PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN Comparison: Get The Best One in 2023!

Last updated: November 29, 2023
William Sams
William Sams
Windscribe is a growing service, but can it compete with the might of PureVPN? To settle this, check out this PureVPN Vs Windscribe comparison!
PureVPN-vs-Windscribe

Where PureVPN stands tall as a reputed “premium” provider in the industry, Windscribe follows a “freemium” model and ranks as a strong “free” service with paid plans as well.

Which service is better though? To find out, read this in-depth Windscribe Vs PureVPN comparison analysis.

Both providers PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN are tested and compared considering the major factors such as speed, security, privacy, streaming support, customer support, ease of use, and more.

So without any further ado, let’s start with a quick overview.

PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN: Quick Overview – 2023

Factors PureVPN Windscribe
Trustpilot Rating 4.7 4.8
Servers 6,500+ servers in 78 countries 170 servers in 63 countries
Encryption AES 256-bit AES 256-bit
No-Logs Policy Yes (Independent audit by AltiusIT) Yes (No third-party audits yet)
Kill Switch Yes Yes
Split Tunneling Yes Yes
VPN Protocols WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2/IPSec IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard, Wstunnel, Stealth
Compatible Devices Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
Simultaneous Connections 10 Unlimited
Pricing $1.99/mo. (2-year plan) $5.75/mo. (1-year plan)
Coupons COUPONPEEPS (10% Off on 2-Year Plan) NERDWRITER (75% Off)
Trial & Money-Back Guarantee 7-Day Paid Trial & 31-Day Money-Back Guarantee 7-Day Free Trial & 3-Day Refund
Payment Mode Credit/Debit Cards, PayPal, CoinGate, Payment Wall Credit/Debit Cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, Payment Wall
Streaming Services Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and more Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, YouTube TV, and more
Support Services Live Chat, FAQs, Knowledge Base, Ticketing, Setup Guides Knowledge Base, FAQs, Setup Guides, Ticketing, Talk to Garry, Subreddit
Winner PureVPN

For more information, visit our dedicated guides; PureVPN review USA and Windscribe review!

PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Find the Best One for 2023!

  1. Jurisdiction
  2. Prices and Discounts
  3. Important Features
  4. Netflix & Unblocking Other Streaming Capabilities
  5. Setup and User Interface
  6. Servers
  7. Security
  8. Logging and Privacy
  9. Configuration
  10. Customer Service
  11. P2P and Torrenting
  12. Device Compatibility

1. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Jurisdiction

PureVPN Windscribe
British Virgin Islands Canada

PureVPN is located in the privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands, while Windscribe is based in Canada, which is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance Group.

It is clear that PureVPN wins in this category as the provider is headquartered in a region where data retention laws are flexible and no members of the 14 Eyes Alliance can reach it.

Winner in Jurisdiction

PureVPN

2. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN Prices and Discounts

In terms of pricing, both PureVPN and Windscribe tend to be budget-friendly providers. The latter also makes available a free plan for users to leverage.

PureVPN Windscribe
Subscription Period 1 Month Free
1 Year 1 Month
2 Years 1 Year
Special offer 73% Off on a 2-Year Plan 54% Off on a 1-Year Plan
Highest price per month $10.95 $9.00
Lowest price per month $1.99 $5.75
One-Year Price $38.95 $69
Money-Back Guarantee 31-Days 3-Days

Get This Best Deal for PureVPN: Save 82% on their 2-year special

Get This Best Deal for Windscribe: Save 54% on their 1-year special

Mode of Payment

PureVPN: Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Payment Wall, PayPal

Windscribe: Credit/Debit Cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, Payment Wall

Money Back Guarantee

As far as the money-back guarantee is concerned, PureVPN offers a 31-day refund guarantee. Meanwhile, Windscribe only offers a 3-day refund (which cannot be availed if you use up the 10GB limit).

However, Windscribe offers a 7-day free trial. There is no PureVPN free trial but the provider offers a 7-day paid trial which costs $0.99.

Winner in Prices and Discounts

PureVPN

3. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Important Features

PureVPN Windscribe
Simultaneous Connections 10 Unlimited
Operating System Apps Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and Fire TV Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Fire TV
Manual Install Devices Linux, Routers, Set-Top Boxes Routers, TVs, and more
Split Tunneling Yes Yes
Kill Switch Yes Yes
Smart DNS Yes Yes (Costs Extra)
Free Extras Official Kodi addon, ad-blocker, malware-scanner, browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox R.O.B.E.R.T., Config Generators, ScribeForce, Split Tunneling, DoubleHop

PureVPN vs Windscribe, both offer their own unique set of features. These allow users to receive more security and protection online for all internet-related activities.

If we talk about app compatibility, both VPNs have native clients for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Fire TV, Android/Apple TVs.

PureVPN adds to this list a dedicated extension for Kodi. As far as router support is concerned, you have manual setup guides for setting up both providers on Tomato or DD-WRT devices. Check out how to use PureVPN for different devices.

Where PureVPN is the best VPN with multiple connections on 5 devices only, Windscribe supports unlimited multi-logins giving it an edge over other providers in the marketplace.

As far as extra features are concerned, PureVPN offers NAT Firewall, Split Tunneling, Ad/Tracker blocking, IPv6 Leak Protection, Port Forwarding, Kill Switch, DDoS Protection, and dedicated IPs.

Windscribe, on the other hand, gives users access to R.O.B.E.R.T., config generators, ScribeForce (Team accounts), port forwarding, split tunneling, and DoubleHop.

Winner in Features Comparison

PureVPN

4. Windscribe VPN vs PureVPN – Netflix & Unblocking Other Streaming Capabilities

PureVPN Windscribe
Netflix Yes Yes
Hulu Yes Yes
Sky Go Yes No
Amazon Prime Yes Yes
BBC iPlayer Yes Yes
ABS Yes No
CBS Yes No
NBC Yes Yes
ITV Yes Yes
Channel 4 Yes Yes

In terms of unblocking, both VPNs were decent in unblocking the major platforms. However, PureVPN proved to be quite the remarkable “unblocker.”

PureVPN could easily unblock services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Voot, Hotstar, Disney Plus with the first server I connected.

Windscribe, on the other hand, failed to unblock platforms like ABS, CBS, and Sky Go. The streaming sites it did manage to unblock, I had to encounter problems of inconsistency, downtimes, and detection of proxy/VPN errors, which was quite frustrating.

Conversely, PureVPN managed to unblock all platforms with flying colors. In fact, all of their apps come equipped with a “popular websites” option.

The best part of all: the performance stays consistent even on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser extensions, a feat that not even the best in the industry have achieved so far!

China & Internet Restricted Countries

China takes blocking VPNs quite seriously. As such, “The Great Firewall” employs numerous technologies and algorithms to stop expats/residents from bypassing geo-restrictions.

Sadly, Windscribe failed at offering any incentives to either audience. The Canadian-based provider has no mirror website to download their apps in the country and neither does it have Chinese servers.

PureVPN, on the other hand, offers obfuscated servers which is a specially-designed feature for using a VPN in heavily restricted regions like China.

The VPN doesn’t offer servers in China, but you can use it in the country to access foreign content with its highly-optimized servers, which is still quite an achievement, as many providers fail at providing access to a VPN in China.

However, make sure you download and install the VPN service beforehand, as China doesn’t allow VPN websites to run inside its jurisdiction.

Winner in Working for China & Internet Restricted Countries

PureVPN

5. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Setup and User Interface

PureVPN Windscribe
Automatic Setup Wizard Windows, Mac, Android, iOS Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Main Location Selection List-based List-based
Extra Settings Pages Yes Yes
Mobile Friendly Yes Yes
Desktop Friendly Yes Yes

PureVPN supports all popular platforms/devices. In terms of user interface, all of their apps tend to be incredibly easy to use and cater to both: rookie and tech-y VPN users.

All apps adopt a list-based location selection menu and you also have different modes available like p2p/file sharing, streaming, unblocking, etc. for connecting to relevant servers.

The mobile apps also have the same set of features but tend to be different in appearance. They boast a darker design and UI, but one that is incredibly user-friendly.

PureVPN interface-in-USA

As compared to PureVPN, Windscribe’s apps feature a more compact interface and styling; one that stays consistent on all of their apps for different devices/platforms.

There is not much visible difference between the desktop/laptop and smartphone applications, as their color theme, accessibility, and navigations are pretty much identical.

Just the size of the VPN clients varies device-to-device and platform to platform. For instance, browser extensions boast an even more minimalistic appearance.

Winner in Setup and User Interface

PureVPN

6. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Servers

PureVPN Windscribe
Server Countries 78+ 63
Total Number of Servers 6,500+ 170+

As compared to PureVPN, the Canadian-based Windscribe falls awfully short in “server numbers”. In fact, their network infrastructure is among the smallest.

You only have access to 170+ servers in 60 countries worldwide. This poor server count results in speed issues caused by user load on different servers.

PureVPN, on the other hand, boasts a large listing of 6500 servers in 78 countries worldwide, granting more functionality to users in different countries.

In fact, the British Virgin Islands-based VPN has the largest number of countries supported in terms of servers, which is quite a feat for a provider that is budget-friendly.

Speed Comparison

PureVPN Windscribe
Speed Loss 8.07% 30.75%

To get a better idea on the performance of both providers, I conducted a speed analysis. This process required the testing of different servers from both providers on a myriad of aspects.

These include streaming on sites like Netflix, browse the internet, downloading torrenting files, or playing online games. For the task, we picked up 4 random servers from PureVPN and Windscribe.

In bare speed tests on a 100 Mbps connection, PureVPN managed to deliver an average of 91.03 Mbps in downloads, indicating a speed loss of 8.07%.

purevpn speed-in-USA

Windscribe, on the other hand, delivered mediocre speed averaging 69.25 Mbps. This indicates a speed loss of over 30%, which is a big margin that helped us pick the winner between the two easily.

windscribe speed-in-USA

Winner in Servers and Speed

PureVPN

7. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Security

PureVPN Windscribe
VPN Protocols L2TP/IPSec, IPSec, IKEv2/IPSec, OpenVPN, WireGuard IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard, Wstunnel, Stealth
OpenVPN Data Encryption AES-256-CBC AES-256-CBC
OpenVPN Control Channel Encryption RSA-4096 RSA-4096
Cloaking Technology None None
App Security Kill Switch and DNS Leak Protection Kill Switch and DNS Leak Protection
DNS Status Private DNS Private DNS

PureVPN supports a great variety of protocols. These include L2TP/IPSec, IPSec, IKEv2/IPSec, OpenVPN, and WireGuard to give users of all kinds freedom of choice.

As default though, PureVPN deploys the OpenVPN protocol on all devices, with the exception of iOS devices that use the IKEv2 protocol for faster speeds and security.

For encryption, the provider utilizes AES-256-CBC cipher with HMAC SHA1 hash authentication for the data channel, which is quite impressive and highly secure.

Meanwhile, it deploys the AES-256-CBC cipher with HMAC SHA384 hash authentication and RSA-4096 handshake encryption for the control channel.

Windscribe, on the other hand, only supports the IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard, Wstunnel, and Stealth protocol on all of its devices. As a default, all of its apps use OpenVPN.

For encryption, Windscribe uses AES-256 ciphers coupled with SHA-512 authentication and the strongest 4096-bit RSA key for handshaking –  in addition to supporting Perfect Forward Secrecy using Diffie Hellman (DHE).

To get a better idea on the app security, I conducted a leak test on PureVPN and Windscribe. The process involved the usage of 6 different tools to check for;

WebRTC and HTTP Request Leaks

DNS Leaks

IPv4/IPv6 and Torrent IP Leaks

Both PureVPN and Windscribe managed to clear the tests from the 6 different tools above and did not reveal our original IP, DNS, or WebRTC information.

Winner in Security

Tie

8. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Logging and Privacy

PureVPN Windscribe
Headquarters British Virgin Islands Canada
Connection Logs None None
Activity Logs None None
Sign Up Information Email Address Email Address
Anonymous Payment Methods Various Cryptocurrencies Only Bitcoin

In terms of privacy, deciding the winner does not actually take long. PureVPN has its headquarters in the safe British Virgin Islands, whereas Windscribe is based in Canada.

As you probably know, Canada is a founding member of the Five Eyes Alliance, which indulges in intelligence sharing by imposing mandatory mass surveillance and data retention laws.

Therefore, it may not be a good option exactly to sign up with Windscribe, despite them claiming to be a “zero logs” provider. They will have to comply with their country’s laws!

Windscribe has also not undergone an audit of its no-logs policy. Meanwhile, PureVPN has recently joined the ranks by getting its service audited by AltiusIT.

Winner in Logging and Privacy

PureVPN

9. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Configuration

PureVPN Windscribe
Address Allocation Shared/Static Shared/Static
Static IPs 7 Countries 13 Locations
DDoS Protection Yes No
NAT Firewall Yes Yes

Both PureVPN and Windscribe support a shared/static infrastructure to meet the varied demands of their customers. Albeit, the availability of IPs varies by provider.

Windscribe has dedicated IPs in a limited 13 locations with most of them being distributed in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

PureVPN, on the other hand, has static IPs in 7 countries with a higher count. Countries supported include US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Malta, and Singapore.

PureVPN dedicated IPs-in-USA

Winner in Configuration

Tie

10. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Customer Service

PureVPN Windscribe
Video Guides Yes Yes
Searchable Knowledge Base  Yes Yes
Phone Support No No
Email Support Yes Yes
Average Email Response Time 39 Minutes 45 Minutes
Ticket Support Yes Yes
Live Chat Support Yes No

PureVPN and Windscribe both offer support in the form of live chat, video guides, knowledge base, FAQs, email, and tickets. All of these are good options to receive support.

The second-best option for most is email support. So, I went a little further with my testing to analyze the response times from both providers as well.

Below you can see the stats of both providers on the basis of four different questions.

PureVPN Customer Service

Question Initial Response Time Number of Emails Question Answered
Is PureVPN good for Torrenting? 25 Minutes 1 Yes
Does PureVPN work with Netflix? 39 Minutes 1 Yes
Can I Install PureVPN on LibreELEC 50 Minutes 1 Yes
How to setup PureVPN on Firestick? 44 Minutes 1 Yes

Windscribe Customer Service

Question Initial Response Time Number of Emails Question Answered
Does Windscribe hide your IP? 42 Minutes 1 Yes
Is Windscribe good for gaming? 1 Hour 1 Yes
Does Windscribe work with Netflix? 37 Minutes 1 Yes
Does Windscribe have a kill switch? 40 Minutes 1 Yes

Winner in Customer Service

PureVPN

11. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – P2P and Torrenting

PureVPN Windscribe
P2P servers 35+ location servers Unknown
Avg. speed while torrenting 87.23 Mbps 54.87 Mbps

PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN both support P2P and torrenting – however, PureVPN offers better speeds while torrenting. There is a “P2P” tab available in the PureVPN app from which you can easily connect to a P2P-optimized server.

PureVPN p2p servers-in-USA

Windscribe, on the other hand, doesn’t prohibit users from using the VPN for P2P traffic. However, they’ve mentioned that some of their locations will not allow P2P traffic to pass, which are India, Lithuania, Russia, and South Africa.

The reason why these locations won’t allow P2P is because of high restrictions on such traffic. However, you can connect to another server to carry out your P2P and torrenting activities.

Winner in P2P and Torrenting

PureVPN

12. PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Device Compatibility

PureVPN Windscribe
Android Yes Yes
iOS Yes Yes
Mac Yes Yes
Windows Yes Yes
Linux Yes Yes
Firestick Yes Yes
Kodi Yes Yes
Chromecast Yes Yes
Roku Yes Yes
Blackberry Yes No
Windows Phone Yes Yes
Chrome Yes Yes
Firefox Yes Yes
Opera Yes Yes
Xbox One Yes Yes
PlayStation 4 Yes Yes
Android Smart TV Yes Yes
Samsung Smart TV Yes Yes
LG Smart TV Yes No
Routers Yes Yes
Raspberry Pi Yes Yes

Both providers have support for a wide range of devices. However, PureVPN wins in this category as the provider supports all 21 out of 21 devices in the above-mentioned table. On the other hand, Windscribe is compatible with 19 devices out of 21.

Winner in Device Compatibility

PureVPN

Other VPN Comparisons:

PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – FAQs

Is PureVPN a good VPN?

Yes, PureVPN is a good VPN. It offers a built-in kill switch and split tunneling tool to make sure your anonymity is maintained.

The provider offers a massive network of 6500 servers in 78 from which you can bypass geo-restrictions on major streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more.

Is Windscribe a trustworthy VPN?

Yes. Windscribe offers military-grade encryption and a variety of secure protocols such as IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard, Wstunnel, and Stealth to keep your data safe. In addition, it has a strict no-logs policy.

However, no independent audits have been performed on the privacy policy of Windscribe and the provider is based in Canada, which is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance Group.

Which VPN is stronger than Windscribe?

ExpressVPN is the overall strongest VPN in all domains. It has an advantage over Windscribe in the streaming realm.

With ExpressVPN, you have access to a high number of locations (160) and you don’t need to switch servers to unblock Netflix or any other streaming giant, all the servers are highly optimized that unblock popular VoDs on by connecting to the first server.

Who owns Windscribe VPN?

Windscribe was founded by owners Yegor Sak and Alex Pagius in the year 2016.

Is PureVPN a Chinese company?

PureVPN was co-founded by Uzair Gadit, who was based in Pakistan. The company was founded in 2007 and has contractors in Pakistan, the US, the UK, Ukraine, the British Virgin Islands, and formerly Hong Kong.

PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN – Wrapping Up

PureVPN vs Windscribe: The Winner-in-USA

 

In this PureVPN vs Windscribe VPN comparison guide, after analyzing both providers, it becomes clear that PureVPN emerges victorious and rightly so. The VPN is an all-rounder in simple words.

It is budget-friendly, has a good server count, unblocks all streaming platforms smoothly, and works in China. If that was not enough, it is even endorsed by Forbes.

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