PureVPN vs NordVPN (2022): Which is the Better Choice?

For the most part, NordVPN and PureVPN are equally matched in most aspects. In terms of unblocking, both successfully bypass geo-restrictions on famous VoDs and streaming platforms. But NordVPN performed more consistently during my tests.

With PureVPN, I recommend unblocking BBC iPlayer. It is not a reliable VPN to bypass the geo-restrictions on Netflix.

I am still waiting to test a VPN service that offers the same unblocking capabilities as NordVPN, particularly via their browser extension, as that is quite a unique selling point. With NordVPN, you can even get a list of “working” servers from the support team. However, I did test servers excluding those, and NordVPN still worked smoothly with many streaming services.

China

Since PureVPN has its headquarters in the British Virgin Islands, it works better for both: Chinese expats and those residing in the country. However, it does not offer a dedicated Chinese page.

NordVPN, on the other hand, does offer a Chinese page that allows residents in the country for accessing their apps and subscribe to a suitable payment plan.

NordVPN users in China can download NordVPN from here: http://nord-for-zh.com/

Torrenting

NordVPN boasts a neat and clean appearance, across all its native apps. They boast a similar appearance with just a few design tweaks on different platforms and devices. For instance, the Windows app launches by displaying a dynamic map. Whereas the Mac even offers the ability to select servers by region and country.

Both apps nevertheless offer a “specialty” panel, where you choose servers for specific tasks like getting a dedicated IP, indulging in P2P/file sharing, and enabling DoubleVPN.

Clicking on “Settings” will further provide you with a list of features you can enable/disable. These include Invisibility on LAN, Internet Kill Switch, and the infamous CyberSec.

NordVPN has a sleek app interface on all its apps.

On the other hand, PureVPN utilizes a different design for their desktop and smaller-screen counterparts. The interface on Windows and Mac is larger and offers a myriad of options.

The best thing about PureVPN’s desktop apps though is that they are catered to rookie and expert users. You have plenty of configuration options helping techies get the desired security.

Conversely, rookies have the ability to leverage protection based on different modes like streaming, file sharing unblocking, browsing, etc. Select one that best suits your needs.

Mobile versions are more clutter-free but do not compromise on features. Similarly, browser extensions adopt a compact design, but can unblock Netflix directly within the browser!

Servers: PureVPN vs NordVPN

	NordVPN	PureVPN
Server Countries	59+	78
Total Number of Servers	5600+	6500+

NordVPN used to host the largest server network up till a few months ago. If we compare NordVPN and PureVPN, then PureVPN has a larger server network. Check out our detailed PureVPN review and NordVPN review for more details.

Speed Test: PureVPN vs NordVPN

Winner: NordVPN

NordVPN is faster than PureVPN.

I tested on my 100 Mbps internet connection and used Ookla to determine each VPN’s speed. The NordVPN speed test shows that it rarely buffers. I experienced no trouble streaming in Ultra HD or getting maximum speeds while torrenting. When choosing a VPN, speed is an important factor.

However, PureVPN gives you an option to improve speeds by reducing the encryption to AES 128-bit from AES 256-bit. But I’d suggest gaming with NordVPN because it offers faster connection speeds.

I recorded super-fast connection speeds while connected to NordVPN:

NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs I have tested to date.

With PureVPN, I got the following connection speed:

PureVPN delivers decent connection speeds on most of its servers.

I also tested the connection speed on different server locations and recorded the following:

	NordVPN	PureVPN
USA	88.48 Mbps	72.46 Mbps
UK	90.23 Mbps	82.31 Mbps
Germany	89.42 Mbps	87.22 Mbps
Australia	91.23 Mbps	76.43 Mbps

NordVPN and PureVPN speeds are excellent, but NordVPN performed faster in my speed tests.

Security: PureVPN vs NordVPN

Winner: NordVPN

	NordVPN	PureVPN
VPN Protocols	PPTP, L2TP, IKEv2, OpenVPN	PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, IKEv2, OpenVPN
OpenVPN Data Encryption	AES-256	AES-256
OpenVPN Control Channel Encryption	RSA-2048	RSA-4096
Cloaking Technology	Available	None
Extra Protection	Double-Hop Routes and Onion over VPN	Split Tunneling and NAT Firewall
App Security	Kill Switch, Wi-Fi, DNS/WebRTC/IP Leak Protection	Kill Switch and DNS/WebRTC/ IP Leak Protection
DNS Status	PrivateDNS	Private DNS

NordVPN offers support for all updated protocols, including IKEV2, L2TP, and the industry-standard OpenVPN. It uses AES-256-CBC ciphers with HMAc SHA256 on the data channel.

For its control channel, NordVPN uses the same encryption and authentication above, with the inclusion of RSA-2048. Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) is set up using the strong DHE-4096 key exchange.

Their mobile apps, on the other hand, particularly iOS use IKEv2 with AES-256-GCM cipher and HMAC SHA2-384 data authentication. PFE is provided by a DHE-3075 exchange.

PureVPN, on the other hand, adds SSTP and IKEv2, to the list of supported protocols. SSTP is mostly used on Windows devices and IKEv2 is a useful addition for mobile devices.

It utilizes AES-256-CBC cipher with HMAC SHA1 hash authentication for the data channel and AES-256-CBC cipher with  HMAC SHA384 hash authentication and RSA-4096 handshake encryption for the control channel. Despite the NordVPN scandal, it is still better in security.

Privacy: PureVPN vs NordVPN

	NordVPN	PureVPN
Headquarters	Panama	British Virgin Islands
Connection Logs	None	None
Activity Logs	None	None
Sign Up Information	Email Address	Email Address
Anonymous Payment Methods	Monero, Dash, Gridcoin, Rpple, ZCaas, Ehterum, Litecoin, Bitcoin	Various Crpytocurrencies

NordVPN and PureVPN both have their headquarters in safe jurisdictions, away from the prying eyes of the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes Alliances that indulge in Mass Surveillance.

Where NordVPN is located in the highly secure Panama, PureVPN has its HQ in British Virgin Islands. Both locations are free from mandatory data retention and invasive laws.

As such, you can expect them to be more defensive than those VPNs, located in the US, Canada, Australia, etc, which have to comply with gag orders and requests from the government.

With regards to anonymous payment methods, NordVPN accepts Monero, Dash, Gridcoin, Rpple, ZCaas, Ehterum, Litecoin, Bitcoin, and others, while PureVPN approves and adds more options to the list.

Configurations: PureVPN vs NordVPN

	NordVPN	PureVPN
Address Allocation	Shared/Static	Shared/Static
DDoS Protection	Yes	None
NAT Firewall	Yes	Yes

For configurations, NordVPN and PureVPN both support dynamic and static IP addresses. Where Nord offers more in the way of locations, Pure adds extra security features.

For instance, NordVPN dedicated IPs are available in some locations. PureVPN is currently only offering static IPs and adds DDoS protection.

Dedicated IPs are available as an add-on, meaning you will have to pay extra for them, with features like DDoS protection costing you more.

Customer Service: PureVPN vs NordVPN

Winner: Tie

	NordVPN	PureVPN
Video Guides	Yes	Yes
Searchable Knowledge Base	Yes	Yes
Email Support	Yes	Yes
Average Email Response Time	30 Minutes	39 Minutes
Ticket Support	Yes	Yes
Live Chat Support	Yes	Yes

Both NordVPN and PureVPN have prompt customer support with a 24/7 chat support feature. Besides the real-time support, you will also find comprehensive how-to tutorials and troubleshooting guides on each VPN’s official website. Both VPN services go the extra mile in offering customers amazing support for technical and general queries. They support live chat, email, and a ticket system.

At the same time, they offer a dedicated troubleshooting page along with FAQs for helping users receive instant support for their questions if the live chat is unavailable.

I tested the live chat feature of PureVPN and NordVPN at different time intervals and got instant responses. You can also contact the support team any time and get quick fixes.

For PureVPN, I questioned about a server to stream different Netflix libraries and got a reply within a minute. The support agent asked me a few questions before suggesting the best possible solution. I tried the recommended solution and it worked.

PureVPN has an exceptional support team with sufficient knowledge.

For NordVPN support, I went for a general query and they responded almost immediately. I was connected to a live support agent who was extremely prompt with the response.

NordVPN has a prompt support team that instantly caters to your queries.

I even conducted a test on the response times from each provider on email support. The process included sending both providers four questions via email. See the statics for each VPN below:

NordVPN

Question	Initial Response Time	Number of Emails	Question Answered
Does NordVPN work with Netflix?	12 Minutes	1	Yes
Is NordVPN good for torrenting?	40 Minutes	1	Yes
What encryption does NordVPN use?	38 Minutes	1	Yes
How to activate NordVPN’s obfuscated servers?	30 Minutes	1	Yes