IVPN vs Windscribe
We give IVPN a 2.0 GPA and Windscribe a 2.6, out of 4.0. Windscribe grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Windscribe
VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAIVPNFair | 2.6GPAWindscribeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CPro is $69 a year and stays at that price, so two years cost $138, about $5.75 a month, above the middle of the pack. Build A Plan starts at $3 a month for 3 locations, but each adds only 10GB of data. |
| 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. | C10GB a month free once you confirm an email, with servers in 10 countries including the US, UK and Germany. Plenty for café Wi-Fi, but streaming will burn through it, and most locations are Pro only. |
| 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. | BUnlimited devices, the R.O.B.E.R.T blocker for ads, trackers and malware, double hop, split tunneling, a firewall and config generators for routers, across 69+ countries on Pro. It covers the whole job. |
| 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 App Store rating on record, but you install the app, confirm an email and connect, with nothing else to set up. |
| 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. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus config files for routers. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a private VPN you can try for a week | a free VPN with room to grow |
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 Windscribe. 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. Windscribe starts at $3 a month and scores 3.0.
Windscribe scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 3 score higher than IVPN for less, and none scores higher than Windscribe 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
- IVPN starts at $60 per year (Standard), also sold at $6 a month or $2 a week. Windscribe starts at $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).
- Windscribe has a free plan. IVPN does not.
- Only Windscribe lists a browser extension.
At a glance
| IVPN | Windscribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $60 per year (Standard), also sold at $6 a month or $2 a week | $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan) |
| Free plan | None | 10GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, with servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and Germany. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | IVPN Limited | Windscribe Limited |
| Price read from | ivpn.net | windscribe.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
IVPN
- People who want to pay for a VPN without giving an email or card
- Buyers who want open-source apps and yearly third-party audits
- Small teams that want per-seat VPN billing without dedicated servers
Windscribe
- Light users who can live within 10GB a month for free
- People who only need one or two countries and want to pay per location
- Households connecting many devices to one account
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.
Windscribe
- The free plan stops at 10GB a month and needs a confirmed email; most locations are Pro only.
- Build A Plan locations each add only 10GB a month rather than unlimited data.
- Static IPs and team accounts are sold separately, and their prices are not on the plans page.
- Account sharing is prohibited by the plan terms.
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.
Windscribe
- Free plan
- 10GB a month once your email is confirmed, with servers in 10 countries. Pro locations stay locked.
- Build A Plan
- Pay $1 a month per Pro location you want, from a $3 minimum and up to 7 locations, each adding 10GB of data.
- R.O.B.E.R.T
- A customizable server-side blocker for ads, trackers and malware, included with Pro.
- Unlimited connections
- Use one account on as many devices at once as you like, with apps and browser extensions for each platform.
- Config generators
- Generate OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard configurations for routers and devices without an app.
- Double hop, split tunneling and firewall
- Route through two servers, choose which apps skip the VPN, and block traffic outside the tunnel.
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.
Windscribe
Free$0
10GB a month with a confirmed email, and servers in 10 countries: the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany and four more.
Build A Plan$3
per month for 3 locations, then $1 per extra location
$1 per Pro location per month, from 3 up to 7 locations; each adds 10GB to your monthly data. For more, the page points to Pro.
Pro Yearly$69
per year
$5.75 a month. Unlimited data, every location in 69+ countries, R.O.B.E.R.T and config generators.
Pro Monthly$9
per month
The same Pro features as yearly, billed $9 every month.
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.
Windscribe
- Annual discount
About 36% off with yearly billing
Pro Yearly costs $69 a year, against $108 for twelve months of Pro Monthly at $9.
