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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.
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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.

Windscribe VPN vs AirVPN 2024

Table of Contents
    Our Score: 8.0/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 7.0/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info

    Which VPN Is Better?

    Author Image Kristina Perunicic
    Kristina Perunicic

    Former Managing Editor

    These are two well-known VPN services that come with some advantages and disadvantages.

    Both AirVPN and Windscribe use strong 256-bit encryption and support OpenVPN for the best security. While Windscribe has a pretty restrictive refund policy that’s only valid for 3 days and if you’ve used less than 10 GB of bandwidth. On the other hand, AirVPN offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have more time to test it out. While AirVPN has a more flexible variety of short-term pricing plans, Windscribe offers a free account with fewer servers and a 2 GB bandwidth limit (10 GB if you provide your email).

    However, Windscribe has the advantage of letting you use it on an unlimited number of devices simultaneously, while AirVPN limits you to 5.

    Another area where these two VPNs differ is in the provision of features like malware protection and ad blocking, which can only be found in Windscribe’s service. Furthermore, while Windscribe offers apps for all major mobile and desktop platforms, AirVPN does not have a dedicated app for iOS. Find out which VPN is truly better in every major category by scrolling down.

    Our Score

    Features 8.0/10
    Pricing 8.0/10
    Ease of Use 8.8/10
    Reliability & Support 8.5/10
    Features 7.0/10
    Pricing 7.4/10
    Ease of Use 6.8/10
    Reliability & Support 8.2/10

    Reviews

    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

    Read the full review
    Review by our expert
    Author Image Lawrence Wachira
    Lawrence Wachira

    Editor

    Our Score: 7.0/10

    AirVPN is a budget-friendly option that claims to provide robust protection against online threats. Plus, it says it offers high-performance servers. But can it really rival the top VPNs, or is the price so low because it’s not that good? After testing all its features, I found that AirVPN is secure, but it can't match the best VPNs. It has many great security features, solid speeds, and work...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    M
    Marco
    8.0/10
    I am AirVpn cusomers since 2015, and on my gear works remarkably well

    I am working in the biggest country in Asia since 2006. I constantly use AirVpn on my MacBook Pro sinc... e 2015, and on my iPhone - iPad. I never had an issue, of any kind, with it, and I was quite amazed to read the article above. Lately, it is very difficult to get it properly run on iPhone and iPad, but this is more the result of this country where I live in restrictions than the vpn in itself. While in Hong Kong was still working fine, but as soon as I crossed the border troubles started. I will tweak that as soon as I will be out again. In the rest of the world, I never had issues. So I do not give the 5th star just because of my at present troubles using it on my iPhone and iPad. For the rest, I will stick with it.More

    Latest negative user review
    A
    Ari
    2.0/10
    14 Eyes country

    Italy is a 14 Eyes country and that is enough reason to not buy AirVPN. No servers in Russia, so you c... ant bypass the Western censorship of Russian media. VPN should be about bypassing censorship, but this is not the case with AirVPN.More

    Read the full review

    Pricing

    Starting price $5.75/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 3 Days
    Number of devices per license Unlimited devices
    Starting price $2.91/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 5 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    Windscribe takes the win. It offers a very secure VPN service with many practical features, decent speeds, a free version, and budget-friendly subscription plans. AirVPN also offers a reliable service at an even more affordable price. However, while it offers advanced settings to support torrenting users, its apps are in serious need of a UI update to make them easier to use.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    Both services can be used for torrenting with P2P support on all servers. However, AirVPN is the ideal option as it supports torrenting with high-speed servers, port forwarding for faster downloads, and perfect forward secrecy for improved privacy. Windscribe isn’t completely outclassed, though, as it has fast speeds and offers SOCKS5. Both providers aren’t based in privacy-friendly countries.

    Best VPN for Windows

    Windscribe’s Windows app is its most feature-rich, with a built-in firewall kill switch, your choice of 6 VPN protocols (including its Stealth protocol), split tunneling, as well as malware and public Wi-Fi protection. Features like port forwarding, strong encryption, internal DNS, and support for OpenVPN are the main selling points of AirVPN’s dedicated Windows app. Of the two, Windscribe’s Windows app is also the most user-friendly, so it wins this category.

    Best VPN for Android

    Windscribe comes on top as it offers an Android app that’s easy to set up, with features like Wi-Fi protection and a kill switch to prevent unsecured connections. Plus, you can hide your true location more reliably using the unique Location Warp feature. AirVPN, on the other hand, offers an Android app with an interface that still needs some work, but it's miles ahead of the Windows version. You can also use either WireGuard or OpenVPN using AirVPN.

    Best VPN for Mac

    Neither VPN’s app for Mac differs significantly from the Windows version, making it another solid win for Windscribe. While AirVPN only supports the OpenVPN protocol over SSL, SSH, and Tor protocols, Windscribe lets you connect using any of its 6 protocols. With advanced capabilities, like TCP socket termination, secure hotspot, packet size detection, and MAC address spoofing, Windscribe is one of the most convenient VPNs for Mac.

    Best VPN for iOS

    Windscribe’s iOS app has a smooth interface and offers features like tracking and Wi-Fi protection. With AirVPN even lacking a dedicated iOS app, this is an easy win for Windscribe. Plus, you won’t have to leave any of your devices unprotected thanks to it allowing an unlimited number of connections. You’ll need to configure AirVPN manually using the OpenVPN or WireGuard apps, which means you won’t have access to many standard VPN features.

    Best VPN for USA

    In addition to having multiple general-purpose US servers, Windscribe offers a unique Windflix connection option dedicated to unblocking Netflix and other hard-to-access streaming platforms in the US. AirVPN also features reliable US servers and claims to use a smart technology that allows any of its servers to unblock Netflix. However, it's not always consistent. The only catch is that Windscribe is based in Canada and AirVPN in Italy, both being members of the 14 Eyes Alliance, which means your data could potentially be shared with the US government if requested. However, with both having reliable no-logs policies, you shouldn’t be too concerned.

    The Bottom Line

    See Plans & Pricing

    By providing user-friendly apps for mobile platforms, easier-to-use security tools, and reliable unblocking capabilities, Windscribe claims a clear win in this comparison. Its 3-day money-back guarantee is extremely short for a premium VPN, but the availability of a free version partially compensates for the lack of a longer refund policy. In spite of its many strengths, Windscribe falls short of the highest tier of VPN services. If you’re looking for the highest speeds, widest network coverage, and most complete set of features, providers like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost offer top-notch services that outperform our winner here in every category.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    Go with Windscribe VPN
    Go with AirVPN
    Or click here to check best VPNs, rated by {{review_count}} users

    FAQ

    Is Windscribe VPN better than AirVPN?

    Yes, Windscribe VPN is better overall than AirVPN. It has 177 servers in 69 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $5.75 a month.

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

    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 Windscribe VPN may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests .

    Is Windscribe VPN faster than AirVPN?

    Yes, Windscribe VPN is faster than AirVPN. 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 Windscribe VPN or AirVPN offer any deals?

    Both Windscribe VPN and AirVPN 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 61% 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.