PureVPN vs StrongVPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, PureVPN grades higher than StrongVPN: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
PureVPN grades higher on value for money and features. StrongVPN grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PureVPN
VPN sold in three tiers that add a password manager and data removal
StrongVPN
VPN with a StrongDNS smart DNS proxy and 3GB of eSIM data
Which one is for you
Pick PureVPN if
- Fits if you want a password manager or data removal on the same bill as your VPN
- Works for households with up to 10 devices on one account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try it free, as the trial costs $0.99 and then bills a year unless you cancel
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $12.95 a month for Standard or $19.95 for Max
- Watch out: port forwarding, dedicated IPs and more than 10 devices are all paid add-ons
- Watch out: advertised prices cover the first 16 or 27 months; renewals run $47.95 to $89.95 a year
- Not for you if you want a no-questions refund, as the 31-day guarantee is subject to fair-use terms
Pick StrongVPN if
- Fits if you want a smart DNS proxy for devices that can't run a VPN app
- Works for households that want 12 connections on one account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Linux, as no app is listed
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11.99
- Watch out: the first-year price has no stated renewal figure
- Watch out: the 30-day refund doesn't cover the monthly plan, and App Store purchases follow Apple's rules
- Not for you if you want to try it free, as there's no trial
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPureVPNFair | 2.0GPAStrongVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe 2-year Standard plan bills $58.20 for the first 27 months, so two years cost about $2.43 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs. It then renews at $47.95 a year, below the middle. Monthly is $12.95. | C$3.97 a month, billed $47.69, for the first year only, and the renewal isn't stated. Monthly is $11.99, in the dearest tenth. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free plan, and the 7-day trial costs $0.99, then bills $47.95 for a year unless you cancel. The 31-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial either. | FNo free plan or trial. The 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial and covers the annual plan only. |
| Features | B10 devices, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, obfuscated servers, a kill switch, split tunneling and a tracker blocker on every plan, plus a password manager on Plus. Port forwarding and dedicated IPs cost extra, but the core job is covered. | C12 connections, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec and IKEv2, StrongDNS and 950+ servers in 30 countries. The gap: the pages read listed no Linux app. |
| Ease of use | C4.36 from about 7,900 App Store ratings, under the 4.5 a B needs, and short of the 10,000 ratings that would let a 4.3 count. | BNo store rating on record. Install an app and connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, and Chrome and Firefox extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BiOS, Android, Mac and Windows, with Fire TV and routers named. No Linux app listed, and no API. |
| Best for | a VPN with privacy extras on the same bill | a VPN with a smart DNS proxy for streaming |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: PureVPN and StrongVPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
PureVPN starts at $4 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. StrongVPN starts at $11.99 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and PureVPN starts $7.99 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 3 score higher than PureVPN for less, and 13 score higher than StrongVPN for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- StrongVPN is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- PureVPN also covers password manager and ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| PureVPN | StrongVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $47.95 per year at renewal (Standard), after a first 27 months for $58.20 | $11.99 per month ($47.69 first year if annual, renewal not stated) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | GZ Systems Limited | Strong Technology, LLC |
| Price read from | purevpn.com | strongvpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 2, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
PureVPN
- Advertised prices cover the first term only; plans then renew yearly at $47.95 to $89.95, depending on tier and term.
- There is no free trial. A 7-day trial costs $0.99 (Standard) or $1.99 (Max), then bills $47.95 or $89.95 for 12 months unless cancelled.
- Refunds fall under a 31-day money-back guarantee, subject to PureVPN's fair-use terms.
- PureVPN for Teams is sold separately, at $7 per user a month on annual billing, with a central dashboard.
StrongVPN
- The annual price is for the first year; the plans page does not state what the plan renews at.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers the annual plan only, not the monthly plan.
- The homepage names iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Amazon Fire TV apps; a Linux app was not listed on the pages read.
- Subscriptions bought through the App Store follow Apple's refund policy.
Key features
PureVPN
- Up to 10 devices
- One account can be logged in on 10 devices at once. A Multi-login add-on gives 10 more.
- Protocols and obfuscation
- WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec, plus obfuscated servers that make VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTPS on networks that block VPNs.
- Kill switch and split tunneling
- The kill switch cuts the internet connection if the VPN drops, and split tunneling picks which apps go through the VPN.
- Tracker and ad blocker
- Included on every plan, to block ads and the trackers that follow you between sites.
- Privacy extras on higher tiers
- Plus adds a password manager. Max adds requests to remove your data from data brokers, dark web alerts, and a 3GB eSIM valid for 30 days, resold from Truely.
- Paid network add-ons
- Dedicated IPs, port forwarding, a dedicated server, DDoS-protected IPs and a US residential network are sold as extras.
StrongVPN
- Up to 12 connections
- One subscription connects up to 12 devices at once, and a VPN router can cover more.
- Protocols
- WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec and IKEv2 are listed on the plans page.
- StrongDNS
- A smart DNS proxy included with every account, for streaming on devices that cannot run a VPN app. The site says it supports 140+ services.
- Server network
- The plans page lists 950+ servers in 30 countries and 59 cities, and 59,500 VPN IPs.
- eSIM data
- Plans include 3GB of global eSIM data.
- No-logs policy
- StrongVPN says it does not track, store or sell user data.
Plans
PureVPN
Standard, 2 years$47.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
VPN and tracker blocker. The first 27 months cost $58.20 ($2.15 a month), then it renews each year at $47.95.
Standard, 1 year$57.95
per year at renewal, after a first year for $40.80
VPN and tracker blocker. The first year costs $40.80 ($3.40 a month), then it renews each year at $57.95.
Standard, 1 month$12.95
per month
VPN and tracker blocker, renewing monthly at the same price.
Plus, 2 years$69.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds the password manager. First 27 months $73.80 ($2.73 a month). Also 1 year ($72.80 for the first year, then $69.95) or $17.95 a month.
Max, 2 years$84.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds data removal, dark web monitoring and a 3GB eSIM. First 27 months $95.85. Also 1 year ($88.80 for the first year, then $89.95) or $19.95 a month.
StrongVPN
Monthly Plan$11.99
per month, billed monthly
Same features as the annual plan. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to the annual plan only.
Annual Plan$47.69
first year; renewal price not stated
Advertised as $3.97 a month, with 66% off, billed $47.69 for the first year. Includes the 30-day money-back guarantee.
Ways to pay less
PureVPN
- Other savings
First 27 months of a 2-year plan from $58.20
Standard costs $58.20, Plus $73.80 and Max $95.85 for the first 27 months (24 plus 3 extra). They then renew every 12 months at $47.95, $69.95 and $84.95.
- Other savings
First year of a 1-year plan from $40.80
Standard costs $40.80, Plus $72.80 and Max $88.80 for the first year, before renewing yearly at $57.95, $69.95 and $89.95.
- Other savings
Black Friday: 5 years from $101.55
A Black Friday deal sells a 5-year term for $101.55 (Standard, $1.69 a month), $161.40 (Plus) or $203.40 (Max), paid up front. The page gives no end date and the renewal price page does not list a 5-year term.
StrongVPN
- Other savings
Annual plan, 66% off the first year
The annual plan is billed $47.69 for the first year, shown as $3.97 a month. The page does not say what it renews at.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PureVPN or StrongVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, PureVPN is cheaper to start with: $4 a month when paid by the year, against $11.99 a month for StrongVPN. PureVPN starts at $47.95 per year at renewal (Standard), after a first 27 months for $58.20, and StrongVPN starts at $11.99 per month ($47.69 first year if annual, renewal not stated).
Which has a free plan, PureVPN or StrongVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither PureVPN nor StrongVPN has a free plan.
Which platforms do PureVPN and StrongVPN run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only PureVPN lists a Linux app and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.