Are you looking for a vpn that will enable you to truly browse the internet anonymously?
True privacy and anonymity online is becoming harder to come by these days.
In order for you to be able to be completely anonymous online, you need to use a vpn that does not keep any logs that could be used to identify you or that can tie certain activities online to you.
In this ExpressVPN vs PureVPN comparison today, we are going to compare these two popular vpns and see which one offers real privacy online.
We’ll compare ExpressVPN with PureVPN along the lines of privacy, speed, torrenting and streaming capabilities.
So let’s get started.
Here is a quick summary.
ExpressVPN | PureVPN | |
Website | expressvpn.com | purevpn.com |
Servers | 3,000 | 2,000 |
Jurisdiction | BVI | Hong Kong |
Streaming | Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, iPlayer | Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, iPlayer |
Speed | 4.4/5 | 3.8/5 |
Torrenting | All servers | P2P servers |
Kill Switch | YES | YES |
Works in China? | YES | YES |
Devices | 5 | 10 |
Pricing | $ 8.32/month | $ 3.33/month |
About
ExpressVPN is a VPN company based in the British Virgin Islands that enables to access geo-restricted on most popular streaming platforms like Netflix.
Check out my detailed review of ExpressVPN.
PureVPN, on the other hand, is a vpn service provider that enables you to safely and securely browse the internet using the latest encryption and vpn protocols.
Here is a detailed review of PureVPN.
Server Collection
The more servers a vpn has the less load there will be on each server.
This means that it is easier to get betters speeds as well as various options to choose from when selecting a server.
ExpressVPN has a collection of 3,000 servers based in 94 different countries.

PureVPN also has a total of 2,000 vpn servers based in 140 different countries by the time I was writing this PureVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
From their server count, it is clear that even though ExpressVPN has more servers in total, PureVPN servers are more evenly spread out than ExpressVPN.

If you are looking for a vpn that will avail a server in almost any country you visit then I recommend PureVPN.
Streaming
How do ExpressVPN vs PureVPN streaming capabilities compare?
Streaming video content from online streaming platforms like Netflix is the main reason most people purchase vpns in the first place.
So it is very important to know if a vpn will be able to unblock your favorite streaming platform before you buy it.
This is because most streaming platforms restrict their content to different countries or geographical regions so you need to ensure your vpn can actually unblock content in that region.

ExpressVPN is able to unblock Netflix for a variety of countries including the US, UK, Germany and Japan.
In addition to Netflix you’ll also be able to stream content from other platforms like Hulu, Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer.
PureVPN is also able to unblock Netflix in various countries like the US and the UK.
Its ability to unblock is rather shaky because I got proxy server errors when trying to access internet from some of their servers based in the US.
However, every time I switched servers I was able to streaming Netflix flawlessly.

In addition to Netflix, PureVPN is also able to unblock Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and BBC iPlayer.
Even though both PureVPN and ExpressVPN have great streaming capabilities, ExpressVPN offers a more streamlined streaming experience.
If you are looking for a vpn that is great for streaming then I recommend ExpressVPN.
Speed
Which is the faster vpn: ExpressVPN or PureVPN?
In order to test the speeds of both these vpns, I used speedtest.net to test for ping, download and upload speeds before and after connecting to their servers.
I connected to three different servers located in the US, UK and Hong Kong.
Here is what I found out…

ExpressVPN delivered an average of 87% of my original download speeds for all the of the servers that I connected to.
PureVPN, on the other hand, delivered an average download speed of 76% of my original download speeds.
From this PureVPN vs ExpressVPN speed comparison it is clear that ExpressVPN delivers better connection speeds than PureVPN.

If you are looking for a vpn that delivers stellar connection speeds then I recommend ExpressVPN.
Torrenting
Will you be able to download torrent files when connected to either ExpressVPN or PureVPN?
Torrenting is the second most popular activity among vpn users online.

This has been encouraged by the need to stay anonymous whenever downloading any torrenting files to avoid getting into trouble with anti piracy law enforcers.
In order to stay completely anonymous, choose a vpn that allows torrenting and also collects as little information about you as possible.
ExpressVPN allows torrenting on all its servers.
So you don’t need to connect to any special servers in order to start torrenting.

PureVPN, on the other hand, only supports torrenting on certain P2P optimized servers.
If you want to download a torrent file, you first need to located the P2P servers if your country of choice and connect to them first.

PureVPN makes this easier by labelling all the P2P servers so that you can easily identify them.
In terms of torrenting, ExpressVPN appears to be more prepared for torrenting because it allows P2P file sharing on all its servers.
Privacy Policy
Privacy is where most vpns get very crafty at.
Some vpns that claimed to not keep users logs have surfaced in court with users logs that were actually used to identify their users and tie them to certain activities on their servers.
It is therefore very important that you stick to a vpn that very honest about their no logs policy.
So when comparing PureVPN with ExpressVPN, I read through their privacy policies to weed out any sneaky policies that are often missed.
Here is what I found out.
ExpressVPN, to begin with, is based in the British Virgin Islands which does not form part of the 14 eyes countries.

It means it is rather a privacy friendly place to based a vpn because the BVI does not have any mandatory data retention laws that obligate vpns to keep logs.
ExpressVPN also mentions that they don’t keep logs of your IP address or DNS queries whenever connected to their servers.
However, ExpressVPN keeps logs of your connection location, ISP and bandwidth usage.
So there are not records or logs on their servers that could actually be used to identify you.
PureVPN, on the other hand, is based in Hong Kong which rather privacy friendly location… just like the BVI.
In addition to that, PureVPN does not keep logs of your IP address or DNS queries.

However, after reading their privacy policy, I discovered that PureVPN keeps logs of your vpn server location, bandwidth and ISP.

Clearly, both ExpressVPN and PureVPN appear to be very logs happy.
I would therefore not recommend any of these vpns if you want a vpn that collects as little information about you as possible.
Encryption and Data Protection
Which encryption technologies does ExpressVPN and PureVPN use?
A strong encryption technologies ensures that your data is completely secure and impossible to crack.

This way even if you data lands into the hands of a malicious hacker, they won’t be able to decrypt and see the actual information.
Both ExpressVPN and PureVPN use AES 256-bit encryption which is one of the strongest encryption technologies out there that is impossible to crack.
So your data is very secure in either vpns.
In addition to this encryption technology, vpns also vpn connection protocols for secure communication between their apps and servers.

ExpressVPN uses two of the best protocols: OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec.
PureVPN supports more connection protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP and PPTP.
Even it supports more protocols, protocols like PPTP are insecure and prone to hacking so should never be used unless you know what you are doing.
If you are looking for a vpn that will ensure your security online then both ExpressVPN and PureVPN guarantee your security online.
Ad Blocker
In order to be able to have an ad free browsing experience, you need an ad blocker to disable ads on most websites.
This has become necessary because most websites have become very aggressive with their advertising.
Even though most of these websites use ads as their primary source of revenue, some of these ads can become very intrusive and annoying which leads to a bad user experience on these websites.
How does ExpressVPN vs PureVPN ad blocking capabilities compare?
ExpressVPN, unfortunately, does not have any ad blocker in any of its apps.
This is a quite a disappointment because a vpn as expensive as ExpressVPN should be able to provide everything that we ask for.
It is also completely lacking in a malware blocker than can protect you from malware infected websites.
PureVPN, on the other hand, has a powerful ad blocker that when turned on will enable you to block ads from displaying on most websites that you visit.
In addition to an ad blocker, PureVPN also has a malware blocker in its apps that protects from phishing websites.
It has a database of millions of malware infected websites and will block these sites before they harm you.
If you are looking for a vpn that is able to block ads and malware then I recommend PureVPN instead of ExpressVPN.
Dedicated IPs
In all cases that you connect to the internet through a vpn, you’ll be assigned a random shared IP address.
This is particularly important for your security online because it makes it harder to tie back certain activities on that particular server to you.
A dedicated IP on the other hand, let’s you connect to the internet using the same IP that is unique to you.
You’ll particularly need a dedicated IP address when you want to remotely access certain restricted applications or networks like your work network.
In that case, you’ll need an IP address that you can whitelist in these applications in order to be granted remote access.
So do you get a dedicated IP address with either ExpressVPN or PureVPN?
ExpressVPN, unfortunately, does not provide you with any kind of dedicated IP address… not even if you were willing to pay for it.
PureVPN, on the other hand, does not come with any free dedicated IPs but lets you purchase it separately as a premium addon.

It is important to remember that a dedicated IP address that can be tied back to you is not very optimal if you want to be completely anonymous online because the activities on that particular servers are tied to you.
If you are looking for a vpn that provides you with a dedicated IP for your personal use then I recommend PureVPN.
Kill Switch
A kill switch enables you to cut off internet access for your entire device anytime your vpn app disconnects from the server.
This could occur because of an internet connection drop or when you are switching servers.

It is the only way to ensure that your IP address does not get leaked during these few seconds that could compromise your anonymity online.
So before writing this PureVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison, I tested these apps to see if they have functional automatic internet kill switches.
Luckily, both ExpressVPN and PureVPN have an inbuilt kill switch.

It enables you to force all your internet traffic to go through your vpn tunnel and stop all access whenever the app disconnects from the server.
If you are looking for a vpn with kill switch capability the either ExpressVPN or PureVPN will work.
Split Tunnelling
Even though forcing all your internet traffic to go through your vpn tunnel is great, some applications do not work well when under a vpn.
For example, your banking app will keep asking you for addition verification every time you connect with a new IP.

Or it could be your backup application that you don’t want slowed down by vpn speeds drops.
In that case, will you be able to exempt certain applications from the vpn with ExpressVPN and PureVPN.
Fortunately, both vpns have split tunnelling features that enable you to exempt certains apps from your vpn or kill switch.
It is however important that the apps that you specify in your split tunnel do not benefit from the additional security and anonymity that a vpn provides.
If you are looking for a vpn with split tunnelling the either ExpressVPN or PureVPN will work for you.
Works in China?
China is one of the countries where internet access is heavily controlled.
This makes it very easy for the government to block certain websites that do not further their agenda.
In fact, Google.com, Facebook.com, Twitter.com are some of the websites that are currently blocked in China.
As if that is not enough, you are also not allowed to try and use a vpn to access these censored websites while in China.
It is for this reason that most vpns are blocked in China.
In order for a vpn to work in China, it needs to be able to make its traffic look like normal https traffic and bypass the deep packet inspection technology of the great firewall of China.
ExpressVPN and PureVPN both have powerful server obfuscation technologies that enable you to access internet while in China.
You’ll also be able to access censored websites without a problem.
PureVPN also has physical servers based in two cities in China, Beijing and Shanghai, that makes it even easier to access tv channels in China from outside.
If you are looking for a vpn that you can carry with you to China someday then I recommend either ExpressVPN or PureVPN.
Pricing
You problem have already seen me mention more than once in this PureVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison that ExpressVPN is an expensive vpn…
But how expensive is it really?

Let’s complete this vpn comparison by looking at the various pricing plans that both ExpressVPN and PureVPN provide so that we can establish the cheaper vpn.
In order to get the best price for a vpn, you should commit to a longer plan.
The longer the plan the greater the discount that you get with most vpns.
ExpressVPN has a 1 year plan that costs $ 8.32/month while PureVPN has a 2 year plan that costs $ 3.33/month.

It is therefore clear that PureVPN is cheaper vpn and offers you a longer subscription plan that ExpressVPN.
If you find renewing your vpn plan yearly quite cumbersome then I recommend a PureVPN that even offers a special 3 year subscription plan.
Payment Options
What payment options does ExpressVPN and PureVPN provide?
A vpn that offers anonymous payments ensures you provide as little information about you as possible.

In fact, you could sign up with a disposable email address and pay for your plan with some Bitcoins.
ExpressVPN supports various payment platforms like PayPal as well as all major credit cards.
You also have an option of paying for your ExpressVPN plan using Bitcoins.
PureVPN also supports various payment methods like PayPal, all major credit cards as well as cryptocurrency payments.
At the time of writing this PureVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison, PureVPN supports the largest collection of cryptocurrencies than any other vpn I have reviewed here… including Bitcoin, Litecoin and Etherium.
If you are looking for a vpn that supports the largest number of cryptocurrencies then I recommend PureVPN.
In Conclusion
I hope this ExpressVPN vs PureVPN comparison in 2021 has helped you learn some of the advantages and disadvantages of both ExpressVPN and PureVPN.
Are you now ready to make a choice between ExpressVPN and PureVPN?
If you are looking for a vpn with the largest server distribution, that supports both dedicated IPs and the largest collection of cryptocurrencies, then I recommend PureVPN.
However, if you are looking for a very fast vpn that has great streaming capabilities and are willing to pay a little bit more, then I recommend ExpressVPN.
Have you used either ExpressVPN or PureVPN before?
Please share your experience in the comments below.