# NETGEAR VPN vs Essence Toolkit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Essence Toolkit at none against NETGEAR VPN's 1. Essence Toolkit also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). NETGEAR VPN's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NETGEAR VPN sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. Essence Toolkit asks for nothing beyond the download.

NETGEAR VPN ships an update every 2 months, Essence Toolkit weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NETGEAR VPN | Essence Toolkit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.3 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgear-vpn/id1515236326/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **47** | — |
| Positive reviews | 36.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 256 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bitdefender SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/384899757) | [Timur Idrissov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892855833) |

## What reviewers say

### NETGEAR VPN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgear-vpn/id1515236326)

Secure your online activity with a virtual private network that encrypts your traffic and routes it through a private tunnel for anonymity. Protect your data from cyber-criminals, websites, and ISPs. Enjoy unlimited traffic and global server access with a premium plan.

**Highlights:** Encrypts all traffic, Routes through private tunnel, Grants full anonymity, Protects online activity, Unlimited traffic (premium), Global server access (premium)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Premium VPN | $49.99 | per year |


### Essence Toolkit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essence-toolkit/id6762096590)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NETGEAR VPN free?

NETGEAR VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Essence Toolkit free?

Essence Toolkit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do NETGEAR VPN or Essence Toolkit have ads?

Neither NETGEAR VPN nor Essence Toolkit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NETGEAR VPN or Essence Toolkit?

NETGEAR VPN ships an update every 2 months, and Essence Toolkit weekly. Most recently, NETGEAR VPN was updated on November 3, 2026 and Essence Toolkit on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*