Head-to-head
PureVPN vs NordVPN
Two paid VPNs with a 10-device limit and apps for computers, phones and TVs, but with different evidence behind their no-logs promises. How PureVPN and NordVPN compare.
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The short version
PureVPN is run by GZ Systems Limited, a British Virgin Islands company; NordVPN by nordvpn S.A. in Panama, part of Nord Security. On paper they cover similar ground: 10 devices at once, apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV, browser extensions, and a refund window on first purchases: 31 days at PureVPN and 30 at NordVPN. The evidence behind their no-logs promises differs. NordVPN cites PwC and Deloitte reviews since 2018, the latest in late 2025, though that report is only for signed-in customers. PureVPN cites Altius IT and a later Big Four review, describes its latest assessment as February 2023 and links no report; a 2017 FBI affidavit also says PureVPN records tied one customer to his home and work IP addresses, and PureVPN says it revised its privacy policy in 2018. Pick PureVPN if you want more than 10 connections through its Multi-Login add-on, a port-forwarding add-on, or the data removal and eSIM data in its Max plan; pick NordVPN if you want more recent, named no-logs reviews, P2P that its help centre says works on every standard server, or download scanning on Windows and Mac.
Side-by-side
| Feature | PureVPN | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Add-ons like port forwarding and Multi-Login | A VPN plus download scanning on Windows and Mac |
| Company and jurisdiction | GZ Systems Limited, a British Virgin Islands company with an associated company in Cyprus; PureVPN says it moved its legal jurisdiction from Hong Kong to the BVI in 2021. Its press room calls PureVPN a subsidiary of PureSquare. | nordvpn S.A., Panama City, Panama; its terms are governed by Panamanian law. NordVPN's help centre names Nord Security, based in the Netherlands, as its parent company. |
| Devices at once | 10 (one help article says from the same country); a Multi-Login add-on raises that to 50. Its terms bar two people from sharing one account. | 10 on every plan. Each proxy connection takes a slot; a router takes one slot for everything behind it. |
| Plans | Standard, Plus and Max, all with the VPN and Tracker Blocker. Other PureVPN pages describe dark web monitoring by plan differently. | Basic, Complete and Prime in NordVPN's September 2026 plan guide, but Prime's Coveron is for US residents; in Malaysia, expect Complete Max as the top plan. |
| No-logs evidence | Altius IT first, then one of the Big Four firms, which PureVPN's text no longer names; the latest assessment it describes ran February 16–22, 2023. No report is linked: its no-log page offers one by email sign-up. | PwC in 2018 and 2020, then Deloitte since 2022; the latest ran November 10 to December 12, 2025. That report is shown only to customers who sign in. |
| Free plan or trial | No free plan. Its refund policy describes a 7-day trial that renews automatically into the plan you picked; PureVPN's pages disagree on whether that trial is free or paid. | No free VPN plan; only Meshnet is free. The help centre's 7-day trial is offered in 15 countries, not including Malaysia; its 3-day trial for new Android users through Google Play doesn't exclude Malaysia. |
| Refund window | Within 31 days of your initial purchase, not on renewals or on App Store, Google Play or CoinPayments payments (one help article says 30 days). | Within 30 days of your first purchase, not on renewals. |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Samsung or LG TVs, Roku, PlayStation or Xbox. | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Roku, Samsung TVs or game consoles. |
| Kill switch and split tunneling | Kill switch listed for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and Fire TV, not stated for iPhone. Split tunneling by app on Windows, Android, Fire TV and Android TV (two help articles say Windows and Android only), not stated for Mac or iPhone. | Kill switch on Windows, Android 8 and later, and Linux; an App Kill Switch on Windows and the website Mac app; "VPN bypass prevention" on iPhone and the Mac App Store app; none on Fire TV Stick. Split tunneling on Windows, Android, Android TV and Fire TV, not on iPhone or Mac. |
| Extras beyond the VPN | Tracker Blocker in every plan; password manager from Plus; data removal, dark web monitoring and eSIM data in Max | Free Meshnet; Complete adds desktop next-gen antivirus, NordPass and 1 TB of NordLocker; the pricing page we were served lists a dedicated IP in Complete Max |
| Skip it if | You need P2P on US servers | You need more than 10 devices at once |
PureVPN
- Best for
- Add-ons like port forwarding and Multi-Login
- Company and jurisdiction
- GZ Systems Limited, a British Virgin Islands company with an associated company in Cyprus; PureVPN says it moved its legal jurisdiction from Hong Kong to the BVI in 2021. Its press room calls PureVPN a subsidiary of PureSquare.
- Devices at once
- 10 (one help article says from the same country); a Multi-Login add-on raises that to 50. Its terms bar two people from sharing one account.
- Plans
- Standard, Plus and Max, all with the VPN and Tracker Blocker. Other PureVPN pages describe dark web monitoring by plan differently.
- No-logs evidence
- Altius IT first, then one of the Big Four firms, which PureVPN's text no longer names; the latest assessment it describes ran February 16–22, 2023. No report is linked: its no-log page offers one by email sign-up.
- Free plan or trial
- No free plan. Its refund policy describes a 7-day trial that renews automatically into the plan you picked; PureVPN's pages disagree on whether that trial is free or paid.
- Refund window
- Within 31 days of your initial purchase, not on renewals or on App Store, Google Play or CoinPayments payments (one help article says 30 days).
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Samsung or LG TVs, Roku, PlayStation or Xbox.
- Kill switch and split tunneling
- Kill switch listed for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and Fire TV, not stated for iPhone. Split tunneling by app on Windows, Android, Fire TV and Android TV (two help articles say Windows and Android only), not stated for Mac or iPhone.
- Extras beyond the VPN
- Tracker Blocker in every plan; password manager from Plus; data removal, dark web monitoring and eSIM data in Max
- Skip it if
- You need P2P on US servers
NordVPN
- Best for
- A VPN plus download scanning on Windows and Mac
- Company and jurisdiction
- nordvpn S.A., Panama City, Panama; its terms are governed by Panamanian law. NordVPN's help centre names Nord Security, based in the Netherlands, as its parent company.
- Devices at once
- 10 on every plan. Each proxy connection takes a slot; a router takes one slot for everything behind it.
- Plans
- Basic, Complete and Prime in NordVPN's September 2026 plan guide, but Prime's Coveron is for US residents; in Malaysia, expect Complete Max as the top plan.
- No-logs evidence
- PwC in 2018 and 2020, then Deloitte since 2022; the latest ran November 10 to December 12, 2025. That report is shown only to customers who sign in.
- Free plan or trial
- No free VPN plan; only Meshnet is free. The help centre's 7-day trial is offered in 15 countries, not including Malaysia; its 3-day trial for new Android users through Google Play doesn't exclude Malaysia.
- Refund window
- Within 30 days of your first purchase, not on renewals.
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Roku, Samsung TVs or game consoles.
- Kill switch and split tunneling
- Kill switch on Windows, Android 8 and later, and Linux; an App Kill Switch on Windows and the website Mac app; "VPN bypass prevention" on iPhone and the Mac App Store app; none on Fire TV Stick. Split tunneling on Windows, Android, Android TV and Fire TV, not on iPhone or Mac.
- Extras beyond the VPN
- Free Meshnet; Complete adds desktop next-gen antivirus, NordPass and 1 TB of NordLocker; the pricing page we were served lists a dedicated IP in Complete Max
- Skip it if
- You need more than 10 devices at once
How to choose between them
- Look at the no-logs evidence. NordVPN names Deloitte and dates its latest review to late 2025, with the report for customers only. PureVPN's latest described assessment is from February 2023, and its report is offered only by email sign-up.
- Check where you'd use P2P. PureVPN allows P2P only on listed servers, and not in the US, UK, Canada or Australia. NordVPN's help centre says all its standard servers now support P2P (its server list page still points to separate P2P servers).
- Count devices and add-ons. Both allow 10 at once. PureVPN sells a Multi-Login add-on for up to 50 and port forwarding as an add-on; NordVPN's port forwarding needs its Dedicated Server add-on.
- Check your iPhone and Mac. Neither lists split tunneling for iPhone or Mac. NordVPN's iPhone app has "VPN bypass prevention"; PureVPN doesn't state a kill switch for iPhone.
Want the detail? Read the full PureVPN review and NordVPN review, or see how six VPNs we review line up in Best VPN.
Who should pick which
Pick it if this is you
PureVPN · VPN with port forwarding and dedicated IP add-ons
Pick PureVPN if you want a standalone port-forwarding add-on or more than 10 connections through its Multi-Login add-on — not if you want a no-logs report from a named auditor or P2P on US servers.
- Apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV and Apple TV
- Up to 10 devices connected at once
Pick it if this is you
NordVPN · Audited VPN with desktop download scanning
Pick NordVPN if you want a no-logs policy Deloitte reviewed in late 2025, P2P that its help centre says works on every standard server, or download scanning on Windows and Mac — not if you need more than 10 devices at once or port forwarding without a Dedicated Server add-on.
- No-logs policy reviewed by PwC and Deloitte since 2018
- 10 devices, with apps for computers, phones and TVs
Sources · checked 30 Oct 2026
- PureVPN — Terms of Service
- PureVPN — Trust Center
- PureVPN — PureVPN Moves From Hong Kong To British Virgin Islands
- PureVPN — Press Room
- PureVPN Help Center — How many devices can be connected to PureVPN simultaneously?
- PureVPN Help Center — Does PureVPN Offer Multi Account Support?
- PureVPN — Multi-Login
- PureVPN — VPN 1 Year Deal
- PureVPN — Privacy Policy
- PureVPN Help Center — Dark Web Monitoring PureVPN
- PureVPN — Dark Web Monitoring
- PureVPN — PureVPN's Privacy Policy is Now "No-Log Certified"
- PureVPN — PureVPN Excels Well known audit firm Always-On Audit Setting an Industry Benchmark (blog)
- PureVPN — No Log Assessment
- VPN Trust Initiative — Accredited Providers
- US Department of Justice — Criminal complaint and FBI affidavit, United States v. Ryan S. Lin (D. Mass., 17-MJ-4251-DHH)
- PureVPN — Refund Policy
- PureVPN Help Center — How does the 31-days money-back guarantee work?
- PureVPN — VPN for Mac
- PureVPN — VPN for Huawei
- PureVPN — Home
- PureVPN — VPN for Android TV
- PureVPN — VPN for Fire TV Stick
- PureVPN — VPN for Apple TV
- PureVPN — VPN for Android
- PureVPN — VPN for Routers
- PureVPN Help Center — Which devices PureVPN support?
- PureVPN Help Center — Learn about PureVPN Features
- PureVPN Help Center — Manage General Settings - PureVPN iOS App
- PureVPN — Split Tunneling
- PureVPN Help Center — PureVPN's Split Tunneling
- PureVPN Help Center — Is it safe to use P2P/file sharing with a PureVPN?
- PureVPN — Port Forwarding
- PureVPN Help Center — What are the Add-Ons available with PureVPN?
- PureVPN — Features
- PureVPN Help Center — How to watch Netflix via PureVPN
- NordVPN — General Terms of Service
- NordVPN — NordVPN Additional Terms
- NordVPN Help Center — Where is NordVPN based
- NordVPN Help Center — How many devices can I use with NordVPN?
- NordVPN — NordVPN bundles explained
- NordVPN Help Center — What is NordVPN's Next-gen antivirus?
- NordVPN — A leading no-log VPN for online privacy in 2026
- NordVPN — NordVPN passes its no-logs assessment for the sixth time
- NordVPN — Cure53 has assessed NordVPN's security once again
- NordVPN — Why the NordVPN network is safe after a third-party provider breach
- NordVPN — Meshnet
- NordVPN Help Center — Does NordVPN have a free trial?
- NordVPN Help Center — How to download NordVPN software?
- NordVPN Help Center — Set up NordVPN on a Smart TV or Console
- NordVPN Help Center — NordVPN Kill Switch: how does it work
- NordVPN Help Center — What is Split Tunneling and how to use it with NordVPN?
- NordVPN Help Center — How do I use CarPlay, Android Auto, or cast while connected to NordVPN?
- NordVPN Help Center — Installing NordVPN on Amazon Fire devices
- NordVPN Help Center — What features does NordVPN have?
- NordVPN Help Center — Netflix doesn't work with NordVPN
- NordVPN Help Center — I can't find NordVPN P2P servers
- NordVPN — Best VPN server locations: View the full list
- NordVPN Help Center — Does NordVPN offer port forwarding
- NordVPN Help Center — How to protect your identity with Coveron?
- NordVPN — Pricing (as served to a Vietnam connection)
Frequently asked questions
PureVPN or NordVPN: which is better?
It depends on what matters most to you. NordVPN suits people who want a no-logs policy with recent, named outside reviews, P2P on what its help centre says is every standard server, or download scanning on Windows and Mac in its Complete plan. PureVPN suits people who want a standalone port-forwarding add-on, more than 10 connections through Multi-Login, or the data removal and eSIM data in its Max plan. Both allow 10 devices and have apps for computers, phones and TVs. We haven't tested either; this compares their own published pages.
Is PureVPN safer than NordVPN?
We can't test that, but the published evidence differs. NordVPN's no-logs policy was reviewed by PwC in 2018 and 2020 and by Deloitte since 2022, most recently in late 2025, though that report is for signed-in customers only; Cure53 assessed its apps and servers in 2025. PureVPN says Altius IT and a Big Four firm checked its policy, describes its latest assessment as February 2023 and links no report; it does hold the VPN Trust Initiative's Trust Seal. In a 2017 US federal case, an FBI affidavit says PureVPN records tied one customer to his home and work IP addresses; PureVPN says it revised its privacy policy in 2018, and its current policy rules out storing original IP addresses and connection timestamps. NordVPN says a rented server in Finland was accessed in March 2018, which it learned of in April 2019 and made public in October 2019, and that no user credentials or activity logs were exposed.
PureVPN or NordVPN for streaming or torrenting?
By their own pages: PureVPN markets its service for streaming and has a Netflix guide in its help centre; NordVPN's help centre says it works with the big streaming services, and it also has troubleshooting pages for Netflix, Hulu and Disney+. For P2P, PureVPN allows it only on listed servers, not in the US, UK, Canada or Australia, while NordVPN's help centre says every standard server now supports it (its server list page still points to separate P2P servers). We haven't tested streaming or torrenting with either.
Are PureVPN and NordVPN the same company?
No. PureVPN is run by GZ Systems Limited, a British Virgin Islands company with an associated company in Cyprus, and its press room calls PureVPN a subsidiary of PureSquare. NordVPN is run by nordvpn S.A. in Panama City, and its help centre names Nord Security, based in the Netherlands, as its parent.
Can I use PureVPN and NordVPN on the same number of devices?
Yes, both allow 10 at once. One PureVPN help article adds that the 10 must connect from the same country, its Multi-Login add-on raises the limit to 50, and its terms bar two people from sharing one account. NordVPN counts each proxy connection as a slot and lets a router use one slot for everything connected to it.
Do PureVPN and NordVPN offer port forwarding?
Both only as paid extras. PureVPN sells a port-forwarding add-on for up to 15 ports, which its help centre lists for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and routers, and also sells it bundled with a dedicated IP. NordVPN's help centre says port forwarding needs its Dedicated Server add-on; standard servers and its Dedicated IP add-on don't support it.