Betternet vs Windscribe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Windscribe grades higher than Betternet: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Windscribe grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use 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
Windscribe
VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing
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 Windscribe if
- Fits if you want a free VPN for light use where you still pick the country
- Works for paying $1 a month per country when you only need a few
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stream on the free plan, which stops at 10GB a month, with most locations Pro only
- Too light for heavy use on Build A Plan, where each location adds only 10GB
- Skip it if you want to share your account with friends, as the terms forbid it
- Watch out: static IPs and team accounts are sold separately, with no price on the plans page
- Pricey if you pay monthly for Pro, at $9 a month against $69 a year
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABetternetFair | 2.6GPAWindscribeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $95.99 a year, about $8 a month, or $11.99 monthly, against a category middle of $5. | CPro is $69 a year and stays at that price, so two years cost $138, about $5.75 a month, above the middle of the pack. Build A Plan starts at $3 a month for 3 locations, but each adds only 10GB of data. |
| 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. | C10GB a month free once you confirm an email, with servers in 10 countries including the US, UK and Germany. Enough for café Wi-Fi, but streaming will burn through it, and most locations are Pro only. |
| Features | CKill switch, leak protection, anti-phishing alerts and connection modes, but the free version is limited to one location and ads. | BUnlimited devices, the R.O.B.E.R.T blocker for ads, trackers and malware, double hop, split tunneling, a firewall and config generators for routers, across 69+ countries on Pro. It covers the whole job. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 238K App Store ratings. Install it and connect, with no sign-up for the free version. | BNo App Store rating on record, but you install the app, confirm an email and connect, with nothing else to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, Windows, Mac and a browser extension. No API or integration list. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus config files for routers. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a free VPN with ads | a free VPN you can pay for by location |
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 Windscribe. 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. Windscribe starts at $3 a month and scores 3.0.
Windscribe scores higher and starts $5 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 9 score higher than Betternet for less, and none scores higher than Windscribe 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
- Windscribe is open source, according to its own site.
- Betternet also covers malware protection.
- Windscribe also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Betternet | Windscribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $95.99 per year, or $11.99 per month | $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A 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. | 10GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, with servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and Germany. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Premium on the monthly and annual plans, per the App Store listing. | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Betternet LLC | Windscribe Limited |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | windscribe.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 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.
Windscribe
- The free plan stops at 10GB a month and needs a confirmed email; most locations are Pro only.
- Build A Plan locations each add only 10GB a month rather than unlimited data.
- Static IPs and team accounts are sold separately, and their prices are not on the plans page.
- Account sharing is prohibited by the plan terms.
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.
Windscribe
- Free plan
- 10GB a month once your email is confirmed, with servers in 10 countries. Pro locations stay locked.
- Build A Plan
- Pay $1 a month per Pro location you want, from a $3 minimum and up to 7 locations, each adding 10GB of data.
- R.O.B.E.R.T
- A customizable server-side blocker for ads, trackers and malware, included with Pro.
- Unlimited connections
- Use one account on as many devices at once as you like, with apps and browser extensions for each platform.
- Config generators
- Generate OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard configurations for routers and devices without an app.
- Double hop, split tunneling and firewall
- Route through two servers, choose which apps skip the VPN, and block traffic outside the tunnel.
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.
Windscribe
Free$0
10GB a month with a confirmed email, and servers in 10 countries: the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany and four more.
Build A Plan$3
per month for 3 locations, then $1 per extra location
$1 per Pro location per month, from 3 up to 7 locations; each adds 10GB to your monthly data. For more, the page points to Pro.
Pro Yearly$69
per year
$5.75 a month. Unlimited data, every location in 69+ countries, R.O.B.E.R.T and config generators.
Pro Monthly$9
per month
The same Pro features as yearly, billed $9 every month.
Ways to pay less
Betternet
No public discounts listed.
Windscribe
- Annual discount
About 36% off with yearly billing
Pro Yearly costs $69 a year, against $108 for twelve months of Pro Monthly at $9.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Betternet or Windscribe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Windscribe is cheaper to start with: $3 a month, against $8 a month when paid by the year for Betternet. Betternet starts at $95.99 per year, or $11.99 per month, and Windscribe starts at $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).
Which has a free plan, Betternet or Windscribe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Betternet and Windscribe have a free plan.
Which platforms do Betternet and Windscribe run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Windscribe lists a Linux app. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. 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.