Betternet vs Urban VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Betternet and Urban VPN share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan, and Urban VPN starts cheaper, at $4.95 a month when paid by the year against $8 a month when paid by the year.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Betternet grades higher on ease of use. Urban VPN grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Betternet
Ad-supported free VPN with an ad-free Premium plan
Urban VPN
Free VPN extension and apps, with a paid Premium plan
Which one is for you
Pick Betternet if
- Fits if you want a free VPN for light use and can live with ads
- Works for people who'll try Premium free for 7 days
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to pick a server country on the free version, which connects to the US only
- Tight if you hate ads: they stay on the free version, and Premium removes them
- Watch out: the trial renews into a paid plan unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it ends
- Watch out: the home page shows a $71.99 first-year promotion that ended 24 March 2026; it renews at $95.99
- Watch out: the vendor's site showed no pricing page, so prices come from the App Store
Pick Urban VPN if
- Fits if you only need a free VPN extension in your browser
- Works for Windows users who want a free app with no bandwidth cap
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want it for work, as free use is non-commercial only
- Tight if you use Android free, since it stops at 100MB a day
- Watch out: the pricing page offers 30 days on the yearly plan, while the Premium page says no guarantee
- Watch out: the 3-day trial is Android and iOS on the yearly plan only, not Windows or the website
- Skip it if you want iOS free, as iOS needs Premium
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABetternetFair | 2.4GPAUrban VPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $95.99 a year, about $8 a month, or $11.99 monthly, against a category middle of $5. | CPremium is $59.40 a year, $4.95 a month, between the category's cheapest quarter and middle. Monthly is $12.99. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free VPN with unlimited data and no sign-up, but with ads and, per the vendor's App Store reply, a US server only. Premium has a 7-day trial that renews unless you cancel. | BThe extension and Windows app are free with no bandwidth limit, but only for non-commercial use, and Android stops at 100MB a day. |
| Features | CKill switch, leak protection, anti-phishing alerts and connection modes, but the free version is limited to one location and ads. | CPremium servers, up to 8 devices, double VPN, kill switch and an adblocker. Free covers only the extension and Windows app. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 238K App Store ratings. Install it and connect, with no sign-up for the free version. | CNo store rating on record, and the listing shows nothing to set up beyond installing an app. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, Windows, Mac and a browser extension. No API or integration list. | BExtension, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, though iOS is Premium only. |
| Best for | a free VPN with ads | a free browser VPN with a paid upgrade |
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: Betternet and Urban VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Betternet starts at $8 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Urban VPN starts at $4.95 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Betternet scores higher, and starts $3.05 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 10 score higher than Betternet for less, and 15 score higher than Urban VPN 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
- Betternet also covers malware protection.
- Urban VPN also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Betternet | Urban VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $95.99 per year, or $11.99 per month | $59.40 per year; $12.99 on the monthly plan |
| Free plan | Free VPN with unlimited data and no registration, supported by ads. The vendor's App Store reply says the free version connects to a US server. | Browser extension and Windows app with no bandwidth limit; Android is free up to 100MB a day. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Premium on the monthly and annual plans, per the App Store listing. | 3-day free trial on the 1-year plan, Android and iOS only. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Betternet LLC | Urban VPN |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | urban-vpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Betternet
- The free version shows ads and, per the vendor's App Store reply, connects to a US server only; Premium removes the ads.
- The vendor's site did not show a pricing page when read; the prices come from the App Store listing and a promotion notice on the home page.
- The home page still displays a $71.99 first-year promotion whose stated end date, March 24, 2026, has passed; it renews at $95.99 a year.
- Trials convert to paid plans unless cancelled at least 24 hours before they end.
Urban VPN
- Free use is limited to non-commercial purposes; iOS is available only to Premium users.
- Android's free connection stops at 100MB a day, per the vendor's why-free page.
- Refund wording conflicts: the pricing page offers 30 days on the yearly plan, the Premium page says no guarantee.
- The 3-day trial is not available on Windows or through the website.
Key features
Betternet
- Free VPN without registration
- The free version needs no account or email and has unlimited data, in exchange for showing ads.
- Kill switch and leak protection
- The features page lists a kill switch, always-on auto-connect and IP and DNS leak protection.
- Anti-phishing alerts
- Warns you before you visit a site that may carry malware or phishing.
- Connection modes
- Lets you optimize the connection for gaming, browsing or streaming, and includes Tor over VPN.
- Server network
- The features page cites 1,000+ servers with up to 1 Gbps, while the App Store listing says 1800+ servers and 125+ virtual locations.
Urban VPN
- Free extension and Windows app
- The vendor says the browser extension and Windows app stay free, with no bandwidth limit, for non-commercial use.
- Premium servers
- Premium unlocks 652+ servers in 89 countries, reserved for paying users, with WireGuard and AES-256 encryption.
- Up to 8 devices
- One Premium account covers up to 8 devices at once, with a My Premium Account console to manage them.
- Double VPN and kill switch
- The pricing page lists Double VPN and a kill switch among Premium protections.
- Urban Adblocker
- A separate browser extension for blocking ads, offered free alongside the VPN.
- Free tools
- Includes a password generator, IP location check, and DNS and WebRTC leak tests on the site.
Plans
Betternet
Free$0
Ad-supported VPN with unlimited data and no sign-up.
Premium, monthly$11.99
per month
Ad-free VPN on up to 10 devices at once. Price from the US App Store listing, where it is labeled Monthly VPN Subscription.
Premium, annual$95.99
per year, renewing every year
The same Premium plan billed yearly. The vendor's site gives $95.99 a year as the annual renewal price; its own annual promotion had an end date of March 24, 2026.
Urban VPN
Free$0
Browser extension and Windows app, with no bandwidth limit. Free for non-commercial use.
Premium 1 year$59.40
per year
Shown as $4.95 a month, 68% off $12.99. Dedicated servers, up to 8 devices and Premium support.
Premium 6 months$41.88
for 6 months
Shown as $6.98 a month, 47% off $12.99. Same Premium features as the yearly plan.
Premium 1 month$12.99
per month
Monthly Premium with the same features. The 30-day money-back note applies to the yearly plan only.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Betternet or Urban VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Urban VPN is cheaper to start with: $4.95 a month when paid by the year, against $8 a month when paid by the year for Betternet. Betternet starts at $95.99 per year, or $11.99 per month, and Urban VPN starts at $59.40 per year; $12.99 on the monthly plan.
Which has a free plan, Betternet or Urban VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Betternet and Urban VPN have a free plan.
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.