IPVanish vs Private Internet Access
We give IPVanish a 2.6 GPA and Private Internet Access a 2.2, out of 4.0. IPVanish grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use 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
Private Internet Access
Open-source VPN with unlimited devices and servers in all 50 US states
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAIPVanishGood | 2.2GPAPrivate Internet AccessFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$47.88 a year, the same at renewal, so two years cost $95.76, about $3.99 a month, just above the cheaper quarter of VPNs at $3.33. The 3-year plan is $2.03 a month for the first 39 months, then $79 every 3 years, but that's three years up front. Monthly is $11.95. |
| 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. | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers, but that 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. | BUnlimited devices, servers in 104 countries including all 50 US states, RAM-only servers, WireGuard and OpenVPN, ad and malware blocking, split tunneling, multi-hop and port forwarding. It covers the whole 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. | BNo App Store rating on record, but it's an app you install, sign in to and connect, with nothing to configure first. |
| 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, Android and browser extensions, with open-source apps. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | covering TV boxes as well as phones | unlimited devices without renewal surprises |
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 Private Internet Access. 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. Private Internet Access starts at $3.99 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and Private Internet Access starts $4.34 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 1 scores higher than IPVanish for less, and none scores higher than Private Internet Access 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. Private Internet Access starts at $47.88 per year (1 Year plan, the same price at renewal).
- Only Private Internet Access lists a browser extension.
- Private Internet Access is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| IPVanish | Private Internet Access | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $99.99 per year at renewal (Essential), after a first 2 years for $52.56 | $47.88 per year (1 Year plan, the same price at renewal) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial in the iOS and Android apps; IPVanish does not state its length | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | IPVanish | PIA Private Internet Access, Inc. |
| Price read from | ipvanish.com | privateinternetaccess.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
Private Internet Access
- Households with more devices than a capped VPN allows
- People who want a server in a specific US state
- Torrent users who need port forwarding
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.
Private Internet Access
- The 3-year plan's $2.03 a month is a first-term rate; it renews at $79 every 3 years, and the page gives no total for the first 39 months.
- There is no free trial; the 30-day money-back guarantee is for new subscribers, and app store purchases follow Apple's or Google's refund terms.
- Antivirus and a dedicated IP cost extra and are added at checkout; their prices are not shown on the plans page.
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.
Private Internet Access
- Unlimited devices
- One subscription can be used on as many devices at the same time as you like.
- Servers in 104 countries
- The network reaches 104 countries, including servers in all 50 US states, and the servers run from RAM only.
- Open-source apps and protocols
- PIA's apps are open source, and it connects over WireGuard or OpenVPN.
- MACE
- Blocks ads, trackers and malware at the DNS level.
- Split tunneling, multi-hop and port forwarding
- Choose which apps skip the VPN, route traffic through more than one server, and open a forwarded port on selected servers for torrenting.
- Email breach monitor
- A built-in alert tells you if your email address shows up in a data breach.
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.
Private Internet Access
1 Month$11.95
per month
Billed monthly and renews at the same $11.95.
1 Year$47.88
per year
$3.99 a month. The first year and each renewal are both billed at $47.88.
3 Years + 3 Months$79
every 3 years at renewal, after a first term of 39 months
Shown at $2.03 a month for the first 39 months, labelled 83% off; the page does not state the first bill. Renews at $79 every 3 years.
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.
Private Internet Access
- Other savings
3 years plus 3 extra months at $2.03 a month
The 3-year plan comes with 3 extra months at $2.03 a month for the first term, which the page calls 83% off the monthly price. It then renews at $79 every 3 years.
- Annual discount
About 67% off with yearly billing
The 1-year plan costs $47.88, against $143.40 for twelve months at the $11.95 monthly price.
