NordVPN vs PureVPN (2026): Which Is Better?
NordVPN is clearly the stronger VPN — faster everywhere, more reliable for streaming, and with a cleaner privacy history. PureVPN's case is price and extras: the lowest long-term rate we rate, a dedicated IP and port forwarding as cheap add-ons, and an always-on audit that is more than most providers offer. If you pay by the month or year, NordVPN. If you are happy to commit for years to save, PureVPN is a reasonable budget choice.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityNordVPNNordVPN 9.6 · PureVPN 8.7
- SpeedNordVPNNordVPN 9.8 · PureVPN 7.9
- StreamingNordVPNNordVPN 9.8 · PureVPN 8.6
- Apps & easeNordVPNNordVPN 9.5 · PureVPN 8.3
- ValueNordVPNNordVPN 9.4 · PureVPN 9.2
Sub-scores from this month's tests; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
Choose NordVPN if…
- You want the fastest and most consistent speeds
- Streaming coverage matters — NordVPN unblocked everything, PureVPN failed Netflix UK this month
- You want the stronger privacy track record
Choose PureVPN if…
- Lowest long-term price is the goal — PureVPN's multi-year plans are the cheapest we rate
- You need port forwarding or a dedicated IP on a budget
- You want the widest choice of countries
NordVPN vs PureVPN: the numbers
 NordVPN |  PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 9.7 | 8.4 |
| Rank · badge | #1 · Top rated overall | #5 · Best long-term deal |
| 2-year price / mo | $3.39 | $2.14 |
| 1-year price / mo | $4.99 | $3.32 |
| Monthly price | $12.99 | $12.45 |
| Renewal | renews at the 1-year rate | renews at the 2-year rate |
| Money-back | 30 days | 31 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 10 |
| Avg download speed | 712 Mbps | 466 Mbps |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | British Virgin Islands |
| Owner | Nord Security | GZ Systems |
| No-logs audit | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 | KPMG always-on audit |
| Servers | 7,400+ in 118 countries | 6,500+ in 65 countries |
| Protocols | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, NordWhisper | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on dedicated P2P servers | P2P allowed on P2P servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre |
| Visit NordVPN | Visit PureVPN |
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| NordVPN | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $3.39 | $2.14 |
| Then renews at / mo | $4.99 (+47%) | $2.14 — no jump |
| First term, up front | $81.36 | $51.36 |
| Total over 3 years | $141.24 | $77.04 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $3.92 | $2.14 |
| Money-back | 30 days — we got ours in 4 days | 31 days — refunded in 6 days |
| Check NordVPN price | Check PureVPN price |
PureVPN is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $64.20 less across three years once the renewals are counted. Same arithmetic as our price calculator: the first term at the advertised rate, every month after it at the rate the provider publishes for renewals.
Speed by region
Download on a 940 Mbps line, 3 runs per server, median reported. Highlighted cell = fastest.
| NordVPN | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| US East | 771 Mbps | 540 Mbps |
| UK | 742 Mbps | 498 Mbps |
| Singapore | 668 Mbps | 410 Mbps |
| Australia | 667 Mbps | 416 Mbps |
| Added latency | +4 ms | +11 ms |
Streaming, service by service
| NordVPN | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 14 of 14 | 12 of 14 |
| Netflix US | ||
| Netflix UK | ||
| Netflix JP | ||
| Netflix CA | ||
| Netflix AU | ||
| Prime Video | ||
| Disney+ | ||
| Hulu | ||
| Max | ||
| Paramount+ | ||
| Peacock | ||
| BBC iPlayer | ||
| ITVX | ||
| DAZN |
Security features
| NordVPN | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | ||
| Split tunnelling | ||
| Obfuscation / stealth | ||
| Port forwarding | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Ad & tracker blocking | ||
| Multi-hop (double VPN) | ||
| RAM-only servers | ||
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers |
Has the no-logs promise ever been tested?
Every VPN on this page says it keeps no logs. The claim only means something once someone has demanded the data — a police raid, a court order, a subpoena. Here is what happened to each of these two when that came up, and what it means if it never has.
- NordVPNNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against NordVPN has been made public. That is not a mark against it — most providers have never been asked — but it does mean the policy has never had to hold up under pressure.
Audit: Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 · Panama
- PureVPNNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against PureVPN has been made public. That is not a mark against it — most providers have never been asked — but it does mean the policy has never had to hold up under pressure.
Audit: KPMG always-on audit · British Virgin Islands
What each one is our top pick for
One of these scores higher overall, which does not make it the right buy for every job. These are the use cases where each one comes first on its own list.
- NordVPN16 categories
- PureVPN1 category
Regular 5-year promotions at the lowest per-month price of any audited VPN; renews at the same 2-year rate.
Questions
Is PureVPN as good as NordVPN?
No. PureVPN scored 8.4 to NordVPN's 9.7 in our tests — slower on distant servers, one streaming failure this month, and a privacy history that includes a 2017 logging incident. It is much cheaper on long plans and has an always-on audit now.
Is PureVPN cheaper than NordVPN?
Yes, on every plan length, and by a wide margin on multi-year plans. Both are approved affiliate programs for this site; we still rank NordVPN higher because the tests say so.
Does PureVPN work with Netflix?
Netflix US and Japan worked this month; UK failed on three of four servers. NordVPN worked in all five regions we test.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the tests before any commercial consideration. Disclosure