IPVanish Review: Top Speeds & Security Tested

IPVanish attracts users with features like unlimited device connections, a user-friendly interface, and a robust server network. It offers 40,000+ shared IPs across 2200+ servers in 90+ locations, each providing 10 unique IPs. In my IPVanish review, I also found it excels in streaming services like Netflix and YouTube TV. However, it lacks browser extensions and meshnet connections.

When I used the criteria for my VPN reviews, I found that IPVanish has many great features. Its latest updates cover previous shortcomings, including split tunneling and Threat Protection. However, it still needs improvements in speed and transparency, especially concerning its no-logs policy. Despite these drawbacks, IPVanish remains a budget-friendly option with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Quick Summary – IPVanish Review

I have found it a reliable VPN option throughout my IPVanish review. Although it doesn’t have the largest server network or offer the lowest prices, its performance remains solid, particularly when leveraging the WireGuard protocol for tasks such as streaming or gaming. The balance it strikes between speed and security makes IPVanish a competitive choice in the crowded VPN market.

However, despite its strengths, there are areas where IPVanish could improve. The visual design of its apps could benefit from a more modern and user-friendly interface to enhance the overall user experience.

Additionally, greater transparency in its auditing processes would help build more trust with users who are concerned about privacy and data security. These improvements could elevate IPVanish from a good VPN service to a great one.

Quick Overview of IPVanish:

Here are my key findings after conducting my IPVanish review 2024:

IPVanish Pricing Plans – How Much Does it Cost?

The VPN costs only US$10.99 if you subscribe to its monthly plan. Alternatively, depending on your preference, you can pay for it a year or even 2 years. Here is a list of all how much does IPVanish cost:

IPVanish prices can easily be compared with other affordable VPNs on the market. Its cheapest plan costs US$10.99/mo and comes, But you’d require signing up for IPVanish’s annual plan for this.

Is IPVanish Worth the Price in 2024?

IPVanish remains a compelling option in 2024 due to its unlimited device connections and robust security features. Its recent updates, including split tunneling and Threat Protection, enhance its value. While it has room for improvement in speeds and transparency, its budget-friendly plans and 30-day money-back guarantee make it a worthwhile investment.

Speaking of refunds, its money-back guarantee is more or less advertised as an IPVanish free trial. Of course, it’s not a free trial, but you can claim your refund if you cancel IPVanish within 30 days of purchase.

Check out my guide on how to cancel IPVanish subscription.

Server Network — How Many Servers Does IPVanish Have?

VPN IPVanish offers 2200+ servers in 75+ countries worldwide, making it one of the biggest server networks among all the VPNs I’ve tested. Furthermore, it also offers more than 40,000+ IP addresses to users. As a regular VPN user, I find these to be quite impressive numbers.

IPVanish offers multiple servers in different locations.

Moreover, it also offers servers in South America and Africa that some VPNs fail to cover. However, the service fails to deliver servers in restrictive countries like Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia. But despite that, it is still a great choice for global reach.

The best thing about IPVanish is that it doesn’t rent servers from third parties. This means you can have improved security with the guaranteed assurance that your data won’t fall into the wrong hands. Moreover, none of its servers are virtually located anywhere, which is another pro of this VPN.

If you’re confused, you can use IPVanish’s Quick Connect feature to connect you to the best server available. When I clicked on it, I was instantly connected to a Canadian server offering better speeds than most long-distance options.

You can choose any server and click ‘Connect’ to use your preferred location. You can always filter servers by country, latency, and protocol or manually select one.

Security Features — Is IPVanish Safe and Secure?

In my extensive IPVanish review, I found IPVanish is a secure VPN, and its world-class security features are one of the primary factors. These features include military-grade encryption, a kill switch, DNS/IP leak protection, Split tunneling, and advanced protocols.

Unfortunately, IPVanish fails to provide malware or an ad-blocker, which would be helpful. It doesn’t support multi-hop either, which adds another encryption layer to your traffic.

However, IPVanish offers multiple advanced security features to users. It safeguards you from censorship, government snooping, and data sharing by encrypting users’ data. Your data becomes anonymous and secure once your online activity travels through an encrypted tunnel using this VPN.

In short, IPVanish is a secure VPN service that offers strong encryption and tunneling protocols. The provider provides a comprehensive list of tunneling protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, IPSec, SSTP, and PPTP protocols.

Undoubtedly, the OpenVPN protocol provides both security and speed under one roof. First, however, you must download OpenVPN to your device directly. After that, you can create a secure OpenVPN connection from your device to the IPVanish server.

It largely depends on its 256-bit military-grade encryption to secure your internet traffic and prevent your device from cyber-attacks. Similarly, you can download the SOCKS5 web proxy that helps users avail of the same benefits as a standard VPN.

IPVanish Encryption

During my IPVanish review, its encryption helps in masking your data when you’re browsing the web. Since anyone can read non-encrypted data. Encrypted data is very hard to crack unless you’re an expert hacker.

IPVanish provides various encryption protocols to its users. It uses AES 256-bit encryption, which is the industry standard and the safest option right now. To choose the desired encryption level, go to IPVanish settings and choose from the available protocols.

Several Advanced Protocols

IPVanish offers robust security protocols: IKEv2, IPSec, OpenVPN (UDP & TCP), and WireGuard. These let you customize your connection for all your online activities. Let’s go through the protocols in detail:

I tested the speeds of these protocols to see which one was faster. During our testing, OpenVPN gave us slower speeds than IKEv2 and WireGuard.

The dedicated desktop app of IPVanish packs in three VPN protocols: IKEv2, WireGuard, IPSec, and OpenVPN. Speaking of OpenVPN and WireGuard, the IPVanish application should be launched in administrator mode if you wish to use these protocols. An ‘Automatic’ option also chooses the best protocol per your connection type.

I found these protocols in our IPVanish Windows app.

Does IPVanish Leak IP, DNS, & WebRTC?

IPVanish shields IPv4 addresses; however, if you have an IPv6 address, your IP address could be exposed while connected to IPVanish. The problem might be resolved by disabling IPv6 on your device or network. Keep reading this guide for additional details on how to resolve this problem.

We tested for IPVanish for leaks when I connected to its Canada-Toronto server. We noticed while testing IPVanish for this review that the provider is leak-proof.

IP/DNS Leak Test 

No IP and DNS leaks were detected in the IPVanish leak test. I was present in Chicago at the time of this test, and as you can see, no Chicago DNS was detected online.

My IP address in the United States stayed masked while using IPVanish .

WebRTC Leak Test 

I further conducted a WebRTC leak test by visiting browserleaks.com. You can see that my WebRTC information was absolutely safe as well with this VPN:

I did not face any leaks in this test as well.

Virus Test

I checked for viruses in the IPVanish Windows app file on VirusTotal. It did NOT contain any viruses, and it’s perfectly safe to use. Here is the screenshot of the virus test:

I tested its Windows file and got this result.

IPVanish Kill Switch

IPVanish takes your online privacy very seriously. It ensures all your data is tunneled and safe with excellent encryption support. Furthermore, unlike many other VPN providers, it also offers its users the Kill Switch” feature.

The kill switch feature, when enabled, disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops. This way, whatever you are doing online remains absolutely secure and away from the eyes of snoopers.

IPVanish kill switch worked well for me.

Compatible with TOR

TOR allows you to encrypt your traffic across different servers. Similarly, you can use TOR and a VPN to attain another layer of protection. This way, you can improve your anonymity to the next level.

Furthermore, you can hide your original identity from online snoopers and ISPs. Luckily, IPVanish is included among those VPNs that are compatible with TOR.

Scramble (Obfuscation)

IPVanish uses the Scramble feature to disguise OpenVPN traffic as regular HTTPS traffic, a technique known as obfuscation. This comes in handy in countries with strict policies against VPN usage and heavy online content regulation. The Scramble feature can be helpful if you cannot access geo-restrictions and censorship through standard connection protocols.

To test this feature, I used it while connected to a few public Wi-Fi networks with strict VPN restrictions. About 90% of the time, it worked flawlessly, got connected within a few seconds, and allowed us to enjoy complete online freedom.

Split tunneling

The IPVanish Android app has a built-in split tunneling feature that allows you to leave applications of your choice out of the VPN connection. This is useful when you only want to pass traffic relating to specific apps through the VPN and leave others connected generally to the web. Unfortunately, split tunneling is unavailable for IPVanish apps on devices other than those running Android.

Does IPVanish keep logs?

As per IPVanish’s privacy policy, it doesn’t keep logs of any traffic that travels through its servers. It doesn’t record how or where you connect to the internet or track the websites you visit. Its no-logging practices have been audited and later verified by third-party cybersecurity specialists.

But, since it’s headquartered in the United States, it keeps connection logs. IPVanish has repeatedly claimed that they have a strict zero-log policy. Still, they handed over the connection log to the Department of Homeland Security in one case.

The Department of Homeland Security approached Highwinds Network Group for information regarding a user involved in child abuse and pornography. It’s important to note that even if you hide your IP address from the government, you will still be tracked online and never be completely safe while using IPVanish.

Speed and Performance Test Results:

IPVanish delivered great VPN connection speeds that lie on the higher end of the average. In my IPVanish speed test, the VPN offered good speeds on almost all servers. They collectively have a pool of over 40,000+ IP addresses with a good IP reputation, giving users many options to access geo-restrictions easily.

I used my Lenovo ThinkPad (Windows) and MacBook Air to conduct all testing. The speeds I received depended on my devices, internet service provider, and base connection, and your numbers would differ from what I got. So, the tests below would give you a sense of how IPVanish worked on two operating systems.

Download speed tests

I conducted these tests on IPVanish’s US servers and faced a minimal speed drop on macOS and Windows. This ensured that IPVanish is a reliable choice for multiple activities.

Upload speed tests

With such a small speed decrease, I could easily stream Netflix and other streaming services without buffering or lags. These fast speeds make IPVanish a breeze for basic browsing purposes and enable a smooth streaming experience.

Although IPVanish is not the fastest by any means, it is still fast enough that it won’t cause any frustrations for users, even when performing bandwidth-intensive activities.

How fast is IPVanish in different regions?

IPVanish delivers reliable speeds across various regions, making it suitable for streaming, torrenting, and browsing. Performance may vary depending on server load and location. Here’s a comparison of IPVanish speeds in different regions:

IPVanish maintains competitive speeds, though some regions may experience slight variations. This makes it a solid choice for global users.

Is IPVanish Fast Enough for Gaming?

IPVanish provides competitive speeds generally sufficient for gaming, ensuring a smooth and lag-free experience. With servers in over 90 locations, you can usually find a nearby server to minimize latency. While some regions may experience slight variations in speed, overall, IPVanish delivers reliable performance for casual and competitive gaming.

For gamers, IPVanish offers unlimited device connections and a user-friendly interface, making it easy to connect multiple devices without compromising performance. The addition of split tunneling allows you to route gaming traffic through the VPN while keeping other activities on your local network, optimizing both speed and security.

IPVanish also supports P2P-friendly connections with a SOCKS5 proxy, which can enhance gaming speeds. While IPVanish performs well, some users might find better gaming-specific optimizations with other VPNs. Overall, IPVanish is a solid choice for gamers seeking a balance of speed, security, and reliability.

Streaming – Does IPVanish Support Reliable and Efficient Unblocking?

Yes, IPVanish is a fast VPN service ideal for streaming. Even though IPVanish doesn’t boast on its website, it has had almost no issues unblocking US/UK Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and others.  However, this service cannot frequently and successfully unblock Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. I tested multiple locations with tons of streaming services, and overall, they had a high success rate.

Can I use Netflix with IPVanish?

Yes, you can use Netflix with IPVanish outside USA, but you won’t be able to access as many Netflix libraries as other VPN providers. It offers a massive server network that can easily unblock Netflix libraries worldwide. Along with that, its blazing-fast speeds let you stream your favorite shows without any interruption or lags.

This VPN provider is a reasonable option for accessing Netflix geo-restrictions. To verify its Netflix unblocking performance, I tried unblocking American Netflix using a US-SeaS server, which worked like a charm.

I accessed multiple titles and could stream them in HD.

Using IPVanish’s UK servers, I could also unblock Disney+ UK and Sky Sports. After waiting for about 7 seconds, I could access the exclusive content of both streaming platforms. The picture was clear, and the connection was lag-free throughout the streaming.

I easily accessed Disney Plus with IPVanish.

Can I Use BBC iPlayer with IPVanish in USA?

Yes, IPVanish worked well with BBC iPlayer in USA. I faced no issues unblocking the streaming site with IPVanish anonymous VPN. I connected to its Glasgow and London servers and was able to unblock BBC iPlayer with both.

You can see in the screenshot below that I didn’t face any geo-restriction error on iPlayer despite being connected to a UK’s Birmingham server:

I was successfully able to stream BBC iPlayer content in HD using IPVanish servers.

Is IPVanish Good for Torrenting?

Yes, IPVanish is a great choice for torrent users. You can download torrents using clients like Vuzu, uTorrent, and BitTorrent. It is known for being one of the best VPNs for torrenting. You can use IPVanish through its SOCKS5 proxy server that supports HTTP traffic and P2P BitTorrent clients or its VPN servers to protect your P2P sessions.

You won’t find any special torrent-optimized servers since all of IPVanish’s servers support torrenting. These servers are designed to protect your privacy and increase your download speed while torrenting — but only an excellent VPN has them.

As you can see in the screenshot below, IPVanish guarantees secure and anonymous torrenting. I tested this provider with the IPleak.net torrent tracker, and the results were satisfactory, as the website tracker didn’t detect my IP or DNS.

This means that you can stay absolutely secure while torrenting with IPVanish.

Device Compatibility – Can I Use IPVanish on My Devices?

IPVanish is compatible with all platforms, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, router, Chrome OS, and Fire TV Stick. However, it does not offer dedicated Linux, Chromebooks, Roku, or router apps. This means you must manually set it up through a pre-VPN configured router.

However, with a single IPVanish login account, you can connect unlimited devices simultaneously, making it a great option for a large household – and inducting it into the best VPN for multiple devices.

Following is an overview of every app:

Moreover, IPVanish can also be configured manually on routers, which is somewhat complicated. So, instead, you can see the detailed guide on how to set up IPVanish on routers.

If you want to use IPVanish on Roku or Kodi, you can either set it up manually on your router or share your VPN-enabled internet connection from your PC by setting up a hotspot.

Kodi is an open-source platform that allows you to watch your favorite media for free. When I reviewed the provider, I learned that users could access their preferred Kodi add-ons while protecting their privacy through IPVanish. While testing IPVanish Kodi together, the combo was simply perfect. Refer to our how-to-install IPVanish on Kodi guide for more.

For Android devices that don’t have an App Store, like Kindle or Fire Tablet, users can install IPVanish Android APK files on their devices.

Moreover, if IPVanish won’t connect on your device or you experience other problems, consult this IPVanish not connecting guide for help.

Ease of Use: Is IPVanish User-Friendly?

IPVanish offers user-friendly apps that are perfect for beginners. It is also quite easy to download IPVanish as it provides detailed setup guides for different platforms. It also automatically chooses the best protocol for your needs, but if you want, you can also configure advanced settings in the app according to your requirements.

I tested its apps for your convenience in reviewing IPVanish. Most of its apps are very lightweight, don’t slow down your system, and are quick to start when you want to connect. The app lets you connect to the best available server and city in a particular country. However, connecting to a server near your location is wise for the best results.

Circumvent Censorship

I also tested IPVanish servers to see if they could access censorship in restrictive countries like China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and others.

Does IPVanish Work in China?

Unfortunately, I had a terrible experience with IPVanish for China during the IPVanish review, as it doesn’t work. The country has blocked all IPVanish servers to prevent access. Despite using an obfuscation tool like Scramble, IPVanish servers cannot access China’s Great Firewall.

IPVanish servers do not work in China.

Multiple countries worldwide have strict internet laws, even in the 21st century. They monitor user activity over the internet and snoop into their calls, texts, and social media accounts. To avoid this from happening to you, you need a premium VPN to stay protected.

IPVanish Customer Support:

IPVanish has an efficient customer support department. You can try different ways to contact their support team, such as:

• 24/7 live chat support
• 24/7 email support (support@ipvanish.com)
• The help section on the website

For my IPVanish review, I promptly got my desired response whenever I tried to contact them through live chat. You can go through the site to read informative articles on several topics. Its live chat feature is very efficient, as the support team responded within a few minutes when tested for myIP Vanish review.

You may also seek assistance via email support. I emailed them a small query, and they responded within 2 hours. My communication medium was email, so the response time was very fast and impressive.

Similarly, you may get the required assistance by visiting its help section. This section allows you to browse different sub-categories like announcements, billing questions, IPVanish setup guides, FAQs, troubleshooting, etc.

What Do You Get for Your Money With IPVanish?

IPVanish offers a comprehensive package that stands out in the VPN market. Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect:

IPVanish Review by Reddit Users:

Many users on Reddit have raised concerns about IPVanish’s trustworthiness, particularly related to the 2016 incident where the company handed over user logs to the U.S. government despite claiming a no-logs policy. To address these concerns, IPVanish has undergone an independent audit. Alternatives like ExpressVPN and NordVPN are recommended for their strong privacy commitments.

Several users have reported inconsistent speeds and performance issues with IPVanish, especially long-distance servers. Users can try connecting to nearby servers for better performance, reduced latency, and improved speeds. Using the WireGuard protocol can enhance speed and stability. A Redditor mentioned that switching to WireGuard significantly improved their speeds.

Some Redditors found the IPVanish app interface less intuitive and difficult to navigate. IPVanish should update its app with a more user-friendly interface and better navigation tools. Alternatives like ExpressVPN and NordVPN are noted for their easy-to-use interfaces.

IPVanish vs. Free VPNs: Value for Money

When comparing IPVanish to free VPNs, the former stands out for its advanced features and no-limit device policy. Free VPNs often come with data caps, slower speeds, and limited server options.

IPVanish offers extensive features and better performance than free VPNs. If you are looking for more options, I recommend ExpressVPN, which also has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Alternatives of IPVanish

Here are my top alternatives for IPVanish if you disapprove of this VPN service. Go through their reviews and check out their service:

• ExpressVPN Review
• PrivateVPN Review
• Surfshark Review
• NordVPN Review
• CyberGhost Review

FAQs – IPVanish Review

Conclusion – Do I Recommend IPVanish?

Based on my IPVanish review, I recommend IPVanish VPN for privacy-conscious users seeking unlimited bandwidth. It offers excellent WireGuard performance, customizable apps, and fast live chat support. However, IPVanish is pricey, limits its free trial to annual plans through mobile app stores, and lacks some advanced options available in other VPNs.

For a more comprehensive solution, consider ExpressVPN, the editor’s choice. Its top-notch security, wide global server coverage, and extra features deliver a superior and highly dependable VPN experience.