IPVanish Reviews
Pros
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Unlimited devices
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No-log policy
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24/7 support
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Reliable security tools
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Competitive pricing
Cons
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No desktop free trial
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Based in the U.S
IPVanish made a strong entrance as a VPN service provider in 2012, long before VPNs became so common, and it’s been further improving its service ever since. Fundamentally, this solution specializes in providing customers with secure and encrypted internet connections across all devices.
Offering customers an impressive 2,200 servers worldwide to choose from, IPVanish is both comprehensive and reliable. It’s also one of the few VPN providers that manage a big portion of its infrastructure in-house, owning 80% of its servers and only using self-developed software for its service. This reduces the company’s reliance on third parties, making it an even more trustworthy option.
As one of the strongest VPNs on the market, IPVanish also boasts a vast range of features that not only provide faster speeds but also permit a custom encryption level and all other elements of a VPN connection. With prices starting as low as $2.99 per month, users certainly get a lot for their money.
Up to 76% off IPVanish
Opt for a 2-year plan and save 76% on IPVanish, translating into only $2.99 per month.
Save Up to 76% on IPVanish
Features
Features
Bandwidth
Unlimited
# connected devices
Unlimited
Kill switch
IPVanish is one of the best tools for ensuring sensitive data remains protected regardless of where the connection is established from – even including public Wi-Fi networks, for instance – thanks to the full arsenal of security features it provides.
Along with pretty much every function of the VPN client, these different elements are easily configurable and editable, ensuring that all customers can adapt their VPN to their own individual needs.
Bulletproof VPN service
Many VPN providers work with different companies to lease servers around the globe in an effort to offer more locations at a low cost. Typically, this means less reliability in terms of speed and uptime, as more parties are handling the users’ private data.
IPVanish, on the other hand, prides itself on owning around 80% of its entire server network. This means that IPVanish has almost full control over every aspect of its VPN service. Also, since it’s the majority party involved in establishing secure connections and handling customer details, it’s one of the few companies that can truly be trusted.
Fastest Available
Servers
The VPN client reflects this particular aspect, showing the load and ping times next to each server in the expanded server list, for instance. Also, the ‘Fastest Available’ feature automatically picks the best server and city depending on users’ physical location while it still saves preferences filtered by country, response time, and protocol used.
Security investments
When it comes to security, IPVanish excels. Users have full control over the security and speed of the VPN’s connections, as well as the general behavior of the tool. Within IPVanish’s settings tab, it’s possible to alter the choice of protocol for a faster or more secure connection, choose to let the tool automatically reconnect – which is great when used alongside the kill switch – enable LAN traffic blocking or DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and much more.
Settings
Kill Switch
VPN network
VPN network
Countries
US, UK, DE, AU, CA, FR, ES, SE, BR…
# countries
130+
# servers
2,400+
# IPs
40,000+
IPVanish has servers in more than 75 different countries across the globe, including some rarely seen locations like Hong Kong, South Korea, and Dubai. This means a high-speed connection is available nearly anywhere in the world. However, the actual speed is always dependent on each country’s own internet quality, distance to the servers, the protocol, speeds provided by ISPs, and other factors that IPVanish cannot control.
What it can control, though, is the number of servers available. The fact that many countries have multiple servers used exclusively for its VPN network, makes this an incredibly fast service, especially if using ‘Fastest Available’.
IPVanish also allows P2P torrent traffic via a normal VPN connection or the restricted and secure SOCKS5 proxy server that can be configured by you, and supports clients like uTorrent, Vuze, and Deluge.
Tests were conducted from Europe using different servers and protocols, which produced positive results. The Austrian and Netherlands servers – both using OpenVPN – were impressive, which isn’t surprising considering the proximity and both countries’ internet quality.
Austria
Netherlands
Brazil
South Africa
The other two protocols were tested in Brazil and South Africa. Both were reliable, but the WireGuard connection in South African servers truly shined, reaching a higher speed than other European destinations, confirming the high-speed efficiency of the protocol. Lastly, the IKEv2 connection to the Brazilian server was the slowest. However, considering the geographical distance and strong defensive protocol used, this is understandable.
When it comes to DNS and IP leaks, IPVanish presented no issues, proving that the connections are trustworthy, accurate, and 100% safe.
Privacy protection
Privacy protection
SSL
OpenVPN
PPTP
L2TP
SSTP
IPSec
Show all
IPVanish supports three main protocols – WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN – which are responsible for the potential speed and encryption level of any given VPN connection. These can be changed anytime within the client to help achieve the best possible VPN experience.
For security, OpenVPN is the top choice, while WireGuard should be used whenever a fast speed is required. IKEv2, however, is best for unstable Wi-Fi networks on both mobile and desktop versions. Additionally, it’s possible to change the ports on OpenVPN connections, as well as toggle the option for traffic obfuscation.
But that’s not all, as other privacy measures are included, from the AES 256-bit encryption key to the essential kill switch. It’s also possible to enable or disable IPv6 and DNS leak protection, block LAN traffic, and even use custom DNS settings. Likewise, a third-party DNS can be used while still being connected to IPVanish, although this isn’t recommended. Ultimately, it’s the full package when it comes to maintaining personal privacy.
Connection
Protocols
Most importantly, the company rightfully claims to have a truly zero-log policy. Still, IPVanish is based in the U.S and is under the Five Eyes Alliance, already having some controversies in the past concerning this. However, ever since the company was acquired by StackPath, no other problem relating to this has emerged.
OS, device support
Platform support
Web app
Mobile optimized
macOS
Linux
Android
Windows
iOS
Show all
Other devices
Xbox One
PlayStation
Apple TV
Chromebook
DD-WRT
Tomato
Show all
It’s one thing to have a great VPN service, but making it available and fully compatible with all the latest operating systems is another. IPVanish is supreme in this field too, since its software works on Windows 7 or higher and Macs with macOS 10.13 and later.
Android and iOS haven’t been left out either, with free applications that provide the same smooth user interface and experience as the desktop clients. These VPN apps work well in conjunction with Skype and other VoIP apps, allowing for lower costs on calls via these services.
Although the mobile versions of IPVanish are very similar to each other, they do have some differences. For Android users, there’s a Split Tunneling tool, which gives users full control of their VPN setup by letting them choose which apps the VPN doesn’t go through. On the other hand, iOS users have access to ‘On Demand’, making the VPN software auto-connect in pre-determined cases, such as unknown Wi-Fi. Besides these two differences, both apps share the same functionalities.
Mobile interface
Mobile server
Mobile settings
Yet for complete device support, IPVanish can also be configured to run on Linux Ubuntu, Chromebook, Amazon Fire TV, and even routers using DD-WRT or Tomato to reach extra platforms like games consoles, smart TVs, and other devices that don’t support VPNs directly. Opting for router protection also eliminates the need for simultaneous connections through the same account.
Pricing
The pricing of IPVanish is as simple as it is competitive. The service offers three different options: a monthly, a yearly, and a 2-year plan.
The most affordable option is without a doubt the 2-year plan. It costs only $2.99 per month, which translates to 76% off the $12.99 monthly plan. The yearly plan is billed at $3.49 per month, which is still a good 73% discount. Payment methods include most credit and debit cards, as well as alternatives like PayPal and Google Pay.
2,200+ servers
Unlimited devices
No-log policy
WireGuard
DNS & IPv6 leak protection
Split tunnelling
LAN traffic blocking
2,200+ servers
Unlimited devices
No-log policy
WireGuard
DNS & IPv6 leak protection
Split tunnelling
LAN traffic blocking
2,200+ servers
Unlimited devices
No-log policy
WireGuard
DNS & IPv6 leak protection
Split tunnelling
LAN traffic blocking
IPVanish offers mobile users a 7-day free trial with full access to the VPN service. This is a viable option for those who enjoy exploring a service before committing to a paid subscription. It’s worth mentioning, though, that accounts created in the iOS app don’t have access to the 30-day money-back guarantee.
Besides the free trial, all plans (except the monthly one) come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This way, users are able to fully test out the service without any risk, as unfortunately, there are no free versions of the program.
Payment options
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover
PayPal
Wire transfer
Check
Cryptocurrency
Show all
Customer service
Customer support
24/7
Live chat
Email
Phone
Community
FAQs
Video tutorials
Remote desktop
Blog
Facebook
Instagram
X
YouTube
Show all
Along with the FAQ pages available in a number of different languages, the step-by-step tutorials are likely to answer the most basic questions relating to setting up the software. Still, online technical support is available 24/7 throughout the year via various channels, such as phone lines, a contact form that ensures email responses within a few hours, and live chat.
There are also support forums and the company’s social media pages, through which direct or community-based assistance is provided. IPVanish further shows how much it values community with its blog that features many interesting articles related to cyber protection, speed tests, privacy checks, and password generation tools.
Support
Help center
Bottom line
IPVanish delivers everything asked of a VPN provider and more. The fact that the company has nearly full control over every single aspect of its VPN service is just one of the many reasons why it’s earned such a respectable reputation in the industry.
Its comprehensive server network is often the biggest seller, but it’s worthless without proper protection and fast speeds. IPVanish excels in these areas while adding more security features and extensive support for all kinds of devices, bundled in with a simple and customizable client.
The service itself works exceptionally well, demonstrating impressively consistent test results and operating a zero-log policy. Although the free trial is only available for mobile users, there’s little else to criticize. Moreover, even this is easy to overlook considering the competitive pricing and special discounts constantly offered by the company.
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Daniel C.
Sander D.
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