ProtonVPN Wins
Winner
VS
Score Comparison
Criteria
ProtonVPN
IPVanish
Overall Score
8.7
7.8
Security
9.5
8.0
Speed
8.2
8.2
Features
8.5
7.8
Pricing/Value
8.5
7.8
Ease of Use
8.5
7.5
Pricing & Features
Specification
ProtonVPN
IPVanish
Starting Price
Free / $4.99/mo
$3.33/mo
Free Tier
Pricing Model
Freemium
Subscription
Making Your Decision
When to Choose ProtonVPN
Privacy advocates who trust the Proton brand and want a free option
ProtonVPN offers the best free VPN tier available with no catches, backed by Swiss privacy laws and the trusted Proton name, making it ideal for privacy-focused users on any budget.
Strengths
- Genuinely free tier with no data limits or ads
- Swiss-based with strong privacy laws
- All apps are open-source and independently audited
- Secure Core servers route through privacy-friendly countries
Limitations
- Free tier limited to 3 server locations
- Speeds can be slower than premium competitors
- Streaming features only on higher-tier plans
When to Choose IPVanish
Torrent users who want self-owned servers and unlimited devices
IPVanish appeals to torrent users with its unlimited connections and self-owned server infrastructure, though its past privacy issues and US location may give privacy purists pause.
Strengths
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections
- Owns and operates 100% of its server network
- Good speeds for torrenting and P2P
- SOCKS5 proxy included for faster torrents
Limitations
- Past logging controversy (2016, now resolved)
- US-based with Five Eyes jurisdiction concerns
- Struggles to unblock some streaming services
