NordVPN vs PureVPN (2023): Which VPN Provider Should You Really Choose?

Anyone who surfs the internet can benefit greatly from using a VPN. All of your sensitive information will be kept safe and sound plus you get access to all sorts of TV shows and movies that aren’t available in your country.

That said, there are still plenty of people out there who don’t have a VPN and a big reason why is because it’s not exactly easy to choose one. There are hundreds of VPN providers out there and they each have their own pros and cons. So that you’re not overwhelmed by all the choices, you can narrow it down to these two popular VPN providers: NordVPN and PureVPN. To help you choose between them, here’s an in-depth comparison that takes their performance, features, ease of use, and pricing into consideration. 

NordVPN vs PureVPN Comparison Chart​​

Product Name	NordVPN	PureVPN
Price	Check Price	Check Price
Number of Servers	5,000+	2,000+
Number of Countries	59	180
Simultaneous Connections	6	5
Operating System Apps	Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux	Windows, MacOS, Android, Amazon Fire (iOS app is currently unavailable)
Manual Install Devices	Routers, set-top boxes	Routers, set-top boxes, Linux
Split Tunneling	No	Yes
Additional Features	Ad blocker, malware protection, browser extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, automatic Wi-Fi protection	Ad blocker, malware protection, browser extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Kodi add-on
Main Location Selection	List-based and map-based	list-based
Mobile App	Yes	Yes
App Security	Kill switch	Kill switch

Performance

NordVPN wins against PureVPN when it comes to performance. 

One of the biggest differences between NordVPN and PureVPN is in the way their networks are set up. PureVPN’s strategy is to cover as many countries as it can but NordVPN makes it a point to provide as many servers as possible in each location. To illustrate, NordVPN has servers in 59 countries while PureVPN has servers in 180. However, NordVPN has over 5,000 servers while PureVPN is only in the 2,000 range. So even though PureVPN is found in more locations, NordVPN still has the larger network (it’s actually double the size of its competitor’s). Another thing to note is that PureVPN uses virtual servers for 82 of its locations, which could be an issue for users who don’t want their data to pass through other countries. 

Because NordVPN has so many servers around the world, users get to choose from more cities, especially in larger countries like the US. For example, NordVPN lets you connect to 20 US cities while PureVPN only gives you 12 cities to choose from. Also, because NordVPN’s network is so much larger, you don’t have to worry even if you’re in a high-traffic area. You’ll most likely still be able to enjoy a low-latency connection even during peak hours. With that, NordVPN is the clear winner when it comes to performance and is the better choice if you want your online experience to be a fast, safe, and seamless one. 

Features

 NordVPN and PureVPN are on par with each other when it comes to features. 

When it comes to features, NordVPN and PureVPN are similar in some ways. They both have ad blocking, malware scanning, as well as extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. That said, they each have capabilities that the other doesn’t and so it’s a tie when it comes to features.

As for PureVPN, it has an official Kodi add-on, making it easy for users to stream TV shows and movies on operating systems such as LibreELEC and OpenELEC without having to use a third-party element. Another useful feature that PureVPN has that NordVPN doesn’t is split tunneling. This allows users to dictate which applications should go through the VPN tunnel and which ones can connect directly to the internet. As for streaming, PureVPN is able to unblock a wide range of streaming services and is compatible with Windows, MacOS, and Android (its iOS app is currently unavailable though). 

NordVPN, on the other hand, has automatic Wi-Fi protection. This means that it will initiate a VPN connection right away whenever you join a Wi-Fi network and will pass your traffic through an encrypted VPN tunnel. This makes sure that you’re protected from hackers at all times. As for streaming, NordVPN is known for being able to unblock even the most stubborn of streaming services such as BBC iPlayer. To boot, it gives users access to a wide range of international Netflix libraries. Compatibility-wise, it has apps for the most popular platforms including Linux systems. 

Ease of Use

NordVPN scores higher than PureVPN in the ease of use department. 

NordVPN’s desktop app is clean and simple and so it scores pretty high in the ease of use department. Up top is the menu, on the left is the list of available countries, and on the right is the map that displays the different locations. Everything is easy to find and so you’re sure to be able to navigate your way around without any difficulty. It’s a good thing too that you’re given a warning before you’re able to adjust any advanced settings, saving you from the trouble of accidentally tweaking something and not knowing how to change it back. As for NordVPN’s mobile app, it’s even more simple to use. It has a large connect button that’s hard to miss and it also displays the specialized servers all on the home screen. While it doesn’t let you use the kill switch function, it still blocks ads and malware and automatically connects you to the VPN.

As for PureVPN’s desktop app, its interface is a bit more complicated and so it scores lower when it comes to ease of use. It provides users with a wide variety of setting options and while this could be fun for the more tech-savvy users, it might leave beginners in a daze. The most confusing part for VPN newbies would probably have to be the different modes you can choose from, namely stream, internet freedom, security, file-sharing, and dedicated IP. Fortunately, PureVPN’s mobile app is much easier to use as you can pretty much do everything right on the home screen. You can pick out a country you’d like to connect to and choose the best server for the kind of online task you’re going to take on. The mobile app does away with some of the more advanced settings found on the desktop app, making it more appealing to beginners.  

Pricing

PureVPN is slightly more affordable than NordVPN.

Judging from its pricing plans, it seems like NordVPN wants its users to commit to year-long subscriptions instead of monthly ones. While it does have a 1-month plan ($11.95/month), the rest of its plans are long-term. It has a 1-year plan at $6.99/month, a 2-year plan at $4.99/month, and a 3-year plan at $3.49/month. As for PureVPN, its pricing plans are more short-term and therefore less pressuring. It has a 1-month plan that will cost you $10.95/month as well as a 6-month plan that comes in at $8.33/month. You also have the option to avail of its 7-day trial for $0.99. After the 7 days, you will then be automatically subscribed to its 1-year plan that’s priced at $77.88 ($6.49/month). While both VPN providers have reasonable pricing plans, PureVPN is the slightly more affordable option of the two and is also less intimidating to commit to. 

Verdict

NordVPN is able to tick off more boxes, making it the better option over PureVPN.

While both NordVPN and PureVPN are great VPN providers, one does stand out more than the other. NordVPN is able to tick off more boxes and so it’s the chosen winner for this comparison. It has a much larger network of servers, allowing users to choose from more cities and enjoy faster connection speeds even at peak hours. It’s also able to unblock an impressive range of streaming services, even those that have proven to be stubborn. Also, it’s compatible with most of the popular platforms out there. To top it all off, both its desktop and mobile apps are easy to use, even for those who are beginners to VPN. PureVPN does have one advantage over NordVPN though and it’s the fact that its pricing plans don’t pressure customers to commit long-term and they’re also slightly more affordable. 

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