IPVanish vs PureVPN
We give IPVanish a 2.6 GPA and PureVPN a 2.2, out of 4.0. IPVanish grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. 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.
IPVanish
Ziff Davis-owned VPN with no device cap and antivirus on higher plans
PureVPN
VPN sold in three tiers that add a password manager and data removal
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAIPVanishGood | 2.2GPAPureVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BThe 2-year Standard plan bills $58.20 for the first 27 months, so two years cost about $2.43 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs. It then renews at $47.95 a year, below the middle. Monthly is $12.95. |
| 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 the 7-day trial costs $0.99, then bills $47.95 for a year unless you cancel. The 31-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial either. |
| 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 devices, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, obfuscated servers, a kill switch, split tunneling and a tracker blocker on every plan, plus a password manager on Plus. Port forwarding and dedicated IPs cost extra, but the core job is covered. |
| Ease of use | B4.6 from about 104,000 App Store ratings, just under the 4.7 an A needs. Install, sign in, connect. | C4.36 from about 7,900 App Store ratings, under the 4.5 a B needs, and short of the 10,000 ratings that would let a 4.3 count. |
| 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. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, and Chrome and Firefox 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 VPN with privacy extras on the same bill |
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 PureVPN. 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. PureVPN starts at $4 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
IPVanish scores higher, and starts $4.33 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 3 score higher than PureVPN 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. PureVPN starts at $47.95 per year at renewal (Standard), after a first 27 months for $58.20.
- Only PureVPN lists a browser extension.
- PureVPN also covers password manager.
At a glance
| IPVanish | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $99.99 per year at renewal (Essential), after a first 2 years for $52.56 | $47.95 per year at renewal (Standard), after a first 27 months for $58.20 |
| 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 | GZ Systems Limited |
| Price read from | ipvanish.com | purevpn.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
PureVPN
- Households that need a VPN on up to 10 devices
- Buyers who want a password manager and data removal billed with the VPN
- People who need a dedicated IP or port forwarding as an add-on
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.
PureVPN
- Advertised prices cover the first 27 or 16 months only; plans then renew yearly at $47.95 to $89.95, depending on tier and term.
- There is no free trial. A 7-day trial costs $0.99 (Standard) or $1.99 (Max), then bills $47.95 or $89.95 for 12 months unless cancelled.
- Refunds fall under a 31-day money-back guarantee, subject to PureVPN's fair-use terms.
- PureVPN for Teams is sold separately, at $7 per user a month on annual billing, with a central dashboard.
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.
PureVPN
- Up to 10 devices
- One account can be logged in on 10 devices at once. A Multi-login add-on gives 10 more.
- Protocols and obfuscation
- WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec, plus obfuscated servers that make VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTPS on networks that block VPNs.
- Kill switch and split tunneling
- The kill switch cuts the internet connection if the VPN drops, and split tunneling picks which apps go through the VPN.
- Tracker and ad blocker
- Included on every plan, to block ads and the trackers that follow you between sites.
- Privacy extras on higher tiers
- Plus adds a password manager. Max adds requests to remove your data from data brokers, dark web alerts, and a 3GB eSIM valid for 30 days, resold from Truely.
- Paid network add-ons
- Dedicated IPs, port forwarding, a dedicated server, DDoS-protected IPs and a US residential network are sold as extras.
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.
PureVPN
Standard, 2 years$47.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
VPN and tracker blocker. The first 27 months cost $58.20 ($2.15 a month), then it renews each year at $47.95.
Standard, 1 year$57.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 16 months
VPN and tracker blocker. The first 16 months cost $40.80 ($2.55 a month), then it renews each year at $57.95.
Standard, 1 month$12.95
per month
VPN and tracker blocker, renewing monthly at the same price.
Plus, 2 years$69.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds the password manager. First 27 months $73.80 ($2.73 a month). Also 1 year ($72.80 for the first 16 months, then $69.95) or $17.95 a month.
Max, 2 years$84.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds data removal, dark web monitoring and a 3GB eSIM. First 27 months $95.85. Also 1 year ($88.80 for 16 months, then $89.95) or $19.95 a month.
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.
PureVPN
- Other savings
First 27 months of a 2-year plan from $58.20
Standard costs $58.20, Plus $73.80 and Max $95.85 for the first 27 months (24 plus 3 extra). They then renew every 12 months at $47.95, $69.95 and $84.95.
- Other savings
First 16 months of a 1-year plan from $40.80
Standard costs $40.80, Plus $72.80 and Max $88.80 for the first 16 months (12 plus 4 extra), before renewing yearly at $57.95, $69.95 and $89.95.
