PureVPN is cheap, has had its no-logs policy checked by KPMG, and now operates from the British Virgin Islands. Still, the 2017 logging case colors its track record, and it caps you at 10 devices and sells port forwarding as a paid add-on. NordVPN is our top PureVPN alternative because it runs RAM-only servers across its whole network, its no-logs policy has been audited six times, and it held its speed far better in our testing. If you want to pay nothing, Proton VPN's free plan has no data cap and no ads. We compared all six picks against PureVPN on speed, audited no-logs privacy, streaming, price and device limits, and the table below lines them up side by side.
PureVPN Alternatives Compared
Every rating below is the score from our own full review of that service. PureVPN sits in the last row as the baseline. Long-plan intro prices rotate with promotions, and every one of them renews higher after the first term, so treat the starting prices as a guide.
| VPN | Buy | Best for | Starting price | Jurisdiction | Countries | Devices | RAM-only servers | Independent audits | Money-back window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Check price → | Best overall | About $3.09-$3.49/mo (2 yr); $14.99 monthly | Panama | 118-160+ (counts vary) | 10 | Yes | Deloitte no-logs (6th, Feb 2026) | 30 days |
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Check price | Best free | Free plan; Plus about $3-$3.50/mo (2 yr); $9.99 monthly | Switzerland | 140+ | 10 (1 on free) | No | Securitum no-logs (5th annual) | 30 days (prorated) |
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Check price | Streaming | About $2.79-$2.99/mo (2 yr + 4 mo); $12.99 monthly | British Virgin Islands | 113 | 10 Basic, 14 Pro | Yes | KPMG (2022, 2023, 2025) | 30 days |
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Check price | Unlimited devices | $2.49/mo (2 yr + 3 mo) | Netherlands | 100 | Unlimited | Yes | Deloitte (2023, 2025) | 30 days |
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Check price | Budget | About $1.89/mo (3 yr + 3 mo); $11.95 monthly | United States | About 104 | Unlimited | Yes | Deloitte (Dec 2025) | 30 days |
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Check price | Beginners | About $1.99/mo (2 yr + 2 mo); $12.99 monthly | Romania | 100+ | 7 | Yes | Deloitte (3rd, Feb 2026) | 45 days (14 on monthly) |
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Baseline | $2.15/mo (2 yr + 3 mo); $12.95 monthly | British Virgin Islands | About 65-78 | 10 | No | Altius IT, then KPMG (no public report) | 31 days |
Why Look for a PureVPN Alternative?
PureVPN deserves credit first. It left Hong Kong for the British Virgin Islands in 2021, and it brought in Altius IT and then KPMG to check its no-logs policy. KPMG's no-log assurance engagement runs on an "always-on" basis that allows unannounced audits. The Standard plan costs $2.15 a month on the two-year deal, and the apps are clean enough for a first-time user. Trustpilot rates it 4.4/5 across roughly 17,925 reviews. We cover the whole service in our PureVPN review, where it scores 7.2/10.
The history still matters. In October 2017, court records from the 2017 cyberstalking case showed that PureVPN's logs linked one account to a suspect's home IP address and to his employer's network. PureVPN changed its privacy policy in 2018, after the case. That was years ago, but it is why privacy-minded users often prefer a provider whose no-logs promise has a cleaner record.
The practical limits are easier to measure. PureVPN mixes physical and virtual locations and has cut its virtual servers, so its country count varies from about 65 to 78, and its network runs more than 6,000 servers. It does not work in China. One account covers 10 devices. Port forwarding and a dedicated IP are paid add-ons, and the apps and checkout push those extras through repeated upsell prompts. PureVPN also does not run RAM-only servers, which wipe all data on every reboot because nothing is written to a hard drive.
Performance was uneven in our testing. On nearby servers we lost only about 10% of download speed, but on another continent the loss was closer to 40%. Netflix was inconsistent too: some servers played cleanly, while others buffered or failed. We also caught a DNS leak in one session with leak protection switched on, although our other leak tests came back clean. Finally, renewal prices nearly double after the first term.
The 6 Best PureVPN Alternatives in 2026
1. NordVPN - Best PureVPN Alternative Overall
Who it's for: anyone who wants PureVPN's price range with faster servers and a stronger privacy record.
NordVPN fixes the two things that bother us most about PureVPN: server design and speed. NordVPN is based in Panama and runs RAM-only servers across its whole network. Its no-logs policy has been through six independent checks, the latest by Deloitte in February 2026. You get 10 devices, the same as PureVPN, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Speed is where the gap opened up. On nearby servers, we lost only about 4% of our download speed and 7% of upload, and 4K streams played with no buffering. On long routes to Australia and South Africa, NordVPN stayed above 60 Mbps. Regular servers unblocked Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max with no special streaming servers. Double VPN, which routes traffic through two servers, was the feature that hurt: it cut our speed by around 80%.
The two-year Basic plan runs about $3.09 to $3.49 a month, and monthly billing costs $14.99. Read more in our NordVPN review.
Pros
- Post-quantum encryption and the Threat Protection Pro blocker
- Meshnet for linking your own devices
- NordWhisper and obfuscated servers for restrictive networks
Cons
- Renewal price is much higher than the intro rate
- Live chat opens with a chatbot before a human takes over
2. Proton VPN - Best Free PureVPN Alternative
Who it's for: people who want a strong privacy record, or a VPN they can use for free.
Proton VPN matches NordVPN's 9.0/10 score but takes a different route to privacy. It is run by Proton AG in Switzerland, its apps are open source, and Securitum has carried out Proton's independent no-logs audit for five years in a row. PureVPN has no free plan at all. Proton's paid plans cover 10 devices, reach 140+ countries and 20,000+ servers, and include port forwarding on P2P servers. VPN Plus costs $9.99 on monthly billing, or roughly $3 to $3.50 a month on the two-year plan, and our Proton VPN review breaks down what each tier adds.
On a paid plan, we lost about 8-12% of download speed on local servers and about 16% on international ones. DNS, IPv6 and WebRTC leak tests stayed clean across dozens of countries. The app itself installed in about two minutes. The trade-off is that Proton, like PureVPN, does not run RAM-only servers. Secure Core, its multi-hop routing through privacy-friendly countries, also ran at least a third slower than standard servers.
Pros
- Free plan with no data cap and no ads
- Paid plans unblocked US and UK Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu and Prime Video
- Port forwarding included, not sold as an add-on
Cons
- Kill switch is off by default, and the TV apps have none
- Live chat is for paid users only and closes overnight
3. ExpressVPN - Best for Streaming
On PureVPN, it often took us two or three tries to find a quick server, and Netflix played on some servers but buffered or failed on others. ExpressVPN removed that hunt. Netflix libraries in several countries, ESPN+ and Hulu all streamed without issues in our testing. Network Lock, ExpressVPN's kill switch, fired correctly when a server timed out and when the network changed. Raw speed was the surprise: downloads fell roughly 37-39% on nearby servers, more than with NordVPN or Proton VPN.
Where Proton leads on privacy, ExpressVPN leads on streaming and app polish. Like PureVPN, it is based in the British Virgin Islands. Its owner, Kape Technologies, also owns CyberGhost and Private Internet Access. KPMG audited its privacy commitments in 2022, 2023 and June 2025, and its TrustedServer setup runs every server from RAM only. See our ExpressVPN review for the full test notes.
Basic costs $12.99 a month or about $2.79 to $2.99 a month on the two-year plan with bonus months. It then renews at $99.95 per year, so it costs more than NordVPN and Surfshark on comparable terms.
Pros
- The most polished apps of the group
- Lightway protocol with post-quantum protection, plus the Threat Manager blocker
- Up to 14 devices on the Pro tier
Cons
- Device allowance depends on the tier: 10 on Basic
- Email support can take close to two days
4. Surfshark - Best for Unlimited Devices
On a transatlantic server, Surfshark's macOS app slowed our downloads by only about 10%. The Windows app showed bigger slowdowns and occasional ping spikes, so Mac users get the better experience. Streaming was strong on both: Netflix unblocked in 15+ regional libraries, plus Max, Disney+, Hulu and BBC iPlayer. The kill switch held, and no IPv4, IPv6, DNS or WebRTC leaks appeared.
ExpressVPN tops out at 14 devices, but Surfshark drops the limit entirely. Every plan allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which is the main reason to choose it over PureVPN's 10. Surfshark B.V. is based in the Netherlands, runs its 4,500+ servers in 100 countries on RAM only, and had its no-logs policy checked by Deloitte in 2023 and again in 2025. The Starter plan costs $2.49 a month on the two-year deal (plus 3 months), billed $67.23 for 27 months. The monthly price varies by region and tax at roughly $15 to $16, among the priciest in the category. More detail is in our Surfshark review.
Pros
- Nexus IP rotation and NoBorders mode for restricted networks
- CleanWeb blocker and Camouflage obfuscation included
- Strong streaming across regional Netflix libraries
Cons
- MultiHop slows connections significantly
- Windows app is less consistent than the Mac app
5. Private Internet Access - Best Budget PureVPN Alternative
Torrenting is where Private Internet Access (PIA) earns its place. It includes port forwarding at no extra cost on non-US servers, while PureVPN charges for it. Torrenting with the port open cost us very little speed. The catch was that the forwarded port changed on every reconnect, so we had to update our torrent client each time.
Like Surfshark, PIA allows unlimited devices, and its long-term price is lower still: about $1.89 a month on the three-year plan (plus 3 months), or $11.95 for a single month. PIA is based in the United States and has been owned by Kape Technologies since 2019. Deloitte completed its third no-logs assurance check of PIA in December 2025, and PIA's apps are open source.
Speed loss was small: about 4% on local servers and 18% internationally. The long settings list overwhelmed us at first but felt easy once we had tuned it, and our Private Internet Access review walks through the ones worth changing. Streaming is the honest trade-off: US and UK Netflix did not unblock, and Disney+ and Hulu detected the VPN.
Pros
- Servers in all 50 US states
- Customizable encryption and the MACE blocker
- RAM-only servers and crypto payment
Cons
- Weak for streaming
- Auto-renewal is on by default, and refunds need a support request
6. CyberGhost - Best for Beginners
Who it's for: first-time VPN users who want streaming to work without server-hopping.
If PIA suits people who like to tune settings, CyberGhost suits people who never want to open them. On first launch, the app connected to a nearby server in under ten seconds. Its streaming servers are labelled by platform, and the ones for Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video loaded on the first try.
CyberGhost S.R.L. is based in Bucharest, Romania, and has been owned by Kape Technologies since 2017. Deloitte Audit Romania has checked its no-logs policy three times, and CyberGhost runs RAM-only servers in 100+ countries. Long-distance connections were the weak spot: downloads dropped by more than 55% on Australia and South Africa servers, while nearby servers lost about 20%. The bigger limit is devices. CyberGhost allows 7 connections, fewer than PureVPN's 10, and that cap filled up quickly in a household with phones, laptops, a TV stick and tablets.
The 1-month plan costs $12.99, and the long plan starts around $2 a month. Long plans carry a 45-day money-back guarantee; the monthly plan gets 14 days. Our CyberGhost review has the full breakdown.
Pros
- Simple apps that need no setup
- Longest refund window on this list
- Dedicated NoSpy and torrenting servers
Cons
- Streaming servers triggered frequent CAPTCHA checks on websites
- First renewal roughly doubles the monthly rate
What About Mullvad, Windscribe, and Hotspot Shield?
Mullvad scores 8.5/10 in our Mullvad review, above two of our ranked picks, and it is one of the strongest privacy options online. Sign-up took seconds and gave us a random 16-digit account number with no email needed. When Swedish police searched its Gothenburg office in 2023, they left with no customer data because none was stored. It missed our six because it allows only 5 devices, its streaming was hit or miss, and its support is email-only.
Windscribe also scores 8.5/10 in our Windscribe review and allows unlimited connections on every plan, even the free one. It is based in Canada, a Five Eyes country, and has had a Packetlabs infrastructure audit but no dedicated no-logs audit. Netflix needed several server switches in our testing. Pro costs $69 billed every 12 months.
Hotspot Shield is the one we would not trade PureVPN for. It scores 6.5/10 in our Hotspot Shield review, below PureVPN's 7.2. Downloads were among the fastest we have seen, with about a 3% drop, but a 15 GB upload took 35 minutes instead of 10. It is based in the United States, has no RAM-only servers, and has not published a current independent no-logs audit. Premium costs $7.99 a month on the annual plan.
Can a Free VPN Replace PureVPN?
Windscribe and Hotspot Shield both have free tiers, but for light use, such as shielding the sites you visit on public Wi-Fi, Proton VPN's free plan is the one we would choose. It has no data limit and no ads, which few free services offer. The trade-offs are clear, though. You get one device, Proton picks the server for you from 10 countries, and speed is capped at a medium level. In our testing, the free plan streamed nothing, blocked torrenting, and made us wait before changing location.
The other two free tiers are tighter. Windscribe's free plan lets you choose a location but stops at 10GB a month with a confirmed email, an allowance that ran out quickly when we streamed. Hotspot Shield's free tier gives you one virtual location on one device and caps mobile speeds at 2 Mbps. For the full field, see our roundup of the best free VPN services.
If you only need a VPN for public Wi-Fi and private browsing, start on Proton VPN's free plan. Upgrade only when you need streaming, torrenting or more than one device.
How We Chose These PureVPN Alternatives
We judged each service against PureVPN on eight points: independent no-logs audits, jurisdiction, RAM-only servers, speed, streaming, price and renewal price, device limits, and the refund window. We then ranked the picks by their score in our full reviews.
For speed, we measured download loss on nearby servers and on long routes such as Australia and South Africa, because that is where PureVPN fell furthest behind. For security, we ran IP, DNS and WebRTC leak tests and checked each kill switch. For streaming, we tried Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu and Prime Video on regular servers before turning to any special streaming servers. We also read each checkout page for add-ons and renewal prices.
Which PureVPN Alternative Should You Pick?
Those eight criteria rarely all matter equally to one person, so start from the reason PureVPN stopped working for you.
- You want the best all-round upgrade: NordVPN, for speed on long routes and RAM-only servers.
- You want to pay nothing: Proton VPN's free plan.
- You mostly stream: ExpressVPN.
- You have more than 10 devices: Surfshark, with unlimited connections for multiple people on one account.
- You want the lowest price or free port forwarding: Private Internet Access.
- You are new to VPNs: CyberGhost.
If none of these fit, our guide to the best VPN services covers the wider field.
Final Verdict
Proton VPN ties NordVPN on score and wins outright if you want a free plan or Swiss jurisdiction. For most people leaving PureVPN, though, one service fixes the most problems at once.
