PrivadoVPN vs Windscribe
We give PrivadoVPN a 2.8 GPA and Windscribe a 2.6, out of 4.0. PrivadoVPN grades higher on value for money. Windscribe grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PrivadoVPN
VPN with a 10GB free plan and ad blocking on paid plans
Windscribe
VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAPrivadoVPNGood | 2.6GPAWindscribeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe 24-month plan is $1.11 a month for the first 27 months, about $30 in all, so two years cost about $1.25 a month, well under the $2 an A needs. The renewal price isn't stated, so check it before month 27. Monthly is $10.99. | 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 | C10GB every 30 days on one device, with a subset of servers. Fine for café Wi-Fi and the odd trip, but streaming will burn through it. | 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 | BUnlimited data, 10 connections at once on any number of installs, an ad and tracker blocker, threat protection, parental controls, a SOCKS5 proxy, a kill switch, split tunneling and smart DNS. It covers the whole job; antivirus is $1.99 a month extra. | 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 | C3.99 from about 740 App Store ratings, below most VPNs here and well short of the 4.5 a B needs. | 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 | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and browser extensions. 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 | the cheapest first two years of VPN | 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: PrivadoVPN and Windscribe. How we grade
Price against what you get
PrivadoVPN starts at $1.11 a month 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 $1.89 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than PrivadoVPN 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
- PrivadoVPN starts at $1.11 per month for a first 27 months (24-month plan); renewal price not stated. Windscribe starts at $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).
- Windscribe is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| PrivadoVPN | Windscribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1.11 per month for a first 27 months (24-month plan); renewal price not stated | $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan) |
| Free plan | 10GB of data every 30 days on one device, with access to a subset of servers. | 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 | Privado Networks ehf | Windscribe Limited |
| Price read from | privadovpn.com | windscribe.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
PrivadoVPN
- Light users who need a few gigabytes of VPN a month for free
- Buyers who want an ad blocker and parental controls with the VPN
- Households with many devices on one account
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
PrivadoVPN
- The pricing page gives the 24- and 12-month plans only as a monthly rate and does not say what they renew at; the terms say renewals use the then-current price.
- Antivirus costs $1.99 a month extra on the 12- and 24-month plans.
- The pricing page calls PrivadoVPN Switzerland-based, but its terms name Privado Networks ehf of Iceland as the provider since May 1, 2026.
- The terms allow personal, non-commercial use only, and there is no free trial of paid features.
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
PrivadoVPN
- Ad blocker and threat protection
- Paid plans block ads and trackers and warn about phishing and malware sites.
- Parental controls
- Listed on every paid plan, and the homepage pairs them with social filters.
- 10 connections, unlimited installs
- Paid accounts can be installed on any number of devices and connect 10 at once; free accounts connect one.
- SOCKS5 proxy and kill switch
- A SOCKS5 proxy is included alongside the VPN, and a kill switch cuts traffic if the VPN connection drops.
- Smart DNS and split tunneling
- Control Tower smart DNS and split tunneling, which lets chosen traffic bypass the VPN, are part of the feature set along with VPN SmartRoute.
- Apps for TVs and browsers
- Apps for Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Wear OS, plus proxy extensions for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Brave.
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
PrivadoVPN
Free$0
10GB every 30 days on one device.
24 Month Plan$1.11
per month for a first term of 27 months; renewal price not stated
24 months plus 3 free. Unlimited data, 10 connections, ad blocker, threat protection and parental controls. Shown as 90% off the monthly plan.
12 Month Plan$1.33
per month for a first term of 15 months; renewal price not stated
12 months plus 3 free, with the same features. Shown as 88% off the monthly plan.
1 Month Plan$10.99
per month
The same features billed monthly, with no saving.
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
PrivadoVPN
- Other savings
24-month plan plus 3 free months at $1.11 a month
The first 27 months are priced at $1.11 a month, shown as 90% off the $10.99 monthly plan. The page does not state the renewal price.
- Other savings
12-month plan plus 3 free months at $1.33 a month
The first 15 months are priced at $1.33 a month, shown as 88% off the monthly plan. The page does not state the renewal price.
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.
