IPVanish vs PrivateVPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, IPVanish grades higher than PrivateVPN: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
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
PrivateVPN
Subscription VPN on 10 connections with three term lengths
Which one is for you
Pick IPVanish if
- Fits if your household has more devices than a capped VPN allows
- Works for putting the VPN on an Apple TV or Fire TV
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you stay past the first term, as Essential renews at $99.99 a year after $52.56 for two years
- Watch out: the homepage says Complete renews at $109.99, but the renewal page lists $57.48 or $66.96
- Skip it if you want a browser extension, as IPVanish doesn't make one
- Not for you if you want to try it on a computer, as the free trial is in the phone apps only, length not stated
- Tight if you pay monthly, at $14.99, as cancelling a monthly plan gets no refund
Pick PrivateVPN if
- Fits if you want one account across up to 10 devices
- Works for people who want to pay by PayPal or crypto and use P2P
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there's no free tier or trial
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $9.90
- Watch out: the cheap 36-month price renews at $72 a year
- Watch out: the 30-day refund doesn't apply to renewals, crypto payments or App Store purchases
- Watch out: prices include VAT and move with the tax country you pick, and the offer shows no end date
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAIPVanishGood | 2.2GPAPrivateVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CSign-up is $72 for the first 36 months, but the listed renewal is $72 a year, or $6 a month, in the middle of the category's $3.99 to $8. Monthly is $9.90. |
| 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. | FNo free plan or trial. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee, which isn't a trial, and it doesn't cover renewals, crypto or App Store purchases. |
| 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. | B10 connections, 200+ servers in 63 countries, P2P and port forwarding, a kill switch page, 24/7 support. Nothing in the listing's own gaps touches the core VPN 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 store rating on record. Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux that you install and use. |
| 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, iPhone, iPad, Android, Linux, Kodi and routers. Phones and computers, but no API or integrations. |
| Best for | covering TV boxes as well as phones | one VPN on 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 PrivateVPN. 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. PrivateVPN starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and PrivateVPN starts $2.33 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than IPVanish for less, and 1 scores higher than PrivateVPN 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 also covers ad and tracker blocking.
- PrivateVPN also covers file sharing.
At a glance
| IPVanish | PrivateVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $99.99 per year at renewal (Essential), after a first 2 years for $52.56 | $72 per year at renewal, after a first 36 months for $72 |
| 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 | ||
| Made by | IPVanish | PrivateVPN Global AB |
| Price read from | ipvanish.com | privatevpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 2, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
PrivateVPN
- The $72 sign-up price covers a 36-month first term. The page then shows $72 billed every 12 months, which is the figure recorded as the renewal price.
- Prices on the page are marked as including VAT and depend on the tax residence chosen at checkout.
- The 30-day refund does not apply to renewals, to cryptocurrency payments or to purchases made through the App Store.
- The pricing page is marked as a limited offer with no end date shown.
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, split tunneling and Dedicated IP
- Double Hop passes traffic through two VPN servers, and split tunneling lets chosen sites and apps skip the VPN. A Dedicated IP add-on gives a fixed address in New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt or Tokyo.
- 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.
PrivateVPN
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Every plan allows 10 devices at once, with unlimited bandwidth.
- Servers in 63 countries
- The pricing page and the locations page list 200+ server locations in 63 countries.
- Apps for most systems
- The download page lists macOS, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Linux, Kodi and routers.
- P2P and port forwarding
- PrivateVPN has a page for torrenting and file sharing over the VPN, and a port forwarding feature page.
- 24/7 support
- The pricing page lists 24/7 customer support on every plan.
- Payment options
- Checkout takes card (through Stripe), PayPal and cryptocurrency (through Coinify).
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.
PrivateVPN
12 Months (36 months at sign-up)$72
per year at renewal, after a first term of 36 months
The '12 Months + 24 Months extra' offer: the first 36 months cost $72 ($2 a month), then the page shows $72 billed every 12 months.
3 Months$17.99
per 3 months, billed every 3 months
Shown as $6 a month, billed every 3 months.
1 Month$9.90
per month, billed monthly
Renews monthly at $9.90.
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.
PrivateVPN
- Other savings
12 Months + 24 Months extra for $72
The limited offer gives 36 months for $72 up front ($2 a month); the page then shows $72 billed every 12 months. No end date is displayed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, IPVanish or PrivateVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, PrivateVPN is cheaper to start with: $6 a month when paid by the year, against $8.33 a month when paid by the year for IPVanish. IPVanish starts at $99.99 per year at renewal (Essential), after a first 2 years for $52.56, and PrivateVPN starts at $72 per year at renewal, after a first 36 months for $72.
Which has a free plan, IPVanish or PrivateVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither IPVanish nor PrivateVPN has a free plan. IPVanish has a free trial.
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.