PrivateVPN vs Windscribe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Windscribe grades higher than PrivateVPN: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Windscribe 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.
PrivateVPN
Subscription VPN on 10 connections with three term lengths
Windscribe
VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing
Which one is for you
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
Pick Windscribe if
- Fits if you want a free VPN for light use where you still pick the country
- Works for paying $1 a month per country when you only need a few
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stream on the free plan, which stops at 10GB a month, with most locations Pro only
- Too light for heavy use on Build A Plan, where each location adds only 10GB
- Skip it if you want to share your account with friends, as the terms forbid it
- Watch out: static IPs and team accounts are sold separately, with no price on the plans page
- Pricey if you pay monthly for Pro, at $9 a month against $69 a year
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPrivateVPNFair | 2.6GPAWindscribeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | 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. | C10GB a month free once you confirm an email, with servers in 10 countries including the US, UK and Germany. Enough for café Wi-Fi, but streaming will burn through it, and most locations are Pro only. |
| Features | 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. | 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 store rating on record. Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux that you install and use. | 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, iPhone, iPad, Android, Linux, Kodi and routers. Phones and computers, but no API or integrations. | 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 | one VPN on up to 10 devices | a free VPN you can pay for by location |
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: PrivateVPN and Windscribe. How we grade
Price against what you get
PrivateVPN starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Windscribe starts at $3 a month and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and Windscribe starts $3 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 1 scores higher than PrivateVPN 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
- Windscribe is open source, according to its own site.
- PrivateVPN also covers file sharing.
- Windscribe also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| PrivateVPN | Windscribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $72 per year at renewal, after a first 36 months for $72 | $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 | PrivateVPN Global AB | Windscribe Limited |
| Price read from | privatevpn.com | windscribe.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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).
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PrivateVPN or Windscribe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Windscribe is cheaper to start with: $3 a month, against $6 a month when paid by the year for PrivateVPN. PrivateVPN starts at $72 per year at renewal, after a first 36 months for $72, and Windscribe starts at $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).
Which has a free plan, PrivateVPN or Windscribe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Windscribe has a free plan. PrivateVPN does not.
Which platforms do PrivateVPN and Windscribe run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Windscribe lists a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.