IPVanish vs NordVPN
We give IPVanish a 2.6 GPA and NordVPN a 2.4, out of 4.0. IPVanish grades higher on value for money. NordVPN grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
IPVanish
Ziff Davis-owned VPN with no device cap and antivirus on higher plans
NordVPN
Subscription VPN with threat protection and Meshnet device links
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAIPVanishGood | 2.4GPANordVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BEssential bills $52.56 for the first 2 years, about $2.19 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs. But it then renews at $99.99 a year, in the dearest tenth, so the third year costs nearly twice the first two. Monthly is $14.99. | DOnly Nord's renewal prices could be read: Basic renews at $139.08 a year, so two years on record come to $278.16, about $11.59 a month, the dearest in this category. The first-term price for new customers wasn't readable, so a first purchase may cost less. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial, but only inside the iPhone and Android apps, and IPVanish doesn't say how long it lasts. No free plan, nothing to try on a computer, and the money-back guarantee isn't a trial. | DA 7-day free trial of the 1- and 2-year top-tier plans, but only for new customers in the US and 14 other countries, and it needs a card or PayPal. The 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial. |
| Features | BUnlimited devices, Threat Protection against ads, trackers and bad sites, Double Hop, a kill switch, split tunneling, WireGuard and OpenVPN, with antivirus on Complete and 1TB of backup on Advanced. It covers the whole job. | BNordLynx, NordWhisper, OpenVPN and IKEv2 with a kill switch, malware and ad blocking, Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, obfuscated servers, Meshnet, Dark Web Monitor and dedicated IPs. Nothing in the listing is missing from a VPN's job. |
| Ease of use | B4.6 from about 104,000 App Store ratings, just under the 4.7 an A needs. Install, sign in, connect. | A4.7 from about 709,000 App Store ratings, the biggest crowd in this category. Install, sign in, tap connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, iPhone, Android, Apple TV and Fire TV, but no browser extension. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | covering TV boxes as well as phones | a big-name VPN for up to 10 devices |
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: IPVanish and NordVPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
IPVanish starts at $8.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. NordVPN starts at $11.59 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3.
NordVPN scores higher, and starts $3.26 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 1 scores higher than IPVanish for less, and none scores higher than NordVPN 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
- IPVanish starts at $99.99 per year at renewal (Essential), after a first 2 years for $52.56. NordVPN starts at $139.08 per year at renewal (Basic 1-year plan).
- Only NordVPN lists a browser extension.
At a glance
| IPVanish | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $99.99 per year at renewal (Essential), after a first 2 years for $52.56 | $139.08 per year at renewal (Basic 1-year plan) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial in the iOS and Android apps; IPVanish does not state its length | 7-day free trial of 1- and 2-year top-tier plans for new users in the US and 14 other countries |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | IPVanish | Nord Security |
| Price read from | ipvanish.com | my.nordaccount.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
IPVanish
- Households with more devices than a capped VPN allows
- Buyers who want antivirus and cloud backup in the same subscription
- People who stream on Apple TV, Fire TV or other TV devices
NordVPN
- Households covering up to 10 devices on one account
- People who want ad and malware blocking in the VPN app
- Linking home devices to each other privately with Meshnet
Worth knowing
IPVanish
- Advertised prices cover the first term only; per the homepage, plans renew yearly at $99.99, $109.99 or $129.99.
- IPVanish's renewal price page lists Complete at $57.48 or $66.96 a year, matching its first-term prices and not the homepage's $109.99.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers yearly and 2-year plans; cancelling a monthly plan does not start a refund.
- There is no browser extension; the free trial is offered only in the mobile apps.
NordVPN
- Nord's pricing page turned away automated readers, so the first-term prices it advertises are missing here; only the US 1-year renewal prices could be read.
- Nord's renewal list also names an Ultimate 1-year tier at $256.68 for the US; plan names vary by country.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers the first purchase only; renewals are not refundable under it, and App Store purchases go through Apple.
- The free trial is limited to new customers in 15 countries and needs a credit card or PayPal.
Key features
IPVanish
- Unmetered devices
- IPVanish does not count simultaneous connections or installs, so one account can cover every device in a household.
- Threat Protection
- Blocks ads, trackers and malicious websites while the VPN is connected. Included on every plan.
- Double Hop, kill switch and split tunneling
- Double Hop passes traffic through two VPN servers, the kill switch stops traffic when the VPN drops, and split tunneling lets chosen sites and apps skip the VPN.
- WireGuard and OpenVPN
- The apps connect over WireGuard or OpenVPN, under a no-traffic-logs policy that IPVanish says is independently verified.
- Antivirus on Complete and Advanced
- Real-time scanning for malware and phishing sites with background checks for suspicious activity, sold as IPVanish Antivirus.
- Cloud backup and Secure Browser
- Advanced adds 1TB of encrypted cloud backup with automatic syncing, and a sandboxed browser that deletes session data when closed.
NordVPN
- Protocols
- Choose between NordLynx (built on WireGuard), Nord's own NordWhisper, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec, with an automatic kill switch and DNS leak protection.
- Real-time protection
- Scans files for malware and blocks harmful websites; the App Store listing adds tracker and ad blocking, depending on device and plan.
- Specialty servers
- Double VPN sends traffic through two servers, Onion Over VPN adds the Tor network, and obfuscated servers make VPN traffic look like ordinary traffic.
- Meshnet
- Links your own devices into a private network so they can reach each other without exposing your real IP address.
- Dark Web Monitor
- Watches for your email address and other personal details turning up in data leaks and alerts you when they do.
- Dedicated IP
- A fixed personal IP address, bought on its own or in a bundle, for services that only accept allow-listed addresses.
Plans
IPVanish
Essential, 2 years$99.99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 2 years
VPN, Threat Protection and 3GB of eSIM data on unlimited devices. The first 2 years cost $52.56 ($2.19 a month), then it renews each year at $99.99.
Essential, 1 year$99.99
per year at renewal, after a first year for $46.68
The same Essential plan. The first year costs $46.68 ($3.89 a month), then it renews each year at $99.99.
Essential, 1 month$14.99
per month
The same Essential plan, renewing monthly at $14.99.
Complete, 2 years$109.99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 2 years
Adds antivirus and phone support. First 2 years $66.96 ($2.79 a month). Also $57.48 for a first year, or $15.99 a month.
Advanced, 2 years$129.99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 2 years
Adds 1TB of cloud backup, the Secure Browser and 2GB more eSIM data. First 2 years $78.96. Also $64.68 for a first year, or $17.99 a month.
NordVPN
Basic 1-year$139.08
per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan
The VPN-only tier. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read, so only the renewal price is shown.
Standard 1-year$149.88
per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan
Priced between Basic and Plus at renewal. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read.
Plus 1-year$179.88
per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan
Priced between Standard and Complete at renewal. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read.
Complete 1-year$219.48
per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan
Adds NordPass and NordLocker to the VPN. First-term price not readable; this is the 1-year renewal price.
Ultra 1-year$269.88
per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan
One of the top tiers that the 7-day free trial covers. First-term price not readable; this is the renewal price.
Prime 1-year$296.28
per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan
The dearest US tier on Nord's renewal list, and one the free trial covers. First-term price not readable.
Ways to pay less
IPVanish
- Other savings
First 2 years of a 2-year plan from $52.56
Essential costs $52.56, Complete $66.96 and Advanced $78.96 for the first 2 years. The plans then renew every 12 months at $99.99, $109.99 and $129.99.
- Other savings
First year of a 1-year plan from $46.68
Essential costs $46.68, Complete $57.48 and Advanced $64.68 for the first year, before renewing yearly at the regular price.
NordVPN
- Education
Student discount for ages 18 to 26
Nord's help center says students and apprentices aged 18 to 26 can get an additional discount. The size of the discount is not stated there.
