We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
Advertising Disclosure

vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

PrivateVPN vs Windscribe VPN 2024

Table of Contents

    Which VPN is better?

    Author Image Kristina Perunicic
    Kristina Perunicic

    Former Managing Editor

    PrivateVPN is one of the most reliable VPNs available and is widely respected for its speed and security features. Windscribe is a well-established VPN provider as well, known for its innovative features and ability to bypass tough geoblocks. Windscribe provides a limited free version alongside a 3-day money-back guarantee on paid plans. PrivateVPN does not have a free version but offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all its subscription plans. Windscribe and PrivateVPN do share similarities in some areas, though. They both offer apps that can be set up within minutes for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android devices. With respect to security features, these two providers safeguard your traffic with a kill switch, strong encryption, and tracking protection. Both Windscribe and PrivateVPN support torrenting on their servers and have proved over the years that their services can unblock Netflix-US. To see which one of these heavyweight providers is truly better, keep on reading.

    Our Score

    Features 9.2/10
    Pricing 9.2/10
    Ease of Use 8.8/10
    Reliability & Support 9.2/10
    Features 8.0/10
    Pricing 8.0/10
    Ease of Use 8.8/10
    Reliability & Support 8.5/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Matthew Amos
    Matthew Amos

    Senior Editor

    Our Score: 9.2/10

    PrivateVPN advertises itself as one of the best VPNs for streaming at a low price. It also claims to have great torrenting support, strong security features, and a true no-logs policy. But PrivateVPN is a small company, so can it compete with the biggest VPNs? To learn the answer, I tested out everything it offers. My global team and I found out if it really lets you stream securely in the bes...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    D
    Daniel Andersson
    10.0/10
    Works Great for many years.

    I've been using their service for a great many years, and I'm very pleased indeed. Great service and s... upport, and more than enough speed for covering my needs. As long as they have coverage in countries I need to connect to, the number of servers in total is less relevant, as long as the servers they Do have provide enough speeds. They also support Wireguard, which is seldom mentioned in these reviews, probably since they don't have it in their native app, but they do and it's rock solid using that with their provided config files, and that in and of itself also increases the connection speeds, at least for me. All in all, they provide anything and all I want from a VPN provider. What others see as a downside, split tunneling and such, I see as a strength. I want my VPN provider to stick their nose in my business as little as possible, but rather provide a "clean VPN line" and then let Me decide what to do with my routing table. In short, they're Great, for my needs, but others will have to test and make up their own minds. :-DMore

    Latest negative user review
    E
    Emil
    2.0/10
    Been There

    I've been using PrivateVPN for a year. The main reason was due to good price. It's slow, on certain ho... urs of the day you can't watch video smoothly. They have down time or some other problem frequently and it take ages to fix it. Customer support are so poor that my mum without IT knowledge could probably do a better job. Now I switched to another one and feelings for PrivateVPN is much worse because I have something to compare withMore

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Matthew Amos
    Matthew Amos

    Senior Editor

    Our Score: 8.0/10

    My team and I tested everything Windscribe offers, including speeds, streaming performance, security, and more. We also thoroughly investigated its privacy policy to see how it's improved since the breach. After our tests, I can confirm that Windscribe is safe and decent overall. It has strong security features and takes your privacy seriously. Its free version is one of the best available, but...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    E
    ElloWanker
    10.0/10
    Customer for 5 years, Excellent VPN

    I see a fair amount of misinformation about Windscribe's features, pricing, etc.. I have zero complain... ts. You can build a custom plan for as low as $3 monthly, and if you want pro you can usually buy a year's worth for about the same if you wait for one of their promotions. Promotions are usually around the holidays, and are about $29-30/year.More

    Latest negative user review
    E
    Eclipse
    2.0/10
    Windscribe = Unprofessional

    If you are looking for a new synonym of the word unprofessional there you go you found it! Windscribe ... is not a company is just a joke that makes money from scamming people thinking they getting VPN services... Even after all these years they still do silly pranks on their supposedly customers by tricking them with a fake 1 year of free PRO service and days later telling it was just a joke as everything they do are for them... The only positive thing you can take from all of this is that if they can run a joke company and make money so can you... But will you still sleep at nights... That's up to you...More

    Pricing

    Starting price $2/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices
    Starting price $5.75/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 3 Days
    Number of devices per license Unlimited devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    PrivateVPN is a very reliable VPN service provider with very fast servers, numerous security features, and a proven ability to bypass very tough geo-restrictions. Windscribe, on the other hand, provides a very innovative VPN service, with many unique features and access to restricted content worldwide through specialized servers.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    Apart from supporting torrenting and P2P file-sharing activities, PrivateVPN offers advanced security features like port forwarding to keep your online activity private. Windscribe also allows torrenting on some of its servers, and does not restrict the activity if you connect to those locations.

    Best VPN for Windows

    PrivateVPN offers a dedicated Windows app that gives you access to very fast servers and security features like IPv6 leak protection. Windscribe competes with its own Windows client that features a sleek interface, ad blocking, and wi-fi protection.

    Best VPN for Android

    With a dedicated app featuring advanced leak protection and support for multiple VPN protocols including OpenVPN and IPSec, PrivateVPN offers a very reliable service for Android devices. Meanwhile, Windscribe also has an Android app that gives you access to the free version of the service. The paid service has powerful features like tracking protection and “Split Personality,” which rotates your user agent to reduce the chance someone could fingerprint your browser.

    Best VPN for Mac

    With a dedicated app that includes a SOCKS5 and HTTP Proxy offered through a user-friendly interface, PrivateVPN provides a powerful VPN service for MacOS. One of the best features of Windscribe’s MacOS app is its double-hop functionality, which allows you route your traffic via two VPN servers simultaneously.

    Best VPN for iOS

    PrivateVPN’s iOS app is very user-friendly, can be set up within minutes, and is ideal for unblocking content from providers with tough geoblocks worldwide. Windscribe also provides a reliable service for iOS devices, offering unlimited simultaneous connections and unique features like time zone spoofing.

    Best VPN for USA

    PrivateVPN has dedicated, high-speed US servers optimized for unblocking Netflix and other geo-restricted content from any location worldwide. Windscribe also has US servers for accessing restricted American sites and services regardless of your location. Its dedicated Windflix servers specialize in unblocking Netflix-US and other hard-to-reach providers.

    The Bottom Line

    By offering faster servers, strong security features, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, PrivateVPN comes out as the winner of this comparison between two highly rated VPN services. Windscribe’s limited free version is very handy if you just need occasional VPN protection for light browsing, but its advanced features are only available to paying users. With better-priced plans overall, PrivateVPN’s complete, fast, reliable service will serve you better for ongoing use and high-bandwidth activities like streaming and torrenting.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    FAQ

    Is PrivateVPN better than Windscribe VPN?

    Yes, PrivateVPN is better overall than Windscribe VPN. It has 200 servers in 63 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $2 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between PrivateVPN and Windscribe VPN?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then PrivateVPN may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests .

    Is PrivateVPN faster than Windscribe VPN?

    Yes, PrivateVPN is faster than Windscribe VPN. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do PrivateVPN or Windscribe VPN offer any deals?

    Both PrivateVPN and Windscribe VPN offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 82% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

    About the Author

    Kristina Perunicic is a former editor for vpnMentor. She’s a cybersecurity expert with an interest in VPNs and their importance in the digital privacy landscape.