Which is cheaper, NordVPN or PureVPN?

PureVPN, at $2.15/mo against $3.39/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.

Which one has been audited more recently?

NordVPN, most recently in 2025 against PureVPN’s 2023.

Does jurisdiction differ between them?

Yes. NordVPN operates from Panama and PureVPN from British Virgin Islands. Both sit in the same position relative to the Fourteen Eyes agreement.

Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026

NordVPN vs PureVPN

Is NordVPN or PureVPN better?

NordVPN scores higher, 84.0 against 70.0 out of 100, a gap of 14 points. It wins 5 of the seven criteria to PureVPN's 2. The most complete all-round package here, provided you accept closed-source clients and a renewal price above the introductory rate.

Both are scored on the same seven criteria from the same sourced dataset, so this page and the main ranking can never disagree. The margin is worth reading past: PureVPN still wins 2 of the seven outright.

NordVPN

84.0

The most complete all-round package here, provided you accept closed-source clients and a renewal price above the introductory rate.

From: $3.39/mo
Based in: Panama
Devices: 10
Audits: 6

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PureVPN

70.0

Cheap, broadly capable, and carrying a 2017 logging incident that no later audit erases.

From: $2.15/mo
Based in: British Virgin Islands
Devices: 10
Audits: 3

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Criterion by criterion

NordVPN wins 5, PureVPN wins 2. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.

Weighted criterion scores, NordVPN against PureVPN
Criterion	Weight	NordVPN	PureVPN	Winner
Independent audit	20	9/10 (18.0)	7/10 (14.0)	NordVPN
Jurisdiction and ownership	15	9/10 (13.5)	6/10 (9.0)	NordVPN
Protocol and crypto stack	15	8/10 (12.0)	9/10 (13.5)	PureVPN
Leak protection	15	9/10 (13.5)	7/10 (10.5)	NordVPN
Transparency	15	6/10 (9.0)	4/10 (6.0)	NordVPN
Price and refund terms	10	8/10 (8.0)	9/10 (9.0)	PureVPN
Platform coverage	10	10/10 (10.0)	8/10 (8.0)	NordVPN
Total	100	84.0	70.0	NordVPN

Where each one actually wins

NordVPN is ahead on

Independent audit. Six no-logs assurance engagements since 2018, the most recent by Deloitte in December 2025 under ISAE 3000 (Revised), plus a Cure53 audit of the applications.
Jurisdiction and ownership. Incorporated in Panama, outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement, with disclosed parent ownership under Nord Security.
Leak protection. Kill switch on all desktop and mobile apps, with DNS resolved inside the tunnel and a RAM-only server fleet.
Transparency. The Linux client and core libraries are open source but the Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps are not, and signup requires an email; offset by a published transparency report and warrant canary.
Platform coverage. Native apps across desktop, mobile, Apple TV, Android TV and routers, with 10 simultaneous connections.

PureVPN is ahead on

Protocol and crypto stack. WireGuard and OpenVPN both available across platforms.
Price and refund terms. Effective $2.15/month on a two-year term with a 31-day refund window, the longest here.

Choose NordVPN if

Households covering a mix of phones, laptops and TV devices on one subscription.

Choose PureVPN if

Readers who want port forwarding at a low price and are satisfied by the current audit arrangement.

Reasons to pick neither

Skip NordVPN if: You need open-source clients, port forwarding, or want to pay month to month. At $12.99 monthly it is the most expensive short-term option here.

Skip PureVPN if: Past conduct matters to you. The 2017 incident is a matter of public record, and a provider’s history is a legitimate input even after new management and new audits.

Questions

Is NordVPN or PureVPN better?: NordVPN scores higher, 84.0 against 70.0 out of 100, a gap of 14 points. It wins 5 of the seven criteria to PureVPN's 2. The most complete all-round package here, provided you accept closed-source clients and a renewal price above the introductory rate.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or PureVPN?: PureVPN, at $2.15/mo against $3.39/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.
Which one has been audited more recently?: NordVPN, most recently in 2025 against PureVPN’s 2023.
Does jurisdiction differ between them?: Yes. NordVPN operates from Panama and PureVPN from British Virgin Islands. Both sit in the same position relative to the Fourteen Eyes agreement.

Related comparisons

Comparison generated from the same dataset as the ranking. Emphasis criterion definitions are on the rubric page. Criterion labels: Independent audit, Jurisdiction and ownership, Protocol and crypto stack, Leak protection, Transparency, Price and refund terms, Platform coverage.