Choosing the right commercial VPN provider is critical in achieving your goal of enhancing your online privacy. 

It’s critical because if you choose the wrong one, you may make things worse rather than better for yourself on that front.

Unfortunately, with all the VPN marketing plastered across the Web, it can be difficult to assess the differences between VPN providers. 

So in this post, we compare PureVPN and NordVPN to see which one tops the other.

Name	NordVPN	PureVPN
Rating	8.5/10	6.5/10
User Friendliness Score	9	7
General features
Price per month (cheapest)	$3.71	$3.33
Simultaneous Connections	6	10
Servers	5460	2000
Countries	59	140
Allows torrenting / P2P	Yes	Yes
Streaming
Netflix	Yes	Yes
Hulu	Yes	Yes
Amazon Prime	Yes	Yes
Disney+	Yes	Yes
Security
Supports TOR	Yes	No
Split Tunneling	Yes	Yes
Router Support	Yes	Yes
Unlimited bandwidth	Yes	Yes
Refund Period	30 Days	31 Days
Free trial	No	No
Desktop Operating Software	Windows, MacOS, Linux	Windows, MacOS, Linux
Mobile Apps	iOS, Android	iOS, Android
Browser Extensions	Yes	Yes
VPN Protocols	IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard	IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP
Encryption	AES-256	AES-256
DNS Leak Protection	Yes	Yes
VPN Kill-switch	Yes	Yes
Rent/Own Infrastructure	Both	Own
Hacked	Yes	No
Malware/Ad Blocker	Yes	No
Privacy
Logging Policy	No-logging Policy	No-logging Policy
Privacy Policy	Good	Good, but we don't fully trust they conform to their policies.
Jurisdiction	Panama	Hong Kong
Out of 14 eyes	Yes	Yes
Warrant Canary	Yes	No
Accepts Cryptocurrency	Yes	No
Sign-up Information Required	Only Valid Email	Valid Email and name
Speed (average)
Avg. Ping NY	142.5 ms	162.33 ms
Avg. Download NY	Over a 60 Mbps Network (Download): 65.77 Mbps	Over a 100 Mbps Network (Download): 75.22 Mbps
Avg. Upload NY	Over a 30 Mbps Network (Upload): 22.90 Mbps	Over a 30 Mbps Network (Upload): 28.25 Mbps

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1. Speed

Speed is critical to Internet users, whether on a VPN or not. But when shopping for a VPN provider, the speed you can get over the VPN is even more important. 

VPNs create overhead which impacts your connection speed. Obviously, the lower the impact, the better. 

Let’s take a look at how PureVPN and NordVPN compare on speed. 

PureVPN

Tested on a 100Mbps (Download) and 30Mbps (Upload) network

Server: U.S.A., New York

Average Download Speed: 75.22Mbps

Average Upload Speed: 28.25Mbps

NordVPN

Tested on a 60Mbps (Download) and 30Mbps (Upload) network

Server: U.S.A., New York

Average Download Speed: 65.77Mbps

Average Upload Speed: 22.89Mbps

Again, we’re looking at the difference between the speed allocated by my ISPand the VPN speed. And on this front, the numbers tell a simple story: NordVPN performs better than Pure VPN.

Though it’s probably due to network volatility, NordVPN is going above my official ISP speed. Whereas with PureVPN, we’re losing a quarter of our connection speed. It’s not horrible, it’s just not as good as NordVPN.

NordVPN also does better on upload.

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2. User-Friendliness

VPNs are no longer a niche product for geeks and techies – they’ve gone mainstream. Because of that, the service’s user-friendliness is more important than ever

Both providers offer native apps for a large number of platforms (though PureVPN supports just a few more than Nord) and they both supply Chrome and Firefox browser extensions.

As far as simultaneous connections are concerned, NordVPN allows up to 6simultaneous connections. And PureVPN allows up to 10.

So it would seem that PureVPN should get the point here, right? 

However, I much prefer NordVPN’s app design and layout over PureVPN’s rather confusing interface. 

Also, I’m not a fan of their empty security marketing plastered all over the app, nor am I a fan of their in-app advertising – for themselves.

Another downer for PureVPN – and we’ll discuss this further in the Privacy Policy section – their apps are riddled with trackers. That’s right, a privacy company is using third-party trackers in their apps. Not. Good.

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3. Streaming

Streaming over a VPN allows you to bypass geo-restrictions and circumvent ISP throttling. 

But as certain streaming services have started banning VPNs from their service – yes, Netflix, we’re looking at you – unblocking Netflix has also become a major feature in the VPN industry.

Both PureVPN and NordVPN are streaming-friendly and they both state they can unblock Netflix. Also, both NordVPN and PureVPN have a dedicated webpage explaining how to unblock Netflix.

And they both succeed in unblocking the streaming service, as I wrote in my Netflix reviews of NordVPN and PureVPN. And they both provide optimal streaming conditions: no lag, no buffering, no freezing.

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4. Security & Encryption

Let’s look at the different VPN protocols supported by each provider.

PureVPN supports: 

• PPTP
• IPSec
• L2TP/IPSec
• IKEv2/IPSec
• OpenVPN
• SSTP

NordVPN supports:

• IKEv2
• OpenVPN
• WireGuard (called NordLynx with NordVPN)

Both providers support AES-256, which is the industry-standard cipher. AES-256 is considered secure with no known vulnerabilities. WireGuard, however, more modern ciphers that are deemed very secure (maybe even more) as well.

While we’re glad that both providers only support secure ciphers, PureVPN also supports weak and obsolete protocols, like L2TP/IPSec and PPTP. 

I believe weak protocols should be phased out and should not be supported by a VPN provider that takes security seriously. Supporting weak protocols may put greener users at risk.

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5. Logs & Privacy

Both providers put forth strong no-logging policies. Let’s see how they communicate this in their privacy policies?

Here’s an excerpt of NordVPN’s privacy policy:

“NordVPN guarantees a strict no-logs policy for NordVPN services, meaning that your activities using NordVPN Services are provided by automated technical process, are not monitored, recorded, logged, stored or passed to any third party. We do not store connection time stamps, session information, used bandwidth, traffic logs, IP addresses or other data. From the moment a NordVPN.com user turns on the NordVPN.com software, their Internet data becomes encrypted. Any online traffic coming from user’s device is no longer visible to ISP, third-party snoopers or cyber criminals. Further, NordVPN have a strict no logs policy when it comes to seeing user activity online: NordVPN is based in Panama, which does not require data storage.” 

Very clear. Detailed. And ticks all the boxes for a no-logging VPN provider.

Here’s an excerpt from PureVPN’s privacy policy:

"We DO NOT keep any record of your browsing activities, connection logs, records of the VPN IPs assigned to you, your original IPs, your connection time, the history of your browsing, the sites you visited, your outgoing traffic, the content or data you accessed, or the DNS queries generated by you.” 

Also clear and detailed enough. But, again, PureVPN has a precedent for spying on its users. They can claim they do not log as much as they want, but they sound a bit like the boy who cried wolf…

And yes, NordVPN had one of their servers hacked, in 2018. But again, I’ll take an accidental hack over intentional spying any day.

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6. Pricing

Let’s look at pricing now. Here are the different packages, prices, and accepted payment methods for NordVPN and PureVPN:

PureVPN

Visit PureVPN (7 day trial)

PureVPN offers four subscriptions as well:

• 0.99 USD – 7-Day
• 10.95 USD – 1 Month
• 49.98 USD – 6 Months (8.33 USD per month)
• 77.88 USD – 1 Year (6.49 USD per month)

Payment Methods

• Credit card
• PayPal

However, the yearly plan is not advertised on their website. The 7-day trial is converted into a yearly plan unless it’s canceled before it expires.

NordVPN

Visit NordVPN (save 70%)

NordVPN offers four different subscriptions:

• 11.95 USD for one month of service
• 83.88 USD for one year of service (works out to 6.99 USD per month)
• 119.76 USD for two years of service (works out to 4.99 USD per month) ***This subscription is currently on sale at 83.76 USD for two years, making it the same price as the three-year plan, below.
• 125.64 USD for three years of service (works out to 3.49 USD per month)

Payment Methods

• Credit Card
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• Amazon Pay
• Union Pay
• Cryptocurrencies

So aside from the monthly plan, PureVPN is more expensive than NordVPN across the board.

As far as payment methods are concerned, NordVPN blows PureVPN out of the water. PureVPN only accepts credit cards and PayPal. No cash. No cryptocurrencies. Not good.

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7. Torrenting

The torrenting category may be a close one because both providers essentially offer the same thing.

They both provide dedicated P2P servers which are indicated within their respective apps.

I tested torrenting with both providers and I had absolutely no issues over either network. Fast downloads without lag. All good here.

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8. Other Features

Let’s take a look at other aspects of their respective services that differentiate these two providers.

• NordVPN provides Tor over VPN servers
• NordVPN provides an ad & tracker blocker
• NordVPN supports WireGuard
• NordVPN was hacked in 2018

• PureVPN spied on its users in 2017

Standout Features

NordVPN

• Onion Over VPN: NordVPN supplies dedicated VPN servers that will route your traffic over the Tor network after the VPN connection is made. This provides you with enhanced security and anonymity because Tor will bounce your traffic over several locations – usually four to six – before sending it off to its destination. Do keep in mind that using Tor can dramatically slow down your connection.
• WireGuard Support: WireGuard is the latest development in VPN protocols, which has just come out of Beta and has been merged into Linux kernel version 5.6. WireGuard is faster, more secure through the use of very modern ciphers, and has lower overhead than other secure VPN protocols like IKEv2 and OpenVPN. We’re looking forward to seeing more VPN providers support WireGuard.

PureVPN

• Spied on their users at the request of law enforcement: This is an odd one, no? It is. But it’s the only thing left to set these two VPN providers apart. There are simply no “extra” features offered by PureVPN that aren’t available with NordVPN. In fact, it’s the other way around: Nord supports many more features than PureVPN while being less expensive. And, again, the trust deficit of having a privacy company breach the trust of their users so blatantly is not recoverable, no matter how many times you throw your no-logging policy in people’s faces. I cannot recommend a VPN provider with this kind of history – but hey, at least it sets them apart… 🙂

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Conclusion: PureVPN vs NordVPN

So who wins? 

We had eight categories:

• Speed – (NordVPN)
• User-friendliness – (NordVPN)
• Streaming – (Tie)
• Logs and Privacy –  (NordVPN)
• Pricing – (NordVPN)
• Torrenting – (Tie)
• Other Features – (NordVPN)

The winner in each category is awarded one point. And in case of a tie, both providers get a point.

So that’s 8 points for NordVPN and 2 points for PureVPN. 

It’s not a close one. Nor does it deserve to be. 

NordVPN is the better provider and with good reason. PureVPN never exceeds NordVPN on anything. At best, they’re on par with NordVPN in certain categories.

NordVPN is recommended. PureVPN is not.

PureVPN

Go With PureVPN if:

• You’re not all that concerned with security & privacy
• You enjoy paying more for less
• You simply want a VPN to unblock Netflix

Visit PureVPN (7 day trial)

NordVPN

Go With NordVPN if:

• You want an included ad & tracker blocker
• You want to use Tor with your VPN
• You want a VPN provider that won’t spy on you(

Visit NordVPN (save 70%) 

For more information on these two VPN providers, check out our NordVPN review and our PureVPN review.

Thanks for reading!