Kong, a location that has no mandatory data retention laws for ISPs/VPNs to follow. Nor is Hong Kong a part of the Five Eyes, a group of domestic intelligence-sharing countries. PureVPN has an overall good logging policy and keeps no records of user activities or connections.
NordVPN – It is based in an even safer jurisdiction i.e. Panama. The country has laws that respect individual privacy. Furthermore, the logging policy of NordVPN refrains from storing any personally identifiable information relating to their customers. Therefore, both NordVPN and PureVPN come to a draw in this category.
4. Speed Results
Result: PureVPN is slightly faster than NordVPN as per my testing.
Speed in Countries | PureVPN | NordVPN |
---|---|---|
US | 29.07 Mbps | 25.46 Mbps |
UK | 29.34 Mbps | 25.09 Mbps |
Germany | 20.85 Mbps | 24.29 Mbps |
Australia | 24.79 Mbps | 24.81 Mbps |
Avg. Download | 26.01 Mbps | 24.91 Mbps |
NordVPN and PureVPN deliver almost equal speeds on average. To test the speed of both services, I used Ookla’s speed test tool and my 30 Mbps base internet connection.
For each provider, 4 server locations were chosen. On average PureVPN managed to deliver 26.01 Mbps download speed, whereas NordVPN managed to deliver 24.91 Mbps download speed. NordVPN and PureVPN are truly neck-to-neck rivals as you can see from the table above.
5. Servers in Countries
Result: NordVPN has 5500+ servers in 59 countries whereas PureVPN has 6500+ servers in 140+ countries.
PureVPN | NordVPN | |
---|---|---|
Countries | 140+ | 59 |
Servers | 6500+ | 5500+ |
NordVPN – It has a larger cluster of servers, PureVPN holds the advantage of covering significantly more ground in terms of server locations. However, many servers in PureVPN’s network are virtual, whereas NordVPN exclusively uses physical servers (to the best of my knowledge).
On the basis of server count, therefore, NordVPN is better than PureVPN. However, for server diversity, it is PureVPN that is the better choice. Overall, NordVPN wins this round.
6. Compatibility
Result: PureVPN offers better app compatibility right out of the box.
Compatibility | PureVPN | NordVPN |
---|---|---|
Android | Yes | Yes |
iOS | Yes | Yes |
Windows | Yes | Yes |
macOS | Yes | Yes |
Linux | Yes | Yes |
Chrome | Yes | Yes |
Firefox | Yes | Yes |
Gaming Consoles | Yes | Yes |
As far as compatibility is concerned, both providers offer apps for a variety of platforms and operating systems. However, PureVPN covers slightly more devices than NordVPN. You can get an idea of what I’m talking about from the table above. Considering that, PureVPN wins this round.
7. Customer Support
Result: Customer support is an area where both PureVPN and NordVPN excel remarkably.
Support | PureVPN | NordVPN |
---|---|---|
Live Chat | Yes | Yes |
Email Support | Yes | Yes |
Tutorials/Setup Guides | Yes | Yes |
Both providers offer support through live chat and have a good response time. In addition, you can also forward your complaints and queries to the support team of either provider through emails.
Their official websites also host a great number of detailed guides and tutorials for setups and troubleshooting. NordVPN and PureVPN are tied once again in this category.
8. Torrenting
Result: Both providers are equally good for torrenting.
Torrenting Features | PureVPN | NordVPN |
---|---|---|
No Logs | Yes | Yes |
Fast Speeds | Yes | Yes |
Unlimited Bandwidth | Yes | Yes |
Obfuscation | No | Yes |
Safe Jurisdiction | Yes | Yes |
Leak-Proof | Yes | Yes |
Both providers offer many p2p-optimized servers. Coupled with the fact that PureVPN and NordVPN are based in safe jurisdictions with good logging polices and fast download speeds, both of these VPNs can be trusted to offer secure torrenting sessions.
If you need extra protection, you can utilize killswitch that is featured in both NordVPN and PureVPN apps. This will ensure that your identity remains hidden and doesn’t leak through the private tunnel in case a connection drop occurs. Therefore, both VPNs are excellent for torrenting.
9. Unblocking Strength
Result: PureVPN and NordVPN are efficient VPNs for unblocking popular SVoD services around the world.
PureVPN | NordVPN | |
---|---|---|
Netflix | US, Germany | US, UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, Netherlands |
Hulu | US, Japan | US, Japan |
BBC iPlayer | Yes | Yes |
Amazon Prime Video | Yes | Yes |
Sky Go | Yes | Yes |
CBS | Yes | Yes |
PureVPN – It is one of the best VPN for efficient unblocking of popular streaming services and works with Netflix US, Germany as well as other streaming platforms. Best of all, PureVPN has a built-in mode dedicated to streaming. Thus, both VPNs are reliable for streaming.
NordVPN – It can unblock multiple Netflix content libraries including the US, UK, and more. In addition, it efficiently bypasses geo-restrictions on BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and many more.
10. Security Features
Result: Both providers use strong encryption and VPN protocols to guard user privacy/security from online threats.
PureVPN | NordVPN | |
---|---|---|
Encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 |
Protocols Supported | OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, SSTP, IKEv2 | OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
RSA Keys | RSA-4096 | RSA-4096 |
App Security | Killswitch | Killswitch |
PureVPN– It uses AES-256 encryption and OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, IKEv2, and SSTP protocols for VPN tunneling. In addition, it utilizes RSA-4096 keys for handshakes. The VPN is also equipped with a kill switch that instantly cuts your internet connection in case of interruptions in the VPN session.
NordVPN – It only uses OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols after discontinuing PPTP and L2TP. For encryption, it also uses AES-256 while RSA-4096 is used for handshakes, as in the case of PureVPN. It also offers a kill switch as a protection against accidental identity leaks. Overall, both providers are nearly identical when it comes to security.
Final Verdict: PureVPN is the Winner
PureVPN is the winner in this comparison. Even though NordVPN and PureVPN came to a tie in multiple categories, PureVPN still managed to outshine NordVPN.
This was an extremely intense competition and both providers are equally effective in most departments. However, it is the lower cost of PureVPN that ultimately gives it an edge over NordVPN.
But make no mistake, NordVPN is every bit as good as PureVPN, even more so if you fancy cool features like Onion over VPN and DoubleVPN. Nonetheless, if your decision hinges on the factor of pricing, then PureVPN is the winner of the day. For more information about each of these VPNs, you can consult PureVPN review and NordVPN review.
Thanks for a great article, helping me choose a VPN Provider. They seem equal but ‘m going with PureVPN since their price for Dedicated IP is better.
Dear Erik,
Thanks for your valuable feedback,
I am glad you liked my post and opted PureVPN to secure your privacy.
Cheers!!!