ExpressVPN vs PureVPN

A side by side comparison of ExpressVPN or PureVPN... Which one wins?

Recommendation

According to my professional opinion, ExpressVPN is better than PureVPN.

This comparison between ExpressVPN and PureVPN includes test data that was undertaken between 3 September and 4 November 2020.

How is ExpressVPN better than PureVPN?

ExpressVPN is faster, offers a better torrenting experience, unblocks Netflix in more countries, and is more trustworthy than PureVPN.

How is PureVPN better than ExpressVPN?

PureVPN is cheaper and allows ten simultaneous connections, while ExpressVPN allows only five.

Privacy & Anonymity

Which one offers better privacy?

ExpressVPN offers better privacy than PureVPN. ExpressVPN collects information such as the date of connection, VPN server location, and the amount of data sent over a 24-hour period.

PureVPN, on the other hand, collects information such as VPN location, Internet Service Provider, connection length, and the number of connections. They also have a history of keeping identifiable logs while claiming to be a no-logs VPN.

Speed & Performance

Which one is faster?

We downloaded multiple files over different protocols to see which VPN is faster. ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN - UDP was the fastest, followed by PureVPN’s IPsec, ExpressVPN’s IKEv2, and PureVPN’s TCP protocols.

Which one is better for downloading torrents?

We tested both VPNs to see which one offers a better torrenting experience. ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN - UDP was the fastest, followed by PureVPN’s IPsec, ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN - TCP, and IKEv2 protocols.

Functionality & Application

Which is better for geo-unblocking Netflix?

We tested both VPNs to see which one is better for geo-unblocking Netflix in fifteen countries. ExpressVPN was better than PureVPN, unblocking Netflix Canada, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States.

PureVPN unblocked only Netflix France, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Which one has better features?

ExpressVPN supports split tunneling on more platforms than PureVPN. At the same time, ExpressVPN allows only up to five simultaneous connections, while PureVPN allows ten.

Reputation & Support

Which one offers better support?

ExpressVPN and PureVPN offer fast and responsive live chat support.

Which one is more trustworthy?

ExpressVPN is more trustworthy than PureVPN.

Both ExpressVPN and PureVPN got into trouble when security researchers found out that some of their servers are actually fake servers using IP addresses of different countries. ExpressVPN denied it when the news came out first, but later updated their website with a separate virtual server location list. Most PureVPN servers are virtual servers.

However, PureVPN’s reputation issues don’t end here. They claim to be a no-logs VPN, but they had given away those ‘non-existent’ logs to the FBI for a criminal investigation. Being a Hong Kong-based company, they were not legally required to provide the logs. The incident resulted in a man getting arrested.

Price & Value

Which offers better value for money?

PureVPN is the cheaper one, but considering the quality of service offered, ExpressVPN offers better value for money.

PureVPN costs only $10.95 per month and $77.88 per year, while ExpressVPN costs $12.95 and $99.95 for the same periods.

Very Good - 7.19 / 10

ExpressVPN

Read my full ExpressVPN Review

Good - 6.45 / 10

PureVPN

Read my full PureVPN Review