PureVPN vs. NordVPN

When it comes to comparing VPNs, we can’t take them at face value alone. We have to dive fully into the details, comparing features, pricing, performance, and apps, among other things. Today, we’re comparing PureVPN and NordVPN, two well-known names in the world of VPNs. We’ve tested both VPNs; now we’re pitting them against each other. Let’s see who comes out on top.

The Case for NordVPN

In terms of brand recognition, NordVPN is to PureVPN as Bloomingdales is to Filene’s Basement. While the NordVPN site has been viewed over 10 million times,1 PureVPN’s site has only been viewed about one and a half million times.2 But we don’t equate popularity with quality; rather, there were a few key areas that NordVPN outshined PureVPN in.

• Support for Proxy and NAS: Unlike PureVPN, NordVPN works with proxy servers and network-attached servers (NAS), allowing users more flexibility in how they use their VPNS.
• More advanced features: From obfuscation, which hid our traffic so well that it didn’t look like we were using a VPN to our network, to multihop that doubled our encryption and tunneling, NordVPN’s feature set is one of the most impressive we’ve seen.
• Faster on Macs: When we compared the two VPNs on our Macbook Pro, we found that NordVPN slowed us down over three times less than PureVPN, which wasn’t too fast on Mac. For more fast options for Mac, read our list of the best VPNs for Mac.

The Case for PureVPN

There’s no doubt that compared to NordVPN, PureVPN is the underdog, but we love an underdog story (Little Giants is one of our favorite movies, in fact). Here’s how PureVPN tipped NordVPN on its head.

• More locations: Given the fact that they have over 3,000 fewer servers than NordVPN, we were surprised to find out that PureVPN is actually available in about twice as many countries as NordVPN, over 180 total.
• Split tunneling: To increase our speeds, we routed some of our web traffic directly to the public network we were on in a coffee shop, while only routing our sensitive traffic to PureVPN. NordVPN, on the other hand, told us “all or nothing” with their lack of split tunneling.
• More devices: Although we only tested it out on macOS and Windows, PureVPN works with a ton of different devices and browsers compared to NordVPN.

If you’re looking for a VPN for the Fire TV Stick, for example, PureVPN makes much more sense than NordVPN.

• Less data logged: Overall, we were happy with how little data either VPN logged; for example, neither logged the websites we visited or the IP addresses of our devices we connected to the VPN. However, NordVPN logged more data than PureVPN, including our device identifiers and the timestamps of our last session, although this information was deleted after 15 minutes. While they were pretty close, NordVPN definitely collected more data in terms of pure numbers, and when it comes to logging policies, less is more.

• Support for Roku, Fire TV Stick, and Raspberry Pi: We’re streaming freaks, and it’s not every day that you find a VPN that can work not only with Netflix but also with Roku and the Fire TV Stick (Marvelous Miss Maisel on Prime Video, anyone?). PureVPN ticked those boxes, plus, it had support for Raspberry Pi,3 which we haven’t seen before.
• Longer money-back guarantee: Okay, so it’s only longer by a day, as NordVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee. But if you want 31 days to cancel your VPN subscription for a full refund, PureVPN is for you.

• Faster on Windows: NordVPN did not perform well at all on Windows, and while PureVPN didn’t exactly blow us away with their fast speeds, they beat Nord by a landslide.

• Lower prices for weekly, monthly and six month plans: PureVPN was cheaper overall, with plans starting at just $1.96 per month compared to NordVPN’s $3.39 best price.

What You’ll Get With Either VPN

The truth is that, as much as we love comparing and contrasting, NordVPN and PureVPN have a lot in common.

• No government surveillance: Since NordVPN is based in Panama and PureVPN is based in Hong Kong, our data was safe in their hands and wouldn’t be shared with the government by legal force. While that may sound essential, it’s not always the case; VPNs like TunnelBear are based in the U.S, a founding member of the Five Eyes surveillance alliance that could legally force companies to hand over their customer’s data. To learn more, read our TunnelBear review.
• Kill switch: Both VPNs shut our web browsers in case they failed so that our Internet Service Providers wouldn’t see our activity…not that we were doing anything bad, of course.
• Split tunneling: Similarly, both VPNs have split tunneling for Android and Windows. Split tunneling splits traffic from your device; some will undergo encryption while others won’t, although you’ll choose which apps will and will not be encrypted.
• Netflix access: Like anyone with a pulse and an Internet connection, we can binge on Netflix for hours on end without stopping. Fortunately, the servers we connected to on PureVPN and NordVPN weren’t blocked when we logged onto the streaming giant so we could enjoy content from other countries outside of the U.S.

• 256-bit encryption: Both VPNs employed the industry standard, AES-256. If you’re unsure, it’s the same encryption method that banks use, the highest available.
• Over 6,000 servers in 60+ countries: The server networks of both VPNs were surprisingly similar. Both have offer 6,000 servers in more than 60 countries, although PureVPN has slightly more (65) locations than NordVPN (62).
• No DNS or WebRTC leaks: Don’t feel like reading our full PureVPN review or NordVPN review, in which we perform full security tests? Just know that we didn’t see any leaks of our domain names or private IP addresses with either VPN.
• Compatibility with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux and routers: Both VPNs worked with the devices we use the most, which was expected.
• Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox: PureVPN and NordVPN also had browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, if you prefer an extension to an app.

So, Which VPN Do We Recommend?

It’s rare that we can’t say which VPN is better overall, mainly because of PureVPN and NordVPN’s vast differences. So instead, we’re breaking down exactly who we think each VPN would be good for, starting with NordVPN.

However, steer clear of PureVPN if you want a super affordable two-year plan, fast speeds on Mac or support for proxy servers and NAS (and no, we’re not talking about the rapper). Are you wondering about things like free trials, cancellation and refund policies, and money-back guarantees? Dive into our NordVPN pricing and our PureVPN pricing pages, which go over all of the ins and outs when it comes to money. Another option is to check out our best VPN pages if neither sounds appealing. From the best VPNs for Android to the best VPNs for iPhone and everything in between, you’re sure to find one VPN you like that we’ve tested out.