NordVPN vs PureVPN: A Comparison in 2024

Our VPN experts agree that NordVPN is better than PureVPN for many use cases. Over the years, NordVPN has reliably unblocked streaming services like Netflix without lag. It’s also one of our preferred choices for browsing safely and anonymously online, even on public WiFi. NordVPN suffered a third-party server breach in 2018, but it handled it well. Read on for more details. 

Editor’s Choice

www.nordvpn.com

$3.09 / month

(save 73%) (All Plans)

Visit NordVPNReview

NordVPN and PureVPN protect your traffic using AES-256 encryption, one of the strongest encryptions available. It would take a hacker millions of years to crack it. These VPNs pair AES encryption with OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols. Both VPNs will choose your protocol by default, but you can switch to OpenVPN if you want a good combination of speed and security. 

IKEv2 is best for mobile devices because it offers stable connections when networks fluctuate. PureVPN offers the fast WireGuard protocol paired with the equally robust ChaCha20 encryption. NordVPN has a proprietary VPN protocol, NordLynx, which is built on WireGuard. These VPN protocols work well for streaming, gaming and other bandwidth-hungry activities. 

NordVPN and PureVPN offer a kill switch, which disables your internet connection when your VPN accidentally disconnects. That way, your IP address won’t leak if your VPN falters, whether due to an unstable internet connection or server failure.

NordVPN and PureVPN offer system-wide kill switches, which cut off your entire device from the internet unless you have an active VPN connection.

In addition, NordVPN offers an app-level kill switch, which lets you set up the kill switch for specific apps. For example, you can protect your torrenting client with the kill switch while browsing the internet like normal without interruptions. 

You can use both PureVPN and NordVPN on phones, laptops, tablets and routers — they have apps for all the major operating systems. Both VPN services are compatible with Windows, Android, iOS and macOS devices. NordVPN is high on our lists of the best VPN for iPhone and the best VPN for Samsung.

Linux users can set up NordVPN and PureVPN using the command-line interface on their Linux distro. The setup instructions are on the VPNs’ support pages. However, PureVPN is better for Linux because it offers a graphical user interface (GUI).

NordVPN and PureVPN also have browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge.

NordVPN and PureVPN work well with many streaming devices and TVs, including Android TVs, Samsung TVs and Fire Stick. Both services also support Apple TV’s native tvOS17 app, making them excellent picks for streaming on Apple TV HD and 4K. 

If PureVPN and NordVPN don’t have a native client for your device, connect the VPN and the device to your router. A router VPN will protect any device connected to the router. Both VPNs work with many router models and firmware, including DD-WRT, Linksys, Asus and Tomato. 

NordVPN and PureVPN allow you to watch all the major streaming services. During our tests, both services unblocked Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer. We were able to watch different Netflix libraries, including the American, British, Canadian, French and Japanese libraries. 

The table below lists the streaming platforms these VPNs can unblock.

Streaming App:

We experienced a few lags while streaming Netflix with PureVPN but didn’t experience any such issues while streaming with NordVPN. 

PureVPN and NordVPN offer dedicated IP addresses, which are unique IPs that can help you avoid CAPTCHAs and blocklists. Note that dedicated IPs are not part of your VPN subscription; they come at an extra cost — sometimes more than the cost of the VPN itself.

PureVPN’s dedicated IP costs $4.45 per month. NordVPN’s is slightly cheaper, at $3.69 per month. 

• NordVPN dedicated IP locations: the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark and Austria.
• PureVPN dedicated IP locations: the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Australia and Hong Kong.

PureVPN and NordVPN offer obfuscation, which can help you evade VPN-blocking firewalls and censorship in restrictive regimes. Obfuscation makes your VPN traffic seem like regular traffic, so prying eyes won’t know you’re using a VPN. 

PureVPN supports obfuscation that’s automatically activated when you select the OpenVPN protocol.

NordVPN has servers designated for obfuscation. These specialized servers are optimized to disguise your VPN traffic. NordVPN’s obfuscated servers are in Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy and the Netherlands. 

NordVPN and PureVPN both allow split tunneling on the Android apps, as well as on Android TV and Windows devices. This feature lets you route one part of your internet traffic through a VPN tunnel while the other goes directly to the internet. Letting all your internet traffic run through a VPN can slow down your internet connection.

NordVPN and PureVPN support app-level split tunneling, which means you can exclude or include specific apps in your VPN tunnel. Other VPNs, such as Surfshark, support URL/IP address-based split tunneling, but neither NordVPN nor PureVPN operates this way. 

NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, while PureVPN offers 31 days. A money-back guarantee is a must-have; it allows you to use the VPN and cancel without losing your money if you’re not satisfied. NordVPN easily earns a spot on our roundup of the best VPN free trials.

We are hesitant about recommending PureVPN’s money-back guarantee. Some of our VPN experts have reported difficulties getting a refund despite having canceled within 31 days. Our experts are not alone: On Reddit, many former PureVPN users have slammed it for not honoring its money-back guarantee.

In contrast, NordVPN fulfills its money-back guarantee if you request it within the 30-day refund window. We’ve tested it multiple times over the years and have always gotten our money back a few days after the request. 

You’ll enjoy faster speeds when browsing with NordVPN compared to PureVPN. All VPNs will reduce your speeds, but the fastest ones have a negligible impact. If you look through our VPN comparison charts, you’ll notice that NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs on the market. 

Download Speed (Higher is better)

Upload Speed (Higher is better)

Latency (Lower is better)

Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 10/08/24 to 11/05/24

Data for region: AllUSUKAUBRSASG

NordVPN maintained at least 90% of our initial download speeds in nearby and faraway locations. However, PureVPN only kept 73% of our initial download speeds in the closest location, and speeds fluctuated in distant locations. NordVPN’s better download speeds make it ideal for streaming, downloading large files, browsing social media and taking video calls.

In terms of upload speeds, PureVPN was hit-or-miss. It lost over 30% of our initial upload speeds in some locations. NordVPN performed more consistently, keeping 90% of our initial upload speeds. We recommend NordVPN for activities that require good upload speeds, such as video calls, live streaming and uploading files to cloud storage.

Our tests also showed that NordVPN has lower latency compared to PureVPN. NordVPN’s worldwide latency was 145 ms, while PureVPN’s average latency was over 300 ms. This suggests that NordVPN is better suited for fast online gaming. The lower your latency, the lower the chances of experiencing lags while gaming. 

NordVPN and PureVPN have similar VPN server counts: more than 6,000. However, NordVPN has a better server spread, covering 111 countries, while PureVPN has servers in only around 65 country locations. 

NordVPN offers more server locations than PureVPN in regions like Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. As a result, we recommend NordVPN over PureVPN if you need a VPN with a wide range of IP address options, which is perfect for vacationing or remote work while on the road. 

In theory, because NordVPN and PureVPN have similar server counts, it might seem like NordVPN’s wide server distribution could lead to congestion and slow servers. However, as you can see from the speed tests above, NordVPN is faster than PureVPN. 

NordSecurity owns NordVPN and Surfshark — another great VPN. So far, there haven’t been any records of NordSecurity being involved in shady dealings. In addition, the multiple VPNs it owns operate independently. 

PureVPN’s ownership is murky and suspicious. From our research, we can point to four companies that claim ownership of the service. PureVPN’s terms of service claim that GZ Systems Limited is the owner. However, when PureSquare was launched, Uzair Gazit stated that it would be a parent company of PureVPN. 

Gaditek, a product-based company, mentions PureVPN as one of its brands, but Disrupt.com, a startup accelerator co-founded by Gazit, also claims the service. This messy tangle of ownership and lack of transparency suggests that there could be some underhand dealings. 

NordVPN operates out of its headquarters in Panama, while PureVPN is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. Both are privacy-friendly jurisdictions with no data retention laws. In addition, neither country is part of the Five, Nine or 14 Eyes Alliances, a series of data-sharing arrangements where partner countries can violate civil rights by sharing intelligence.

NordVPN offers double VPN servers, but PureVPN doesn’t. You might need double VPN servers if you’re an activist, a journalist, an informant or someone who wants to be doubly sure that governments can’t track your movements. A double VPN routes your traffic through two servers instead of one, adding an extra layer of encryption to your traffic. 

NordVPN offers double VPN servers in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, Taiwan, Sweden, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

NordVPN offers Meshnet, which lets users establish secure connections with their other devices. Through Meshnet, you can connect up to 60 devices and access them remotely, regardless of location. You can also share files and collaborate on projects, making it ideal for people who work on the road. 

Meshnet lets you set up multiplayer games and play with people from all over the world. It also has security benefits: Connected devices can act as a VPN server, enabling you to switch your IP address. PureVPN offers no analog to Meshnet.

NordVPN and PureVPN state in their privacy policies that they don’t log information that can be traced back to you, such as your IP address, connection logs or browsing history. Both providers collect your name, email address and payment details, but these details are standard fare to render services. 

PureVPN has a checkered privacy history. In 2017, the VPN service handed over a user’s details to the FBI despite claiming not to log identifiable user information. Though PureVPN revised its privacy policy to become a no-logs VPN provider, the incident has left a stain on PureVPN’s privacy credentials.

Since then, PureVPN claims to have taken steps to restore users’ confidence in its service. In our PureVPN review, we noted it claimed that Altius IT and KPMG audited and verified its logging policy. 

However, our editorial team does not consider Altius to be a reputable firm (none of the clients on its list actually mention it anywhere on their own sites), and the PureVPN site no longer mentions KPMG on its website. PureVPN now claims to have an “always-on” audit, but this is not practical since audits require extensive preparation. 

In contrast, NordVPN has a trustworthy audit history. PricewaterhouseCoopers first audited and verified its logging policy in 2018. NordVPN has been audited three more times over the last few years, with the latest conducted by Deloitte in 2023. Its VPN apps have been found to be safe and secure every time.

Unlike PureVPN, NordVPN runs a RAM-only server network, which erases all user data with every reboot. This adds an extra layer of privacy, ensuring that even if authorities seize NordVPN’s data or hackers break in, there’ll be nothing to see. Because of PureVPN’s shady history and NordVPN’s RAM-only servers, we consider NordVPN better for privacy. 

NordVPN provides better customer support than PureVPN. First, its knowledgebase is more comprehensive, with detailed FAQs, setup guides and annotated troubleshooting guides. In addition, NordVPN has an extensive YouTube channel with more than 900 videos that can address your issue and answer your questions. 

In addition, during our tests, NordVPN’s email support agents responded faster than PureVPN’s. We got a response from NordVPN within four hours of our query, whereas PureVPN’s reply came the next day. Similarly, NordVPN’s live chat agents were swift and responsive, whereas PureVPN’s agents kept us waiting for minutes.