IVPN vs NymVPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, NymVPN grades higher than IVPN: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
NymVPN grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
NymVPN
Swiss VPN with a decentralized WireGuard mode and a mixnet mode
Which one is for you
Pick IVPN if
- Fits if you want to sign up without an email and pay in cash or crypto
- Works for small teams at $90 a user a year for up to 20 seats, VPN only
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it free first, as there's no free plan or trial, only a $2 week
- Skip it if you torrent and need port forwarding, or want streaming promises; IVPN offers neither
- Tight if you have more than 5 devices, unless you pay $100 a year for Pro Suite
- Watch out: Portmaster Pro, the main Pro Suite extra, runs on Windows and Linux only
- Not for you if your team needs dedicated IPs or a way into the company network, which Teams lacks
Pick NymVPN if
- Fits if you want to pay with Bitcoin, Monero or cash rather than a card
- Works for people who want a mixnet option and can live with a slower connection in that mode
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because there isn't one
- Tight if you want the trial: it's card-only, needs a payment method and ends after 7 days
- Not for you if you use Android TV, as the vendor says it isn't supported
- Watch out: all plans auto-renew and refunds are pro-rata, and only the 1-year price could be read
- Watch out: the currency you see depends on your location and payment method
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAIVPNFair | 2.2GPANymVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStandard is $60 a year and renews at that, so two years cost $120, about $5 a month, right in the middle of what VPNs charge. Monthly is $6, and Plus and Pro Suite are $80 and $100 a year for the email aliases, DNS filtering and app firewall. | C$4.00 a month on the 1-year plan ($48 up front), just over the cheaper quarter's $3.99. The page crosses out $96 and shows no end date for the 50% off, and the other terms weren't readable. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. IVPN points you to a $2 one-week plan for trying it, and the 30-day refund is once per customer. Neither of those is a trial. | DA 7-day trial, but only on select plans with a card, it needs a payment method, and it can't be started with crypto. No free plan. |
| Features | CMulti-hop, the AntiTracker blocker, WireGuard with key rotation, and V2Ray and obfs4 for networks that block VPNs. But the listing names the gaps: no port forwarding, no streaming promises, 5 devices on Standard and servers in 41 countries. | CWireGuard mode, a mixnet mode, an ad blocker on every plan, bridges for blocked networks and 10 devices. The listing names a gap: it isn't supported on Android TV. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record. You generate an account ID instead of signing up with an email, then install the app and connect, with nothing to configure first. | BNo store rating on record. It's an app you install and connect, though the mixnet mode is slower and you pick between two modes. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, all with open-source apps. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. No API or integrations on record, and no Android TV app. |
| Best for | a private VPN you can try for a week | a VPN you can pay for in crypto or cash |
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: IVPN and NymVPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
IVPN starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. NymVPN starts at $4 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and NymVPN starts $1 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 4 score higher than IVPN for less, and 3 score higher than NymVPN 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
At a glance
| IVPN | NymVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $60 per year (Standard), also sold at $6 a month or $2 a week | $4.00 per month on the 1-year plan, $48 billed yearly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial on select plans when paying by card; not available with cryptocurrency, and a payment method is required. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | IVPN Limited | Nym Technologies SA |
| Price read from | ivpn.net | nym.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
IVPN
- There is no free trial or free plan; IVPN offers a 1-week plan and a 30-day refund, available once per customer.
- Servers are in 58 locations across 41 countries, and IVPN states it offers no port forwarding and no streaming guarantees.
- Portmaster Pro, the main Pro Suite extra, runs only on Windows and Linux.
- Teams has no dedicated servers or IPs and is not a way into a company network, per IVPN's teams page.
NymVPN
- There is no free plan; the 7-day trial is limited to certain payment types and needs a payment method.
- The pricing page also lists 1-month (full price) and 6-month (25% off) options; only the 1-year price could be read here, so check the page for the others.
- All plans auto-renew unless cancelled, and refunds are described as pro-rata.
- The vendor says NymVPN is not supported on Android TV, and the pricing page notes that currency (EUR, USD, GBP, CHF) depends on location and payment method.
Key features
IVPN
- Signup without an email address
- An account is a generated ID with no email required, and IVPN accepts card, PayPal, Bitcoin, Lightning, Monero and cash.
- WireGuard, OpenVPN and IPSec
- Quantum-resistant WireGuard is on by default in the apps, with automatic key and IP rotation on a schedule you set.
- Multi-hop routes
- Sends traffic through two servers in separate jurisdictions. Included on every tier since the May 2026 plan changes.
- AntiTracker
- A DNS-based blocker for ads, adware, malicious sites and trackers, built into the apps. modDNS on Plus and Pro Suite extends it.
- Obfuscation for blocked networks
- V2Ray obfuscation on every platform, plus obfs4 for OpenVPN on desktop, for connecting from networks that block VPNs.
- Mailx, modDNS and Portmaster
- Email aliases, filtered encrypted DNS and an app firewall run by IVPN, each signed into separately without sharing your IVPN account ID.
NymVPN
- Two connection modes
- A faster decentralized VPN mode built on WireGuard, and a mixnet mode that adds noise to traffic for stronger anonymity.
- Anonymous payments and access
- Accepts cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Bitcoin, Monero, Zcash, Taler and cash, and says its zk-nym credentials keep payment data from being linked to activity.
- Ad blocker
- Every plan includes an ad blocker the vendor says is powered by Brave.
- Censorship resistance
- The vendor lists censorship resistance in what every plan includes, and its app notes mention bridge modes for networks that block the connection.
- Open source and audits
- The site's home page says the software is open source and independently audited.
Plans
IVPN
Standard, 1 week$2
per week
The VPN on up to 5 devices, with Multi-hop and the AntiTracker blocker. IVPN suggests the weekly plan for trying the service.
Standard, 1 month$6
per month
The same Standard VPN on up to 5 devices, renewing monthly.
Standard, 1 year$60
per year
The same Standard VPN on up to 5 devices, renewing yearly.
Plus, 1 year$80
per year
Adds Mailx email aliases and modDNS filtering, still on 5 devices. Also $3 a week or $8 a month.
Pro Suite, 1 year$100
per year
Adds Portmaster Pro for Windows and Linux and raises the limit to 10 devices. Also $4 a week or $10 a month.
Teams$90
per user / year at 1 to 20 seats ($9 per user billed monthly)
VPN only, 10 devices per seat, with admin tools. The seat price falls with team size, to $50 a year above 80 seats. Set up by email.
NymVPN
1 year$4.00
per month, billed yearly ($48 total)
All features on all plans, up to 10 devices and servers in 70+ locations. The page shows $96 crossed out and 50% off, with no end date given.
Ways to pay less
IVPN
- Annual discount
Yearly billing about 17% below monthly
Standard costs $60 a year against $72 for twelve months at $6. Plus ($80 against $96) and Pro Suite ($100 against $120) save the same share.
NymVPN
- Other savings
Up to 75% off when paying with the $NYM token
The pricing page offers up to 75% off if you pay with the $NYM token.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, IVPN or NymVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, NymVPN is cheaper to start with: $4 a month, against $5 a month when paid by the year for IVPN. IVPN starts at $60 per year (Standard), also sold at $6 a month or $2 a week, and NymVPN starts at $4.00 per month on the 1-year plan, $48 billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, IVPN or NymVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither IVPN nor NymVPN has a free plan. NymVPN 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.